The Weekly Ringer

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

The

Ringer

Weekly

VOLUME 95 | ISSUE 23

APRIL 14, 2022

Student-created mural for Dr. Venus Jones, first Black graduate of UMW, unveiled in Jepson Hall

PRIYA PATEL Senior Writer

On April 8, a mural in Jepson Hall was dedicated to Dr. Venus Jones, the first Black graduate from UMW. During her time at UMW, Jones majored in chemistry and later went on to become a neurologist.

University President Troy Paino thanked the students who worked on the mural for their contribution to the university.

“I really want to thank the students for your work. This is gonna live on here.

Much like Dr. Jones’s legacy, this work that you have done, this is your legacy in terms of what you’ve added to this community,” said Paino. “Not only is it a display of Dr. Jones’s legacy, it’s really a display I think of what makes Mary Washington education so special, so thank you for your hard work on this.”

The mural showcases Jones’s life as well as the achievements of other trailblazing Black women in the medical

The new Venus Jones mural, celebrating the life of UMW’s first Black graduate, is located in Jepson Hall. @thevenusjonesproject / Instagram

field. A QR code included on the mural leads to a digital website where students can learn more about these women.

Jones had a lot of achievements even at a young age. According to the website, during her time in high school and

Seacobeck Hall officially opens with ribbon cutting michael pataki Staff Writer The Seacobeck Hall Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony took place at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 7. Speakers, while emphasizing Seacobeck’s historic nature, highlighted the promising future of the building: a place where students become teachers.

Katya Stafira, a junior sociology major in the special education program, gave a speech on the excitement shared by students at the College of Education and what the new building represents.

“The College of Education has taught me the importance of putting the student first and helping to empower them in their educational journey.”

-Katya Stafira “It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she said.

“The College of Education has taught me the importance of putting the student first and helping to empower them in their educational journey. Seacobeck is a beautiful space that allows the creativity of the professors and the students to flourish. I am so honored and excited to be a part of a program that values and uplifts me because I want to do the exact same for my future students. It is so exciting to be able to call Seacobeck my home.”

The ceremony commenced with a speech from University

SEE RIBBON PAGE 2

INSIDE THE

RINGER

News | 7

Studentathletes face challenges with demanding sports.

college, “She displayed a wide variety of interests, participating in marching band, foreign language club, and science club.

Venus Jones was also a member of youth civil rights organizations, where she would help to distribute sample ballots

throughout Black communities and educate others on how to vote.”

Senior history major Timbila Kabre spoke about her experience working on the project.

“It’s been a lot of work,” she said.

“We have never worked on a project this closely aligned with the school before, so we weren’t anticipating the tight deadlines and the tight turnarounds. But like Professor McClurken said, the handson practice, working with people higher up and meeting their expectation was a really good experience, so we’re happy that we’ve been able to do that, but more so, we are very happy that we got to get to know Dr. Jones through this project and my groupmates and I, we all love her, we love her to death,” said Kabre.

Sophomore history major Logan Kurtz also enjoyed her time working on the project.

“Getting to see the way that the Jones family responded to the mural was

SEE JONES PAGE 2

Pay it Forward program allows students to donate unused flex

dylan nadler Staff Writer Students can donate their leftover flex dollars to help other students in upcoming semesters through the Pay it Forward program. Forms, which are due April 15, are located on the fourth floor of the University Center to place an order for the Eagle Resource Closet, which will be renamed the Gwen Hale Resource Center.

“The Pay it Forward program gives students an opportunity to use their unspent Flex dollars to provide specific items badly needed by the Eagle Resource Closet,” said Rose Benedict, the UMW Dining marketing manager. “The ERC provides food and personal care items to University of Mary Washington students experiencing serious financial problems and/ or food insecurity.”

Some of these items include deodorant, toilet paper, mouth wash, snacks, fruit, canned meats, laundry detergent and more.

“The Eagle Resource closet has a continuing need for food, clothing and personal care items to assist students,” said Benedict.

Students who want to take part in the Pay it Forward program can pick and choose the items they wish to donate to the Eagle Resource Closet from an order list.

“University Dining will then purchase the selected items and deliver them to the ERC sometime around the end of the spring semester,” said Benedict.

Junior history major and Eagle Resource Closet Coordinator Taylor Coleman encourages students to use the Pay it Forward program.

“Students should donate that extra flex because if you don’t use it, it just disappears and there’s no use for it,” said Coleman. “So, if you know you’re gonna have

Opinion | 3 “Ratatouille” is the most tasteful Pixar film of all time.

The Pay it Forward program forms are due on April 15.

SAE weekly newsletter

extra Flex, why not let it go to someone who could actually use it.”

Senior English major Quinn Burgard will most likely be donating her extra flex to the Pay it Forward program.

“I think that it makes the most sense since it’s not like I can get any of my money back,” said Burgard.

“It’s nice knowing that my leftover money will help someone else, so it’s hard to complain about something when it’s going to a good cause.”

Coleman said it’s unfair that students can’t pocket their own leftover flex or even have it carry over to future semesters.

“You pay for this dining money and the fact that it doesn’t carry over to upcoming semesters, especially if you’re a freshman or something, kind of sucks,” said Coleman. “It doesn’t carry over and then you have to buy a new meal plan. So yeah, I do think it is quite unfair.”

Life | 4

Fredericksburg trails offer new places to hike.

Sports | 8

UMW track and field competes at CNU.

