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Rappahannock Scholars Program expands into Student Transition Access and Retention Services with new funding

MIhAUGhANy rEdd Staff Writer

Last spring, the Rappahannock Scholars Program was at risk of being discontinued as the grant that funded the program approached its expiration date. However, the grant’s recent renewal this spring—and a new grant from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia—has allowed the program to continue and even expand.

“The major funding source for the [Rappahannock Scholars Program] was successfully renewed this year, along with the University being able to secure a fairly

substantial grant funding from the state of Virginia,” said Director of the Rappahannock Scholars Program Justin Wilkes. “That grant is particularly for building more support and services for Pell-eligible and other historically marginalized students throughout their time here at the university.”

The program has been active at UMW since its establishment in 2007 and is a partnership between the university and six high schools in the Northern Neck of Virginia, including Fredericksburg. According to the program’s website, students “participate in monthly lessons and off-campus activities that prepare them to apply and attend the four-year college of their choice.”

If a student attending one of the partnering high schools is admitted to UMW as a Rappahannock Scholar, the program will also provide financial assistance based on their demonstrated need, according to Shanita Mitchell, the program’s assistant director.

Talk of the program potentially ending began last year, when it was uncertain whether the grant funding would be renewed.

“At that time last year, we were trending towards fading the program out,” Wilkes said.

“There was talk about it at the end of my sophomore year, spring semester,” said Paula Perez, a junior psychology major who’s been involved with the program since

her freshman year of high school. “... But I didn’t think it would actually end.”

“The major funding source for the [Rappahannock Scholars Program] was successfully renewed this year, along with the University being able to secure a fairly substantial grant funding from the state of Virginia”

- Justin Wilkes

With this recently awarded grant, the Rappahannock Scholars Program’s office will be expanded into a larger program called Student Transition Access and Retention Services, or STARS.

“We are developing our office into a bigger program called STARS, so Student Transition Access and Retention Services,” said Wilkes. “With that, we will take on more initiatives for Pell-eligible students as well as firstin-the-family initiatives.” The Rappahannock Scholars and Student Transition programs will operate as usual, he said.

Following two-month FAFSA delay, UMW extends decision day deadline until June 1, allowing students ease of mind

In light of the recent delays and changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid , UMW has extended its commitment deadline for accepted first-year undergraduate students from May 1 to June 1. The decision aims to ensure prospective students have enough time to review their financial aid offers before committing to attend UMW.

This past year, the FAFSA application—which is required for students seeking need-based institutional scholarships—opened two months later than scheduled because of changes made by

the U.S. Department of Education in an attempt to simplify and improve the application process.

UMW is not alone in pushing back its admissions deadline. For years, the majority of colleges and universities in the U.S. have declared May 1 as the last day for admitted students to commit to their undergraduate programs. During a typical year, this deadline usually allows a substantial amount of time for students to review financial aid offers and thoroughly consider each option. Many schools have extended their deadlines by 15 days or more as they work to adapt admissions timelines accordingly.

Other public universities in Virginia, including George Mason University, Christopher Newport University and the College of William & Mary, extended their deadlines to May 15. Like UMW, Old Dominion University and Radford University extended their deadlines to June 1.

Emma Almassy, a senior English major who works in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, said she’s noticed how the FAFSA delay has impacted commitment decisions and general confidence in students choosing a university. Almassy said that compared to previous

Grants support student transition program

Given the additional new grant funding, Wilkes said they’re looking to expand the program.

“Right now we are exploring options for how we are able to [expand],” he said, “particularly looking at how the Rappahannock Scholars Program may be able to benefit students in the greater Richmond area who have similar demographic backgrounds and students in schools that are already in the pipeline.”

Despite the program’s uncertainty over the last year, Wilkes said he’s excited to continue helping students receive financial, academic and general support at UMW.

“We’re excited to continue planning the expansion, as we will continue to serve the Northern Neck and hope to pull in other areas with students from similar backgrounds,” he said. “We want to serve even more students the benefit of receiving financial, academic and general support while enrolled at UMW.”

