The Weekly Ringer by The Weekly Ringer

The University of Mary Washington Student Newspaper Serving the community since 1922

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Ringer

Weekly VOLUME 95 | ISSUE 13

JANUARY 20, 2022

Students concerned after UMW lifts employee COVID-19 vaccine mandate

100 years: The Weekly Ringer

Josephine Johnson & Mason godek News Editor & Staff Writer

This is a comic printed on the front page of a 1931 edition. The Bullet / University Archives

On its first issue of 2022, UMW’s student newspaper is simultaneously celebrating its 100-year legacy and the beginning of a new era. Jan. 20, 2022 marks the hundredth anniversary of the paper’s first publication in 1922 and the first issue under its new name: The Weekly Ringer. 1920s Three issues of Mary Washington College’s The Bullet were published in 1921, but there are no remaining copies in the University Archives. Therefore, the year of the paper’s inception is considered to be 1922, and its slogan is “Serving the community since 1922.” When The Bullet first began publication, a subscription was 50 cents a year, which translates to roughly $7 in modern money. Publication was monthly and consisted of alumni news, the Student Government Association’s constitution, advertisements for local businesses, as well as the news, style and sports sections. UMW’s archive does not have issues of The Bullet from most of the years 1923 to 1928. According to the University Archives, The Bullet ceased publication at the end of the 1923-1924 academic year and did not publish again until 1927. The archive has not located any copies from 1921, 1924 or 1927. 1930s In 1930, the publication changed from monthly to bi-weekly, and the subscription price changed to $1 a year. This issue also had a controversial joke section, including quips like “Loudspeakers should be bought, not married,” and “Gentlemen prefer blondes. It is said that the ‘flu’ is more likely to attack brunettes than blondes.” 1940s During World War II, The Bullet had few articles alluding to global news and the war. In May of 1945, The Bullet published the story “Friedlind Wagner Tells

SEE CENTENNIAL PAGE 7

INSIDE THE

RINGER

News | 2

Josephine Johnson & leigh hatton News Editor & Staff Writer

On Tuesday, Jan. 18, UMW faculty and staff received an email from Beth Williams, executive director of human resources, with the subject line “Update on Commonwealth COVID Policies.” The email stated that UMW would be modifying some of its employee COVID-19 protocols, including that professors are no longer required to be vaccinated but are still required to be masked. When students

“I as the messenger, misunderstood and inadvertently left students off the recipient list. My apologies.” -Anna Billingsley

discovered a copy of the email, some believed it had been purposefully withheld from students to avoid negative feedback. On Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 4:33 p.m., students received an email from Anna Billingsley, associate vice president of university relations, stating that the original email from Williams was intended to be sent to all students as well as faculty. “Cabinet intended this for the entire campus community—faculty, staff and students. However, I as the messenger, misunderstood and inadvertently left students off the recipient list. My apologies,” said Billingsley in the email. Billingsley was notified of the mistake at 3:28 p.m., on Jan. 19. “The chief of staff texted me to confirm that the email had gone to faculty, staff,

The email sent goes over the new protocols set in place by Glenn Youngkin on Jan. 15. Maggie Mae Young / The Weekly Ringer

and students. I replied, ‘Not to students.’ I had assumed the message was supposed to go ONLY to [faculty] and staff,” said Billingsley. “And administrators had assumed it went campus-wide. A

communications snafu on my part.” The Radical Students’ Union was one of many in the UMW community who reposted a screenshot of the initial email.

SEE EMAIL PAGE 3

Seacobeck Hall, new home of College of Education, finishes long awaited renovation tabitha robinson Staff Writer While walking through Seacobeck Hall, the newly renovated home of the College of Education, Pete Kelly excitedly points out new conference rooms, original crown molding and tall windows letting in sunlight.

“We are really grateful in the College of Education to have good news. There’s this energy, this positivity. As hard as this job has been for everybody, and faculty are just so exhausted, this has been a really great shot in the arm.” -Pete Kelly “We are really grateful in the College of Education to have good news,” said Kelly, the dean of the College of Education. “There’s this energy, this positivity. As hard as this job has been for everybody, and faculty are just so exhausted, this has been a really great shot in the arm.” Seacobeck Hall was built in 1930 with

Construction on Ball Circle confuses students.

Opinion | 3 Gym hours fail to accommodate students’ schedules.

two dining rooms and a central “dome room.” The building served as UMW’s dining hall until the University Center was built in 2015. It was named for a Native American village that occupied the area. According to Edward Alvey’s “History of Mary W a s h i n g t o n College 1908-1972,” “Seacobeck is an Algonquin word that means ‘at the foot of Seacobeck Hall has newly renovated conference rooms that students can utilize. Naomi Jones / The Weekly Ringer the rock.’” The renovation, which took about According to Kelly, 4.5 years, retains many of the original there are ongoing discussions of putting a decorative features, including crown sign in Seacobeck explaining the history of molding, chandeliers, window trim and the name. plaster ceiling reliefs. In terms of more “I like that the name relates to a certain culture and background, but I doubt modern elements, students hope the many people know what it’s named after,” building has the technology needed to said Francesca Harrison, a sophomore prepare tomorrow’s educators. “I’m hoping this building is a more elementary education major and Spanish modern concept and has spaces for minor. “Being an educator, it’s important collaboration and has the technology to to teach and learn about cultural diversity, prepare us for our futures,” said Elizabeth so there is a strong correlation between the two.” SEE SEACOBECK PAGE 3

Life | 5

Past editors describe the newspaper’s 2014 renaming campaign.

