THE

BLUE &GRAY

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER

February 16, 2017

VOLUME 90 | ISSUE 15

PRESS

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE

Swastika found on bulletin board outside of Lee Hall

Vulgar message found on campus

KELLY EMMRICH Life Editor

Ahad Shahid / Twitter Page

This aggressive message was found by Ahad Shahid and his friend on a bulletin board outside of Lee Hall.

BSA organizing a large group to attend “March for Science” KATYLYN BIDDLE Staff Writer

Due to recent events involving environmental protection, scientists and students alike have been coming together to form a “March for Science” to raise awareness for issues such as climate change and scientific integrity. Inspired by the Women’s March, which took place the day after President

ers to attend while also informing them of the issues. “I consider this a show by the American scientific community that science and facts cannot be silenced,” said a senior biology major and president of the BSA Kit Qualls. After gaining immense momentum, the march opened itself up to everyone. They renamed the event the “March for Science” to make sure everyone felt in-

“I think the unifying message of this march will be that the facts are facts, they must be shared and they should be used to inform decisions that impact everyone in the United States and set examples for the world.”

UMW 2017 Commencement Speakers

John D. Burrow

Deputy assistant secretary of the Navy

-Kit Qualls Trump’s inauguration, the scientists’ march on Washington is meant to be a non-partisan march to make the scientific community heard. The University of Mary Washington’s own Biological Student Association plans on attending the march and hopes to encourage oth-

IN THIS

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cluded. According to the website for the march, MarchforScience.org, the idea behind the march is from “the mischaracterization of science as a partisan

•SCIENCE MARCH | 10

Edward L. Ayers former president of the University of Richmond

University of Mary Washington junior Ahad Shahid and friend Chad Mundie were walking past Lee Hall after watching the film “Moana” on the evening of Feb. 5, when they found a handwritten Swastika on the bulletin board in Front of Madison Hall. In addition to the drawing there was a note at the bottom of the sheet reading “Attention fa**ots!! We could live next door.” Shahid took a picture of the sign, posted the photo on his twitter account and tagged a UMW twitter account. On the following Monday, Shahid went in for a meeting with Dean Rucker regarding his tweet and overall concerns for campus safety. Shahid left the meeting feeling unsatisfied and unsure about the future of campus safety. “The administration is not saying anything from my perspective because they are worried about saying something anti-Trump,” Shahid said. “This isn’t an anti-Trump thing, though. This is an anti-Nazi thing. It’s anti-Semitic trash and they need to address that.” Both Shahid and Mundie live in Framar House, an international living building. One of the goals of Framar is to educate the campus on worldwide issues, and it plays an integral role in providing cultural programming to the UMW community. When they showed the other residents the sign, many of them felt scared. “They felt upset, scared, angry. Different ways,” Shahid said. Other Virginia public universities have had similar instances. Late last September, there was an article titled “Epidemic of Racist Incidents” in the publication “Inside Higher Education.” Allan Groves, the dean of University of Virginia made a statement shortly after that laid out different strategies for safety on campus. “Racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, and homophobic slurs do not originate in a vacuum,” Groves writes. “They are a product of learned behavior and, unfortunately, ingrained bias against difference. If we are to rid this community of such ugliness, we each must start with an honest look in the mirror.” One of the strategies that UVA uses to increase campus security is using the anonymous online report site, www. virginia.edu/justreportit/bias. Reports are shared directly with the Office of the Dean of Students and the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights. In the letter, Groves addresses the fact that the Z society, a secret society at UVA had several fliers on grounds that depicted them endorsing Donald Trump

•NAZI MESSAGE | 2

LEGACY DESTROYED

SATURDAY SATIRE

Ty Cobb’s career obliterated by media misrepresentation

SNL political sketches satirize current events

Spring sports set to begin 2017 campaigns at UMW

LIFE | 6

VIEWPOINTS | 5

SPORTS | 12

SPRING FEVER

NEWS THE

BLUE & GRAY PRESS

MISSION The Blue & Gray Press is published every Thursday in the University Apartments Clubhouse for our university community. The goal of The Blue & Gray Press is to produce high quality and accurate news in a manner compliant with the Society of Professional Journalists ethics code. In its coverage, The Blue & Gray Press strives to highlight the community of the University of Mary Washington, as well as deliver fair and accurate coverage on the issues important to our students.

Editors: Ester Salguero & Lauren Taylor | blueandgray.news@gmail.com

Lack of action left student feeling unsafe on campus •NAZI MESSAGE | 1 for president. The flier also had a misused Martin Luther King Jr. quote on it. “I became aware of a letter posted at various points on Grounds, purporting to be the Z Society’s endorsement of Donald Trump for President,” writes Groves. “The Z Society has since dis-

avowed the letter, and it clearly originated from another source. The timing of the letter, the messages contained therein and the use of a quote attributed to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has upset and angered many students and other members of the community, and they are right to use their voices to express these strong feelings. I join them in that sentiment.”

Shahid expressed that he wants to see UMW administration implement some more safety tactics and make a concrete statement with opinion. “I want [the administration] to make a statement that’s not just an email,” Shahid said. “It’s not my job to come up with these solutions. It’s their job. They need to promote togetherness on this campus when people are feeling

Students and faculty speak out against travel ban

EDITORS-AT-LARGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chris Markham

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Alex Spence

SECTION EDITORS NEWS Ester Salguero Lauren Taylor

VIEWPOINTS Tessa Cate

LIFE Kelly Emmrich

SPORTS Mikey Barnes

ONLINE Ethan Tobin

PHOTO Alex Sakes

Business Team Linda Fitzpatrick Janelle Behm

FACULTY ADVISOR Sushma Subramanian

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OLIVIA BRIDGES Staff Writer

Since President Trump’s inauguration, he has passed many controversial executive orders. The travel ban halted persons entering the United States from seven primarily Muslim countries for 90 days. President Trump’s executive order caused a lot of unrest, especially for American Muslims who were not be able to return to their families in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia. However, that ban has recently been lifted but that did not deter any effects that were felt by multiple universities throughout Virginia. Included in those universities is the University of Mary Washington, whose liberal student population has made their voices heard in the weeks since the order took effect. Students and community member have provided psychological and moral support to members experiencing difficulties due to the ban. Inside the Bell Tower and buildings around campus, written in chalk is, “Love Trump’s Hate,” in protest of his presidency. “The universities that are being affected by the ban are the ones that have a large population of students and faculty and staff from those particular countries in the ban,” said associate professor of Spanish and Director of the Center for International Education Jose

John Wayne Higgs / Professional Photographer related to Olivia Bridges

A. Sainz. “It really depends on whether those students or faculty or staff were traveling at the time or not.” Many American citizens who were traveling when the ban was issued got turned around at airport gates and sent back to the country they came from or were detained until they were cleared to reenter the United States. “If they were traveling then they were having real issues coming back into the United States, but if they weren’t traveling, for the time being it’s really not affecting them,” Sainz said. “Other than, perhaps having to leave in an emergency situation to visit family… and they will be facing issues.” Sainz said students of the UMW and those of other Virginia universities who are impacted by the ban are recommended to avoid leaving the countries until after the 90 days or until the situation is clear. “The students that we have again, have been advised not to travel and to come and chat with us or meet with us, if they need anything,” Sainz said. Junior English major Yasmin Cox feels concerned with President Trump’s actions when addressing judicial process. She finds Trumps presidency problematic for two reasons. “One: when we begin implementing our private faith into our public policy,

that’s problematic... In the beginning, so, my initial thoughts on the ban are that it stems from that kind of mindset and practice,” Cox said. “It addresses countries who had no impact on the most violent attack on United States soil ever, and so then you begin to really look at the way the ban is orchestrated and put together.” Cox finds the second reason for her concern towards President Trump the most troubling. “It causes a real question of concern because countries that did have attackers are not listed on the ban, but then if you do your research, you are also able to figure out those are countries that have business ties with either America in general or with co-addresses 45 now and so that becomes problematic,” Cox said. According to Mercurynews.com, universities around the United States are fighting back against President Trump’s immigration policy by turning the campus into a “sanctuary campus.” UMW is not among those universities, however. Sainz says that they are closely monitoring the situation. For the time being, it is recommended that UMW students who are affected by the ban should remain on campus and continue going to class.

