The Blue & Gray Press

THE

BLUE &GRAY

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER

PRESS

November 14, 2019

VOLUME 93 | ISSUE 11 SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE

1922

Closure of accessible lot limits mobility of students with disabilities Victoria Larimer Staff Writer

On Friday, Oct. 1 the Office of Student Affairs sent out an email announcing that the handicap accessible parking lot in the University Center loop would temporarily be closed for the duration of construction on the new

Students with disabilities lose access to UC loop parking due to construction.

Iconfinder.com

Panera. This parking lot currently serves as the Americans with Disabilities Act compliant parking lot for the University Center, Custis, Ball and Madison. The Office of Disability Resources was not consulted on this decision.

“Parking Management did reach out to us to inform us of the lot closing for three weeks due to the construction. This was after the decision was made,” said Jessica Machado, director of the Office of Disability Resources.

According to Dennis Rapkins of Parking Management, spaces have been set aside for disabled students in the annex parking lot next to the University Center to replace the spots lost.

Following the announcement, several students with disabilities were concerned about the potential issues in campus accessibility this change might pose.

One of these students was junior theatre major, Maddie Neilson.

“The closing of the UC loop takes away essential parking for disabled students who need access to the central part of campus,” she said. “The disabled spots in nearby lots are normally taken by disabled faculty or staff and not available for student use by the time classes start or by lunch when students normally access the UC.” Senior English major, April Wobken shared a similar concern about the

decision to close the University Center loop.

“Them closing off the loop is the worst idea they could possibly do,” she said. “There are already minimal handicap parking spaces on campus.

It would have been better if they did whatever they are doing now during fall break or some other break where students will not be impacted.”

Rapkins said that the annex lot where the accessible parking spaces have been relocated is the faculty and staff parking lot located behind Ball Hall to the side of the University Center.

While this new parking location is still relatively close to the buildings that the University Center loop served, there have been concerns about its accessibility.

“It’s hard to get to the UC from the lot. It’s too far away and is out of compliance for disabled students,” said theatre major Meagan Morrison.

When examining the annex lot, the only current accessible path is to exit the lot onto the sidewalk on College Avenue and follow it to the street side entrance of the University Center. From there, these students could through the University Center to access campus walk.

Many students felt that this decision was a part of a broader theme of campus

inaccessibility. Junior psychology major Cralida Staton spoke on her personal issues with getting to classes on campus.

Staton said, “My physical accessibility has been quite difficult at times. When I used to have a handicap parking pass, it got me closer to an exit or to the end of the parking lot, but it never really helped with getting to classes. I was told to just drive to the parking lot in front of each building for every class, which took more than ten minutes in between each class.”

Neilson also shared that she had difficulty accessing her classes on campus.

“There is a severe lack of accessibility in general. DuPont, Melchers and Pollard are inaccessible in particular, which sometimes impacts my ability to attend classes,” said Neilson.

The overall lack of on campus accessibility has been and continues to be a concern for disabled students, whether it’s a lack of accessible parking or difficulty accessing buildings.

“My final words on the matter of disability on campus are this: at the end of the day, we just want to be students at UMW, not activists. We want to be able to experience the fun of college like everyone else, not drown in all our attempts to be treated equally,” said Wobken.

Registrar designates classes as ‘no cost’ on Banner Students will know of additional fees prior to registration

Andria Theodorou Staff Writer

UMW will begin labeling classes with no textbook costs and other fees as “no cost” classes. This information will be accessible to students before they register for classes.

“The ‘no-cost’ class is all about students not having to pay $100 or more for textbooks for their classes for the upcoming spring 2020 semester.

Student’s will not have to pay any fees for their classes’ textbooks,” said senior associate registrar Kevin Caffrey.

This designation will not require

much change from what professors are already asked to do before the start of each semester. This new requirement will merely mean adding textbook information earlier on in the process and

The ‘no-cost’ class is all about students not having to pay $100 or more for textbooks for their classes for the upcoming spring 2020 semester.”

-Kevin Caffrey

The new system aims to prepare students for potential costs.

Emilia Michalkiewicz / The Blue & Gray Press

IN THIS

ISSUE

keeping all pricing information fully disclosed from the beginning.

“Every semester, department chairs are asked to submit the list of courses their department will offer the following semester.

Beginning this semester, chairs were also asked to indicate which of their courses did not require students to purchase any

textbooks or other course materials,” said economics professor Steve Greenlaw.

While this could influence students’ decisions to take on classes or not based on efforts to save money, the hope is that students will be more informed so they can prepare for the costs coming their way in required classes.

“This information shows up in the registration materials on Banner. Since the instructor Professors will be exploring the use of digital resources in order to save usually chooses students money on textbooks. Emilia Michalkiewicz / The Blue & Gray Press the textbooks for a course, they tell the department chair if their course has no communication. textbook costs, and the chair reports it to “Personally, the communication the registrar,” said Greenlaw. faculty aims to limit the out of pocket “I was asked to report if I am offering costs for CDS [communication and a ‘no-cost class’ for spring 2020, which digital studies] students,” said Crosby.