Thursday, April 14, 2022

The

Weekly Ringer Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief Jess Kirby

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Business Editor Erin Matuczinski

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News

UMW celebrates legacy of first Black graduate through art mural in Jepson

FROM JONES PAGE 1

fantastic,” said Kurtz. “Hearing more stories about a woman I have learned so much about was so insightful. While history is so focused on the lives of the past, seeing the way that Venus lives in the present was so touching. Even though this project created a lot of stress, it was so worth it to get to see the impact. It was also so great to work with such an incredible group of people.”

Kabre has learned that students may have more in common with Jones than they thought.

“Hearing more stories about a woman I have learned so much about was so insightful.”

-Logan Kurtz

News Editors Josephine Johnson Scotti Mullen

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Opinion Editor Norah Walsh

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Life Editor Josephine Good

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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

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“We find her work absolutely inspiring, although I am not a science person myself, but I have discovered a lot about myself by working on this project and I have developed new passions and new ideas of where to go after I leave Mary Washington,” said Kabre.

“So, our hope is to continue to be a reflection of Venus Jones here on campus, to show her hard work through the student body and to show her dedication to the things that she’s passionate about. We’re also hoping that students who visit Jepson Hall or visit our website are able to see themselves in her, much like I have.”

Chief of Staff Jeff McClurken explained how the idea for the mural came to be.

Venus Jones studied chemistry and went on to do ground-breaking work in the medical field. @thevenusjonesproject / Instagram

“In the 2019-2020 Trinkle Hall renaming process, many of our board members learned about Venus Romance Jones for the first time, who she was and who she represented in Mary Washington’s history, and in 2020 the board asked the school to look for ways to recognize Dr. Jones,” said McClurken. “Well, one of our professors, Andrew Dolby, was watching that board meeting when the board asked that and immediately jumped at the chance, he had an idea for this.”

This project involved multiple departments working together.

“After the committee was formed, he brought the idea of a concept of a mural honoring Dr. Jones here in Jepson to the board and to the administration, as well as to Dr. Jones’s brother, Albert Jones,” said McClurken. “Professor Dolby’s committee worked with our Campus Environment committee, led by professor Steve Hanna, as well as art professor Carole Garmon,

who had taken on a new role as Mary Washington’s campus display project manager.”

McClurken credits students with making the mural a reality.

“Mary Washington prioritizes students getting hands-on experience and this particular project is no exception,” he said.

“I want to recognize the students in two different classes, introduction to public history and digital history, students who are why this project is here before you in this form that it is.”

The digital site includes interviews with those who were close to Dr. Jones.

“Professor Devlin also then interviewed Mr. Jones and friends of Dr. Jones and those oral histories of Dr. Jones as a child, a student, and adult are now part of our permanent digital collection of the university library and can be found on the site created by digital history students this semester,” said McClurken.

Paino believes that the mural will serve as an inspiration to students.

“What an example for our students, today and in the future. Mr. Jones was saying this is the sort of thing that should be in schools,” he said. “It is my belief that this will be an inspiration for students for years to come, so thank you for sharing your sister, Mr. Jones, with Mary Washington.”

At the end of his speech, Paino officially dedicated the mural to Jones.

“So, with this, I hereby dedicate the Dr. Venus Jones mural in honor of her legacy,” he said. “May we all try to live up to it.”

Scotti Mullen contributed to reporting for this article.

College of Education celebrates new building with official ribbon cutting ceremony FROM RIBBON PAGE 1

President Troy Paino.

Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera also spoke at the event, remarking on the importance of education in the community. Guidera, Stafira and Paino cut the ribbon.

“It is an enormous amount of work to move into and prepare a building for an event like the Ribbon Cutting. The pride and sense of ownership for Seacobeck that faculty and staff have demonstrated throughout has been truly remarkable,” said Dean of the College of Education Peter Kelly.

“Seacobeck will serve as a place for students to learn, make and explore all varieties of knowledge and innovation in a renovated building that has been a part of UMW history from 1930 to the present.”

-Teresa Coffman

Chief of Staff Jeff McClurken gave a thorough overview of the history of Seacobeck Hall and

its evolving role at UMW. Seacobeck Hall was first built in the 1930s on the University’s Fredericksburg campus. Originally, the building was used as a dining hall. The building has been repurposed and designated as the new building for the College of Education and the Office of Disability Resources.

The College of Education had previously spread its programs throughout different buildings on campus.

Faculty offices, collaboration and group workrooms, student organization rooms, a curriculum lab and a MakerSpace are all part of the newly constructed layout. The renovations also include a 140seat music venue which can be utilized as a space for live performances and lectures.

“We in the College of Education feel incredibly lucky to have this space,” said Janine Davis, associate professor in the College of Education. “From the moveable furniture and integrated technology to the sink to clean our paintbrushes, the books and learning materials in the curriculum lab, and the 3D printers in the Makerspace, we will use this opportunity to adapt our teaching to the changing times and model best practices for future teachers to

College of Education student Katya Stafira helped cut the rope and gave a speech at the event.

Michael Pataki / The Weekly Ringer

use in their own classrooms.”

Professor Teresa Coffman of the College of Education also shared her excitement.

“As the new home for the College of Education, Seacobeck Hall offers comprehensive learning spaces for students, faculty, local school systems, alumni, and the entire UMW community to gather, learn and support excellence in teaching and teacher education,” said Coffman. “Seacobeck will serve as a place for students to learn, make, and explore all varieties of knowledge and innovation

in a renovated building that has been a part of UMW history from 1930 to the present.”

