THE
The University of Mary Washington Student Newspaper
BLUE & GRAY PRESS
VOLUME 95 | ISSUE 12
Serving the community since 1922
DECEMBER 2, 2021
UMW’s Humanist Society and COAR conduct a brand audit, collecting over 30 pounds of trash around campus Julia taylor Staff Writer
On Friday, Nov. 19, students from the Humanist Society and Community Outreach and Resources (COAR) conducted a brand audit, collecting a total of 39.41 pounds of garbage from on and around the UMW campus and sorting it by the brand that manufactured the product. After the event, the organizations published a report analyzing how many pounds of trash were found from each brand. After sorting the garbage, they found that the majority of the trash, 33.5 pounds to be exact, was considered miscellaneous, according to their report.
Coca-Cola at 1.21 pounds, Mars Co. at 0.3 pounds and Nestle Co. at 0.1 pounds. According to their report, the organizations focused on the outskirts of campus because they believed the campus to be “fairly clean.”
“I think it’s really funny that the bulk of the trash from the athletic fields were Gatorade bottles; it seems fitting to me.” -Emma Dabolt
The students found that the majority of trash came from around the athletic field, Route 1 and the physical trash “I would hope that the school plant near the athletic fields. Much of the trash near the physical plant would put in an effort to consisted of bulk trash, such as old filing recognize and clean up their cabinets and furniture that could not be waste, especially by the picked up, and most of the trash near the physical plant, and have some athletic fields were Gatorade bottles. accountability or education for On UMW’s website, the the demographics of students university advertises its ranking as an environmentally conscious who are causing the most school by the Princeton Review’s waste.” Guide to Green Colleges. According to the website, the review “profiled -Ava Spencer 416 U.S. schools demonstrating a commitment to sustainability, based on student academic offerings and career “We found that most of our preparation, as well as campus policies, miscellaneous pile contained larger initiatives and activities.” pieces like wood, alcoholic trash, Junior and music major Hailey cigarette buds and McDonald’s bags,” Amick, a member of the UMW the students wrote in the report. Humanist Society, wondered about how Weighing in second at 2.3 pounds clean the campus actually is. was UMW branded items and other “Is UMW just putting on a show campus-specific trash such as Vocelli when you can walk into the woods and Pizza boxes and old UMW signs. This see a bunch of trash?” she said. was followed by PepsiCo at 2 pounds, Amick was not the only student disappointed by the results of the brand audit. “I’m disappointed but not surprised,” said Ava Spencer, the UMW Humanist Society president and a junior environmental science major. “We live in a bubble on our campus so it’s easy to ignore the trash if it’s not in front of you all the time.” After the report was published, junior women and gender studies major Emma Dabolt was not phased by the results. “I’m not really surprised the bulk of our campus is clean,” said Dabolt. “We really are in a bubble and most UMW Humanist Society members recorded the amount of trash on a chalkboard. Kenya Carter / The Blue & Gray Press students don’t litter.
IN THIS
ISSUE
UMW Humanist Society and Community Outreach and Resources (COAR) students picked up trash around campus and sorted it by brand. Kenya Carter / The Blue & Gray Press
I think it’s really funny that the bulk of the trash from the athletic fields were Gatorade bottles; it seems fitting to me.”
“Humanism is a largely secular organization. But, it doesn’t have to be. You can definitely be religious or spiritual. But the point is to do good for humanity because we’re human.” -Ava Spencer
they are fairly sparse towards the end of William Street, especially around the battleground complex and the apartments,” said Dabolt. Amick suggested the idea of recycling old materials. “If they’re getting rid of cabinets and bikes, they need to dispose of them properly or give them to students instead of throwing them into the woods,” she said. Spencer created the UMW Humanist Society last semester. “Humanism in general, like I said, it’s about doing good for humanity because we’re human,” Spencer said. “Humanism is a largely secular organization. But, it doesn’t have to be. You can definitely be religious or spiritual. But the point is to do good for humanity because we’re human.”
Spencer believes UMW should devote more effort to controlling waste. “It should be the school’s job to be responsible with their waste,” she said. “It’s unfortunate that we should have to hold them accountable, but it’s our campus too. I would hope that the school would put in an effort to recognize and clean up their waste, especially by the physical plant, and have some accountability or education for the demographics of students who are causing the most waste. For example, much of our waste was PepsiCo brand Gatorade bottles. However, those bottles were found on the athletic fields and were most likely from UMW students.” Dabolt noticed the lack of trash cans around certain parts of campus. “It would be great if the school could put a few more trash cans around UMW branded trash made up 2.3 pounds of the total comming in at the edges of campus; second place in the audit. Kenya Carter / The Blue & Gray Press
Add/Drop Extension
hiking trip
senior swimmer
UMW needs to extend the add/drop period.
UMW students hike at Shenandoah National Park.
Thomas Leckrone highlights his career as a swimmer.
