The
Weekly
The University of Mary Washington Student Newspaper Serving the community since 1922
Ringer
VOLUME 95 | ISSUE 24
APRIL 21, 2022
“When the hearing process started, that was kind of the worst of all of it”: Adjudicating misconduct at UMW
JESS KIRBY Editor-in-Chief Early in the summer of 2017, Tirzah Rao was a rising sophomore working as an orientation leader and peer mentor when she reported to university administration that she had been physically and verbally assaulted by a coworker. She decided to report it because she felt unsafe and didn’t want to spend the rest of the summer with him. But the way the office handled the situation troubled Tirzah, who repeatedly felt she wasn’t given enough support to resolve the ongoing difficulties with him. At the time, the case was tried by the Judicial Review Board, which has since been renamed the Office of Student Conduct and Responsibility. Ultimately, the outcome led Tirzah to leave the school. Tirzah is speaking up about her case now because a recent decision involving an assault case has brought up similar issues regarding the process used by the Office of Student Conduct and Responsibility, and faculty members say they have brought up several flaws in the system that still have not been fixed. Specific details have been withheld regarding the recent case to respect the complainant’s wishes that she not be included in the story. “It is an incredibly daunting position to be in where you are facing Dr. Tuttle, everyone else involved in this process, all of these adults who are supposed to be there to help you, and you can just feel that they are not and you can tell that your best interests are not at heart,” said Tirzah. At the time of her assault, Tirzah was a pre-dental student and was in many of the same classes as the pre-
med student who she said assaulted her. Although they were no longer working together while the case unfolded, he often joined Tirzah’s study groups, and she felt he was trying to intimidate her. Even as Tirzah was dealing with the interpersonal stress, both from him and retaliation from his friends, she felt even more disempowered by the judicial process. “When the hearing process started, that was kind of the worst of all of it,” said Tirzah. She was not allowed to have anyone with her during the hearing, including her father, Anand Rao, the chair of the communication and digital studies department and director of the speaking intensive program at UMW. She said that she was questioned while the accused student was in the room, and he was allowed to ask questions too. Tirzah, however, was not present when he was being questioned, nor was she allowed to ask him questions. Tirzah also said that Raymond Tuttle, the director of the Office of Student Conduct and Responsibility, asked multiple times during the hearing if she was okay with the assault appearing on the accused student’s record since he was applying to medical school. She felt that she was indirectly being blamed for any harm the incident would cause him. “That’s not on me,” said Tirzah. “He’s the reason he wouldn’t get into med school. Yet that was brought up multiple times throughout my case, and I had a real problem with that. I was like, I’m also applying to go to these programs and seeking postgraduate education. What about the impact this has had on me, the fact that I don’t feel safe on campus anymore, the fact that I don’t feel comfortable here? That’s impacting me. That’s important too.”
Ultimately, the student was found not guilty. In order to find out the verdict, Tirzah was told she had to meet with Tuttle, and no one else was allowed in the room when he finally did tell her. Although the student had been told to stay away from Tirzah, he didn’t. “He kept pushing it because there was no real anything in place to prevent it,” she said.
“It is an incredibly daunting position to be in where you are facing Dr. Tuttle, everyone else involved in this process, all of these adults who are supposed to be there to help you, and you can just feel that they are not and you can tell that your best interests are not at heart. -Tirzah Rao Tirzah spoke to some of her professors, who understood her difficult position. But as she faced retaliation from the accused, she kept seeking support from administrators, which was fruitless. “They would meet with me, sure, but they did not offer any support that made me feel safe, and even with clear retaliation going on,” said Tirzah. “I was encouraged by faculty to transfer and leave because even people who had been at UMW for forever SEE OSCAR PAGE 7
SGA and petition push Students and faculty discuss destruction in Bucha, Ukraine scholarship policy change ALLY TINGEN Online Editor Political science and international relations classes at UMW continue to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. Among the destruction in Ukraine lies the city of Bucha, plagued by violence from Russian military units. “The U.S. militaries and lots of other militaries take lots of precautions to try to limit the killing of civilian people during wartime,” said international relations Professor Jason Davidson. “Russians seem to have not been trying very hard, if at all. That in and of itself is problematic. But what happened in Bucha is its whole different category.” UMW students are taking part in these discussions both in and out of the classroom. “Inside of my classes before class starts, we’ve sometimes had small conversations about it,” said junior political science major Joey Zeldin. “Outside of class we’ve had a lot of discussions. It’s really scary to talk about. It’s daunting to see how many human rights violations are being actively
INSIDE THE
RINGER
News | 2
UMW Apartments face outage on April 18.
Professors and students discuss war crimes in the classroom. Mikhail Volkov / Unsplash
committed yet ignored by most of the world.” Zeldin hopes to do what he can to get involved from afar. “If the opportunity arises, I’d like to volunteer this summer in programs that help refugees from Ukraine get the care that they deserve and support efforts towards thwarting Russia’s dangerous and horrifying actions,” said Zeldin. Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, various investigations have uncovered brutal attempts by Russian forces to overcome Ukraine SEE WAR PAGE 7
Opinion | 3 Four is better than five: A push for a four day work week.
Maggie Mae young Staff Writer On April 4, senior political science major Kevin Connolly created a petition in protest of UMW’s policy stipulating that students must live on campus to keep certain scholarships. At time of publication, the petition has 268 signatures. “I moved off-campus because of a mold allergy and my scholarship was instantly cut in half,” said Connolly. “My story is not unique, dozens of students I have spoken to have each lost thousands of dollars.” Junior political science major and Student Government Association President Joey Zeldin explained that each scholarship has a different policy regarding housing.
