The Weekly Ringer

UMW unveils plans for new theatre building,

SOPHIE GRIFFIN Staff Writer

After years of planning, conceptual architectural plans for the new department of theatre and dance building and the renovation of duPont, Pollard and Melchers Halls—the current home of theatre, art and music students—were unveiled at a public preview on Oct. 16. After the $117 million construction project is complete, the new building will stand where residence halls Marshall and Russell are currently located.

The new building will include a 300-seat theatre, a 150-seat studio, dressing rooms, two dance studios, administrative areas, a box office, costume storage and a wig room, as well as study rooms and lounges.

The University worked with Commonwealth Architects and HGA Architects & Engineers to develop these plans, and the funding will come from the 2022-23 state budget. eagleeye.umw.edu

The University worked with Commonwealth Architects and HGA Architects & Engineers to develop these plans, and the funding will come from the 2022-23 state budget.

While Marshall and Russell are located at the bottom of a steep hill, the new building will be constructed with accessibility in mind.

Machado.

Abigail Spanberger defeats Yesli Vega

GRacE ScHUMacHER copy Editor

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) won her third term, beating GOP candidate Yesli Vega in the battle for the 7th Congressional District seat in Virginia. Having won both the 2018 and 2020 general elections with just over 50% over the votes, Tuesday’s win proved no different.

The Associated Press called the race for Spanberger on Tuesday night, with Vega conceding shortly before noon on Wednesday via Twitter.

“I’m always surprised by election outcomes. Particularly, what we know is that we expected the party of the President to lose seats and that certainly occurred,” said Rosalyn Cooperman, chair of the political science and international affairs department. “What is surprising is that the expected red wave, that certainly Republicans were looking for, was a lot less red and kind of spotty in areas and so that is going to be something that political scientists, folks who watch elections and all of us will pay particular attention to.”

The renovations to duPont, Pollard and Melchers will feature improved performance spaces and sculpture, photography, ceramics, kiln and glazing areas.

“The Theatre Department has definitely outgrown DuPont and we need a new building,” said senior theatre major Alex Anthes Rojas. “I’m really sad because I won’t be here to see it, but I’m really happy for the future students that will get a big theatre building.”

“As they currently sit, there is no accessibility,” said University President Troy Paino during the public preview.

Director of the Office of Disability Resources Jessica Machado said she was included in early conversations about the design of the building, as well as architects, capital outlay staff and historic preservation professor Christine Henry.

“Our first conversations were before any of the planning happened, which is the right time to think about accessibility,” said

The current brick path starts at the top of the hill by Brent House and includes stairs that lead down to Russell and Marshall, making it inaccessible. In order to create an accessible path down the hill to the new building, planners initially considered constructing a new path. But rather than have two paths, they will be constructing one accessible curved path, which will not interfere with any historical sites. This accessible walkway will be carved into the hillside, extending Campus Walk.

“We were talking about where this second path would be, how it would have to curve around the stairs and into the woods. There’s historic sites, so disturbing that area was also something that was really concerning,” said Machado. “It’s kind of a beautiful example of how we can make something that is going to be usable by everybody

Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and international affairs, noted that Spanberger’s power is likely to be overshadowed by a Republican Congress.

“The reality is that for the next couple of years, the likelihood is that there’ll be a Republican majority in Congress and that means any Democratic initiatives, regardless of who puts them forward, will not get very far,” he said. “The main thing to expect over the next few years out of Washington is gridlock. The country is basically divided 50/50. And so, even if one party controls the level of power, there’s still enough influence on the other party to block a lot of the agenda.”

According to Farnsworth, prior to the recent redrawing of the district, Fredericksburg has historically favored Republicans. In past years when democratic candidates ran, they never saw success as a result of the district’s design.

“Virginia’s new 7th district is more democratic than the old district in terms of where the lines have been redrawn,” said Farnsworth. “Spanberger had the advantage of a district that was more democratic.”

Despite this favorable position, only 10% of voters originating in the old district remained in the new, Farnsworth said, forcing Spanberger to introduce herself and her policies to voters new to the altered 7th District.