VIEWPOINTS | 6
LIFE | 4
SPORTS | 8
NEWS THE
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 Jess Kirby
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Bernadette D’Auria Cosima Pellis
BUSINESS EDITOR Erin Matuczinski
COPY EDITOR Abigail Slaughter
SECTION EDITORS NEWS Scotti Mullen Josephine Johnson
VIEWPOINTS Norah Walsh
LIFE Josephine Good
SPORTS Victoria Percherke
ONLINE Cameron Delean Maggie Mae Young
PHOTO
Editors: Josephine Johnson & Scotti Mullen | blueandgray.news@gmail.com
Some students face attendance grade penalties for missing class when sick Bernadette D’auria, Cosima pellis & Shannon Kehoe Associate Editors & Staff Writer
Across the UMW campus, the sounds of coughs and sneezes can be heard throughout classrooms and residence halls. Just like every semester, the common cold has returned. However, attendance policies vary by professor, and some penalize students for missing class when sick. “I’ve had this mystery sickness for several weeks now. I’m not exactly sure what could’ve caused it, but it does linger around,” said Duke Morisset, a senior business administration major. “My grades have slipped a little due to attendance, but by continuing to complete my assignments on time, it hasn’t had too harsh of an effect on my grades. Most of my professors were very understanding when I told them I wouldn’t be coming to class due to my symptoms because it makes sense to just stay in the dorm instead of risking getting others sick.”
“My grades have absolutely dropped because of this and some of my professors do not understand the full extent of my sickness and how it has been affecting me.” -Ainsley Fox UMW’s academic catalog, which can be accessed on the university’s website, outlines multiple academic policies. According to the catalog’s policy on unscheduled absences, “Students who face an emergency and/or who expect to be absent for more than a full week of classes should contact the Office of Academic Services to report the absence and request
Students have been denied excused absences because of illnessess they have.
assistance (if necessary) in working with faculty members to reschedule work or to develop acceptable alternatives for completing course requirements. If contacted by a student, the Office of Academic Services will contact course instructors.” For students struggling to navigate long-term sickness in accordance to differing attendance policies, the Office of Academic Services may be a helpful resource. This policy has not been updated in accordance with COVID-19, resulting in professors choosing whether or not they want to take the pandemic into consideration explicitly in their attendance policies. Though there are some trends and commonalities in professors’ attendance policies, every professor’s attendance policy is unique to them, and there is no consistent policy about illness-related absences. With many students developing prolonged colds that are not COVIDrelated, some students have expressed a want for professors’ consideration when it comes to the terms of absences and their effect on grades.
Dom Fou / Unsplash
Junior English and communication and digital studies double major Ainsley Fox has also experienced a prolonged cold. “I have been sick for probably two months,” said Fox. “My symptoms consist of [a] cough, sore throat, drowsiness and congestion. My grades have absolutely dropped because of this and some of my professors do not understand the full extent of my sickness and how it has been affecting me.”
“Most of my professors were very understanding when I told them I wouldn’t be coming to class due to my symptoms because it makes sense to just stay in the dorm instead of risking getting others sick.” -Duke Morisset According to an article published by Cleveland Clinic’s Health Essentials, the ease of pandemic restrictions has allowed germs to quickly circulate back into the mainstream. By relaxing social distancing and mask-wearing policies, the amount of people who contract the common cold increases. UMW’s campus is no exception, as some students have said that this sickness is worse and is lingering more than in previous years. Senior sociology major Blake Johnson, who is one of many who have caught a cold this semester, said, “It’s probably been a month that I have been sick. It has been off and on. Coughing and congested, but the cough won’t go away even after I feel better. I’ve skipped maybe once or twice because it was only bad in the beginning.”
Emily Warren
FACULTY ADVISOR Sushma Subramanian
CORRECTIONS for THE Week Due to editor error, Bernadette D’Auria’s last name was misspelled in the byline for last week’s article “Supply chain shortages impact UMW.” This has been corrected in the online version of the article. PLEASE REPORT ANY MISTAKES SEEN IN THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS TO Jess Kirby, blueandgray.eic@gmail.com or Sushma Subramanian, ssubrama@umw.edu
2
Thursday, December 2, 2021
VIEWPOINTS
Editor: Norah Walsh | blueandgray.views@gmail.com
Mandating Canvas usage would benefit student success GRANT CRAGG Staff Writer
Since UMW adopted Canvas as the university learning management system in 2011, many professors have not been taking advantage of the benefits that make learning and teaching more effective. For students to keep organized and have an easier transition each semester, using Canvas should be mandatory for all professors at UMW, and that mandate should be enforced. According to UMW’s website, every professor is required to use Canvas. The requirements read, “All courses must use Canvas in basic ways. This includes providing the syllabus, course schedule, faculty contact information, office hours and means of communication, information on how students will access their grades or feedback, and links to any other sites/platforms that are used for the course with explanation of use and expectations.”
“Canvas is a pretty powerful tool if someone cares to learn, and it provides a consistent and somewhat uniform way for students and professors to stay up-to-date in a given course.” - Drew Delaney These basic requirements are easy for the professors to meet at the beginning of the semester, but they often do not maintain the course page throughout the semester, since there is nobody monitoring each professor’s Canvas pages. In addition to the UMW Canvas guidelines, professors should also be mandated to have accurate grade weighting, proper assignment due dates and the syllabus under the syllabus tab. They should also routinely check their Canvas inbox. In order to ensure professors are meeting these Canvas expectations all semester long, Canvas course pages should be monitored by UMW to assure that they are being used properly throughout the semester. As a student currently in courses that do not use Canvas, it is apparent that the university and the
professors are not upholding the stated terms. From personal experience, I have found it very challenging to stay organized in these courses. I find that I miss or overlook assignments when they’re not clearly stated in Canvas or the professor uses another tool. If all professors at UMW met this requirement and maintained their Canvas page, it would set students up for greater success. “I began using Canvas in earnest with the moving to online classes and began to design an asynchronous online course for Intro to Sports Management and have since used Canvas to house all my course information in classes that are synchronous online, as well as in-person,” said Drew Delaney, the head men’s lacrosse coach and senior lecturer in the athletics department. “I have also moved my team’s playbook and other team materials to Canvas to encourage my players to get on the site. According to an article by Phil Hill, the co-founder of MindWires, Canvas was the most popular learning management system for higher education in the United States and Canada, working with 32 percent of institutions. Canvas continues to grow faster than all other learning management systems “with 51 percent of new implementations” in 2020. When professors utilize Canvas and keep it up to date, it allows students to achieve better grades and stay organized. It doesn’t make sense to require Canvas but not enforce that requirement. “As a student, I have had a course where the professor only used Canvas in the beginning of the semester, but by the end it was so out of date it wasn’t even worth checking it,” said Cameron Walker, a senior business administration major. “It makes it very challenging to be successful in a course when you don’t have an accurate grade in Canvas. I would have to calculate my own grade, which took time away from doing the actual work I needed for the course.” Walker added, “It’s very inconvenient when you go to check Canvas to see what assignments you have and all but one of your courses has a Canvas page and the assignments and due dates are right there in the Canvas calendar. But for the last course, you have to check the professor’s course page on the internet.”
