2023 senator Uchechi Okoronkwo and 2026 senators Katherine Armstrong, Marissa Kessler, Ashley Lam and Tonia Attie. Class Council elected the class of 2023 Vice President Page Davidson, 2026 President Torres, 2026 Vice President Christopher Walker, 2026 Promotions Director Ashley Lam and 2026 Treasurer Jack Sabio.
By calling the 24-hour ProtoCall line, a student will receive assessment and be connected to the Talley Center during business hours should they need additional
“I want to make sure everyone’s voice is heard, I’m really big on that and transparency too, I just want to make sure the right information is getting to the right people,” she said.
The Talley Center is located in Lee Hall room 106 and the Tyler House on College Ave. University of Mary Washington
SEE ELECTION PAGE 7
Zukor’s hope is that wider access to support and licensed physicians will lower the chances that crisis situations will escalate.
MARGARET JACKSON Staff Writer
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Some students believe that increased accessibility to counseling services will allow students to utilize the Talley Center as a greater resource.
After gaining some confidence from being elected onto a club executive board, Davidson, a senior psychology major, decided to run for Class Council Vice President.
“All of us at the Talley Center are incredibly grateful to President Paino and the Division of Student Affairs for recognizing this need for increased mental health support for our students,” said Dr. Tevya Zukor, director of the Talley Center.
This decision was made after a survey was conducted by the UMW Police Community Advisory Board, commissioned by University President Troy Paino to review police activity and crisis response on campus. Formerly, the University Police would respond to afterhours mental health calls. The Community Advisory Board’s final report, completed and delivered to Paino in March 2021, found that “reforming the University’s mental health crisis response protocols is needed to require that mental health clinicians are (i) available to students 24/7 and (ii) are the primary responders in a mental health crisis, while using Campus Police in a
TheWeekly The University of Mary Washington Student SEPTEMBERNewspaper22,2022Serving the community since 1922 Ringer VOLUME 96 | ISSUE 4 RINGERTHEINSIDE NewsandmonkeypoxaboutconcernedStudentsCOVID.| 7 UMW Esports team gettingis ready for the season.2023Sports|8 Social Justice OpinionmakeSummitLeadershipandhelpschange.|3 Lifealbum.debuttheirreleasedJockstrap|4-5
ADDY REEHER Staff Writer
“I think the increased accessibility will benefit student[s] in that it allows students to lean on the Talley Center for emotional support,” said junior marketing major Melea Lineberry.
“This increase in mental health support coverage for our students should not be taken lightly and will have a significant positive impact on students,” he said. “When a student is in distress, the impact is rarely isolated to just the immediate student. Instead, it is also the friends, family and support-providers of the identified student who are usually impacted.”
Talley Center offers 24/7 emergency support for students through ProtoCall
“Now that students are able to access crisis support in the middle of the night and on weekends, the number of times police need to respond or the frequency in which a student needs to be evaluated at a hospital are likely to be significantly reduced,” said Zukor. “Which will have a positive impact on ALL students, faculty and staff involved in crisis situations. The more that a situation can be contained and de-escalated before becoming critical benefits everyone.”
On Sept. 14, students received an email from Student Activities and Engagement with a link to the ballot for this fall’s campus-wide elections. The email included a list of the organizations that were having elections and when the ballot would close. The winners were announced on Sept.
As of Sept. 12, the Talley Center for Counseling Services now offers 24-hour counseling services. While students can still receive care from the Talley Center during their business hours, ProtoCall, a 24-hour behavioral health services center, is available when the Talley Center is closed. This initiative aims to provide the campus community with mental health resources at all hours and minimize the role of the UMW Police in responding to mental health crises.
Students voted from Sept. 14 to Sept. 15 at 11:59p.m. for different elected positions. @saeumw / Instagram
“Knowingservices.thatstudents are able to receive mental health support and crisis intervention by trained clinicians at all hours, helps the staff sleep better at night and remain focused on supporting students during the day,” said Zukor. “The change in the Talley Center’s hours and services provided is a prime example of the University of Mary Washington putting students and their wellbeing first.”
Zukor noted that having 24-hour mental health services available benefits not just students, but staff, friends and family members as well.
Students have expressed support for the expansion of mental health care access and believe that the Talley Center having more hours will provide a greater sense of comfort.“Ithink
SGA16.elected
it’s good, something terrible could happen in the middle of the night, by the morning they might change their mind about seeking help,” said junior philosophy major Faith Newbold.
supporting role.”
According to a July 26 statement from the UMW Public Health Advisory Working Group, “UMW continues to evaluate the COVID pandemic in accordance with public health guidance and will provide updates to the campus community when there are significant updates from the CDC or an increase in our community levels. We are also monitoring the latest data and information about the spread of monkeypox.”