Spanberger ran a moderate campaign, strongly advocating for women’s reproductive freedom as well as educational legislation, both messages that deeply resonate with a

should abolish daylight savings.

project to cost $117 million

“Our first conversations were before any of the planning happened, which is the right time to think about accessibility.”

-Jessica Machado

10, 2022

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UMW reflects on competitive race between Spanberger and Vega for Va.-07

FROM MIDTERMS PaGE 1

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“I wasn’t able to vote in the 7th district, but I did vote, as well as phonebank and canvas for Abigail Spanberger,” said sophomore computer science and political science double major and Young Democrats officer Luke Busch. “I’m super happy she won!”

The College Republicans did not immediately respond to The Weekly Ringer’s request for comment.

In observance of Election Day, UMW encouraged its educators to cancel classes, giving students the opportunity to travel to their respective districts, however far, to vote.

Schwers, a junior political science major and chair of the UMW Young Democratic Socialists of America. “More specifically we are here advocating for ... progressive policies in the United States both economically and socially.”

Though some were excited about their first time casting their ballot, others were not thrilled with either candidate.

“The choice becomes which one is less evil,” said undeclared freshman and Radical Students’ Union member Eleni Kepler.

Freshman political science major Tonia Attie noted the importance of voting no matter what the candidates are like.

“Even if you don’t like the candidates, even if you don’t agree with either side it’s still important to vote because you have to have your voice heard, be represented,” said Attie. “It’s the only way we can actually have change.”

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Others were excited to participate in such a close race.

“It feels awesome knowing that our city played a vital role in this election,” said junior international affairs major Joe Johnson, president of the Young Democrats. “It should remind us that we all matter, one vote, our votes have effects for representation across the nation.”

Caitlin Shirvinski, a senior geography major, felt the importance of casting her ballot.

“I felt that given the political climate, my vote was super important,” she said. “There were a lot of human rights issues addressed by the candidates particularly relating to women’s rights. It was empowering to vote.”

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Corrections

Due to editor error, last week’s article “UMW conducts annual test of emergency notification system: the Great ShakeOut earthquake drill” was incorrectly attributed to Bernadette D’auria. Staff writer Kranston Blakey wrote the article.

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

UMW Votes, a program offered by the Center for Community Engagement looking to encourage students’ civic participation, offered rides to the polls from the Bell Tower from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 8.

Katheryn Gonzalez, a senior political science major and member of UMW Votes, was one of many volunteers providing students with information regarding departures to their polling location.

“I think that this is great exposure for the political process on a campus this size,” said Gonzalez. “Helping and encouraging young adults to turn out to vote, because they are such a large population however they don’t vote as frequently, is something that we’re trying to work to change and to promote civic engagement among younger college students.”

Ryder Ward, a freshman theatre major, got a ride to the polls from UMW Votes.

“I was excited to vote for the very first time,” said Ward. “It was really easy. They made sure that we all knew our information before going in, making sure we all had proper identification and everything like that.”

The UMW Young Democratic Socialists of America also participated in Day on Democracy.

“We are participating in Day on Democracy of course encouraging young people to vote and to engage in their civic duty,” said Devin

Plans for new theatre focus on accessibility

FROM THEATRE PaGE 1

all at once, instead of making something separate, like an add on that no one is going to walk through the woods to get to.”

The construction on duPont, Pollard and Melchers will also improve accessibility, which is currently hindered by the stairs in front of duPont and the layout of the three connected buildings.

“The three buildings that are connected are very confusing for everybody, and we often get concerns from people just

even trying to access a building and not knowing how to get into certain parts,” said Machado. “In order to get into duPont, you either have to enter through Melchers or Pollard. You can’t actually enter duPont, so you have to go through one of the side doors. The accessible entrances are down a hill, curved and around, and then you have to curve back in, so its not easy to figure out.”

Paino introduced the idea for a new theatre building in his 2015 strategic plan. Currently, the entrances of Marshall

and Russell face the hill and the inside of campus. However, the new building’s entrance will face William Street and Sunken Road, opening the building up to the Fredericksburg community.

