The Blue & Gray Press

THE

BLUE &GRAY

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER

PRESS

Originally promoting a conceal and carry course, overnight on Wednesday of last week a new message about school shooting statistics was made.

February 22, 2018

VOLUME 91 | ISSUE 16 SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE

1922

Cayley McGuire and Kelly Emmrich / The Blue & Gray Press

Spirit Rock sparks controversy Kate Seltzer Senior Writer

On Thursday morning of last week, students awoke to a new message on the Spirit Rock: in black, seemingly hastingly scrawled writing, “18 school shootings in 2018.”

Previously, the rock displayed an advertisement for a firearm safety and concealed carry permit course sponsored by UMW’s Firearms Club. The new message comes in the wake of a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

While the 18 school shootings statistic has been widely cited in recent days, Politifact rates it as “mostly false.” The number includes any incident where a gun was fired, intentionally or otherwise, in school or on school property.

Of the 18, three qualified as mass shootings.

Although the higher number is misleading, it does speak to a higher frequency of school shootings than anywhere else in the world. According to ABC News, the shooting in Parkland is the seventh deadliest in modern US •ROCK | 10

“There’s been way too many [shootings] already. It’s only February. Something needs to be done about that.”

-Katelyn Colombrito

Lauren Closs / The Blue & Gray Press Even when it was repainted, the rock was vandalized multiple times.

Izzy Briones / The Blue & Gray Press Throughout the week, different organizations have come together to repaint the rock.

Firearms club of UMW hosts safety strategies course Grace Winfield Senior Writer

On Friday evening, students of the University of Mary Washington gathered in Dodd auditorium for a four hour-long safety strategies course hosted by the Firearms Club of UMW. The class advertised practical defensive tools and techniques, understanding criminal cues and how to use technology to assist with smart safety solutions. Also included was a Virginia Conceal Carry course, allowing participants to obtain their own Conceal Carry Permit.

The course was taught by instructor Jody Maki, founder and owner of GirlOnFire (GOF). According to the GOF website, “Girl on Fire is a national movement to decrease

crime statistics. Our mission is to provide people nationwide with prevention strategies and tools in order to decrease chances of becoming a victim. Regularly training FBI, Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Military, GirlOnFire provides proprietary, high-level

“Our mission is to protect, educate, and promote the 2nd amendment by coordinating various topics revolving around firearms, providing firearm training and safety seminars and increasing student participation in recreational shooting sports,” said junior

Club.

“We currently require all Firearms Club members to complete a ‘Basic Firearms Safety Course’ before they can go on any field trips where live firearms may be present, regardless of their previous skills or knowledge,” said Johnson.

The club fully complied with the UMW weapons policy, as no firearms were present Friday night.

“The Firearms Club wished to host this event because many were interested in receiving their Conceal Carry Permit,” Johnson said. “We wanted to allow the opportunity for those in the UMW community who are not a part of the club to have the chance to complete a Personal Safety Strategies course or •FIREARMS | 2

“Our mission is to protect, educate, and promote the 2nd amendment by coordinating various topics revolving around firearms, providing firearm training and safety seminars and increasing student participation in recreational shooting sports.”

IN THIS

ISSUE

-Natalie Johnson strategies.”

The Firearms Club of UMW is a relatively recent club, officially becoming a club on campus in October of 2017.

lights OUT

Natalie Johnson, UMW Firearms president.

Johnson stressed how important gun safety is to members of the Firearms

SCHOOL SHOOTINGS

REALLY RIVALS?

“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” teaches life lessons.

Preventing school shootings isn’t black and white.

The inside scoop behind the CNU rivalry.

LIFE | 7

VIEWPOINTS | 5

SPORTS | 3

NEWS

Editors: Meaghan McIntyre & Izzy Briones | blueandgray.news@gmail.com

Vacancies at Eagle Village

THE

BLUE & GRAY PRESS

Nathaniel Devine Staff Writer

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-AT-LARGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kelly Emmrich

MANAGING EDITOR Tessa Cate

SECTION EDITORS NEWS Meaghan McIntyre Izzy Briones

VIEWPOINTS Ginny Bixby

LIFE Lauren Closs

SPORTS Ryan Brauch

ONLINE Es Hethcox

PHOTO Cayley McGuire Kyrstiane Urbaniak

Business Team Linda Fitzpatrick Janelle Behm

FACULTY ADVISOR Sushma Subramanian

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Stray cats on campus lead to conversations among students.

Spencer Anderson

Cats, cages, and campus Rachel Manning Senior Writer

While walking through campus one evening, a small, dark shadow crosses the path. The figure disappears under a nearby residence hall. When approaching the hall, faint meowing coming from within can be heard.

If you’re like many people on this campus- and around the nation- this situation is very familiar, as stray cats are becoming quite a common sight.

According to humanesociety.com, there are as many as 40 million stray cats in the United States, and that number is growing, as most of these cats are not spayed or neutered.

UMW is not excluded from this phenomenon, as there are also stray cats living on the UMW campus.

Most often seen around Monroe, Wi l l a r d , and Virginia halls, the cats are said to be living underneath Monroe and Willard. Some students and faculty are taking efforts to capture or take care of these animals, and have placed food or trapping devices near these buildings.

“I think people taking care of stray cats is good, but the problem of stray cats in the first place must be handled,” says sophomore computer science major Joseph Haythorn, who has seen these campus cats before.

While seeing an occasional cat on campus may not seem to be a big deal, stray cats are harmful to the local ecosystem, as they are the one of the biggest killers of birds, small mammals, and other local wildlife- according to smithsonianmag.com. However, this problem cannot be attributed solely to

strays, as pet cats who are let out during the day also contribute to these issues.

“It’s sad that the cats are doing this,” says junior Spanish major Marlen Reyes Silva “but killing birds is just their way of surviving.” Haythorn has a similar opinion: “It depends on whether the birds are endangered or not. Also, to put things in perspective, a dead bird means more food and territory for all the other birds.”

That being said, while student cat lovers may be thrilled at the prospect of finding a cat to love while they’re living away from their own cat, one should never approach an unfamiliar animal.

Most of these cats are stray, and it is likely that they are not friendly, so it’s best to leave t h e m alone unless you have significant experience w i t h catching and taming feral cats.

Furthermore, some of the regular campus cats may not be strays at all, but instead pet cats visiting from the nearby neighborhood.

Whether or not they’ve actually seen the stray cats, students appear to have no issue with their presence on campus.

