THE
BLUE &GRAY
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER
PRESS
November 21, 2019
VOLUME 93 | ISSUE 12 SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE
1922
Voicemail threat of gun violence from student leads to ‘shelter in place’ alert and cancelled classes According to Hall, the voicemail was not specific or targeted. “The content of the voicemail was just a warning of a person coming to A student issued a threat via campus to shoot. It was not directed at a voicemail to a faculty member of the particular person,” Hall said. English, Linguistics and Communication After speaking with the caller, Department on Monday, Nov. 20. senior Andria Theodorou, authorities “The voicemail was forwarded to determined that the threat was not our campus police around noon. I don’t credible. know what time the voicemail came in, “[The information] added up that the but the recipient immediately forwarded intent was not to harm anyone at the it to the police once the recipient university, it heard the “The content of the voicemail was was more to voicemail,” mask another said Anna just a warning of a person coming to Billingsley, campus to shoot. It was not directed at a incident that had taken associate particular person.” place,” Hall vice said. “We were president of -Chief Michael Hall actually able to University make contact Relations. with the caller. That bought us some UMW Police Chief Michael Hall time to start working through, ‘alright convened the threat assessment team let’s get a message to our community, around 1 p.m. let’s put our community in a shelter in “We all convened and listened to the place mode.’ Until we could physically voicemail, discussed it and decided that see the person, then we didn’t want to in taking an abundance of caution, we expose the campus to a potential threat would immediately get out a message without them knowing it.” about campus classes and events Theodorou was arrested shortly after being cancelled until further notice,” 3 p.m. on Monday and was booked at Billingsley said.
kate Seltzer & Riley Randell News Editor & Staff Writer
Rappahannock Regional Jail at 7:34 p.m. that same night. Her bond was posted at $10,000, and she was released on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Hall indicated that there may have been extenuating circumstances that contributed to the call being made. “We’re going to move forward to ensure that the individual caller has the appropriate resources they need now,” he said. Students were sent an alert instructing them to ‘shelter in place’ and to be aware “Why did that of a potential threat of gun violence on campus. UMW website person go to that level, and did they really understand the don’t take that seriously, but at the same magnitude of what they were doing?” he time, knowing what I •Threat | 2 added. “I don’t want to dismiss that we do know, there’s some
New resource closet provides students with food, hygiene products James Pryor Staff Writer
The Eagle Resource Closet opened on the fifth floor of Lee Hall two weeks into the semester. Operating on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from 1-6 p.m., the closet is a resource open to all students. Its shelves were stocked in response to a 2018 survey with roughly 600 responses: 22 percent of University of Mary Washington students selfidentified as food insecure. Senior sociology major Jasmine Pope was a main part of the team that helped put together the closet. The team worked closely with Leslie Martin, the director of the Center for Community Engagement and sociology professor at UMW, making sure to stock a variety of resources. On UMW’s Safe Zone Resource page, there is a short list of items recommended to donate for those who would like to assist in keeping the closet stocked. Items such as canned fruit, peanut butter and cereal are requested, but the resources actually found in the closet have a much broader range. “We have a little bit of everything,” Pope said. “We have bedding and hygiene products, and we have clothing items along with food. We have a lot of different things happening.” The resource closet is volunteerrun and no tuition funds are used in the effort. The closet is left unattended when open, giving students the option
IN THIS
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to remain anonymous while using the resource. The only thing asked of students is to fill out a sign-in sheet, asking what day they visited, if they found what they needed and if there was anything else they would appreciate seeing on the shelves. “Right now we’re in need of fruit options and hardier foods like soups and stews for winter,” Pope said. Currently, there are two small refrigerators, giving students the option to donate or pick up fresh food. “We have some cheese sticks and fruit cups,” said Leslie Martin. “We would love to have more fresh options, not just canned foods.” The resource closet also asks for gluten free and vegetarian options to The Eagle Resource Closet was created by a team of students and Center for Community Engagement director Leslie Martin. Emilia Michalkiewicz / The Blue & Gray Press be donated, so that they continue to have a wide all,” said Lueden Sheikhnureldin, a its entire range of products. range of food for people with different sophomore English major. “If I had “I didn’t know the Eagle Resource dietary needs. known that was a thing I would’ve gone Closet had toiletries like razors and However, even with the efforts to to it; there have definitely been times shampoo. I thought it was only food,” make the recourse closet open and where I’ve been hungry.” said Andrew Schneidawind, a junior welcoming to everyone, many students Some students only knew of the digital studies major. haven’t heard about it. •Closet | 7 resource closet for its stock of food, not Bucky Goforth, a “I didn’t know that was a thing at
Dupont Exhibit
Title IX
Fencing Club
“Thanks in advance: Jason Robinson.”
Students need clarification on policy.
Club fencing has been growing since the 1940s.
LIFE | 5
VIEWPOINTS | 6
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.