“We’re excited to continue planning the expansion, as we will continue to serve the Northern Neck and hope to pull in other areas with students from similar backgrounds.

- Justin Wilkes

In addition to providing financial support to its members, the program also helps students build connections with one another and with members of the greater UMW community. Rappahannock Scholars attend the Student Transition Program, a two-week summer program in which first-year students live on campus and attend college classes.

Perez attended STP and said the program helped her adjust to living with a roommate.

“It’s almost like a little summer camp, but it definitely helps you adjust and prepare you for how living on campus actually is,” she said.

Freshman Trinity Porter has received support from the Rappahannock Scholars Program since her senior year in high school. She said enjoys spending time in the Rappahannock Scholars’ office because of the community there.

“Working in the Rappahannock Scholars office/STP office, it’s pretty cool and a lot of people that come in there are familiar faces that you see every day,” she said. “It’s a nice place to study and just relax.”

Financial aid packages affected by FAFSA delay

years, admitted students have been more wary about showing interest and expressing excitement because of the uncertainty and stress that come with unknown finances.

“They’ve had to wait for financial aid to come in before they can really make a decision,” she said. “I think it’s been a lot more stressful on students and staff at universities.”

Emily Chenard is an admitted student who hasn’t yet received her FAFSA or financial aid offers. She hopes to make a decision “in

the next two weeks or so,” but the FAFSA delay may cause a longer wait time.

Almassy said she supports UMW’s decision to extend the deadline and believes it was necessary to accommodate these unprecedented inconveniences.

“If we didn’t push it back, I think there would have been a lot of upset, just because things weren’t happening at the pace that they probably should have been,” she said. “I think it was definitely beneficial for the date to be pushed back to give students more time.”

Caroline Norberg, an admitted student who took part in Destination UMW, an event for admitted students, said she’s lucky to have not experienced any issues herself but knows people who have.

“They’ve had to wait for financial aid to come in before they can really make a decision. I think it’s been a lot more stressful on students and staff at universities.”

- Emma Almassey

“My FAFSA has not been affected as much because I got mine in pretty early,” she said. “I know some of my friends, though, have had so much trouble and I feel so bad.”

Almassy believes that no harm is to come from granting extra time for students to make their decisions and has faith in UMW to handle it efficiently.

“I think it’ll work out in the end,” she said. “Things are starting to move along now, so I think it’ll be good.” FrOM

Wilkes is looking to expand options for the program that benefit students in different demographic backgrounds. umw.edu

Travel hurdles in Fredericksburg: Commuters struggle on Interstate 95

If you have ever traveled on Interstate-95 in Virginia, then you have no doubt experienced traffic delays of some kind. It’s inevitable, and while some lucky Virginians don’t have to deal with the congestion on a daily basis, for most of us, there is no way around it unless you want to take tedious backroads or Route 1.

I commute every single day all the way to Chesterfield, and my only viable way of getting to work is to take I-95. I could take a significantly longer route that takes me out of my way, or at some point I could jump on a toll road, but this would cost over $70.00 a week if used daily in addition to what I already spend on gas everyday.

When you get on I-95, you can’t predict anything; everything is left to chance. You would have better chances of rolling the dice at your favorite casino and winning the jackpot.

“When you get on I-95, you can’t predict anything; everything is left to chance. You would have better chances of rolling the dice at your favorite casino and winning the jackpot.”

- Mandy Souza

After sitting in traffic, stressing the whole way and finally making it to campus, I still have to find parking and run to class. This is so stressful and just ruins the whole experience for many commuter students.

“I think people forget to factor in the energy it takes to commute back and forth. Gas prices are a factor – in more difficult economic times I’ve had students tell me they can’t afford the gas to get to school. And it certainly impacts involvement on campus – if your classes end at 4 [p.m.] but there is something you want to do at 8 p.m., do you hang out? Go home and come back?” said Assistant Dean of Students CJ Porter.