Connolly’s petition for students to keep their scholarships is located on change.org. change.org
“Some scholarships are strictly merit-based awards, meaning that you receive them on the basis of your grades and merit, while others are given to students on the basis that they’ll live on campus,” he said. The housing requirements for each scholarship are located on the Scholar Manager
Life | 5
Cosmy Pellis addresses abstinence and sexual education.
website. “I have always thought the policy was unfair— why should students be forced to remain on campus?” he said. “What effect does that have on their academic merit? It felt like something needed to change, and I wanted to at least begin the conversation before my
SEE PETITION PAGE 2
Sports | 8
Men’s lacrosse lose their last home game.
News
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Page 2
Weekly Ringer Power outage impacts residents of UMW
The
Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief Jess Kirby
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Business Editor Erin Matuczinski
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Associate Editors Josephine Johnson Norah Walsh weeklyringer.associate@gmail.com
Copy Editor Grace Schumacher
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News Editors Scotti Mullen Callie Harkins weeklyringer.news@gmail.com
Opinion Editor Tabitha Robinson
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Life Editor Josephine Good
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Sports Editor Emily Hemphill
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Online Editors Ally Tingen Abby Knowles
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Photography Editor Sarah Sklar
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Faculty Advisor Sushma Subramanian ssubrama@umw.edu
Apartments and College Heights
CAperton beirne Staff Writer Monday, April 18, the UMW Apartments and houses in University Heights experienced a power outage due to an issue with Dominion Power in the Fredericksburg area. The outage affected university students in the apartment buildings and off campus. “There was an issue with Dominion Power and the Fredericksburg area, which caused a few buildings on campus to be affected,” said Dave Fleming, the assistant dean of resident life and housing. The power was out for multiple hours starting midmorning and coming back on in the afternoon. “Many students contacted me because they were unable to enter the buildings since the card reader was down and were unsure how to get into their rooms,” said junior biomedical sciences major Jess Mimms, a resident assistant in the UMW Apartments. Senior historic preservation
major Libby Wruck was unable to get back into the apartment while leaving during the power outage. “I was leaving for class and forgot something,” said Wruck. “When I tried to get back in, the doors wouldn’t open so my girlfriend had to let me back into the building. Junior biomedical sciences major Mikaela O’Fallon lives offcampus in University Heights. She was in the shower when she lost power in her home. “My bathroom does not get a lot of light and the rain had made sure there was almost no natural light coming in,” said O’Fallon. “When the power went out the room went totally black. My wifi was also out and I needed to study for my exams this week and for finals week.” Wruck’s finals work was also affected by this outage. “I needed to work on some final papers and it really slowed me down cause I had to do all my research on my phone,” said Wruck. Freshman business major
Corrections
“There was an issue with Dominion Power and the Fredericksburg area, which caused a few buildings on campus to be affected.” -Dave Fleming
Lauren Boucher also had her school work affected by the outage. Boucher was in the apartments at the time of the outage socializing with upperclassmen friends and working on school work ahead of finals. “My computer was almost dead when the power went out and I couldn’t charge it during the outage, so I had to stop doing school work until it came back on,” said Boucher. “It definitely was annoying and unexpected, but not the end of the world.”
SGA meets with administration about student concerns regarding scholarships FROM PETITION PAGE 1 time at UMW came to a close.” The Student Government Association has brought these student concerns to administration.
“There are so many exceptional students here that are not getting the recognition they deserve. ... As an institution of higher education, it seems utterly obvious that the university should be awarding students who achieve consistent academic success.” -Erin Matuczinski
“We advised President Paino that many students move off-campus because of financial issues and/or making college cheaper,” said Zeldin. “We also mentioned Please direct all advertising inquiries to Erin Matuczinski at that by allowing scholarships to be 100% merit-based and not sometimes based on weeklyringer.business@gmail.com. housing, it would attract more students to the University who may not want to live on-campus all four years as well as boost retention rates.” Zeldin continued, “Freshmen are required to live on campus for their first The Weekly Ringer strives for two years on-campus, so we sometimes see accuracy and will correct any students move off-campus after their first
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The UMW Apartments are located off William Street. Kenya Carter / The Weekly Ringer
two years, only to realize that their financial aid dipped because they had some oncampus scholarships within their financial aid package that were supporting them due to their housing status,” said Zeldin. Senior communication and digital studies major Erin Matuczinski spoke about her experience as a Presidential Award recipient. “Right after acceptance, I felt that the university’s policy was very off-putting,” she said. “Even though I was receiving the highest merit scholarship possible, it still was not covering the entirety of room and board. It has made me feel like the University is making sure that they will always get money out of a student.” Even though she would lose the award, she chose to move off campus. “I quickly moved off campus, despite the threat of losing my scholarship,” she said. “The fact that I could literally save money while still losing my thousands of dollars in merit scholarship shows how completely bogus the policy is.” Zeldin says that the University has begun work to resolve the issue. “President Paino informed us that there is already a committee within the UMW administration that is looking at scholarship policies to address the student concerns on housing-locked scholarships,” said Zeldin. Matuczinski feels that there is room for improvement. “UMW definitely needs better merit based scholarships,” she said. “There are so many exceptional students here that are
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.
Crime Column
Bell tower logo designed by Bernadette D’Auria ‘22
As of April 20, there have been no additional crimes since our previous issue on April 14.
Scotti mullen & callie harkins News Editors
not getting the recognition they deserve. ... As an institution of higher education, it seems utterly obvious that the university should be awarding students who achieve consistent academic success.” Zeldin explained how he and other Student Government Association officers are working to help the university better understand the student body.
“We also mentioned that by allowing scholarships to be 100% merit-based and not sometimes based on housing, it would attract more students to the University who may not want to live on-campus all four years as well as boost retention rates.” -Joey Zeldin “At this moment, we as SGA have already talked with President Paino and his staff about this issue, so progress is already starting to happen!” said Zeldin. “We were overjoyed that students relied on us to voice this issue to Paino, as that is the primary purpose of SGA.” Connolly said that he hopes “the University looks at the activism that is taking place by many of its students, and engages in a positive conversation that could change their policy moving forward.”