Students react to Supreme Court arguments regarding potential repeal of DACA abigail buchholz News Editor
Around 700,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients around the country, with 9,700 in Virginia alone, are at risk of losing their DACA status. This is due to attempts by the Trump administration to shut down the program. These attempts culminated on November 12 with the Supreme Court hearing oral arguments for and against the rescinding of DACA. DACA was enacted in 2012 by the Obama administration to protect children under the age of 16 who were brought into the country illegally. DACA allows
these individuals to live and work in the US, on the condition that they keep their record clean. Some UMW students feel that the DACA program is beneficial to the nation as a whole, and should not be repealed. “DACA is here for young children who come here with their parents. It protects them from deportation and it helps them get a work permit. It's valuable to this country in the fact that all these immigrants who grow up as young kids are a big part of our economy now. They are a big part of our electorate for the swing states now too,” said Alexis Rudisel, a junior political science
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 Alicen Hackney
LIFE Cosima Pellis
SPORTS Jack Hagn
ONLINE Meaghan McIntyre Samuel Cobb
PHOTO Cayley McGuire Noah Strobel
FACULTY ADVISOR Sushma Subramanian
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The debate for the repeal of DACA has impacted student life on campus since 2017, when its repeal was first proposed. NPR.com
major. The Trump administration has been trying to rescind DACA since 2017, when the administration proposed a phase out system which would stop the consideration of new applications
“It’s unnerving because that’s just giving too much unilateral power to the executive branch.” -Alexis Rudisel and limit the DACA renewal period. The administration’s reasoning for eliminating DACA was because it was illegal and unconstitutional, according to the Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The sanctuary campus movement began in reaction to this decision. At universities around the nation, alumni and faculty members encouraged their schools to refuse to work with federal immigration enforcement agencies and protect their DACA students. While UMW never declared itself a sanctuary campus, in 2017 the administration said it was actively monitoring the situation. They also sent an email out to the campus community containing a message from President Paino. In the email, Paino highlighted the value of diversity in the school system, and claimed that “Societies succeed best when all have access to education and talented people have opportunities to contribute.” Paino also emphasized that DACA members on •DACA | 7
Student arrested on grounds of threats of death or bodily injury to persons on school property other means or services that that person needs.” Many of the rumors emerging on Monday were centered around Combs Hall, which houses the ELC department. “That was really a big part of why we went ahead as quickly as possible and got a notice out to the whole campus,” Billingsley said. “We knew how quickly word would spread among folks on campus, and we’d rather have facts out
manager Susie Kuliasha and student aide James Vaughn were models of professionalism.” Some staff members were shocked that the threat occurred so close to home. Professor Karen Burrell, who teaches in the Spanish department in Combs Hall, said that she was “surprised by the possibility that someone at UMW would make such a threat.” While she was not on campus during the threat, the idea of someone walking with “We knew how quickly word would a firearm on campus spread among folks on campus, and we’d was enough to shake her rather have facts out and information from confidence in campus authorities than just rumors.” safety. “Let’s just say I feel relatively safe,” said -Anna Billingsley Burrell. Hall said that although the threat was not credible, it served as a and information from authorities than test for how the University would handle just rumors.” a similar situation in the future. ELC Department Chair Gary “Out of a very negative situation, it Richards said, “Things were, of course, also gave the university [the opportunity] nerve-racking on Monday, but I was to evaluate our responses. What can we amazed at – and am so appreciative do better? How can we improve?” he of – the calm support shown by the staff in our department office. Office said. “What you like to see is that which
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takes place in a controlled environment is replicated in an emergency… It magnifies the areas we did very well in. That’s the positive of a negative situation.”
Andria Theodorou was arrested shortly after 3 p.m. on Monday. WJLA website
CORRECTIONS for THE Week The Nov. 7 article “Honors courses lack flexibility for some majors” implied that Kelli Slunt’s quote about advanced labs applied to all honors courses. This is specific to STEM courses. The following information has also been added to the publication online for clarity: There are 53 approved honors-designated courses that are offered at least once every two years. The process for designating a class follows a similar process as designating a course as writing or speaking intensive. 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 21, 2019
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Editor: Alicen Hackney | blueandgray.views@gmail.com
Daylight savings is outdated, makes class times and practice difficult
EDWARD MUSSEY Staff Writer
Daylight savings is an obsolete practice that is still in use today. The rationale behind daylight savings comes from a time when society needed more daylight for doing farm work. People spend more and more time indoors during the day than they used to when this practice was instituted. While it was meant to help farmers, daylight savings does nothing for the majority of people nowadays. By changing the clock twice a year it negatively affects more people than it helps. It’s more of a problem, and inconvenience, than a benefit. Daylight savings affects schools, students and businesses due to the change in time limiting the amount of light in the winter. In a society that is more and more industrialized, daylight savings has become obsolete. The effect it has on students can be quite troublesome. Most students enjoy having light when late classes end so there is still time to do things outside. The earlier it becomes dark outside also affects people’s mood. “It’s really just annoying since it gives you a very limited window to do things outside like play football or practice,” said senior English major Joe Langley. “It’s also especially annoying when having a night class and coming out when it’s all dark. I’ll go into class with it being bright and come out pitch black and it really just bums you out and changes your whole mood since all you can do now is go home.” Daylight savings can affect sleep schedules, causing some individuals to not be able to get the right amount
and that can affect students’ schoolwork or the ability to attend classes that may be early in the morning. “During the fall and winter-time, the extra hour of sleep that’s gained is nice for the morning but the drawback of it getting darker earlier isn’t worth it. By becoming darker earlier, it just makes you not want to leave the house and stay inside since it’s so dark even if it’s only like five o’clock,” said senior digital studies and communications major Alex Caldas. “It really is a hassle also dealing with daylight savings in spring since it just messes up my whole sleep pattern. One day you’re used to waking up late then the next waking up early. It just would be easier to always keep time the same.” Doing away with daylight savings has started Daylight Savings makes early classes difficult. to gain more support since it has started to affect Jevon Lewis / The Blue & Gray Press Manceri continued, international business. Only Europe and North “It’s just annoying to America still practice daylight savings so it hinders change time since in VA it gets dark and cold so quickly international travel and communication. Individual that it makes going outside a really big hassle. Being states in the US including Hawaii and Arizona have on the golf team I have to practice outside and when stopped observing daylight savings, both citing their it gets darker quicker it limits the window of time that climates as the reason. Florida has also started the is available to practice. So, the whole idea just doesn’t process to do away with daylight savings since it limits make sense to me in the first place.” the amount of sun in the sunshine state. Changing daylight savings is important so people “Right now in my home state of Florida, we have fully get rested and are able to enjoy the outdoors as been trying to do away with daylight savings. It’s best they can during the fall. The fall season has the something my parents informed me of that Florida most beautiful scenery with the leaves changing and it’s passed a bill to do away with the clock change and keep impossible to enjoy it all in the dark. it the same all year round but supposedly it needs a lot Daylight savings is an archaic practice that doesn’t of approval to take effect,” said senior business major do much other than bother people in modern society. Phillip Manceri.