•BAN EFFECTS | 11 Thursday, February 16, 2017

SPORTS

What makes you choose your bracket winner

Duke University

University of Kentucky

University of Florida

University of Louisville

AMANDA BIELECKI Staff Writer

March is almost here which means the peak of college basketball has arrived: March Madness. People fill out brackets, knowing it will probably be busted in the first round and putting down their bets. How do people pick and which way is most effective? Many non-college basketball fans fill out brackets just for the fun of it and often base it on something completely unrelated to skill, including, color, team name, mascot, location and more. So which way of picking teams is most effective when you don’t actually analyze the stats? If you like to pick teams based on color consider this: according to NCAA.com 12 of the last 13 national champions have featured some variation of blue as a main color within their uniform, Louisville being the lone one out. Villanova, Duke and Connecticut, just to name the last three national champions, all have blue within their uniforms. What about team name? NCAA.com also states that out of the last 21 national champions, 18 have feature a vowel as the second letter in the schools name (i.e. Villanova, Duke, and Connecticut). What about location or region? Again, NCAA.com reports, 19 of the last 21 national champions have been part of the east coast area What about picking a team solely based

on records? NCAA.com informs us that 27 out of the last 28 national champions have had above 30 wins, the exception being the 1997 Arizona Wildcats. What about mascots? Picking a team based on a mascot may not be the best option as many various types of mascots have a less obvious pattern. However, out of the last 21 national champions 14 of them have been animal related and four out of the last six have been cat related, again including Villanova and Connecticut. What about picking the previous team from last year to repeat? This is the least likely option. Since 1993, only Florida has been able to repeat as NCAA tournament champions. The last three national champions have all featured blue in their uniform, have a vowel as the seconded letter of their name, been from the east coast and had more than 30 wins. Completing and filling out brackets can be a family, school or business event no matter the level of basketball knowledge. My 10-year-old sister beats me every year. So when filling out your bracket this year, remember to pick a team that wears the color blue, has a vowel as a seconded letter, is from the east coast, has 30-plus wins and has an animal as a mascot. Then again, who doesn’t like to pick an underdog to win it all?

Spring athletic season has arrived and UMW athletes are ready MIKEY BARNES Sports Editor

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, therefore forecasting six more weeks of winter. Though the legend continues with his ability to predict the seasons, it does no impact for collegiate spring sports to get underway. Basketball is winding down as the conference tournament is just a week away, with both teams fighting for NCAA tournament opportunities. The always-successful swim programs prepare for conferences as well, with hopes of sending a number of swimmers to nationals. Spring sports means the weather is getting nicer and the Battlegrounds are not just a place with a nice brand new track, or somewhere for the rugby guys and girls to pitch the ball around. It becomes a place of excitement, noise and hopes for more Capital Athletic Conference titles. This spring will feature a lot of new things for the Eagles that it has not in the past. The UMW track and field team will be hosting a meet for the first time in two years and for the first time on the new track. The team is currently on schedule to host two regular season meets as well as the CAC championship. The young and vibrant track and field team will be looking to prove themselves this spring season, with the conclusion of their indoor season coming on Saturday, Feb. 18. The newest addition to the athletic department, the men’s golf team, will officially begin their spring season. This team consists of strictly freshman, led by captain Austin Matz and is coached by former head men’s basketball coach Rod Wood. This class of freshman was considered the number four recruiting class in the nation for this year. They will be hosting one match this spring at Augustine Golf Club in Stafford county. The spring season also means the return of men’s and women’s lacrosse, baseball, softball and the tennis teams. The UMW baseball team finished last year with a record of 24-15, being ranked as high as No. 12 in the nation. Despite

some key losses due to graduation, injuries or other various reasons, the Eagles have added some depth with the addition of a number of freshman and transfers and are looking for similar success to last season. The UMW softball program is coming off a disappointing 13-30 season but are looking to bounce back. With the addition of a bunch of key freshman, head coach Dee Conway is looking for a better outcome here in her 13th season as the head of the program. The ladies have a planned spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, where they are looking to do a great deal of training. The UMW men’s lacrosse team is coming off a rather disappointing season, finishing last year 7-10. The Eagles are a lot more experienced this season, with six seniors and 10 juniors leading the program. The men’s lacrosse program is also led by new head coach Drew Delaney, after 17 years of coaching by Kurt Glaser. Delaney is just the third coach in program history. The third round of the NCAA Tournament is how far the UMW women’s lacrosse program made it last year, and are looking to repeat and improve this year. They finished the season ranked No. 12 in the nation. The Eagles have returned four of their top five scorers from this past season and are looking forward to what their eight new freshmen are capable of. The always successful men and women’s tennis programs are looking to return to the NCAA tournament and continue their winning ways of the CAC tournaments. Junior Kait Brogan was the CAC Player of the Year last year and is looking forward to continue her individual winning ways as well, as she leads the program. Sophomore Matt Miles was CAC Rookie of the Year last year and is looking to do the same for the programs. There will be no shortage of action at the Battlegrounds the rest of this semester with a strong slate of spring sports beginning their CAC and NCAA title hopes.

UMW softball looks forward to spring break training KAYLEE TEE Staff Writer

Many University of Mary Washington students head home for spring break, whether it is to work, spend time with family or to catch up with old friends. They go home to relax and get a break from all the school work they have had, but not UMW’s varsity softball team, who are heading to Myrtle Beach this spring break. The softball team is playing in a tournament called Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic. At this tournament, different colleges play games against other college teams to train for the long season

ahead. This tournament is training just in time before the teams go off to play in their conference games. The UMW softball team traveled and took part in this tournament last year. The team played West Virginia State and Eastern College last year. They played a total of six practice games or scrimmages against both schools. Emma Rakowski, sophomore communications and digitals studies major, is a player on the softball team. Rakowski said, “This week of softball is a way for us to prepare for conference play facing competitive teams.” The tournament helps the teamwork out their kinks before they

play in their conference. Rakowski said, “I’m looking forward to spending time with my teammates during our games.” This is not only a tournament, but a team bonding experience. The team gets to play but also get to hang out in their rooms and down by the beach. This year the team from UMW will begin the tournament on Monday, March 6, as they take on Randolph College in the first game and Regis University later that day. The following day, the Eagles will take on Gwynedd Mercy University and Grove City College. Wentworth Institute of Technology and Ursinus College is whom UMW will be taking on, Wednes-

day, March 8. In their final day of games at the Fastpitch Dreams Classic, Thursday, March 9, UMW softball will play against Eureka College and Anna Maria College. UMW softball will officially kick-off their season on Feb. 25 in a double-header home game against Gettysburg College. They will then travel to Lynchburg College the following day for another double-header. The Eagles will play a total of four doubleheaders, meaning a total of eight games, prior to their spring break tournament.