The American College Health Association has released official recommendations for institutions of higher education. The guidance emphasizes the importance of assessing community risks in accordance with national data. With masks no longer required on campus, the ACHA refers these institutions to local data regarding case numbers.
-Cassie Atkinson
Jess Kirby, Priya Patel and Daniel Childers contributed to reporting for this article. Ringer by Bernadette D’Auria
The start of the fall 2022 semester has seen two ongoing public health crises: monkeypox and the COVID-19 pandemic. With lessened COVID guidelines at UMW compared to past semesters, some students are concerned about the transmission of the viruses.
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As of Sept. 21, there are 440 monkeypox cases and 10,291 COVID cases in Virginia, according to the CDC.
Schumacher said that sometimes she sees her classmates wandering the hall, unsure of which classroom to go to.
“Many people also don’t know what the rash looks like which could cause someone to misidentify a rash as an acne outbreak or something similar,” she said. “Addressing these misconceptions could be really helpful in curbing the spread of the disease.”
“I think our community can do better to protect each other and respect the lives of our most vulnerable peers,” said Atkinson.
CALLIE HARKINS News Editor
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“It’s tiring to not really know where you’re going to have class every time you show up,” she said.
Please report any corrections to Jess Kirby at weeklyringer.eic@gmail.com or Sushma Subramanian at ssubrama@umw.edu
UMW faces monkeypox and COVID this fall
urging people to wear masks in healthcare facilities.
Due to source error, last week’s article, “Rad ical Students’ Union protests in solidarity with Black UVa students following hate crimes and vandalism” incorrectly credited two photos to Myca Lester. The photos were taken by Jamie Vuong.
There are still signs Sarah Sklar
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“I’m certainly worried about the spread of monkeypox,” said Cassie Atkinson, a junior political science and communication and digital studies double major. “Granted, I think it is unlikely because the spread is already slowing down, but the fact that we aren’t doing anything to prevent it does worry me. All it takes is one person to contract it for it to spread like wildfire on a college campus.”Inprevious semesters, UMW provided the number of COVID cases, tests, and isolation and quarantine spaces available to the UMW community through its COVID dashboard. While this dashboard no longer exists, COVID guidelines on masking, vaccinations, testing and isolation are still available on UMW’s website, and students are encouraged to continue self-reporting COVID cases.
While COVID cases and community levels have fluctuate week by week, the number of monkeypox cases have mostly remained static.Some students want more guidance on COVID and monkeypox from the university.
Last semester, students received an email each Friday with the subject “Weekly COVID Update.” Changes have since been made to include monkeypox case information. This semester, members of the UMW community have been receiving weekly health updates from UMW’s Public Health Advisory Working Group, sent out through email by Executive Director of University Communications Amy Jessee.
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The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a public health emergency on June 23, 2022, and has continued to collaborate with the Centers for Disease Control to outline health and safety guidelines in response to the ongoing COVID pandemic.
Atkinson also thinks that it would be beneficial to inform students of what the monkeypox rash looks like.
These weekly emails report a COVID community level using the CDC COVID Data Tracker. The community level has been fluctuating between low and high; it was reported as low on Sept. 2 and Sept. 16 and high on Aug. 26 and Sept. 9.
“It’s nice being in classes and seeing faces, it helps me engage with people more,” he said.
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News Page 2Thursday, September 22, 2022 Weekly
As of Sept. 21, there are 440 monkeypox cases and 10,291 COVID cases in Virginia, according to the CDC.
Some students, like junior business administration major Joseph
‘22
“I think UMW could always do more. Most importantly, I think more candid information about the current infections of monkeypox in the area.”
“Our professor wants to ensure that everyone is in good health, so she follows the transmission emails pretty religiously,” said senior Grace Schumacher, a historic preservation and English double major. “Depending on the content of those emails, we will be notified about which classroom we’re going to be in that week, since one classroom is larger than the other.”
“I think UMW could always do more,” said Atkinson. “Most importantly, I think more candid information about the current infections of monkeypox in the area. I’ve tried my best to find information about this online, and it’s very difficult to locate regional data.”
Some professors have been changing their class locations based on the COVID community levels.
Modeszto, welcome the relaxed COVID guidelines compared to previous semesters.
Since 2016, the University of Mary Washington has been hosting the Social Justice and Leadership Summit, an annual event that brings awareness to social justice issues and the paths that we as a community can take to respond to them. Open to UMW, high school and community college students in the Fredericksburg area, the event allows attendees to engage with a variety of different speakers who bring a deep insight to different aspects of social justice, and it promotes impactful conversations between everyone.Originally scheduled for March 2022, this year’s Social Justice and Leadership Summit had to be postponed due to inclement weather. Rather than simply canceling the event, the Summit subcommittee and Chris Williams, the assistant director of the James Farmer Multicultural Center, elected to hold the event on Sept. 17, 2022, as well as continue with the regularly scheduled summit in March 2023. This is the first Summit to be held in person since 2019.