“Ok boomer” is a conflict of privilege, not generation The “Ok boomer” authority, they become BERNADETTE D’AURIA meme has gained traction offended.” Staff Writer among millennials Sophomore and Gen Z-ers and psychology major Erin criticism among baby Wilson believes that the boomers and Gen hostility baby boomers X-ers. Following its have toward younger popularity, many have generations comes from raised questions about their sense of personal how the phrase is being achievement. “Many used. boomers were born While the phrase into families that were “Ok boomer” is funny low income after the and a great way for war, so when a lot of younger generations to them live comfortably voice their frustration they have this sense of Shannon O’Conner / Bonfire achievement for working at the constant dismissal “Ok boomer” mechandise is everywhere. they endure, it is important hard to get there.” not to forget that the disenfranchised exist across This sense of achievement manifests as entitlement multiple generations and to boil all issues down to being among many people. The individuals who have worked a result of older generations being out of touch results in for their wealth feel as if others should be given the more problems than solutions. same trials in order to succeed rather than just expect Older generations have come to criticize the phrase instant gratification. What is lost among people who because they believe it to be a type of ageism that have this mindset is that younger people do not want pushes different generations further away from having instant gratification as much as they want the assurance civil discussions. Younger generations have embraced that their voices are being heard. the phrase as a way to target certain political ideologies However, not every young voice is rallying behind rather than the age grouping itself. These two different the same opinion. Just as there are baby boomers who views of how the phrase is being used have caused have faced trials and tribulations that have pushed people to question whether generational conflicts stem them towards a socially and financially liberal political from age or if they stem from privilege. views, there have been millennials and Gen Z-ers who In October 2019 SoundCloud artist Peter Kuli have had the privilege of growing up with wealth and released his remix of Jedwill’s song, “Ok boomer.” A limited social stigmas that have allowed them to develop few weeks later, TikTok user linzrinzz uploaded a video socially and financially conservative views. The “Ok reacting to an older man complaining about millennials boomer” meme targets these younger individuals more and Gen Z and their inability to grow up. While the than the older individuals who have expressed support older man complains, linzrinzz holds up a notepad with on behalf of issues such as climate change, universal the phrase “Ok boomer” as a dismissal of the same healthcare, gender equality, etc. criticism that many baby boomers have voiced against As a result, there are concerns that the phrase millennials and Gen Z. “Ok boomer” is too dismissive and results in limited Since early November, there have been over 837 conversation among different age groups and different million views on TikTok videos using the hashtag “Ok political views. NPR’s 1A podcast touched upon this boomer.” Official merchandise has been created in concern by inviting Evon Yao, the former head of the form of hoodies, t-shirts and hats that have been the University of Michigan’s student political group, purchased by more than 2,000 individuals. The phrase WeListen, to voice her opinion on the matter. She has allowed for a form of camaraderie to be formed believes “that this whole ‘Ok boomer’ thing is an easy by young people who have been subjected to constant dismissal, and it’ll prevent people from engaging in a criticism by older people within the country. productive, political conversation.” “I think that it’s hilarious,” said sophomore physics By boiling the main conflict between generations major, Sabrina Mikeal. “The ones causing the tension down to being a result of boomers being inherently are the older people who don’t realize it’s a joke...a conservative and millennials and Gen Z-ers being person of the same older generation calling another inherently liberal there becomes a conflict not just person of the same generation ‘boomer’ is okay, but within the generational divide but within the generations because we Gen Z kids are younger and have less themselves.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Staff Ed: good reporting with no apology By THE BLUE AND GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD Over the past few weeks, Northwestern University’s student-run newspaper, the Daily Northwestern, has been under fire for its coverage of a protest against an event held by the Northwestern University College Republicans. The event featured a talk from former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Reporters covered both the talk by Sessions and the protest against him. The backlash against the publication began after photographs of protesters appeared on Twitter. Additionally, reporters used a campus directory to reach out to some photographed individuals to request comments or interviews. Backlash from some groups at Northwestern prompted an apology from the editors. However, the Daily Northwestern acted well within the boundaries of good journalism during its initial reporting. Public demonstrations, as well as participants in those demonstrations, can be photographed and documented. The Daily Northwestern is not alone. Harvard University’s newspaper, the Harvard Crimson, faced similar backlash for how it covered a protest against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Harvard Crimson reached out to ICE for a comment after the protests, though ICE did not respond. The Crimson’s requests for comment prompted several student groups at Harvard to call for a boycott of the paper. Requesting comments from the parties involved in a story is a central tenet of good journalism. Student journalists, and journalists in general, must be willing and able to seek the truth in a story. Journalists, both student and professional, need not apologize for fair, responsible reporting. This editorial was lead by Cayley McGuire.