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Opinion
Page 3
Four is better than five: A push for a four-day school week
jacob veil Staff Writer
The Friday 50-minute classes are a waste and a time sink. They force students to manage their schedule one additional and unnecessary day out of the week. Instead of creating another day in which you have to wake up early, get ready for classes, and barely cover any content in that 50-minute class increment, Monday and Wednesday classes should be extended by 25 minutes to allow for Fridays to be completely free, thus creating a three-day weekend. A three-day weekend would be beneficial to oncampus students as well as commuter students since it would allow them additional time to go home, especially if they live far away. Furthermore, it would aid commuter students by limiting how many days in the week they need to drive to campus, thus mitigating the current burden of gas prices, which costs around $3.93 these days. In California, there already exists a push in politics to move towards a four-day, 32-hour workweek to give
A four-day school week would increase productivity in classes. Anete Lusina / Pexels
workers more time off to interact with their families, cut down on time spent commuting and combat burnout and professional fatigue. Coming out of 2021, where roughly 48 million Americans quit their jobs during a phase called the “Great Resignation,” companies are looking at ways to keep workers engaged. That usually involves more pay and more time off. UMW should follow suit with more time off to keep students engaged and prevent the burnout that many workers in America are currently experiencing. Educational fatigue is no different. Oftentimes students begin to fatigue towards the end of semesters, and classrooms become more sparse as the semester progresses. A move towards a four-day school week would bring more time off to many students, and they would start the new week with renewed vigor. Additionally, a move towards a four-day school week would mean that students would have more dynamic ways to spend their weekends. Sophomore history major Ryan Llufrio said, “An extra day off would give us time to rest, intern, work ... or whatever else the students need to do. Also, it allows us to have a more consistent schedule.” Other students, however, had a more pragmatic view. “Students probably need more classroom time and more resources, and I don’t know how well that’s going to work,” said Joe Johnson, a junior international affairs major. However, with more time off, students would be able to focus on clubs, sports and extracurriculars. “I know that a lot of complaints that people have about this campus is the lack of campus life,” said Cassie Atkinson, a junior political science and communications double major. “So, I think that that would really help with that and give it a more vibrant atmosphere. People are always constantly going to class all the time. To actually have time to participate in these extracurriculars would be good.” The four-day week could also benefit teachers. “From a teacher standpoint, I know the school has difficulties with retention of professors, so a four-day school week could be a creative way to keep the staff on,” said Johnson. While a longer weekend would benefit students, it would also afford faculty members more freedom and
dynamism with their schedules. They could have more time to spend with their families, or they could use the open Friday to grade, thus leaving Saturday and Sunday completely open to their personal pursuits. Even University President Troy Paino is intrigued by the concept. “I think it’s an idea worth exploring,” he said. “I think the pandemic has ushered in a new era where students and employees seek more autonomy and greater flexibility as it relates to their schedules. Thinking differently about the work week and school week makes sense, so this idea is worth further discussion.” A four-day school week would be a large shift from what UMW students are used to, but it would not be an unattainable feat. “If we were to do something like this, I’d like to be thoughtful about it. There are many things to consider, but a creative approach to course scheduling as suggested could offer more blocks of time for experiential learning,” said Paino. “This could offer us an opportunity to be distinctive as we lean into out-of-class learning opportunities.” While there are abundant benefits to a four-day school week, there are various factors to consider when looking at the activities students would pursue outside of the classroom. “Campus life is a part of a residential liberal arts education, so I wouldn’t want to unintentionally encourage everyone to leave campus and FXBG from Friday through Sunday,” said Paino. “We want students to stick around and enjoy everything campus and FXBG has to offer, including extracurricular activities, during this time. With that said, I welcome an examination into thinking differently about our course schedule. Obviously, this examination should be led by our faculty and academic administrators with what is best for student learning as the focus.” Regardless of how UMW decides to proceed, it is clear that businesses and institutions of higher education are investing time and thought into ways to combat mental fatigue and bolster mental health in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and “The Great Resignation.” One solution to effectively meet those goals is less work and more time to pursue personal experiences.
Life
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Page 4
Photo essay: The Annual Student Art Exhibition
emily warren Staff Photographer
The current art exhibition in Dupont Gallery is UMW’s Annual Student Art Exhibition. This exhibition contains student work from the past year that has been both created in a studio art class at UMW and selected by this year’s juror, Aaron Fine. Fine is a professor and department chair of art, design and art history at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo. The role of a juror is to review all of the student submissions and select the work that they think has the best quality and depth. Fine was also responsible for selecting a number of awards for the show. “I look forward to the Annual Student Art Exhibition every year because it’s really cool to see all your classmates work in the same place,” said Colleen Cragun, a senior double major in studio art and psychology. “It is really exciting to finally see your own art up in a gallery after so long.” Below are a few pieces that are in the Annual Student Art Exhibition. All of the following information is from the UMW galleries website and gallery labels. The exhibit will be open until April 24. The hours of both Dupont and Ridderhof Martin Galleries are Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 1 p.m.-4 p.m. The galleries are closed during UMW holidays and breaks, and admission is always free.
Leah Brinkley’s piece “Cross Belief” is made of wood, papiermâché, yarn, clay, paint nails, string, fabric, polyfill, ribbon and pantyhose. Emily Warren / The Weekly Ringer
Kendall McCracken’s “Transformation” is stoneware clay.
Devil & Goat
Illustrated by D.K.
