The Weekly Ringer

Fall student elections received low voter participation, freshman class made up 50% of voters

PRIYA PATEL Senior Writer

During the week of Sept. 12, the Student Government Association, Class Council, Finance Committee and Student Conduct Review Board all held elections to fill positions within their organizations. However, voter turnout was lower than student officials were hoping for.

According to Director of Student Activities and Engagement Sandrine Sutphin, 204 students voted in the election. “Of that, 50% were from the class of 2026, 12.3% were from 2025, 15.7% were from 2024, and 22.1% were from 2023,” she said.

SGA President Joey Zeldin, a senior political science major, believes this number is too low.

“It’s disappointing,” he said. “I believe we should be getting at least a third of our student body to vote in each of our elections. We had small numbers last election as well, and I am trying to focus

on ways to allow students to engage with SGA more so that they understand to vote for more student representatives and advocate for issues on campus.”

While all four class years were represented by the candidates, turnout among upperclassmen was low. The freshman class made up half of all voters with the class of 2025 recording the least amount of voter participation.

“I think many people did not know about the elections for the upper-class,” said Nahjah Wilson, a sophomore political science major. Wilson serves as the Class of 2025 President and SGA Ethics and Oversight Committee Chair. “Also, the positions are usually taken, so many people in their classes probably did not know or paid any attention to the elections either.”

According to Zeldin, low turnout is not a new concept when it comes to campus elections, and participation among students mirrors the lack of voting in U.S. local government elections.

“This is a common theme, I believe,”

said Zeldin. “As a political science major, I analyze these types of trends in voting in a lot of my projects and it mirrors the trends in other elections across the country. Freshmen have a lot coming at them at once and they’re trying to find what they like and what they want to do. Think of them as the younger generation of our campus. Our juniors and seniors are the older generation, meaning that their votes, in their minds, don’t matter as much and they won’t vote. I don’t agree with this philosophy, as I believe every vote on campus to be equally as important and valuable to our classes, but that tends to be electorate trends.”

Matthew Conard, a freshman known on campus as MC, had trouble filling out the ballot on his phone and believes that contributed to low turnout.

“Next time, they should make sure the format is compatible on phones because that’s how most students vote,” he said. “I spread the word about voting on my phone and I saw other people spreading the word the same way. I had people come up to me and be like ‘wait, how do

I vote?’”

Sept. 10 to Sept. 15 was designated as a campaigning period for students who applied to run in the fall elections. Wilson believes this time could be better utilized in the future.

“I do think that the campaigning should be a bigger deal because I know how hard it is to get people to vote, especially to get people to vote for you,” she said.

Voting in campus-wide elections is not the only way in which upperclassmen participation has declined.

“There was a lapse in student engagement within student clubs and organizations due to the pandemic, specifically with 2023 and 2024,” said Zeldin. “I believe this to also be a large factor in why the younger classes are voting and engaged more overall, as the university incentivizes participation with incoming classes more than it does the older classes.”

The majority of student leaders are elected near the end of the spring semester.

Joey Zeldin is SGA president. Photo courtesy of Joey Zeldin

Chris Walker is 2026 class council vice president. @chris_walker_26 / Instagram

The

Weekly Ringer Editorial Staff

Editor-in-Chief

Jess Kirby

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Business Editor

Erin Matuczinski

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Norah Walsh

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Copy Editor

Quarantine accommodations less than previous semesters

CALLIE HARKINS News Editor

Bricks stolen on campus

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News Editors

Scotti Mullen

Grace Schumacher Callie Harkins

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Opinion Editor

Abby Knowles

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Life Editor

Josephine Good

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Emily Hemphill

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Online Editors

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Emma Brennan

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Faculty Advisor

Sushma Subramanian

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This semester, students with COVID-19 who are quarantining in the designated isolation dorm, Marshall Hall, are receiving fewer accommodations than in the past.

Unlike previous semesters, there is no COVID-19 care coordinator in Marshall. Before the fall 2022 semester, there was someone available 24/7 to aid those in isolation. Students received assistance moving in belongings and were given the opportunity to choose various menu items for meals that would then be delivered directly to their door, neither of which are offered now. A quarantine buddy program, which paired students in Marshall together via text, was also created to make students feel less alone during their stay but is no longer happening.

Without an in-person staffer on-site, the Student Health Center monitors the well-being of students remotely.