Sports | 8

From archery to soccer, sports has changed over 100 years.

Thursday, January 20, 2022

The

Weekly Ringer Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief Jess Kirby

weeklyringer.eic@gmail.com

Business Editor Erin Matuczinski

weeklyringer.business@gmail.com

Associate Editors Bernadette D’Auria Cosima Pellis

weeklyringer.associate@gmail.com

Copy Editor Abigail Slaughter

weeklyringer.copy@gmail.com

News Editors Josephine Johnson Scotti Mullen

weeklyringer.news@gmail.com

Viewpoints Editor Norah Walsh

weeklyringer.opinion@gmail.com

Life Editor Josephine Good

weeklyringer.life@gmail.com

Sports Editor Victoria R. Percherke

weeklyringer.sports@gmail.com

Online Editors Maggie Mae Young Cameron Delean

weeklyringer.online@gmail.com

Photography Editor Emily Warren

weeklyringer.photos@gmail.com

Faculty Advisor Sushma Subramanian ssubrama@umw.edu

Please direct all advertising inquiries to Erin Matuczinski at weeklyringer.business@gmail.com.

Corrections The Weekly Ringer strives for accuracy and will correct any inaccurate information printed in the newspaper. Please report any corrections to Jess Kirby at weeklyringer.eic@gmail.com or Sushma Subramanian at ssubrama@umw.edu. Bell tower logo designed by Bernadette D’Auria ‘22

News

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Construction in progress on Ball Circle will repair and upgrade water lines Amber zipfel Staff Writer Since Nov. 2021, construction has been underway to replace a water line located underneath Ball Circle. “The construction on Ball Circle is to replace a water line between Ball Hall and Virginia Hall,’’ said Paul Messplay, vice president for administration and finance and chief financial officer. “This effort is part of a larger state funded infrastructure project to repair and replace water and steam lines around campus.” Capital outlay project manager Jay Sullivan said that the construction is “expected to be completed at the end of February to mid-March.” The project was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain shortages in the U.S., which have impacted the construction industry. “This construction project as a whole has been affected by material production delays and labor force shortages which has caused delays to the project schedule,’’ said Sullivan. Maddie Ryan, a junior religious studies major, lives in one of the dorms that surrounds Ball Circle, where she finds the construction very unsightly and notices the absence of people. “The construction prevents me from crossing Ball Circle and meeting friends there, but it doesn’t interfere too much with my daily life,” said Ryan. Messplay confirmed that

once the work is complete in Feb. 2022, Ball Circle will be available to hold graduation ceremonies and alumni events at the end of the spring semester. After these events, there will be additional construction completed during summer 2022. “This work will mainly consist of tying the new steam system into the buildings around Ball Hall,” said Sullivan. The construction will continue with the pipeline work on Ball Circle and in front of Westmoreland Hall. The domestic water line will also be upgraded, which will affect the areas around Jefferson Hall and Combs Hall, as well as the middle of campus walk from Bushnell Hall to Lee Hall, according to Sullivan.

“You can kind of appreciate the fact that administration is using the money to improve it for us and making campus into something nicer.” -Kevin Dougherty However, students can expect that construction will be over for the fall 2022 semester. “We will have the campus restored prior to the start of the fall semester,” said Messplay. Some students are frustrated

The construction on Ball Circle is expected to be complete in Feb. 2022. Naomi Jones / The Weekly Ringer

with the construction going on. “If I could speak to the UMW administration about the construction, I would express my concern with the length of time it has taken and the degree to which it redirects and stands in the way of people on campus,” said Ryan. “All the recent construction being done at UMW seems to make the lack of normalcy due to COVID even more all-consuming. The construction of the change that we, as a community, have had to undergo in the recent years.” Kevin Dougherty, a senior mathematics major, has a different view of the construction on Ball Circle. “I feel that if they are doing construction on any area of campus and especially Ball Circle, which is one of the main landmarks of campus, it’s a good thing,” he said. Dougherty believes the

UMW administration is working to better the school, whether it is to make it more beautiful or to improve its function. “You can kind of appreciate the fact that administration is using the money to improve it for us and making campus into something nicer,” he said. “I am in favor of that for the future classes and generations of UMW students even though it might mildly inconvenience or annoy someone right now, it will be beautiful for the next generation.” The construction projects allow for the campus’ systems to function well in the long run. “Some of these systems have been in place for many years and the upgrade will help reduce the frequency of maintenance and repairs needed on the system,” said Sullivan.

Entry testing shows a 6% positivity rate “The email was tough to interpret so a COB [College of Business] faculty member asked for clarification. Faculty MUST STILL WEAR MASKS! Straight from the head of HR,” said Kim Gower, assistant professor in the College of Business, in a comment on the Radical Students’ Union’s Instagram post. In an interview, Gower expressed her opinion on the revised vaccine policies. “[Professors not being required to get the vaccine] is not best for the university, or anybody, especially now,” she said. “However, the new governor signed a series of executive orders on Sunday, and the school is part of the state system (26% of our funding), so we are forced to follow the executive order.” The Radical Students’ Union printed copies of the email along with their own statement and taped copies around campus. “We distributed flyers instead of speaking to admin because they’re comfortable keeping these conversations behind closed doors,” said the Radical Students’ Union in a post on their Instagram story. “We want this conversation to be available to the entire campus. Admin is accountable to this ENTIRE campus, not just the student leadership.” The group expressed some of their concerns on Instagram, saying, “We are concerned that this email was only sent to Faculty. When 1,600 students live on a campus, we have a right to know.”