“I hope it’s an era when we become more outward facing and intentionally a bridge to the community we serve,” said Paino. “We hope to be opening up our campus to the community we are here to serve, in a very real way.”

Jess Kirby, Josephine Johnson and Callie Harkins contributed to reporting for this article.

Josephine Johnson and Callie Harkins contributed to reporting for this article.

Students table on Election Day. Josephine Johnson / The Weekly Ringer

The Fredericksburg trolley takes UMW students to the polls. Josephine Johnson / The Weekly Ringer

Virginia should abolish daylight savings time, making standard time permanent

KRaNSTON BLaKEy Staff Writer

So many of us look forward to fall; it’s the season of pumpkins, changing leaves, com fy clothes and tamer weather. But the dreaded end of daylight savings time—and the 5 p.m. darkness that comes with it—ruins the season and does more harm than good.

Daylight savings is the practice of moving clocks forward an hour during the spring so darkness falls at a later time, then moving the clocks back an hour in the fall to resume standard time. Standard time is the local time for a country or region when daylight savings time is not in use, also referred to as the winter time or normal time. Because the practice of switching from daylight savings to standard time is outdated and negatively impacts our health, the state of Virginia should keep standard time all year.

According to an article by the Washington Post, “daylight saving time does not save evening light at all, it simply steals it from the morning when it is necessary to maintain our biological rhythms.”

Phyllis Zee, chief of sleep medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, has also spoken against daylight savings time.

practicing daylight savings, people could have better sleep, reduced risk of heart issues, reduced risk of strokes, cost savings, fewer auto accidents, religious dilemmas and changing crime rates.

Daylight savings disrupts circadian rhythms, which are internal cycles in the body that regulate physical, mental and behavioral changes over a 24-hour period. Affect ed by our exposure to light and darkness, these rhythms play a key role in regulating sleep and wakefulness. Disrupting the rhythms causes you to be less alert and prone to sickness or accidents.

This has led sleep experts to call for the abolishment of the practice.

Dr. Susheel Patil, a clinical associate professor at Case Western University School of Medicine who specializes in sleep medicine believes daylight savings is the root of certain health and safety problems humans face.

-

“While no time system will be perfect for everyone, making daylight saving time permanent would lead to a greater number of dark mornings than we have now,” said Zee.

In the U.S., Arizona does not practice daylight savings due to their weather. If they were to practice daylight savings, the sun would stay out until 9 p.m. in the summer. With the intense heat, that would bring extreme discomfort to the state’s residents. Hawaii also does not participate in the changing of the clocks. Because they are so close to the equator, sunrise and sunset times don’t change much.

We can look to Arizona and Hawaii as examples of why daylight savings is not a necessary practice for every state, further underscoring that Virginia would benefit from having a consistent clock time year-round. Having permanent standard time instead of daylight savings time as the new norm would benefit our health and safety.

According to an article by Reader’s Digest, if we as a state collectively stopped

In an interview with Raw Story, he said, “The loss of sleep has been shown to result in an increase in car accidents during the week after the change to DST, and there can be an approximately 20 percent increase in patient safety-related incidents associated with human error.”

Among the negative health impacts of daylight savings is the heightening of seasonal depression. In an article published by HealthLine, “A study published in 2017 found that there was an 11 percent increase in depressive episodes during the switch from daylight saving to standard time.”

Some students experience this effect firsthand.

“I do feel the effects of seasonal depression, but I’m not sure if it is tied to daylight savings or the weather change,” said junior communication and digital studies major Maddie Fry. That being said, Fry doesn’t see any use behind the practice. “I definitely think we should stop practicing daylight savings. I feel like presently, daylight savings causes more of an inconvenience and remains pointless,” she said.

Daylight savings originally started as an energy-saving practice, according to NPR. It was first introduced in Germany on April 30, 1916, in an attempt to minimize the use of

With standard time, the earliest sunset in Washington, D.C., would be 5:45 p.m. instead of 4:45 p.m.

Erin Landfair / The Weekly Ringer

artificial light to save fuel during war times. Within a few weeks, many other countries followed suit, but most of them reverted back to standard time after WWI, though they began the practice again at the start of WWII.