Spencer’s stay in Marshall lasted for over a week. She tested positive for COVID at the Student Health Center on Friday, Sept. 9, and moved into the isolation dorm later that day. Despite receiving a positive COVID test, Spencer was advised to go back to her apartment and wait for a call that would detail movein procedures. During this waiting period, Spencer worried she may spread the virus to her roommates who had not tested positive.

“I went home and sat in my apartment masked for about four or five hours before I called the school to ask when I should be expecting information,” she said.

It was only after calling to request more information from the Student Health Center did she receive details regarding her move to Marshall.

Some students have been stealing bricks from various walkways on campus, leaving gaps on the brick paths that make them more difficult to navigate.

“This makes me worry about some of my other friends who have crutches due to an injury or require wheelchair assistance,” said senior business management major Kathryn Toigo. “We are not always paying attention when we are talking or rushing to class, and I would hate to see anyone get hurt.”

According to Office of Disability Resources Director Jessica Machado, tampering with walkways creates a dangerous situation for everyone. The creation of barriers like this impact the entire UMW community.

“This is certainly a hazard for individuals— with and without disabilities,” she said.

Machado said that damage to walkways disproportionately affects students with mobility issues and those who are visually impaired.

Corrections

Please report any corrections to Jess Kirby at weeklyringer.eic@gmail.com or Sushma Subramanian at ssubrama@umw.edu

“The SHC reaches out to those in isolation including those in Marshall and those that are off campus and those who went home,” said Nancy Wang, director of the Student Health Center. “Depending on how the students are doing, if they have access to their medical provider, we check in with them at least every other day Monday to Friday. If they are having any health concerns, we see them at the SHC for an evaluation.”

“After pushing for an answer, because I didn’t want to be in the apartment with my non-sick roommates, they finally sent me an email with move-in information and told me if I wanted to get a key I would have to go to Marye House,” she said. “I’m not convinced they would’ve gotten in touch with me at all if I hadn’t pestered them about it. Seeing as it was a Friday I’m not sure what I would’ve done if they hadn’t gotten in contact with me.”

“These are the first individuals who come to mind who may be especially impacted— students with vision loss or mobility issues may struggle with walking safely as they would have more challenges with avoiding unsteady or uneven areas on their path,” she said.

The Facilities and Maintenance department has made efforts to mend the gaps by packing a mixture of dirt and gravel into the missing plots. After the initial removal, the University replaced the bricks, but those were eventually stolen as well.

New bricks have been added to pathways between Melchers Hall and the UMW Galleries throughout the past week.

Bell tower logo designed by Bernadette D’Auria ‘22

“I didn’t really have that much interaction with the University while I was there,” said senior Earth and environmental science major Ava Spencer, who recently quarantined in Marshall. “I think at this point the school just wants the building available to those who don’t have other options, but it mostly felt like a ‘if you need to be stay here you can but you’re on your own.’”

Spencer was given little time to pack her belongings and retrieve the key from Marye House.

“Around 4 o’clock is when that call happened and they told me if I wanted a key to my room I’d have to go pick it up at Marye House after 4:30 p.m., essentially giving me 30 minutes to move my belongings and pick up a key before they closed at 5 p.m., all while feeling terrible. I ended up staying in the dorm

According to a student who has stolen bricks, who spoke under the condition of anonymity due to the possibility of disciplinary action, taking bricks began as a joke spurred by frustrations towards continuous maintenance issues on campus, like the air conditioning issues in Combs Hall.

“Honestly, at first we just did it to see if we could do it,” they said. “Somebody made a joke about how everything seems to be broken. ... It seems like there’s so many things that are broken or in need of repair on campus, and I guess we were just

Students who get COVID-19 and need to quarantine are living in Marshall Hall. Kenya Carter / The Weekly Ringer

Bricks have been replaced near Melchers Hall. Josephine Johnson / The Weekly Ringer

Opinion

Staff Editorial: Saying goodbye to the Clubhouse

This edition of The Weekly Ringer is coming from our new layout space in the communication and digital studies building at 1201 William St. Known as the “mansion,” it’s located up the street from where we have been creating the print edition of the paper for years: our beloved Clubhouse. Every Wednesday, almost all of us would meet up in the Clubhouse at the UMW Apartments to finish editing and create the print layout that would be printed the next morning and delivered across campus by the afternoon. We’ve had late nights, staff bonding, birthday parties and breakdowns.