According to the Fredericksburg Department of Economic Development, I-95 carries over 150,000 vehicles per day in Fredericksburg alone. This stretch of I-95 hosts some of the heaviest volume of traffic in the country, and a national study from 2017 concluded that Fredericksburg and its surrounding counties have the worst traffic hotspot in the country.

Even after some improvements, the change that the Interstate needs has not been properly met. Widening the highway and implementing paid routes with EZ-Pass

has not improved the traffic situation, and therefore there should be more routes that provide efficient transportation from north to south.

In July 2019, the Express Lane Project began, which aimed to extend the I-95 Express Lanes by approximately 10 miles. The route extended from south of Route 610 on Garrisonville Road in Stafford County to the vicinity of Route 17 on I-95 Exit 133. The project took four years to complete and cost Virginia taxpayers $670 million to construct. And yet, it still hasn’t solved the problem.

While Express Lanes offer an easier route for some, the cost of access is a barrier for others.

“I was not a fan of switching over the HOV lanes to for-profit use. Where we used to be able to use the lanes during off times for free, now it costs money. And the variable pricing (the worse the traffic, the higher the fee) feels like I’m being taken advantage of,” said Porter. “Sometimes I will use the HOV lanes and pay the price when I absolutely have to otherwise, it’s the traffic jam for me.”

For students who commute to campus on the Interstate, they often run into trouble getting to school because of the traffic. Despite the attempted improvements, they haven’t noticed many changes in the traffic flow.

“Over the past few years, I haven’t really seen any improvements at all in terms of congestion. As a matter of fact, I believe that it has gotten worse, especially after Raising Cane’s opened in the fall semester,” said Charlie Li, a senior communication and digital studies major who commutes to campus. “If I-95 becomes congested, it spills into Route 3 which eventually ends up causing a lot of traffic on Route 1.”

Li isn’t the only commuter who has noticed the density of traffic on the interstate.

“In my opinion, I-95 traffic has gotten worse recently,” said Jenny Wolfe, a senior political science major who commutes to campus. “Both the Northbound and Southbound lanes have pockets of construction that slow things down. The Southbound 126 Exit is a nightmare every single day, as its inefficient let-out backs up traffic up to 5 miles back.”

Furthermore, relying on the Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak works for some, but this is not a practical solution for everyone, especially if they don’t live near a station. Even with a larger, more developed mass transit system, it would take years—if not decades—to complete. Plus, how many of us would actually want to take it?

Staff Editorial: The Weekly Ringer welcomes new staff

The end of the year is always bittersweet. Friends who live nearby on campus return home—sometimes to other states or countries—and the usual schedule that we have been accustomed to morphs into a new rhythm until we reunite in the fall. For The Weekly Ringer, our twenty-fourth issue of the 2023–2024 academic year marks the end of our publication cycle until the fall semester, and we welcome a new cohort of editors to our editorial board.

the 2024–2025 academic year, we present: Editor-in-Chief:

But this period also means we must say our goodbyes to our graduating editors who have dedicated their time to The Weekly Ringer. We bid farewell to: Editor-in-Chief: Norah Walsh Life

Throughout this year, we have worked with Practicum Journalism students who diligently staff our newspaper. With the help of Lindley Estes, who served as our interim faculty advisor during the Fall 2023 semester, and Sushma Subramanian, our current and usual faculty advisor, we have become better student journalists, integrating accountability, responsibility and transparency as much as we know how. With every issue, we seek to challenge ourselves with articles about campus, and we also strive to supplement the Fredericksburg area with our reporting as it relates to UMW’s larger presence in the city. This staff editorial was led by Norah Walsh.

MANdy SOUZA

Signs direct drivers to Interstate 95 east. Abbey Magnet/ The Weekly Ringer

Magnet and Ky Huynh train their

replacements, Thomas Jackson and Emma Kingkeo. Norah Walsh / The Weekly Ringer

Grace Wagner laughs as she feigns an interview with Charlie Li, using a Panera cup as a microphone. Norah Walsh / The Weekly Ringer

Juggling passions and priorities: Mastering the art of content creation while excelling in academic life at UMW

NICk dECOLA Staff Wriier

In a world blurred by the glow of screens and the buzz of notifications, a new kind of student emerges from the academic halls we’ve known. They’re not only just armed with textbooks and lecture notes; they carry cameras, microphones and a burning desire to weave their stories into the digital tapestry of our times—the age of the Content Creator.