If all classes at UMW used Canvas, there would be decreased chances of missing assignments and confusion because Canvas automatically sends out reminders about upcoming assignments. Also, students would not be confused about their grades in a course since they would be able to view it through Canvas. Whether you want to see your overall grade in a class, contact a classmate, find a file that your professor has posted or look at the syllabus to see your professor’s office hours, Canvas exists to make academics easier. Canvas makes it easy for students to stay organized because all of their work is in the same place. It also can help students that struggle with organization and time management. “Not having any Canvas page at all made it extremely difficult to track past and future assignments,” said Easton Kittinger, a senior business administration major. “It also made it challenging to know my grade at any given time. Since everything in the class was done by paper, I had to stay extremely organized to calculate my grade whenever I needed. Having to do this made the course more stressful than it had to be.” Other students have similar complaints about courses not being on Canvas. “In one of the courses I took we had a Canvas page, but it was only used for the final grade of the class,” said Sam Allen, a senior geographical information systems major. “Everything else was done through Slack. All of our assignments, grades and comments were given through Slack. This made it very tedious to find out how I was doing in the course, and it felt like I was jumping through unnecessary hoops.” If UMW wants to set its students up for success, it is imperative that UMW mandates the usage of Canvas for every course. “As much as professors want to protect their autonomy, it is important that we also adapt to the needs and demands of our students,” said Delaney. “Canvas is a pretty powerful tool if someone cares to learn and it provides a consistent and somewhat uniform way for students and professors to stay up-to-date in a
UMW’s add/drop period needs to be extended SARAH KHALIL Staff Writer
Students should be given more time to add or drop a course during the semester. Currently, UMW gives students one week to add and three weeks to drop a 16-week course without a withdrawal notation, and that deadline is even shorter for eight-week classes. The add/drop period needs to be longer so that students can experience a holistic view of the class before they make a decision about which classes to continue. The current add/drop period can be stressful for students. “It can be a hard transition period for some students, as they really have to consider if they want to continue taking a certain class or not,” said senior biology major Kaitlin Smyth. “Having a short time for the add/drop period puts a lot of pressure on students to try to make a class work for them when, in reality, they might not enjoy it.” If a student were to drop a class after the deadline,
Students need a longer add/drop period in order to maximize their academic success. Jenny Thompson / The Blue & Gray Press
Thursday, December 2, 2021
they would receive a withdrawal notation that is permanently recorded in their academic transcript, and they could not add another course. After choosing their courses at the end of the previous semester, students walk in blindly to these classes on the first day not knowing what to expect. The instructor provides a syllabus to give students a general idea about the course schedule and future assignments; however, sometimes the syllabus is vague or doesn’t accurately reflect the course’s workload.
“Having a short time for the add/ drop period puts a lot of pressure on students to try to make a class work for them when, in reality, they might not enjoy it.” - Kaitlin Smyth Syllabi vary from class to class, with some professors offering detailed schedules and others providing a general idea of the class’s content and expectations. Some professors only list important due dates of exams but not assignments, and other professors plan out other assignments as the semester goes along and expect students to adjust to them. During the first few weeks of classes, there are often fewer assignments, which makes it harder for students to predict how the course will flow and decide whether or not they should drop it. “Personally, I think the first exam for any class is a good way to detect whether the class is a good fit, but since we have such a short period, the first exam is likely to be after the deadline, which leaves me with one option, that is to withdraw from the class, in case if I don’t perform well in the first exam,” said senior biology major Aishah Wahedi. According to a College Parent Central article,
professors should encourage students to utilize the add/drop period as needed, but the short deadline makes it difficult for students to make any decisions. Extending the add/drop period would allow students to have enough time to determine whether they want to continue with a class or replace it with another one that is a better fit. Extending the add/drop deadline could be stressful for professors, making it harder to keep up with students adding or dropping from their course, but it is a feasible remedy that could prevent students from struggling in the course. Lengthening the deadline would allow students to change to another course that better accommodates their learning style, workload expectations or content needs. In addition, it would alleviate the stress and pressure of making such an important decision in such a short amount of time. “I think it would be a great idea to extend the add/ drop period,” said Wahedi. “It makes me feel better to know that I’ll have enough time to decide and not be rushed to make any decisions that I might regret later.” An extended add/drop period would allow students to have a better understanding of the class function and the professor’s teaching style, which involves both their lectures and their quizzes and tests. “In my opinion, the drop period should be after the midterm grades because that’s when students truly know how well they’re doing in the class,” said sophomore chemistry major Husna Shinwari. Furthermore, this change would be very helpful for students, as it can increase their chances of being successful in the course. “Being able to have time to adjust and allow ourselves to see what works for us would be extremely helpful,” said Smyth.