The Clubhouse has seen this newspaper go through two name changes, endless staff rotations and tearful goodbyes to and from graduating editors. It held endless history, including print editions of The Bullet—the name

The Clubhouse has seen this newspaper go through two name changes, endless staff rotations and tearful goodbyes to and from graduating editors. It held endless history, including print editions of The Bullet—the name of the newspaper from 1922 to 2014—from the 1960s and onwards that always provided great entertainment while we sat waiting for a response from a writer or source.

of the newspaper from 1922 to 2014—from the 1960s and onwards that always provided great entertainment while we sat waiting for a response from a writer or source. The walls held a mix of the newspaper’s various awards right

next to drawings done in crayon, perfectly capturing the balance of seriousness and fun. The past few rotations of editors had printed pictures of their pets for the ‘pet wall’ hung above the news layout computer. Above the life section computer we had printed some of the first comics the current staff received.

Everyone currently on staff accepted the building as it was, mysterious stains, floral wallpaper, holes and all. A couple of years ago we even framed the biggest hole in the wall. But when conditions started to worsen and editors began feeling sick after spending hours in the building, we alerted the university that something was likely wrong.

An inspection by facilities revealed that water was seeping in from the outside of the building, leaving black and brown discoloration on our walls, chairs and belongings. While we’re not sure if this was mold, we had to consider the safety of our staff and ultimately made the difficult decision to leave our Clubhouse behind.

Because the Clubhouse is built into a hill and three sides are underground, the water intrusion caused damage about 4 feet up on the walls. This means our Clubhouse will be undergoing severe repairs: trenching out the hill, sealing the outside walls, and the damaged

portions of the inside walls. We are so thankful that our wonderful faculty advisor Sushma Subramanian and CDS department chair Anand Rao found a new space for us so quickly, allowing us to continue publishing as planned.

-Jess Kirby

“As much as I will miss being in the Clubhouse, I know that moving was the best choice for our newspaper long term,” said Weekly Ringer Editor-in-Chief Jess Kirby, a senior communication and digital studies and sociology double major. “It makes me sad to think of the Clubhouse being torn apart with these repairs, but I am very thankful that the school is taking action to repair the space and make it safe for student use in the future.”

This past Sunday, Sept. 25, we packed up everything we had accumulated in the Clubhouse over the years. We found letters addressed to The Blue & Gray Press, AP Style guides from 1998 and old technology we hadn’t seen since we were kids. One of our news editors, Callie Harkins, even found a copy of UMW’s yearbook, The Battlefield, from her mom’s graduation year in 2001, and we all gathered around to see the pictures.

With heavy hearts, we say goodbye to the Clubhouse and give it our thanks for housing us through so many long layout nights. Now, we embrace our new space and work on creating history for future generations of student journalists here at UMW.

This staff editorial was led by Josephine Johnson.

The entrance to the newspaper’s former office in the Clubhouse, decorated with old Blue & Gray Press signs.

Jess Kirby / The Weekly Ringer

“As much as I will miss being in the Clubhouse, I know that moving was the best choice for our newspaper long term.”

The Weekly Ringer has used the Clubhouse as our office space for over a decade, through two name changes and hundreds of newspapers.

Jess Kirby / The Weekly Ringer

The Weekly Ringer editors at work in our new office space. Jess Kirby / The Weekly Ringer

Life

UMW Theatre performs first show of the season, “The Play That Goes Wrong”

JOSEPHINE GOOD Life Editor

In their first show of the semester, UMW Theatre is performing “The Play That Goes Wrong.” Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields and directed by Gregg Stull, the show acts as a doublesuspension-of-reality in which the actors portray actors in a play called “The Murder at Haversham Manor.”

The comedy follows a group of actors as they attempt to put on a performance of “The Murder at Haversham

“We had to go through a full two days of fight choreography with our fight choreographer, Casey,” he said. “And he gave us a little crash course on how to do each thing and then just let us go with it. So then, throughout the rehearsal process, we had to keep going back to practice that fight choreography.”

Drenning also addressed the training the actors went through with an intimacy coordinator.

“It’s not just ‘Okay, you kiss each other,’” he said. “You have to meet with just Gregg and the stage manager in a separate place and it’s just the four of you in the room, and there’s a whole process of making sure everyone’s comfortable with everything, which is definitely a good step forward. I don’t think that was really a thing in theatre, like in high school.”

As an audience member watching the show, the actors do a phenomenal job of transporting everyone into another world where the hilarious tragedies of the show are actually happening.

the show.