SEE EMAIL PAGE 1

On the flyers that the Radical Students’ Union posted around campus, they shared additional concerns about COVID safety with the employee vaccine mandate lifted.

“It would be prudent of this administration to exercise the utmost caution and continue requiring testing, for ALL faculty, vaccinated or otherwise, to make sure our immunocompromised, impoverished, undocumented students and other community members have the best chances.” -Radical Students’ Union “How will a single 3-ply or KN95, in cramped and closed classrooms, stop the spread of Omicron at a rate [four times] as high as the original COVID-19 strain?” the flyer read. “It would be prudent of this administration to exercise the utmost caution and continue requiring testing, for ALL faculty, vaccinated or otherwise, to make sure our immunocompromised, impoverished, undocumented students and other community members have the best

chances for in-person learning.” Other COVID protocols and restrictions have been put into place for this spring semester. On Jan. 9, 1,609 members of the UMW community trudged through the rain to the Anderson Center for required COVID-19 testing before the start of the semester. The tests returned an optimistic 6% positivity rate, but UMW has had 152 COVID cases since Jan. 1, according to UMW’s COVID-19 Dashboard. The total number of cases for the fall 2021 semester was 128. The university website states that UMW “will not … close the campus or move all classes permanently to virtual learning.” However, “if we see our own cases increase too much we will take a number of steps (including potentially going online again) to curb the spread.” Some students who have tested positive are utilizing the campus’s available quarantine and isolation spaces in Marshall Hall, and others are choosing to go home. UMW’s policies have been updated in response to the CDC’s guidance, which now states that isolation or quarantine can be ceased after only five days. Campus policy now allows students to leave the isolation space during the day to attend classes, but students are still expected to sleep in the isolation space if they have a roommate. Dining on campus has also reverted back to grab-and-go. Scotti Mullen contributed to reporting for this article.

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Opinion

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Purpose of grab-and-go dining rendered obselete as students congregate on other floors of UC

MOLLY AVERY Staff Writer

individual to do these things rather than them as a system actually making changes,” she said. “UMW’s response to the pandemic, as well as a lot of other things, is very much doing enough stuff to get a headline about their efforts, not enough to really make an impact.” The World Health Organization released an update about the omicron variant on Nov. 21, 2021, reporting that the initial reports of the variant came from university students. Although these cases were mild due to students being young, the variant is incredibly contagious and has been spreading much faster than the previous delta variant. Additionally, those who are elderly and/ or immunocompromised—of which we have both on campus—are more vulnerable to the virus, which gives

more reason to continue mitigation practices. With students gathering in groups to eat at the UC, the return of in-person dining may be delayed even longer. With the omicron variant taking over the country, So, as long as cases are high, grab-and-go dining will the University of Mary Washington has taken multiple continue, and an increase in cases could lead to even more precautions to protect students. Among these precautions drastic changes to student life, such as a return to fully is the return of grab-and-go dining, which students virtual classes. became familiar with during the 2020-2021 school year. Hill believes the school should take different Despite the school’s efforts, though, this system is proving precautions. to be ineffective already. UMW should clarify its policy on “What they were doing last semester was the more where students are allowed to eat, as allowing students to suggestive ‘oh do social distancing’ but no one listened congregate without masks indoors makes the university’s to it,” she said. “They should have closed up half the grab-and-go policy obsolete. seating in there, put away half the tables, half the chairs, While the return to grab-and-go dining precludes open up the additional salon rooms, open up the balcony students from eating in the dining hall itself, the second outside, increase the total space of dining, but floor of the UC is often the floor most populated by you still have a similar quantity of chairs so you unmasked students eating the food they get from still maintain that social space, but it’s more the fourth floor. Especially at popular mealtimes, separated.” students can be found congregated in groups, Rose Benedict, the marketing manager for which poses a risk of spreading COVID-19. With UMW Dining, said there is nothing they can do no consequences or enforcement to stop students regarding the problem of students eating outside from dining inside, the purpose of grab-and-go the dining hall. dining is lost. “Areas that are outside of our dining locations “I don’t believe students should be eating (i.e. the lobby, terrace, fourth-floor seating area indoors with the current dining situation because around the stairwell, or meeting rooms in the I feel that it not only defeats the purpose of the University Center), are not within our area of grab-and-go changes but increases the risk of authority or purview,” she said. COVID spreading,” said senior and computer While there is nothing Sodexo can do, she said, science major Kerri Lynch. “We have passed on to the University leadership Although the school implemented the idea the concerns we’ve heard expressed about of grab-and-go dining to protect our campus’s students gathering and eating in non-dining areas population, their ability to follow through and of the building, and we know they are reviewing ensure that the system is being executed properly those concerns.” shows a fault within the UMW administration. As to when in-person dining may return, that While it may be impossible to stop students is unknown. gathering to eat, students can still be barred from “The situation is very fluid, of course,” said the UC, which would help deter more chances of Benedict. “We’re ready to revise our operations in spreading COVID-19. response to any changes that might be made to Senior and computer science major Jane Hill the University policies in the coming weeks. We said the University relies too much on students’ certainly hope that we’ll be able to return to inwillingness to follow protocols rather than Even though the dining hall only offers grab-and-go dining, students eat together on person dining soon.” enforcing them. other floors of the UC. @umw.uc / Instagram “UMW is definitely relying on you as an

