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Katora employees quit due to inconsistent pay following delayed paychecks, co-owners seek community assistance

cLAIrE MArShALL WAtkINS Staff Writer

On March 25, April and Christian Zammas, co-founders and co-owners of Katora, sent a message to UMW Katora employees informing them their paychecks would be delayed until an unknown date. “If you’re in a pinch, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re hoping this is a one-off thing,” they wrote at the end of the message.

According to Christian, he and April are responsible for $450,000 worth of debt from a loan taken during the pandemic that was used for infrastructure improvements at the two locations. Christian shared that both shops operate as one business and their finances are intertwined because the Mary Washington location receives no revenue during semester breaks—about four and a half months out of the year.

“[E]ach semester we hope to have a cache of funds to purchase goods and support the first payroll while we wait for the first payment,” said Christian about the Katora at UMW. “Instead we had to dip into funds that were set aside for other payments. This began the domino effect that we see culminating today.”

In the past few weeks, two employees at the on-campus location have quit due to Katora’s financial situation. On April 7, the UMW Katora location posted on their Instagram story that they are hiring in which they asked any-

one who has applied in the past to direct message them to let them know they are available to work.

Enya Cea-Lavin, a sophomore English and education double major, worked at Katora for nearly two years but cited Katora’s money and debt issues as her reason for quitting on April 3.

“I asked if we were going to see our paycheck coming in, and we did not get a response, and that was kind of my last straw for the situation,” said Cea-Lavin. “So I sent out a message saying that I can’t keep working at a place that isn’t going to be paying me when I need to be paid [and] is going to use my labor without [me] getting benefits from it.”

A current employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “It just seems like we’re not being paid consistently … There was like a span of two weeks where we just weren’t getting paid and now it seems like we are.”

“Usually, we get paid on Tuesday. So when I say it seems like we are, we checked on Tuesday [April 2] if we got paid and some people did, some people didn’t,” said the anonymous employee, explaining the patchwork pay cycle.

As far as their financial woes have affected employees, Christian said, “We have always fulfilled our payment obligations. While there have been instances of delayed

Communication and digital studies alumni advise students on post-graduation success, how to market academic skills

GEOffrEy cArLISLE jr. Staff Writer

On April 4, current students, faculty and communication and digital studies alumni congregated in Lee Hall to discuss post-graduation plans, recommendations for the job search and tips for success. Between their personal stories and advice, the alumni panelists reminded students that they should rely on the work they did at UMW to market themselves in the professional workplace.

Mandy Byrd ‘22 worked at the Digital Knowledge Center when she attended UMW, and she said that the president of BRG Communications—where she cur-

rently works as an associate—told her that her background there made her stand out.

Stella Swope ‘21, an associate editor at Wild Card Creative Group, honed her hobby of video editing into a professional skill through working at the DKC, and she also emphasized this experience to market herself to employers.

“I worked at the DKC and that was a great thing that I used to leverage coming in,” said Swope. “They wanted me to help teach everyone else in the company how to do timesheets and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s great, I made tutorial videos on how to use so many digital tools [at the DKC].’”

Combining the skills from the communication and digital studies major and her work at the DKC, Swope’s final paper cross-comparing Lil Nas X’s music videos exemplified her digital media literacy.

As an associate editor, Swope works to figure out how to attract an audience to a movie, and she said her coursework helped her make that connection by understanding how people look at media and how they interact with it.

“I think a lot of the pieces that we read were very informative [and] helped me fix how I was viewing these things,” said Swope.

The alumni panelists shared their personal experiences entering the workforce after graduating from UMW. Charlie Li / The Weekly Ringer SEE PANEL, PAGE 2

Katora employees left their positions after the co-owners delayed their paychecks to an unknown date. Abbey Magnet / The Weekly Ringer

In an article about Greek life published on March 29, the Kappa fraternity was incorrectly refeerred to as “Kappa Alpha Psi” due to editor error. As the fraternity is no longer part of a national chapter, it goes by “Kappa.” This change has been reflected online.

Katora seeks GoFundMe donations for revival

payments in the past, we are committed to ensuring that this does not occur again.”