Manor” while everything seems to fall apart around them. Between the set pieces collapsing and the actors getting injured, the students turn a dramatic murder mystery and a doomed love affair into a hilarious tragedy.

When asked about the difficulty of performing in this show, Ethan Pearson, a fifth year computer science and theatre major who plays Chris Bean in the show, described balancing between playing Chris and inspector Carter, his character in “The Murder at Haversham Manor.

“Whatever Carter does is what Chris wants Carter to do in the moment, which is what I want Chris to do in the moment,” he said. “It’s sort of a weird thing to wrap your head around.”

This kind of play can be a whirlwind to perform and produce.

“I’d say my personal favorite part of the show is working with this cast,” said Seth Drenning, a junior theatre major portraying Max Bennett. “I think that’s kind of a basic answer, but this is the tightest cast I’ve been in.”

The show also features different skills that the actors had to work on, such as accent training and fight choreography.

“Over the summer, we had to learn our dialects,” said junior theatre major Nathaniel Huff. “So, we had to learn not just a British accent, but we had to specifically learn a British Royal or Received Pronunciation accent from the 1920s. So that was basically all we did all summer, was annoy our families talking in this silly British accent.”

Drenning mentioned the importance of their training in stage fighting.

To create such a seamless alternate world, the actors had to work together to face the challenge of portraying two plays at once.

“I think the biggest challenge is just being doubly aware of what’s going on, since it’s a play within a play,” said Huff. “We were tasked with getting the people to follow along with both plots, so ‘The Murder at Haversham Manor,’ we really want to tell that story, but let ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ sort of seep through.”

When asked why people should see the show, Drenning said, “This show is for everybody. It doesn’t matter if you love theater or not, I know plenty of people that aren’t really on the theater train that loved the show because it’s like a fun slapstick comedy. You can’t help but love these characters and root for them the entire time.”

Huff summed up what attracts audience members to

“For people who do enjoy theater, it’s a love letter to theater,” he said. “It’s about a group of actors and directors and producers who love theater so much that, while everything around them is crashing down and burning, quite literally, they’re still pushing on. They’re chugging through because they’re doing what they love.”

“The Play That Goes Wrong” will continue showing on Sept. 29–Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and on Oct. 2 at 2 p.m.

Ethan Pearson plays the director of “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” as well as Chris Bean.

Photo courtesy of Geoff Greene

“The Murder at Haversham Manor” is the play within “The Play That Goes Wrong.”

Photo courtesy of Geoff Greene

“The Play That Goes Wrong” will continue showing Sept. 29Oct. 2.

Photo courtesy of Geoff Greene

Weekly Picks: New song releases students need to hear

DAVY WASHINGTON Senior Writer

Every week, as I’m sure most people do, I get songs stuck in my head that I just can’t shake! With fall drifting in like the leaves falling on campus, Spotify follows suit with the perfect songs to listen to, showing up in both the Recent Releases and Discover Weekly playlists. These are just a few of the songs that stood out and fit the teenage coming-ofage feeling that comes with the autumn air.

“Close Your Eyes” by The Backseat Lovers

“Close Your Eyes” is the newest single released by the band The Backseat Lovers from their upcoming album, “Waiting To Spill.” You’ve probably heard some of their songs before, for this band is behind popular songs such as “Pool House,” “Maple Syrup” and “Kilby Girl.” Joshua Harmon, the lead singer of the band, opens with a steady guitar and the lyrics, “Do you wanna be like your father? ... Where have you been? Jack’s been waiting in your room every night.” The song has an overall message of being in pain and needing to move on, whether that be through going home or coming to terms with the past. This becomes clear in lyrics like, “The clock it ticks, I have to get older, when I wake up, and the dream is over.”

“How It Ended” by The Drums

At the end of The Drums’ sophomore album “Portamento,” “How It Ended” starts off with a heavy-toned guitar riff and angsty vocals. The lyrics of the song speak of remembrance and good times with someone who’s no longer in the singer’s life, which is a sentiment I’m sure most of us can relate to. It could even be seen as remembering a place that the singer grew up in and has emotional memories attached to. The sincerity of the vocals come out as a desire to be missed as they recount their nostalgia with senseless hopefulness. Lead singer Johnny Pierce said on a commentary track for the song, “There’s a sense of hope in this song, musically. But uh, there’s something there I think and I didn’t want to end the album in complete darkness. When I wrote how it ended, I just knew when that song was finished, it would be how it would end.” Listening to The Drums makes me think of The Smiths because both bands have the same tone in music and lyrically, singing on themes of teenage angst and always being in a state of existential crisis.