With midterm elections approaching, young people registering to vote is essential, which makes this the perfect time to have a speaker like Burnett at Mary Washington to motivate students who care about social justice and civil rights. The need for the younger generations to become politically and socially aware grows every day, and the Summit arms them with knowledge they can put into action at the polls this November.
Williams believes that the postponement of the summit was a blessing in disguise. With the recent rise of political and social activity, such as the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the ongoing pandemic and criminal justice issues, “social justice has come to the forefront even more so after this summer,” said Williams. “Students on campus feel that this is a great time to have an event like this because these social justice issues need to be addressed and UMW students and high school and community college students in the greater Fredericksburg area want to play a role in trying to find solutions.”Hadthe event been held in the spring, students would have had the opportunity to engage with Qasim Rashid, an activist, attorney and author who ran for the Virginia State Senate in 2019. Unfortunately, Rashid was unable to attend the summit this fall, but Burnett filled his spot. “Having someone like him at the summit is going to be profound for the students in attendance,” said Williams. “We’re talking about an individual who is responsible for changing how the law works for the betterment of every citizen in this nation. For the past fifty to sixty years, he’s had a direct impact and influence on how civil rights law is dictated in this country.”
diversify students’ and the general public’s knowledge on inclusivity and equity in higher education,” she said. “Having summits like this should be a requirement at predominately white institutions so that instructors, faculty, and students understand more about issues and current events that occurred or are occurring in BIPOC communities.” Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) are oftentimes not included in the serious conversations at predominately white institutions, and the Summit brings a new opportunity to highlight their perspectives.
included in all conversations. When everyone has a seat at the table, the conversations become more productive and impactful.
This fall’s guest speakers included UMW faculty members as well as a special guest, the Honorable Judge Arthur Burnett Sr. Having events like this is essential to helping students and faculty learn and grow, and they are especially important at predominantly white institutions, as they allow everyone to share knowledge and broaden their perspectives.TheSummit has a great importance to the students and faculty of UMW. “The Social Justice and Leadership Summit is important because it creates an opportunity for students to become aware of these social issues, and to create a plan of action,” said Kate Ramirez, a senior marketing major, first generation college student and the vice president of the Latino Student Association. “This is an opportunity to motivate students to work together while breaking down cultural barriers.”
The Social Justice and Leadership Summit hosts UMW students, high schoolers and community members. Dr. Marion Sanford / JFMC
Creating space for everyone is one of the most important aspects of the Summit. Every year, it allows people to be exactly who they are, no matter how they identify and to feel
Gwen Harrison served on the subcommittee for the Social Justice and Leadership Summit.
UMW President Troy Paino (right) and vice president for student affairs Juliette Landphair (left) pose at the JFMC Social Justice and Leadership Summit with t-shirts. Dr. Marion Sanford / JFMC
Having a variety of different speakers helps expand the conversations around social justice. When people think about social justice, they tend to minimize what they talk about, usually reducing the conversation to simply ending racism and sexism, but rarely do they dive deeper and think about social justice through different lenses to focus on more specific aspects of it.
GWEN HARRISON Staff Writer
The Social Justice and Leadership Summit allows everyone to discover impactful paths towards progress. Alongside Burnett, Mary Bauer, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, led an incredible session about human rights. She spoke about the pressing issues that are on the Virginia ballots this November, such as abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as actions that people can take in addition to voting.Smaller
“Social Justice workshops help us to better understand the difference between fairness and inequality across distinct aspects,” said Rebecca Cruz Briones, a junior political science and Spanish double major with a minor in social justice. “It informs us about our rights as U.S. citizens to improve our country through the means of democracy.”
Opinion Page 3Thursday, September 22, 2022
“Having summits like this should be a requirement at predominantly white institutions so that instructors, faculty, and students understand more about issues and current events that occurred or are occurring in BIPOC communities.”
Luisa Restrepo, a junior cyber security major with a minor in computer science and the president of the Latino Student Association, believes that the Social Justice and Leadership Summit is a necessity for college campuses. “As a first generation Latina in college I believe that having events like this one is extremely important to educate and
The Social Justice and Leadership Summit is an important event for UMW, advocating for positive change
sessions in the summit included “Can We Save (and Enrich) Democracy? The Prospect of Authoritarianism in the United States and What We Might Do to Fight Back” with Dr. Eric Bonds, “Analyzing How Housing Injustice Has Led to Gradual Inequality in the U.S.” with Dr. Christine Henry and more.