“I haven’t seen any cats myself, but long as they’re not hurting anyone we should let them be,” says junior Spanish major Kirsten Merrimarahajara. This appears to be the general sentiment of students: that the cats are, like the squirrels and the birds, just a part of the campus “wildlife,” and should be left to live their own way. Until they do cause a disruption, there appears to be no cause for their removal, since the cats, like many students, have made themselves at home on UMW’s campus and intend to stick around- at least for a little while.

“I haven’t seen any cats myself, but long as they’re not hurting anyone we should let them be.”

-Kirsten Merrimarahajara

In recent months, two storefront properties located in Eagle Village have closed their doors. One used to house Mexican restaurant, Pancho Villa and the other used to be a Blackstone Coffee café. Today, the two properties are being leased by Cushman and Wakefield Thalhimer Commercial Real Estate.

When contacted about the properties, Cushman and Wakefield Thalhimer Commercial Real Estate Senior Vice President Virgil G. Nelson was able to be reached for a response.

“We fully expect both of these spaces to be leased soon,” said Nelson. “The names of prospective tenants are obviously confidential, but we have several serious deals currently in the works. We are not in a hurry as we want to be sure we sign the right tenants for this space.”

Centered at a far edge of the shopping center, both properties are in advantageous locations in Eagle Village,close to the University of Mary Washington to receive student fair, and also extremely accessible to the locals in Fredericksburg.

“Lease rates depend upon the size, location, and the type of space. Each deal is negotiated separately and is always based on the market rates prevailing at any given time.” explained Nelson.

The properties have been vacant since the end of summer, with the Blackstone cafe closing its doors sometime last June and the Mexican Pancho Villa following shortly after, closing in late August or September.

According to the employees at the Blackstone Coffee located on campus, the higher management at Blackstone simply decided to close the Blackstone in Eagle Village in order to focus on the café already on campus. According to Scott Friwall, a sophomore biology major at the University of Mary Washington and a manager at the Blackstone Coffee café on campus, the on campus café is open to all patrons whether they are students at the University of Mary Washington or Fredericksburg locals. Because of this, the owners of the Blackstone Company didn’t want to renew their lease on their Eagle Village property despite it’s business doing modestly well. Nelson confirmed this.

The employees at the Greens and Grains café currently located in Eagle Village, said that business and the influx of customers varies from day to day. The village does have some student patrons mixed in with some local area residents. However, Nelson contradicted this sentiment.

“Eagle Village is one of the busiest commercial centers in Fredericksburg and enjoys a very high retail lease rate...currently 94 percent leased up.

The commercial office lease rate at EV is 100 percent leased up. There are so many individual tenants at EV, that it is quite natural to have a few come and go from time to time,” Nelson said.

CORRECTIONS for THE Week PLEASE REPORT ANY MISTAKES SEEN IN THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS TO Kelly Emmrich, blueandgray.eic@gmail.com or Sushma Subramanian, ssubrama@umw.edu

Thursday, February 22, 2018

SPORTS

Students discuss the Christopher Newport rivalry

SARAH BOND Staff Writer

In the world of sports, rivalries are an integral part of the competitive nature which drives fans to stadiums and arenas. The opportunity to watch your favorite team defeat their rivals and have bragging rights is an experience that many sports fans look forward to. Specifically, on college campuses, rivalries with other colleges is an important part of one’s college experience.

At the University of Mary Washington, the presence of a sports rivalry is unclear.

On Wednesday, Feb. 14, students filled the Anderson Center to watch both the UMW Basketball men’s and women’s teams play Christopher Newport University for the second time this year. Mary Washington students often refer to the Christopher Newport

University “Captains” as our rival through sports.

The history of the rivalry is unclear and there is many conflicting theories on whether the rivalry is legitimate and mutual amongst both schools. On campus today, it is evident that some students feel strongly about the rivalry.

Students can be seen around campus with “Beat CNU” shirts and other previous shirt designs targeted towards the Captains.

“I do think the CNU rivalry is legitimate. It definitely is not as intense as other intense Division I schools and it’s not taken as seriously as high school rivalries but given the size and division of our school it’s as strong as expected. I personally don’t have any emotional feelings against

CNU, I just enjoy how it drives the teams and energizes the atmosphere during the games,” said senior, Purity Muthaa.

The presence of sports in the UMW community may impact the scale which the rivalry is taken amongst the student body. Some students enjoy the excitement and feelings which rivalries evoke.

“The rivalry brings the school together. It brings the competitiveness out of the student body,” said sophomore, Nehemia Abel who frequently attends men’s basketball and soccer games.

Rivalries have historically been important to the culture of sports and inviting a larger student turnout. On Wednesday, at the basketball game, the seats were filled with both students, community members and

families of the players. The first three hundred students were given free “Rise Up” t-shirts. The games with CNU usually garner larger crowds from the student such as the Fall 2017 women’s and men’s soccer Homecoming game.

While there is a part of the student body who enjoys the rivalry, some students have a different take and question the legitimacy rivalry with CNU. “I feel like our rivalry with CNU is hilarious because they don’t recognize us as rivals,” said junior, Erin Maguire.

The UMW men’s and women’s basketball teams both fell to CNU on Feb. 14 and may meet again during their playoff runs. So as for now, the CNU rivalry lives on.

Austin Hall drives past defense

UMW Athletics

Lady Eagles on defense

UMW Athletics

Swim teams plan to make a splash in championship

MAGGIE MCCOTTER Staff Writer

As the swimming season winds down, the University of Mary Washington mens and womens swim teams wait in anticipation for the annual CAC Swim Championship at St. Mary’s College in Maryland. Currently, the men’s swim team is second in the Capital Athletic Conference, only one loss behind York College of Pennsylvania. The women’s team is number one in the conference, leading with a perfect record of 5-0. The CAC Championship meet is Feb. 23-25, with all teams competing against each other before the NCAA Championships at the end of March.

McKinzie Turner, a sophomore majoring in studio art and in the elementary education program, stated that the women’s team is “definitely

UMW swimmer swimming the butterfly

prepared for the CAC’s” and her favorite part of swimming is “having such a good team and coach that are like family.” The womens record is perfect in conference competition, so it makes sense that Turner believes “it is more nerve-wracking to be racing one of your teammates than someone from another team.” Turner is swimming the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke, as well as the 100-meter Individual Medley.

Turner may be swimming some of the shorter length events, but Kolin Hoffman, a freshman business major, is slated to swim one of the longer events in college swimming. At the CAC Championship, he will be competing in the 500 and 200-meter freestyle on top of the 200-meter butterfly.

UMW Athletics

“I acknowledge the pain I’m about to feel swimming the race, but also extreme confidence that I can push past that,” said Hoffman when asked about his feelings before races.