But in reality, daylight savings time isn’t an effective energy saver.

According to an article by Energy News Room in 2020, “A report by the U.S. Department of Transportation found that DST reduced electricity use by 1 percent but had no impact on home heating.”

“I do feel the effects of seasonal depression, but I’m not sure if it is tied to daylight savings or the weather change. I definitely think we should stop practicing daylight savings. I feel like presently, daylight savings cause more of an inconvenience and remains pointless.”

Maddie Fry

Shifting the clocks to standard time benefits our sleep, health and heart. Sonja Langford / Unsplash

“While no time system will be perfect for everyone, making daylight saving time permanent would lead to a greater number of dark mornings than we have now.”

- Phyllis Zee

Book review: “Trail of Lightning” author Rebecca Roanhorse explores Indigenous Futurism

BERNaDETTE D’aURIa Staff Writer

“Trail of Lightning” by Rebecca Roanhorse has got to be one of the most surprising reads of the year for me. I bought the book years ago at a used bookstore and was a bit hesitant to dive into the urban fantasy genre. However, Roanhorse was able to take the basic tropes of urban fantasy and provide an Indigenous Futurism spin on them that ultimately made her debut a compelling and unique experience unlike any that I have read before.

The novel follows the supernaturally gifted Maggie Hoskie as she attempts to survive the Sixth World, an age following the disastrous results of climate change that left most of the world engulfed by water. Because of this flooding, little land remains. The only reason Maggie survived this disaster was that great walls were magically created to protect the Navajo Nation of Dinétah. In this post-apocalyptic setting, the gods and heroes of native legend walk the land, and monsters are known to terrorize communities. Using her powers, Maggie makes it her mission to hunt down the monsters that make trouble for her and others.

The urban fantasy tropes are easy to see in this short summary. Much like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” or “Supernatural,” you have a real-world setting that encompasses an array of monsters and larger-than-life figures, a young protagonist who has one foot in the real world and another in the world of the gods, an investigation that takes on a noir aesthetic and plenty of supernatural creatures. However, unlike other urban fantasies, Roanhorse uses the genre to explore the lasting impacts of colonialism and shapes her world in a way that fights against it. This is where the Indigenous Futurism aspect comes into play.

Indigenous Futurism is an artistic movement that explores Indigenous perspectives of the past, present and future. The term was first coined by Anishinaabe professor Grace Dillon of Portland State University in the Indigenous science fiction anthology “Walking the Clouds.”

In this anthology, Dillon states that all Indigenous Futurisms “involve discovering how personally one is affected by colonization, discarding the emotional and psychological baggage carried from its impact, and recovering ancestral traditions in order to adapt in our post–Native Apocalypse world.”

One of the most powerful lines from the novel comes from Maggie’s recollection of the first time she saw the wall that protected Dinétah. After comparing the structure to something out of the apocalypse, she thinks to herself, “But I had forgotten that the Diné had already suffered their apocalypse over a century before. This wasn’t our end. This was our rebirth.”

In this way, Roanhorse acknowledges Dillon’s statement on the post–Native

Apocalypse world. By having the wall shut out the rest of the apocalypse-ridden world, there is room for rebirth and the return of tradition that takes form in the novel through the gods and heroes who have returned to Maggie’s world after remaining dormant for so long. In a world where colonialism ruled, there was no space for figures like Coyote and Neizghání. But now that the world has been destroyed—in large part because of colonialism—these figures can once again make an appearance—and they do.

Another aspect of Dillon’s definition that Roanhorse incorporates into her novel is the emotional and psychological impact that colonialism breeds through its impact. In a 2019 interview, Roanhorse discussed “the contemporary issues I wove into the story, the biggest one for me being mental health, abuse and trauma,” which are common issues that women of the Native community face.

To further inform these contemporary issues, as well as to develop the theme of community in the novel, the reader meets Maggie when she is a very isolated woman. She has essentially been traveling on her own for the better part of the year after being abandoned by her longtime mentor. In a 2018 interview with Geekly Inc, Roanhorse emphasized the importance of community and how Maggie’s lack of one is a detriment to her.