Navigating this new frontier is not easy, raising the question: How can students balance their academic responsibilities with this creative hobby? Creating content has skyrocketed with young adults in search of being the next up-and-coming creators. Being someone who creates content online, it has become an obsession.

As a content creator myself, finals season is even more stressful than ever before. This week alone, I am packed with assignments like papers, exams and presentations. Because of that, I have to decide whether to spend a couple of hours creating videos or live streaming or use that time to study. As of late, I haven’t been able to set time aside to create content for social media either from exhaustion or just a lack of motivation to sit down and just create something. Now, I find it hard to sit down and get on Photoshop and make content how I used to when I first discovered the software and its capabilities.

I have found a serious passion for the process of creating content online. The recording and editing process just comes like clockwork when they are in tune with the video idea. However, this does take a lot of time out of my day, and it is stressful to maintain a consistent streaming and posting schedule along with keeping up with my academic work.

UMW has many creative students, and some of the most creative are those who upload different kinds of content. These students fall in love with posting content and

entertaining their communities. We creators want to be there for the community that we have built, but we also understand that we have a responsibility to take care of our assignments.

Freshman Armaan Dabhade has been creating gaming related content for the past year. The main game that he creates content on is “Call Of Duty,” and he has joined a content creation team called “19 Snipers,” which has gained over 10,000 followers on TikTok.

“One of the best things about creating content is finding what you like doing on your own,” said Dabhade. “It is one of the best things, to find what’s comfortable and also explore new types of content to challenge yourself.”

“One of the best things about creating content is finding what you like doing on your own. It is one of the best things, to find what’s comfortable and also explore new types of content to challenge yourself.”

- Armaan Dabhade

A major benefit of content creation is the community you build. People will gather in live streams or in comment sections to talk about their common interests. This could be about the content creator’s life or the work they produce.

“The friends that I have made from creating content help me progress further into more possibilities and more growth within and outside the community,” said Dabhade.

But the desire to create video after video and to create content can be very mentally draining, especially if you keep posting videos that you think will do well, but end up flopping. That is when you have to go back to the drawing board and attack the video from a different angle. I have had videos get 40 views that I thought were going to go viral, and I have also had videos get in between 10,000-50,000 views that I thought were going to be just filler videos.

Thinking of new video ideas and editing the videos can take up a lot of time. So student content creators have to

be very good at managing their time to be able to post consistently and turn in their assignments efficiently.

“My biggest struggle, at least right now, is just being creative. I feel like with being so involved on campus and taking so many creative classes, it takes away some of my drive and passion to create for myself and also for the organizations I’m part of like WMWC,” said junior English: Creative writing major Davy Washington.

For Charlie Li, a senior communication and digital studies major, it’s easy to access these platforms, but establishing a popular presence is difficult.

“I would say that it is very easy to get into streaming on platforms like Twitch or YouTube, but is hard to master,” he said.

A lot of up-and-coming content creators find it hard to know how to balance school life and creation.

“One of the challenging things from balancing content and college is setting my priorities,” said Dabhade. “It is important to be consistent with content and the community you build up, but also it is very important to have a good education and attend classes on time.”

Li advised student content creators on how to enforce a work-life balance while also managing content creation.

“It is important to be consistent with content and the community you build up, but also it is very important to have a good education and attend classes on time.”

- Armaan Dabhade

“Knowing where your priorities lie and wanting to take yourself seriously in both aspects of streaming and academic work, is essential in understanding if it’s a hobby or a profession,” he said.

Even though content and school can be very hard to manage, it is the passion and the determination to make it in the industry that keeps creators posting.

“The self-growth I have achieved so far helps me push myself to break boundaries down. My friends always push me to make better content and teach new ways to adapt to new trends and ideas,” said Dabhade.

As technology progresses, more content creation opportunities appear.