Long distance swimming is difficult, especially doing butterfly, which is the most taxing stroke, so it is important that Hoffman, as well as the men’s swim team prepares well for each event they are in. Hoffman and his team has prepared for this meet by practicing with the intensity of a meet every opportunity they can.

Megan Carney, a freshman in the elementary education program, is also swimming the 500-meter freestyle, as well as the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke. Her favorite part of

Mark Dye takes a breathe duringin a race

swimming is “seeing yourself and your teammates go best times in meets.” She, and many other swimmers, appreciate seeing all the hours of hard work in the pool and in the weight room pay off.

“When you accomplish something you never thought you could do, the feeling it brings you is so rewarding,” said sophomore accounting major, Carley Vaughn.

Vaughn will be swimming the 100 and 200-meter butterfly and the 100-meter backstroke.

The University of Mary Washington mens and womens teams are slated to do very well because of their current rankings. The NCAA Championship will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Mar. 21-24.

UMW Athletics

Weekly Scoreboard Men's Basketball

Feb. 20 vs. Frostburg St. (W) UMW: 82 Frostburg St. 78

women's Basketball

Feb. 20 vs. Salisbury (W) UMW:50 Salisbury: 42

Men's lacrosse

Men's Lacrosse

Feb. 17 vs. Shenandoah (W) UMW: 17 Shenandoah: 6

Feb. 24 @ Ursinus TBA

women's lacrosse

women's lacrosse

Feb. 21 vs. Shenandoah (W) UMW: 18 Shenandoah

Feb. 24 @ Lynchburg TBA

Men's basketball

Feb. 22 @ Christopher Newport TBA

women's basketball

Feb. 22 @ Marymount (Va.) TBA

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VIEWPOINTS

Political clubs have a right to freedom of speech HANNAH ROTHWELL Staff Writer

On Thursday, February 15, the UMW Firearms club painted the spirit rock on campus to advertise their concealed carry and personal safety classes. Later that day, their message was spray painted over and covered with a message about school shootings in response to the one that had just occurred in Florida that same day. It is unknown who painted over the rock. This has sparked a massive debate on campus about not only firearms, but free speech as a whole.

Their president, Natalie Johns, doesn’t see this action as representative of the campus community as a whole.

“People enjoy (or at least have no opinion) that the club exists, if that wasn’t the case than people wouldn’t come to their meetings and events,” although she admits that it has faced some backlash since its inception last fall.

They are not the only club that has experienced this type of opposition. The Students for Life club has experienced similar incidents in which their chalked advertisements on the sidewalks were washed away or covered up. These incidents indicate that the UMW community, which prides itself on diversity and inclusion, has a history of censoring viewpoints that dissent from the norm.

This silencing of the opposition is harmful, not only to the ones who are silenced, but to the community as a whole. Diversity

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

is a good thing. It introduces people to other people and viewpoints that they wouldn’t normally have interacted with, and allows them to put a face to what would otherwise be an idea. When one side’s view of the other side is informed not by the other side, but by what our side believes about them, anyone holding differing ideas becomes a caricature rather than a person. It’s easier to bash caricatures of the other side than to actually engage in a productive and respectful dialogue.

Take firearms for example. It is an incredibly controversial topic, especially in the wake of the latest shooting. Both sides tend to have rather negative views of the other.

It’s common to see gun rights activists presented as people who are unnecessarily obsessed with owning guns just for the sake of having them, and as being completely blind to the dangers that firearms can cause.

It’s also common to see gun control activists presented as anxious and reactionary people who have never touched a gun in their lives and are overly controlling of something that they don’t understand. Obviously, both sides would disagree with how they are portrayed by the other, but the best way to change this portrayal is to genuinely talk to the other side and try to understand how they see themselves. It seems that happens far less frequently than it should.

By having the firearms club on campus, people on both sides of the issue are able to interact with the people who hold the beliefs of the opposing side. They are able to see that the people on the other side are not the crazy caricatures that are often portrayed as, but rather they are fellow students, neighbors, and friends. They are rational people who have made informed decisions, and come to different conclusions. Having fellow students represent an opposing viewpoint provides the opportunity to ask how those conclusions were arrived at, and engage in a productive and informed dialogue going forward.

Without representation of a wide range of thoughts and beliefs, communities run the risk of becoming echo chambers. While those communities may feel comforting from the inside, they aren’t representative of society as a whole. By seeing and interacting with people with diverse backgrounds and ideas, it becomes easier to understand that not everyone who disagrees is necessarily bad or wrong. This is a necessary step to understanding the ideas they hold. When the person who disagrees with you is in your classes and on your hall, it becomes harder to dismiss them as completely irrational.

Having ample representation of controversial beliefs on campus will allow the students of UMW to break down barriers, build bridges, and better understand the other members of their community.

U.S. government should reconsider involvement in Yemen KYLE LEHMANN Staff Writer

At this moment, there is a war going on that the U.S. is involved in that most people do not know about. Your mind might drift to places like Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, among other places where the news will report a successful raid against a terror network of the death of a U.S. serviceman in an attack on a U.S. base every once and a while. But there is a conflict the U.S. is involved in that is brutal and does not seem to have a clear exit strategy, and many citizens may not know about. This conflict is unfolding in Yemen, a conflict in which the U.S. should reconsider how it should be involved.

Yemen is a country that is in crisis; an ethnically divided country in a region where sectarian violence dominates is hardly a position any country would pursue. Ever since the Arab Spring, which forced their long-standing leader, President Saleh, to step down and his successor President Hadi, who was closely aligned with Saudi Arabia, to take charge of the country. The Houthis, an ethnic group in Yemen, who are more closely aligned with Iran, have rebelled against his installation as president. This rebellion has erupted into a full-on proxy war between a coalition led by Saudi Arabia against Iranian backed Houthi rebels for influence and prestige in the Middle East with Al Qaeda insurgents also taking up arms and seizing control

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in various regions in all of the chaos.

How is the U.S. involved then? The U.S. has a long-standing alliance with the Saudi Monarchy and a lengthy history of antipathy against the clerical regime in Iran. The United States, alongside the United Kingdom, have provided substantial assistance to the Saudis. The two countries have provided training for pilots and soldiers, intelligence flights, and refueling coalition planes. This is in addition to providing the coalition with substantial amounts of weapons, and in the case of cluster bombs, weapons outlawed by a majority of the international community. The Saudis, with said arms, have pursued a campaign that is the definition of ruthless and excessive.