Maeve Powers Gilmartin’s piece “Eyes, Nose, Mouth, Still Life” is oil on canvas. Emily Warren / The Weekly Ringer
Jasper Drilling’s piece “Hiding” is oil on canvas and won the Emil. R. Schnellock Award for Excellence in Painting. Emily Warren / The Weekly Ringer
Emily Warren / The Weekly Ringer
Blaine Hower’s “Cataract” is a piece made of wrapping paper, wooden skewers, cardboard and glue. Emily Warren / The Weekly Ringer
Colleen Cragun’ s “The ZuZu Channel” is a digital animation that won the Ann Elizabeth Collins ‘73 Memorial Award in Studio Art. Photo Courtesy of Colleen Cragum
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Life
Album review: “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino”
Page 5
Davy washington Staff Writer
“Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” is the Arctic Monkeys’ most recent album that was released in May 2018 and was one of the group’s most polarizing releases by far. Taking a step away from the traditional alternative/indie rock sound, Alex Turner, the lead singer of the Arctic Monkeys, shifted gears to writing songs with deeper metaphorical meanings that struck fans as mildly confusing. When the album was originally released, it was met with a lot of criticism because of the “deviation” from the type of music the Arctic Monkeys typically produce, which caused a split in the fanbase. One of the more distinctive elements of this album was the general composition of the songs, which relied more heavily on piano than the typical indie rock guitar expected from the group. This departure from their traditional rock sound—along with the more abstract lyrics—is what made this album so divisive for their long-time fans. It’s been almost four years since the album was released, and some of the songs have become new classics for the group. Given the absence of new music from the group and the deviation from their original sound, it’s worth taking a look at. After listening to it for a few weeks, it’s one of my favorite albums, and I’m here to tell you why. The album opens with “Star Treatment,” a song that serves as an ode to Turner’s former self and the band as a whole. It’s a commentary on his aspirations and goals as a musician. The five-minute song opens with the line, “I just wanted to be one of The Strokes/Now look at the mess you made me make,” which is a callback to some comments Turner has made about The Strokes’ influence on the band’s overall sound. The song is built on a smooth bassline and drums that physically force you to vibe out. Seriously. You have to. The general air of the song is hotel lobby-lounge music that gets you deep into the groove. Moving forward to the next track—and one of my personal favorites—“One Point Perspective,” the song opens with a repeated piano note, strong vocals and a steady beat that keeps the song marching onward. The bassline comes in at the beginning of the second verse and sets the mood for the song, giving a feeling that’s like ascending to a different state of being. The guitar solo that comes in at the end of the bridge is a metaphorical blastoff for that ascension that, upon first listen, made me want to air-play along with the lead guitarist. The lines in this verse, “Oh, just as the apocalypse finally gets prioritized/And you cry some of the hottest tears you ever cried/Multiplied by five/I suppose a singer must die,” are by far the most striking lines in the song, alluding to Turner’s admittance to letting go of his ambition to reach a certain level of fame. Finally, the last line, “A singer must die,” pays homage to the late singer Leonard Cohen’s song by the same name, which reflects how Turner has also gone on to draw direct inspiration from Cohen. “The Ultracheese,” which is the last song of the album, is one of their best closing tracks to date. The track features some of the most powerful vocals and deep reflections
Davy Washington reviews “Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino” by the Arctic Monkeys. Davy Washington / The Weekly Ringer
of the album. The intro of the song starts with piano and drum, which leads you into Turner’s ballad that is a reflection of his career, his music and the world’s changing interaction with music. The song is a commentary on how detached he feels from his life and the world of music, looking back at old pictures and not being able to recognize the people he sees. Lines like, “Still got pictures of friends on the wall/I suppose we aren’t really friends anymore…What a death I died/writing that song/Start to finish, with you looking on” really drive this point home. This is Turner realizing that life isn’t the same as it once was and the image of his rockstar life has come and gone. It’s truly poetic. All in all, this album features so many wonderful pieces. From booming songs like “The World’s First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip” and “Four Out Of Five” to the more relaxed ethereal songs like “Batphone” and “Star Treatment,” there’s a little bit for everyone to enjoy in this masterpiece.
The Talk with Cosmy Pellis: An exploration of abstinence
cosmy pellis Staff Writer
A friend recently reached out to me with some very kind words and insight about this column. That friend was Molly Avery, a senior English major with a creative writing concentration, who I am lucky to know from creative writing classes. “I think your sex column is amazing, and I’m so glad it exists. Like other people have said in [practicum journalism] class, my education was basically abstinence (they actually wouldn’t let us leave to go to lunch one day until we signed an abstinence pledge promising to remain abstinent which is super f*cked up when I look back on it), and I had to learn a lot from the Internet. I’m really glad there’s this resource now though for others who need to learn.” I want to thank Molly and all readers for your trust and vulnerability this semester. I also wanted to explore the topic that is raised in her message: abstinence. In my opinion, forcing children to comply to abstinence—before they even fully know what sex is—is not ethical. It fosters a fear of one’s own body and creates a notion of purity that has more negative effects for women than it does for men.
