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UMW Humanist Society pushes for university motto change

PRIYA PATEL Senior Writer

On Jan. 23, members of the UMW Humanist Society met with the Student Government Association to propose changing the school’s motto. The current motto is “Pro Deo Domo Patria,” which translates from Latin to “For God, Home and Country.”

“As a group that advocates for human dignity and wellbeing, we have been disturbed by the political events of the last few years,” said class of 2022 alumna Kelly Pedigo, one of the club’s founding members. “Current movements that encourage the mixing of religion and politics and call for returning to traditional values are movements we think the student body and university administration may be interested in distancing themselves from. Changing the school’s motto to something that better reflects UMW’s current priorities would be a step in the right direction. It’s our motto. It should be something we’d be proud to wear on a t-shirt or shout at graduation.”

According to the Humanist Society’s proposal, “the fact that this motto has not been reassessed since the school’s founding in 1908 shows that it is not a representation of the current diverse student body our school encapsulates.”

The Humanist Society believes that the current motto is out of date and invokes different ideas than it likely did when it was first selected.

“Largely it was an opening meeting to answer any first questions about our proposal and make our goals known to them,” said Humanist Society President Ava Spencer, a senior Earth and environmental science major. “We talked with them about how we could help each other accomplish this goal.”

The Humanist Society’s plan to change the school’s motto begins with

JFMC teach-in: Race and Language

jESS kIRBY & kY hUYNh Editor-in-Chief & Staff Writer

On the evening of Thursday, Jan. 26, junior Layla Barnes asked those in Chandler Ballroom to close their eyes, think back to when they were young and raise their hand if the following situation ever happened to them.

“You are very young, probably early elementary school, usually somewhere between first and third grade, and you need nothing more than to desperately go to the bathroom,” she said. “You most likely say something along the lines of, ‘Can I go to the bathroom?’”

“Your teacher might not just respond with yes,” she continued. “But you might have had a teacher that says, ‘I don’t know, can you?’ Or maybe you have a teacher that says, ‘Do you mean may I go to the bathroom?’ and insists on correcting you.”

Many audience members raised their hands.

talking with the student body.

“We as a club will be having another interest meeting in early February to discuss the issue with students and plan on doing word on the street style videos asking students on Campus Walk to guess what our motto is out of a handful of other fake mottos,” Spencer said. “We’ll then get their opinion on the issue and take those opinions to the administration.”

The Humanist Society has planned to change the motto since the club’s founding.

“Changing the school’s motto was one of our first long-term goals, so it has been in the works from the beginning,” said Pedigo.

Because the logo is written in latin on the UMW seal, many do not know what it means.

“I was not aware that our school had a motto,” said Jenna Montijo, junior studio art and religious studies double major. “I believe the motto should be changed. ‘For God and Country’ no longer fits the atmosphere of the school.”

Pedigo believes that changing UMW’s motto would not be as much of a step back from tradition as other

actions the university has taken.

“Frankly, if UMW really wants to embrace tradition, maybe it should stop tearing down historic buildings on campus, as well as stop turning historic interiors into spaces that look more like airport lounges than classrooms,” she said.

The Humanist Society plans to propose a campus-wide email that will allow students to submit new motto ideas that can then be narrowed down by the Student Government Association and other student leaders.

Pedigo is hopeful for what the Humanist Society will accomplish.

“The club has been a service organization since day one, and I’m sure their first steps will involve engaging with the student body and making sure everyone’s voice is heard on this issue,” she said. “The club has also done a great job in the past of coordinating with UMW administration, as well as local leaders like Mayor Greenlaw. I’m sure that the club will facilitate open, honest conversations with all stakeholders as they work to make the change happen. As an alumna, I can’t wait to see what they accomplish.”

That was the beginning of the James Farmer Multicultural Center’s “Race and Language,” a social justice teach-in about standardized English and institutionalized racism, led by Barnes, an English: creative writing major in the secondary education program studying to be an English teacher.

Throughout the teach-in, audience members engaged in a critical dialogue about language and race in the education system. Those in attendance answered discussion questions with the people at their table, and Barnes led the conversation, interweaving research on standardized English that she has studied since her freshman year at UMW.