On April 4, April responded to an Instagram message from a Weekly Ringer reporter that she was “happy to report they are all paid up!” regarding employee payments.

“We’ve tapped into our circle of friends, hit up banks, and leaned on family for loans. We’ve used retirement savings, our full time income and tax refunds to keep the shop afloat.”

- April Zammas

But unreliable pay is not a new trend for Katora. In 2019, Katora replaced the previous on-campus coffee shop, Blackstone. According to an article published by The Weekly Ringer, after almost five years in business, Blackstone’s closure “prompted strong reactions from students, including former Blackstone and Katora employees.” In the article, Katora employees at the downtown location expressed concerns and frustrations about the new location opening, and they mentioned that their pay was frequently delayed as well.

The article quotes a former anonymous Katora employee who said, “We would sometimes go weeks without pay, and if we asked about it, we were given cash advances in odd amounts.”

Continuing in the article, Justin Adams ‘20, a former employee at Katora from December 2017 to August 2018, mentions that even amidst Katora’s financial struggles, there was always new decor in the store.

On March 22, April launched a GoFundMe titled, “Help Save Katora, the little shop doing big things” with a fundraising goal of $87,800. According to the description on the GoFundMe site, this money would go towards expanding and adding new programs within Katora, particularly a training program for the hospitality industry, paying off debt to the state, city and other acquired debts and shop repairs.

“We’ve tapped into our circle of friends, hit up banks, and leaned on family for loans. We’ve used retirement savings, our fulltime income and tax refunds to keep the shop afloat,” April wrote in the description.

She continued, “While managing our own bookkeeping with a local CPA’s guidance, we’ve recognized the need to switch to full-service bookkeeping for tax compliance. This change will streamline operations, like our efficient payroll system, and is crucial for our growth.”

Currently with 39 donations, the GoFundMe has reached $2,185. In an email in-

terview, Christian described this fundraiser as an investment opportunity for the community.

According to April’s message on the GoFundMe, if the issues are not settled within a year, “then we can graciously sail into the sunset, knowing we did all we could and even asked the community we love to help bail us out,” she wrote.

“We’re committed to addressing challenges and maintaining transparency, admitting our mistakes and forgiving mistakes made against us.”

- Christian Zammas

“Katora is a creation from love from me and my wife to provide a safe space for us to exist in, for others to have access to equitable opportunities which in turn facilitates authentic community engagement,” said Christian in an email interview. “We’re committed to addressing challenges and maintaining transparency, admitting our mistakes and forgiving mistakes made against us.”

Alumni relay experience entering workforce

Kate Seltzer ‘21, a freelance journalist, and Jess Kirby ‘23, a reporter for the Loudoun Times-Mirror, spoke on the skills they learned from working on the editorial board for The Weekly Ringer. Seltzer served as news editor and editor-in-chief when the newspaper was called “The Blue and Gray Press,” and Kirby served two consecutive years as editor-in-chief after holding a news editor position her sophomore year.

“[Kirby] and I were both super involved in student journalism here and now we get to do that full-time,” said Seltzer. “So if there’s something that you really want to do while you’re here, it can kind of shape your career.”

With many seniors in the audience, the panelists were able to cover a range of experiences that showed the possibilities of work after graduation. Seltzer and Byrd immediately found a position in the professional world, while Kirby and Swope found jobs elsewhere while continuing their job search.

According to the panelists, an essential aspect of applying for a job is having an up-to-date resume and LinkedIn profile. They also recommended that students organize their academic work in folders, on a USB drive or in Google Drive. This helps students have easy access to their past projects to create a portfolio in case a potential employer wants examples of work they have completed.

For Emily Kaser ‘19, a marketing senior account executive at Merritt Group, it’s helpful to update a portfolio gradually.

“I have everything saved from when I was in undergrad to grad. I had every single piece and I still do it now for whenever I am ready to leave,” she said. “I have all of the current work that I’ve done because I feel like you do a lot in a month and you’re like, ‘Oh, I forgot about that.’”

According to the panelists, another step students should take when applying for jobs is to research their industry of interest for

a successful cover letter and interview. However, if jobs do not appear in their search, the panelists recommended that students reach out to individuals already in the industry to gain insight into common workplace norms and terminology.