-Luisa Restrepo
Life Page 4Thursday, September 22, 2022
While I cannot speak to the fundamental technique nor the unusual instrumentation Jockstrap employs on their new album, what I can bring to you is a guide to the ideal occasions for listening to each song: the occasion which will let the song exert its full power. “I Love You Jennifer B” is jam-packed with a wide range of bangers, and the transitions can be shocking at times. Let’s begin.
Album review: London music duo Jockstrap releases debut album, “I Love You Jennifer B”
“Neon” offers a proper beginning to the album, a slow strumming accompanying Ellery’s gentle voice. The perfect occasion for this song would be right as you wake up on the first day of a zombie apocalypse and hike to the top of a nearby hill to get a view of the damage and roamers. The gloomy haze of the apocalypse sets the background as your steps align with the nearuncomfortable weight of the electric guitar riff and beating drums that lay on top of the otherwise haunting yet tame electric organ. The fluctuating moments of calm and chaos are characteristic of the entire album, though the next songs maintain the altitude that “Neon” brings us.
“Jennifer B”
“Concrete Over Water”
“What’s It All About?” pulls us out of orbit with an unexpected transition to a song with more down-to-earth and complete, raw lyrics. Much slower than the previous two songs, “What’s It All About?” is filled with the feeling of questioning, of confused hope. The time to listen to this song is when you share Ellery’s longing and can sit with her as she sings, “I wish you’d just touch me, and I still sit and wait, yeah I think we’d be great together.” An acoustic guitar and string instruments constitute the more somber mood of the song, and using those more traditional instruments hooks us into feeling the immense humanity of the song.
“Greatest Hits” feels like driving on rainbow road. Tobias Carlsson / Unsplash
“Neon”
“Concrete Over Water,” one of the pre-released singles that is included on the album, is perhaps the biggest journey of the album, and you should listen to it as such. Wake up two hours before the sunrise, sit with a cup of coffee wondering what you’re doing awake so early, then leave the house anyway; you know what you’re searching for. “At night on the bridge we stood, concrete over water. I think you remind me of the night, but also of the day, I think of Italy, Champagne.” I’ll ask again: why are you up so early? It’s still nighttime, really, but you’re searching for what will bring you peak excitement: the sense of adventure you’ve lost. The song rises and falls with our intense longing and hesitance, but the sampled chants and wild array of electronic notes create a sort of constellation that lingers as the song fades away.
“Jennifer B,” the titular song, is the song that plays as you exit the highway and find yourself approaching a rapid urban downtown, dreading the traffic that is to come. Oh, the traffic! Except there is no traffic. Everything goes miraculously smoothly, on both sides of the main street rise glowing buildings and every light is green. As Ellery’s voice, the horn-sounding synth and the energetic beat all coalesce, you coast and eventually emerge onto the party district. Ellery’s voice alternates with a sampled voice that peppers in the feeling of being surrounded by dancing bodies, but why are all those people dancing? It’s all in the funky breakdown after the halfway point of the song that takes us from the earlier line “everything is good, girl, take it, leave it, let him know you do care” to “I can be a stripper if you want me to, it’s been a while since I played for you.” The song remains euphoric, but turns wild.
Jockstrap is known among their fans for their orchestral, dynamic and at times psychedelic formulations, always taking full advantage of the technological advancements that have allowed today’s musicians to make music out of sounds unimaginable to artists only 15 or 20 years ago. Violinist, vocalist and songwriter Georgia Ellery and electronic producer Taylor Skye formed Jockstrap in the late 2010s after meeting at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
On Friday, Sept. 9, London’s duo Jockstrap released their debut album “I Love You Jennifer B.” The long-awaited release follows three singles that appear on the album, as well as a collection of singles that date back as far as 2018.
“What’s It All About”
ELI SeniorKEITHWriter
“Greatest Hits”
“Greatest Hits” keeps us in the driver’s seat, but this time it’s a race. Rainbow road, anyone? In this song, we find ourselves in space, and Ellery’s voice has a dream-like quality that lets us understand the greatness from the title as a suggestion of scale. The song builds up enough momentum that we happily stay out in orbit, carried by an electric keyboard overlaid with long notes that seem to stretch out time.