“For Natives, community is everything,” Roanhorse said. “To be isolated from or rejected by your community is to lose your identity and your way, and that’s exactly what happens to Maggie.”

Despite her lack of community and constant traveling, Maggie still longs for connection. It may not be explicitly stated early on in the narrative, but as the story unfolds and readers see Maggie’s commitment to helping others, you begin to realize just how much she cares for the people around her. Her internal conflict of not wanting to hurt or be hurt by others while still going out of her way for them is what makes her so compelling to read about. She is truly one of the most complex female protagonists I have read about this year, and I think it will be hard for any other character to take that title from her.

As written in Kirkus Reviews, Roanhorse “has given us a sharp, wonderfully dreamy, action-driven novel.” And as the first Indigenous American to win a Nebula and as a finalist for the Hugo award, nothing less could be expected from her.

“Trail of Lightning” is a thrilling, fast-paced read that is full of action, introspection and lots of traveling. If you are looking for a gripping story full of monster battling, colonialism commentary and a protagonist that is stubborn but loving, you should definitely pick this book up.

“Trail of Lightning” is one of many books written by Rebecca Roanhorse. @rebeccaroanhorse / Instagram

Rebecca Roanhorse’s “Trail of Lightning” discusses the urban fantasy genre. @rebeccaroanhorse / Instagram

UMW Galleries presents Raw & Unfinished: Works from UMW’s Permanent Collection

SaRaH SKLaR & JOSEPHINE GOOD Photography Editor & Life Editor

UMW Galleries has unveiled a new exhibit called Raw & Unfinished: Works from UMW’s Permanent Collection. The exhibit was curated by the interns at the Ridderhof Martin Gallery: senior studio art and English major Emma Bower; junior historic preservation and art history major Alice McCoy; senior historic preservation major Roland Diaz; junior studio art major Margaret Neafsey; senior art history major Ashlee Perkins; and senior studio art major Paula Zuleta. It features works of Salvador Dali, Phillis Ridderhof Martin, Alfred Levitt, Julien Binford and Margaret Sutton. There is also a digital reproduction of Picasso’s “Ronde de la Jeunesse” from 1959.

The name of the exhibit showcases the artistic process by emphasizing the beginnings of a piece of artwork and how they are each worthy of display. To get visitors involved, there is a new interactive exhibit in the lobby in which participants can sketch, write or make origami. They can pin their work to the corkboard next to the table and become a part of the exhibit.

The gallery opened on Nov. 3 and will remain open until Dec. 4 at the Ridderhof Martin Gallery between Wednesday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Josephine Johnson contributed to reporting for this article.

There are artist biographies by their respective artwork. Sarah Sklar / The Weekly Ringer

Visitors can pin their own artwork to a corkboard in the lobby.

Sarah Sklar / The Weekly Ringer

Alfred Levitt’s “Female Figure.”

Sarah Sklar / The Weekly Ringer

Phillis Ridderhof Martin’s “Self Portrait with Blue and Red Lines.”

Sarah Sklar / The Weekly Ringer

Salvador Dali’s “Don Quixote.

Sarah Sklar / The Weekly Ringer

Phillis Ridderhof Martin’s “Three Figures.”

Sarah Sklar / The Weekly Ringer

Recap: UMW versus CNU in C2C conference games

EMILy HEMPHILL Sports Editor

The UMW women’s soccer team lost to Christopher Newport University 0-1 in the Coast-to-Coast conference final game on Sunday. Despite no goals scored in the first half, UMW was dominating the game offensively with two key shots, eventually leading in shots on goal 1312. UMW’s defense held strong again in the second half except for one breakdown in the 69th minute, which the Captains took advantage of as CNU’s Emily Talotta scored the only goal of the championship match. UMW senior goalkeeper Ally Holden made eight fantastic saves.