Besides indiscriminate bombing of civilian centers, a war crime, the Saudi coalition has embarked on a blockade of Yemen’s ports to prevent food and medicine from reaching civilians, also a war crime, that have caused a humanitarian crisis that the Yemenis and the international community are ill prepared to deal with. 22.2 million people, three quarters of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance with almost half of that number needing immediate attention. Almost 18 million people are food insecure with around 8 million people being at risk of starvation, making Yemen among a lonely group of two other states, South Sudan and Somalia, being in famine

Reuters/BBC

The U.S. military has had a longtime involvement with the conflict in Yemen.

conditions.

Besides bombing civilians and blockading necessary supplies, other old things making dramatic returns in this conflict includes cholera. A disease that is as much historical in our minds as Spanish flu or small pox is, currently running amuck in the country. Haiti, the country most associated with cholera outbreaks, had 815,000 cases between 2010 and 2017. Yemen broke this in a mere six months. Cholera now afflicts more than a million people in Yemen due to the inability to fuel them due to the blockade and them also being targets for Saudi airstrikes.

This is not to say the rebels and the Iranians have their hands clean either.

Make no mistake, they are not innocent either. The Iranians have been supplying the rebels with ballistic missiles that have been fired at the Saudi capital of Riyadh, one of which hit an airport. Iranian intentions are no nobler than Saudi Arabia’s to expand their influence in the cutthroat style of politics in the region.

With the ferocity of the Saudi campaign in this conflict, the U.S. should take a step back and re-examine its role in the conflict. Although no U.S. pilots, soldiers, or seamen are directly fighting, the amount of support we are lending to the Saudi coalition is concerning since its aiding them in their brutal war. The U.S. should seek to try to nudge the sides of the war to seek peace.

If a speedy peace cannot be delivered, then a more humanitarian war, if that makes sense, should be pursued.

The U.S. has significant sway in Saudi Arabia, with U.S. providing a significant amount of military aid and weaponry to the Kingdom. The U.S. should try and leverage military aid to try and get the Saudis to pursue a more restrained campaign in their effort to restore the Hadi government. One of the worst humanitarian crises is unfolding in the Middle East, and we are unwittingly aiding it indirectly. We should be investing our assets towards a path to try and help find a solution to this humanitarian catastrophe.

Thursday,January February 2018 Thursday, 21,22, 2015

VIEWPOINTS

Editor: Ginny Bixby | blueandgray.views@gmail.com

It could happen to anyone: A personal perspective on the school shooting epidemic

GINNY BIXBY Viewpoints Editor

It was the morning of June 18th, 2004.

It was my little brother’s birthday, and my mom was about to drive me to my last day of kindergarten. I remember eating breakfast when the phone rang and my mom picked up. It was my dad calling from Bull Run Middle School in Gainesville, VA, where he was the principal, to tell my mom the horrific news- a student had brought a gun to school.

I don’t remember being scared- granted, this happened when I was six years old.

My mom was honest with me and did tell me what had happened, but all I remember thinking was, ‘oh, daddy will fix it.’ I was so young, and I remember feeling like there was nothing in the world that my dad couldn’t stop.

Now at age 20, mere days after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, I think about how lucky the students and faculty at my father’s school were fourteen years ago. The assistant principal, an experienced hunter, recognized the sound of a gun being loaded in the boys’ restroom. He and the other administrators put the school into full lockdown procedures.

While the student did point the rifle at several students and faculty members, including a secretary who was on the phone with the police, a teacher was able to talk him down. He never fired one shot, and nobody was hurt. The incident made national news, and my dad and the rest of administration were praised for having such an effective plan in place for these kinds of incidents.

But as I’ve gotten older, the impact of this event and how close I was to experiencing the effects of a school shooting first-hand doesn’t escape me.

School shootings, and mass shootings in general, are something the public seems to have become numb to. I include myself in this. I found out about the shooting at Stoneman Douglas through a Washington Post notification on my phone, and I honestly wasn’t shocked or taken aback when I saw it. It seems that there is some kind of shooting every week now, whether it be in a school or a church, whether it takes the lives of a handful of lives or 17- all inno-

cent, precious lives, regardless of the number. And while we recognize each instance as horrific and tragic, it has become normal.

Growing up in public school in the years after the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, I was no stranger to lockdown drills. Multiple times per school year, everyone had to huddle in the corner and we were threatened to be quiet while faculty members would rattle the locked door knobs of the classrooms, roleplaying as intruders. Especially as I got older, I became increasingly more frustrated with classmates and even a few teachers who didn’t take the drills as seriously as they should. Over the years my parents had revealed more and more to me about the incident at my dad’s school, and school shootings became a very personal issue to me. Once in eighth grade, I got so upset with how students in my civics class were behaving during a lockdown drill that I asked my teacher if I could tell my dad’s story. She encouraged me to do so, and I will never forget the hush that fell over the class after I told them how how close to home this hit.

However, there is an issue with all of that.

While I commend public school administration in being so proactive in trying to prevent these kinds of tragedies, why are students having to train to be prepared in the event of an active shooter entering the school? How do you explain that to a child?

As much as I got so angry when my classmates would giggle and joke during lockdown drills, they were children, and they were in an incredibly awkward situation.

How else can they be expected to behave?

We live in a country where we care more about our right to own a gun than our children’s rights to not be scared of an active shooter entering their school. Gun control is a vast and complex issue, but in the majority of the guns used to commit these mass shootings are not personal protection handguns or hunting rifles. According to USA Today, an AR-15 assault rifle has been used in at least 13 mass shootings in the past 35 years, including the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, the Pulse nightclub in 2016, and in the past year alone, was used in the shootings at the Las Vegas music festival, First Baptist Church

in Sutherland Springs, and Stoneman Douglas last week. The AR-15 rifle is intended to commit mass assault. It is not a weapon intended for sport or self-protection. It is a weapon that should only be allowed in the hands of military officials and SWAT teams, not something the average person can purchase easily. Walmart sold AR-15 rifles up until 2015. It is easier to buy a gun than it is to get a learner’s permit to drive. There is so much wrong with this.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced that he was directing the Justice Department to ban the use of “bump stocks”, an accessory that can be attached to semi-automatic rifles to allow for more rapid firing and was used in the shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. This is a great and surprising move forward, especially given that Trump is endorsed by the NRA and has voiced that he is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. However, Trump signed a bill that revoked Obama-era gun checks for people with mental illnesses almost a year ago. Trump’s American Health Care Act would also make it more difficult for people to receive treatment for mental illnesses if they are deemed pre-existing conditions. The irony is that after the shooting at Sutherland Springs in November, Trump said to reporters that the mass shooting issue “isn’t a guns situation” but “a mental health problem at the highest level.” He echoed this sentiment after the Stoneman Douglas shooting, tweeting, “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior.