I am, using scanned book materials “We are exploring various digital and PDF articles via Canvas versus resources to help keep book and texts a traditional textbook for purchase,” costs down, especially for COMM 205: said Emily Crosby, professor of Public Speaking.”

“Fun HOME”

Mary Washington

Production is based on controversial memoir.

Namesake of university deserves more recognition.

LIFE | 5

VIEWPOINTS | 3

Cheer Team Now a hybrid team cheer seeks to be a full varsity team.

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

Business Manager Lucas Burkholder

SECTION EDITORS NEWS Kate Seltzer Abigail Buchholz

VIEWPOINTS

New Bee Club is all the buzz around campus Nathaniel Holbrook Staff Writer

independent of other sustainability clubs from Sweet Briar College and there I on campus but is affiliated with the joined their upstart of a Bee Club and Presidential Council of Sustainability. helped take care of their apiary,” she UMW’s new Bee Club was officially “The PCS is a group of students, said “I fell in love with taking care of recognized by the school at the end of normally club leaders, and faculty that the bees and watching the hives grow October. The club is in its early stages work to make UMW and produce. and is looking to gather more members “Our goal as a club is to more sustainable,” he Bees are such to teach people about bees as well as try said. wonderful increase the amount of available to make the campus bee-friendly.

One of the major The Bee Club aims to respond to the habitats for native pollinators on insects and goals of the club and they deserve decreasing population of pollinators campus, as well as constructing to have the PCS is to become such as bees by building more habitats and maintaining an apiary for a certified bee-friendly more people honey bees.” college campus, stand up and which means to contribute build sustainable to their -Curtis Kasiski habitats for conservation.” pollinators.

“I am hopeful that the club will “One of the goals of the PCS spark a love and interest of bees in more that is to be achieved through the people and that it will lead to a growing Bee Club is the bee campus USA drive in the UMW community to learn certification,” Kasiski said. about and protect bees and other native Danielle Cross, the vice pollinators,” Cross added. president of the Bee Club, is also passionate about spreading awareness of the bees and hopes to get more students active in helping the bees.

“We as UMW students have the ability and The Bee Club rallies around providing natural habitats for bees drive to start around campus.

Abigail Buchholz / The Blue & Gray Press contributing to the protection of pollinator species and Bee for bees on campus.

Club is a great way to get “As many have heard, there has been that ball rolling in terms a huge decrease in the bee population of not only action but also over the past couple of years,” said education.”

Curtis Kasiski, president of Bee Club.

Cross has experience “Our goal as a club is to increase the with taking care of bees amount of available habitats for native and apiaries, and that pollinators on campus, as well as experience led her to want constructing and maintaining an apiary to join the UMW Bee for honey bees.”

The Bee Club advertised their first meeting on the Spirit Rock.

Club.

According to Kasiski, Bee Club is Abigail Buchholz / The Blue & Gray Press “I am a transfer student

POLICE BEAT

Alicen Hackney

LIFE

Hit and Run

Cosima Pellis

SPORTS Jack Hagn

ONLINE Meaghan McIntyre

On Friday, November 1 between 9:15 a.m. and 4:03 p.m. there was a hit and run involving an unattended vehicle in the Sunken Road parking lot. This case is pending.

Assault and Battery

Petit Larceny

Cayley McGuire Noah Strobel

FACULTY ADVISOR Sushma Subramanian

2

On Friday, November 8 between 1:30 p.m. and 2:09 p.m. There was an assault and battery in Bushnell Hall. The victim declined prosecution. There are two admin referrals.

Between Friday, November 1 at 12:20 p.m. and Sunday, November 3 at 12:50 p.m. a vehicle was vandalised in the Marshall Hall lot. This case is pending.

Grand Larceny

On Monday, November 4 between 7:36 p.m. and 11:01 p.m. a skateboard was stolen from Simpson Library. This case is pending.

Samuel Cobb

PHOTO

Vandalism

ABIGAIL BUCHHOLZ & KATE SELTZER News Editors

Possession

Between Thursday, November 7 at 3:00 p.m. and Friday, November 8 at 3:00 p.m. a phone was stolen from an unknown location on campus. This case is pending.

On Friday, November 8 at 11:27 p.m. there was an incident of marijuana possession in the William Street Apartments. There is one admin referral.

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, November 14, 2019

VIEWPOINTS

Editor: Alicen Hackney | blueandgray.views@gmail.com

University namesake deserves monument on campus

NATHANIEL STRINGER Staff Writer

As UMW undergoes a new marketing campaign with Mindpower Inc., an Atlanta-based marketing agency, it may benefit the university to incorporate a monument to Mary Washington onto campus. This move would pay homage to a historically-significant woman and women’s rights in general, encouraging prospective students to recognize the historical significance of the university and education rights for women.