“Boring” by The Brobecks

“Boring” by The Brobecks is the last track on their only publicly-released album, “Violent Things.” The song opens with weary, tired vocals and a soft piano backing that gives the air of a last call or waving of a white flag. The chorus, “Boring, all of us are bored. Every day’s exactly the same, exactly the same as before. Oh what, oh what are you boring me for?” revisits the listener throughout the song, and highlights the themes of sadness woven into this album, as it came out in the late 2000s and the emo scene was still ever-present. The song ends with a repeated, cascading electronic instrumental that gives a theme-park sense of whimsy that’s fun to listen to. It’s the type of song you’d wave a flashlight to in a concert.

“Another Try” and “Cold Turkey” by The Happy Fits

Lastly, The Happy Fits, a band from New Jersey, finally released their newest album, “Under The Shade of Green,” just a few weeks ago, and it is overflowing with crowd-pleasing songs. Two tunes that stick out instantly are “Another Try” and “Cold Turkey.”

The group sets themselves apart by incorporating a cello in all of their songs as a core part of their sound. “Another Try” shows the instrument off by playing staccato, sharp notes, under the vocals of guitarist Ross Monteith and Calvin Langman, who is the band leader, vocal front and resident cellist. Their songs are packed with harmonies and high notes, showing off their wide vocal ranges. “Another Try” has an encouraging overall message to try again, even if life sucks, because it’s worth it. The lyrics, “It’s just the madness of reality, Is that, nothing really matters, So through the chaos, sing your melody; let it out, You’ll find everything you wanted,” ring through my head non-stop and carry such a powerful message, especially considering the state of the world and how difficult things can be. The last song for this section, “Cold Turkey,” works with a steady cello rhythm and bass drum to give a marching feeling. The doublelayered vocals in the chorus give a crowd-like energy and would work best when performed live. The hearty guitar sound carries the chorus nicely as well, giving the listener a way in to really feel like a part of music.

The Drums recently released their second album, “Portamento.” @thedrumsofficial / Instagram

“Under the Shade of Green” is a recently released album by the band The Happy Fits. @thehappyfits / Instragram

Old vs. New: Men’s and women’s lacrosse host alumni game

GRACE SCHUMACHER Copy Editor

On Saturday, Sept. 24, the UMW men’s and women’s lacrosse teams went headto-head with graduated players at their alumni scrimmage games. An annual tradition going on six years, with the exception of 2021 due to COVID-19, the exhibition marks the unofficial close of the fall ball season.

Typically held in mid-October, alongside Fredericksburg’s Oktoberfest and other downtown activities, the event was pushed up in order to accommodate the returning alumni.

“The two teams have such a close bond,” said Maya Levin, a class of 2022 alumna. “It’s so great that we are able to share this experience together.”

The game does not count towards either team’s season record, similar to the other intra-team scrimmages held throughout the fall ball season, but still presents a good opportunity for players to practice skills, plays and working with each other on the field.

Spectators at the Battleground Complex saw the current men’s team fight to claim victory over the alumni in an intense and fast-paced game, with the current team coming out on top 11-9. Men’s Assistant Coach Tyler Houston graduated from UMW in 2016 and played with the alumni team.

“It is always fantastic to reconnect with the alumni, as well as their families, and meet new alumni that come out to the game,” said Staugaitis. “It is a great opportunity for underclassmen to form new relationships.”

Undeclared sophomore Micaela Burneo was not only able to catch up with her recently-graduated friends, but also forged new relationships with alumni.

“As a team, we were practicing on tempo as an offense and defense,” said junior business administration major John Staugaitis. “We have a lot of new, offensive talent that are learning the system and working on creating camaraderie within the offense.”

The women’s team took a different approach to their scrimmage. Rather than keeping an official score, the women prioritized a more laid-back gameplay, taking full advantage of the opportunity to spend time with their graduated teammates.

However, their competitive spirit was still present. Smack talk floats from the sideline, clashing with the lyrics of Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger” blasting from a large speaker. Players seem to run on and off the field every other minute, subbing out to catch a breather.

“I haven’t picked up my stick since my last season,” said 2022 alumna Natalie Critelli. “But we showed the girls we still got it!”