Weekly Scoreboard women's basketball:

Feb. 11 vs. Penn St. Harrisburg (L) UMW: 57 Penn St-Hburg.: 58

women's LACROSSE

Feb. 11 vs. Meredit h (W) UMW: 12 Meredith: 4

men's Basketball

Feb. 11 vs. Penn St. Harrisburg (W) UMW: 91 Penn St-Hburg.: 56

men's LACROSSE

Feb. 15 vs. Randolph-Macon (W) UMW: 13 Randolph-Macon: 12

women's basketball: Feb. 18 @ Wesley 1:00 P.M.

women's LACROSSE

Feb. 22 @ Shenandoah 3:30 P.M.

men's Basketball Feb. 18 @ Wesley 3:00 P.M.

men's LACROSSE

Feb. 22 @ Albright 4:00 P.M.

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VIEWPOINTS

Betsy DeVos: Education takes a dive WILL ATKINSON Staff Writer

Every day there is a new story about President Donald Trump and his heavily questionable decision-making skills. Whether it is an attempt to ban Muslims from entering the country, his quest to build a $10 billion dollar wall, or even an extremely awkward 19-second long handshake with Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, Trump has had no trouble attracting criticism and negative attention. Within the last few days, Trump was able to cause even more of an uproar amongst the majority of the nation. Trump’s nomination of Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary has been met with harsh backlash from politicians and citizens, to the point where protestors physically blocked her from entering a Washington D.C. public school while chanting, “Shame!” Some may think this is a little over the top, but the civil unrest and anger does not only stem from her stance towards education in America, which

in turn would defund struggling public schools into oblivion. Rather, it’s the way she got the nomination and sen-

ate votes. DeVos comes from an extremely wealthy family in Michigan, so wealthy in fact that she announced she will only take a one dollar salary

Party’s major donors, which is a major reason she got the nomination in the first place. I’m not saying she’s completely unqualified for the position, but someone with such a sketchy track record advocating a major overhaul and reform in the Michigan school system and with no real plan or stance on education in the United States probably shouldn’t be the head of education for the entire country, but that’s just my two cents. for her government position. The only thing she’s been clear about Her family history has come into the public spotlight as well, including is her dedication to charter schools. Basically, from what I’ve read, she’s a huge supporter of the privatization of schools, which would leave many struggling public schools in the dust. Many people argue that she is not qualified at all, which I disagree with. Before I did research I thought that she had absolutely no background in education. She does have some experience but I don’t think being an education reform advocate in the state of Michigan is enough to be nominated to be the Education Secretary for the entire country. There is an education problem in America. Many public schools are not funded properly and students are being forwww.newsweek.com gotten and left behind. There strange reports that her family has in- needs to be a drastic change, but Betsy vested in bizarre homosexual conver- DeVos is definitely not the answer. sion therapy. What is troubling is that her family is one of the Republican

Trump administration crosses line Scrolling through Donald Trump’s personal Twitter account, he crafts tweet after tweet commenting on the condition of our country. Conservatives claim his positions on the country are patriotic, where liberals say he is too nationalistic, going as far as comparing Trump to Hitler. But, what is the difference between nationalism and patriotism and where is the line drawn? And do Trump and his administration fall underneath one of these categories? Trump’s demeanor and social media presence changed over the course of his campaign and into the beginning of his presidency, so I looked to his Twitter account for more insight. During his campaign, his tweets were much more nationalistic and heavily influenced by the idea that born-and-raised Americans are superior to immigrants, refugees or aliens in the United States. More recently and since becoming president, his comments and actions

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HALEY SPENCER Staff Writer

have walked the line between patriotism and nationalism. My understanding of these two concepts is that nationalism is the belief that those who share the same cultural background, language and heritage are superior to other groups, whereas patriotism is the values the nation holds as a whole and the love one has for their country. I think Trump and his administration crossed the line into nationalistic territory when he passed policy against particular groups. Although his administration put these policies in place to

insure the protection of the American people, many people, including myself, view these actions as nationalistic. One example of such is the so-called “Muslim-ban.” While his purpose may have been to keep out radical Islamic terrorists, he crosses the line because many of the Muslims in these countries are looking to either work or take refuge in the United States. Some could see this as a way to protect our country from terrorists, and therefore see it as a patriotic action, I understand it to be a targeted

effort to restrict a religious group from entering the country. It targets an ethnic and religious group and because of this type of subjection, I think it crosses into being a nationalistic act. For myself, this ban seems similar to the way that Nixon and Reagan implemented the “War on Drugs,” as it was easy to target ethnic minorities, especially African-Americans. Trump has done the same, yet more explicitly, in his attempt to build Evan Vucci / AP Photo a wall and keep out those from Central and South America. The line between nationalism and patriotism is crossed when extreme measures, like building a wall or banning people from entering a country because of their religious views is discussed. The people from these countries who commit acts of terror in the United States are few and far between, and, I believe that the majority of the people come to the United States to make a good life for themselves.

Thursday,January February 16, 2017 Thursday, 21, 2015

VIEWPOINTS

Editor: Tessa Cate | blueandgray.views@gmail.com

Saturday Night Satire HARRY FISHER Staff Writer

tvline.com

Saturday Night Live has been on a roll with its political comedy sketches over the past few months. Every week, they bring us a new parody of some politician who has said or done something worth parodying, most often Donald Trump. This can likely be attributed to Trump’s campaign for president, and of course, his victory over Hillary Clinton in the election. Throughout his campaign, Trump said and did many things that were seen as outlandish, ridiculous, and at times even childish in the eyes of the public. The fact that he’s now our president has a lot of people worried and even a little scared. Of course, every time the current president, or any politician, does something that the people of America see as idiotic, the writers and actors of Saturday Night Live have a field day adapting

it into an absurd and hilarious parody sketch. Some of the more recent examples of these sketches could be seen in the Feb. 4, episode of the show, which featured a sketch in which Donald Trump was advised by his assistant, Steve Bannon (who was portrayed as Death himself) to call the leaders of various countries and declare war on them. He even tries to trick the president of Mexico into paying for his planned border wall. The sketch ends by revealing that Trump’s desk actually belongs to Bannon, the true president, and the shot expands to show a much smaller desk off to the side with an expanding sphere toy for Trump to play with all day. The episode also contains a “Weekend Update” sketch in which two news reporters make fun of Trump’s

first few actions as president, including signing 18 executive orders in 12 days, his now infamous travel ban, and his phone call with the Australian prime minister in which he rejected former President Obama’s plan to accept more than 1,000 refugees from Australia into America. They also poked fun at Kellyanne Conway’s claim about the “Bowling Green Massacre,” which seems to be a terrorist attack that she completely fabricated. The true genius behind these sketches is how the writers and actors make use of such excellent visual humor and comedic timing to express their opinions on politicians and what they’re doing right and wrong. For example, the sketch I described where Trump is being advised by Steve Bannon is clearly meant to represent Saturday Night Live’s opinions on how Trump is just playing second fiddle to Bannon, the one with the real power. The fact that Bannon is portrayed as the Grim Reaper is, of course, excellent visual humor. In a way, sketches like these can almost be considered a message to politicians, a wakeup call to let them know what they’re doing wrong and how they’re making fools of themselves. Clearly,

many people agree with the messages expressed in the show’s sketches. They get millions of views on YouTube, which indicates that they are having a huge impact on people’s political opinions. This is the point of the sketchesnot just to show the politicians what they’re doing wrong, but to show the people of America as well. These sketches aren’t just meant for laughsthey’re meant to ridicule the people who run our country in a surreal fashion, pointing out the flaws in their work and what they should be doing

www.trbimg.com

better. I hope SNL continues to deliver us these bits of comedy gold, and that politicians learn a thing or two from them.