When a prospective student tours George Mason or James Madison University, one of the first landmarks that can be seen is a well-crafted statue in tribute to the university’s namesake; George Mason or James Madison, respectively. However, at the University of Mary Washington, there is not a prominent memorial to the institution’s namesake like at the two previously mentioned schools. In fact, there is no statue of Mary Washington at UMW and there is hardly any noticeable tribute to the famous mother of the first President of the United States.

Washington’s maiden name, Ball, has been used to name a residence hall and the popular activities field outside the University Center. However, the names ‘Ball Hall’ and ‘Ball Circle’ do not pay a clear and respectable appreciation. While this is a start at paying tribute, it does not fully accomplish its goal.

“I did not know that Ball was Mary Washington’s middle name, let alone that there were any landmarks on campus named after her. I think that there should be something more obvious dedicated to here, here on

campus.” said Rynan Garner, a junior communication and digital studies major.

Washington has a story worth sharing. She grew up as an orphan and raised six children. A powerful woman, it has been said that Washington went against cultural standards imposed upon women in the

Mary Washington needs proper representation on campus. josephsmithfoundation.org

eighteenth century by not remarrying - which would have prevented her children from being entitled to the rights of the property that were in her possession.

Family and community mattered to Washington, and we should be honoring that here on campus considering those are such important parts of our campus life.

One of the most prominent statues on campus is a bust of James Farmer across from Trinkle Hall.

Although James Farmer holds historical significance as an American civil rights activist, some students believe Washington should be able to share in the

historic recognition on campus. The reason that Washington deserves this kind of recognition is to serve as a reminder that women have also made significant impacts on history, despite repressive eras of the past.

Alara LeJeune, a nursing student, said, “James Farmer had a significant impact on civil rights and was an important part of Fredericksburg’s history. However, in addition to James Farmer, I do believe UMW should have a statue, or something similar, on campus to draw attention and remembrance to the woman the university is named after.”

Winnie Cargill, a senior historic preservation major, offered an explanation for why Farmer has a statue while the university’s namesake does not. Cargill said, “Unlike Mary Washington, James Farmer had an active role in the school, and he was a history and American studies professor. I think that because he physically taught students at the college, he had a more historical presence and a lasting legacy on the university and community.”

It is essential that Mary Washington is both remembered and celebrated on campus. Not only is it a classy move to commemorate the namesake of a university through memorialization, but from a marketing and student-satisfaction standpoint, it would behoove the university to celebrate her life through the implementation of a statue, or a similar physical memorial. Considering UMW was once an all-female university, honoring the woman this university was named for would not only pay respect to history but also women who have attended the university since its start.

Dating app stigma makes for an awkward holiday dinner With Thanksgiving right around the corner, students are through a dating app,” said Montes. “They would see it as not being JAI-LEAH GARCIA prepping for the break and spending time with their families. responsible and for doing something potentially dangerous.”

Staff Writer Although the holidays provide family-bonding time, it does spark As we approach the holiday breaks students are beginning to have the question of relationships and extended family asking about significant others. In an to think about these reactions their families may have. The holidays are a time where age where dating apps have become central to finding a match, negative stigma from all the family gets together and they want to know how their dating experience has older generations and the concerns involved are unfair and outdated. gone. Each generation has a different form of dating, and with our form being online, For many college students, dating is now done through apps such as Tinder and there is a disconnect between the old and the young. The older generations have a Bumble. For most, Tinder is seldom seen as a way to actually end up in a serious different mindset on dating and the pressure of meeting those standards rises more relationship. More often than not, the idea is that the people we meet on dating apps during the holidays. are looking for more casual relationships. This causes a negative stigma because “The stigma against dating apps definitely could rise during the holidays with dating apps are portrayed as an easy way for a hookup and not as a way for a serious people bringing their significant others around family, especially older generations relationship. who may not understand the situation as well as we do,” said freshman communication “I never used dating apps seriously. I usually went on to look at other people and major Erin Matuczinkski. it was cool to talk to Montes agreed, “people go home and are with family and feel that they can’t be people,” said junior honest about how their dating experiences have gone.” biology major Grace The holidays also come with the pressure of introducing significant others to the Montes. family. These interactions can illicit unwanted conversation or questions about meeting Our generation has online. grown accustomed “I usually let my family meet my boyfriends pretty early, whether or not I met them to dating through the through an app,” said Montes. “I just lied and told my family I knew my boyfriend internet and apps, but from school, but that was still partially true.” with the pressure of The negative stigma around dating apps is high, but we should strive to lower it, questions from family especially with family. If we want our families to know who we are with, we should be and fearing the response honest about our generation finding people through apps. Even if it is not a significant of older generations, other, we still find friends online who many chat with and share close connections with for some, avoiding the them. question of relationships “This has become a common form of dating and should be respected as one,” said is the easiest route to go.