Marvin Meyer / Unsplash

From left to right: Ethan Crowley ‘24 and Martina Pugh ‘25 film takes outside of the HCC. Abbey Magnet / The Weekly Ringer

Dominating all genres: Beyoncé’s brand new album, “Cowboy Carter” blazes trails in music’s wild, wild west

MIhAUGhANy rEdd Staff Writer

The ‘BeyHive’ has potentially gained an additional bee following the release of Beyoncé’s new album “Cowboy Carter.” In all 21 years of my life, I have never considered myself a Beyoncé fan, but the blending of genres, melodious harmonies and endless tracklist on “Cowboy Carter” have shown me Beyoncé’s prowess.

After much anticipation, the album debuted on March 29 and contains 27 songs with several collaborations with hard-hitting country artists such as Dolly Parton and Willie Jones. Although it was published as a country album, it also comprises R&B, pop and rap.

As her eighth studio album, Beyoncé continues to break records. According to CBS News, the project “earned the title of most-first day streams of a country album by a female artist on Amazon Music.” The album also marked Beyoncé’s biggest debut on the streaming platform, as shared by Amazon Music on their social media. I can confidently admit I contributed to at least 10 of those streams.

I first listened to “Cowboy Carter” while riding shotgun with my eldest sister. We were on the way to my hometown for the Easter holiday and we were searching for something to keep us entertained. I suggested for us to allow Beyoncé to sing us home, so we did just that.

The scenic route we took home is what made this listening party so special. As the second track “BLACKBIIRD” played, I glanced out the window to see the vacant corn fields and trees blowing in the wind. Seeing this while listening to the strings on the guitar strum alongside Beyoncé’s vocals enhanced my contentment with the song and set the atmosphere for the album.

“BLACKBIIRD” is a beautiful lullaby that has been on repeat since the first time I heard it.

One of the biggest power moves Beyoncé made with this album is having a tracklist with songs of various lengths rather than only three- to four-minute songs. Some of the tracks are as brief as 20 seconds, serving as an introduction to the songs that follow.

For example, the track “DOLLY P” is a short monologue from Parton where she playfully teases Beyoncé about the woman who is trying to steal her man compared to Beyoncé’s. It establishes an immaculate segway into the next song “JOLENE” and gives the listener context about the song’s content.

The anthem entitled “RIIVERDANCE” is another favorite of mine. It starts with a stereotypical strum of the guitar with Beyoncé repeatedly saying “dance.” I wasn’t motivated to start dancing until she said, “bounce on that shit, dance” while a piano joining in with the guitar. The command was aggressive, but I didn’t mind it. In fact, I liked it.

“In all 21 years of my life, I have never considered myself a Beyoncé fan, but the blending of genres, melodious harmonies and endless tracklists on ‘Cowboy Carter’ have shown me Beyoncé’s prowess.”

- Mihaughany Redd

The melody that made me yearn for more is called “LEVII’S JEANS” and is a collaboration with Post Malone. It’s a call and response between the two of them, and their voices are seductive, flirtatious and work well together. Beyoncé sings, “you call me pretty little thing,” but she drags out the ‘i’ to make it sound like “thang.” She does this throughout the entire song and simply deserves a chef’s kiss.

“I wasn’t motivated to start dancing until she said, ‘bounce on that shit, dance’ while a piano joining in with the guitar. The command was aggressive, but I didn’t mind it. In fact, I liked it.”

- Mihaughany Redd

Senior psychology major Tenley Ward was also pleased by Malone’s feature on the song.

“I was really intrigued by the Post Malone feature … it was not something I was expecting from her but I was very impressed by him and his little country twang,” she said. “I think that’s a really pretty song.”

Although Ward took a liking to “LEVII’S JEANS,” the album itself wasn’t a hit for her in the beginning.

She continued, “I honestly thought [“Cowboy Carter”] was mid at first. I don’t know, I wasn’t paying much attention to the lyrical content and it’s really long, so I think I just got kind of bored on my first listen.”

When deciding which genre the project falls under, Ward believes it to be genre-less.