The Daily Northwestern apologized for reporting the news. channel3000.com / CNN
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LIFE
Editor: Cosima Pellis blueandgray.life@gmail.com
New Star Wars series “The Mandalorian” is a huge hit on Disney+
NATHANIEL STRINGER Staff Writer
Disney officially stepped foot into the video streaming service arena on Nov. 12, amidst a crowd of strong competitors, including Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. Despite its novelty, the launch of Disney+ was a huge success. According to IGN, the launch of the long-anticipated streaming service surpassed 10 million subscribers within the first day of release. To put that into perspective, the Netflix app was downloaded an estimated 662,000 times on its first day in the market. Disney has been promising fans a great premier with “The Mandalorian,” a new series set in the Star Wars universe, featuring “Game of Thrones” actor Pedro Pascal, and Horatio Sanz from “Saturday Night Live.” With the help of some modern Disney directors including Taika Waititi, who directed “Thor: Ragnarok,” the first episode of the series kicks off a bit differently than traditional Star Wars movies. Ever so slyly, like that of a Bounty Hunter, the familiar orchestra and scrolling of bold yellow text against a starry galaxy has disappeared. The series hits the ground running, featuring a bar fight, a bounty capture and a giant monster biting at a spaceship within the first five minutes. The first two episodes
certainly include elements of familiarity however; storm troopers, laser cannons and the odd mix of earthling critters taking form as a humanoid alien - all of which are classics to the Star Wars Universe. Looking back at Disney’s attempts to create stories beyond the original tale, suspicion of a bland stunt by Disney was high among those awaiting the release. The Star Wars Stories: “Rogue One” and “Solo” captured mixed reactions from fans - some were pleased, most were disappointed. In contrast, people seem to be rather happy with “The Mandalorian”; buzz on the internet is mostly positive, and Rotten Tomatoes gave the series an impressive 94 percent. Communication and digital studies major Rynan Garner said, “I was reluctant to watch ‘The Mandalorian,’ because I was unimpressed with the Star Wars Stories movies “Rogue One” and “Solo.” However, I was impressed with Disney’s new Star Wars series.” Rynan continued, “It captures all of the classic factors of a
“The Mandalorian” is set in the Star Wars Universe.
IMDB
Star Wars movie, and perfectly incorporates the cinematography of a Western. I’m looking forward to watching the remainder of the series.” The hit Disney show seems to have done everything right. In fact, the pop culture website The Ringer states that “‘The Mandalorian’ could be the best TV Western since ‘Justified.’” It is simple enough for casual viewers to pick up, while including all of the classic Star Wars features to hold over diehard fans until the release of the (for now) final Leia-Vader based movie, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Disney+ plans to run eight episodes for the first season of “The Mandalorian,” however the episodes will not all be released at once, which is an interesting tactic that will prevent binge-watching of the series.
Res Hall Recipes: quick and easy Friendsgiving food By Emily Malone, Staff Writer
When thinking of Thanksgiving, often the amazing food first comes to mind. Many students want to share the Thanksgiving festivities with their friends before break by celebrating Friendsgiving, but cooking a whole turkey in a dorm kitchen is no easy feat. Not to mention the price of a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal is not something all students can afford. Here are a few low budget Friendsgiving treats to get you into the spirit without biting off more than you can chew.