3
LIFE
Editor: Josephine Good | blueandgray.life@gmail.com
Photo essay: Outdoor Rec takes students to Shenandoah KENYA CARTER Staff Photographer
On Saturday, Nov. 13, a few students and I gathered at the fitness center for an adventurous trip. UMW Outdoor Recreation coordinated a hiking trip at Shenandoah National Park, where we hiked approximately four miles. As a full-time student, this trip was an escape from my daily routine of doing assignments, going to class and working. It was also the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors, meet new people and exercise while being stress-free. Along with myself, five other UMW students attended the hike that was led by Outdoor Rec Trip Leader Madeline Philips. Once we arrived at the site, we started the hike at the top of South River Trail. Even though it was a bit cold and windy, we didn’t let that stop us from enjoying our relaxing hike. As we began walking, we came across a few waterfalls, and the group decided to take a couple of photos by one of the larger ones. We proceeded with the hike and walked along a few streams that came from the waterfall by the South River Falls Trail. The scenery of the mountains and autumn leaves on the trees were beautiful. While I was looking at all the views, I felt that this was an experience that should be shared with everyone. I know that when UMW Outdoor Recreation coordinates their next hiking trip, I will be attending again. Hopefully, more people will join and experience the same.
Trip leader Madeline Philips and student Sara Radford crossa stream. Kenya Carter / The Blue & Gray Press
The South River Falls waterfalls has streams coming out of the bottom of the falls. Kenya Carter / The Blue & Gray Press
The South River Falls Trail is one on many trails people can hike at Shenandoah National Park. Kenya Carter / The Blue & Gray Press
The Saddleback Mountain Trailhas a clear view of the changing leaves. Kenya Carter / The Blue & Gray Press
elide Verna, Christian Lyman Sara Radford, Madeline Philips, Mackenzie Dickson and Chad Fancher C pose for a photo on their hike. Kenya Carter / The Blue & Gray Press
4
Other hikers were seen walking along the South River Trail next to a few streams on the trail. Kenya Carter / The Blue & Gray Press
Thursday, December 2, 2021
LIFE
Manga and anime become increasingly popular at UMW BEN SWEENEY Staff Writer
Manga and East Asian shows—both live-action and anime—have gained a huge following over the past few years, including at UMW. Although they have long been popular, there appears to have been a spike in popularity in recent years. According to statistics of sales taken from NPD Bookscan, the top-selling graphic novels that were sold in Oct. 2021 were all manga with the top three titles being My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man. For many years, it seems manga has dominated the graphic novel section of book sales, outselling most American comic book publishers, including the famous DC Comics, Marvel Comics and Image Comics. Though characters like Superman, Batman and Spider-Man have all become staples in American culture, Japanese entertainment is also popular and well-known. Netflix has recently adapted the anime classic Cowboy Bebop into a live-action series, and another classic anime called One Piece is scheduled to be released sometime in the near future. The movie Demon Slayer: Mugen Train smashed all box office records around the globe, becoming the highest-grossing animated film from Japan since My Neighbor Totoro. It is not just Japan that has made some incredible profits around the globe; the Korean show Squid Game has become Netflix’s most-watched TV series in the streaming platform’s history. The show features powerful scenes of brutality and violence, but it has garnered an incredible following since it was first introduced to audiences worldwide. “The first anime I ever watched was Sailor Moon
when I was around 5 because I thought those characters looked really pretty,” said Eliza Vegas, a sophomore historic preservation major. “However, after that, I never touched anime since I just didn’t really think I’d enjoy it, and some of the art styles were unappealing to look at. But then, last semester, my roommate decided to put on an episode of Banana Fish, and [I] caught a glimpse of it and was like, ‘Oh, hey, that looks cool, I’ll watch it.’ So I watched it and then that spiraled into watching a bunch of other anime my roommate recommended.” Students at UMW are just some of the people in the country who have a fondness for anime and manga. Several rooms on campus have posters of Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece), Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist) and many more anime characters. There is also a Japanese Anime club on campus and a popular Japanese language class taught by adjunct instructor Rina Okada. Okada, originally from Kyoto, expressed delight at Japanese culture’s popularity in the United States. “It does make me happy,” she said. “I was in the U.S. for study abroad in 2012, and how it was back then and now are completely different. I don’t see many Asian people here in Fredericksburg, but Japanese restaurants are everywhere. I believe this is because of anime, so I appreciate that. I appreciate that more people are aware of Japanese culture.” When asked about how Americans have come to admire the Japanese entertainment industry, Okada said, “I am very proud of it. Even things like Animal Crossing that people here don’t really think is Japanese … it makes me proud of my home country when I see so many American people enjoying it.” As far as anime recommendations, Okada recommends Kaguyasama, Polar Bear Cafe and Attack on
Titan. For manga, she recommends Black Butler, Bleach and Gintama. Many American entertainment industries have included modern-day problems that occur in the real world, such as racism, sexism and critiques on capitalism. While some shows, such as Squid Game, tackle real-world crises and problems like these, they do not tend to beat the audience over the head with it or let it interfere with the story. While these themes are important, people also enjoy consuming stories that let them escape from the problems of the real world. What better way to experience this than by reading a manga about a guy who kills demons with chainsaws, such as Chainsaw Man? Or perhaps people would rather read about vampires killing Nazis, such as in Hellsing? Manga and anime are not just about fighting and heroism though; they have a variety of genres such as romance, mystery, science fiction and sports. With manga, there is something for everyone, while American comics usually just feature a superhero and a plot about how they save the world. “While I enjoy both manga and American comics, I prefer manga because there is a much wider variety of genres offered!” said Neonya Garner, a sophomore history and education major. “American comics are usually sci-fi or hero stories whereas manga offers both those categories as well as others such as fantasy, romance, sports, etc.” For manga recommendations, Neonya picks Chainsaw Man, Paradise Kiss and Blue Lock. The popularity of anime and manga grows by the day, and it seems like the creative machine in these nations isn’t going away any time soon. It is all the better for us across the sea who just can’t get enough.