Davis is looking forward to working in Seacobeck for years to come.

“Alumni, faculty and staff have so many powerful and lasting memories of this place,” said Davis. “I know we are all looking forward to welcoming new generations of teachers into Seacobeck, to learn and gather and inspire one another to teaching excellence.”

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Opinion

Page 3

Why “Ratatouille” is Pixar’s most tasteful film of all time

matthew simmons Staff Writer

It is safe to say that there is no right answer when choosing the best movie amongst the seemingly endless amount of titles released by Pixar. With new releases like “Coco” and “Encanto,” which were both met with international success, this task is no easier. I could even give this title to any of the “Toy Story” movies for the existence of the T-Rex character alone. But no— “Ratatouille” is the gem of Pixar and, more importantly, my undeniable favorite.

It is a telling of an amateur cook and attic-dwelling rat who find common ground in being tied down by their own expectations alongside those around them. However, through this, they are able to not only encourage each other in their endeavors, but also remind the viewers that even a rat has the ability to chase his dreams and pursue his passions.

“Ratatouille” features Linguine and Remy, who find friendship through cooking. @Pixar / Instagram

Although released in 2007, “Ratatouille” has stood the test of time and still remains one of Pixar’s most notable creations. It is impossible to watch it and not recognize it as the best Pixar movie ever created.

A central aspect of the movie is the food, which graces the screen from the beginning, showing us how flavors dance in harmony in our mouths as we mix and match foods. Even though the animation may not match up to today’s, there is something about the way the food in this movie is depicted that makes me legitimately hungry.

“It’s not the kind of movie you can watch without a snack in close reach.”

- Grace Palmateer Grace Palmateer, a senior communication and digital studies major, agrees with me on this point. She said, “It’s not the kind of movie you can watch without a snack in close reach.”

The appreciation for the art of food goes beyond a simple shot showing green onions being thinly chopped and placed within a soup to be served. The amount of knowledge that is tastefully placed throughout shows the creator’s attention to detail in whichever dish was being made. However, as much as the look of the food is important, the way it is implemented as a driving force of the story makes it so special.

Pixar is famous for its animated films that place focus on embracing family and friendships, as well as encouraging imagination. Their ability to present mature themes while maintaining a youthful disposition is what has helped develop the company’s reputation as one of the best in the industry. I cannot find a better example of this than “Ratatouille.” Although jam-packed with hidden meanings and overarching themes, such as accepting change and not forgetting where you come from, it does not feel overdone like some of the others found in the famous production company’s catalog.

Juliette Sanusi, a junior studio art major, said, “From the times I’ve watched ‘Ratatouille,’ I never felt like I was

paying too much or too little attention to it—it was just a simple delight.”

While Pixar movies tend to end on a good note, some tend to be more on the emotional side. However, “Ratatouille” is a light-hearted feel-good film that can be enjoyed any day at any time. Its stunning animation of the Parisian skyline and comedic relief from the main character, Linguine, provide the film with a sort of indescribable witty charm.

The production of the film adds to why “Ratatouille” is the best Pixar movie ever. On average, Pixar films take about a decade to create from ideation to production and release.That was not true for “Ratatouille,” for the five years of development that had been invested into the film at that point was discarded, from characters to storyline.

From there, the director, Brad Bird, was given eighteen months to re-write and direct the film while managing the animation as well. Factoring in the initial five years of development that was mostly redone in eighteen months, the process took just over six years. This is a huge feat to say the least, and the film earned a lot of my respect considering how seamless the final project was considering the production process.

I could go on and on about how impressive the behindthe-scenes work was, but we are talking about the final product, and what’s most important is how it makes us feel. “Ratatouille” was made for anyone who works within the creative field, and although it is not the first nor last film to present this concept, it was the most successful. It encourages children to chase their dreams no matter their circumstances, and it reminds adults that the path they are seeking is the right one, as long as their intentions are pure and they are passionate about what they’re doing. If I haven’t convinced you that “Ratatouille” is better than other fan favorites like “Finding Nemo” and “WALL-E” then I will happily agree to disagree and leave you with the film’s ending quote: “I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto, ‘Anyone can cook,’ but I realize, only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.”

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Life

Page 4

Book review: Japanese crime thriller “Out” investigates murder Matthew simmons Staff Writer I recently stopped by a local bookstore to see if I could find anything that was not similar to what I have read up to this point. As much as I enjoy only reading styles and authors that I love, I couldn’t help but think about all the books I might be missing as a result. I ended up asking one of the workers for a recommendation, and he pulled out a book from under the pile in front of him titled “Out” by Natsuo Kirino. After skimming the summary, I had reservations about reading a thriller, as I had never read the genre before. But instead of putting it down, I reminded myself that I might end up liking it—the whole point of trying out an unfamiliar genre.

Released in 1997, the dark Japanese crime thriller, “Out,” takes place in suburban Japan, where the main character, Masako, lives and works. Her shifts go from late at night to early in the morning because wages for day jobs are much lower, at least for a middle-aged woman with children. her status and age. Working in a boxed lunch packing factory is far from ideal and is physically demanding, to say the least. Thankfully, Masako has developed a relationship with three other women in the factory, and after an unexpected unfolding of events, they begin to grow closer.

Following a long night at work, one of these three coworkers, Yayoi, returns home to find out her husband has spent her entire life savings on gambling. That, paired with a number of other issues including infidelity and domestic abuse, threw her into a state of rage, leading her to kill her husband. She may have freed herself from him, but now she has the task of hiding the body and getting away with murder.