Campus Recreation should adopt longer hours to accommodate students’ busy schedules

MAGGIE MAE YOUNG Online Editor

UMW’s Campus Recreation has served as a beneficial outlet for those seeking refuge from the social isolation and physical stillness that the pandemic brought. Although the gym offers a place for improving both physical and mental health, its hours are not extensive enough for students to be able to take full advantage of these resources. Many college students are busy with their classes or jobs during the day, which leaves early morning or late at night as the only times to fit in a workout. This is an issue since Campus Recreation is currently open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, according to their website. According to Mayo Clinic, “the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can help improve mood and reduce anxiety.” This research is important to

Students exercise to improve their mental and physical health. @umwcampusrec / Instagram

acknowledge since a survey conducted by BestColleges. com reported that over 90% of college students have experienced negative mental health symptoms due to the pandemic. According to Kelly Shannon, director of Campus Recreation, the gym was open from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the weekends before the COVID-19 pandemic. “The minimum wage increase alongside budget cuts is what resulted in the cut to hours. The fitness center payroll budget was reduced by $10,742,” said Shannon. “We did receive an adjustment to the budget to alleviate the impact of the minimum wage increase, but the adjustment was $3,874.” Although the shortened hours are not a drastic change from 2018, college students’ schedules vary, and every additional hour of operation allows someone to get their workout in. “I think longer hours are important on weekends because I know it opens later and sometimes college students want to work out in the mornings on the weekends because they have plans later on,” said Andrea Gallegos, a junior sociology and elementary education major. In light of Campus Recreation’s schedule change, many students have turned to other nearby gym facilities. Planet Fitness, the closest gym to campus at less than a mile away, is open 5 a.m. to midnight on Monday, 24 hours Tuesday and Wednesday, midnight to 10 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. According to their website, Planet Fitness costs $10 per month with an annual fee of $39. Both the closest and cheapest option, Planet Fitness has become quite popular among UMW students. Bradlee Nicholls, a marketing major and graduate coordinator for facility operations at Campus Recreation,

has a Planet Fitness membership due to Campus Recreation’s limited hours. “If my day changes, the hours are not in the time frame I need,” he said. “Weekend hours at the school gym are the worst, as I want to get my lift in relatively early instead of waiting until 2 p.m.” For many UMW students, Campus Recreation is the only place they have access to a fitness facility, whether that is due to their lack of transportation or funds. UMW Administration needs to acknowledge that the gym’s limited hours detriment students’ wellbeing, especially since their tuition is supposed to provide them access to the facility.

Busy students can hardly find the time to utilize the gym due to its limited hours. @umwcampusrec / Instagram

Life

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Page 4

Celebrating the life and memories of Meaghan McIntyre COSIMA PELLIS Associate Editor Meaghan McIntyre, beloved UMW alumna and former editor of the newspaper, tragically passed away this November. She had a light to her that was rare, inspiring everyone around her to be the best version of themselves, or at least to be a little bit kinder for knowing her. I had the honor of knowing Meaghan during my sophomore year and her senior year at UMW when we worked on the staff of the newspaper together. I felt like I had no idea what I was doing when I first took the life editor position, but she made me feel welcome and helped to answer questions when I was unsure. Her bubbly, inclusive nature made me feel at home in a position that quite honestly terrified me. Whenever we saw each other on campus, she always stopped to compliment me and ask how my day was going, which gave me a confidence boost that was often so needed. Meaghan once gave me a letter wishing me luck on my dance performance, and the content of the letter was so heartfelt even though we hadn’t even known each other for very long. That was the type of person she was; the kind who remembers the important parts of your life and thinks hard about how she can best support you.

“Meaghan had this natural authenticity that made it impossible not to respect and love her, and even better: she respected and loved you back.” -Grace Winfield Meaghan did so much for the newspaper. As UMW alumna and former editor Grace Winfield recalled, “she quite literally coded the website and constantly worked one-on-one with editors. She’d take time out of her own schedule to sit down and go through their articles. She held several different positions at the paper and spent every Wednesday night in layout, sometimes we’d be there till three in the morning.” Meaghan was actually the reason that Grace got involved with the newspaper. Grace and Meaghan were close friends, co-editors of the newspaper, softball teammates and fellow communications majors. “Meaghan had this natural authenticity that made it impossible not to respect and love her, and even better: she respected and loved you back,” Grace wrote in a memorial post on her Instagram. “I was with her 6 of the 7 days of the week for four years of our young life. We motivated each other … we quite literally manically cried together

Meaghan absolutely adored her dog, Moose.