Professor profile: Ginny Morriss researches genetics LEIGH HATTON Senior Writer
Despite numerous setbacks due to COVID-19, professor Ginny Morriss and the students in her lab have finally been able to make progress in research this semester. Morriss is an assistant professor of biology at UMW, and genetics is her area of focus. In addition to teaching upper-level courses on topics including biochemistry, Morriss is pursuing her own ongoing research. She is also mentoring students in their independent study work. Morriss has two different research projects in progress. Both of these are focused on myotonic dystrophy, which is a genetically inherited skeletal muscle wasting disorder. One project uses fruit flies as a model organism for chromosome testing. Morriss described the research process, which is using traditional genetics techniques. “We’re devising specific mating systems so that we can actually manipulate the genetics of the fruit flies to either make muscle problems worse or make them better,” she said. The second of the two projects is utilizing a mouse skeletal muscle cell line, in addition to human umbilical vein cells. In this project, the main question is how expressing a specific mutated gene will affect the original muscle cell line. “We are specifically looking at genes about proteins that are involved in signaling to other systems,” said Morriss. While Morriss and her students have been able to make progress this semester, COVID-19 has caused many problems for Morriss’s plans for her research. “All of the stuff that I had initially planned on doing, we’re still at the very basic stages of that; we’re still getting things set up and getting baseline information,” she said. “And we probably would have been farther except that COVID hit. The lab didn’t get started until a year after it probably should have been started because of budget issues and a lack of students to help do any of the research since nobody was here.” Other setbacks have been related to the supply line issues that have affected multiple departments on campus. “We have to scrounge a lot to get the supplies that we need,” she said, “I had to train my students to basically be like squirrels hiding things away. I’ve had to make sure that, because of supply issues, [the students] stay really conscious and mindful about exactly what they’re doing so that we don’t have to redo it unnecessarily.” One aspect of the research in particular has also led to additional challenges. One student, Grace Holcomb, has been working with a “finicky” cell line for the first time. “Trying to keep those cells alive has been an interesting, fun little project for us because this is the first time I’ve worked with those cells as well,” Morriss said. “That student is basically my guinea pig for working with this type of cell line. And thankfully, she was in here over the summer. So she had a lot of time to work and try to figure out all the little minor details that are not in any of the protocols. The little things that nobody tells you about but are apparently critically important to keeping and maintaining these cell culture lines and using them properly.” Holcomb, a senior majoring in biochemistry, described the experience of trying to
Thursday, December 2, 2021
find optimal conditions for the cells as a “labor of love.” “We had never cultured these before,” Holcomb said. “We were culturing them according to the manufacturer’s guidelines but ran into some issues. It was a disheartening process to baby the cells and watch them struggle to get off the ground, but we found a solution in an online forum from other researchers who work with these cells. Persistence is key, and we got the cell line up and running. They require a lot of attention, so I hope that before I graduate, I can pass this on to a student who is prepared to spend a lot of time nurturing them.” Despite these challenges, Morriss Professor Ginny Morriss teaches students at UMW while spoke to the importance of continu- pursuing her own research in genetics. University of Mary Washington ing research and giving students opportunities to be involved. “Science is very practice-based like a lot of stuff; you can tell students how things work, but until they actually get their hands dirty and find out how things work, a lot of times they don’t understand it quite as well,” Morriss said. “Engaging in those processes is massively important for learning how these systems work in general but also learning skills that they can apply for any other work that they go into.” Morriss’s research in particular is exploring something that has not been well-studied. “Even though we’ve known about this disease for decades, there are still a lot of things that are unknown,” she said. “We know the actual gene that’s mutated, we know what the mutation is, but its effects seem to be very far-reaching.” Morriss’s postdoctoral research suggested to her that studying the affected systems’ communication with each other might be more fruitful than studying systems in isolation. This led to her current work with specific proteins. “Their whole function is to signal to other organ systems and tell them to do something,” she said. “Skeletal muscles are supposed to be receiving stuff from the vasculature, like blood flow into the muscles in order to deliver nutrients and oxygen and all of that.” According to Morriss, the main problem is when the muscle is communicating to the vasculature in a different way. This leads to the muscle not receiving the nutrients it needs, resulting in muscular wasting from this genetic disease. “There’s very little that patients have to support them as far as treatments,” she said. “Most of them just have to suffer with these effects. It’s possible that this information can be used to lead drug development in order to actually treat some things that are going on in this disease. Trying to understand how the disease itself functions can help to inform that process a little bit.”