Neighbors and classmates knew he was a big problem. Must always report such instances to authorities, again and again!”

However, Trump clearly doesn’t seem to care about actually fixing the issues with mental health care in America. Also, the shooter at Stoneman Douglas was reported to authorities many times for disturbing behavior, Instagram posts, and even YouTube comments, yet nothing was done to prevent this.

Mental illness is a highly stigmatized issue that needs to be addressed more openly, however, it seems to only ever be addressed by politicians in the days following a major tragedy, and then discussion of the issue

quickly disappears. It’s a complicated issue, and after every mass shooting, there’s a lot of public debate over whether the shooter was mentally ill or not. While some shooters do have a history of mental illness, not all mentally ill people are dangerous. It’s a highly nuanced issue, but regardless, mental health care is an issue that is not given proper attention. It isn’t something that goes away after a shooting happens- it’s a constant, fluid issue, and it’s not something to simply be brought up and eventually dismissed in the wake of tragedy. In the case of my dad’s school, some students said that they knew that the boy who brought the gun to school was being bullied, and that this may have motivated him to plot the shooting. Bullying is another issue in our society that needs to be addressed along with mental illness.

We need to decide what we value most as Americans. Do we value the lives of our children, or do we value our semi-automatic rifles? I am amazed and inspired by the courage of the survivors of the Stoneman Douglas shooting who have spoken to politicians about the need for gun law reform, organized protests and marches, and used social media as a tool to raise their voices and illustrate the true horror of what went on that day. I am fortunate to have never experienced the trauma they have gone through, and I pray nobody else never will.

I realize how lucky I am to have my dad, and that nothing happened to him or anyone else at Bull Run Middle School on that terrible day in 2004.

Mass shootings are personal. It could happen to any one of us. No parent should be scared to send their child to school, and no child should be scared for their parent who works in a school. We must do what we can to stop more of these tragedies from occuring now by tightening gun laws, working to reform mental health care, make sure the authorities address reports of disturbing behavior, and figure out what gives shooters a motive to shoot in the first place.

Mass shootings are an ongoing problem, and we can’t simply mourn and move on.

We have to actively pursue change, and we must remember this tragedy when it comes time to vote in November. We can never let anything like this happen again.

Staff Ed: Recurring instances of white supremacist propaganda on campus are deeply disturbing On the night of Feb. 18, a campus-wide email was sent from the UMW Campus Police notifying the community about stickers found around campus from a group called the Patriot Front reading “America First” and “Patriot Front.” The email cites the Anti-Defamation League which defines the Patriot Front as “a white supremacist group whose members maintain that their ancestors conquered America and bequeathed it solely to them. The Patriot Front espouses racism, anti-Semitism and intolerance under the guise of preserving the ‘ethnic and cultural origins’ of their European ancestors.” The email denounces these ideas and the presence of the propaganda on campus as a violation of UMW’s community values and encourages anyone with information to come forward.

Promoting their twisted definition of what it is to be an American, the Patriot Front’s manifesto reads, “To be an American is to

be a descendant of conquerors, pioneers, visionaries, and explorers. This unique identity was given to us by our ancestors, and this national spirit remains firmly rooted in our blood.” It continues, “an African, for example, may have lived, worked, and even been classed as a citizen in America for centuries, yet he is not American. He is, as he likely prefers to be labelled, an African in America. The same rule applies to others who are not of the founding stock of our people as well as to those who do not share the common unconscious that permeates throughout our greater civilization, and the European diaspora.”

On Feb. 19, shortly after the initial notification, President Paino released a video responding to sticker incident and encouraging the community to stand together and “affirm our values.” Paino said, “Yes, we believe in the First Amendment: freedom of expression, freedom of inquiry; but we also

believe in creating a supportive, caring and safe environment for our students. I want to encourage you to look for opportunities in the coming days and weeks for us to come together as a community, because at Mary Washington, we are stronger when we are united and refuse to be divided.”

While situations such as these are always frightening, it is encouraging to see such a fast and strong response from the administration and campus police. The appearance of hateful notes espousing or symbolizing racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic bigotry has been an ongoing and unacceptable issue over the last few years at UMW and other universities across the nation. In times such as these, it is doubly important for students to foster an environment of unity, inclusivity, kindness and appreciation of diversity.

On Feb. 20, the UMW Student Government Association also released a statement echoing Campus Police and President

Paino’s sentiments about maintaining a “respectful environment” and “inclusive atmosphere” in the wake of this divisive propaganda. In the same email, they note “several incidents regarding the Spirit Rock recently including but not limited to instances of the Spirit Rock being defaced with spray paint.” This is one example of behavior that is not representative of who we are and does not help create the inclusive and diverse environment we have all come to cherish. The University of Mary Washington is, and should continue to strive to be, a safe space for people of differing backgrounds and opinions to communicate and learn from each other in a respectful way and without fear of persecution. If we can continue to do this, it will go a long way in creating a united front against those that would attempt to instill fear and contention in our community with hate speech and divisive propaganda.

By THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD

5

LIFE

Editor: Lauren Closs blueandgray.life@gmail.com

“Black Panther” introduces complex themes to the MCU HARRY FISHER Senior Writer

In 2016, Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” gave us many things. On top of bringing back several previously established characters and having them take each other on in an all-out brawl, it also introduced two heroes who had previously not been featured in any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

The first of these characters was the much-beloved Spider-Man, who received his own solo film only a year later in the form of “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

The second character was Black Panther, a lesser-known character from the comics who was instantly turned into a fan favorite thanks to the success of “Civil War.” Now, just like Spider-Man, Black Panther is getting his own time in the spotlight with 2018’s first big super hero hit, “Black Panther.”

The film follows T’Challa, otherwise known as the Black Panther, as he is crowned king of the fictional African country of Wakanda after the death of his father, the previous Black Panther, during the events of “Civil War.” T’Challa must prove himself a worthy king by safeguarding the secrets of his country, which is actually a utopian nation of highly advanced technology disguised as a third-world country. To keep this a secret, T’Challa and his allies must capture a notorious criminal whose gang has stolen a large quantity of vibranium, an extremely valuable metal only found in Wakanda. In addition, T’Challa’s rule is challenged by a long-time rival whom he must defeat in combat if he wishes to remain on the throne.