Gobbler Grilled Cheese
Ingredients: 2 slices of your favorite bread 2 slices of white cheddar cheese 1 pack of boxed stuffing (and ingredients directed by box) 1 can cranberry sauce 1 pack of sliced turkey
Directions: Cook stuffing as instructed on box. Preheat a pan on the stove top. Butter one side of each piece of bread. Melt a small piece of butter in a pan, then place the bread slices on the pan butter side down. Then place one slice of cheese on the non-buttered side of each piece of bread. Once cheese becomes a little melted, place a layer of sliced turkey, a layer of stuffing and a scoop of cranberry sauce on one bread slice. Place the other slice of bread on top and press down lightly. Flip sandwich onto other side and press down again. Remove from pan and let cool before eating. Sarah Sklar / The Blue & Gray Press
Apple Pie Crescent Rolls Ingredients: 1 container of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls 1 Granny Smith Apple 1 tablespoon butter 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon apple pie spice Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a cookie pan. Core the apple and cut into 8 slices. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a bowl, then combine the apple slices with melted butter. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar and apple pie spice. Unravel the crescent roll dough and cut into 8 triangles. Spread the sugar mixture onto one side of each triangle. Place one apple slice on the larger side of each triangle. Roll triangles over the apple slice. Place rolled crescents onto the greased pan and place in oven for 15 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool before eating. Sarah Sklar / The Blue & Gray Press
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Thursday, November 21, 2019
LIFE
“Thanks in Advance: Jason Robinson”
Multimedia duPont exhibit features digital art and themes of nature LAURA MILSTEAD Staff Writer
Now on display in duPont Gallery through Dec. 8 are the works of Jason Robinson, a professor of digital art at UMW. Robinson makes videos, films and prints and has had his work shown both nationally and internationally. The exhibition is entitled “Thanks in Advance: Jason Robinson.” A common theme found throughout his pieces is aspects of nature. Many of the pieces in the exhibition contain elements relating to the outdoor world, whether it be trees, water, mud or even a scene of a beach, elements of nature were included. The first thing that stood out to me were the lenticular prints. In this type of art, a lenticular lens is used to create an image that appears to give the illusion of depth as well as creating an image that moves and changes as it is viewed from different angles. There were two of these types of prints in the gallery. They both depicted scenes of nature. One showed trees with water surrounding them. As you move the image appears to move as well. When viewed from one side, it almost appears to be upside-down. When viewed straight on, the image appears as a normal scene. When first viewing the piece, one may think that it is a normal picture; however, once the viewer moves, the piece begins to take different forms and almost comes to life. It is like viewing an image from three different perspectives, yet each perspective can stand alone as its own image. In addition to the prints, the visitors are able to interact with one of the pieces being showcased. The exhibit features a virtual reality headset, which allows viewers to feel as if they are part of a forest scene. This is highly interactive;
Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room, video, 2019.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Fabric print, 2019.
as they move around with the headset on, their view of the forest moves with it, eventually settling on a giant silver ball-shaped object. This leaves you wondering what this object is and its significance. As I continued walking around the gallery, I then encountered a single channel video. At first glance it was noticeable that the image is moving. It shows rippling waves and then changes to a scene at the beach. What was surprising about the image was the direction that the waves were moving. Instead of rolling in the way a
UMW Galleries
normal wave would, they were moving backwards and away from you. This gives the picture a different feel and differentiates it from a normal image. From my perspective, the main focus of the exhibition was centered around digital art. However, there were aspects that were not digital. There were textiles that went along with the nature theme. For example, there was a textile in a rich green color that depicted trees with mirroring images that had been inverted. This gave the textile more dimension and grabbed my interest. The work that I found the most
interesting was a single channel video called “crash test,” the image showing cars in mud crashing into others. Where the cars hit each other is where the image begins to expand and form a new part of the image. The piece continues to move in this manner to create a moving image. Overall the pieces in the gallery were interesting; each piece had characteristics that made it unique, so each piece was strong enough to stand alone. The exhibit is free and open to those affiliated with the university as well as the general public.
UMW Galleries
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Editor: Alicen Hackney | blueandgray.views@gmail.com
Title IX policy should be clearer Survivor disappointed with experience
DARCY SPICER Staff Writer
One of the first resources students learn about when they begin attending any university are the services offered by the Office of Title IX. This office handles issues pertaining to gender-based discrimination and violence such as sexual assault and rape. Due to the severity of these issues, Title IX matters should be handled in the fairest and most effective manner possible. However, there are some procedural issues within Title IX nationwide regarding their transparency about case procedure.
“[Title IX determined that] since both the respondent and I had injured one another during the night of the sexual assault… and the physical assault... that the case would be dropped and neither the respondent or I would be held accountable for any actions taken against one another.” - confidential survivor Title IX is a federal program that is required for all schools, universities included, that receive federal funds. Some of its requirements include policies that are to be implemented by all universities, but also requires that schools form their own “grievance procedures” that are created by a designated coordinator who represents the university. This means that each school is slightly unique in how it handles it’s reporting process. While this is so, Title IX procedures state that, “schools can use general disciplinary procedures to address complaints of sex discrimination. But all procedures must provide for prompt and equitable resolution of sex discrimination complaints.” The following story comes from a UMW student that has been granted anonymity due to the nature of the story’s content. The student in question was sexually and physically assaulted by her then partner in 2018. After filing an anonymous report, she was contacted about her report. After discussing the incidents with Title IX coordinator, Stefanie Lucas-Waverly, it was determined that what had occurred was indeed sexual and physical assault. The accused was brought into the office to share their side of the story. “From there, it was up to I, as the complainant, to try to provide as much evidence and witnesses for the two main situations to backup my accusations as much as possible. I was able to photograph bruises that my ex-boyfriend, the respondent in the investigation, had left behind during the physical altercation,” said the complainant. After a 42-page transcript detailing the events of these separate occasions and the accused had given their side of the story, the evidence was reviewed. When reviewing the evidence and hearing from mutual friends of the two, the Office of Title IX determined that because the complainant had scratched her attacker in self defense, regardless of the physical damage she had received during both altercations, both individuals were equally in the wrong and Title IX decided that the complainant did not have a case against her attacker. “Stefanie Lucas-Waverly sent the transcripts of all the witnesses to the respondent and I for review, and to dispute. We did, and sent our disputes back to Stefanie for another review and consideration. After some time and consideration of all the evidence and witnesses testimonies, Stefanie Lucas-Waverly determined that there was not enough substantial evidence and that since both the respondent and I had injured one another during the night of the sexual assault… and the physical assault... that the case would be dropped and neither the respondent or I would be held accountable for any actions taken against one another,” said the complainant. The anonymous source, the complainant in this case, stated that they are not the only person who has dealt with these problems with Title IX. “I know that there are others who have dealt with
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similar issues with Title IX but are not yet ready to share their stories,” said the source. Students at UMW are required during freshman orientation to attend talks and take an online course hosted by Title IX. During these informational sessions, students are taught about consent, but also how to avoid unwanted sexual encounters. Title IX advises students to make excuses towards the perpetrator to allow them a chance to leave such as asking the person to brush their teeth, or say that they forgot to call their mom. As can be observed, there are no suggestions to use self defense against these unwanted sexual encounters. Lucas-Waverly was contacted to answer questions about this very serious issue, and was asked questions such as “Does Title IX discourage victims of sexual assault from seeking a case against a perpetrator if they acted in self-defense?” and “In a situation where a victim of sexual assault uses self-defense against their abuser, are they justified? Will this cause an unfounded case?” Lucas-Waverly said, “University of Mary Washington takes all instances of sexual misconduct seriously and is committed to fully supporting students who experience such acts. We encourage all members of the university community to report in whatever avenue they choose to go down first- University Police, the Title IX office or a confidential resource.”