The UMW men’s soccer team won the Coast-to-Coast conference championship in a sudden death penalty kick shootout against Christopher Newport University on Sunday, Nov. 6 in Salisbury, Md. The first 90 minutes ended in a 1-1 tie with both the teams managing to score in the final minute. UMW senior Gadsoni Abel scored off a pass from Diego Guzman with 89:41 on the clock. CNU then tied the game at 89:58. Neither team was able to secure a goal in the 20 minutes of overtime play. The game went to a penalty shootout, and UMW came out with the win thanks to Hemmendinger’s two big saves.

The UMW field hockey team fell 2-6 to Christopher Newport University on Wednesday, Nov. 2. CNU took a commanding lead from the first whistle, scoring two goals in the first six minutes of the match. UMW’s senior captain Caperton Beirne responded with a goal at 16:32, though it was not enough to stop CNU from scoring the next three goals. Towards the end of the third quarter, UMW’s fifth-year senior Sydney Keating managed to get a shot past the goalie for their second point of the game. CNU solidified their victory with a sixth goal by Emily Evans. UMW’s junior goalie Bailey McNabb had 15 saves.

Senior Griffin Hemmendinger blocks a goal. UMW Athletics

Sophomore Eliza Franklin takes on a CNU defender. UMW Athletics

Freshman Emma Lehman reaches for the ball. UMW Athletics

Honor Council motion proposes new changes to Faculty Handbook regarding assignment expectations

PRIya PaTEL Senior Writer

This semester, a new Honor Council motion has proposed changes to the Faculty Handbook, which would prohibit the use of automatic test proctoring systems and require professors to provide more explicit expectations to students on all assignments, among other changes. The motion is set to be discussed at the University Faculty Council’s next meeting on Nov. 30.

If approved, the revised Faculty Handbook would include the addition of “an explicit statement that faculty should let students know what actions are allowed or forbidden in their courses,” said David Rettinger, a professor of psychological science, who proposed these changes last semester. Rettinger also serves as the Honor Council faculty advisor and director of academic integrity programs.

“If the motion passes, students will gain a better understanding of what constitutes an Honor Code violation in their class,” said Honor Council President Abby Delapenha, a senior biomedical sciences major.

According to Rettinger, the current handbook only requires professors to make explicit statements on writing assignments, while the proposed changes would require these for all types of assignments.

“Many honor code violations occur on exams, homeworks, or other nonwritten assignments,” he said. “The new language also highlights the importance of explaining the rules in each course regarding collaboration, since there is wide variance between classes, leading to the possibility for confusion.”

The motion also proposes a policy that would prohibit the use of automatic test proctoring systems, which watch students’ activity to monitor for cheating. Some systems perform this by accessing all tabs open in a browser and anything else running on the device, while others use the camera to track eye movement.

“In theory, when those systems see something unusual like a student continually looking in a specific direction, the algorithm flags that student’s video for a human to review it for potential cheating,” said Zach Whalen, associate professor in the department of English, linguistics and communication and director of the digital studies minor.

Whalen is concerned about student privacy regarding automatic test proctoring systems.

Rettinger said.

Whalen also believes using automatic test proctoring contradicts UMW’s honor system.

“And more generally, automatic test proctoring is based on the premise that students cannot be trusted, which in my view undermines the values of the honor system,” he said.

The changes would also give faculty clearer guidelines about grading students with honor code violations.

“The contents of the motion codify and clarify existing policy and practice for the situations when a case is in progress, a student is found responsible, and when a student is found not responsible,” Rettinger said. “The policy more explicitly reiterates faculty prerogatives in grading while still granting students the rights outlined in the Honor Constitution.”

If approved by the University Faculty Council, the changes to the handbook would still need to be reviewed by the Board of Visitors, which Provost Tim O’Donnell said would take place in late spring.

taking longer because some faculty are against these changes.

“I haven’t used these systems, but I understand the problem they’re trying to solve and the reasons why some faculty may want to use them,” he said. “Tests are an important way to ensure that students are really learning the content. At the same time, students are entitled to their privacy, and I’m concerned about the way these systems have to invade students’ privacy in order to work. Machine vision systems are not perfect, and their errors have been shown to disproportionately misidentify people who are already marginalized.”