Staff Ed: UMW considers student wants, reintroduces alcohol to Underground Most current University of Mary Washington students were not old enough to enjoy the times when alcohol was readily available for purchase on campus, and many others don’t remember a time when it was offered at all. But that is changing soon, and the UMW community has voiced their appreciation for the return of alcohol. It has been two years since an Eagle could stay on campus to have a drink. Since alcohol’s departure, some students have feared that the school would head towards receiving “dry” status, meaning no alcohol would be served or allowed anywhere on campus, like many other Virginia universities. But the recent announcement of the Underground’s new drink menu put those worries to bed.

While alcohol consumption obviously has its risks, there are many benefits to offering it on campus. First of all, students do not have to walk far at night and put themselves in danger and it also prevents students from needing to drive while intoxicated to travel to bars. Students save money on tips and Uber rides and are more likely to attend on-campus events in the Underground. Students will be much less likely to overdrink with Underground employees keeping an eye on them rather than a crowded bar scene, and if a student’s health is in danger, help is much more readily available. Retention is an issue that UMW has been working to combat for years. Many first-

year or second-year students leave UMW, citing that the school wasn’t as “fun” as they were promised. With the added incentive of on-campus alcohol, those students are more likely to stay long enough to enjoy Underground drinks when they become of age. Few critics have come out against the addition of alcohol to the Underground and the benefits certainly outweigh the risks. For years, students have wanted alcohol back on campus and for the last three semesters, students have begged for the Underground to be open longer. These changes prove that the school is listening student needs and making honest efforts to appeal to their wants. When WOW Wingery left its spot in the

Nest, students complained that the Nest had nothing else to offer. This semester, with the addition of the Hot Spot, steps are being taken in the right direction to satisfy those students’ desires. The last few semesters at UMW have been dominated by students’ complaints, particularly towards dining, but other areas as well. These changes are proof that the surveys sent out are being looked at and considered, not just tossed aside. If we really want to make UMW “fun,” we need to be willing to spend the time to voice our concerns when given the opportunity, not just ranting on Facebook.

By THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD

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LIFE

Editor: Kelly Emmrich blueandgray.life@gmail.com

Great Lives Lecture: Baseball player, Ty Cobb isn’t a violent racist ETHAN TOBIN Online Editor

Have you ever wondered how baseball’s “greatest of all-time” was also deemed a violent racist, who was known for spiking his cleats with the intent of sliding in hard on the opponent, yet set the standards for the Baseball Hall of Fame? If so, you’ve got the 1900s baseball legend Tyrus Raymond “Ty” Cobb to thank. University of Mary Washington students, faculty, Fredericksburg community members and baseball enthusiasts heard all about Cobb on Feb. 14 when they filled Dodd Auditorium for a lecture by Charles Leerhsen, author of the “New York Times” bestseller “Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty.” Leerhsen, a prominent sports writer who has written for high profile magazines including “Sports Illustrated,” “Smithsonian” and “Rolling Stone” to name a few, spoke as part of the Crawley Great Lives Lecture series. He shared information about Cobb’s early life in Brooklyn, the criticisms he received for his troublesome behaviors on and off the field and most importantly how he earned the title of “greatest of all-time.” Out of the gate, Leerhsen addressed the controversies and preconceived assumptions of Cobb that were based on little proof yet had a dramatic impact on his reputation and playing career. Central to his lecture, which was also the topic of his book, Leerhsen was critical that the

poor reputation of Cobb had been formed overtime, was a result of negligent research and reporting that hardly lacked any truth. For the remainder of the lecture, Leerhsen focused on debunking the popular myths of the “evil” Ty Cobb. “Many writers over the years who focused on Cobb went for low-hanging assumptions. That he was violent towards black people, that he filed down the spikes on his cleats before each game and slid hard into bases. How could someone born in Georgia in 1886 not be a racist? Many of these writers were working off of little to no factual evidence,” Leerhsen said. Leerhsen began to break down each argument one by one in order to come to conclusion that Cobb was not the villain he was made out to be. “In fact Ty Cobb ascended from a long line of abolitionists. His grandfather had been run out of town at one point for his stance on equal rights and his father once broke up a lynch mob in the town,” Leerhsen said. With the frequent reference to documented evidence, most notably letters written by Cobb and others who knew Cobb, Leerhsen continued to prove that Cobb was in fact a good person. Although Leerhsen admitted that Cobb was by no means a perfect human being, noting that Cobb had thin skin when it came to criticism, occasionally got into scuffles, and was an aggressive base-runner. He wasn’t the bigoted racist that he was portrayed as in the majority

of late 1900s sports writing. “He attended many negro games and often threw out the first pitch in Negro League games,” Leerhsen said. “He was one who believed wholeheartedly that blacks should be allowed to play professional baseball.” In his final note over the many critiques surrounding the live of Cobb, Leerhsen emphasized that, “The fact that you’ve heard something a million times doesn’t make it true. A man’s reputation was destroyed and his legacy obliterated.” At the conclusion of Leerhsen’s speech, audience members erupted with applause. During the post lecture period in which the audience was granted time to ask questions, many audience members expressed their appreciation for having clarified their wrongful preconceived notions of Cobb. Amongst the crowd was senior Sean Kinslow. Like Kinslow, many audience members felt Leerhsen delivered an engaging lecture. “I think the speaker did a good job of explaining his research and how his methods were superior to those of his

University Relations

peers. Before this lecture, I thought of Ty Cobb as one of the best baseball players of all time, with a checkered past,” Kinslow said. “Now I see Cobb as a baseball legend whose personality is often misrepresented by sports media.”

The Grammys: A night of cheap bits, broken awards and an angry Beyhive JONATHON MEYERS Staff Writer

if you missed the live coverage because you were at work or something, then tough break. What little you will get to The Grammys this year, despite what see is going to come from either paid the sponsored articles may tell you, was media sponsors praising everything that a complete mess. From awkward comedy happened or cell phone footage of somebits, to multiple flubbed performances, to one’s living room TV. Although, rather Beyoncé getting snubbed once again, the hilariously, the first results you will find 2017 Grammy awards proved to be a dison YouTube for Grammys footage are appointment compared to its predecesIlluminati conspiracy videos. sors. After losing so many revered artists To start with, the James Corden intro over the past year, it was a disappointwas that special kind of unfunny that ment we really didn’t need right now. makes you cringe and hope it ends soon. Most, if not all negative press for the The beloved Broadway actor and late Grammys is being censored right now in night host did not bring the same energy addition to the mass takedown of clips he brought to last year’s Tony Awards and footage that isn’t network-owned. So that he hosted. The running joke throughout the bit was a string of scripted technical errors that continued to frustrate him. Toppling down the stairs, losing a shoe, the stage not rising all the way and dancers missing their marks made up an incredibly awkward segment that would have been funnier if not for the actual errors that occurred throughout the night, unscripted. For example, the Metallica performance with Lady Gaga, or according to Laverne Cox, the Lady Gaga performance. In addition to the hostess forgetting to introduce Metallica, James Hetfield’s microphone was unplugged. Whether this treatment was accidental or intentional is up to Vogue China/Facebook the Illuminati conspir-