after alternating naps and study sessions all throughout the night … but we also laughed and smiled together. All of the time.” She continued, “Meaghan loved chicken quesadillas, excessive amounts of expresso, hugs, dogs, writing, playing softball, anime memes and helping people with nothing in return. You meet someone like Meaghan and you think to yourself, now THAT is someone who is going places. Because Meaghan could do anything, ANYTHING she set her mind to. She knew that other people could, too, and she ignited the fire in people that they needed in order to see and seek their true potential. She did that for me … I witnessed with my own eyes her impact on others, too. Many others.” My fellow associate editor, Bernadette D’Auria, was one of those people who were inspired by Meaghan. “She was extremely intelligent,” she said. “When she approached me to work with her in class I remember thinking how lucky I was to have someone with such a strong work ethic and immense amount of intelligence willing to work with me. However, Meaghan McIntyre was a UMW alumna, an editor of the newspaper and, over everything, a dear Meaghan McIntyre / Instagram Meaghan was so much more friend. Esther also commented on small interactions with than a great student. She was funny and caring and extremely passionate about Meaghan that really show how thoughtful she was, saying that her best memory of her is “a series of conversations.” everything she threw herself into.” “I was always surprised that we stayed in touch after Meaghan was a major motivator behind Bernadette’s graduation because I am a terrible communicator,” she involvement with the newspaper. “I met Meaghan my freshman year in my Globalization said. “But we did. We texted, we responded to each other in Literature class and when I told her I was signing up on social media, we prayed for each other, we Venmo-ed for Practicum [Journalism], she was so excited for me,” each other money for treats and supported each other from she said. “When I expressed interest in becoming an hundreds of miles away. I think it’s a collective memory editor towards the end of my sophomore year, she took which is my favorite memory of Meaghan—all the little the initiative to text me and encourage me to try for the moments of friendship, woven together through texts and online editor position. Without her input and motivation, prayers, that crafted a beautiful tapestry of love.” After attending Meaghan’s memorial, which took place I would not be where I am today on our campus paper.” Bernadette also reflected on Meaghan’s impressive on Zoom, Esther said, “200 people attended, which was such a testament to how many people she loved—and involvement on campus. “She told me about how how my experience with Meaghan is not an isolated she worked as an editor, experience. All of us had moments and memories where worked for the DKC and she went over and beyond what it means to be a friend— was on the club softball she surpassed all our wildest dreams of experiencing true team. I remember being love from someone else.” Another strong testament to the universality of people’s astounded by the sheer amount of things she did positive experiences with Meaghan is the common threads while also maintaining Esther noticed during the memorial. a good standing in her “I think it’s a collective memory classes. She told me that which is my favorite memory of while it was stressful, she really enjoyed everything Meaghan—all the little moments of that she did.” friendship, woven together through Esther Hethcox, a texts and prayers, that crafted a UMW alumna and former beautiful tapestry of love.” editor, spoke of her memories with Meaghan as well. -Esther Hethcox “As the online editor, “We all spoke of her amazing communication skills, I would often be one of the last to leave, waiting how she put others before herself, her light, her amazing for the final drafts of each laugh, her bright smile,” said Esther. “A common word article,” she said. “As our used to describe Meaghan is ‘light.’ Many of us spoke of editor-in-chief would how she illuminated our lives with her joy and friendship, proof the last articles, how she shone through the thick veil of difficult times and Meaghan would always touched us with the glimmer of her spirit.” I feel incredibly lucky to have known Meaghan. I stay with me to chat and keep me company until I haven’t met anyone else who was so ready to give love and had finished. She knew I encouragement, no matter how stressed out or tired she hated staying up late, and was. Esther put it best: “I can’t believe how well she loved her joy-filled, caffeinated spirit would inspire me so many people—and I am so grateful that so many of us even when I fell captive to had the chance to see just how expansive and radical her the grumpiness of being love was.” Radical is the word. Her love was radical, and she will tired.” Meaghan McIntyre / Instagram be so missed.

Life

Thursday, January 20, 2022

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UMW Girl Gains creates a safe space in the weight room

ALLY TINGEN Staff Writer Upon entering the gym, it is common for women to feel lonely, lost or even uncomfortable in the weights section. The fitness industry, especially weight lifting, has historically been a male-dominated field. This directly impacts women who want to start their fitness journeys, but simply feel too out of place in doing so. The Girl Gains Club at UMW seeks to challenge this narrative, providing a safe space for women and people of all gender identities to gain confidence inside and outside of the weight room. Girl Gains is a nationwide club, formally established in 2020 at San Diego State University in California. Since then, chapters have been introduced on college campuses all over the U.S. The UMW chapter of the Girl Gains Club was approved in 2021 and hosted their interest meeting over Zoom on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Andrea Gallegos, a junior sociology and elementary education major, is president of the Girl Gains Club at UMW. “Being a member means you are invited to join a family of individuals who will