“Jennifer B” provides an ambience of driving through a downtown city. Bailey Alexander / Unsplash
Giuseppe Mondi / Unsplash
“50/50 - Extended Mix”
Telling others about this album, “Glasgow” is what I have described as the most “normal” song on the album. This song was another pre-released single, and being the catchiest, it’s perfect for a long drive or journey. Chronicling a fizzled-out relationship and the life of a musician who continues to travel from city to city, it’s both a celebration and a longing for a connection with others. The emotion within the song is complex, and lines such as “I touch myself, and every time I see what’s missing from my life” are intriguing when paired with the beautiful string instruments. With this single, as well as the ones we have listened to before, we have to consider the intentions of musicians who release singles before an entire album. Apart from earning money sooner, the singles are typically emblematic of the album as a whole, if not meant to send their own message. “Glasgow” and “Concrete Over Water” pair easily in the feelings of longing and wonder, which preface the thematic emotions that appear
“Lancaster Court”
“Lancaster Court” is the penultimate song of the album, and it also feels best reserved for nighttime, perhaps even more suitable in the winter. I listen to it and feel the caution and fear of grabbing an icicle that I don’t want to shatter in the process. Then, out of nowhere come two massive bass drum hits. This song shows Ellery’s voice off the most as it is, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, a flute and occasional light percussion instruments, as if her voice functions more as an instrument itself rather than a means to communicate lyrics. This song does have lyrics, but I rarely listen to them; the song could be instrumental and I would enjoy it just as much.
“Debra”
“Glasgow”
Jockstrap released their debut album “I Love You Jennifer B.” @jockstrap_music / Instagram
“Concrete Over Water” mentions Italy and Champagne.
Life Page 5Thursday, September 22, 2022
“Angst”
A record scratch at the end of “Concrete Over Water” transitions us into “Angst,” followed by a slow melody that’s reminiscent of a winding music box. “I feel sick,” begins Ellery, who speaks to us most strongly through this song in times of, you guessed it, angst. “If fear were a baby I’d name her Angst,” she sings, adding “she came out crimson on the bathroom floor.” This song is truly painful when we listen to the light beauty of the notes in stark contrast with the lyrics, and the chopped-together final verse fills the final 25 seconds with chaotic poetry. I still haven’t found a fitting environment for listening to this part of the song where it truly feels right, but perhaps that is the intention. This song is anything but comfortable.
“Debra” has a loud note of pure apocalypse at its start, upon which we learn “pain is real, love is real, but pain is also growth, and grief is just a love with nowhere to go.” The delivery of this line is long, but we get a total change of pace and mood once we’re 90 seconds in, on the receiving end of forceful metronomic beats that speed us up to both anxiety and eagerness. Whoever Debra is, it feels like we could find her roaming foreign streets, likely somewhere in Europe given Jockstrap’s English origin and the mention of Italy and Champagne earlier in the album. The combination of emotions, particularly focused on inhabiting a foreign space, makes “Debra” a perfect listen for moments of charging headfirst into something new that is somewhat scary but needs tackling nonetheless. Did someone say a hype song? Well, not quite. That’s to come.
“50/50 - Extended Mix” is contagious and indulgent, feeling as though Jockstrap had a lot of momentum going for this album but only one song slot left and decided to put all the juice into the final track. A shorter version of the song was released as a single before the album, but that version is considerably shorter and edited differently. I wouldn’t jump into a dance circle to the single version, but I would for this album closer, and I’m not a dancer. The beginning of the song is admittedly annoying, unless you like random shouting, but after those initial seconds Jockstrap sends a groove to our bones that leaves us vibrating long after the song ends; the album over all too soon.
Wood agreed that while the current conversations tend to focus on D-I athletics, the pressures on athletes permeate all levels of sports.
As players lined up along half-field before the game, the announcer gave a brief statement about the dedication and cause. Following this was nine seconds of silence in honor of Rodgers, as she wore the number nine on her lacrosse jersey. Teal and purple were speckled throughout the stands, which became more and more filled as the game went
“We played very well as a team and fought till the end,” said Beirne after the game. “It was also nice that Bryn Mawr’s team wore their teal and Morgan’s Message merch and even though we were playing against each other, we could still stand together for the same cause. All our parents wore teal and purple for our game, even our tailgate had teal table cloths. It was definitely exciting to see those small tributes work for a bigger cause.”The UMW women’s soccer team also dedicated a home game to Morgan’s Message on Sept. 10 against Marymount University. To spread awareness about Morgan’s Message, they all wore temporary butterfly tattoos—representing the organization’s butterfly logo—on their arms, gave a pre-game announcement and posted on their Instagram account several days leading up to the game.
“Athletes have this front that they put up where they think ‘I’m supposed to be mentally strong and physically strong,’” said Wood. “I feel like a lot of athletes see mental health as being weak. If I’m having a bad day or feeling sad, then I don’t want to feel like I’m putting that on anyone else.”
Sports Page 6Thursday, September 22, 2022
Ellie Helbling dribbles the ball upfield.