It is very hard to classify this

movie’s genre, as it seems Another very noteworthy thing to blend together elements about the movie is its theme of of several different genres helping those in need. While this in order to create its own is a common trope in superhero style. While it contains some movies, “Black Panther” handles it elements of science fiction a little differently. Because the main with the advanced vibranium character is the ruler of a nation, technology of Wakanda which the movie has a message about how Black Panther uses in his suit, people in power should use it to parts of it feel like a spy movie, help people who are suffering in the with shootout scenes and car world and try to unify the world’s chases in the spirit of movies people. It is interesting to see the like “Mission Impossible.” character of T’Challa evolve as he However, the entire second half learns to fight for the people of all of the movie feels more like a nations, rather than just his own, fantasy movie than anything throughout the course of the film. It else. Because it combines also gives the film a slight political these different elements into tone, and once again, I applaud one experience, this movie has the film-makers for their efforts in a unique style to it that none tackling such a complex issue in a of the other Marvel movies superhero film. have had up to this point, and Chadwick Boseman does an I believe this style perfectly amazing job playing the character reflects the character of Black of Black Panther. Throughout the Panther. movie, he makes the character In true Marvel movie come across as compassionate and fashion, this film has all of full of pride and bravery, but also the action and humor that slightly edgy, almost like Marvel’s fans have come to expect. equivalent to Batman. The special However, one thing that effects are also quite good, as we’ve “Black Panther” opened on Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki. really stuck out to me as I come to expect of Marvel movies.

Feb 16. was watching the film was its be just as strong and protective of his The design of Black Panther’s suit unique themes. Marvel movies have country as his father was. However, in an is particularly impressive, and it makes always had themes of heroism, bravery interesting twist that I won’t spoil here, for a total treat to the eyes whenever and justice, and this film is no different T’Challa learns that his father wasn’t the the black-clad hero appears on screen. in that regard. However, this film takes perfect king he always idolized him to With a unique style, a captivating story on new challenges and deeper issues be, and struggles to understand whether with thought-provoking themes and than most Marvel movies, which he can really be the same man his father an excellent cast who all play their are meant be more entertaining than was. This theme of what it takes to be characters well, “Black Panther” is an thought-provoking. For example, one a good ruler is a complex and thoughtamazing first entry for the MCU in 2018, of my favorite things about the movie provoking issue, and I applaud the filmand I can’t wait to see the Wakandan was T’Challa’s struggle to be the same makers for effectively delivering such a king return to amaze us all again in great king that his father was. T’Challa deep message, and in a superhero movie, “Avengers: Infinity War.” believes that to be a great king, he must no less.

Black superheroes deserve more representation in film VANISA CLAY Staff Writer

While I am not a comic book fan, I am a true lover of film. When the first Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Ironman (2008), was released I wasn’t too excited about it, although it seemed everyone else in the world was. A lot of things have changed for me in the past decade, which has softened my resolve when it comes to comic book movies, one of the most prominent being the release of “Black Panther.”

In 2012, I found myself in the middle of a comic book convention in Atlanta called Dragon Con. A friend and myself decided, on a whim, to drive down to Georgia and get the author of the “Sookie” novels, better known as the “True Blood” novels, to sign a copy of our favorite book from the collection.

Little did we know, this was not just a book signing but a full-blown fantasy convention complete with costumes, symposiums on comic book culture and a lot of fans. It was quite overwhelming, but what struck me the most was the amount of black people at this convention.

As a black woman, I did not know that so many black people are fans of fantasy. Nor did I know how wide spread it was. Since 2008, I’ve heard time and time again, “where are the black superheroes?” Given what I saw at Dragon Con, I can see why the question arises every time a new comic book movie comes out. While comic

book characters such as Nick Fury and Catwoman have been played by black actors Samuel L. Jackson and Eartha Kitt and more recently by Halle Berry, respectively, they were originally white characters in comic books. Marvel’s Avenger teammate, Falcon, Marvel’s Luke Cage and Storm, a member of the

X-Men, are all popular black comic book characters but have never had their own feature film.

Catwoman did have a feature film in 2004, with Halle Berry as the lead, but it bombed at the box office. This also fed into the widely held belief in Hollywood that a black lead could not

“Black Panther” grossed the fifth largest opening weekend in movie history.

carry an action-packed fantasy movie. In my opinion, the movie bombed because it just sucked. The CGI was horrible, the story line was bad and the plot was nonexistent. Michelle Pfeiffer could have starred this movie and it still would have flopped.

On February 16, 2018, many fans of comic books from all backgrounds, finally got an answer to that question.

“Black Panther” (2018) opened in theaters, to sell-out crowds. Black Panther is a Marvel comic book character that made his debut in a Fantastic Four comic in 1966, appearing in his own solo in 1977. “Black Panther” is the story of a young king, T’Challa, who fights to protect his isolated and scientifically advanced African nation of Wakanda. He combats these conflicts with his alter ego, Black Panther.

The story, while it may take place in Africa, is a universal story of living up to one’s potential. With a well-written story that makes a fine addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the movie was done very well. The cast was full of not just African-American actors, but black actors from around the world. The cast includes Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o and my personal favorite, Danai Gurira, known best as Michonne from the “Walking Dead.”

Coming out just in time for Black History Month, “Black Panther” is a must see for all races. Check it out to see creative black history in the making.

Marvel Entertainment / Twitter.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

LIFE

“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” opens in Klein Theater, warns audiences about over reliance on technology

LINDSEY BROWN Senior Writer

Cell phones are often an important aspect of people’s lives these days.

They seem to be a lifeline to most, an essential for their social lives, or even their careers. Even though Sarah Ruhl’s play, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” is over 10 years old, it is still relevant today.

“You will never walk alone, because you have a machine in your pocket that might ring,” reads a line from the play, and it still rings true. “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” is an unorthodox story, with good lessons that give the audience something to think about. It makes you want to turn your phone off for a while and join the land of the living.

The stage is set to a simple backdrop and a few tables and chairs. The scene begins with a woman and a man sitting in a café. The man’s back is to the audience, and his phone begins to ring.

The man makes no attempt to answer the phone, as it continues to ring. The woman tries to get the man’s attention to no avail. After many attempts, the woman named Jean (played by Ashleigh DiBenedetto) checks his pulse, and discovers the man is dead. “How could you die so quietly?” she asks as she calls an ambulance.

The rest of the scenes spin by with ringtones playing incessantly, as the story unfolds and Jean tries to piece together the life of the man who died next to her in a café. The man, Gordon (played by Patrick Regal), came from a complicated family, leaving behind his mother, brother, wife (played by Lily Olson), mistress (played by Victoria Fortune) and a sketchy business. With eccentric characters put in a strange setting, this story is not a typical one.