Sometimes, positions have ambiguous or obscure titles that students do not recognize and therefore do not apply for. According to Kaser, learning about these field-specific position titles and looking at the requirements within each gives a better view of what the position entails.

“I was so confused and then I started researching all these marketing agencies and they all had the same title,” said Kaser. “So do a little bit of research because sometimes the job title is a little misleading.”

Although the panelists relayed many stories of success, they reminded students that those experiences also came with many mistakes. Some also expressed their retrospective worries about their choice to enter the workforce right away.

Michaela Daye ‘18, a program support specialist for the U.S. Army said, “I definitely wish that I would have slowed down a little bit, maybe study abroad or take a little break because I jumped right into work.

She continued, “I looked back and I was just so excited and now I’m just like ‘why?’ Like, I just want a break.”

Swope also wished she had taken some time before entering the cinematography field right out of college. She reminisced about a friend who works for AmeriCorps and travels the country, working with her hands and experiencing things she may not have otherwise.

“I think it’s really valuable to be able to say, ‘Hey, I worked in Georgia with disaster relief,’ like that’s a cool thing,” she said. “You can take that anywhere with you, it’s an invaluable life experience.”

frOM PANEL, PAGE 1

Phishing for students: UMW should strengthen email security methods to mitigate students falling for scams

ryAN hIGGINS Staff Writer

Are you a student looking for a low-commitment job that pays well? Think twice before you answer, as you could become the victim of a phishing scam.

For students at Mary Washington, these email scams are a regular occurrence throughout the school year. College students looking to enter the working world are prime targets for scammers who attempt to take advantage of their initiative. While UMW has some security measures in place to reduce the amount of harm caused by scams, the volume of phishing scams that fill students’ inboxes indicates that the University could be doing much more.

I’m concerned about the harmful potential of scam emails, as I have been targeted myself. My freshman year, I responded to a scam email in hopes of securing a workfrom-home position, but the offer was a scam.

Job offer scams, which I see most often in our emails, commonly send students a large sum of money using a fake check. After buying specific products—usually gift cards—the victim is asked to send the codes and the remainder of the check back to the scammer. When the fake check is rejected by the bank weeks later, victims find they have sent gift card codes and money to the scammer, receiving nothing in return. Having heard about these scams before, I ceased contact immediately, but other students may not be as familiar with these fraudulent emails.

Una Haller, a senior psychology major, has some concerns about how UMW approaches email security.

“I think they should probably be a little bit more transparent in what their process is,” she said. “Because obviously we still get phishing emails.”

She continued, “I personally just find it annoying, but for people who are susceptible to scams, then it’s dangerous.”

According to Haller, the emails from Director of Information Technology Security Mike Townes that alert students to phishing scams are useful as they help students avoid falling victim to them.

“I do like how there’s an email after you get a phishing email that comes from someone from the University who

is like, ‘Hey, that email was a scam,’” said Haller.

But while the University’s phishing email alerts are useful security measures, they aren’t entirely effective and point to the larger issue of how scammers gain access to our emails and personal information in the first place.

At other universities, these phishing emails do not have as prominent of a presence in student inboxes.

Luke Cutright, a junior marketing major at VCU, gave some insight into the state of his university’s email security.

“I do like how there’s an email after you get a phishing email that comes from someone the University who is like, ‘Hey, that email was a scam.”

- Una Haller

“Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever seen any scam email in my school email, it’s seemingly pretty secure,” he said.

When asked about the security measures VCU implements to prevent scams, he said, “VCU uses a twostep authenticator, so whenever I have to log into my school email, it’ll give me a notification on my phone and I have to either approve or deny that login.”

Alongside efforts to educate their students about scams, two-factor authentication seems to be an effective deterrent to malicious emails. This security measure prevents scammers from accessing student emails which would provide them with a complete list of student emails.

VCU puts a focus on scam education as well.

“During orientation, we had a little orientation about scam awareness in general and they just kinda told us what to look out for,” said Cutright. “There’s a lot of educational posters up around the school about awareness in general.”