Cosmy addresses the multiple perspectives surrounding abstaining from sex. Cosmy Pellis / The Weekly Ringer
Like all other personal decisions, abstinence should be a choice. However, in order for it to be a choice, it can’t be taught to children in accordance with their sex education. An educational approach makes it difficult for children to separate the two concepts of sex and abstinence. They automatically think that sex is “bad” without even having the tools to understand what it is, its implications or the emotional aspects of sex. Molly said her experience was in seventh grade at a public school in Fauquier County. “I think I was 12 at the time,” she said. Looking back, I’m not too surprised. When I learned about periods along with the other girls in my fifth grade class, the boys in our grade got to go play dodgeball. The Virginia public school system’s approach to sex education is deeply flawed—it teaches young girls about sexual topics before boys, and it avoids the fact that some students will have sex despite being told to be abstinent. These students need actual information in order to have safe sex, and this information shouldn’t be taught differently based on students’ gender. One of the reasons that teaching abstinence is problematic is the separation of genders for these sex education discussions. This educational approach also doesn’t acknowledge any gender identities or sexualities that are not cis or straight. All of this being said, I find that abstinence can be really powerful and healthy when it’s a personal choice, rather than something someone feels pressured into. Some Christians remain abstinent until marriage in accordance with their religion and to honor their future spouse. I think this is beautiful, and I think it’s a great choice for people who prioritize their religion as a main part of their life. Abstinence is also not just for people who are waiting for marriage. You can choose to be abstinent at any time, for any reason and for any amount of time. It’s all about what works for you and what you think is best for yourself. Let’s talk about some reasons why abstinence might be right for you. If you feel like sex is distracting you and you need some time to truly focus on yourself and school, maybe celibacy could be something to consider. It can also be a smart decision if you feel like your mental health is suffering due to a toxic sexual partner or sex that’s unhealthy in any way. If sex is not making you feel good,
taking a break could give you time to clear your head and evaluate what you want from your sex life. Another reason some people choose to be abstinent is because they’re healing from trauma or working through grief. Many people experience a lower libido during times like this, and being celibate allows time to process and heal with your support system. If you find yourself in this type of mental space, taking time to focus on your emotional health could be a beneficial choice. Abstinence can also be smart if you’re looking for a romantic relationship and want to reserve sex for one particular person. This isn’t to say that casual sexual partners can’t turn into romantic ones, but if you don’t see that happening, celibacy could make sense. Additionally, if casual sex just isn’t what you want any more, is hurting your mental health or you think you want more of a romantic connection, abstaining from sex can help you switch your mindset. Focusing on yourself is crucial to being in a healthy, independent mental space, especially if you do meet someone who you want to pursue romantically. Your mental health is especially vital when entering a relationship. Whether you choose abstinence until marriage, a period of celibacy, sex within a romantic relationship or more casual sex, what’s most important is how your sex life makes you feel. Finally, try to recognize and evaluate pressures to abstain or engage in sex. Both are valid choices, and they can be healthy and fulfilling for you if you pursue them in a mentally, physically and emotionally safe way. The choice to have sex or not is deeply complicated and personal. Thank you for allowing me to open up a bit this past semester and give some advice about a topic that I didn’t originally realize could still be so taboo. This column started from a personal desire to share my ideas, which was backed up by a series of vulnerable conversations with my fellow editors, and it ultimately came to fruition because I felt like the students on this campus needed access to a more open dialogue about sex. As students started to feel comfortable asking questions—as well as thinking about their bodies and sexualities —“The Talk” evolved into something I felt compelled to write. Thank you so much for your trust; writing this column has been a transformative, inspirational experience.
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Opinion
The U.S. needs to decriminalize drugs
NATHAN JAMERSON Staff Writer
It is no secret that the United States has a huge drug problem. In 2017, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency with over 700,000 drug overdose deaths since 1999. Additionally, in the U.S. alone, 45.3% of inmates are incarcerated for drug-related offenses. If drug use and addiction is a health issue, why is the U.S. treating it as a criminal offense? The decriminalization of drug possession would shift the burden from law enforcement to treatment facilities and allow for greater medical research into new addiction therapies, thus improving overall public health and safety. Addiction is more complex than most people realize. Continued substance abuse is shown to alter brain chemistry, causing “changes in the brain systems involved in reward, motivation and memory.” This develops into a physical and psychological dependence, which is something that jail time cannot fix. “The treatment for addiction is best addressed by addressing the addiction problem,” said UMW Director of Student Health Dr. Nancy Wang. “[It] requires psychological/medical services.” Because of this, the criminalization of drugs and the consequent jail time that follows are not proper solutions to the issue at hand. Unfortunately, U.S. prisons do a poor job at rehabilitation, with 68% of drug offenders being reincarcerated within three years of their release. Wang suggested that drug addiction should be treated with counseling methods like motivational interviewing, cognitive behavior therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, trauma focused therapy or twelve step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. These rehabilitation therapies have been proven to be effective too, with 85-95% of treated patients remaining drugfree nine months after treatment. Decriminalization has also led to public health benefits. In 2001, Portugal decriminalized the public and private possession of all drugs, focusing
on a health-based approach to addiction. In 2008, their Supreme Court specified that this decriminalization only applied to individuals, thus criminalizing “drug use as a crime when the quantities at play exceeded those required for an average individual’s use for 10 days.” Even with this narrowing of the law, drug-related deaths have fallen significantly lower than the E.U. average. Additionally, since decriminalization, drug abuse and addiction rates have been halved, and drugrelated HIV infections since the legislation was passed have fallen 95%. With results like these, it’s easy to see the benefits of decriminalization. “Instinctively, if we can address addiction as a psychological, physical and societal issue, we might come close to decreasing the number of people who end up in an endless cycle of addiction, jail, and crime,” said Wang. Decriminalization has also led to previously illegal drugs proving to be effective therapies for mental health disorders. In 2020, Oregon passed a bill that both legalized psilocybin-assisted therapy and decriminalized personal possession. Psilocybin is a hallucinogenic substance found in 200 species of fungi, which are commonly known as “magic mushrooms.” Since decriminalization, scientific and clinical trials have shown significant results in treating treatmentresistant and clinical depression. Psilocybin isn’t the only drug that has been shown to be an effective treatment. A recent study published in May 2021 found that MDMA, which is commonly known as ecstasy, “is highly efficacious in individuals with severe PTSD, and treatment is safe and well-tolerated, even in those with comorbidities.” Another study shows that CBD, a chemical in cannabis, can help prevent COVID-19 infection. Currently, psilocybin, MDMA and cannabis are listed as schedule 1 drugs in the U.S., which means that they are not approved for federally sanctioned medical treatment use, despite research showing that they are effective treatments that should be utilized to help people. With these obvious benefits, the U.S. should decriminalize drug possession and further research to examine the benefits that it could have.