Thoughon. the teams battled in the heat and the Eagles went into halftime up by one point, the Eagles lost to Bryn Mawr. Bryn Mawr tied it early into the second half and secured the win with two points in the fourth quarter, though the Eagles continued to fight to the final minute.
“Having to get good grades, having to be a good athlete, but also having a social life and trying to sleep. Pulling yourself in all of the different directions can be tough, There’s definitely times when you need a break, but you can’t get a break.”
“I feel like a lot of athletes see mental health as being weak. If I’m having a bad day or feeling sad, then I don’t want to feel like I’m putting that on anyone else.”
-Jessica Wood
“I think that just made it real for some people,” said Mockenhaupt about this past spring. “Obviously we don’t play D-I, so it’s a little different, but we all experience the same issues and same pressures. I think it was good to bring awareness to that because I realized those girls are our age ... I just don’t want it to ever be too much [pressure] for someone on our team.”
“There’s a level of pressure that comes from being put in that box,” said Beirne. “In season, it’s a lot of pushing through. Having to get good grades, having to be a good athlete, but also having a social life and trying to sleep. Pulling yourself in all of the different directions can be tough. There’s definitely times when you need a break, but you can’t get a break.”
One of the captains, Macy Mockenhaupt, a senior biomedical sciences major, learned about the group online and knew it was important to bring up with her team.
Sarah Sklar / The Weekly Ringer
UMW’s field hockey team held their first Morgan’s Message dedication game this past Sunday for their home match against Bryn Mawr College. The Eagles fell to Bryn Mawr,Morgan’s1-3.
This past spring saw an increase in the number of student-athletes who committed suicide, some of which garnered significant media coverage like Stanford University’s women’s soccer goalie Katie Meyer and James Madison University’s softball catcher Lauren Bernett. The recent national attention on mental health in sports has inspired more conversations within athletic programs and teams across the country.
Beirne and Wood also noted a new emphasis on mental health resources for athletes from the UMW athletic department, including weekly check-ins with athletic trainers, a therapist specifically for athletes and addressing the topic in team and department meetings for the first time.
“I think this athletic department does a pretty good job of checking on their athletes,” said Carnaghi. “The athletic training staff has a new survey that only comes to us trainers called the PHQ9, and it’s basically just a check-in with them like, ‘How are you feeling?’ thing. If it comes up with concerning stuff then we go check in with them and talk to them.”She also mentioned working with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to start a new program toward the end of September called “Eagles, Let’s Talk” that will focus on the mental aspects of sports: body image, healthy eating habits, supporting teammates through injuries and managing stress.
Message is an organization started in honor of Duke University lacrosse player Morgan Rodgers who took her own life in 2019 at the age of 22, following a long struggle with depression and anxiety that was exacerbated by a career-ending knee injury two years prior. The non-profit works initiate more conversations regarding athletes’ mental health as well as “eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health within the student-athlete community and equalize the treatment of physical and mental health in athletics,” according to the Morgan’s Message website.
“We had very positive feedback,” said Mockenhaupt. “They liked that it was something new and something that we brought awareness to, not that we didn’t talk
EMILYSportsHEMPHILLEditor
Assistant athletic trainer Katie Carnaghi is coming into her first year at UMW with a focus on supporting athletes physically and emotionally. Known for the stack of coloring books and snacks available in her office, Carnaghi hopes to create an encouraging environment for players.
Field Hockey dedicates game to Morgan’s Message
Members of both teams are looking to continue the tradition of Morgan’s Message games in the future and encourage more conversations to take place within teams regarding mental health.
“I definitely think that campaigns like Morgan’s Message are all great organizations to get involved with,” said Carnaghi. “The more that we can spread word about those organizations then the more help athletes can get and they can have those resources and know that those resources are there and that they’re not alone.”
-Caperton Beirne
Senior political science and American studies double major Caperton Beirne, one of the field hockey captains, and her teammate, sophomore psychology major Jessica Wood, submitted applications to become Morgan’s Message ambassadors over the summer. They wanted to dedicate one of their home games during September as it is Suicide Prevention Month, which provided an opportunity to hold more conversations regarding mental health resources and some of the difficulties of being a student-athlete.
The second leading cause of death for student-athletes is suicide, following cardiovascular issues, as found by a study released in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Athletes already possess a competitive mindset by nature and these ambitious pressures only get amplified by athletic departments, coaches and teammates at the collegiate level. When this is combined with academic and social stress, studentathletes’ mental health can be the fallout.
Beirne and Wood ordered teal-colored scrunchies for both UMW and Bryn Mawr players to wear in their hair for the game, and UMW’s players traded their usual navy blue socks for purple, as the colors of Morgan’s Message are teal and purple. They also brought in some of the organization’s bracelets and teal ribbons for the event.
about before, but something that just wasn’t ever really brought up on our team before.”