Gordon’s mother, Mrs. Gottlieb (played by Marsha Kangas), is the most unlikeable character next to Gordon, although portrayed very well. While she was comic relief in many aspects of the show, her character is awkward. She is off-putting to the point that sometimes her jokes fall flat. Gordon’s character is jaded beyond measure. Even though this was the point for these characters, it put a damper on the story because it gives them very few redeeming qualities. The

Sophomore Ashleigh DiBenedetto as Jean and junior Patrick Regal as Gordon.

only characters that seemed to escape this were Gordon’s brother Dwight (played by Ian Aitcheson Nace), and Jean. Dwight tries to keep the peace in his family and is very likable. Jean, although a little strange in her sudden devotion to Gordon’s life, is a good person at heart.

Gordon’s cell phone takes Jean on an adventure that makes her not only learn about Gordon, but also herself. While her discoveries are good, the cell phone is ultimately a bad omen. Throughout the entire play, each time it rings it brings bad news or causes Jean to think less of Gordon. Much of Gordon’s identity was in the phone, and there was even less of him instilled within in his family. The play warns that while it was too late for Gordon, it is not too late for the audience to become aware that cell phones make poor lifelines.

The director Cate Brewer did a good job of portraying the message of the play,

about how life and love is important, and how technology can be toxic in many ways. Her direction made unlikable characters likable by the end of the show.

The sets were simple with a backdrop enhanced with lights and different artistic furniture in every scene. There were many different settings, so the design crew did a good job of creating simple movable sets that provided character.

Although it was hard for the entire

Geoff Greene / UMW Theatre

audience to see, the stage floor had a beautiful cosmos painted on it.

Despite the fact that the characters were really strange, the acting was spot on. It was obvious each actor took the time to immerse themselves into the jaded characters they portrayed. They made their characters likable with their ability to portray them so well.

The show runs from February 17 to February 25 in Klein Theatre.

Sophomore Victoria Fortune as Gordon’s mistress, and Ashleigh DiBenedetto.

Marsha Kangas ‘18.

Geoff Greene / UMW Theatre

Geoff Greene / UMW Theatre

From left: Lily Olson ‘18, Ian Aitcheson Nace ‘18, Ashleigh DiBenedetto ‘20, Marsha Kangas ‘18. Geoff Greene / UMW Theatre

7

Weekend Events

Thursday

Friday

• The History of the Divine Nine @ Digital Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.

- 9 p.m.

• Falls Run Nursing Home @ 140 Brimley Dr, Fredericksburg, 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

• Gabriel’s Rebellion @ Monroe Hall 116, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

• Ferdinand @ Monroe 116, 7 p.m.

• Great Lives Lecture Series: Hemingway and Dos Passos @ Dodd Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

• Dead Man’s Cell Phone @ Klein Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

• Dead Man’s Cell Phone @ Klein Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

• Coco @ Monroe 116, 10 p.m.

Saturday

• Dead Man’s Cell Phone @ Klein Theatre, 2 p.m.

Sunday

• Dead Man’s Cell Phone @ Klein Theatre, 2 p.m.

• Coco@ Monroe 116, 7 • MWGT Auditions @ p.m.

Dodd Auditorium 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

• CPB Production’s Presents: Antiphons! @ Underground, 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

• • Step Show @ Dodd Auditorium, 7 p.m.

• Dead Man’s Cell Phone @ Klein Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

• Ferdinand @ Monroe, 10 p.m.

@theBlueandGray

BlueandGrayPress

The Blue & Gray Press

LIFE

Great Lives Lectures: learn about the lives of interesting people

JESSICA LINK Staff Writer

The University of Mary Washington has provided an interesting and informative lecture series to students since 2004. The Great Lives Lecture Series documents the inspirational and unique stories of a variety of significant people. These lectures, open to the public, are given by a collection of highly informed and respected authors, professors, historians and independent scholars from across the nation. Dr. William Crawley, director of the Great Lives Series, sees this series as the “primary connection between the university and the community” of Fredericksburg. Great Lives is an amazing resource for UMW students to broaden their horizons with engaging talks about inspirational individuals.

The Great Lives series includes 12 lecture topics set throughout January to April. A notable lecture, which took place on February 13, dove deep into the daring lives of the Tuskegee Airmen who served during World War II and were beacons for advancing civil rights in the country. The speaker for this lecture was Todd Moye, author of “Freedom Flyers,” a biography about the Tuskegee Airmen and the struggles they faced on the battlefield and the home front.

Great Lives, according to Dr.

Crawley, is the only program in the U.S. that “brings in foremost biographers from around the country (and beyond) to present lectures,” that are completely free to the public. Dr. Crawley prides himself on the ability to seek out influential speakers whose expertise lies in a “great diversity of topics across many disciplines.”

In March, a lecture featuring fashion icon, Coco Chanel, will be given by Rhonda Garelick, author of “Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History.” Garelick will be telling the story of Coco Chanel, from her childhood in a French orphanage to her trailblazing status in the fashion world. This lecture is also a celebration of Women’s History Month at Mary Washington.

Another story featured in the Great Lives lecture series is that of Warren Buffett. On April 10, students can learn about the life of the American entrepreneur who grabbed the world’s attention with his inspirational successes. Alice Schroeder, author of “The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life,” is a Wall Street analyst and personally knows Buffett.

This lecture will examine his life’s trials and tribulations, as well as his admirable work ethic and subsequent success.

This amazing resource has typically

gone unrecognized by students, unless otherwise assigned as part of class credit. Dr. Crawley notes that “most students probably don’t appreciate how special this opportunity is.” The majority of audiences typically consist of locals that are retired or specifically interested in the topic. The lack of representation of the student body is often noticed by program organizers, speakers and the audience.

Dr. Crawley emphasizes that this program offers students the “opportunity to hear nationally and internationally prominent authorities on a wide variety of subjects.” It is a seriously underappreciated resource.

Each Great Lives Lecture takes place in Dodd Auditorium, inside George Washington Hall from 7:30 p.m.- 9 p.m. Whether you’re just looking for something to do or you’re interested in the topics, check out the Great Lives Lecture Series.

Lauren Closs / The Blue & Gray Press

Spring Break adventures: options for students remaining in the area KELLY EVANS Staff Writer

For many college students, spring break is an opportunity to get away from the stress of school and explore the world outside of textbooks. However, this can be difficult for the students who are stuck on campus over break or are staying in Virginia. However, Virginia offers many opportunities for UMW Wikipedia..

Great Falls is a picturesque location for hiking and picnics. students to really explore and have fun over the week-long break. Here are to explore. Open mic nights are held even including a waterfall and overlook. before her wedding, bringing “three men some events in the Northern Virginia and weekly on thursday nights starting at There are multiple areas for dogs to play from her mother’s past back to the island Fredericksburg area that are held over 7:30 p.m. This coffee shop allows you and even have a picnic. Great Falls is they last visited 20 years ago.” The show UMW’s spring break. to expand your taste of music and listen also located in McLean not too far from runs from now through March 4.