5
VIEWPOINTS
Editor: Norah Walsh | blueandgray.views@gmail.com
UMW needs to provide better Wi-Fi connection GRACE SCHUMACHER Staff Writer
For over a decade, UMW students’ pleas to fix chronic internet issues have been snubbed by the university’s Department of Information Technologies. UMW’s Apogee internet is unfit to handle student traffic, and the university needs to either solve its internet issues or switch providers altogether. Apogee Interactive Inc. has been the University’s internet provider since 2009. Based in Texas, Apogee provides campus internet services all across the country, according to the company’s website. The initial contract with Apogee was set for five years, with five one-year renewals following its expiration. Hall Cheshire, UMW’s Chief Information Officer, said that UMW keeps in regular contact with Apogee. “I have a standing monthly meeting with Apogee to discuss and review call volumes and treads reported by UMW students,” said Cheshire. “We collaborate frequently.” From a faculty standpoint, operations may seem smooth, but there continue to be issues and unhappiness amongst the student population. Senior historic preservation major Zadie Lacey said she is often frustrated by the inconsistency of the Wi-Fi around campus. “I think that it would be really helpful if my WiFi didn’t cut out when I’m walking from place to place and if it wasn’t so slow,” said Lacey. “I think there is an issue sometimes where there are a lot of people trying to use the internet in the same place.” According to UMW’s website, the Apogee wireless network is available in residence halls and in the academic buildings across campus. When
students first come to campus, they are told to set up an account with Apogee and connect to MyResNet, which is the Wi-Fi network the University provides. The basic Wi-Fi service is provided to students free of charge, and students are able to upgrade to a larger package that costs $100 per semester, connects 21 devices instead of 11 and has 110 megabits per second rather than 60. Apart from this upgraded package, any other Wi-Fi source, such as the use of personal routers, is not allowed, according to UMW’s website.
Consistent, high-speed internet is an essential resource for college students who rely on it to write research papers, email professors, sign up for classes, submit assignments and more. Edward Gray, one of two co-managers in IT Support Services, helps run the UMW IT Help Desk. “The IT Help Desk has been on campus for well over 20 years,” said Gray. “[We] support faculty, staff, students, alumni, retirees and others that may need assistance accessing UMW resources. This includes assistance connecting to UMW networks (wired, wireless, Apogee/MyResNet).” Following the submission of a Service Request Form, an IT Support Ticket is generated and submitted to the Help Desk staff, which is generally staffed by part-time student aides. These requests are responded to during Help Desk hours, but when students have internet issues and the Help Desk is closed, such as during the late evening and on weekends, they are left to troubleshoot by themselves.
“The IT Support Tickets are logged and addressed within an hour or two, depending on volume,” said Gray. “The beginning of each semester has higher volume, which can lead to longer turnaround times. For requests submitted outside of working hours, we log and address these on the next business day.” Joe McMahon, an Apogee Support Technician, suggested that many of the wireless network issues can be a result of the distance between a user and access point. “An access point is a device that creates a wireless local area network,” said McMahon. “It connects to a wired router or an Ethernet cable and projects a Wi-Fi signal to a designated area.” Junior English and theatre double major Emily Kile is frustrated with the Wi-Fi on campus and the connection provided in residence halls. “My dorm room had the internet router on the ceiling my freshman year,” Kile said. “I think that is why I didn’t have too many issues then. But still, the internet is really not the best. We are being slowed down, considering that most of our course work has to be done online.” Consistent, high-speed internet is an essential resource for college students who rely on it to write research papers, email professors, sign up for classes, submit assignments and more. Today, large amounts of information such as books, audio, images and videos are available at one’s fingertips through internet access. Especially due to relying on online learning during the beginning of COVID-19, technology has become much more essential to the academic world. Due to this, UMW’s internet needs to be equipped to meet student internet demands.
@theblueandgray
The Blue & Gray Press
@theblueandgraypress Thursday, December 2, 2021
6
NEWS COVID DASHBOARD
Spotsylvania County School Board stops motion to ban books on Nov. 15 Jean mondoro Staff Writer
5
Active cases
104
Total cases since Nov. 30, 2021
0.86
7-day average cases per day
705
Student health center tests
Public backlash after a Nov. 15 meeting led the Spotsylvania County School Board to overrule a motion to ban certain books containing sexually explicit material from the school library system. The UMW community has had mixed reactions to the decisions made by the school board. The debate began at the Nov. 8 school board meeting at which the parents of a high school student shared their concerns about the sexual and pedophilial content displayed in the digital library system. In the midst of the following discussion, two board members supported the parents’ concerns and spoke in favor of banning specific books. The board agreed to review and remove any sexually explicit books from the library shelves and databases. Following that decision, the school board received backlash from students, parents and staff. At another meeting on Nov. 15, public comments lasted several hours, with most community members speaking out against the ruling to ban any books.
“There are books that could help children know what sexual abuse is, but when we expose children to sexual immorality, no matter their age, children begin to delve into things that are not right morally. Granted, some of the responses from the school board are a little far-stretched like ‘burning books’ while being online. Yet, there is still a point that we need to protect our children. - Guin Barkett
24
Positive student health center tests
38 of 38
Isolation spaces available
82 of 82
Quarantine spaces available
After the initial backlash and review of the banning process, the board voted again during the Nov. 15 meeting, where the original decision to ban these books was overruled by a vote of 5-2. During the Nov. 15 meeting and the hours of discussion that followed, some people raised concerns about the decisions previously made by the board regarding book censorship. “The board never voted to ban books,” said Dawn Shelley, chairman of the school board. “Parents brought information to the board’s attention during public comments.” The concern of the parents stemmed from two books they found that their daughter had access to in the system. “Call Me By Your Name” features main characters in a gay relationship and “33 Snowfish” follows young teens involved with sexual abuse and prostitution. When the board voted to remove materials from
“This issue has led me to become much more involved in and aware of the school board and their impact on the school system. As a future educator, it has made me more concerned about becoming a teacher considering how little support the teachers actually get from the school board.” - Hollis Cobb
Thursday, December 2, 2021
The Spotsylvania County school board received public backlash after voting to remove sexually explicit books. Susan Q Yin / Unsplash
the library system, community members expressed frustration that they did not define what content qualifies as sexually explicit. “Although it was not my motion, the term sexually explicit, as a qualifier, was introduced by myself,” said Shelley. “I chose that term carefully because the definition I had in mind was pornography. I was wrong not to explain my definition, and I apologize. I did so at our last meeting, as well.” The education department at UMW has been observing and discussing the ongoing issue. “In my EDUC 206 (Foundations of Education) course, we talk a lot about the historical, social and economic influences that shape education,” said Melissa Wells, assistant professor in the College of Education. “This situation in our own backyard has reminded us of the importance of this work as we advocate for education.”