We should take some cues from Cutright’s experience at VCU and put more effort into spreading information on campus about how students can protect themselves and their personal information. Faculty at UMW are required to complete educational courses related to web safety, and it would benefit UMW to require that students take these courses as well.

Another factor that makes scam prevention a crucial issue for students is the development of AI that can assist scammers. I took a class focusing on generative AI systems last semester, and my final project centered around these AI-assisted scams.

With the personal information that scammers can access through compromised student accounts, they can craft personalized job offers that reference people and places in and around Fredericksburg, thus making it hard to distinguish which emails are genuine. Not only does the proliferation of these emails raise the risk of students becoming victims, but it can also lead students to disregard authentic job offers. One of the goals of any university is to help their students to find jobs and the lack of attention being given to securing our email accounts is in direct conflict with this goal.

According to UMW Information Security Analyst James Ashmore, there are mitigation tools in use to pre-

vent these email scams, however, “there really isn’t that much there to be honest, infrastructure-wise.”

Ashmore also said that students can contact the UMW Help Desk to turn on two-factor verification for their email accounts to better protect themselves against these fraudulent emails. He recommends that students seeking better email security consider this option, especially if their account has been compromised.

However, while offering two-factor authentication is a great move towards improved security, this service should be implemented university-wide to ensure that scammers don’t have access to our electronic mailing list. Ashmore said they “have been looking at just enabling that for all students and faculty, and they haven’t quite allowed us to do that just yet.”

UMW has a responsibility to keep its students safe from malicious emails, especially considering that we must use our UMW emails for important updates throughout the school year. The frequency in which we receive these scams in contrast to other schools in the state like VCU points to a necessity for better email security measures, and UMW’s security safeguards could improve soon if our the University approved a school-wide transition to an overarching two-factor authentication system—but it’s unclear if that will happen anytime soon.

Students receive high-alert emails from Townes to make them aware of the scams that may be in their inbox. Norah Walsh / The Weekly Ringer

From behind the counter: Former Katora employee recounts struggles working at cafe amid financial woes

ENyA cEA-LAVIN Staff Writer

As a college student, a job on campus presents great appeal, as it allows for a short commute from classes to work, flexible hours and connections with UMW students and staff. These attributes, along with my insatiable love for coffee and the open personality of the Katora staff, are what drew me towards them and are why I stayed on staff for almost two years. However, their pay inconsistency has rendered my main purpose there obsolete, for I am not willing to work for free or face continuing pay inconsistencies from a company that should be paying me.

I started at Katora UMW during the fall 2022 semester at the beginning of my freshman year, and my experience started pretty well. I learned quite a bit when it came to making coffee and having prior food service experience really helped. However, there wasn’t a constructive training process; we were thrown in and learned as we went by watching other employees, hoping not to mess up when we tried.

there, and The Lab provides a music production and recording space for up-and-coming artists.

“With little to no transparency or communication on the issue, coupled with three weeks since the last on-time paycheck, I found myself becoming more and more distant from the position I had once sought.”

- Enya Cea-Lavin

communication app, 7Shifts. The message came on March 25 and told us that we wouldn’t see our pay come in.

In the message, we were informed that the semester had been a rollercoaster and slip-ups had occurred. Through word-of-mouth from other employees and no expressed rationality behind the owners’ slip-ups, I came to understand that we, as a company, were in debt.

With little to no transparency or communication on the issue, coupled with three weeks since the last on-time paycheck, I found myself becoming more and more distant from the position I had once sought. This was a job I pursued because of its flexibility with my academic and extracurricular schedules, but due to the rising severity of pay inconsistency, it made me not want to continue at such an unreliable place. Like many other college students, the money I make goes to future expenses, so being paid on time is something I rely on to help myself budget correctly.

This past semester, there was a stronger sense of organization with a new set of shift leads who showed care for cleanliness and organization. Tasks were divided by employees to complete while on shift, which limited one person doing all the work or nothing getting done. Additionally, when it came to training, the employees adopted a system to help teach the new hires. Because of us, Katora was becoming a pretty constructive work environment.