Diego State University] and wanted other women to start their own chapter,” she said. Gallegos then began bringing the club to life. “It was honestly a dream,” she said. “I picked some amazing women that I knew would be perfect to help me establish this The founders of the UMW chapter of Girl Gains work to bring confidence club.” One of these women into the gym. @umwgirlgains / Instagram is sophomore biology motivate you, love you, push you and major Maddie Phillips, the vice president educate you on fitness and health,” she of UMW Girl Gains. said. “We hope to remind our members “Besides the paperwork associated that they are loved wherever they are in with starting a club, we spent a lot of time their fitness journeys.” trying to spread the word about our club The club leaders aim to hold biweekly through friends and social media,” said meetings in which they discuss workout Phillips. “I think for a solid month I told planning, nutrition and the importance literally every girl I know about our club!” of fitness. Additionally, they hope to Phillips knew from personal experience eventually introduce group workouts and that UMW could benefit from a Girl Gains hold fundraisers for the club. There are no club. dues, no attendance policies and no prior “There have been many times experience required. throughout my weightlifting journey that “I came across a TikTok of a girl that had I’ve been the only girl at the gym,” she said. created her own club at her school at [San “I cannot wait to help other girls get into

lifting and see the positive mental and physical outcomes.” Phillips, a pole vaulter on the UMW track and field team, has been lifting since she was only fourteen. She stated, “I compete in Olympic lifting in the off-season and even qualified for junior nationals last year.” Gallegos works at Campus Recreation and has been consistently exercising for two and a half years. “I have been around a lot of certified trainer friends and people who have been lifting for years who have helped me get to where I am,” she said. “I am super excited for where this club will go in the future and how many people we will get to know.” Sophomore nursing major Mary Bruiniany is a member of UMW Girl Gains. “I was drawn to the positive atmosphere they promoted about female weightlifting and felt like I would gain a good support system,” she said. The club has its first formal meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m. For updates and more information, the club can be reached through their Instagram @umwgirlgains.

The history of The Blue & Gray Press, 2014-2021

ABIGAIL SLAUGHTER Copy Editor 2014 marked the end of an era for The Bullet, the University of Mary Washington’s newspaper. After decades of being called “The Bullet,” the newspaper was renamed “The Blue & Gray Press,” in an effort to change its image. Alison Thoet, the paper’s former editor-in-chief, led the renaming campaign alongside two other former head editors—Mariah Young, former managing editor, and Jonathan Polson, former associate editor. Picture this: it’s the mid-2010’s, a time period known by many Gen “X”s as the Great Recession. At this point, the newspaper had been called The Bullet since the Great Depression. UMW had changed a lot over the years, so why not follow suit and change with the times once again? “We were doing a really big refresh of the newspaper,” said Hope Racine, former news editor of the paper. “We got a new website, done by Laura [Hanks] (formerly known as Laura Brumfield), changed the paper size to tabloid size... we were refreshing everything.” She figured that a new name would go along with it. However, there was another reason for a name change. Here’s a hint: sex.

The last edition of The Bullet before it became The Blue & Gray Press. The Bullet / University Archives

What about sex? Sexclamations, a small column typically published in the Viewpoints section, was dedicated to discussing sex and other mature content in a less-than-subtle way. The section had published uncomfortable content before, like, “To Shave or Not to Shave? That is the Question for Both the Girls and Guys” about shaving pubic hair and “As Weather Warms, Temptation Strikes” about outdoor sex. However, The Bullet’s section of Sexclamations published on March 17, 2011, took it much further. The Bullet published a brief article titled “Warm Weather Brings Short Skirts and ‘Ogling’ Eyes” (ogling is a term used to describe men’s intense gazing at women and gawking at their features in a creepy way). Just after the title, there it was—page 3 of the paper: “When women make the decision to wear their summer clothes, they are perpetuating a terrible, lecherous problem that they usually complain about called the ‘ogling conundrum.’”

Yikes. Although the article was intended to be satire, it was too late—some members of the student body were not happy. In the following week’s column, some students shared their opinions offering their mixed yet mostly negative reviews of the previous week’s publication. In a letter to the editor, Courtney Turney, a UMW sophomore at the time, said, “Stop objectifying the female body” and was disappointed by the content of the article, stating it is normal for women to wear less clothes when the weather gets warmer. The backlash that the column received made it to the Free Lance-Star, a local newspaper in Fredericksburg, Va. The Free Lance-Star’s Jeff Branscome discussed some UMW students’ criticism of the article; one criticism was that the column was using rhetoric that is often used when discussing sexual assault—the unfair question of “What was she wearing?” still asked in our sexual assault discourse today. According to Racine, what she called “shoddy journalism” that some editorial staff wanted the paper to distance itself from also played a part in the decision to rename. Also, the occasional person calling out an article for something small because they didn’t understand journalism compounded the worsening of The Bullet’s reputation. Someone’s always got an opinion. Controversies like these were the beginning of the end for that column and The Bullet as a newspaper, for that matter. Two sides of the same rusty coin How does the song go? “You can change your hair, and you can change your clothes/ You can change your mind, that’s just the way it goes/ You can say ‘goodbye’ and you can say ‘hello’/ But you’ll always find your way back home”? It’s that one Hannah Montana song from childhood that perfectly sums up the challenges that come with rebranding. The pop star is right!—hear me out. Even if you change how you look, it can be very difficult to truly change your identity and set yourself apart from your past self. This is exactly what happened with The Bullet. The name “The Bullet” was deeply intertwined with the history of Fredericksburg as a city, which loves their Civil War history. Just west of Central Park, there is a towering statue of a Confederate soldier, and there are four Civil War monuments within a 1.5-mile radius of UMW. Even on the University of Mary Washington campus, there is a war plaque near Combs Hall. Instead of moving away from this pattern of commemoration of the Civil War, the editorial staff settled on the name “The Blue and Gray Press,” utilizing two colors often associated with the war. The newspaper faced pushback from alumni. Will

An article from 2011 mocks the controversy of womens’ summer clothing. The Bullet / University Archives