“Out” follows the murder of a woman’s husband and the plot to cover it up.

Matthew Simmons / The Weekly Ringer

Soon, the three other women have to decide what exactly to do with the body and where to hide it. Each woman has their own reasons for partaking in such a

crime and, although starkly different, they’ve bonded through experiences of falling victim to dealing with the unfortunate realities of a sexist and ageist society. The rest of the plot is a telling of the deadly decisions and agreements they make from this point on, as well as the consequences that inevitably follow.

Aside from being a thriller, “Out” works as a commentary on Japanese society and the negative impact it has on the women who live in the country. It was upsetting to see that some of these women were more comfortable talking with each other about where to hide a body than the sexual violence that they have faced. The social critique made by Kirino provided the book with more than just the telling of a suburban crime, separating it from your typical crime thriller.

I, of course, don’t recommend that anyone should commit murder… however, it was interesting to see how the power of desire and economic benefit can lead people to do things they never imagined. It seemed that although each woman recognized the grotesque nature of her actions, it gave their despairing lives some sort of excitement in a weird twisted way. It released them from their insufferable and monotonous lives where their agency seemed to be entirely limited by what society and the men surrounding them told them to do.

This book was a lot to take in, to say the least, but as much as it was dark, it was equally as addicting. Although I can’t say that “Out” made me particularly happy, I can say that I enjoyed it, and the only disappointment I have with this novel is the somewhat dissatisfying ending. All of this said, I am happy with my random book recommendation and will be using it as a reminder to explore things I may not have considered before.

Discovering the lesser-known beauty of Fredericksburg trails

Eli keith Staff Writer

When spring arrives in Fredericksburg and spending time outside becomes more appealing, I am sometimes astounded to remember how many nearby areas present enjoyable opportunities. One such area that I found is the roughly six-mile trail that runs along the Rappahannock River and connects the popular Canal Path to the quiet and vast Motts Reservoir.

“I’m always shocked that I don’t see more people when I hike on that trail,” said junior Katy Rose Price, a psychology and women and gender studies double major who is also in the College of Education. “I’d say it’s a busy day on the trail if I pass five other people.”

On our hike, my three friends and I were pleasantly surprised to find a mostly empty trail.

I first hiked the entirety of this trail out of curiosity as to how far it went. I knew the first mile or two was flat, well maintained and beautifully scenic, but I had never been to the end. I was happy to find that those things continue to be true for several more miles, even as the people become fewer and fewer.

Though there are small roots and rocks to navigate in certain sections of the trail, it is generally suitable for first-time hikers as well as bikers looking for a more adventurous alternative to the road.

These six miles consist of two joined trails. The Quarry Trail, which offers several loops for runners, hikers and mountain bikers, connects to the Embrey Dam Trail, which in turn connects to the paved Canal Path at the edge of downtown Fredericksburg, right next to the Virginia Outdoor Center.

The Quarry Trail can be found after going only about a mile down the Embrey Trail, and it goes for about another two and a half miles before it officially ends, but then comes the surprise! The first time I went the entire six-mile length of the trail, I was pleased to find that while the Quarry Trail loops back towards the quarry and downtown, a separate yet well-beaten trail extends further along the river.

Depending on the height of the river, there are rocks leading out into the river that offer swimming and fishing opportunities in warmer weather.

The trails offer many scenic areas and clear views of the Rappahannock River. Eli Keith / The Weekly Ringer

The Canal Path connects with other trails that stretch it to be about six miles long.

Eli Keith / The Weekly Ringer

This extension that leads trail-goers further along the river provides the best views of the entire hike. The trees thin and allow a clear view of the river before all of the summer foliage has grown in, while on the other side I found tall rock faces with graffiti and fun rock-scrambling spots.

Massive rock faces like this one present unique picture-posing opportunities.

“It was neat to see the signs of people who’d been through since we hardly saw anybody the whole time we were on the trail,” said junior history and women and gender studies double major Jamie Van Doren. “There was a really old stone tower next to the river at one point, plus a rope swing tied to one of the tree boughs that goes over the river!”

After several miles through woods with no sign of town, I found myself at River Road. Though it can be moderately busy, a quick crossing of the road was all I needed to discover that the trail continues! This is where the few hills of the journey presented themselves; some steep ups and downs that resembled a rollercoaster took me near a quiet neighborhood before plunging back into the woods.

Finally, I reached Motts Run Reservoir, about a mile or so after crossing River Road.

The trail opens up into a wide-open space of grass and water—a refreshing, expansive space after meandering through the wooded trail for so long. The gentle ascension towards the grassy entry to the quarry is amusingly preceded by an old abandoned house off the side of the trail—a quaint reminder of the architecture and life from many decades ago.

“I’m not really a big hiker, but with nice weather and an appetite for adventure I was actually digging it,” said junior music major Pablo McCrimmon.

Motts Run Reservoir has its own recreation area, which offers a separate little trail that circles the reservoir and reaches down into the woods I had come from, feeding back towards the Quarry Trail via three or so miles of unmarked and underappreciated trail.

It was a tiring yet revelatory journey—one so rewarding that I know it is only a matter of time before I make it again.

Life

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Page 5

Photo essay: JFMC hosts Multicultural Fair on Campus Walk

Kenya carter Staff Photographer On Saturday, April 9, the Fredericksburg and UMW communities gathered for the annual Multicultural Fair hosted by the James Farmer Multicultural Center. Many local vendors from the Fredericksburg area set up stands to promote and share their ethnic handmade crafts.