“Standardized English is the English that we claim to teach in schools,” she said. “It is what we say that we are teaching when we are enforcing correct grammar, when your teachers are telling you to say, ‘May I go to the bathroom?’

The University of Mary Washington’s seal as seen in the rotunda of James Farmer Hall. cas.umw.edu

“Standardized English is this imagined idea of the language of the privileged, and it becomes this abstraction that we use as a gateway.”

-Layla Barnes

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Social justice teach-in examines standardized English in higher education

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It is understood as the most widely and universally accepted form of English, and it becomes the privileged way of speaking.”

Though many think of standardized English as rule-based and invariable, Barnes said, that is not the case.

“We envision standardized English as somehow without variation, as uniform, as standard, but all spoken languages are variable at every level,” she said. “The only languages that are truly standardized, that are no longer changing, that are no longer varying, are dead languages. But if we have a language that is living, that is still in use, it will, by definition, continue to change and resist standardization.”

Therefore, Barnes said, standardized English is no more than a myth. Instead, it is an abstract concept referring to the language of the educated, which, in American history, consists of mostly the white middle class.

Barnes then closely examined African American Vernacular English to illustrate the inaccuracy of these myths.

“Unlike these common myths, it is a sophisticated and rule-based language system,” she said. “There is a correct and an incorrect way to speak in African American Vernacular English. It is not a simple incorporation of slang or a failure to learn.”

Many students in attendance heard about the event from their professors.

“I was already pretty familiar with the topic because I’m in sociology, but I learned about how deep the information goes,” said freshman Alex Pineda-Bautisa. “It may seem like a surface-level issue but there’s actually more to it, especially involved systemically, than what we think.”

Katy Field, a freshman elementary education major who also attended the teach-in, said she learned valuable information that she will employ in her future classroom.

“I have learned that language is deeply tied to our culture and our identity, and that our languages deserve recognition and validation,” she said. “I hope to use everything I learned in my classroom when I become a teacher to make each of my students feel safe and appreciated.”

students whose writing does not adhere to standardized English, consultants must decide to either suggest changes to the writing—which would likely improve the students’ grades—or leave it be and risk students’ grades suffering for “incorrect” grammar.

“Standardized English is this imagined idea of the language of the privileged, and it becomes this abstraction that we use as a gateway,” she said.

The students “incorrectly” asking to go to the bathroom was an example of correctness versus effective communication.

“They have these ideas of grammar, correctness, education. But ultimately, that’s not necessary for understanding,” said Barnes. “It is different to be grammatically correct, as your teacher wanted you to be, according to some arbitrary rules, versus to have actual effective communication, which is when we are both mutually understood.”

When educators correct phrases like these, Barnes said, this reinforces that standard English is superior. Minoritized variations—those that belong to historically marginalized communities— are consequently seen as inferior.

“We have a couple common myths that seem to attach themselves to most if not all minoritized dialects of English,” she said. “You’ll often hear them referred to as slang or vernacular or even street English. So the idea that they are not really a dialect or an ordered language system with their own grammatical systems, but they’re just ignorance—they’re just a failure to learn standardized English. ... And these are all unequivocally amiss—none of these things are actually true.”

Barnes’s research started as an assignment for ENGL 480: The Peer Tutoring of Writing, the class that trains writing consultants for UMW’s Speaking and Writing Center.

“I really began to realize that there was no satisfactory solution we could achieve from within the center—we were stuck in the impossible balancing act that I described in my presentation,” she said. “And to make a real change we had to reach the people who had the power to evaluate and enforce language.”

Looking ahead, Barnes will be sending out a survey to the campus community to learn more about their experiences with language and race. With the aim of getting more students involved in the project, she is also working with the Office of Student Activities and Engagement to create a club.

“I set out thinking I was going to research how we could better help students who speak English as a second language and how we could help students who came into college lacking fundamental writing skills,” Barnes said after the teach-in. “I stumbled on this issue of race and language in the Writing Center almost by mistake, and the course of my paper completely shifted. What was supposed to be a two-page paper turned into seven.”