Copps, former editor-in-chief of the school newspaper during The Bullet era, did not like the new name. “I thought the [Blue & Gray Press’s] decision and corresponding association with the confederacy was really strange honestly, even accounting for the history of the city,” said Copps. “It was weird to pick something arguably as or more offensive.” Copps doesn’t think that the war is all the riverside city has to offer, and he’s right; it’s not all old cannons and Civil War collectibles at antique stores. The new name was just another side of the same rusty coin. Trust the process? The Blue & Gray Press was supposed to be an homage to the colors of the university, but Lauren Hanks, former acting online editor for the newspaper, said that for a few years after renaming to The Blue & Gray Press, students still wouldn’t even refer to the newspaper by its new name, making it hard to solidify their new image on campus. Maybe students still wanted a little bit of *spice* in their school publication—they used to have jokes and a sex column to look forward to, and the renaming campaign brought seriousness and “Weekend Weather” to the front page. “In retrospect, and knowing what I know now about brand changes in general: they take time,” said Hanks.

A news article discussing the possibility of Greek Life at UMW. The Bullet / University Archives

News

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Page 7

Seacobeck Hall, named after the Algonquins, will keep some of its historic features after renovation FROM SEACOBECK PAGE 1 Golden, a sophomore elementary education and biology major. Seacobeck will include a maker lab with 3D printers, flexible event spaces, a curriculum lab and classrooms with multiple computers. “I think the different kinds of classroom learning spaces that we’ve created are going to facilitate our ability to develop new ways of teaching,” said Kelly. “They’re going to be more interactive and have new technology.”

“I’m excited to have a space just for education. Being in Farmer felt really cramped and there was no space to collaborate.” -Elizabeth Golden

According to Kelly, three new classrooms in Seacobeck will be ready for students this semester, but students believe there is still work to be done. “Some classrooms do not have smart boards, projectors or main

computers for professors,” said Harrison. According to Kelly, technology installation is still ongoing. Kelly is optimistic for the College of Education’s future. “It’s positioning us well to help reinvent teaching and learning because that’s what we’re seeing right now in higher education and in K-12,” he said. “I don’t think we will go back to normal, and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. I think it’s kind of good to shake things up a bit. But with the technology, learning spaces and ability to collaborate, I think [Seacobeck] is going to help us with that transition and help us develop and share those new ways of teaching and learning with students before they go out in the world.” Kelly says the nation’s current teacher shortage is affecting the College of Education, but he hopes Seacobeck will encourage prospective educators. “We need to get people excited about teaching. If I get prospective students and parents in this building and they’re thinking about being a teacher, this building’s going to help me seal the deal,” he said.

“It says teaching matters! The state invested $24 million in this building, and they did it to help address the teacher shortage. I think it’s going to help us.” The main thing he is excited for, however, is the sense of community he hopes to create within the College of Education. “I think the main thing that this building is going to help us do is really build community,” said Kelly. “We’ve been in James Farmer Hall, and it’s been a great building. We loved it. But essentially, we had a hallway with room for a couch and a small table. There was no place where students could engage with each other and work with each other and engage with faculty. So the goal is really developing a sense of a community within the College of Education, not just with students, but I also want to invite alumni.” According to Kelly, Seacobeck Hall has always been a community project, starting with focus groups of students, alumni and faculty 4.5 years ago. “It was really cool to build this dream together, and everybody had a hand in it, even when choosing furniture,” he said. “To see it come together is pretty

Naomi Jones / The Weekly Ringer

Seacobeck Hall was built in 1930.

magical.” One way Kelly hopes to see community built is through student organizations. “The Student Education Association’s (SEA) ability to engage and help create community within the student population is really going to be enhanced by having this space,” he said. “SEA does a conference and they’re planning on doing it in this building! We can shine a positive light on the campus and on the COE.” Many College of Education students are excited to have their

own space. “I’m excited to have a space just for education,” said Golden. “Being in Farmer felt really cramped and there was no space to collaborate.” Collaboration and community is the name of the game in Seacobeck as the College of Education seeks to move forward in a new learning environment. “I’m most excited for the space itself,” said Harrison. “I’ve heard it has a ton of room and spaces to do work and hang out.”

History of the student newspaper from 1921 to present FROM CENTENNIAL PAGE 1 Experiences in Nazi Germany.” Wagner had spoken at Mary Washington College about her life and growing up with Adolf Hitler. The article reads, “Miss Wagner knew Hitler from the time that she was five years old until her outspoken opposition to Nazi doctrines forced her to in 1937 flee her home in Bayreuth, where for many years her family had supervised the great Wagner music festivals.” 1960s The Bullet got political in the 1960s, publishing student opinions as well as some global news during the Vietnam War. One letter written by students even made its way to the Oval Office of President Lyndon Johnson. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s,

The Bullet continued to report on local happenings, like the trial of four students living in Westmoreland Hall who were assumed guilty of vandalism and excessive noise, and even some political opinions surrounding communism. The “Westmoreland Four” were not guilty. This era of the paper saw the addition of male writers, as Mary Washington College changed to a co-educational school. 1990s According to The Blue & Gray Press Stylebook, the paper began to change around 1990 when it came under new leadership. The goal was to bring forth more serious journalism throughout the rest of the paper’s tenure. The 1990s yielded an interesting time for the college. Crime rose, and so did the number of stories on more serious

issues, like crime reports and people’s stances on social issues. Sections in the paper throughout the 1990s include front page news, opinions, entertainment, sports and features. 2000s According to The Blue & Gray Press Stylebook, the paper garnered a more positive reputation in terms of article quality. The paper won awards from the

COVID-19 Dashboard UMW’s COVID-19 dashboard is located on the university website. These statistics are from Dec. 16, 2021—the most recent at time of publication.