According to the James Farmer Multicultural Center website, the Multicultural Fair is an annual event that captivates 5,000 to 6,000 people every year. The main purpose of the event is to spread awareness of people with different cultures and backgrounds.

Both international and American food trucks and inflatables for children were offered at the event.

To complete the experience, while walking around and visiting tables that vendors set up, attendees were able to watch and listen to local performers play their cultural music. Performers were spread out in three different areas along campus walk, ready to share their music. I was able to tune in to a few performances, such as an intertribal powwow, gospel choir and Caribbean musicians to get the full experience of different cultures.

Going to the Multicultural Fair was a great experience because I like learning about various cultural backgrounds. The fair was very lively with music, artwork and food lined up along Campus Walk. With every table that I turned to, I was greeted with a welcoming smile from the vendors that were thrilled to share and give information about their handmade crafts. Some vendors had handcrafted jewelry, clothes, candles and perfume, while other vendors were showing artwork, henna designs and sharing information about their non-profit organizations.

The local Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter promotes their sorority.

Kenya Carter / The Weekly Ringer

Kevin Davis and Ban Caribe performed Caribbean and Afro-Cuban music. Kenya Carter / The Weekly Ringer

Funnel cakes, international and American food trucks were offered at the fair.

Kenya Carter / The Weekly Ringer

Vendors set up along Campus Walk for the Multicultural Fair.

Student volunteers greets members of the UMW and Fredericksburg communities to the fair.

Kenya Carter / The Weekly Ringer

Devil & Goat

Illustrated by D.K.

Kenya Carter / The Weekly Ringer

Native Buffalo Spirit sells Native American and Southwestern handcrafted jewelry and artifacts.

Kenya Carter / The Weekly Ringer

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Life

Page 6

UMW Performing Arts Company produces Big Show

Haley Schnitzer Staff Writer

UMW’s Performing Arts Company, known as PAC to the Mary Washington community, executed one captivating dance after another in their spring Big Show, held this past weekend on Friday, April 8 and Sunday, April 10 in Dodd Auditorium. Dances packed full of impressive leg tilts, leaps, turns and extensions dazzled audiences full of students, alumni, community members, friends and family.

The one and a half hour long Big Show of fourteen dances featured a wide variety of styles including tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, modern, musical theatre and hip-hop.

For dancer and choreographer Keona May, a senior English major in the education program, Big Show was a college career highlight. “I feel extremely grateful to have been given a space to pursue a new creative outlet,” said May. Choreographing Big Show is no small feat. Dancers have to be in the group for at least two semesters before earning the opportunity to choreograph dances for Small Show, a prerequisite to choreographing for Big Show.

UMW Performing Arts Company is an inclusive community that accepts dancers of all experience levels.

Photo Courtesy of Jillian Lawrence

May described the dance she choreographed as “upbeat, fun, women-empowering and girl-bossy.” She choreographed a saucy jazz routine to Harry Styles’s “Only Angel.”

Also noteworthy in this show was the exceptional lighting and effects; two of the dances included strobe lighting. The lighting, changed in between performances, was conducive to setting a unique ambiance for each dance. Choreographers collaborated with lighting designers, including the Director of Dodd Auditorium Douglas E. Noble, fellow PAC dancer Hadley Mantia and students Haley Bosher, Taija Slack and Elizabeth Debes, to curate suitable lighting and backgrounds for their respective pieces.

In preparation for Big Show, dancers met weekly throughout the semester, at first to learn, and later to rehearse, each of their dances. As Big Show approached, rehearsal times extended into the weekend, too.

Dancer Gracie Bauman, a junior sociology major in the education program, described the time commitment of PAC as “what you make it,” as dancers are given the opportunity to choose how many routines to participate in for Big Show, ranging from one to three.

Bauman was featured in two dances in this show. The first was a contemporary piece with ballet elements titled “Mind Jungle” to the tune of XXXTENTACION’s “whoa (mind in awe),” and the second was May’s jazz number.

“Both of the shows went extremely well!” said PAC Vice President Nicole Altenberg, a junior psychology and women’s, gender and sexuality studies double major. “It was really cool to see the dances we have worked hard on all semester come to life.”

Looking ahead, Altenberg will be assuming the role of PAC president in the fall. “I am extremely excited to take on the role of president next year!” she said. “The officers that I have worked with both this year and last year have taught me so much.”

Current PAC President Madeline Williams, a senior art history and historic preservation double major, spoke on her own time in leadership, saying “my time as PAC president has been a lot of things: busy, fun, stressful at times. It’s a lot of organization and communication and has taught me a lot about being a leader.”

As this spring semester comes to a close, many clubs and organizations on campus are honoring their graduating seniors, and Performing Arts Company is no exception.

The final dance in Big Show was the “senior piece,” a spring semester Big Show tradition. The dance was a fast-paced, spunky number to “It’s Time to Dance” from the Broadway musical, “The Prom,” featuring all of the seniors in PAC. Based on Big Show’s resounding success, one may assume each dancer had been dancing all of their lives. This is not the case, however, due to the company’s staunch commitment to inclusivity. Each individual who auditions is guaranteed a role in their shows, allowing for dancers of varying levels of ability and talent. However, by the time of Big Show, the group has perfected their routines.

So, if you’re interested in being a dancer, look out for announcements from PAC about auditions in the fall 2022 semester!