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Staff Ed: Ringing in a new era of editors
THE WEEKLY RINGER EDITORIAL BOARD Although we are incredibly sad to say goodbye to our graduating editors with whom we have formed such meaningful relationships, we are just as joyous to welcome the incoming editorial staff for the 20222023 school year. While subject to an ever-changing pandemic, it was only on-theme for us to change our name, which formerly upheld ideals that perpetuated racism, discrimination and hatred. With this final issue, we ring in a semester of new values—encapsulated within our new name—which we always have in the back of our minds: respect, consideration, truth and intentionality. We are here to make your voices heard, as well as you hear your voices. We are here to represent the truth, give a platform to opinions that people want to share and update you on what goes on at UMW, for we really do love this school. So, as we carry on with these intentions, we also have to accept the cycle of life, which means we have to say goodbye to those who have made an impact on our lives and welcome those who have the potential to become just as close. Without further ado, we wish the following editors luck and prosperity as they enter the daunting abyss of post-undergrad life: Abigail Slaughter, Copy Editor Cosima Pellis, Associate Editor Bernadette D’Auria, Associate Editor Victoria Percherke, Sports Editor Cameron Delean, Online Editor Maggie Mae Young, Online Editor Emily Warren, Photography Editor And, with open arms, we welcome the 2022-2023 editorial staff: Jess Kirby, Editor-in-Chief Erin Matuczinski, Business Editor Norah Walsh, Associate Editor Josephine Johnson, Associate Editor Grace Schumacher, Copy Editor Scotti Mullen, News Editor Callie Harkins, News Editor Jo Good, Life Editor Tabitha Robinson, Opinion Editor Emily Hemphill, Sports Editor Sarah Sklar, Photography Editor Ally Tingen, Online Editor Abby Knowles, Online Editor This staff editorial was led by Norah Walsh.
Thursday, April 21, 2022
News
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Past and present OSCAR cases draw concern from faculty FROM OSCAR PAGE 1 saw that this is kind of how it goes and you probably aren’t safe.” Tirzah eventually transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated in 2020. At the time, she didn’t speak up or tell the student media about what happened. But recently, she and her father decided to tell their story to help make change in the judicial review process. Changes Requested to Judicial Process In the recent violent physical assault case on campus, the same issues from Tirzah’s case arose. A student who had been assaulted was questioned in front of the person she accused, and she also wasn’t given the verdict by the Office of Student Conduct and Responsibility—she had to find out from other people. “It was heartbreaking for me to learn this semester that other students are still facing the same experience that my daughter did over four years ago,” said Anand Rao. “I learned from a colleague that at least two other students have left the university, and others are considering transferring, because they also found the student conduct process to not be transparent, that they did not feel supported, and that they do not feel safe on campus.” Tuttle declined to comment and referred The Weekly Ringer to the Office of Student Conduct and Responsibility’s policies and procedures, which can be found on its website. According to the office’s student conduct process rights, accused students have the right to have the conduct process rights and procedures explained to them in a one-on-one meeting. They also have the right to view the incident documentation, have witnesses speak in their defense, question any witnesses participating in the hearing, “be present at the hearing, except during deliberation, or when other accused students are speaking,” have an advisor during the hearing, review the evidence presented and be notified of the decision. In contrast, complainants have three rights: to “be physically separated from the accused student during the hearing” if they give at least two days’ notice, to have an advisor and to appeal the decision. One recent change to the process is that complainants are allowed to have an advisor, often a professor, in the room for support. The Weekly Ringer did obtain a partial recording of the recent hearing, which occurred on Zoom. Kimberly Gower, an assistant professor in the College of Business, was the advisor. At one point, Gower asked Tuttle: “I was curious as to why [the accused] was in the room while she was being questioned, but she wasn’t in the room when he was being questioned.” Tuttle replied, “Well, that’s not something I can talk about.” Since then, Anand Rao and Gower have met with
several administrators, including Tuttle, Dean of Student Life Cedric Rucker, Associate Provost for Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer Shavonne Shorter and Vice President for Student Affairs Juliette Landphair. “I expressed how disappointed I am that students are still reporting that they find the process to not be transparent and that students are leaving the university because they do not feel supported by the process,” said Anand Rao. “I appreciate Dr. Landphair’s willingness to meet with us, and she told us that she would be looking into these concerns and offered to meet with us over the summer to discuss what she finds.” During the meeting with administrators, Gower brought up concerns about how the recent hearing was conducted. “Some of the transparency issues, which Dr. Rao and I both brought up, included the fact that the victim had no idea the perpetrator would be in the same Zoom meeting,” Gower said in an email after the meeting. “The other was that twice Tuttle left us in the waiting room so he could talk to the perp alone, but never gave [the complainant] the same courtesy. I expressed confusion over this ‘due process’ and once again said there were no guidelines and [the complainant] had no idea what to expect and it certainly was NOT ok that she and I enter the meeting and find it out then.” Anand Rao said that he had similar meetings with administrators back in 2018 but that the changes he requested still haven’t been made. He recommended that students in these situations seek support from Landphair. “These are often students who have alleged attacks, or verbal threats, and are at their most vulnerable,” he said. “And after they are brave enough to come forward, the university puts them through a process where they are isolated, are not given the same rights as the accused, and are not given the same support as the accused.” Additionally, Tirzah said that there should be a separate procedure for assault cases. “I feel like these cases especially need to be handled with sensitivity and people who are trained to handle this,” said Tirzah. “And I just can’t imagine that, based on how this has gone down, that anyone involved is really trained in how to handle these types of cases. And so I think that there needs to be a completely separate procedure for something like this.” Although there are different procedures within the Office of Title IX, Tirzah was told that she did not have access to those procedures because she wasn’t in a relationship with the accused student. “I was told that there were certain procedures I could have gone through through Title IX had he been, say, my boyfriend and he had done this to me, but he was not my boyfriend,” said Tirzah. “He was some random man who felt entitled and got mad, and that wasn’t okay. So I don’t understand why I didn’t have access to those protections and resources simply because I wasn’t dating my abuser.”