While not all alumni played, they still took the opportunity to attend in order to support their fellow players and the program they played for during their time at UMW.

“I think it really speaks to the relationships and bonds that are built on this team,” said Delaney.

Following the conclusion of their respective games, the men’s and women’s teams came together to celebrate their alumni at a tailgate hosted by the players’ families. This leg of the tradition allows the players to make new connections and meet past players before their time.

“I had the chance to meet some of the older players for the first time!” said Burneo. “I loved that they were able to offer insight into life after college, too.”

Sam Pugliese, an alumnus from the class of 2022, reflected on his return to Mary Washington.

“I had a really good time with all those guys back when we played together, some of them I played with for two, three years,” said Pugliese. “It’s really nice to see everyone reconnect.”

While this was both the men’s and women’s sixth alumni game, the respective events were not merged until a couple of years ago.

“We’ve built the tradition in the past two years of doing this with the women’s lacrosse team as well,” said the men’s lacrosse Head Coach Drew Delaney. “We want to try and bridge some of the other relationships we have.”

In past years, there has been a considerable turnout by alumni at this event, with the numbers of returning players close to matching that of the current team. This year’s event proved no different, welcoming back 45 alumni—25 former players from the women’s team and 20 from the men’s.

“One of my favorite things about UMW lacrosse is the life long friendships these women form,” said the women’s Head Coach Maddie Taghon. “We had about 25 women back this year and even some of their parents. It shows how truly special their experience here is.”

Coaches Delaney and Taghon have high hopes for the upcoming season. With a large wave of freshmen players, the upcoming spring semester promises an exciting new team dynamic and challenges.

“Every year has changes, with a new incoming class and recent graduates,” said Taghon. “We love that about college athletics.”

Reflecting on his time on the lacrosse team, Pugliese offered words of advice for the current team.

“Enjoy what you’re doing every day,” he said. “Some days are going to be tougher than most, but at the end of the day, it’s fun to be with everyone and you gotta cherish the memories that you make along the way.”

From left to right: Katie Blair, Ashley Firesheets, Clare Madden, Maria Schneider. Grace Schumacher / The Weekly Ringer

Alumnus Sam Pugliese talks to current players Nathan Turney and Balin Galbraith.

Grace Schumacher / The Weekly Ringer

“One of my favorite things about UMW lacrosse is the life long friendships these women form. We had about 25 women back this year and even some of their parents. It shows how truly special their experience here is.”

-Maddie Taghon

“The two teams have such a close bond. It’s so great that we are able to share this experience together.”

-Maya Levin

SCOTTI MULLEN & CALLIE HARKINS News Editors

.arceny

On Sept. 19 at 1 p.m., there was a case of petit larceny at Woodard Hall. This case is pending.

Brick stealing affects accessibility of paths

FROM BRICK PAGE 2

sick of it,” they said. “Some of the dorms here are disgusting and it’s hot and uncomfortable in a few of my classes.”

Other students believe brick stealing is harmful.

“Stealing from the middle of the path is just rude, especially to people using mobility devices,” said senior studio art major Ella Schultz.

Machado believes impeding walkways greatly harms the community and goes against the ASPIRE values.

“I hope that by raising attention to this issue, people can realize that this act is causing a danger to many people in our community to simply get around campus safely,” she said. “For people who may already have difficulties with navigating our campus, I hope that we can make sure we are holding each other accountable to do the right thing so that we can build the inclusive environment that we all deserve to feel safe, valued, seen, and supported.”

The student who stole bricks said they likely would not steal bricks again.

“I’m not sure whether or not we’d do it again,” they said. “Probably not if I’m being honest. It was funny at first, but it’s kind of getting old now.”

Molly Gard contributed to reporting for this article.

Students detail isolation in Marshall Hall

move in.”

Vehicle Hit & Run

On Sept. 25 at 12 p.m., there was a vehicle hit & run at Annex Parking Lot. This case is pending.

FROM MARSHALL PAGE 2

without a key to my room which made me feel a little unsafe,” she said.

Once in Marshall, Spencer received calls periodically from the Student Health Center regarding any changes to her symptoms. Aside from these calls, it was up to her own discretion on how she would best care for herself. Meals were not provided and students were expected to order delivery or pick up meals in-person.

“I ended up solely eating groceries my partner brought me,” she said.

Mary Bruniany, a junior nursing major, also isolated in Marshall earlier this month. Her stay lasted for seven days. Her experience does not differ from Spencer’s.