Students need better understanding of Title IX office policy. Chelsita Arango / The Blue & Gray Press
Although she responded to questioning, LucasWaverly’s answers lacked specificity. In a follow up email, she was asked to specify about cases of self defense, to which she did not respond. When questioned in the office of Title IX, she again stated that she encourages everyone to report instances of sexual violence and that “every incident is unique and we tailor our response to each one; that’s why we have a team of professionals who support our community.” It is important that the office of Title IX be as open as possible with students regarding case procedure and policies surrounding self defense. The story discussed previously is a sad example of a student feeling as though justice was not served against her attacker, specifically due to her use of self defense. No student should feel guilt or lose their chance at justice for defending themselves when they are in danger. Rather, students should be encouraged to defend themselves through programs such as Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) System courses provided by the UMW police department. Self defense is something everyone should practice, and no student should be punished for doing such. Title IX does some great things, but issues and procedures like this should be transparent. As of now they are not. Community resources for survivors include Empowerhouse and Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault (RCASA).
Dear Editor: Thank you for raising the concerns of UMW Honors Scholars about the selection of Honorsdesignated courses at UMW. Though we wish the article had highlighted the true diversity of our course selection across the social sciences, arts and humanities, and STEM fields, we also hope that it will spur even more faculty, especially in disciplines and colleges with less representation in Honors, to propose their classes as Honors sections. We work diligently to encourage curricular growth, and rely on the faculty in turn to support this unique teaching and learning opportunity. Honors courses are designed to engage students in challenging learning experiences with an interdisciplinary focus that enhance research, critical reading and thinking, problem-solving and communication skills. While the students admitted to the Honors Program are required to complete 12 credits of coursework, knowing that many would enjoy and benefit from such experiences, the UMW Honors Program opens its classes to all UMW students and encourages them to consider enrolling in an honorsdesignated (HN) section. This spring, 21 different honors-designated courses from 16 different disciplines will be offered to UMW students. The Honors Program Faculty Advisory Committee welcomes new proposals from faculty through a simple form on the Honors website, much like the designation of a course as WI or SI. HN-designated courses may overlap general education requirements or be upper-level courses in major programs. Faculty interested in exploring new pedagogical techniques in the classroom could utilize an honors-designated course as a venue to explore fresh avenues for teaching. The Faculty Honors Advisory Committee and Honors Program staff are available to brainstorm about new courses or assist faculty in development of the proposals. Our website sets out clear expectations and learning outcomes for Honors courses, not to increase workload but to challenge students through differentiated learning experiences in and out of the classroom. Honors courses vary depending on the instructor and the field. For instance, a recently approved Women in the Opera course (MUHL 153) provides students with greater ownership over their learning. In this course, students will explore opera through multiple lenses and disciplines. Students will undertake self-directed projects and will play a role in developing and setting the expectations for the course grade. In others, students may engage in applied or primary research, design collaborative projects, or challenge themselves in additional innovative ways. The UMW Honors Program looks forward to working with faculty to provide expanded learning opportunities for our students, and we urge Honors students themselves to reach out to faculty or departments in which they desire more offerings. Additionally, we hope that more UMW students select to participate in these courses that may offer unique learning opportunities such as service learning, advanced research skills, or self-directed learning. Sincerely, Honors Program Staff and Faculty Advisory Committee; Kelli Slunt, Honors Program Director; Mara Scanlon, Honors Program Assistant Director; Amanda Ronay, Honors Program Coordinator and Office Manager; Don Lee, Chair of Honors Program Faculty Advisory Board; Jennifer Barry; Mindy Erchull; Leanna Giancarlo; Pamela Grothe
Thursday, November 21, 2019 3
NEWS
POLICE BEAT Student initiated resource opens in Lee Hall junior historic preservation major who works with Community Outreach and Resources, advertised the resource closet on COAR’s Instagram page, but said, “I think part of the reason it’s not well known by the student body is because there haven’t been any university-wide attempts to advertise it. The people who know about it, hear about it through word-of-mouth.”
•Closet | 1 ABIGAIL BUCHHOLZ & KATE SELTZER News Editors
Trespass On Monday, November 11 at 6:20 p.m., an individual was arrested at the UC for a second offense of trespassing.