Access to Disciplinary Records Back in 2017 and 2018, Tirzah and Anand Rao faced hurdles when seeking information about her case once it was over. They were not given any of the case materials, and when they asked Tuttle for a copy of the original incident report submitted by an administrator, he said he would send one, but he didn’t. “When I emailed to ask again for a copy, he replied that he could not because it also listed the name of the other student involved in the incident, the accused,” said Anand Rao. “We were not given a copy of the Maxient report until we filed a FOIA request,” referring to the Freedom of Information Act. Maxient is the software used to report incidents on campus. It was unfair, he thought, that the accused student was able to receive the document, but not his daughter. When the school assessed fees for providing the document, they were eventually quoted over $500. Similar issues were brought up when student reporters tried to get information about the recent case. The Weekly Ringer’s Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the final results of the case was denied by the Office of University Relations because the records are exempt, according to Anna Billingsley, associate vice president for university relations, under a law called FERPA, which protects students’ scholastic records. “The specific documents requested remain scholastic records exempt from disclosure in accordance with Section 2.2-3705.4 of the Code of Virginia and prohibited from release in accordance with FERPA,” Billingsley wrote. However, a reporter’s discussions with the Student Press Law Center revealed that the university may be breaking the law by not providing the verdict to the complainant and the newspaper. According to U.S. law, the center says, schools are not prohibited by FERPA from disclosing the results of disciplinary proceedings in cases involving violence or non-forcible sex offense. Additionally, according to the U.S. Department of Education, “The offenses that constitute a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense include arson, assault offenses, burglary, criminal homicide (manslaughter by negligence), criminal homicide (murder and nonnegligent manslaughter), destruction/damage/vandalism of property, kidnapping/abduction, robbery, forcible sex offenses, statutory rape, and incest.” The recent case was a crime involving violence. The lack of transparency regarding these cases, many say, adds to students’ feelings of unsafety because students can’t assess whether a situation was adjudicated fairly if they don’t know the outcome. “Our number one job is to make students feel safe,” said Gower, who served as the complainant’s support person throughout the hearing. “And I know ... our female students do not feel safe on our campus.”
Political science and international relations classes discuss ongoing Russia-Ukraine war
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and reach its capital, Kyiv. The New York Times released a collection of photographs from within Bucha, documenting death, sexual assault and destruction. These firsthand accounts are leading many to believe Russia is committing war crimes against civilians in Bucha. Organizations like Human Rights Watch are documenting laws-of-war violations across Ukraine. “There are human rights organizations that have documented evidence,” said Melissa Martinez, a UMW political science professor who specializes in human rights, criminal organizations and post-conflict societies in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. “There’s still investigations that are ongoing to officially say there’s absolute evidence.” However, Martinez said that this evidence must be taken to the International Criminal Court in order for Russian forces to be held accountable. “It takes years and that’s the unfortunate part,” she said. “It’s not just about finding Russia in general guilty of these crimes, but it’s about, well, who exactly is guilty? Which individuals are we going to hold for trial?” Davidson also said that pinpointing who exactly is at fault will be difficult. “What is unclear is whether you have rogue units, whether you have a command that is not closely monitoring or controlling their troops, or was it the command?” he said. “Countries violate international law all the time, and specifically things like the law of war, or ‘jus in bello.’ There’s really not a ton that can be done about it.” Davidson said the consequences may be minimal. “I would not be surprised if there are very few people who actually go to prison or serve any sort of sentence as a consequence of this,” said Davidson. “And that’s just an unfortunate part of the world that we live in where powerful countries like Russia get
away with a lot more than weaker countries do.” Although work is being done to aid Ukraine in its fight against Russia, many fear what the future holds. “I think, sadly, what appears to be coming next from everything that I’m reading is that Russia is actually planning to engage in an even more brutal campaign in East Ukraine,” said Davidson. “What is probably most likely in Ukraine is lots of aerial bombardment and missile engagements that are going to blow up buildings and other areas that include civilians.” Martinez discusses the war in her Intro. to Political Science and Developing Countries classes. “It was really in terms of trying to understand the multiple players, what’s happening and what could potentially happen if it escalates,” she said. Davidson has also incorporated current events into his classes. Through content like international law, he is able to explain relevant legal processes and the International Court of Justice that is pursuing Russia. “There’s sort of the set material and then I always bring in something contemporary, and this semester, obviously, this has been kind of the main show in international relations,” he said. “We talked about the International Criminal Court, potential international criminal court cases investigation, preliminary investigation and then the possibility for some sort of ad hoc tribunal.” As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, global efforts denouncing Russia have escalated. “Maybe the good news here is that I think, in terms of numbers of countries, there’s been a real widespread unity in terms of condemning Russia,” said Davidson. “So, unlike many past conflicts, let’s say the 2003 Iraq War, where the international community was kind of split, there’s very few countries that are defending Russia because of this.”