6

TV Gossip/Facebook

acy theorists to decide, but it certainly was not a fun time for Metallica on that stage. What could have been a pretty cool performance seemed to fizzle out in disappointment, which fit the mood of the night pretty well. Then there was, of course, the Adele cover of “Fastlove” by George Michael. The cover itself wasn’t terrible. It doesn’t really fit George Michael’s style, but it was still a decent tribute. Adele messing up, cursing, then asking for a do-over was pretty silly however. It was a noble attempt, in her own way, to try and do the tribute justice by wanting to get it right. Not everyone can be Beyoncé and play off mistakes as intentional without anyone being the wiser. Speaking of Beyoncé, she did not win album of the year, again. It is somewhat of a running gag now, like Leo getting his Oscar. The difference being, that Leo did eventually get his Oscar, and that Lemonade topped the Billboard top 200 chart. Even Adele, who did win album of the year, thought it was odd that Beyoncé was snubbed yet again. So much so that she snapped the award in half and

offered to share it with her. It isn’t as though the night was a total loss. There were plenty of performances that went off without a hitch, such as Katy Perry’s performance with Skip Marley that ended with an image of the constitution and was met with a standing ovation, as well as the Bruno Mars tribute to Prince that went off smooth. In addition, plenty of artists who deserve credit actually got what they deserved. Chance the Rapper took home three Grammys, the first artist to take home any without ever having sold his music. Then, of course, there was Beyoncé’s captivating pregnant performance that has all the Illuminati conspiracy theorists frothing at the mouth over Beyhive’s glorious golden goddess. However, the high points of the night were quickly overshadowed by the low points, mistakes and pandering nonsense that seemed to cheapen the experience overall. There’s always hope that next year will be better, and maybe Beyoncé can collect enough broken off Grammy pieces to build the award she actually deserves.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

LIFE

ResHall Recipes: Valentine’s Day comfort meals

ESTHER HEATHCOX Contributing Writer

Single Hearts Take to the Kitchen Valentine’s Day is a national holiday for individuals of all ages who get to enjoy the delicious recipes that this holiday brings. However, one important group of individuals that shine in the kitchen are not star-crossed lovers, but instead the single hearts of Mary Washington.

1. American studies major Corey Draper believes in the finer things in life for his Valentine’s Day celebrations, and what is finer than Julia Child’s famous recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon? “It's my favorite because it's basically fancy French comfort food,” Draper said. “The wine and the meat create this really luxurious and flavorful sauce that is damn near perfect with carrots and potatoes. And the salt from your tears of unfathomable loneliness won't overpower anything." What You’ll Need: - 6 slices bacon, cut into lardons - 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - 3 pounds stewing beef, cut into 2-inch chunks - 1 large carrot, sliced - 1 large white onion, sliced - 1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper - 2 tablespoons flour - 3 cups red wine, like a chianti - 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups beef stock - 1 tablespoon tomato paste - 2 cloves smashed garlic - 1/2 teaspoon thyme - 1 crumbled bay leaf - 18 to 24 small pearl onions - 3 1/2 tablespoon butter - 1 herb bouquet (4 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf) - 1 pound fresh white mushrooms, quartered Directions: - Simmer bacon lardons in 4 cups water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry. - Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large Dutch oven, sauté the bacon in 1 tablespoon of oil for about three minutes, until it starts to lightly brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. - Dry the beef in paper towels for better browning. In batches, sear the beef on all sides in the Dutch oven. Set aside

with the bacon. - Back in the pot, add the sliced carrots and onions. Sauté in fat until browned, about three minutes. If there's any excess fat, drain. - Add the bacon and beef back to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Toss. Sprinkle with flour and toss once more. Place in the center of the oven for four minutes.

language, the food, the art, so any part of that should make its way into ANYONE'S Valentine's Day,” said McGowan. “If sharing with friends, family or a significant other, the love that goes into making Italian food is too great not to share!” What You’ll Need: - 1 pound sweet Italian sausage - 3/4 pound lean ground beef - 1/2 cup minced onion

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). - To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a nine inch by 13 inch baking dish. Arrange six noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers,

Alan C./ Flickr

All Global Recipes/Facebook

- Remove pot from oven; toss beef and place back in the oven for four more minutes. - Remove the pot from the oven and reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. - To the pot, add the wine and stock. The liquid should barely cover the meat and vegetables. Add the tomato paste, garlic and thyme. Bring to a light simmer on the stove, then cover and simmer in the lower part of the oven for three to four hours, or until the meat is easily pierced. - In the last hour of cooking, bring 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 2 teaspoons oil to a medium heat in a sauté pan. Add the pearl onions and toss around in the fat until they've browned, 10 minutes. Then stir in 1/2 cup beef stock, a small pinch of salt and pepper and the herb bouquet. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the onions for about 40 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the onions are tender. - Remove the onions and set aside. Discard the herb bouquet and wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining butter and oil and bring to a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for about five minutes, shaking the pan to coat with the butter. - Place a colander over a large pot. Drain the beef stew through the colander and into the pot. Place the pot with the sauce over a medium heat and simmer for about five minutes, skimming any fat on top. Pour the beef and vegetables back into the Dutch oven. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms to the pot. Pour the sauce over the beef mix and simmer an additional three to five minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with potatoes, rice or noodles. 2. Khayla McGowan, a rising senior in the department of history enjoys making her Valentine’s Day the center of Italian cuisine. “Italy is a country of romance, the

- 2 cloves garlic and top with remaining mozzarella and crushed Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to - 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes prevent sticking, either spray foil with - 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste cooking spray, or make sure the foil does - 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato not touch the cheese. sauce - Bake in preheated oven for 25 min- 1/2 cup water utes. Remove foil, and bake an additional - 2 tablespoons white sugar 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before - 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves serving. - 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds Whether you are enjoying Valentine’s - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning Day with friends, family or by yourself, - 1 tablespoon salt these recipes brought to you by some of - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Mary Washington’s finest singles will - 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley make your 2017 Valentine’s Day a hit. - 12 lasagna noodles - 16 ounces ricotta cheese - 1 egg Creative Column manager: Finnley Goff - 1/2 teaspoon salt The Old and Frail - 3/4 pound mozzarella Arlene Santiago cheese, sliced The old, frail body withering away - 3/4 cup grated Parmesan Covered in wrinkled skin peeling cheese Away at the seams. The mouth opened Directions Wide waiting for the night. - Cook: two hours 30 With arms, out and about telling me minutes Which way to go. The legs never - Ready In: three hours 15 Leaving that one spot. minutes I walk past faster with each step, - In a Dutch oven, cook Turning my head only to see sausage, ground beef, onion I am now the one it points at. and garlic over medium heat It is as if it’s trying to tell me until well browned. Stir in That is has seen a lot in its lifetime. crushed tomatoes, tomato The beauty has left such a thing, paste, tomato sauce and water. The old and frail Willow tree. Season with sugar, basil, fen- The Blue & Gray Newspaper is now looking for creative nel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 content tablespoon salt, pepper and 2 The guidelines are as follows: •Anything submitted must be able to be printed in the Blue tablespoons parsley. Simmer, & Gray and/or on the Blue & Gray’s website. covered, for about one 1/2 •All works must have a title. hours, stirring occasionally. •Multiple submissions are welcome but only ONE WORK - Bring a large pot of light- PER STUDENT WILL BE ACCEPTED. ly salted water to a boil. Cook •We will be accepting reviews or interviews to be publasagna noodles in boiling lished under creative work. water for eight to 10 minutes. •We will not accept work submitted anonymously—you Drain noodles, and rinse with must give your name when you submit in order to be acceptcold water. In a mixing bowl, ed. combine ricotta cheese with We will be takings all submissions through email: egg, remaining parsley and blueandgraypress.life@gmail.com 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Creative Column