Vandalism On Tuesday, November 12 at 7:48 p.m. an elevator was graffitied in Marshall Hall. This case is pending.
bedding, clothing and toiletries. “Keeping the shelves stocked definitely makes it feel more comforting, like I’m meant to be there, rather than it being like a secret place to get food only a few students really know about,” said Goforth. UMW isn’t the only college taking
University, opened its own version of a food pantry, calling it the Patriot Pantry. Stocking non-perishable food items as well as toiletries, these resources provided to students are bringing up the question, as said by Martin, “Are there ways that we could better help eliminate someone’s need?”
“Keeping the shelves stocked definitely makes it feel more comforting, like I’m meant to be there, rather than it being like a secret place to get food only a few students really know about.” -Bucky Goforth
Assault and Battery 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.
Grand Larceny 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.
Petit 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.
Between Tuesday, November 5 at 9:45 p.m. and Thursday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m., a pair of sunglasses was stolen from the Marshall parking lot.
Possession 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.
Threat On Monday, November 18 at 8:34 a.m. an individual issued a threat to a school employee in Combs Hall. One arrest was made.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
“One of the things that sits on our minds is trying to make the space itself more welcoming,” Martin said. She said that the team working on the closet wants not only to make a helpful recourse, but an inviting one as well, where every student feels welcome. Currently, the closet is roughly the size of a dorm room and organized by category of resources including food,
The resource closet is located on the fifth floor of Lee Hall. Emilia Michalkiewicz / The Blue & Gray Press
on the project of opening a food pantry. From a Slate article, a study in 2017 that surveyed 43,000 students found that 36 percent of university students were affected by food insecurity. One of UMW’s close neighbors, George Mason
For students looking to get involved with the Eagle Resource Closet, there are positions available for opening and closing the closet, as well as donation organizing and inventory checking.
Supreme Court to decide fate of DACA campus were a valuable part of the school community. At the time, eight students at UMW had DACA status. The first round of legal pushback to the Trump administration's attempt to rescind DACA came on Nov 8, 2018, when the 9th Circuit U.S Court of Appeals ruled against the attempts. The court ruled that, while the executive branch had the power to end the program, a power granted when Chief Justice John Roberts ruled that the president has ‘broad discretion’ regarding immigration matters during Trump v. Hawaii, the executive branch still lacked a valid reason for repealing DACA. For some students, the fact that the executive branch even has the power to make such large changes to immigration policy is frightening. “It’s unnerving because that's just giving too much unilateral power to the executive branch,” said Rudisel. “That's the whole point of why they took away the line-item veto power of the president. We have a bicameral legislature for a reason, you can't just give someone that much power. The fact that the court is just saying ‘yeah, under law you can do that, you just don’t have the right evidence,’ thats crazy.” The case for DACA has now made its way to the Supreme Court where, on Nov 12, 2019 each side made their oral arguments voicing their support for, or against, the repeal of DACA. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, an attorney arguing for the Trump administration, argued that “DACA was a temporary stopgap measure
•DACA | 7
that, on its face, could be rescinded at any time. And the Department’s reasonable concerns about its legality and its general opposition to broad non-enforcement policies provided more than a reasonable basis for ending it.” Theodore B. Olsen, one of the lawyers arguing against DACA’s repeal, argued that “An administration may impose new or different priorities, but only if it adheres to [legal] requirements and clearly states its policy choices so that it can be held publicly accountable for them. ”
“I’m scared about a lot of things the Supreme Court is going to be ruling on here in the next few years.” -Annie Perrin Grisham Some UMW students believe that the argument that DACA is illegal and unconstitutional is incorrect, and support the continuation of the program. “I think that's a whole lot of crap. It's obviously not unconstitutional and it's not ‘illegal’. These kids came here with no choice, they came with their parents whether their parents were documented or undocumented. It doesn't matter because these children didn't have the ability to make that decision. So it's unfair because that's the only way they can get equal opportunity and to be protected. And to revoke that is unconstitutional honestly,” said Rudisel.
In response to questions posed by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Michael J. Mongan, the state solicitor general of California, argued that the administration needed to take ownership of their choices to end DACA. Mongan said, “It’s not a detailed discussion of the dramatic harm to hundreds of thousands of young people, to their families, to their employers, to the states, to the economy that would arise from this decision.” UMW student Annie Perrin Grisham, a junior political science major, worries about the lives of those affected if DACA is repealed. “I think that it's silly that they are trying to do that when they could be focusing on other things. Most of the people that it [DACA] applies to were brought here before they knew what was happening. And it's not their fault so why should we be trying to deport them,” said Perrin Grisham. The future of DACA and the lives of all DACA recipients are now in the hands of nine Supreme Court Justices. At the moment the issue being debated isn’t the legality of the executive branch's attempts to eliminate DACA, it is the basis behind their reasoning. After hearing these oral arguments and debating further, the court will come to its decision in 2020. Due to the conservative makeup of the Supreme Court, some students in favor of the continuation of DACA fear for its continuation. “I’m scared about a lot of things the Supreme Court is going to be ruling on here in the next few years,” said Perrin Grisham.