Both Katora Coffee on Caroline St. and Katora Cafe UMW are run by the same owners. In general, it seemed like the businesses were prosperous as they rolled out new menu items and consistently tried to expand their business, such as incorporating Katora Events and The Lab.

Katora Events and The Lab are run through the downtown Katora location and focus on the production of the arts. Poetry slams and artist performances take place

The owners also promoted the arrival of new menu items that were never rolled out. They expressed to multiple employees that they wanted to incorporate new sandwiches to expand their services and would even buy the ingredients for said items, but their goals and instructions for serving the dish would be lost in translation, and they were never implemented on the menu.

With such expansions, you would expect the business to be booming, yet that wasn’t the case as we started to see a delay in our pay. Our pay comes in weekly on Tuesdays, and in the past semesters I had worked there we had pay come in late by two days or so due to payroll not being submitted. This was never an alarming situation, just a normal occurrence that was a simple mistake.

However, in spring 2023, our pay started coming in late, and it became a recurring issue. At the start of the semester, our first paycheck was late due to switching accountants—causing our paydays to be changed from every Friday to every Tuesday. But the stress and seriousness of this issue didn’t hit me until recently when we went two weeks without pay.

The week of March 19, we did not receive pay because we were not working over spring break, but before we were supposed to get paid for the next pay cycle, the other Katora employees and I received a message through our

“As a result, this issue has me weary of continuing to work for any business, as I am unaware if something is going on behind the scenes that employees have no control over.”

- Enya Cea-Lavin

When it comes to the issue of on-campus employment and its relation to Katora’s downfall I don’t seem to see a correlation. I have worked directly with the University through New Student Programs and have not experienced any issues of unreliability. Therefore, I see my experience at Katora as an issue of poor business planning by a company that has allowed their downfall to be brought onto their employees. As a result, this issue has me weary of continuing to work for any business, as I am unaware if something is going on behind the scenes that employees have no control over.

The

Katora Cafe UMW has been a hub for students to both stop in for a quick coffee and snack or study for the week ahead. Abbey Magnet / The Weekly Ringer

Under

the dark side of the moon: Students pleasure in warm weather and dream-like ambiance during eclipse

hALEy hEfLIN Staff Writer

On the afternoon of April 9, the first total solar eclipse since 1979 arced across North America, though in Fredericksburg, Va. only a partial eclipse was visible. Nonetheless, students at UMW emerged on the bricks of Campus Walk and repopulated Ball Circle to its former glory. Students brought out picnic blankets, friends came together and classes were skipped, canceled or delayed. As the peak of the partial eclipse approached at 3:19 p.m., the energized Eagle community donned their protective glasses and shared their shades with students who wished to catch a glimpse.

“My

friends and I went out to Dodd Auditorium to grab a pair of eclipse glasses and viewing squares that were handed out for free, and for once most of the population at UMW was outside viewing the eclipse on Ball Circle.”

- Grace Wagner

According to NASA, “a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, casting its shadow on the Earth’s surface.” The eclipse results in either partial or total darkness—depending on the viewer’s location within the eclipse’s path—and this alignment causes the moon to obscure or partially block the sun’s light, resulting in a temporary dimming or darkening of the sky.

While solar eclipses are not rare events, their frequency varies depending on the type of eclipse. On average, a total solar eclipse happens somewhere on Earth approximately every 18 months, and eclipse seasons—during which solar eclipses are more likely—happen approximately twice a year due to the slight tilt in the moon’s orbit relative to Earth’s orbit around the sun.

But the picture of students frolicking on Ball Circle and meandering around Campus Walk was a rare sight. Although only partial, the eclipse brought the community together—a sentiment that’s been lacking since the COVID-19 pandemic—creating an uplifting and vibrant scene to behold.

“It’s giving college and I kinda like it,” said sophomore psychology major Haylee Saddler as she sat on Ball Circle with friends, peering up at the eclipse.

Observing solar eclipses requires caution, as direct exposure to the sun’s rays can cause eye damage or blindness, so specialized equipment, such as solar eclipse glasses or pinhole cameras, must be used to view these phenomena safely.