“The University did not help me move,” she said. “It wasn’t too bad getting there because my friend had also been recovering from COVID and was in her masking period so she helped me

Bruniany expressed her frustration at the lack of food provided by the University.

“The school did not supply any meals,” she said. “I either had to walk all the way to the UC to pick up food with an 102 [degree] fever or I asked friends to bring me food which I was super grateful for.”

Throughout her seven day isolation period at Marshall, Bruniany received two phone calls from the Student Health Center regarding her well-being. After testing negative for COVID twice on the eighth day of isolation, she made the decision to move back to her apartment in Eagle Landing.

“It was extremely tiring to walk around and I felt guilty always asking my friends to bring me food because they had stuff to do as well,” she said. “Healthwise, I feel like they adequately checked on me.”

As COVID continues to evolve and the Centers for Disease Control continues to

update guidance, Wang understands the confusion amongst students in isolation.

“UMW recognizes how difficult it can be for students in isolation, and every effort is made to help support students who let us know of any issues they are having,” said Wang. “I know that the SHC continues to support our students in isolation as we have in the past 2 years.”

This year’s changes have brought confusion and frustration among students. Lack of concrete information coming directly from the University has left students in quarantine to rely on outside sources to determine what is best for their health and the health of those around them.

“The rules were incredibly confusing,” said Spencer. “Everyone in the dorm had heard different rules about when they could leave so I elected to follow CDC guidelines and came home after I had no symptoms for five days and my roommate felt comfortable with me coming home.”

Possession of Marijuana / Underage Alcohol Possession

On Sept. 24 at 12:42 a.m., there was a possession of marijuana and underage alcohol possession reported at Eagle Village. This case is pending.

Low voter turnout for campus elections

FROM VOTE PAGE 1

The elections conducted in the fall fill in the remaining positions, including those that need to be filled by the freshman class.

“Think of our spring elections as [a] general election and the fall elections as midterm elections,” said Zeldin. “Spring elections generally involve the election of organization leadership, as well as the reelection of various positions on campus. My election for president was

this past spring, but there won’t be another presidential election for SGA until spring 2023.”

Zeldin said fall elections specifically aim to get freshmen, transfer students and students who are newly interested in student government involved, whether it be in voting or running for a position. Once these students are voted into a student government position, they often move up in the future.

“Typically for SGA, we

see incumbent senators move up within the organization to higher positions, meaning that once they’re elected in the spring, they’re able to start getting work done immediately,” he said.

Zeldin emphasized the importance of voter participation within campus elections and encourages more students to vote in future elections.

“It is so important to vote in student elections, because much like your local, state, and federal elections, we make

change,” he said. “The more you vote and get involved, the more power we have to make that change. SGA is amped for a great year of engaging with the community and creating legislation to make large changes, and I hope our student body is ready to ask them the questions that matter most to them so we can accomplish our mission of being their voice.”

Callie Harkins contributed to reporting for this article.

Students walk past missing bricks in the path near Randolph and Mason Halls. Erin Landfair / The Weekly Ringer

UMW women’s tennis is acing their fall season

MADISON MCCALLUM Staff Writer

The UMW women’s tennis team, ranked No. 14 out of 328 Division III teams in the nation, kicked off their fall season in early September at the Naval Academy’s Bill and Sandra Moore Invitational in Annapolis, Md. UMW and Johns Hopkins University were the only Division III schools at the tournament, competing against Division I teams such as George Mason University and Saint Bonaventure University.

“It is an honor to participate in the Navy invitational; it is an incredibly well run tournament and the facilities are great,” said junior business administration major Riley Smith, a member of the team. “It is always a learning experience as we all adjust to the fastpaced speed of high level competition, but everyone competed well and improved a lot over the weekend.”

The Eagles showed a strong teammate connection, with senior psychology major Abigail Moghtader and freshman Rebecca Stepleman making it all the way to the semi-finals in doubles and several other athletes making it past the first few rounds of both singles and doubles.

The team was accompanied by their new coach, Alexandra Covington, who came to UMW after serving as the director of tennis at Millikin University since 2017.

“My goal is to continue building on the success the program has had in the past few years,” said Covington. “My number one goal is always to facilitate athlete development and provide them with a positive experience. I hope to bring them a fresh perspective and a positive environment where they feel like they will improve and grow as students, athletes, and people.”

Admired for her attention to detail, high energy and overall passion for coaching the sport, players say Covington is an asset to the team.