Every semester, Barnes now presents to the training class about the myth of standardized English in higher education and the role tutors play in furthering that relationship. When working with

“I ultimately want to privilege the lived experiences of students of color who actually deal with this issue over my own perspective,” she said. “That’s something I’ve been really conscious of throughout this whole process, trying to avoid positioning myself in the role of the ‘white savior’ swooping in with all the answers or speaking over people of color about what’s best for them.”

Barnes’s ultimate goal is to organize a larger conference on the topic.

“There are a lot of different things on the horizon right now, and I’m certainly not done,” she said. “The biggest challenge, honestly, is balancing all of that with just being a student.”

“I have learned that language is deeply tied to our culture and our identity, and that our languages deserve recognition and validation.”

-Katy Field

Layla Barnes in the Speaking and Writing Center.

Photo courtesy of Layla Barnes

“The only languages that are truly standardized, that are no longer changing, that are no longer varying, are dead languages.”

-Layla Barnes

Free, open access course materials should replace costly textbooks

The return to campus and start of new classes comes with one major expense for students: textbooks. However, with so much material available online for free, textbooks are often unnecessary for students to succeed in the classroom, and they shouldn’t be required.

There are many factors that make textbooks inaccessible for students, and the barriers they have to maneuver to acquire these textbooks are often not worth it in comparison to their quality and use. The issue of access for students of lower socioeconomic statuses is a driving factor in why UMW should encourage professors to only use free, online resources rather than textbooks.

According to the Education Data Initiative, the average yearly cost of textbooks and academic materials in one year is $1,226. The initiative also reported that “25% of students reported they worked extra hours to pay for their books and materials” and “11% skipped meals in order to afford books and course materials.” Therefore, the benefits of having textbooks do not outweigh the stress of having to pay for them.

Inside Higher ED also found that textbook prices can be a cause of lower grades. This is because some students cannot afford to purchase the expensive textbooks needed for classes, leading to missing material needed for quizzes and tests. If free course materials were provided, students would have an equal opportunity to excel in their classes, independent of their financial situation.

Beyond that, the fact of the matter is that textbooks are no longer needed. Some students simply don’t see the use of textbooks anymore, especially due to how they are currently used in classes.

“Just last month, one of my advisees asked me about where he could find some financial resources so he could pay over $500 for his reading materials this semester,” said Associate Professor of Spanish Jose Sainz. “We should all be doing the best we can to use teaching materials that are widely available to students free or at a small and fair cost. The cost of higher education in the US is simply exorbitant and I feel that with textbooks, students and families continue to get the short end of the stick.

“Textbooks don’t usually help and aren’t necessary,” said Olivia Mallory, a sophomore psychology major. “I think they can be useful, but they are not used the right way by professors. They should use them as aids to help their own teaching instead of either not using them at all or over-using them instead of teaching themselves.”

While every professor utilizes materials in a different way, having resources such as presentations, articles and other course-related documents on Canvas renders the need for textbooks obsolete. Many readings can also be found for free

“Unless a professor assigns homework from the textbook or it’s an actual book about a specific topic discussed in the class, I don’t really think they help me with coursework, to study for quizzes and tests, I generally look through class presentations on Canvas, my own notes, or educational videos about that topic.”

through the UMW library’s website and other resources like Google Scholar. Having the internet full of videos, summaries and explanations about unlimited topics at students’ fingertips also renders textbooks obsolete.

“Unless a professor assigns homework from the textbook or it’s an actual book

about a specific topic discussed in the class, I don’t really think they help me with coursework,” said freshman political science major Tonia Attie. “To study for quizzes and tests, I generally look through class presentations on Canvas, my own notes, or educational videos about that topic.”

Sainz uses free, open access resources whenever possible in his classes. “This also means that sometimes I had to make changes to my syllabus but that is not a deal breaker for me,” he said. “I also understand that this route may not be possible in all disciplines. Nonetheless, I do believe that it is imperative that we continue to look for ways to reduce the financial burden on students and it seems to me that using open access resources is a start.”

Additionally, for majors where advances and new findings are constantly taking place, the information in textbooks may quickly become outdated.