“During the eclipse, with the glasses on, you couldn’t see the sun [for it was] almost as if it disappeared. It only showed the moon that was in front of the sun,” said sophomore Izzy Aversa. “If you did not have the glasses you couldn’t see the eclipse happening, you could only visualize the darkness happening around you.”

While most big brands like Walmart and Target had sold out of glasses, various buildings and offices on campus were handing out protective equipment for free leading up to the eclipse. For example, students could find glasses in the Student Activities and Engagement office, Admissions, and outside of Dodd Auditorium in George Washington Hall.

“My friends and I went out to Dodd Auditorium to grab a pair of eclipse glasses and viewing squares that were handed out for free, and for once most of the population at UMW was outside viewing the eclipse on Ball Circle,” said Grace Wagner, a freshman communication and digital studies major. “It was really cool being able to see everyone finally come together, and witness everything together on campus.”

The duration of a solar eclipse is a fleeting but unforgettable moment in time, making it a truly remarkable celestial event to witness. In the past, solar eclipses have had cultural and historical significance, with many an-

cient civilizations attributing mystical or divine meanings to these phenomena. Today, solar eclipses present valuable educational opportunities for students and the public alike.

George Washington Hall’s roof was open to the community to view the eclipse from a more elevated location; however, there was a limited occupancy of approximately 40 people allowed up at once. On the other side of campus, students and professors gathered outside the Jepson Science Center where the physics department had set up a telescope for a more enhanced view.

“In

2017, we were running an outreach event in the path of totality, so this was a bit different, but there’s no place I would have rather been than with Mary Wash students.”

- Matthew Fleenor

The eclipse presented an unusual visual change as the environment darkened but traces of sunlight were still visible. The sun’s rays, once extremely vibrant, dulled down, and the light shed onto Earth created an ambiance that almost felt like a dream. As a result of the sun being covered—at least partially—the air cooled down and one of the first warm days of the semester was covered in a slight chill.

“I had forgotten how much the temperature changed as a result of the eclipse,” said Matthew Fleenor, a physics professor and program coordinator. “In 2017, we were running an outreach event in the path of totality, so this was a bit different, but there’s no place I would have rather been than with Mary Wash students.”

Norah Walsh and Charlie Li contributed to reporting for this article.

Students were able to observe a more enhanced view of the partial eclipse through the telescope outside of Jepson. @marywash / Instagram

The physics department set up a telescope outside of Jepson. @marywash / Instagram

Students and faculty alike gathered on Ball Circle and surrounding areas to experience the eclipse at its peak. Norah Walsh / The Weekly Ringer

Brooke Prevedel and Professor Steve Hanna collaborate on “Lafayette’s World” map for Fredericksburg Area Museum

krIStEN hOWArD Staff Writer

In 1824, Marquis de Lafayette, who is known for helping write the “Declaration of Rights of Man” as well as fighting in the Continental Army, traveled through 24 states in North America that would one day become part of the greater United States of America. Previously, Lafayette’s passage was not recorded, which is what senior classical archeology and historic preservation double major Brooke Prevedel and Professor of Geography Steve Hanna sought to remedy by creating a map of his journey. The four-by-five map is now on display in The Fredericksburg Area Museum and is part of a two-year exhibit.

Gaila Sims, the curator for African American history and special projects at FAM, brought the idea of creating the map of Lafayette’s journey to Hanna. She described what she wanted to be incorporated into the map from Lafayette’s journey, and Hanna brought in Prevedel to assist.

Creating a map of this size and with intricate details takes time and practice, so Hanna wanted a student who had experience using the software needed to create the map.

“I chose Prevedel to work with me on the project [and] that had to be somebody who already had a great deal of experience in cartographic design and using particular software and other tools to make the map,” he said.

Meanwhile, Prevedel was looking for a new project to work on when Hanna came to her with the idea for the map, as she needed a Geographic Information Science capstone to graduate. She had worked closely with Hanna previously, and the project led to their continued collaboration.

“I think one of the greatest obstacles is just the color design. It’s always very complicated, especially for this one.”

- Brooke Prevedel

“He brought the idea to me and asked if I wanted to help with the map, and I was so excited to do it. It sounded really interesting and then it just worked out really nicely that the department let me do that project as my capstone,” said Prevedel.