Thursday, April 14, 2022

News

Page 7

Winning games and losing opportunities: The challenges of competing in Division III athletics

EMILY HEMPHILL Staff Writer Right up until the commitment day of her senior year of high school, Maddy Sever, now a junior political science major, was torn between attending Ohio State University and attending UMW to play on the women’s soccer team.

Most of her friends were going to OSU, which is only a couple minutes from her home in Columbus, Ohio. But she had been playing soccer since she was five years old, so the possibility of carrying on her athletic career at UMW, where she had been recruited, was appealing to her.

It was a difficult choice, but soccer won out. She committed to playing Division III soccer at UMW starting in the fall of 2019. However, she left the team in March of her first year.

UMW’s student-athletes often come to the school with the hopes of being able to continue with their sport for four more years while simultaneously completing an undergraduate degree. Once they arrive, however, many realize how demanding and time-consuming even a Division III athletic program is. But coaches are driven by the same desire at any level: to win.

This difference in objectives and several other issues existing with coaches and teams, such as poor communication and unwelcoming environments, make it challenging for players to remain dedicated to these programs, resulting in 13.8% of athletes leaving UMW sports teams every year, according to Athletic Director Patrick Catullo. This number is around 15% nationally.

“My hands were tied in terms of time just because of soccer,” said Sever. “It was like ‘why am I doing this?’”

ACADEMICS: Division III athletic programs across the country promote an opportunity for dedicated athletes to keep playing their sport at a competitive level while also having a more normal college experience than more rigorous programs.

“Why should I keep waking up at 5 a.m. to force myself to be miserable? I knew I wasn’t going to continue swimming after college anyway.”

-Bailey McNabb “The sport isn’t all encompassing in their experience at Mary Washington,” said Catullo. “I think it’s important to become engaged across campus, academics first and foremost, we pride ourselves on being leaders in the classroom. We tout the success of our team GPAs and our academic awards and kind of doing all of those pieces really well, so it’s not just about winning.”

Most teams hold study halls to help students create space in their schedules for academics. But many students say it’s still not as much time as non-athlete students spend on their homework, and several added that athletics ended up taking the majority of their time.

Natalie Brennan, a junior biology major, experienced this during her freshman year on the women’s basketball team and, after one season, realized that she would need to be the one to prioritize herself and her future.

“My time was not divided equally between being a student and an athlete,” Brennan said. “It was very heavily skewed on being an athlete and anything looking towards the future, career-wise, you don’t have that time or energy to devote to. So it feels like you’re being set back … It was taking away more than it was adding for me.”

Andres Cabrera, a 2021 graduate and former member of the men’s soccer team, described the high level of energy it required to perform well on both the team and in the classroom and how, more often than not, it was a choice between one or the other. Cabrera believes his grades suffered his freshman and sophomore year as a result. He didn’t play his senior year.

“I just wanted to focus on school because to play soccer it takes a lot,” he said. “It takes a toll on you and you have to be mentally ready.”

Sever said when it came to splitting time between being a student and an athlete, 70% of her time was dedicated to soccer and the remaining 30% was spent on schoolwork.

She also noted the mental and physical toll it took when struggling to balance sports and school, and said she couldn’t imagine trying to maintain that along with her more rigorous workload as she nears graduation. She compared the time commitment of soccer to that of a parttime job with the daily practices often running over two hours, games twice a week with travel, films, meetings, and workouts totaling to at least 25 hours a week.

“We obviously had the same access to peer tutors as everyone else does, but can you fit that in your schedule?” she said. “It isn’t really up to you.”

She added that, because athletes aren’t given priority registration, she couldn’t pick professors or classes she wanted. Instead, her athletic schedule took precedence.

Head swimming coach Justin Anderson offers two daily practices that his swimmers can choose between in order to have more flexibility in their school schedule, but this type of scheduling is uncommon.

Scott Gerseny, the head coach of the women’s soccer team, says he has made efforts to improve his players’ academic success. When he arrived in 2019, he said, the team GPA was 3.12. By last fall, it had risen to 3.48.

“We are also seeing a lot of academic success,” he said. “We do require study hall hours for freshman and all players under a 3.0 to help with time management and help increase structure in their daily routine. Players are welcome and encouraged to come in and discuss any academic issues they have at any time.”

Yet, student-athletes say that GPA isn’t the only marker of academic success, especially when it comes to building up resumes with internships, research projects and other opportunities to advance future careers. These activities are not options for them because of the time commitment that sports demands.

COMPETITION: Another challenge of D-III sports, athletes say, is that when they face setbacks, either due to conflict with coaches or teammates, it doesn’t feel worth it to overcome them as they know they won’t be pursuing athletics long-term. Often, they say, the coaches prioritize the best players and don’t address concerns raised by the others.

Kevin Leong, a previous men’s soccer player and junior physics major, underwent surgery this past summer to repair a dislocated shoulder but returned healthy and ready to compete his junior season. While his coach, Jason Kilby, checked on him a couple times, Leong began to feel disconnected from Kilby and, subsequently, the team due to his injury. Because he was out of play and no communication was taking place between him and his head coach, once the season started, Leong felt like he was no longer useful to his coach. It became clear to him the relationship was not about camaraderie, but rather onesided. He quit.

“I’d say my overall happiness has increased exponentially,” said Leong about leaving. “There’s this weight off your shoulders. You realize how much time you’re actually putting into sports and how much energy you have to do other things.”

Brennan had similar experiences with women’s head basketball coach Deena Applebury; when going to Applebury’s office to ask what she could work on to gain more playing time, she did not receive any useful advice.