Rettinger also cited privacy concerns and flaws in the software’s performance as reasons to prohibit the use of automatic proctoring.

“Given the inequities and privacy concerns with automated proctoring systems, this policy is designed to encourage faculty to take an active role in student assessment rather than outsourcing this aspect of our job,”

At their Oct. 19 meeting, the University Faculty Council decided to table the issue until the next meeting because the Faculty

Earlier this year, on March 31, Rettinger met with the University Faculty Affairs Committee to explain his rationale behind these changes. However, committee members were concerned that the changes are unnecessary and would restrict academic freedom in the classroom. The University Faculty Affairs Committee also disagrees with strictly prohibiting automated proctoring systems.

“While we understand that there are valid concerns with automated proctoring services, administrators should educate faculty about problems or shortcomings with these systems rather than imposing a strict rule for all faculty in all situations for future years,” the University Faculty Affairs Committee’s March 10 meeting minutes say. “It doesn’t seem appropriate to use the faculty handbook in a way that limits faculty professional discretion.”

Handbook cannot be changed until the fall 2023 semester to ensure that the rules are consistent throughout the academic year. This will also allow the council to focus on more time-sensitive issues.

Rettinger also said that the process is

The conversation between the University Faculty Affairs Committee and Rettinger ended with an agreement to disagree, and Rettinger decided to take the proposed Faculty Handbook changes to the University Faculty Council without support from the University Faculty Affairs Committee.

Crime Column

caLLIE HaRKINS News Editor

There has been no crime reported since The Weekly Ringer’s last publication on Nov. 3.

“In theory, when those systems see something unusual like a student continually looking in a specific direction, the algorithm flags that student’s video for a human to review it for potential cheating.”

-Zach Whalen

The Honor Code is an integral part of UMW. Sarah Sklar / The Weekly Ringer

“Given the inequities and privacy concerns with automated proctoring systems, this policy is designed to encourage faculty to take an active role in student assessment rather than outsourcing this aspect of our job.”

-David Rettinger

Volleyball aces the Coast-to-Coast conference

yaMILa MERIDa Staff Writer

On Saturday, Nov. 5, the UMW volleyball team defeated Salisbury University, 3-1, to become the 2022 Coast-to-Coast Conference champions in front of a home crowd. With a hard-fought, 3-2 win on Friday over No. 3 seed Christopher Newport University, the Eagles moved on to the finals against Salisbury to ultimately win the title for the third time in school history.

“We were thrilled to truly cement that we are the stronger team once again,” said junior geography major Marie Butler. “It’s one thing to beat a team once, but three times brought us great confidence in ourselves. Salisbury is always a hard opponent and winning again made us feel like our hard work truly paid off.”

The Eagles dominated most of the sets throughout the Salisbury game.

At one point, UMW and Salisbury were tied 1-1 following the first two sets, but UMW came back swinging for the final two. It was 1624 during the third set when Caitlyn Burch took the opportunity to spike the ball and put the Eagles up 2-1.

The winning point was secured by sophomore setter Brenna Campbell. She served the ball and the other team bumped the ball out of bounds, giving the last point and championship to UMW.

“Beating Salisbury in the final was a surreal moment for me and the team,” said junior psychology major Emma Hadley. “We had already defeated Salisbury twice this season, so we were very confident entering the game that we could take them. We haven’t won the conference since 2016 and the entire game was one to remember. The giant crowd and the energy the team had gave us a clear path to winning that game.”

Senior business administration major Krista Rodgers, honored last week by the Coast-to-Coast conference as a Scholar-Athlete of the Year, expressed how incredible it felt to win the championship.

“That is a goal we have every season and for the last 3 seasons (missing a season because of covid) we have been so driven to achieve that goal and for it to have just happened this season is a dream come true,” said Rodgers. “Each day in the training gym we try to push ourselves like we would in the championship game so that we are constantly getting better and are ready for anything when we get in that situation.”

The Eagles reached a spot in the final against Salisbury after coming out on top from a tough battle, despite unexpected electrical issues, against rival Christopher Newport the day before.