156

Total cases as of Jan. 18, 2022

106

Active cases

4.6

21 of 22

Quarantine spaces available

84 of 120

Isolation spaces available

290

7-day moving average of new cases per day

Total prevalence tests administered from Jan. 7, 2022 - Jan. 13, 2022

Total tests conducted at the Student Health Center since Jan. 1, 2022

Sue Cottingham, former editor of The Bullet, partisipates in a strike against the expansion of the Vietnam War. Cenntenial Image Collections / University Archives

Society of Professional Journalists and Virginia Press association in the early 2000s. The paper was renamed to The Blue & Gray Press in 2014 and has since been renamed to The Weekly Ringer. Jess Kirby contributed to reporting for this article.

Positive Student Health Center tests returned since Jan. 1, 2022

Total positive prevalence tests returned from Jan. 7, 2022 - Jan. 13, 2022

8.28%

Percentage of positive prevalence tests returned from Jan. 7, 2022 - Jan. 13, 2022

Sports

Thursday, January 20, 2022

Page 8

of Mary Photo essay: Sports over the past 100 years University Washington

Victoria r. pERCHERKE & Emily warren Sports Editor & Photography Editor Over the past 100 years at UMW, sports have changed drastically in some ways but also remain very much the same.From synchronized swimming to archery, here are sports through the ages at UMW.

Spring Sports Schedule and Scores

Victoria R. Percherke Sports Editor

Track & Field

The Terrapin Swimmers in 1963.

UMW’s Centennial Image Collection

Did you know Monroe Hall used to have a pool? This is Mary Washington College’s synchronized swimming club, the Terrapin Club, in the Monroe Hall swimming pool in 1963. In March of that year, the Terrapin Swimmers hosted a show called “New York Afloat” with events themed after different places in New York. Two of these routines were titled “Greenwich Village” and “Ballet at the Theater.” Just 12 years ago, the Terrapin Swimmers hosted a synchronized swim invitational at Goolrick Natatorium, but it is no longer an active club on campus.

Jan. 28 @ GMU Patriot Games @ Fairfax, Va. Jan. 29 @ GMU Patriot Games @ Fairfax, Va Feb. 6 @ VWU Richard Drake Invitational @ Virginia Beach, Va. Feb. 12 @ Roanoke Challenge Conference Championships Feb. 19 @ Coast to Coast Conference An article in The Bullet recognizing the archery team. UMW’s Centennial Image Collection Championships Eight women on the Mary Washington College archery team represented their college in the National Intercollegiate Archery Tournament. Out of 576 total targets, the girls hit 509, making an 88% accuracy rate. Archery was also the first sport to include Jan. 12 L @ Widener (63-66) women in the Olympics in 1904. Jan. 26 vs. Apprentice School Jan. 28 vs. Regent Jan. 31 @ Pfeiffer Feb. 5 @ Salisbury

Men’s Basketball (12-4)

Women’s Basketball (13-3)

Jan. 15 L vs. Christopher Newport (61-68) Jan. 19 L @ Swarthmore (60-65) Jan. 22 vs Emory & Henry Jan. 24 @ Stevenson Jan. 29 @ Christopher Newport

Men’s Swimming (6-2)

Jan. 15 W vs. Catholic (191.6-69.5) Jan. 22 @ Gettysburg Jan. 29 vs. Salisbury Feb. 17-20 vs. Metro Collegiate Swimming Conference Championships @ Camdem, N.J. The archery team in the 1940s.

UMW’s Centennial Image Collection

A pair of archers stringing their bows, getting ready to shoot their arrows.

Women playing basketball in 1963.

UMW’s Centennial Image Collection

The women’s basketball team traveled to Richmond to face off against Westhampton College in their first game of the season. With a close score of 35-33, they defeated their opponents. Women initially wore floor-length dresses when basketball was first invented in 1891, but they switched to a divided skirt to make it easier to run across the court.

Women’s Swimming (7-1)

Jan. 15 W vs. Catholic (192-70) Jan. 22 @ Gettysburg Jan. 29 vs. Salisbury Feb. 17-20 vs. Metro Collegiate Swimming Conference Championships @ Camdem, N.J.

Equestrian Team

Feb. 5 vs. Mary Washington Show Feb. 19 @ Liberty Show Feb. 27 vs. Regional Show @ Sweet Briar, Va.

Women’s field hockey team pictured in the 1940s. UMW’s Centennial Image Collection

This women’s field hockey team went on to represent Mary Washington College at the Virginia State Hockey Tournament hosted at Sweet Briar College.

The first men’s soccer team at UMW.

UMW’s Centennial Image Collection

In the 70s, soccer uniforms consisted of a collared shirt in the form of a v-neck or a “wrap-around” collar seen on the opponent to the right. These designs are continued today.

Games are available to watch via livestream on the UMW Athletic’s webpage Schedule not listed above. Bold indicates home game.