Matuczinski. “I told my family right away about meeting my boyfriend on an app “I have not told my because I felt it shouldn’t be taboo.”

College students face unfair stigma from family for using dating apps. family that I met As a younger generation we shouldn’t keep our dating lives and the method of Pratik Gupta / Unsplash.com my boyfriend online dating private, but instead embrace it.

Staff Ed: Instagram hides ‘like’ feature

By THE BLUE AND GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD The CEO of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, first announced in May several new features set to premiere on the platform later in the year. One of the new features coming to Instagram is the hiding of public “like” counts, which begun testing in the United States this week. This would mean that like counts under posts in your feed would be hidden. The new interface will have the like button in its usual place, with a line of text next to the like button showing the names of two people who have liked the post. Mosseri says that the change is to help make social media less of a socially pressurized environment.

While likes are hidden from Followers, users can see the exact number of likes that their post receives.

“As you scroll through your feed, there are no like

Thursday, November 14, 2019

counts,” explained Mark Zuckerberg at F8, Facebook’s annual creator conference. “You can see who liked a photo or video, you can tap through to see [the list], and if you have the time you can add them all up yourself.”

The change was first tested in May in the Canadian market. The feature has now been rolled out to Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, and now the United States. This change started the week of Nov. 8, and will affect more users as the month progresses, said Mosseri.

The alteration is an attempt to make Instagram a more friendly place for the users. In a survey done by the Royal Society for Public Health in the U.K., Instagram was rated highest out of major social media platforms in causing users to have negative body image, as well as users who experience anxiety and depression.

If Mosseri’s projection is accurate, the changes will

improve the mental health and happiness of Instagram users.

This editorial was lead by Sam Cobb.

Instagram set to continue removal of like feature.

ksby.com

3

LIFE

Editor: Cosima Pellis blueandgray.life@gmail.com

Agora’s friendliness and decor creates downtown home for students EVE THOMPSON Staff Writer

Located at 520 Caroline St., Agora Downtown Coffee Shop is tucked away in a little yellow building just next to the train station. It is marked by their logo: a cup of coffee, what else?

The first things most customers notice about Agora are the most important things-- the friendly service and the art adorning the walls. These are just two elements that exemplify the local nature of the shop that customers experience.

The friendly service is due in part to many UMW students working there, like Payton Creamer, a sophomore communication and digital studies major. She started working at Agora in October, but she was a regular customer there before.

“When I think of Agora, I think of the first place in Virginia that felt like home to me, being an out-of-state student from Connecticut. It made me feel more connected to the new community because it is the most welcoming place, full of positive energy,” says Creamer.

The art on the walls appeals to many Agora visitors, such as Elizabeth Johnston, an undeclared freshman.

“I do a lot of art on the side, as a hobby, and to come in to a place [like Agora] and see art all over the walls, it’s really nice,” Johnston said.

Agora has an even deeper connection to downtown than just the baristas or the

Agora is located at 520 Caroline St., within walking distance of UMW.

art. Sisters and co-owners Andi Stone Chitty and Meghan Stone grew up in the area.

“We were both born in Fredericksburg, and we grew up in Spotsylvania and Stafford. We came

downtown often, and we both love downtown Fredericksburg,” said Stone Chitty.

The two had always dreamed of opening a coffee shop together, but they didn’t expect that it would happen so suddenly. However, Andi had just completed her bachelor’s degree in food science and technology, and Meghan had just earned a Master of Business Administration, so the timing matched up perfectly.

“We kind of looked at that and said, ‘Food, art, business.

Maybe we should do this now, when we don’t have any obligations with families and such.’ Our mom had her eye on this location, so we kind of went from there,” Stone Chitty said.

Agora is a family affair. Andi and Meghan’s family, including their veteran father, are very involved, and it shows.

Sophomore English major Katia Savelyeva said, “The atmosphere is nice. It feels

Agora is a comfortable place to study, with many cozy spots.

Eve Thompson / The Blue & Gray Press

There are many creative and seasonal drinks offered at Agora.

Eve Thompson / The Blue & Gray Press

4

Eve Thompson / The Blue & Gray Press

almost like you’re over at somebody’s house. The moment you come, it feels like you’re with friends and family, in a way that it doesn’t so much at other coffee shops.”

Savelyeva is one of many UMW students who visit Agora regularly.

When asked about Agora’s connection to UMW, Stone Chitty talked about her own college experience.

“I remember when I was away at college. To have a place that you feel at home when you’re so far from home itself is so important. When people come in and they say, ‘Wow, this is like home to me,’ that appeals to a lot of people,” said Stone Chitty. “Plus, we have free refills on coffee for here,” she added, laughing.