“We are lucky to have Coach Covington because she brings a lot to the table,” Smith said. “From her high energy personality and passion for the sport to her detail-oriented organizational skills and technical eye, she is a valuable addition to the program.”

Last season, the team finished with an overall record of 136, with Moghtader and doubles partner Lauren Quinn, who has since graduated, dropping a 6-2, 7-6 decision to a doubles pair from Williams College in the NCAA Division III national doubles championship semifinals on May 29. The doubles pair finished their year with a winning record of 21-8 and high hopes that the next pair would make it even further and defend their reign as Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference champions.

The team houses individually-ranked players such as Moghtader, who currently is ranked No. 50 in the country among Division III collegiate women tennis players.

Coming from a family of collegiate tennis players, Moghtader began swinging the racket since she was 4 years old, crediting the

support and coaching she received from her family and past coaches such as Catullo and Todd Hebling to her success in recent years.

“Winning, being highly ranked, and being named an All American are all amazing and impressive achievements,” said Moghtader. All American is a national award granted annually by the NCAA to college athletes for outstanding performance.AA to college athletes for outstanding performance. “But I find that sometimes just being out there on the court and having the opportunity to play against such great players is what motivates me the most.”

The team has four new additions this year: freshmen Haleigh Latta, Madison McCarty and Rebecca Stepleman as well as Alexandra Jaksec, a Pittsburg native and transfer from LaRoche University.

University of Mary Washington Fall Sports Schedule

EMILY HEMPHILL Sports Editor

Men’s Soccer (4-3-2)

Sept. 27 T @ Stevenson (1-1)

Oct. 1 vs. Salisbury Oct. 5 @ Catholic

Women’s Soccer (4-2-2)

Sept. 26 W vs. Hood (1-0)

Sept. 28 vs. Bridgewater (Va.) Oct. 1 @ Washington & Lee Oct. 5 vs. Mt. Aloysius

Men’s Rugby (2-1)

Sept. 24 L @ Navy (3-18) Oct. 1 @ Mount St. Mary’s Oct. 15 @ Virginia Tech

Women’s Rugby (1-1)

Sept. 17 W @ George Washington (30-15)

Sept. 24 L vs. Howard (3-56) Oct. 1 vs. William & Mary

Field Hockey (4-4)

Sept. 25 L @ Washington & Lee (0-8)

Sept. 27 W vs. Randolph-Maocn (3-2)

Jaksec, a senior business administration major, is carrying out her senior year and, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, extra year of tennis eligibility at UMW.

“Living in Pittsburgh my whole life and attending college there for 3 years, I felt as if I needed a fresh start mentally and physically at a new school,” said Jaksec. “Fortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to transfer to UMW with 2 years of eligibility to play at a high level while also pursuing a business degree.”

Coming from a tennis program where she had to readjust to a new coach every year, having to transition to UMW’s coach was her only worry when offered the opportunity to transfer. But that has not been a problem.

“She genuinely wants to teach us and help us become the best tennis players we can be,” Jaksec said about Covington. “Once we met her and had our first week of practice, everything seemed to fall into place and all of that worry we felt went away. She’s a great coach and I’m excited for what’s to come!”

This past weekend, UMW hosted the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Regional Tournament at the Battleground Complex Tennis Center. Moghtader advanced to round 16 in singles, and doubles duo senior Amanda Hagino and junior Hana Kimmey made their way to the semifinals where they ultimately lost 8-7.

The team will compete next in Philadelphia for the St. Joseph’s Invitational from Friday, Sept. 30 to Sunday, Oct. 2.

Oct. 1 @ Franklin & Marshall Oct. 5 vs. Catholic

Women’s Volleyball (10-3)

Sept. 21 W @ McDaniel (3-0) Sept. 23 W vs. Bridgewater (3-0) Oct. 1 @ Chris. Newport Oct. 2 vs. UC Santa Cruz and Salisbury @ Newport News, Va.

Men’s Tennis

Sept. 30-Oct. 2 ITA Regional

Women’s Tennis Sept. 23-25 ITA Regional

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

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

Amanda Hagino hypes up the team.

@umwwomenstennis / Instagram

Emily Beckner takes a swing at the ball.

UMW Athletics

“She genuinely wants to teach us and help us become the best tennis players we can be. Once we met her and had our first week of practice, everything seemed to fall into place and all of that worry we felt went away.”

-Alexandra Jaksec