It seemed that no matter how hard she worked, it wasn’t producing results with her coach. In addition, when she was upset that a close member of her team quit and moved back home, Applebury told her to “get over it.”

“I go to the office and I’m like ‘tell me what I need to fix so I can get on the court more,’” she said. “You can have a great stretch of practices where even people on the team are noticing, but it feels like you can do so many good things but one moment in practice will knock you back

Crime Column

JOSEPHINE JOHNSON & sCOTTI MULLEN News Editors

As of April 13, there have been no additional crimes since our previous issue on April 7.

down the totem pole.”

“It wasn’t constructive criticism,” Brennan said. “It was just criticism.”

Applebury says that time management is especially difficult for basketball players because the season crosses into both semesters. She also said that student-athletes are volunteering their time for a love of the game.

“I have an open and honest conversation with each student-athlete about what their goals are and then what we believe is the best plan moving forward to help achieve team goals and if possible also reach personal goals,” Applebury said.

Bailey McNabb, a sophomore biomedical sciences major, left the swim team this September. She and her roommate, also a swimmer, had a serious falling out that led to McNabb being alienated from the rest of the team.

Teammates who she didn’t even know were blatantly ignoring her in and out of the pool.

She went to speak with head swim coach Anderson regarding the conflict, but stated she was essentially dismissed, told “sorry you feel that way,” and directed to the Talley Center. While she would have liked to stay on the team, ultimately she decided it was no longer worthwhile because she wasn’t able to enjoy the sport she loves.

“After all that had happened my freshman year and Anderson’s lack of being willing to directly deal with issues, I decided it wasn’t worth being on the team anymore,” McNabb said. “Why should I keep waking up at 5 a.m. to force myself to be miserable? I knew I wasn’t going to continue swimming after college anyway.”

According to Catullo, there are no programs currently in place that instruct coaches in developing communication skills, rather an emphasis on an “open door policy” for athletes to bring up any concerns.

“The understanding is that not every student-athlete has to like what the coach says,” Catullo said. “But they have to understand, they have to communicate and be transparent about why and what that is. And if that’s not the case, then we ask that the coaches have that conversation, whether it’s verbal or in writing about the decisions that they make good, bad or otherwise.”

COVID-19 has created another issue for athletes. While athlete retention has stayed fairly level, athletes describe a divide between upperclassmen and lower classmen that’s been difficult to broach and a loss of interest after a year without many games.

RESOLUTIONS: When asked what they would like to see changed within the athletic program, former athletes uniformly called for better player management by coaches, more access to academic and mental health assistance and more effective conflict resolution measures.

“The advice I always try to give to high school seniors who are considering playing D-III in college,” said Sever.

“Pick the school that you can see yourself at without playing the sport, because you’re not getting paid to be there, it’s a lot about academics, it’s a lot about personal relationships. And so if you don’t have any of those things you’re not going to enjoy it.”

After playing the best she ever had her senior season of high school in a new position on the field, Sever was excited to carry that into her next stage of life at UMW. She felt like she “still had a lot more to give and wasn’t ready to give that up.” However, passion alone was not enough to sustain her through all of the adversity that came with being on the team.

Though she hated to quit the team because of her love for the sport, Sever managed to find the balance she had been looking for by joining the women’s club soccer team.

“I love all the girls,” she said. “I’ve made so many more friends in one semester doing club than I did my whole freshman year spending all that time with the same group of girls. It’s still competitive. It’s a lot more fun in my opinion. Just because it’s more relaxed and you still have time to do everything else that you want to do.”

Thursday, April 14, 2022

Sports

Track & field competes in CNU Invitational

Gabrielle cercone On April 9, the UMW track and field team nursing major Amanda Heckman and freshman Staff Writer participated in the Christopher Newport conservation biology major Camila Perez Rondon Invitational and placed 13 times across 10 different placed second with a time of 4:23.09. events.

The men’s 4x400-meter relay also saw Young, senior marketing Geography major, member of the secondary education program major Wilson Jackson, senior sociology and Spanish major Darius and junior 3000-meter runner Dylan Wright said before the CNU Reed, and junior communication and digital studies major Nicholas meet occurred that “we had a lot of improvement last meet [the Onorato coming in third with a time of 3:28.56.

Battleground Relays] and we’re going to build off of that.”

Junior environmental science major Kevin Munson represented After the meet ended, psychology major, member of the elementary UMW in the men’s pole vault, placing third with a distance of 4.1 education program and junior 1500-meter runner Grace Pippin said meters. The men’s high jump had sophomore sociology major Aiden that “UMW had a lot of great performances across the board on the Smagh coming in third with a distance of 1.78 meters. Senior business track and in field events.” administration major Haileigh Byrd came away with third in the The athletes believe that they’ve done their best, despite not having women’s 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.52 seconds. a head coach. “We’ve been working hard and I think that the best Looking to the future, “Everything now is to prepare for our is yet to come,” said senior political science major and 1500-meter conference,” said Oberlies. The championship conference meets for runner Patrick Brown.

UMW track and field begin on May 8, but until then the team has Across ten events, the team placed either first, second or third in the Johns Hopkins Invitational on April 23.

13 events. Seven of these were in the men’s events and six were in the women’s events. In a track and field event, points are assigned depending on placement, with first place receiving the most points and the value descending as participants place further down in ranking. The team with the most overall points at the end of the meet is considered the winner. At time of publication, the overall team scores from the invitational have not been posted.