Both Hanna and Prevedel designed maps before “Laffeyette’s World,” and they chose to create this project digitally. According to Prevedel, they used the program ArcGIS Pro to make the base map using data from various sources. This program allows its users to create both 2-D and 3-D maps.

They then used Adobe Illustrator for their post-processing design, which is a popular application that graphic designers use to create vector graphics which are made of points, lines, shapes and curves based on mathematical formulas. Prevedel explained that all of the landmasses, mountains, labeling, water features, color palettes and the making of the route were all done in Adobe Illustrator. According to Hanna, this step involved making the map look like it was produced 200 years ago.

“One of the things that I knew Prevedel was good at because of previous things she had published is that she has a really, really excellent sense of how colors work together ... that was one of the parts that she was going to end up focusing on,” said Hanna.

Hanna and Prevedel both emphasized that the colors and styles of drawing certain landscape features, such as

Crime Column

Vandalism

On April 3 at 10:27 a.m., there was a case of vandalism at Woodard hall. This case is pending.

mountains, were a large part of producing the map to look like it was created in the 1800s. Taking over 100 hours to create, the main difficulty while working on the map was the color design.

“I think one of the greatest obstacles is just the color design. It’s always very complicated, especially for this one,” said Prevedel. “We had colors that we knew we needed to use because we are working with graphic designers, and so we were trying to make sure our colors matched theirs and worked for the room as a whole.”

Some students at UMW have shown interest in the map, such as Maggie Copeland, a senior historic preservation major who heard about the map through social media. Copeland shared her thoughts about the map.

“It’s incredible to think about how much time [Lafayette] spent traveling, and just the way the map was structured I guess was really engaging,” she said. “It just stood out to me, the colors in it gave me a good visual cue as to what kind of land he was covering and stuff like that.”

“It’s incredible to think about how much time [Lafayette] spent traveling, and just the way the map was structured I guess was really engaging.”

- Maggie Copeland

Spending such long hours on one activity or task can create new memories and lessons. Prevedel spoke about some of her favorite and fun memories of creating the map.

“In terms of favorite memories, I honestly think going to the group meetings for the museum was one of the coolest parts of it,” she said. “Just seeing all of these different professionals who you wouldn’t necessarily think are involved in an older museum exhibit.”

Hanna spoke about the memories and exciting moments he experienced while working on the map.

“It is always interesting to be bringing together the stages where we knew what we had to do and we prepared sort of a concept rendering just part of the map. This is how we hoped the mountains would look, this is how the route would look, ” he said. “That to me is a fun moment because you’re exchanging ideas, you’re adapting your vision to work with somebody else’s.

Tamper Vending Machine

On April 3 at noon, there was a case of tamper vending machine at Mason hall second floor. This case is pending.

The “Lafayette’s World” map that Prevedel and Professor Hanna created will be on exhibition for two years at FAM. UMWVoice

Balancing athletics and academics in rec sports

GrAcE WAGNEr Staff Writer

Joining a recreational team offers students many great opportunities from honing new skills to making lifelong friendships. Rec sports enhance the college experience by promoting physical and mental well-being, fostering social connections and instilling valuable life skills in students. They also help combat a sedentary lifestyle associated with academic pursuits, which helps balance the importance of physical fitness and scholarly work for students.

At UMW, there are a variety of recreational teams to join, from fencing to field hockey, so there is bound to be a team that can accommodate students of various backgrounds and preferences.

“Having club sports and all the Campus Rec activities just makes it so everybody can stay active,” said Maggie Hatton, a junior marketing major. “Everybody can meet other people and it’s not just secluded to only the varsity teams.”

Some students who participated in sports in high school may seek similar athletic involvement in their collegiate careers, but they worry about the time commitment of each. In recreational sports, there is more leniency for student-athletes, yet they still offer a positive and committed team environment.

“I met all my friends through club soccer and I keep meeting new ones. It completely changed my social life around, and now I’m always on campus.”