On Sept. 19 at 12:55 a.m., there was a case of petit larceny reported at Combs Hall. This case is pending.
On Sept. 15 at 9 a.m., there was a larceny of bicycle at Monroe Hall. This case is pending.
Senior Class Council President and communication and digital studies major Shauna Kaplan said that students often do
“No one really knows what SGA does, so my goals for this year is put more focus on here’s what we do and what we can offer you,” said senior SGA President and political science major Joey Zeldin.
said the process is often fast if he meets with the student quickly, as he can process the paperwork during that meeting.
“I think people know how to do it but don’t do it,” said Kaplan.
NATHALIE NAVIA-LUCIANO Staff Writer
New officers elected on Sept. 16 for student council, government and finance positions
On Sept. 14 at 10:30 a.m., there was a larceny of wallet reported at Eagle Landing. This case is pending.
Students choose majors leading up to major declaration day on Sept. 20
SCOTTI MULLEN & CALLIE HARKINS News Editors
“Everyone’s always on their phones, everyone’s always on social media whenever you have time, everyone immediately opens Instagram and Snapchat,” she said.
Attie, a freshman SGA Senator-elect, utilized social media during her campaign.
When a student declares their major they get assigned an advisor from that department. Sarah Sklar / The Weekly Ringer
Kaplan and Attie both commented on a disconnect with students not knowing where to vote, how to vote or what they were even voting on.
Jonathan Levin, professor and department chair of English and linguistics, agreed that the declaration process is often a smooth one for students. Once he receives notification that a student has applied to declare the English major, he meets with the student one-on-one to talk about the major, get to know the student and assign them to an advisor. This gives him a chance to “match people up evenly and also keep an eye on how many assignments faculty have so we’re sharing it across the faculty as much as possible,” he said.Levin
Crime
SGA is a legislative body made up of student senators. The senators write bills on issues that are important to them and the UMW community. As President, Zeldin sets an agenda, conducts research and meets with administrators. For example,
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Jodie Hayob-Matzke, professor of geology and department chair of Earth and environmental sciences, offered advice to firsttime and transfer students declaring their major.
that doesn’t respond to the email. That’s the one place it can slow down a bit.”
On Sept. 15 at 11:14 p.m., there was a case of vandalism reported on Alvey Drive. This case is pending.
The declaration process looks a little different for students wishing to pursue a Bachelor of Science in the Nursing Completion Program. These students transfer credits from another institution and then are enrolled into the program at UMW.
During orientation, she was assigned a temporary advisor in the department of her choice before receiving an email instructing her on how to declare.
Attie noticed that the emailed link to the ballot went to some students’ spam folders.“All my friends were texting me ‘Send the link’ because the email from SAE went to the student’s spam folder and they couldn’t find the link,” said Attie.
With the Sept. 20 deadline for students to submit their major declaration forms, students and faculty have been discussing the major declaration process.
not vote in campus elections.
According to Kaplan, Class Council’s purpose is to plan traditional events like Fall Fest, Rocktoberfest, Devil Goat Day and more. One of the elections happening this week was for Senior Class Council Vice President, and Kaplan was excited to have someone fill the position. Previously, the remaining members of Class Council— Treasurer and Promotions—had to split the work of Vice President.
“As long as you just do it when they give it to you, then you’re way ahead of the deadline,” said Andrix.
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Vandalism
“I think that [declaring] was one of the easier processes for me because I transferred super last minute and so it was like really fast pace for me,” said Andrix. “It’s really easy, especially since I already knew what I wanted to major in.”
“Some don’t know how to use our system and run a degree evaluation and that’s fine, but they should ask for help or make sure their advisor has shown them how to do that or they can contact Academic Services if they have general questions on how to do things like that,” said Hayob-Matzke.
“[The] major declaration process and the assignment of the advisor is pretty close to instantaneous at that point,” he said. “The only delays I’ve had is occasionally when there is a student
Zeldin mentioned tackling issues related to Title IX and infrastructure in the parking lots. There are also plans for SGA to table around campus so students can learn more about SGA and talk to legislators about issues they have on campus.
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Petit Larceny
First-time students are eligible to declare their major in either a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Liberal Studies at the end of their first year or with the completion of 28 credits. The forms required to declare a major are available to be completed through the Office of the Registrar, online or the chosenAfterdepartment.submitting their application, the department chair sends the approved form to the Office of the Registrar. Declared students then get assigned a major advisor.
Rosina Andrix, a sophomore majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing is a recent transfer who just declared her major.