“I wouldn’t put it under any genre. It’s just a Beyoncé album, she’s genre-less. She’s transcended that at this point,” she said.

Track 25 entitled “TYRANT” is another song that had me in a trance. It opens with a lead-in from Parton stating, “Cowboy Carter/Time to strike a match/And light up this juke joint.” Her declaration is then followed by steady hands clapping in the background while Beyoncé vocalizes.

Her vocalizing abruptly stops around 37 seconds into the 4-minute and 11-second tune. There’s a brief silence and then the beat drops while the violin squeals and becomes the new background.

It was at this point I had to look at my sister to see if I was still experiencing reality. She was bobbing her head and I was bobbing mine in satisfaction.

The penultimate song on the album, “SWEET * HONEY * BUCKIIN’,” was truly ear candy. Shaboozey is featured on the tune, and the song incorporates R&B, rap and its lyrics are heavily influenced by country. It’s three different songs in one, and the transitions between them flow so seamlessly.

My favorite part of the song comes in when Beyoncé chants “like a mechanical bull” while the beat thumps in the background. My heartbeat follows the rhythm, which makes for an enjoyable and unique experience.

Although I fell in love with this tune, senior English and theatre double major Percy Sampson wasn’t fond of it.

“That one was not memorable,” they said. “I thought the title was cool and I liked the beat, but there’s nothing that really caught it for me.”

Sampson preferred listening to the fourth song on the album called “PROTECTOR” because it reminds them of their niece.

“I really love it when people write songs for their kids, and this is a really good one that she wrote for her children,” they said. “I just had a niece, so I’m constantly thinking about how much I want to protect her. So that was like a good tie in for that.”

As a final reflection, I believe “Cowboy Carter” has blessed me and allowed me to witness Beyoncé’s adaptability as a singer. I hadn’t given Beyoncé much attention or support in the past because I believed she was overhyped, but now I see where the hype comes from.

Although she has made a name for herself as an R&B artist, Beyoncé can dominate any genre, and the proof of that lies within this album. I’ll continue listening to it, and I recommend those who haven’t already to do so. They certainly won’t regret it.

The album cover for “Cowboy Carter” features Beyoncé riding a white horse, carrying the American flag. @beyonce / Instagram

Beyoncé holds a freshly signed copy of her newest album “Cowboy Carter.” @beyonce / Instagram

Crime Column

EMMA kINGkEO News Editor

The Crime Column is based on UMW Police reports from April 4 - April 24.

Sexual Assault

On April 6 at noon, there was a case of sexual assault at Eagle Landing. This case was referred to Title IX.

UMW Red Cross Blood Drive raises support for bone marrow transplants

hArrIET kING Staff Writer

The Red Cross Student Organization’s regular blood drive had a new component this month—those who attended were also able to register to donate bone marrow.

This new opportunity was spearheaded by mathematics Professor Suzanne Sumner, whose history of donating bone marrow goes back decades. Thirty years ago, Sumner donated bone marrow to a 2-year-old with leukemia who she had never met.

“I have always wanted to make a difference in others’ lives, which is why I love teaching and working with students,” Suzanne said. “So when I was asked to register for the bone marrow registry at a Red Cross blood drive in graduate school, I immediately signed up.”

But the cause became more personal for her when her cousin, Kelsey Sumner, was recently diagnosed with aplastic anemia — a rare condition where the body’s bone marrow stops producing enough blood cells, also known as “bone marrow failure,” according to the NIH. Kelsey now needs a stem cell transplant, meaning she needs a donor whose stem cells are a close enough match to her own.

Assault

On April 12 at 5:52 p.m., there was a case of assault at Mason hall.

This case is pending.

Assault (Dating Violence)

On April 19 at noon, there was a case of assault (dating violence). This case was reffered to Title IX.

Finding a match can be extremely difficult, and “70% of people don’t have a fully matched donor in their family,” according to the National Marrow Donor Program. There’s a one-in-four chance that a person’s biological sibling will be a match for them, but it’s “very unlikely” that extended family members will be a match, the NMDP says.