“If the textbooks are for a numbers class, it can be helpful with exercises,” senior business administration major Molly Walsh said. “Otherwise, the data goes out of date as soon as it’s printed.”

For her sociology of education class, junior sociology major Alexis Cervantes did not have to pay for any textbooks—all materials were provided for free online. “I like it because I like annotating online and it’s less stuff I have to carry around, plus I don’t have to worry about losing it or having to return it.”

Many students wish they had access to less expensive, online resources rather than traditional textbooks.

When asked about access to textbooks and whether or not they are a needed expense, Attie said, “I think students should be given more access to online textbooks, ones that do not cost more than a physical copy.

In addition to eliminating the expense, online resources are also more environmentally friendly than printed textbooks. “It saves paper, saves ink, and reduces the amount of things that students need to carry from class to class,” Attie said.

“Since everything is now moving to be digital, it’s easier to have everything in one place, it just makes it easier carrying everything and taking materials to and from class.

-Mary Marcell

The ability to have all of your materials in one place—your computer—is also a benefit of only using online resources. In the classroom, professors can always utilize and reference the text, trusting that their students are able to follow along on their laptops. For students themselves, they can take advantage of their time to do work on the go and not have to carry along heavy textbooks all the time.

“Since everything is now moving to be digital, it’s easier to have everything in one place,” said junior communications and digital studies major Mary Marcell. “It just makes it easier carrying everything and taking materials to and from class.”

As we enter into a new digital age where more and more information can be accessed virtually, textbooks have become an unnecessary expense for students. Purchasing textbooks for a course is a needless requirement for students in an age where more relevant and substantial information can be accessed online through databases and case studies.

MARGARET jACkSON Staff Writer

“I like annotating online and it’s less stuff I have to carry around, plus I don’t have to worry about losing it or having to return it.”

-Alexis Cervantes

-Molly Walsh

Textbook prices are becoming more and more expensive. Alexander Grey / Unsplash

The University of Mary Washington Bookstore is convenient for getting textbooks and school supplies. Anna Blake / The Weekly Ringer

Personal essay: Coping with perfectionism-driven anxiety and separating grades from self worth

ANNA BLAkE Staff Writer

“It’s only the second week of school. How can you be stressed already?” My friend asked me this as I was eating lunch and staring into a void. I had spent the previous night tossing and turning, stressed over the large stack of readings I had to do for multiple classes, as well as the fact that I had to get up in a few short hours for a 9 a.m. class.

Within the last year, I have come to realize that my desire to strive for academic validation has strongly impacted my mental health. Instead of realizing I was tired and needed a break, I would try to push through a long reading that I could barely understand with an exhausted brain. As I tried to complete my work through brute force, I inevitably would lose focus and become frustrated with myself that I couldn’t read an infinite amount of pages in one sitting and that it took me hours to read those pages. I would also start feeling guilty for doing things that were not school-related, such as watching an hour-long episode of a TV show. I recently started waking up in the middle of the night with my heart racing and my mind darting to all the things I have to do in the coming days. One of the reasons it took me so long to realize that my obsession with perfect grades was unhealthy was that I was so focused on pushing through my work that considering my mental health didn’t occur to me.

I didn’t grow up thinking that I needed academic achievements to make my family proud, but the pressure I feel to succeed is something that I have grown to obsess over. Growing up, I was an average student, but when I got into high school and started getting mostly A’s, I realized

that it made me feel good and that I want to continue to feel that validation from my grades.

My anxiety-filled nights are usually the product of having multiple assignments or readings due within the week and feeling like I don’t have enough time to complete them. As a quick clarification, I don’t spend every minute outside of the classroom doing school work; I work on campus, play on the club tennis team and relax by watching TV and spending time with my friends. While none of these things are particularly unique to me, as most of my friends also work and are involved with clubs and sports while being full-time students, my intense need to be perfect makes me feel like I’m an awful and lazy person for not being able to do it all.