7

Opinion Editorial Sessions is Great! Ian Scott Wilson

Jeff Sessions, on February 1, was approved by the Senate Judiciary committee in an 11-9 vote. The full Senate voted 52 to 47 (as opposed to 56 to 43 for Loretta Lynch with Republicans breaking rank, and 75 to 21 for Eric Holder also with Republicans breaking rank). This is fantastic! Of course, the vote in the Judiciary committee was split completely down party lines. Similar partisanship also occurred in the final Senate vote, but with one Democrat voting for Sessions. I find this to be reason for excitement. The man is a strong Constitutionalist—an idea inseparable from what makes the United States the greatest nation in history. But still he has his detractors. However, every argument against Sessions falls flat upon even the briefest review of the facts. Cries of “Sessions is a racist” is basically the loudest and so should be addressed. Racist is a strong word, and racists do exist, though not in the case of Sessions. Sessions has actually been a strong proponent of civil rights for decades. Consider the following: Sessions co-sponsored a bill that awarded Rosa Parks the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the highest awards for civilians; Sessions was part of the case against a KKK lynching of a black man in Alabama in the 80s and helped to make sure that the actual racist was executed; and Sessions fought voter fraud on behalf of black prosecutors in Alabama (also against black defendants, hence the racism charge). But instead, Democrats would rather call him a racist and shut down the conversation, because to even question the accusation is heresy. Forget facts, it matters far more that they feel he is a racist. Here is my challenge: prove it. The real reason he is being opposed is because he is a conservative. He values the Constitution and doesn’t have a D after his name.

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LIFE

UMW religion professor takes a stand, calls for resistance NATALIE BEYER Staff Writer

Religion and Philosophy department. The proposed courses include: Philosophy 353 Islamic Philosophy and TheIn January, when Professor Mehdi ology, Religion 253 Muhammad and the Aminrazavi marched with hundreds of Qur’an and Religion 252 Religion and thousands of women, men and children Politics in Islam. In previous semesters, on Washington, he had no idea that just the Religion and Philosophy departments six days later things would get much have only offered introductory courses worse for his family and him. The spirit on the religion, but these additions will of resistance from the momentous march provide much more insight into the dissolved into utter silence for Aminrafaith’s historical and ideological roots. zavi, as the Muslim ban was met with The Chair of the Curriculum Committee, quiet complacency on the campus front. Surupa Gupta, and the Department Chair, Elsewhere, protests broke out at major Craig Vasey, approved the course proairports and across college campuses, inposals on Jan. 23. These new Religion/ cluding UC Berkeley, which soon turned Philosophy courses will be offered in the violent. Though Aminrazavi condemned fall semester at the 300 and 400 level. the violence, he wondered why there was Since the November presidential no unrest at Mary Washington, a unielection of Donald Trump, Muslim versity that boasts a policy of diversity communities within the United States and inclusion. A Muslim professor that have felt increased anxiety as numerous has been teaching at UMW since 1990, administrative policies have directly tarAminrazavi has always strived to combat geted the religion. Aminrazavi believes hatred with education, which is why in that this general mistrust of the nation of December 2016, he proposed three new Islam has stemmed from the misreprecourses about the study of Islam to the sentation of the faith as a whole. “I’ve been teaching Islamic studies for a long time and this situation with Islam in the West in general and America in particular goes from bad to worse,” he said. “First of all, this is the religion of one-fourth of the population, one out of every fourth person that walks on this planet is a Muslim. And unfortunately, the religion has been introduced to Westerners and Americans primarily from a political perspective, as if Islam is a political party.” More recently, an executive order called, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” was instated on Jan. 27, banning entry from seven predominantly Alex Sakes/The Blue & Gray Press Muslim countries including: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and

Alex Sakes/The Blue & Gray Press

Yemen. This was also in addition to the indefinite suspension of the Syrian refugee program. Syria, being another densely populated Muslim country in the Middle East. The travel ban incited widespread protests at our nation’s major airports such as LAX and JFK. Aminrazavi, as well as his family living in Iran have all been personally affected by the ban. The professor said, “My mother and sisters usually come to the United States to visit us. In fact, they planned on coming in March, late March, but they had to cancel it because they cannot come. And Iran has reciprocated, so they will not let Americans to go and I, as a Unites States citizen, cannot go back. So, they can’t come here, I can’t go back and we don’t know when we will ever see each other again.” However, Aminrazavi specified that his story was not unlike many others in the Muslim communities and countries in the Middle East. “There are thousands and thousands of people like me,” he

said, even going further to share another story of a Muslim family in Reston, Virginia who had experienced an even more upsetting encounter with the ban. “Her father passed away in Iran, so she left her two kids with the husband, went there for the funeral, and now is stuck, can’t come back. And so, the husband is here with two kids who can’t see their mother.” He shook his head sadly before he added, “Lots of cases like that, I know several of them.” As for the new addition of religion courses, it is unclear whether or not they will be in high demand among students, but Aminrazavi hopes that education will inspire more public outcry and support for the Muslim community on campus. “I think it is time for students to get involved,” Aminrazavi said. “Everybody has to get involved. Resistance is a major, major, moral duty. Anyone for any reason, whether they are religious or not religious, they all have to put up a fight.”

The ups and downs of being a commuter student at UMW JOHN MARTIN Staff Writer

and a curse. While students who live on campus can just sit down and work on assignI have been a commuter at the Uniments, I have to plan out when and how versity of Mary Washington for a little I will complete each assignment. This under two years since transferring from can be quite difficult at times because my Germanna Community College. I believe family does not know how much time it is a great experience to go through to it takes to write multiple page papers, help prepare yourself for the future and finish all my readings and somehow real world. relax within the time I am given. While I I love the fact that when classes are am at home, I have to lock myself in my done for the day, I can return to my room in order to keep my deadlines and house and clear my mind completely due dates. from UMW and my classes. It allows me As a commuter, I do have to undergo to remove myself from my work and rethe struggle and mind-numbing process lax during stressful days. I get to see my of finding parking. Since all of my gen family all the time, which is a blessing eds were completed at Germanna, I am just taking my English major courses. This means I spend all my time in Combs, so I have to park by the apartments and walk because there is no other parking nearby. Parking there has even University Relations UMW student relaxes in commuter lounge. become an