Five minutes into the first set, CNU was up by three points when the lights shut off, stopping the game. Many people in the crowd were confused but continued to cheer for their team. It took about 15 minutes for the lights to fully turn on, and then the game proceeded.

UMW took over the second set by Hannah Livermon going in for a dig, Campbell keeping the ball up and sophomore Emily Flamm going in for a right tip to keep it alive, blocking the ball from the opposing team and ending the set with a score of 26-24.

The two rivals pushed each other into a five-set game with UMW

working together to win the semifinal match.

The two matches were part of the Coast-to-Coast Volleyball Tournament on Nov. 4 and 5, which UMW hosted in the Ron Rosner Arena.

Alumni Tenley Hares, a 2020 graduate with a degree in biology, returned to her alma mater to become one of the assistant coaches for her former team.

“CNU has always been a big rivalry with us,” she said. “It’s always been us in the championship, and last year we played them in the semifinals and that ended our season. It’s always been one of those big pressure games.”

Before the game against CNU, Head Coach Alex Hinsey shared the team’s game plan.

“Our game plan is to focus on our side of the net to be the best team we can be today,” he said. “And not to worry as much about what the other team is doing!” Before every game, he always tells the players, “Focus on yourself and be the best player you can be today.”

After the game, the team celebrated their triumph over their rival in the semifinals.

University of Mary Washington Fall Sports Schedule

EMILy HEMPHILL Sports Editor

Men’s Soccer (10-4-3)

Nov. 4 W vs. Salisbury (1-0)

Nov. 6 W vs. chris. Newport @ Salisbury (penalty kicks shootout) Nov. 12 vs. Marymount

Women’s Soccer (12-5-4)

Nov. 4 W vs. Uc Santa cruz @ Newport News, Va. (1-0) Nov. 6 L @ chris. Newport (0-1)

Men’s Rugby (2-5)

Oct. 29 L vs. St. Bonaventure (1448)

Nov. 5 L @ Penn State University (17-29)

Nov. 12 vs. Kutztown University

Men’s Basketball (1-0)

Nov. 8 W @ Lynchburg (85-58) Nov. 12 @ N.c. Wesleyan

Women’s Basketball (1-0)

Nov. 8 W @ Franklin & Marshall (57-40) Nov. 11 @ Randolph-Macon

Women’s Volleyball (24-7)

“It was definitely nerve-wracking, but all day I had it in my head that we are not losing this game,” said Flamm, an elementary education major, after the match against CNU. “We already beat CNU twice this season so we knew what we had to do to win. Lovely Hannah Livermon went on a 10-point run with her serve, as soon as that happened I knew we were gonna win.”

Hares also shared her thoughts about the semifinal game versus CNU.

“This year they rose to this occasion and you couldn’t see the pressure on them,” she said. “We’ve beaten them three times this year and that’s kind of unheard of and hard to do. They always say it is hard to beat them three times but we did it.”

The Eagles’ big win on Saturday earned them an automatic spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. They will face off against Cedar Crest College on Thursday, Nov. 10, once again at home in the Ron Rosner Arena.

“We are feeling super excited to have the opportunity to play in the tournament as well as being able to host it!” said Rodgers. “It is so awesome to be able to be at our home court again for this awesome opportunity. The student section was so helpful during the conference play and am so excited to see how it will be during this tournament!”

Nov. 4 W vs. Chris. Newport (3-2) Nov. 5 W vs. Salisbury (3-1) Nov. 10 vs. Cedar Crest

Men’s Swimming (3-2)

Nov. 4 L @ Franklin & Marshall (121-141)

W vs. york (192-68) Nov. 11 vs. St. Mary’s (Md.)

Women’s Swimming (4-1)

Nov. 4 W @ Franklin & Marshall (138-124)

W vs. york (212-49) Nov. 11 vs. St. Mary’s (Md.)

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.

UMW volleyball wins the C2C conference championship. Steven Miller / UMW Athletics

Players and spectators celebrate after the win.

Steven Miller / UMW Athletics

“Our game plan is to focus on our side of the net to be the best team we can be today. And not to worry as much about what the other team is doing!”

-Alex Hinsey