“The entire [screening] process only takes around 10 minutes, and you never know if you’re the only person to sign up who can help someone and even save their life.”

- Olivia Pierce

“Knowing how difficult a bone marrow transplant is for the recipient, I wanted to help however I could,” Suzanne said.

With help from other students and faculty, Suzanne organized the bone marrow registry opportunity in conjunction with the Red Cross Student Organization’s blood drive on April 24.

“Holding a bone marrow drive on campus seemed like a promising response,” Suzanne said. “The NMDP particularly seeks donors between the ages of 18 and 40 and also donors representing a broad range of minority groups, and UMW is perfect for those demographics.”

Petit Larceny

On April 21 at 11 p.m., there was a case of petit larceny at Virginia hall. This case is pending.

Over 40 blood donors attended the drive and were asked if they wanted to join the NMDP registry in an effort to help find Kelsey a match. If they said yes, a volunteer then swabbed the inside of their cheek and checked for potential matches through the registry. People could also have a self-collection kit mailed to them to complete later.

Members of the Pre-Health Club and Red Cross Student Organization volunteered to perform the cheek swabs and help people join the registry.

“The entire [screening] process only takes around 10 minutes, and you never know if you’re the only person to sign up who can help someone and even save their life,” said senior biomedical sciences major Olivia Pierce, the social media manager for the Red Cross Student Organization.

Some of Suzanne’s students also volunteered after learning about her cousin’s diagnosis.

“I saw Kelsey’s story on one of the fliers sent to PreHealth Society and knew I wanted to help,” said junior biomedical sciences major Tori Croley. “I actually had just joined the National Donor Registry a few weeks prior to this, because Dr. Wynn told us about the website ‘Be the Match’ and told us how it could change people’s lives.”

Suzanne described the bone marrow retrieval process as fairly straightforward, with the most tedious part being the rigorous testing beforehand to ensure that the match was perfect and that the blood and bone marrow were safe for the recipient.

“The minor discomfort I felt was nothing compared to the promise of life for the recipient,” Suzanne said.

Kelsey, an epidemiologist at the CDC, previously served on active duty and has been deployed to multiple countries to prevent and resolve infectious disease outbreaks.

“Kelsey is dedicated to helping others, and she has amazing strength and courage for the missions she conducted for the CDC,” said Suzanne.

Fliers placed around campus share Kelsey’s story and a QR code to the NMDP donor page. Her story has even reached people across the world.

“I am eternally grateful to the UMW Community for helping with this bone marrow drive,” Suzanne said. “... My current and former students as far away as Australia have been signing up for the NMDP and Gift of Life bone marrow registries, which is truly heartwarming.”

The regular blood drive new comonent gives the opportunity to register to donate bone marrow. Abbey Magnet / The Weekly Ringer

With the help of student and faculty, the bone marrow drive was supported along with the Red Cross Organization blood drive. Abbey Magnet / The Weekly Ringer

Leading teammates while breaking records: Luke Blair does it all for UMW track and field

On Jan. 19, the UMW indoor track and field season opened at the Virginia Wesleyan University Marlins Invitational. Luke Blair, a sophomore computer science major, finished second place in the men’s 800 meter race with a time of 2:06.68. On Jan. 20, Blair finished second in the mile race at 4:36.79.

But Blair was unsatisfied with his times during the indoor track and field season, so he started focusing on the more nuanced aspects of his training at the end of the season.

“I put my foot down a little bit more and just started focusing on smaller things like stretching and rolling my legs every single night, elevating my legs every single night, doing strides after every single easy run, and I’ve added little thing by little thing,” said Blair.

Between the indoor and outdoor seasons, Blair took his time to stay consistent to improve his times.

“We had a five-week grace period going into outdoor [season], and in those five weeks I just hammered down on the little things,” said Blair. “Seeing the work I’ve done over those weeks show in the meets, that’s definitely a highlight for me.”

“Seeing the work I’ve done over those weeks show in the meets, that’s definitely a highlight for me.”