7
SPORTS
Editor: Jack Hagn | blueandgray.sports@gmail.com
“Make friends, then stab them”: fencing club forges friendships MEAGHAN MCINTYRE Online Editor
Two fencers, dressed in white, stand four meters apart within a thin rectangular strip holding their swords. Following the referee’s orders, the opponents salute with their swords, put on their masks and begin the match. What may sound like a scene out of a Renaissance story is actually a common sight on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings at UMW fencing club practices. Following their warm-ups and stretches, the team spends the remainder of their practice time on drills, bouting and learning new concepts. With a presence at UMW dating back to the 1940s, the fencing team has been “bringing the fine art of stabbing your friends to the campus since about the dawn of time,” said club president, senior Mary Hoffman. Given the nature of the sport and that competitions are usually scheduled only a few weeks in advance, when preparing for each semester the club team focuses its plans more around the development of its members and fostering a positive environment. “Since fencing is a niche sport and also fairly expensive, our goal is to help new students learn to fence while encouraging the growth of older and more experienced fencers,” said Hoffman. Even though competitions are not the primary focus, the team still works hard to be competitive and prepare members individually whenever the occasion to compete arises. “Thankfully our goals for both the club and competitions are similar, which is to practice the basics of fencing such as footwork, clean attacks and
University of Mary Washington Fall Sports Schedule
Fencing club limits their recruitment to the fall season.
Fencing Club
efficient parrying. Bouting allows us to synthesize these skills in order to be prepared for competitions and scrimmages,” Hoffman said. Even with its long standing history on campus, the club continues The club gives students the opportunity to learn a unique sport. Fencing Club to experience growth. During Hoffman’s freshman “This might sound strange, but a year, “practices were often canceled Groupon got me into fencing,” she said. simply due to low membership and few “My mom found a Groupon for two free appearances at practices,” but the team fencing classes at the Richmond Fencing has since expanded to having over 25 Club and thought I would like it. She was active members this year. right and I fell in love with the sport.” Made up of members ranging from Other club members like freshman students with years of experience to Von Daszkilewicz were introduced to those who first picked up a sword at fencing only after finding the booth at Club Carnival, the fencing team offers an Club Carnival. affordable and friendly environment for “It just seemed like a cool sport to students who are interested in the sport. get into. The club officers were really “This is the sport that anyone can welcoming too, and you didn’t need any enjoy,” said senior Lucy past experience to join,” Daszkilewicz Kreutzer, who is the said. vice president of the During the fall semester, the UMW fencing team. “The Star fencing team mainly focuses on the Wars fans, history nerds, basics of fencing with footwork and Renaissance fanatics, learning the most popular and widelytheater geeks, Dungeons used sword, the foil. The spring semester and Dragons adventurers is when they concentrate on refining their and everything in skills and practicing the sabre and epee. between. We don’t want Due to the nature of teaching that occurs, anyone to feel left out and the team limits its recruitment to the fall semester. Fencing club has been a club since the 1940s. Fencing Club we do our level best to make everyone feel Beyond offering students the welcome, supported opportunity to learn and develop skills in and appreciated.” a unique sport, the club team emphasizes For freshman creating “an environment and culture Sara Miller, who that people with a mutual interest in has been fencing fencing can bond over,” said sophomore since middle and treasurer Brian Merski. They do this school, the club with traditions like a Halloween costume team offers her night, and movie and game nights. Along the opportunity to with their well-known traditions, the continue the sport executive board also has other special she’s passionate activities planned for the semester. “We typically also have a handful of The club uses the foil, sabre and epee in their competitions. Fencing Club about. fun activities we do later in the semester, but I can’t really go into detail because we like to keep them as a surprise,” said Merski. When you combine their fencing skills with their desire to create a positive atmosphere, the driving force of the UMW fencing club team can be described in a quote that they often say according to Kreutzer. “The most important thing about our club is what you’ll hear a lot of us tell you ‘Make friends, then stab them.’ That is our goal and that is what we do. If we ever failed in those two goals, then we’ve failed as a fencing club,” she said.
Men’s Basketball (4-1)
Nov. 8 W vs. Shenandoah (81-53) Nov. 12 W @ East. Mennonite (82-55) Nov. 16 W vs. Merchant Marine (65-42) Nov. 17 W vs. Eastern (66-64) Nov. 20 L @ Bridgewater (Va.) (84-80) Nov. 22 vs. Lynchburg Nov. 23 vs. Randolph
Women’s Basketball (4-1)
Nov. 9 W @ Drew (75-53) Nov. 10 L vs. Widener (72-69) Nov. 15 W vs. Lehman (110-29) Nov. 16 W vs. Va. Wesleyan (73-37) Nov. 20 W vs. Johns Hopkins (70-51) Nov. 26 vs. N.C. Wesleyan Dec. 5 @ Randolph-Macon
Women’s Swimming (5-2)
Nov. 2 L vs. Roanoke (184-78) Nov. 9 W vs. St. Mary’s (Md.) (172-73) Nov. 16 W @ York (Pa.) (196-66) Nov. 22 @ Lancaster, Pa Franklin & Marshall Invitational Nov. 23 @ Lancaster, Pa Franklin & Marshall Invitational
Men’s Swimming (4-3)
Nov. 2 L vs. Roanoke (162-100) Nov. 9 W vs. St. Mary’s (Md.) (176-76) Nov. 16 W @ York (Pa.) (169-93) 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.
Emily Malone contributed to the reporting of this article.
Fencing club hosts lots of traditons including a Halloween costume night.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Fencing Club
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