It’s not often that I get to the point where I am completely overwhelmed with anxiety, but when I do, my brain tells me that I will never be successful in life and that my entire being will be demolished if I don’t turn in an assignment or do a reading. The long list of to-dos, coupled with my thoughts of failure, always lead to long weepy FaceTimes with my mom.

can’t remember what it feels like to be drowning in work or how it feels to be woken up with my heart racing as a reaction to all the things on my to-do list. I continue on like it never happened and go back to enjoying tennis practice, working on campus and relaxing without feeling guilty. My feelings of being overwhelmed by schoolwork neutralize and I continue to complete my work to the best of my ability like I always do.

Once I get through the rough patch and my workload feels manageable again, I can start to rationalize my fears and convince myself that they will not manifest into reality. However, part of me immediately forgets any sort of struggle I experienced to succeed and the other part cannot fathom the idea of missing an assignment, which leads me to push myself too far and repeat the cycle. After many FaceTime calls with my mom, I’m able to push through my work and use the next few days to get past my feelings of anxiety and thoughts of failure—I forget they exist until the next wave hits. When I’m in between waves of anxiety, I

As I am writing this, I recognize that grades are not everything, but that mindset changes when I head into busy weeks. When I am between the waves, I know that perfection is not realistic and that no one is perfect. I also recognize that college is not even a marker of success for many people, and there are other life experiences that indicate success.

who understands and has witnessed my experiences of academic anxiety. I asked how she deals with her stress when she has busy weeks and how she avoids letting it consume her. We talked about our approaches to work and she shared her method of creating a list of tasks and prioritizing them. Although looking at a long to-do list is usually the cause of my anxiety, the most important thing I gained from our conversation was to take breaks and prioritize my mental health.

Last week, I was only able to complete two-thirds of my reading before class, and that was okay. I was mildly disappointed in myself for not getting to it all, but I was also able to get over it quickly because I didn’t beat myself up about it. I flipped my mindset by being glad that I was able to get some of it done rather than none of it.

Another one of the things that has helped me the most has been going to club tennis. While it can be stressful to think about going to practice when I have a lot of work, I’m always glad when I go because I get to hang out with my friends and release a lot of stress. Another thing that helps me when I get stressed is remembering that long after I finish college, I will probably never think about a specific grade I got in any class.

I’ve recently learned that if I get consumed by trying to get perfect grades I can miss the point of learning, which is to take in new knowledge, apply it and gain a better understanding of a subject. A big turning point in recognizing this was a long and deep talk with one of my friends

When I start to feel anxious about a busy week, I hope to look back on this and remember that grades in college aren’t the only way to be successful or fulfilled in life. I will always want to strive for academic achievements, but I am slowly starting to realize that my identity as a student should not be perfect grades, especially if it comes at the cost of my mental health.

I didn’t grow up thinking that I needed academic achievements to make my family proud, but the pressure I feel to succeed is something that I have grown to obsess over.

When I am between the waves, I know that perfection is not realistic and that no one is perfect.

Anna Blake discusses the anxiety she has faced as a college student and different ways to cope.

Unseen Studio / Unsplash

Making a to-do list can be helpful for some and anxiety-producing for others. Glenn Carstens-Peters / Unsplash

Book review: “Vita Nostra” critiques higher education, takes readers to suspenseful, secluded school

BERNADETTE D’AURIA Staff Writer

Translator Julia Meitov Hersey describes the lyricism in “Vita Nostra” as “deceptively simple and straightforward.” When she was tasked with translating the book from its original form into English, she faced a challenge in replicating a simplicity that “morphs from emotional to cerebral to metaphysical and back within a single paragraph.”

Hersey certainly succeeded in this venture, as the praise for “Vita Nostra” printed in the book includes acclaim from The Washington Post and award-winning novelist Lev Grossman, who credited the book as a “powerful influence” on his own writing. Recently, the novel has been floating around on BookTok, a subsection of TikTok that focuses on, you guessed it, books. As one TikToker put it, the Dyachenkos’ novel is “Kafka if it was set in a magical school.”

All this being said, what is “Vita Nostra”?

Originally published in 2007 in Ukraine by author duo Marina and Sergey Dyachenkos, “Vita Nostra” follows sixteen-year-old Sasha Samokhina and her enrollment into the Institute of Special Technologies, a secluded university that leads Sasha into a very different life than the one she had imagined for herself.