- Luke Blair

Blair’s consistency and dedication reflected during his outdoor season. On March 25, the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference honored him as the Men’s Track Athlete of the Week.

He was recognized for his performances at the Doc Jopson Invitational at Bridgewater College where he finished first place in the 1500-meter race with a time of 4:03.85. The following weekend, Blair participated in the 4x1500 meter relay with freshman Ashton Shultz, senior environmental science major Jacob Lohr and sophomore biomedical sciences major Aidan Kimener at the Colonial Relays at William and Mary. They broke the university record time for this relay, running a 17:20.18.

To improve for the outdoor season, Blair set rigid expectations in his personal training schedule.

“What I did is I decided every single easy run is just going to be 55 minutes, and there’s no ‘buts’ or ‘corner cuts’ or anything like that. It’s just what it is,” he said.

For other athletes who want to improve, Blair offered some tough love advice.

“What I want people to pick up on is just that there’s a set schedule and that should be the norm,’ he said. “There is no, ‘I’m going to go less than that today; I’m not feeling too great’ [or] ‘I’m going to go more today; I feel great.’ It’s just this.”

Blair’s success hasn’t come without difficulties, but seeing his work pay off has inspired him to keep on the same path.

“What I did is I decided every single easy run is just going to be 55 minutes, and there’s no ‘buts’ or ‘corner cuts’ or anything like that. It’s just what it is.”

- Luke Blair

“I’d say the biggest challenge for me is just keeping myself disciplined and humble in the track season so that I don’t lose out on any of the small things that I did, because the thing that motivated me the most … was my bad indoor season,” he said. “And now that I’m having success, I don’t want to say, ‘I’m in a good spot, I can just chill.’ I want to stay disciplined.”

Despite being an underclassman, Blair has already become a role model on the young team.

“Our team dynamic is interesting because we had a big graduating class two years ago and COVID definitely dwindled the numbers a little bit, too, so right now we don’t have any seniors,” said Blair. “It’s just underclassmen and two juniors. We have a very young team so the dynamic is pretty interesting.”

Blair recommended ways that improving athletes can find success.

“I hope people pick up that routine and consistency are the most important things in becoming a good athlete,” he said.

Through his discipline on the track and his attention to detail in his personal training, Blair hopes to assume greater leadership next year.

“I want to see myself become more of a leader figure on the team as I move into becoming an upperclassman,” he said.

“I hope people pick up that routine and consistency are the most important things in becoming a good athlete.”

- Luke Blair

Blair continued, “I think my performances have given my name a little bit of credibility, I would assume. Me and my other teammate, Jacob [Lohr], we kind of already had the largest say on the guy’s team. I think just us working together and taking charge of warm-ups and race day and everything like that, that’s going to be how I fulfill that role.”

Men’s Tennis (13-7)

April 20 @ John hopkins (6-3)

April 24 vs. Va. Wesleyan (7-2)

April 28 @ TCNJ

Women’s Tennis (8-8)

April 20 vs. John Hopkins (7-2)

April 24 @ Va. Wesleyan (9-0)

April 27 @ Washington and Lee

Men’s Baseball (25-11)

April 20 @ Salisbury (5-4)

April 23

vs. Southern Virginia (11-1)

vs. Southern Virginia (8-4)

April 24 @ Lynchburg (7-6)

April 27 vs. Chris. Newport

Women’s Softball (15-21)

April 18 @ Marymount (7-6) @ Marymount (10-5)

April 20 @ Salisbury (6-2) @ Salisbury (13-0)

April 24 @ Shenandoah (6-4) @ Shenandoah (3-0)

Men’s Lacrosse (8-8)

April 20 vs. Kean (12-11)

April 23 @ St. Mary’s (Md.) (10-8)

April 28 @ kean

Women’s Lacrosse (5-10)

April 20 @ Chris. Newport (13-7)

April 24 vs. Salisbury (19-9)

April 26 @ St. Mary’s (Md.)

April 28 @ Washington and Lee

Track and field runner Luke Blair is an inspiration to his teammates. @umw_xctf / Instagram