“Parents can make librarians aware of specific book concerns they have for their child. The librarians can then flag the child’s library profile so the books their parents are concerned about are not checked out. There are processes and procedures already in place” - Dawn Shelley Along with members of the education department, UMW students have had various reactions to the decisions of the two school board meetings. “There are books that could help children know what sexual abuse is, but when we expose children to sexual immorality, no matter their age, children begin to delve into things that are not right morally,” said sophomore English major Guin Barkett. “Granted, some of the responses from the school board are a little far-stretched like ‘burning books’ while being online. Yet, there is still a point that we need to protect our children.” Hollis Cobb, a junior English major in the secondary education program, attended the Nov. 15 meeting in its entirety, engaging in the issue as head of Bookmobile Fredericksburg.
“I had very mixed feelings about the meeting,” Cobb said. “On one hand, it was incredibly reassuring and exciting to see the parents, teachers and students alike come together to speak out against the school board. The 65 public comments were beautifully put and reflected the passion the community has for its schools and the students within them. However, the conduct of the school board made the meeting highly discouraging.”
“This situation in our own backyard has reminded us of the importance of this work as we advocate for education.” - Melissa Wells Another source of frustration and confusion to some community members was the quick response from the school board, as they decided immediately to remove the books. There is already a review process in place for books which parents, students or staff bring up as a source of concern. “Parents can make librarians aware of specific book concerns they have for their child,” Shelley said about the review process. “The librarians can then flag the child’s library profile so the books their parents are concerned about are not checked out. There are processes and procedures already in place.” At UMW, students and faculty are reflecting upon these events. “This issue has led me to become much more involved in and aware of the school board and their impact on the school system,” Cobb said. “As a future educator, it has made me more concerned about becoming a teacher considering how little support the teachers actually get from the school board.” Wells commented on the impact being made on education students. “I hope showing future teachers how to be involved in advocating for education from their very first class in the College of Education sets the stage for them to continue this work in their future classrooms,” she said. While the board has come to a decision now, Shelley foresees the debate carrying on as the board majority shifts in January.
7
SPORTS
Editor: Victoria R. Percherke | blueandgray.sports@gmail.com
Women’s basketball wins in overtime 84-79 ALBAN BARKER
The University of Mary Washington of the game, Becca Arrington, a guard for the Staff Writer women’s basketball team defeated the Yellow Jackets, scored a 3-pointer and tied the Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets game up. with a score of 84-79 in overtime at home on Monday, Nov. 29. In overtime, the fans roared excitedly each time their team got This win contributed to the Eagles’ 6-1 winning record so far this the ball. Tory Martin, a senior history major and forward, scored season. two points, bringing the score to 80-79. Finally, the game ended 84-79 with the Eagles on top. The first quarter was very close, but UMW consistently The Eagles’ endurance and their ability to keep their aggressive remained a few points ahead despite the Yellow Jackets scoring strategy going into overtime ended up giving them the upper hand. multiple 3-pointers. The quarter ended with a 3-pointer from the There were lots of fouls and obvious emotion on the court in Eagles, putting them in the lead 24-20. overtime, as the last points After such a close first quarter, the second one started similarly with a consistent back and forth. Repeatedly, the Eagles would get “When going into overtime, scored in the game were two free throws by Martin. a few points ahead, then the Yellow Jackets would answer. The there were probably some “When going into second quarter ended close as well at 41-36, with a basket by the people nervous, but I know overtime, there were Eagles cut off by the buzzer less than a second before the ball went we’d pull it out.” probably some people in the hoop. nervous, but I knew we’d Both teams started being more aggressive in the third period– pull it out,” said Bri there were more steals, more fouls and more players sprinting -Bri Harper Harper, a junior biology across the court to attempt a quick basket. The Eagles were able major and guard. “Once you go into overtime, the game is all to end the quarter with a 10-point lead of 61-51 against the Yellow about who wants it more. It showed that we wanted it more, and Jackets. that’s why we pulled it out.” The fourth quarter was filled with energy from the stands. As Freshman guard Elizabeth Dufrane took this game as a lesson. soon as the period started, the audience began to cheer and stomp “Overall, we are a young team,” she said. “Every game is a loudly against the bleachers. Fans in favor of both the Eagles and learning lesson for us, and last night was not any different. As a the Yellow Jackets roared as the game went on. With 38 seconds team, we lacked offense in the fourth quarter and they ended up left in the fourth quarter, the Eagles were in the lead and called cutting the lead we had built up from the previous three quarters.” a timeout, leaving the score at 74-71. Within the last 30 seconds The team was proud of this win