When I selected “Vita Nostra” from the pile of books that I have been meaning to read, I was initially frustrated by the novel’s pacing. In retrospect, I can tell that this is the authors’ intent, as Sasha herself is frustrated with the situation she finds herself stuck in. The novel opens up with a recently graduated Sasha vacationing with her mother at the beach. During this holiday, Sasha is coerced by a strange and menacing man into attending a secluded university. How is she coerced? By being forcibly trapped in a time loop that does not end until she starts to cooperate. The time loop aspect of the novel’s opening is frustrating because, like Sasha, you as the reader have no idea what is going on. However, by positioning the readers into a mindset where they only know the information that Sasha knows, the authors are able to construct an extremely suspenseful novel. The more Sasha wants to know the answer to something, the more you do as well. It makes her eventual obsession with learning the purpose behind the institute so much more believable, as you are just as eager as her to learn.

Learning is at the heart of this novel, or rather, the institution of higher learning. One of the novel’s primary concerns is the tyrannical nature of higher education. At the Institute of Special Technologies, first-years are regulated to knowing nothing about the purpose of their classes, assignments or attendance. The professors are purposeful in their withholding of information and are repetitive in their notion that everything will make sense after their year three winter exams.

Knowledge is put on a hierarchy and only those with the power, prestige and experience are able to attain it. When Sasha falls behind pace, she is punished. When she moves ahead of her pace, she is punished. The institute, under the guise of protection, aims to keep itself at the top of the educational hierarchy and refuses to let any one student or group of students dismantle it. It’s an eerie depiction of the gatekeeping that goes on within higher education.

Another criticism of higher education that “Vita Nostra” tackles is its overall destructive nature. It’s no secret that attending university is a stressful endeavor, and Sasha’s experience is no exception. Throughout the novel, students at the Institute of Special Technologies are pressured to succeed, as a consequence of their failure could be the death of a loved one. While reality may not have a literal representation of this extreme circumstance, pressure to succeed in order to support your loved ones is a real thing. As the exams for Sasha and her classmates draw closer, so does your dread, as you and the characters know the consequences of failure.

Sasha’s pressure is heavier than her peers, as she is labeled a top student early on in her studies. This means that the professors at the institute expect more from her and that the consequences of her failures are even loftier than those around her. Throughout the novel, Sasha will go days without sleeping, hours without eating, and will isolate herself away from friends and family. Her desire to succeed is driven both by her need to uncover the secrets of the universe and her fear of failure. Her feelings are not uncommon from what many college students will feel at one point, making Sasha a very relatable character despite her eccentricities.

Language also plays a profound role in the Dyachenkos’ novel. While the novel is translated, the duo’s original exploration into the meaning and impact of certain words on the world is not lost. The Dyachenkoses aim to explore how words construct the world around us, both those that are spoken and unspoken. They explore the relationship between the words “love” and “fear” and how they are intrinsically tied together—as you cannot love something without fearing for it.

Overall, if you are looking for a read that is suspenseful, critical of higher education and mesmerizing in its prose, I suggest picking up a copy of this novel. Once you get through its initial slow pace, it’s a quick and addicting read that leaves you questioning the world around you.

“Vita Nostra” takes the reader on a journey of finding out the full story, all while letting the reader find out the missing pieces along with the main character. @yuliamh / Instagram

Knowledge is put on a hierarchy and only those with the power, prestige and experience are able to attain it.

Julia Meitov Hersey translated the book to English from its original language. @yuliamh / Instagram

Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Club begins work to expand access to free menstrual products in restrooms

The UMW Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Club is heading a student-led effort to bring more free period products to campus. On Wednesday, Jan. 25, they shared a survey on their Instagram, @umwwgstclub, asking for feedback from UMW students about where menstrual products are needed on campus.

“The data has shown that menstrual products would be beneficial in both women’s and gender-neutral restrooms across campus,” said Emma Dabolt, a senior women’s, gender and sexuality studies major and club secretary.