Beyond the coffee and pastries, beyond the old books and fresh honey, what comes to everyone’s mind when they think about Agora is simple. It’s home, for both the Stone family and any customers who walk in.

Agora is open from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Customers can also purchase books and local art.

Eve Thompson / The Blue & Gray Press

Thursday, November 14, 2019

LIFE UMW Theatre musical “Fun Home” based on controversial memoir CHRISTOPHER FOLS Staff Writer

“Welcome to our house on Maple Avenue.” This is the song the Bechdel family sings as the musical “Fun Home” brings you into the life of Alison Bechdel.

“Fun Home” is based on the graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel depicting her discovery of her sexuality and the relationship she has with her father.

The play focuses between two key time periods in her life.

The first is small Alison, portrayed

by Madison Neilson, who embodies the innocence all children have when they are that age. Through her actions on stage, the joy Alison has when spending time with her father is evident, but also the disappointment that comes with his disapproval and rejection.

Next, Alison appears as a freshman in college, exploring her identity and her sexuality. Lydia Hundley develops this character well, starting off very awkward

and unsure of who she is. As the play continues, she becomes more confident until she goes home to see her family where you can feel the tension in the room.

Adult Alison, played by Olivia Whicheloe, is observing her memories while she is trying to draw the graphic novel and think of the perfect captions.

Bruce, Alison’s father, is probably the second most important character in the musical. The memories Alison has with her father are split between good memories and traumatic ones. Max Kingston captures the struggles Bruce is having in his life, and switches from loving to angry in a way that keeps the audience guessing how he will react in every scene.

Adult Alison was in the center of her studio drawing her memories while surrounding her were the places in her memories. The whole set revolved to switch the setting from her childhood home to her dorm in college. This allowed adult Alison an omniscient view

of her memoirs and allowed the audience to see her reactions.

Although the musical was wellreceived on Broadway, the memoir it was based on has a history of controversy.

The first instance was in 2006 when it was the recommended read for all incoming freshmen at Duke University.

Brian Grasso, who was an incoming freshman at Duke, said that as a Christian he would not read the book because he objected to the book’s visual depiction of sexuality and pornographic content.

In 2008, a student at the University of Utah objected to the content of the book and was given an alternate assignment, but also helped start a petition that tried to get the book removed,

ultimately failing.

In 2014, the College of Charleston in South Carolina faced a greater challenge.

The South Carolina legislature debated punitive budget cuts against the College of Charleston because it incorporated “Fun Home” into a voluntary summer reading program for incoming freshmen.

The budget cuts ended up being rejected by the Senate Finance Committee.

Similar incidents have occurred at high schools as well.

“Fun Home” will run through Nov. 24 in Klein Theatre.

Top row from left: Max Kingston, Rachel Williamson.

Bottom row from left: Aidan Caffrey, Madison Nielson, Lachlan Eaton.

Geoff Greene / UMW Theatre

From left: Max Kingston as Bruce, Madison Neilson as small Alison.

Geoff Greene / UMW Theatre

From left to right: Lachlan Eaton, Madison Neilson, Aidan Caffrey, Rachel Williamson.

Geoff Greene / UMW Theatre

From left: Olivia Whichkeloe as adult Alison, Lydia Hundley as medium Alison.

Geoff Greene / UMW Theatre

Thursday, November 14, 2019

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Weekend Events Thursday

Friday

• Flu Shots @ University Center, 10 - 3 p.m.

• Music Dept Student Recital @ Pollard 304, 4 - 5 p.m.

• Professor Linda Gregerson: A Poetry Reading @ Combs 139. 5 p.m.

• Native American Cultural Celebration Keynote: Mary Tayae @ Chandler Ballroom, 7 p.m.

• Fun Home @ Klein Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

• Thanks in Advance: Jason Robinson @ duPont Gallery

• Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw @ Monroe 116, 7 - 9:30 p.m.

• Fall Concert: UMW Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble @ Dodd Auditorium, 7:30 - 9 p.m.

• Fun Home @ Klein Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

• Thanks in Advance: Jason Robinson @ duPont Gallery

Saturday • Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw @ Monroe 116, 7 - 9:30 p.m.

• Fun Home @ Klein Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

• Thanks in Advance: Jason Robinson @ duPont Gallery • Admissions Open House, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

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The Blue & Gray Press @theBlueandGray

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LIFE

Eagle Experience: “Don’t take it for granted,” says UMW senior

HANNAH GALEONE Senior Writer

No one says that college is going to be easy — because it isn’t. Take it from me, I’ve been here for five and a half years.

Personally, college has been one of the longest, most challenging things that I’ve done but by far one of the most rewarding experiences that I’ve had. I was excited to start at a university but in the back of my mind, a voice was telling me that college is stupid. I don’t need a degree, I’ll be able to find a sustainable job without one, right?