Sports
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Baseball splits doubleheader against Wilson
VICTORIA R. PERCHERKE On April 16, the UMW baseball team split their season against Shenandoah and Salisbury. After the Staff Writer doubleheader at Wilson College in Chambersburg, doubleheader, the Eagles hold a record of 16-17. Pa., losing the first game 5-6 and winning the The baseball team will head into their last few second 14-3. conference games before the Coast-to-Coast Conference Tournament During the first game, the Phoenixes scored two runs to start the that begins May 13. For some players, this will be their last chance to first inning and another in the second. The Eagles didn’t score until compete under the UMW name. the third inning and continued to fight back. Eventually, they tied “We, as a team, decided collectively that we the Phoenixes in the seventh, hoping it would be enough. weren’t going to lose that game.” However, in the final at bat, the Phoenixes won on a walk-off homerun. “We got down early and came back in the middle of the game,” - Sam Freeborne said senior business admin major and outfielder Sam Freeborne. “It was very disappointing especially because we worked really hard to “My final moments are very bittersweet, I’ve played baseball my come back.” whole life but I’m excited for the future,” said Freeborne. After the first game, the Eagles said that their biggest challenge Before the team gets to the tournament, the Eagles will have to face from the first game was getting the last out. their biggest competitor on Saturday, April 23 against Christopher “We were just one strike away from winning,” said Freeborne. Newport in Newport News, Va. As the second game began, the Eagles started to score much “We compete with them every year so we know what’s expected quicker than they did in the last, with five runs in the first inning to win,” said Rubano. “They’re very good competition and we respect and Wilson College not scoring until the following inning with only that. We have to be at our best because they come with their best day three runs. Leaving the second inning with the score of 5-3. in and day out.” “We, as a team, decided collectively that we weren’t going to lose that game,” said Freeborne. The Eagles kept the lead throughout the entire second game scoring three in the fifth, two runs in the sixth and three more in the final seventh, giving UMW the winning score of 14-3. Senior outfielder and economics major Chris Rubano said that sophomore biomedical sciences major Ty Lowe, sophomore center fielder Bobby Ayscue and junior first baseman Tim Blankenship, both business majors, all served as leaders during the second game. “They did their job,” said Rubano after crediting his teammates for leading the rally of runs. According to the UMW Athletics page, in the second game, Ayscue scored on a fielder’s choice. Junior business major Xavier Herring hit two triples and Blankenship drove in a run with a single. Later, in the seventh, Lowe drove two players in on a triple. “I did everything I could for the team,” said Ayscue. “I love baseball because it’s such a challenging game yet rewarding at the same time.” As a sophomore, Ayscue said that this past weekend’s games were a chance to bounce back from a couple of bad losses in the Austin Fitzgerald hitting against Wilson College. UMW Athletics
Men’s lacrosse falls to St. Mary’s College 10-14 michael pataki for the seniors for whom this was their last The men’s lacrosse team lost their last home Staff Writer home game. game of the season 10-14 in a tight match against St. Mary’s College on April 16. “It was emotional because I’ve been playing This was also senior day for the Eagles who sent off Grant Cragg, with the other seniors for four years now and have had some great J.D. Nozemack, Sam Allen, Kevin Cruz, Sam Pugliese, Kristophe memories along the way,” said senior business administration major Newman, Noah Smith, Ethan Rosenberger and Logan Green in front Sam Pugliese. “Overall, it was a great way to honor all of us for what of their last home crowd. we’ve done for the program.” The game was back and forth all the way through the third period, A competitive rivalry has been growing between UMW and St. which ended with the Eagles in the lead at a score of 10-9. Once Mary’s with multiple close “It was emotional game over the past few again, the teams went goal for goal at the start of the final quarter, years. The match-up a year but it was St. Mary’s College who pulled away in the end by scoring because I’ve been the last three goals of the game giving them the win at 10-14. playing with the other prior ended with UMW by a single point in The Eagles’ record is 8-7 after Saturday’s game. seniors for four years losing overtime. Head Coach Drew Delaney described some of the challenges the now and have had some Coming into the game on team faced in the first half, as St. Mary’s defense was doing a good job of disrupting their attacks on goal. He commended the opposing great memories along Saturday, the Eagles were hoping for a better outcome team’s success at maintaining their advantage once they managed to the way.” that would also put them break the tie. in a good position heading “Once they had a two-goal lead, they did a nice job slowing the - Sam Pugliese into post-season play. game with long, patient possessions,” said Delaney. “That forced “A win against St Mary’s us to extend pressure and we were not successful in creating the turnovers we needed to close the gap.” will take some weight off our shoulders heading into the final stretch The loss was tough for all members of the team, but in particular of our season, including games against our conference rivals Salisbury University and Christopher Newport University,” said senior communication and digital studies major Grant Cragg before the match. “Salisbury is currently the number one team in the country and CNU is number two in the country.” Delaney was satisfied with how his team performed. “Saturday was a great game and certainly close until the end,” he said. “We were able to score efficiently in the first half, despite having fewer possessions.” The team is focusing on moving forward and getting prepared for their upcoming and difficult matches against Christopher Newport and Salisbury. Christopher Newport had a strong win against Salisbury last Saturday with a score of 17-7. Pugliese shared some of the team’s strategy and mindset heading into their game against Christopher Newport. “We understand they are the number one team in the nation right now but we aren’t afraid of the challenge,” he said. “As long as we play like we’re not afraid of them, we can give them a battle.” Men’s lacrosse playing against St. Mary’s College
Photo courtesy of Eliana Black
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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 in Newport News, VA May 15 @ Va. Commonwealth Invitational
Men’s Lacrosse (8-7)
April 16 L vs. St. Mary’s (Md.) (10-14) April 23 @ Christopher Newport April 30 @ Salisbury May 3 @ Salisbury
Women’s Lacrosse (8-7)
April 20 W vs. Roanoke (8-5) April 29 vs. Lynchburg May 4-7 @ Coast to Coast Conference May 14 @ NCAA Tournament
Men’s Tennis (9-3)
April19 W @ Salisbury (7-2) April 23 vs. Johns Hopkins April 26 vs. N.C. Wesleyan May 6 @ Coast to Coast Conference
Women’s Tennis (9-5)
April 14 W vs. Christopher Newport (8-1) April 23 vs. Johns Hopkins May 6-7 @ Coast to Coast Conference
Baseball (16-17)
April 16 L @ Wilson College (5-6) April 16 W @ Wilson College (14-3) April 23 @ Christopher Newport April 30 vs. Salisbury
Softball (18-21)
April 16 L vs. Christopher Newport (0-6) April 16 L vs. Christopher Newport (0-4) May 5-7 @ Coast to Coast Conference 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.