As of Tuesday, Jan. 31, 37 people have responded to the survey. According to that data, a majority of respondents believe menstrual products would be beneficial in women’s and gender-neutral restrooms on campus. Respondents indicated that the products would be useful in popular places such as the Cedric Rucker University Center, the Hurley Convergence Center and Simpson Library. Menstrual products may also be beneficial in the restrooms of campus dining locations, according to the survey.

The club will be partnering with the Student Government Association and the Gwen Hale Resource Center for this endeavor.

“In 2020 Virginia lawmakers passed a law requiring public schools to provide free pads and tampons in student bathrooms, but that does not extend to higher education universities,” said Molly Potock, senior women’s, gender and sexuality studies major and club vice president. “Toilet paper, paper towels, and soap are all consistently provided in bathrooms, why shouldn’t pads and tampons?”

The idea came to the group in a meeting last semester.

“We all felt that while there were menstrual products provided on campus, they were in inconvenient places, and you could never be sure the boxes would be full,” said senior English and women’s, gender and sexuality studies double major and club president Lucy Clark. “When you’re in a situation where you are seeking out a tampon or pad in a public restroom, you don’t want to have to hike to a different bathroom you never even knew existed and find an empty box.”

The effort to provide free menstrual products on campus began about six years ago. In 2017, the UMW Student Government Association launched the Tampon Program to provide free menstrual products in various locations across campus.

In 2018, then-senior and Inter Club Association President Kate Barry wrote a letter to the Board of Visitors. “The SGA executive cabinet has voted to continue the free tampon and pad program in bathrooms throughout campus,” she said in the letter. “We have plans to request funding from the Finance Committee this week to buy products for the next academic year. For the past year, I have been the sole ‘re-stocker’ and general point person for the project, though we have plans to discuss the expansion of the project as well as determine a different strategy for restocking.”

By supporting students with free and accessible period products, the club hopes to improve students’ educational experience and help alleviate the financial burden and stress of finding period products.

“Anyone that’s found themselves needing a menstrual product with none in sight knows the stress it adds to your day,” said Potock. “We want to alleviate that stress so students can instead focus on learning. This small detail can make a world of difference in students’ quality education and attendance rates. No one should have to miss a class because they don’t have access to medical necessities like menstrual products.”

Students can access and complete the bathroom location popularity survey by following the link in the club’s Instagram bio or by sending them an email at umw. wgstclub@gmail.com.

The Women’s, Gender and Sexuality club will be holding a donation drive running from March 6 to March 17. The club is also holding a bake sale on March 8, where students can exchange period products for or purchase desserts, with the profits going towards buying period products.

Crime Column

CALLIE hARkINS News Editor

Trespassing

On jan. 28 at 3:18 a.m., there was an incident of trespassing at Brompton house. This case is pending.

“When you’re in a situation where you are seeking out a tampon or pad in a public restroom, you don’t want to have to hike to a different bathroom you never even knew existed and find an empty box.”

- Lucy Clark

Bathrooms across campus advertise certain restrooms that feature free menstrual products, as not all provide them. Sarah Sklar / The Weekly Ringer

GRACE SChUMAChER Copy Editor

Men’s basketball defeats Falcons at home 87-62

kATY ROSE PRICE Staff Writer

The UMW men’s basketball team defeated the Pfeiffer University Falcons with a score of 87–62 at home on Thursday, Jan. 26. The win contributed to the Eagles’ 14–5 record so far this season.

“I thought we played pretty well from start to finish,” said Head Coach Marcus Kahn. “Attention to detail throughout the game was pretty consistent, which is something we’ve really been working on.”

This game offered the team another chance to showcase their skills, particularly following a narrow loss of 69–64 to the Yeshiva University Maccabees on Jan. 22 in New York City.

The Eagles came out strong in the first half, leading 19–10 within the first eight minutes. Their first half scoring was some of the best it’s been all season,

shooting 63% from the field with 17 of their 27 shots finding the net.

One spectator noted the intensity of the game. “The other team started the game playing really strong defense, so I knew we were in for a good game,” said senior elementary education major Kayla Bradner. “The boys were definitely up for the challenge.”