after coming back from their one and only loss against Washington and Lee University on Nov. 23, in which the Eagles lost with a final score of 73-68. “After the last game we were all disappointed with the outcome,” said Dufrane. “However, we knew that we needed to attack the upcoming practices head-on for us to move forward properly with all the lessons and things we took away from the game.” The team was excited to see how this game would go after the long Thanksgiving break away from campus. “It felt good to get back on the court after being able to go home and be with our families,” said Jordan Carpenter, a freshman guard and forward. said, “For me, it was definitely a nice reset and refresher before we had to come back and get back after it.” The next women’s basketball game at home will be against Marymount University on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 1 p.m. Tory Martin scored four points in overtime. UMW Athletics
Athlete profile: Senior swimmer Thomas Leckrone VICTORIA R. PERCHERKE &
Senior geography major Thomas Leckrone “I broke my collarbone last year so I didn’t AIYANNA BARTLEY Sports Editor & Staff Writer plays a major role in the success of UMW’s get to swim [for a while],” he said. “This year, varsity men’s swimming team. This is not I’ve come back and have been getting around only because he’s a team captain—Leckrone is currently the team’s the same times I [had] my sophomore year which is great!” only male swimmer from the class of 2022 that is able to compete. He demonstrates his leadership by staying focused and setting Since senior swimmer and history and economics major an example for the men’s team. Jonathan Zwemer suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery, “Thomas holds the entire women’s and men’s team accountable he is out for the remainder of the swim season, leaving Leckrone every day,” said freshman swimmer and undecided major Amanda as the only senior male swimmer. Sheward. “He is always making sure teammates are on time, in the “It’s very odd; I’m the only male senior swimmer on the team water at all times and having a good attitude. He is a stern leader.” who is able to compete,” said Leckrone. “So leading the team and After almost two years of not competing due to the pandemic, keeping things in line has been a bit different than I imagined. I’ve the UMW swim team is back in the swing of things for the first always had a full class of senior guys to look up to as role models, time since the team won the 2020 Capital Athletic Conference but now that it’s just me I feel all the eyes on me … and notice the Championship. Leckrone was a crucial part of the team’s 2020 win pressure to perform but also to be the one the underclassmen are when he took first place in the 100-yard butterfly. going to look to for leadership and guidance.” Leckrone gave advice for any students who wish to join the Leckrone began swimming when he was about five years old swim team. during a summer league swim team. However, it was not until “Focus, work hard, never let someone else’s thoughts and college that he became truly passionate about swimming. opinions affect you or change your own personal goals,” he said. “Swimming helps me focus on things such as school and my The UMW swim team competes again next semester on Jan. 8 personal life because, like other forms of exercise, it’s a great way in Saint Petersburg, Fla. to get your mind and body to relax and let go of the day’s stress. It’s mostly a big stress reliever, which helps me focus on the important things,” said Leckrone. Leckrone began his college swimming career as a freshman in 2018. That year, he became the Coastal Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year. Leckrone also made the First Team All-CAC in the 200 medley relay in 2019 and 2020. “Thomas is one of our team captains and is very passionate about the sport,” said Sydney Hall, a senior swimmer and biology major. “He pushes everyone to be the best they can in practice and makes sure to lead our cheers and get people motivated every meet.” Leckrone is not the only member of his family to swim for UMW. Thomas’s brother, Jeffrey Leckrone, a 2019 alumnus, has two individual records and a relay record at the university. Leckrone’s passion for swimming stems from his older brother and role model, who he credits as the reason why he came to the University of Mary Washington for swimming. Thomas Leckrone swimming the butterfly. Emily Warren / The Blue & Gray Press Leckrone reflected on his last year on the team.
Thursday, December 2, 2021
University of Mary Washington Winter Sports Schedule and Scores
Women’s Basketball (6-1)
Nov. 21 W @ N.C. Wesleyan @ Virginia Beach, VA (78-72) Nov. 23 L @ Washington & Lee (73-68) Nov. 29 W vs. Randolph-Macon (8479) Dec. 1 @ Southern Virginia Dec. 4 vs. Marymount (Va.) Dec. 12 @ Shenandoah
Men’s Basketball (6-2)
Nov. 22 W @ Randolph (78-76) Nov. 28 W @ Va. Wesleyan (71-58) Dec. 1 @ Methodist Dec. 4 vs. Marymount (Va.) Dec. 11 vs. East. Mennonite Dec. 14 @ Averett
Women’s Swimming (6-1)
Nov. 6 W @ York ( Pa.) (221-34) Nov. 12 W @ St. Mary’s (Md.) (210-48) Nov. 19 @ F&M Invitational Nov. 20 F&M Invitational Nov. 21 @ F&M Invitational Jan. 8 vs. St. Petersburg Relay Invitational @ St. Petersburg, Fla.
Men’s Swimming (5-2)
Nov. 6 W @ York (Pa.) (167-94) Nov. 12 W @ St. Mary’s (Md.) (189-56) Nov. 19 @ F&M Invitational Nov. 20 @ F&M Invitational Nov. 21 @ F&M Invitational Jan. 8 vs. St. Petersburg Relay Invitational @ St. Petersburg, Fla.
Track & Field
Dec. 5 vs. CNU Holiday Open @ Newport News, Va Jan. 15 @ Maryland Terrapin Invitational Jan. 21 @ George Mason Invitational Jan. 22 @ George Mason Invitational Jan. 28 @ GMU Patriot Games @ Fairfax, Va. Jan. 29 @ GMU Patriot Games @ Fairfax, Va.
Games are available to watch via livestream on the UMW Athletic’s webpage Schedule not listed above. Bold indicates home game.
8