Since I was a little girl, I’ve been irked by the fact that we, as humans, gauge our usefulness based on little numbers in red circles at the top of exams or percentage points in columns on a grading website. I’m worth so much more than just those little numbers.

What I struggled to understand was the importance of getting a college degree and how much it boosts you up in the world, both academically and culturally. I didn’t understand that the college experience is like using a GPS. College will guide you in the right direction but it won’t make the correct turns for you. You have to make those choices for yourself.

My freshman year was a trainwreck; I was a boarding school girl set loose into a world where I could make all my own decisions and I didn’t have people guiding me through every step of the day. Cue the explosions. My overwhelming, newfound freedom sent me into a spiral of skipping classes, not doing the readings, and putting in the bare minimum effort academically.

Hannah Galeone will be graduating this semester with a degree in English literature.

Hannah Galeone / The Blue & Gray Press

My grades were slipping, I wasn’t prioritizing my time and most of all, I wasn’t focused on the big picture.

I started to experience symptoms of crippling depression, found myself struggling to maintain healthy, beneficial friendships, and I wasn’t focusing on the

most important thing in the world — myself.

Come second semester of my sophomore year, a little, evil letter landed in my mailbox telling me that I had been put on academic suspension.

Great, I’d really done it this time. I

moved back home, found a job in a local restaurant, and worked all day, every day for 10 months straight. Maybe I wasn’t cut out for college. I felt that I wasn’t smart enough to get through it and do it successfully.

Reluctantly, I started taking classes again and slowly started to realize that I was actually capable of earning my bachelor’s. It felt amazing to start succeeding in my classes and enjoying the learning that I was doing. Most importantly, I started to actually like it here.

When I started at UMW, it would be untruthful to say that I liked it. I, in fact, hated it here. But as I began to build strong relationships with my professors, make friends who will be with me for a lifetime, and find confidence in myself academically, I started to feel like I fit in.

It took me until my junior year to declare myself as an English literature major. I started writing for the Blue & Gray Press and finally felt like I had a place — I felt like I belonged.

As I sit here writing my final article for this newspaper, I am saddened. There is still a part of me that is shocked I’m actually going to graduate because at one point I genuinely didn’t think I could do it. Leaving college is going to be a huge transition; it’s going to be both exciting and terrifying. I spent a good portion of my time at UMW taking the experience for granted, which I assuredly shouldn’t have. I should have cherished my time here more. But, I have the most incredible memories to take with me into the next phase of my life. As Joni Mitchell once said, “don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.”

Artist spotlight: Meaux discusses mental health and inspiration DALEY JENNINGS Staff Writer

Fredericksburg is home to many talented artists, one of them being Maurice Levi Nowlin Jr. He is known mostly by his stage name Meaux, which he uses on Spotify where you can find his 2018 album “The Taijitu Tapes, Vol. 1.” He also goes by the alias “thosenewyorkkids” on Instagram and Soundcloud, where his previous works are listed.

Meaux is a man of many philosophies, but the main thing he wants to communicate in his music is balance, which is why he has a mix of fun and upbeat songs on his album such as “Red” and “Gucci my shirt,” but doesn’t veer from tackling the harder aspects of his life with songs such as “Life” and “Dog sees God,” which is a song that chronicles his respect for God during a manic episode, where he believed that he was God. “This happens to a lot of people that have become manic, they actually say that they are God, and I was having a difficult time coming to terms with that, when I wanna respect and give thanks to God, at the same time I think that I am God, and all this other stuff,” said Meaux. “When I wrote ‘Dog sees God,’ I wanted to make it so I gave respect to him as well, so that we both could share the song and speak on it.”

Mental health is never something that

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Meaux has tried to hide, his struggles with bipolar disorder and anxiety being a big part of his more heavy songs, as he hopes to send a message to his audience of finding the balance of embracing mental illness without letting it take hold of your life. He believes that mental health isn’t taboo.

“Mental health is something that should be talked about, so if I had a chance to, and I have had a chance at places I performed at, I would [talk about it], I wouldn’t do it all the time, but it’s not like, something I’m hiding,” said Meaux.

He looks at artists like Kanye West, who has also been public with his struggles with mental health and hopes to one day be able to handle it in the same vein as West, minus the Presidential controversy.

“If I become successful with my music, like Kanye, I would probably pursue trying to find out what would happen without my medicine again,” he said.

He has an array of artists he looks to for inspiration, including the likes of the artists Raury, 24hrs and Trevor Hall.

“Raury, he’s awesome. There’s a singer right now, he goes backward with his message, but the way he can sing, I love it, and his name is 24hours, so I like that. There’s a guy named Lilgotit, he’s a new rapper, he’s pretty good,” said Meaux.

“Listen to Trevor Hall,” added

Meaux. “He’s got it on lock, like he’s amazing. I don’t even know how to explain it. He let his music guide his journey.