issue because 23 spots were taken from that parking lot for campus residents. College Avenue is an option, but with so many non-commuters parking there it is almost impossible to find a spot. Parking on College Avenue is hard to come by. Curtis Cataldo/Facebook However, spoken, I shut down. Group projects are driving to some of the worst things at UMW for UMW is quite pleasant, I get to spend commuters because I am not available my 35-minute drive just relaxing and on campus all day and all week. I live 35 mentally preparing for my day. minutes away so it takes some planning. One of my favorite and least favorI have been in projects that the group ite elements of being a commuter is could only meet after 6 p.m., which the waiting around for classes. For the meant another four hours of me sitting past two semesters, I sit in the lobby of around because my classes ended at 2 Combs for three hours straight while p.m. that afternoon. I have to shift many waiting for my classes to begin. I am plans around and it becomes such a hasforced to do this because I don’t want sle to even work on the project because I to lose my parking, I have no personal am not constantly available to meet. place to go, and with the fluctuating I have found out that being a comtemperatures and weather outside is muter at UMW is both a blessing and not the best option. I do have to admit, a curse. I love that I do not have to live by having this huge gap in time, I have where I take my classes because honestbeen able to keep up with all my favorite ly, I’d rather sleep in my bed at home. As shows because I am able to watch multia senior looking back at my time here, ple episodes during that time each day. I wouldn’t trade being a commuter for I have realized that class projects are anything. one of the few nightmares for commuters. When the words “group project” are

9

NEWS

POLICE BEAT

Students encouraged to take action against censorship

LAUREN TAYLOR News Editor

Intoxication On Sunday, Feb. 12 around 1:00 a.m., underage intoxication occurred at Virginia Hall. One administrative referral and EMS transportation was given.

CRIME COVERAGE POLICY The Blue & Gray Press will publish the names of students who are formally charged by the University of Mary Washington Campus Police or the Fredericksburg Police Department to have committed acts of extreme violence against members of the UMW community or pose a large threat to that community, when names are released to the public. The Blue & Gray Press will publish names and write articles about criminal acts on a case-by-case basis according to the aforementioned parameters. The information was compiled with assistance from UMW Police Manager James DeLoatch and Fredericksburg Police Department Public Information Officer Sarah Kirkpatrick.

STEEL MAGNOLIAS By Robert Harling Klein Theatre February 16-26 “Most perceptive… an evening of sweet sympathies and small-town chatter.” – The New York Times

10

•SCIENCE MARCH | 1

issue, which has given policymakers permission to reject overwhelming evidence, is a critical and urgent matter. It is time for people who support scientific research and evidence-based policies to take a public stand and be counted.” The bans on federal agencies, and the subsequent march, has more far-reaching effects than it may seem. Sarah Roche, a junior biology major and historian of the BSA, made comments about the group’s involvement in the march. “I’m going to this march because I see this as a violation of my basic rights as a scientist,” Roche said. A major issue that the march is meant to bring attention to is how policy-making should be based on empirical evidence, which has been treated as a partisan issue in the past, allowing it to be ignored. “Mary Washington’s involvement is not political,” Roche said. “We are scientists and we are fighting for our research and to report our empirical data.” Keeping the non-partisan approach in mind, the march is not being referred to as a protest, but rather a way for voices to be heard. In an effort to make the march even more unique, the website says there will be a teach-in where scientists can discuss and inform fellow marchers about their research and projects. “I think the unifying message of this march will be that the facts are facts, they must be shared and they should be used to inform decisions that impact everyone in the United States and set examples for the world,” Qualls said. The march is not just for scientists and students of STEM but is open to anyone who wants to join. “We have to make people aware of what’s at stake. We cannot do that just within the scientific community,” Roche said. “We need them [non-STEM majors] there.” After placing bans on federal agencies, the Trump Administration has been receiving criticism from the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA, among other agencies, was instructed to refrain from interacting with the press and from posting to their social media accounts. This comes in tandem with the deletion of all social media posts that discuss climate change on verified government accounts. Four federal agencies were directly impacted by this ban, which required the agencies to stop posting to social media accounts, to not release news information to the press, not add anything to websites or blogs and consult higher-ups before speaking to any press. There were some moments of rebellion against this ban, but they were quickly taken down. One of the most notable reactions

Biology Student Association / Instagram UMW_BSA

came from the Badlands National Park Twitter account, which continued to announce the threat of climate change despite the regulations that the federal government has imposed. Rogue Twitter accounts claiming to be the various federal agencies have also popped up, but they cannot be verified to be from the agencies themselves. A ban or freeze such as this is not uncommon when switching from one administration to another, and some voices are saying it is nothing to be concerned about. Others are pointing to the fact that the new administration seems to be targeting scientific research and environmental protection agencies. This leads to concern for the integrity of future scientific research and the impact ignoring the signs of climate change can have. Scientists have voiced other concerns, such as federal funding being cut, policy-making based on empirical evidence and scientific integrity in general. Fearful that these concerns will be validated by continued focus on silencing environmental or scientific communi-

ties, the scientific community has come together to lead a March for Science on Washington on April 22. What started as a small mention on a Reddit thread has quickly gained support, with over 40,000 people volunteering to help with the march in Washington alone. A private Facebook page, which was formed shortly after the idea was presented, gained over 200,000 members. April 22, which is Earth Day, is important for the march since one of the issues being addressed is the silence toward climate change. The BSA has opened the trip to everyone and encourages everyone who is interested to contact them. Due to one of the major issues of the march being climate change, the BSA is taking their support a step further by using carpools for transportation to the march and using recycled materials for their signs. The group is also discussing ways to make the movement last beyond the march. “This is not a fight between science and the government,” Roche said. “I’m worried about my passion.”

Student Senate Beat Wednesday, Feb. 15 The following motions have been passed by UMW Student Senate. The passing of a motion does not mean that its terms are subject to happen. The motions will be reviewed by the Student Government Association Executive Cabinet, who will then vote on the proposed motions.

• The motion for the Fitness Center to allow government issued photo IDs as an alternative to Eagle One IDs for admission and access to the facility was passed by the SGA Executive Cabinent. •

The motion passed for the Buildings and Grounds Committee to work with Laundry and Vending Services to make the laundry system more affordable and efficient was passed by the SGA Executive Cabinet. It is currently being worked on.

•

The motion in which the Student Senate agreed to work with the Office of Financial Aid to eliminate the portion of the University Scholarships that requires scholarships recipients to remain in on-campus housing as a term of the contracts was passed by the SGA Executive Cabinet. However, the University is not able to negotiate these contracts, so there will not be a change to these terms. For more information, contact the president of Student Senate, Ethan Carter at : ecarter@mail.umw.edu All motions were originated and passed in the student senate. They have not gone through approval by the executive cabinet. DETAILS PROVIDED BY JAMIE MCGUIRE

Thursday, February 16, 2017

NEWS

Underground brings back beer, wine, names Fred Red UMW’s signature beer

Last week, the Underground reintroduced beer and wine to the menu. This was kicked off with a free beer tasting hosted by the Student Government Association to help choose the official UMW beer. Alcohol served on campus is not new, however. Students used to be able to purchase drinks at the Underground and the Nest just a few years ago, but only recent enough for current students to not be old enough to enjoy the options. Students attended Paint Nite, Bingo, open mic night, concerts and many more where students 21 and over can enjoy their favorite drinks. Ethan Carter, the vice president of the SGA explained that the reintroduc-