The Eagles impressed the crowd with several 3-pointers made by senior forward Greg Rowson, junior guard Zack Blue and senior guard Da’Shawn Cook. However, Pfeiffer had a short run, bringing their score within 12 points of UMW’s. This only seemed to energize the Eagles as they dropped 18 more points before halftime, Cook responsible for seven of these as well as a 3-pointer right at the buzzer. As the first half concluded, the Eagles came out on top with a score of 51–29.

UMW was supported by the home crowd, as well as the cheerleading team, whose cheers, stunts and tumbling passes across the gym floor ignited applause and cheers from the audience.

The second quarter started with the Falcons racking up some points on a 7–2 streak, but the Eagles didn’t let that dissuade them. Working as a team, UMW quickly put 20 points between them and the Falcons.

The energy remained high as the Eagles continued to dominate. Blue stole the ball, then passed it to freshman Dorian Davis as they sprinted down the court, resulting in a layup by Davis.

The game ended in an 87–62 victory for the Eagles, following two consecutive 3-pointers by sophomore Gabe Wilson. Several players on the roster had notable performances, especially Cook who scored 19 points, with Blue closely following at 18 points. Both recorded six rebounds each, and Blue had five assists. Rowson also had a strong game, scoring 12 points, as well as senior guard Cameron McCravy, who had 9 points.

“We knew we needed to share the ball a lot better than what we have recently, passing it, and spreading them out,” said Kahn. “Offensively and defensively, we needed to help each other, which I thought we did a good job of tonight.”

UMW’s supporters also enjoyed watching how the game played out.

“As someone that doesn’t watch a lot of basketball, the game was very exciting and fun to watch,” said Bradner.

With 16 assists, 41 rebounds and multiple steals throughout the game, the team worked hard as a cohesive unit.

University of Mary Washington Winter Sports Schedule

“We played well as a team,” said Blue, a junior business major. “We’ve been playing not together as much the last couple of games so it’s nice to get back to that.”

Looking ahead, the Eagles will play U.C. Santa Cruz at home on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 12 p.m., one of the four games left before the regular season concludes.

Men’s Basketball (15-5)

jan. 22 L @ Yeshiva (64-69)

Jan. 26 W vs. Pfeiffer (87-62)

Jan. 28 W vs. Widener (83-66)

Feb. 1 vs. Chris. Newport

Feb. 5 vs. UC Santa Cruz

Women’s Basketball (17-3)

jan. 28 W @ Lynchburg (85-53)

Feb. 4 vs. UC Santa Cruz @ Newport News, Va.

Feb. 5 vs. Regent University @ Newport News, Va.

Men’s Swimming (7-3)

jan. 20 W @ Marymount (Va.) (193-68)

Jan 21. L vs. Gettysburg (126-136)

Feb. 3 vs. Southern Virginia

Feb. 16-19 @ METS Championships

Women’s Swimming (9-1)

jan. 20 W @ Marymount (Va.) (193-69)

Jan 21. W vs. Gettysburg (136126)

Feb. 3 vs. Southern Virginia

Feb. 16-19 @ METS Championships

Women’s Indoor Track

jan. 27-28 vs. VMI Winter Classic @ Lexington, Va.

Feb. 4 @ Liberty Open in Lynchburg, Va.

Men’s Indoor Track

jan. 27-28 vs. VMI Winter Classic @ Lexington, Va.

Feb. 4 @ Liberty Open in Lynchburg, Va.

Games are available to watch via livestream on the UMW Athletics webpage

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Full schedule not listed above. Most recent games included. Bold indicates home game.

EMILY hEMPhILL Sports Editor

Zack Blue and Greg Rowson playing some good defense against Pfeiffer. Blue finished the game with 18 points and three steals. Rowson finished the game with 13 points and two steals. Ian Chapman / The Weekly Ringer

Da’Shawn Cook contributed 19 points and six rebounds in the win against Pfeiffer. He shot six for six from the free throw line. Ian Chapman / The Weekly Ringer

“The other team started the game playing really strong defense, so I knew we were in for a good game. The boys were definitely up for the challenge.”

-Kayla Bradner

Devin Johnson coming off the bench had a stat line of four points, two steals, two rebounds and one assist for Mary Washington

Ian Chapman / The Weekly Ringer