He could stop music today and still have the people that music blessed him with, and he’d be fine.”

His inspirations aren’t exclusively musical artists, drawing inspiration from the painter Keith Haring, who he saw a video of in a Brooklyn Museum of Modern Art exhibit.

“In that video, it’s not like he’s waving at the camera for all the people watching, he’s so Meaux’s most recent album can be found on Spotify. Spotify enthralled with his work, and I was While the show was small had its enthralled watching him. It inspired me technical difficulties, it really highlighted so much to become an artist, just to see how Meaux’s efforts for the feeling what he did,” said Meaux. of enthrallment came to fruition Along with his message of balance, when he performed. Much like other he wants his music to inspire people to Fredericksburg shows, the room was full follow their artistic dreams as Haring did of friends and other artists, who were just him. as excited for each other’s sets as they “I just want to be so into what I’m were for their own. Meaux had the room doing, that it inspires people, to either jumping during songs such as “Red” and do what they want to do, maybe bring a “Gucci My Shirt,” and almost in a trance little of what I do,” he said when he was spitting his lines for “Life” On Nov. 9 at the Katora Café on and “Dog sees God.” Caroline Street, he was joined by other Meaux highlights that something Fredericksburg artists in a small show special about the blossoming music in the upstairs of the coffee shop. These scene in Fredericksburg, which is the artists included Dirty Dabs, Lil Jeuce, passion in the artist behind it. With the Notorious Prince and 2wogirlsonecup, energy he puts into his performance and with who he’s in a rap group called “The music, it’s nearly impossible not to feel Tragic Collective.” enthralled.

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SPORTS

Editor: Jack Hagn | blueandgray.sports@gmail.com

Cheer benefits as hybrid team, seeks varsity status

BERNADETTE D’AURIA Staff Writer

Since the beginning of the fall 2019 semester, the UMW cheer team has been operating as a hybrid-team. In previous years, the cheer team had been performing strictly under the title of a club sport. As a hybrid team, the UMW cheerleaders have been able to obtain some of the benefits that the varsity athletic teams receive.

“We get access to the varsity gym,” said junior Sam Bertsch, co-captain of the cheer team. “They gave us a trainer, if one of our girls gets hurt now we can say ‘Okay go to the trainer’ because we feel bad when they have injuries and we don’t know what to do.”

Along with having access to the varsity gym and receiving a trainer, the cheer team now is able to have strength and conditioning that can help them to build up the stamina needed to perform their various stunts and routines. The team’s ability to practice in this type of environment has led to an increase in the members progressing faster than they have in previous years. However, despite the variety of benefits that the cheer team has acquired, for the most part, they are still responsible for their own funding.

The cheer team is now a hybrid team.

“In a club you pay for everything,” said co-captain and junior Kyelin Thrift.

“We still have to fundraise. Athletics is not giving us funds and we still had to work for the money...they’re not giving us money yet because we still receive money from Campus Recreation for being a club.”

Campus Recreation provides some funds for each person but the overall amount per member does not cover for the total expenses of being on the cheer team. On average, the uniforms that the cheerleaders wear cost $300 and the shoes they wear for competition cost $100. Competition is another costly endeavor that the team must fund. After factoring in the expenses to register for the competition, the price of hotels and transportation fees, the competition itself costs around $2,000.

These expenses are part of the reason that the cheer team wants to fully transition to being a recognized sport by the athletics department. “Our goal and our reason for wanting to do this was so that our girls wouldn’t have to pay for anything,” Bertsch explains. “We don’t want girls who have cheered their whole lives who are excited to cheer in college to come here and find out that they can’t afford the uniform.”

UMW cheer team

This goal is why this semester the cheer team has been stricter with practice times and the commitment each girl can bring to the team. By practicing under the standards of an established athletics team the overall tone has become more serious and more intense, resulting in more girls leaving this year than in previous years.

“It’s definitely held to a higher level,” said Thrift. “We want a strong team with strong girls and being a hybrid now and hopefully being an athletic next year will continue to give us that.”

Despite the cheer team becoming stricter in how they operate, it does not mean that the girls on the team are not gaining the comradery with each other which is a common staple among many of the UMW club sports. Both Thrift and Bertsch expressed that this year the team has relied and supported each other more than ever before due to the stress that is placed upon them to succeed and set the framework for the years to come.

Freshman cheerleader Nicole Goff is especially passionate about her love for the cheer team. “I love it, I have gotten so many skills and have been encouraged to do so much. I feel like I have friends now,” Goff said. “It has definitely made my experience at UMW so much better.”

Overall the team wants the recognition that many other Virginia schools offer their own cheer teams.

Under the rules established by the NCAA, the team qualifies as a sport and wants to be recognized as such.

“We have gotten great talent on the team in the past few years and we have a great coach who has volunteered for seven years,” Bertsch said. “They deserve some recognition.”