In the men’s long jump, senior business administration major Rajai Walton placed first with a distance of 7.17 meters. Sophomore computer science major Ethan Young placed first in the men’s 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.33 seconds. The men’s 3000-meter run saw junior physics major Matthew O’Cadiz placing second with a time of 9:8.25, and junior business administration major Blake Mason taking third with a time of 9:21.94. In the women’s javelin throw, senior psychology major Rachel Remer placed second with a distance of 29.73 meters, and junior environmental science major Abbie Bolinger placed third with a distance of 26.52 meters.

Before the meet, freshman environmental science major and 5000-meter runner Jessica Oberlies said the team was preparing for the meet by doing core and stretching exercises.

Oberlies came in second with a time of 20:53.77 in the women’s 5000-meter run. Senior psychology major Amy Rouse joined her on the women’s 5000-meter run placement board, coming in third with a time of 21:58.52.

In the women’s 4x400-meter relay, sophomore biology major Photo courtesy of Rachel Remer Caroline Joyce, senior sociology major Cameron Delean, freshman Rachel Remer throws the javelin.

Men’s rugby places third in conference play

jacob veil Men’s rugby won four out of the five amount of tournament wins as Mount St. Staff Writer matches in the 7s Conference Championship Mary’s, which would have pushed UMW to Tournament on Saturday, April 9 Nationals. on the Battleground Complex’s However, Mount St. Mary’s grass field stadium. UMW proved victorious 14-12 over Mary finished third in the tournament Washington with a controversial and the Chesapeake Conference. out-of-bounds call by the referee The 7s Conference to end the match, with jeering and Championship Tournament is boos from the crowd. made up of seven players on each “The call that we believe should team. have been made was a penalty According to Joseph Ritter, try for a high tackle around the a senior art history major and neck near the try line, which student president of the rugby would result in an automatic team, “All the tournaments seven points,” said senior applied before this one have just been for economics major Peter Smith. seeding for this one. This is the “However, they didn’t award a Chesapeake Conference Finals. penalty try, just a regular try, It’s also a national qualifier event. so we had to kick a conversion The winner goes into Nationals in which, in 7s, is not a guarantee to May in New Orleans.” make.”

With a Nationals bid on the Mount St. Mary’s went on to line, the men’s 7s were focused on win in the final against Southern Men’s rugby playing against Virginia Tech.

Photo courtesy of Seamus Brennan Virginia University on a lastwinning this tournament.

The rugby team is helmed by second try. coasting through them,” said Gallagher. “If Head Coach Hendrik Van Zyl and got off to we can just stick to our gameplan, we have UMW’s team once again faced Virginia a great start, winning the first game with a a good chance of winning this tournament.” Tech, this time for the third and fourth place score of 29-10 against North Carolina State.

In the second match, UMW beat Queens match, obliterating them 36-0. With this win, the Eagles would qualify for a Nationals University of Charlotte 22-0.

“All the tournaments The third match was more competitive slot if another team is not able to attend.

“The loss takes us out of the bid for with Mary Washington’s men’s 7s prevailing before this one have just nationals, but sometimes teams cannot make 28-19 over Virginia Tech. been for seeding for it to nationals, for whatever reason, then we UMW’s men’s 7s proceeded to the singlethis one.” would be first in line,” said Van Zyl. elimination semi-finals against Mount St. On April 15, UMW’s has a rematch Mary’s University. against Mount St. Mary’s at Segra Field.

This match proved to be one of the bigger - Joseph Ritter While the match will not impact the team’s obstacles of the season. Though UMW won Spirits were high after the first game, the first tournament of the season, Mount St. Nationals bid, it is a chance for the team to according to senior biology major Aidan Mary’s won the two conference tournaments build up morale.

Gallagher.

Victoria R. Percherke contributed to reporting leading up to this one. If UMW had won the “When we get to our gameplan, we’re just tournament, they would have had the same for this article.

Page 8

University of Mary Washington

Spring Sports Schedule

Victoria R. Percherke Sports Editor

Track & Field

April 23 @ Johns Hopkins Invitational May 6-7 @ Coast to Coast Conference May 15 @ VCU Invitational May 16 @ Swarthmore Invitational

Men’s Lacrosse (7-6)

April 13 @ Southern Virginia April 16 vs. St. Mary’s (Md.) April 23 @ Christopher Newport April 30 @ Salisbury

Women’s Lacrosse (8-6)

April 9 W vs. Albright (16-5) April 13 W @ Moravian (12-10) April 16 @ Christopher Newport April 20 vs. Roanoke

Men’s Tennis (12-3)

April 9 W @ Swarthmore (7-2) April 12 W @ Southern Virginia (9-0) April 19 @ Salisbury April 23 vs. Johns Hopkins

Women’s Tennis (8-5)

April 9 L @ Swarthmore (4-5) April 14 vs. Christopher Newport April 23 vs. Johns Hopkins April 26 vs. N.C. Wesleyan

Baseball (15-16)

April 9 L @ Salisbury (0-14) (1-6) April 13 @ Shenandoah (4-8) April 16 @ Wilson April 23 @ Christopher Newport

Softball (18-19)

April 9 L @ Salisbury (0-1) (0-6) April 16 vs. Christopher Newport May 4-7 @ Coast to Coast Conference May 12-15 @ NCAA Regional

Games are available to watch via livestream on the UMW Athletics webpage Full schedule not listed above.

Most recent games included.

Bold indicates home game.