- Maggie Hatton

Balancing academic commitments with recreational sports also teaches students valuable time management and discipline skills. As such, students learn how to effectively manage their schedules and maintain a healthy work-life balance by incorporating exercise into their lives.

Mary Washington’s recreational athletes work hard to balance their academic work while participating in athletics.

“We all prioritize school first,” said Isabella Barrón, a sophomore psychology major and rec soccer player. “If you have to miss a practice or game because you have too much work, then everybody is super understanding about that. But everybody also understands that this sport is a commitment.”

On recreational teams, students learn how to be better teammates, which helps them in the classroom and beyond. Whether working in a group for a project or participating in a Socratic seminar, being able to communicate and work together

towards a common goal is the name of the game.

Participating in team sports also provides valuable lessons in perseverance, time management, discipline, resilience and goal-setting. Students learn to communicate effectively, resolve conflicts and work towards common goals, which are essential skills for success in both personal and professional life—and with recreational sports, these skills are not a limited privilege to varsity athletes.

“It’s so easy to stay at home, right? But then I just think about things getting active and seeing friends and having fun, and I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m going to practice’.”

- Maggie Corcoran

“Soccer is my social life,” said Barrón. “It’s a great networking opportunity, honestly. It’s just getting to know people who know more people and it’s a great way to meet.”

Additionally, participating in recreational sports can have positive effects on mental health by reducing stress, anxiety and depression. Physical activity releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters, and it provides an outlet for students to unwind and recharge amidst the pressures of academic life.

“It’s so easy to stay at home, right? But then I just think about things getting active and seeing friends and having fun, and I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m going to practice,’” said Maggie Corcoran, a senior psychology major and rec soccer player.

One of the most important parts of being in college is building relationships. Joining sports teams or intramural leagues fosters a sense of community and

belonging, leading to lasting friendships and support networks on campus.

“I’ve met a lot of people through rec teams,” said Theresa Oetgen, a freshman track and rec soccer player. “I do consider a lot of them my friends, so it does help me be more open.”

Team environments house important relationships, for students can see themselves and others as mentors and learn a lot from each other while also becoming friends.

“I met all my friends through club soccer and I keep meeting new ones,” said Hatton. “It completely changed my social life around, and now I’m always on campus.”

University

Men’s Tennis (11-4)

April 5 vs. Chris. Newport (5-4)

April 6 vs. Carnegie Mellon (7-2) vs. Pfeiffer (9-0)

April 12 @ Brandeis

April 14 @Babson

April 17 vs. N.C. Wesleyan

Women’s Tennis (6-6)

April 6 vs. Carnegie Mellon (8-1)

April 13 vs. Chris. Newport

April 17 vs. N.C. Wesleyan

Men’s Baseball (20-8)

April 6 @ chris. Newport (9-5)

April 8 vs. Marymount (Va.) (8-6)

April 9

vs. Penn St. Harrisburg (8-3)

April 10 @ Shenandoah (12-8)

April 13 vs. Hampden-Sydney

April 16 @randolph-Macon

April 17 @Marymount (Va.)

Women’s Softball (13-15)

April 4 vs. Va. Wesleyan (9-1) vs. Va. Wesleyan (9-2)

April 9 @ Stevenson (6-4) @Stevenson (9-0)

April 10 vs. Catholic (6-5) vs. Catholic (2-1)

April 13 vs. Chris. Newport

April 18 @Marymount

Men’s Lacrosse (7-6)

April 6 vs. Montclair St. (11-8)

April 10 @ Salisbury (18-6)

April 17 vs. Chris. Newport

Women’s Lacrosse (3-8)

April 3 vs. York (Pa.) (Postponed)

April 7 vs. York (Pa.) (13-6)

April 12 vs. Bridgewater (Va.)

April 17 vs. Meredith

Games are available to watch via livestream on the UMW Athletics webpage www.eagles.com/compositefull schedule not listed above. Most recent games included.

Mary Washington’s women’s club soccer team pose together as one big family. @umwclubsoccer / Instagram

The women’s club frisbee team, Mary Massacre, have fun on and off the field. @mary_massacre_umw / Instagram

Friendships spark on the field for the men’s club soccer team. @umwmensclubsoccer / Instagram