Sept. 14 W @ East. Mennonite (7-0) Sept. 17 T vs. Va. Wesleyan (1-1) Sept. 21 T vs. Lynchburg (0-0) Sept. 26 vs. Hood
such as “League of Legends” and “Legends of Runeterra.”
Junior elementary education major Libby York said, “It is just cool to see people branching out into different fields of athletics.”
“At this moment in time, we have an excellent opportunity to introduce a new team sport program that aligns well with University priorities and has high potential to attract and retain students,” said Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo.
The UMW esports program has both a competitive and casual division. Competitors play two different games at the moment: “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” and “Valorant.”
SKYStaffSHANEWriter
Sept. 17 W @ Roanoke (2-1) Sept. 21 @ Lynchburg Sept. 24 @ Christopher Newport Sept. 28 @ Stevenson
“Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” is a platform-fighter style game published by Nintendo that features fan-favorite characters such as Link from the “Legend of Zelda” series, Pikachu from the various “Pokemon” games, Mario from the “Mario Brothers” games and Sonic from various self-titled games. “Valorant,” is a free-to-play first person shooter developed by Riot Games, which has created popular games
Men’s Rugby (2-0)
Women’s Volleyball (8-3)
Men’s Tennis (0-0)
Esports team member plays “Valorant.”
Games are available to watch via livestream on the UMW Athletics webpage
“At this moment in time, we have an excel lent opportunity to introduce a new team sport program that aligns well with University priorities and has high potential to attract and retain students.”
New UMW Esports logo.
Whileit!” their season doesn’t officially start until fall 2023, they are actively recruiting members for as far out as 2027. Esports is currently just playing activation games to help practice and hone their skills before beginning competition.
Mark Link, a graduate from Randolph-Macon College, has been an esports coach since March of 2020. He is also certified in leadership through the BB&T Athlete Academy and was hired over the summer to be the director of the UMW esports team.
Sept. 18 L vs. Bryn Mawr (1-3) Sept. 21 @ St. Mary’s (Md.) Sept. 25 @ Washington and Lee Sept. 27 vs. Randolph-Macon
Sept.(3-0) 17 W vs. Lynchburg (3-0) Sept. 21 @ McDaniel Sept. 23 vs. Bridgewater (Va.)
Sept. 17 W vs. Southern Virginia (32-0)
Sept. 17. W vs. William Peace
Field Hockey (3-2)
WashingtonUniversityofMary Fall Sports Schedule
Esports builds up for fall 2023 season
“I played esports at my last university,” said computer science major and junior transfer student Mason Crim. “I was just a casual gamer and I played baseball. After I was injured, I became a lot more competitive withStudentsgaming.”are enjoying that the university is diversifying their athletics department. Many other local universities are adding esports teams, such as Germanna Community College and Bridgewater College.
Kenya Carter / The Weekly Ringer
Kenya Carter / The Weekly Ringer
Women’s Rugby
Men’s Soccer (4-2)
Sept. 17 W @ George Washington (30-15)
Sept. 24 @ Navy Oct. 1 @ Mount St. Mary’s
Starting this fall, UMW is offering a new athletic program: esports. Short for electronic sports, esports is made up of teams competing in various video games against each other in face-to-face and virtual tournaments.“Itgivesme an excuse to play video games for school,” said sophomore creative writing major Jack Yatsko, a member of the “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” team. “I would go back to my room, do homework for an hour then play video games. This gives me a place to do it so I’m not stuck in my room all day. That’s my favorite part about
Full schedule not listed above. Most recent games included. Bold indicates home game.
On Feb. 17, the University announced that esports would be coming to UMW. The program is currently focusing on building their space on campus, which is in the old commuter lounge on the third floor of the UC, and growing their numbers on campus. They are in the process of joining the National Association of Collegiate Esports where they will be able to have greater avenues to compete against other larger schools.
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Esports has given many student athletes a chance to still compete, interact with teammates and do something they love even after being injured.
“I was a collegiate esports athlete, so seeing how that program was run and how I was able to play and the experience, and the friendships, and the teamwork I made throughout that was something I really hoped to bring to a college campus,” said Link. “We are starting this program here from the ground up and I’m kind of being the one to buildWhileit.” esports is only playing “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” and “Valorant” at the moment, Link hopes to include larger titles such as “Overwatch 2,” “League of Legends” and “Rocket League.” He also plans to potentially include smaller titles such as “2K” and “Madden” and more first person shooters such as “Call of Duty” and “Rainbow Six Siege.” The games are decided based on student interest and what games have competitions.
Sept. 24 vs. Howard Oct. 1 vs. William & Mary
Women’s Tennis (0-0) Sept. 23-25 ITA Regional
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Women’s Soccer (3-2-2)
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Patrick Catullo
Sept. 30 - Oct. 2 ITA Regional