JANELLE BEHM Staff Writer

tion of beer and wine to the Underground was suggested about a year ago. While serving alcohol on campus could be controversial, Carter took a different position. “Administration seemed pretty receptive to the idea when it was first proposed,” Carter said. There were hardly any obstacles along the way. Being that this is not necessarily new to UMW, this motion could not have been hard to accomplish. Because this update is new to campus and it is uncertain what is more popular among beer and wine, UMW Dining Services marketing manager Rose Benedict explained that they did

not have enough time to determine student patterns, but on Feb. 3, it was announced by the Student Government Association that the official UMW signature brew would be the Fred Red. “It was a pretty quick turnaround time considering all the factors involved with campus dining and alcohol logistics,” Carter said. Since the reintroduction, the university has not had enough time to evaluate the statistics. “We had the kegerator installed shortly after everyone returned in January, but then it broke,” Benedict said. Casey Bridgeman, senior psychology major, mentioned that her sociology

Andrew Boswell / the Blue & Gray Press

class was discussing this new option. They talked about how it is a safer and cheaper option to go the Underground for drinks instead of venturing downtown. This way students do not run the risk of potentially driving or having to pay for an Uber to get downtown. Now students who are 21 and over can have a drink after a day of classes and they do not have to go walk around downtown. In more recent years, alcohol in the Underground was introduced in the 2010 to 2011 school year but now in 2017 it is in full effect. The Underground is open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day, serving beer and wine with a full menu.

Photos of travel ban protest in Washington, courtesy of John Wayne Higgs •BAN EFFECTS | 2

Thursday, February 16, 2017

11

SPORTS

Editor: Mikey Barnes | blueandgray.sports@gmail.com

Women’s basketball ready for CAC tournament

Senior Breezi Comden (right)takes photo with head coach Deena Applebury (left) during senior day.

Senior Megan Green (Left) poses with head coach Deena Applebury (Right) during senior day. Sue Spencer / Perfect Shots

Sue Spencer / Perfect Shots

DUSTIN THOMAS Staff Writer

Going into senior day this on Feb. 11 against Penn State-Harrisburg (5-17, 3-12 CAC), the University of Mary Washington women’s basketball team, led by seniors Brianne Comden and Megan Green, looked to be on their way to winning out for the rest of regular season and hosting the CAC tournament, which begins Tuesday, Feb. 21. The two ladies were honored at the beginning of the game, and a wave of emotions set over the Anderson Center as two of the most decorated women’s basketball players in school history were playing in their final regular season home game. The emotions all changed when time expired and sophomore McKenzie Jenkins’ three-pointer hit off the rim at the buzzer en route to a 58-57 defeat, by the hands of their conference opponent. The Eagles were led in the loss by Comden, who finished with a team and game high of 14 points. Comden also

“WE WOULD PLAY HOME OR AWAY AND STILL PLAY JUST AS HARD EITHER WAY BUT BEING ABLE TO PLAY AT HOME IS NICE BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE ALL OUR FANS AND SUPPORT OF OUR FAMILIES” -Breezi Comden added seven rebounds and two blocks in the nail-biter game. Jenkins finished with the second highest scoring total for the Eagles with 11 points, including a pair of

deep threes. Green finished her last home regular season game with a game high five assists, along with two steals and six points. As the clock ran out, fans clapped to celebrate the hard fought game and careers of Comden and Green, but also, tears were being shed as the team had fallen to quite an underdog, on a very special day. This all took place as the ladies and coaching staff from Penn State-Harrisburg celebrated on their end of the court, as though they had just won a national championship game, seeing as they had just defeated a top-10 nationally ranked opponent. The Eagles will finish their regular season this week with away games at Marymount and at Wesley. If they win out, the Eagles will finish in a tie for first in the CAC with Christopher Newport University, if CNU wins out as well. With what would be a 16-2 record in conference play.

The regular season conference champion is the team that gains home court advantage in the conference tournament, which is a big deal to many teams. “We would play home or away and still play just as hard either way but being able to play at home is nice because we will have all of our fans and support of our families,” Comden said. “Plus it is awesome to play and defend our home court.” If both CNU and UMW win out as expected, a coin flip will take place to determine who gets home court, such as it did last year. For the 2015-16 CAC conference tournament, CNU won the coin-toss and hosted the CAC tournament in which UMW eventually won to advance to the NCAA tournament with an at-large bid. The CAC tournament begins next Tuesday and the Eagles will be at the Anderson Center, regardless of the coin toss result.

Eating your veggies leads to healthier lifestyle and better performance KAYLEIGH RONGEY Staff Writer

Being a vegan or vegetarian athlete may sound oxymoronic, but more players choose to go meat-free than you would think. As I looked at previous Atlanta Falcons players after Super Bowl LI, I stumbled across a former player who was able to maintain a vegan diet throughout his football career while maintaining a healthy weight of 247 pounds. Former Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons tight end, Tony Gonzalez, decided to remain vegan even after being drafted, a decision which led to severe doubt and questioning from his peers. He told The Washington Street Journal in 2008, “It’s the Catch-22…Am I going to be unhealthy and play football? Or be healthy and get out of the league?” When faced with this difficult decision, Gonzalez decided to stay healthy and continue playing. His phenomenal records would stand as proof to his peers that a plant-

Thursday, February 16, 2017

based diet could not only be managed by an athlete, but it might even improve their game. Not only was Gonzalez able to maintain a healthy vegan diet, in his 2008 season, he had 96 receptions and a 1,000-yard season. In an interview with Men’s Journal, he touted, “I have more energy, better focus and more endurance. I don’t get tired. I hardly ever come out of the game. And I’m as strong as ever.” Gonzalez attributes his success to his strict diet, and he is not the only athlete to do so. I was thoroughly surprised by the number of players who have claimed that a vegan or vegetarian diet is the reason they can maintain their energy during a game. Vegans and vegetarians can be found all over the broad spectrum of sports. From baseball players like Hall of Fame member Hank Aaron, to former Atlanta Hawks point-guard Salim Stoudamire, veggie enthusiasts can be found in nearly every sport. Like Gonzalez, these players claim

that they could not perform on the field or on the court as well as they could if they ate the standard, meat-heavy athlete’s diet. Some athletes, like Venus Williams, did not make the choice to become vegan or vegetarian merely to improve stats. After being diagnosed with Sjögren’s syndrome, Williams made the switch in order to control the symptoms of the painful immune disease. After a rough season in 2011 due to the severe joint pain that accompanies this disease, Williams removed all meats and animal products from her diet. The results were astounding. In an interview with Health, she stated, “I literally could not play tennis anymore, so it really changed my life. Because it was starting to take away what I loved, I had to make some changes. I had to change my life. Thankfully, I was able to find something that helped me get back to doing what I loved.” University of Mary Washington athletes are joining the greens life, such as Emma

Carolan from the UMW women’s rugby, who team enjoys her vegan diet. According to her, many athletes take a multivitamin in order to supplement the nutrients that they would normally receive from meat or animal products. “I take a multivitamin but I didn’t always,” Carolan said. “I’ve never had a problem getting the vitamins in but I do now just as a precautionary measure.” “I don’t have a meal plan anymore so I cook at home. But when I was a freshman and sophomore I’d go to the dining hall or the Nest with the rest of my team.” Her favorite vegan dishes are “probably a really good pizza or black bean burger.” Even here on campus, Eagles are proving that being a vegan or vegetarian athlete is not as oxymoronic as you might think. In fact, the benefits that players like Tony Gonzalez and Venus Williams experience are proof that a plant-based diet may be the answer on how to succeed in sport.

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