UMW baseball welcomes minor league team, FredNats TORI PERCHERKE Staff Writer

Fredericksburg now has a new minor league baseball team, the Fredericksburg Nationals, nicknamed as the FredNats.

The FredNats recently posted their spring summer schedule, an online store, and are now hosting a celebration for Mary Washington’s 311th birthday party.

The party will take place on Nov. 16, located at the Mary Washington House.

The FredNats will also reveal their team logo and jerseys at the celebration.

The public will enjoy speeches from team executive vice president and general manager, Nick Hall; Mary Washington House executive director, Anne Darron; the mayor of Fredericksburg, Mary Katherine Greenlaw; and team owner and chairman, Art Silber. The team store will also have a table selling merchandise.

Paige Honaker, the marketing coordinator for the Fredericksburg Nationals, reached out to Coach Kelly Swiney, the head coach for UMW baseball. Honaker asked the UMW team if they could help run the event, due to the minor leaguers still in spring training.

“We don’t know our team roster until about a week or so before our season starts, so we were unable to have any of the “FredNats” come model our jerseys,” said Honaker. “We immediately thought it would be a great idea to invite the UMW baseball team, because they’re the local players that everyone may know.”

One of the few players displaying the new Nats’ jersey is senior Cole Gabriele.

Gabriele hopes to see the FredNats

Thursday, November 14, 2019

play on opening day if the game doesn’t nights of the week. Honaker reassures interfere with his baseball schedule. that the organization will kick things off Swiney thought it was exciting that in a big way for opening day in the new they turned to the UMW team. ballpark in April.

Honaker explained that she really After talking about the FredNats, wanted the FredNats to feel like Swiney added that the Eagles had an Fredericksburg’s team in as many ways appreciable fall season for his first as possible and having a local college semester coaching the Eagles. “It’s a baseball team to work with is a unique great group of guys. I’m excited for opportunity for the minor league. where [they] can be. Their work ethic, Honaker also mentioned that she is effort and attitude can only get better looking forward to working with the from here.”

Eagles in future events, such as the job The baseball team is looking forward fair. to getting more opportunities from The organization will be hiring the FredNats, not only with baseball for game-day staff positions closer to purposes, but for future careers. opening day of April 23. “We really Gabriele, a senior business major, want everyone to feel like the FredNats said that he was interested in working are something that they can be a part of for the MiLB. Recently, he had met the whether that’s as a fan, an employee or FredNats president, Lani Silber Weiss. both,” Honaker said.

Gabriele wishes to continue to network With a professional team in the area, to see if he could fit in anywhere in their the town of Fredericksburg will benefit organization in the near future. not only socially, but also with business, Mary Washington’s 311th birthday the team drawing in Minor League party will kick off at 11 a.m. at the Mary Baseball (MiLB) fans.

Washington House. The FredNats team Swiney commented how this new store is located at 601 Caroline Street. social atmosphere will bring the community together. “As a baseball coach [I think] that it’s great for the game of baseball.”

Not only is baseball going to help expand the town of Fredericksburg, but the FredNats organization will also be holding giveaways, weekly firework shows, theme nights and in-game promotions that you just don’t see in other sporting events.

The FredNats will have 70 home games on all different The FredNats will reveal their jerseys on Nov. 16. MLiB.com

University of Mary Washington Fall Sports Schedule

Women’s Soccer (11-10)

Nov. 16 @ Geneseo

1st Round DIII Championship

Men’s Soccer (11-3-4)

Nov. 16 vs. Keystone

1st Round DIII Championship

Men’s Basketball (2-0)

Nov. 8 W vs. Shenandoah (81-53) Nov. 12 W @ East. Mennonite (82-55) Nov. 16 vs. Merchant Marine Nov. 20 @ Bridgewater (Va.) Nov. 22 vs. Lynchburg

Women’s Basketball (1-1) Nov. 9 W @ Drew (75-53) Nov. 10 L vs. Widener (72-69) Nov. 15 vs. Lehman Nov. 20 vs. Johns Hopkins Nov. 26 vs. N.C. Wesleyan

Women’s Swimming (4-2)

Nov. 2 L vs. Roanoke (184-78) Nov. 9 W vs. St. Mary’s (Md.) (172-73) Nov. 16 @ York (Pa.) Nov. 22 @ Lancaster, Pa

Franklin & Marshall Invitational Nov. 23 @ Lancaster, Pa

Franklin & Marshall Invitational

Men’s Swimming (3-3)

Nov. 2 L vs. Roanoke (162-100) Nov. 9 W vs. St. Mary’s (Md.) (176-76) Nov. 16 @ York (Pa.) Nov. 22 @ Lancaster, Pa

Franklin & Marshall Invitational Nov. 23 @ Lancaster, Pa

Franklin & Marshall Invitational

Full Schedule not listed above.

Most recent games included.

Bold indicates home game.

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