Northern Virginia/ Washington D.C. to local performers, and you can even Scotts Run. This hike provides multiple Attend a “Bring Your Own Vinyl” Students who are on campus or those perform yourself too. opportunities to enjoy viewpoints party. This event is held by Adventure who live in the Northern Virginia area Hike the beautiful Scotts Run Nature overlooking the falls.

Brewer Company on March 3 from 7 can attend Alexandria’s St. Patrick’s Day Preserve or Great Falls. Scotts Run Fredericksburg p.m to 10 p.m. Here you can bring in Parade. This event will be held on March Nature Preserve is located in McLean, Attend “Mamma Mia!” at the your vinyl and enjoy various types of 3 in Alexandria. The event is run by The providing multiple trails with various Riverside Center For The Performing music and share your own as well.

Ballyshaners, a non profit corporation levels of difficulty; however, most Arts. According to Visit Fred, the Attend Family Feud Night at that is organized for charitable and of them are easy. This trail provides performance is about “a daughter’s quest Adventure Brewing Company, held educational purposes. According to perfect scenery of the Potomac River to discover the identity of her father” on thursdays weekly starting at 8 p.m. tripsavvy’s guide to Washington According to Adventure Brewings D.C., the parade starts off with a website, “Each Thursday we play classic car show from 9 - 11:45 a trivia style game of Family a.m. which follows into a dog Feud. Just like the show on TV, show from 10:30 a.m.- 12 p.m.

Family Feud challenges you to Following these events, the parade defend your team’s honor with starts at 12:30 p.m. on Alfred and lightning-quick responses. Each King Street and runs until 2:30 team member has to predict the p.m. ending on Cameron Street. top answers. Come watch the fun Visit the Daughters Of The or let your group join in on the American Revolution Museum. battle to win great prizes.”

This museum is located in Attend Freestyles Friday at Washington D.C. and was Katora Coffee in Downtown founded with the goals of historic Fredericksburg. This event is held preservation, education and weekly every Friday from 6 p.m. patriotism. Admission is free and to 10 p.m. Here you can enjoy this would be a perfect opportunity music along with unlimited refills to learn about and celebrate of drip coffee or hot chocolate Women’s History Month. for $5. The shop also provides Attend Jirani Coffee shops open various drinks such as tea as well mic nights. Jirani is located in Old as bakery treats that are vegan and Town Manassas, which also has gluten free. plenty of restaurants and shops Riverside Center for the Performing Arts.

“Mamma Mia!” is playing in Fredericksburg over spring break.

9

NEWS

Multiple messages painted over span of one week

•ROCK | 1

history.

Students shared mixed feelings over the repainting of the rock. Junior Abigail Richardson objected to its graffiti. “[The shooting] is horrible, but I don’t think it has anything to do with the firearms club,” said Richardson. “So I don’t really understand why we’re crossing it out; we’re trying to fix the problem by letting people know the safety precautions and how to properly use a firearm. It’s not like they’re handing them out on campus walk to kids and saying ‘have fun!’”

Other students, like sophomore Katelyn Colombrito, thought that the graffiti was completely justified.

“I probably would’ve done it myself,” Colombrito joked. “There’s been way too many [shootings] already. It’s only February. Something needs to be done about that.”

Sophomore Lauren Priddy said that “it would’ve been fine if they’d waited 24 hours to paint over it.” She is referring to the generally accepted practice of waiting a full 24 hours before painting over a club’s message.

However, according to SGA Communication Director Matt Good, “the 24-hour rule is just a courtesy one.”

Good also said that in the past “it has worked very well as an honor code type of thing.”

Officer Michael Hall says that what took place “is not a violation of law, be-

cause anyone can paint on the rock.” It is unclear what, if any, punishment the

real way to feel anymore because it’s become such a common occurrence.”

control, and I feel like that is the first step [in solving gun violence].”

Freshman Aidan Yektafar articulated his clear frustration at the focus of UMW’s gun violence conversation.

“We’re just pissed off that someone, like, colored the rock,” said Yektafar. “Who gives a [expletive]? They’re not even looking at the big picture here. 17 kids got shot yesterday.”

Yektafar elaborated, saying “There shouldn’t be a day when you’re afraid to go to school.”

Vice President of UMW’s Young Democrats’ Vice President, Shawnya Patterson says that the club “supports the message [of the statistic] and absolutely agree[s] that it is long overdue for gun control legislation to be a priority in American politics.”

At the time of writing, the rock has since been repainted numerous times.

Each time, graffiti has appeared over the new message in what appears to be a bit of a growing trend. While College Republicans and Young Americans for Liberty jointly painted the rock to show a message of sympathy for the victims in Parkland, an unauthorized individual added to the message “MAGA 2020.”

In a joint statement, CR and YAF said they condemn both the statistic and the “politically-charged messages.”

UMW’s Firearms Club declined to comment for this story.

“We’re not getting the full impact of it like we used to. I don’t think think there’s any real way to feel anymore because it’s become such a common occurrence.”

-Michelle Holt student who anonymously painted the rock would face if found.

Students reacted to the broader issues of school shootings and gun control in different ways. Julianne Witwiw and Michelle Holt, a senior and sophomore respectively, expressed an overall desensitization to the violence.

“They happen all the time,” said Witwiw. Holt agreed, saying “We’re not getting the full impact of it like we used to. I don’t think think there’s any

Holt also said that the painting of a rock reflected a national trend of similar occurrences, and expressed a desire to see President Trump speak on the core issue of gun violence: guns.

“That is essentially what everyone wants him to do,” Holt said. “I think they are making their voices heard in an essence to that point.

Because he in his speech this morning only made reference to prayers and mental illness, but he didn’t say anything about the gun

“There shouldn’t be a day when you’re afraid to go to school.”

-Aidan Yektafar

Office of Residence Life searches for Resident Assistants Jose Reyes Staff Writer

Inboxes flooded with numerous emails, campus walk crowded with signs, and dorms painted from wall to wall with posters, all urging student to, “be an RA today”!

Benjamin Garrison, a freshman majoring in biology, said, “I have seen many signs around campus, they must be running low on applicants or having a hard time finding people.”

Many students have noticed the signs, and wonder if their presence m e a n there is a current shortage in Resident Assistant (RA) applicants.

Dave Fleming, the Assistant Dean of Residence Life explained why the processed has been advertised to the extent it has this year.

“We want to bring awareness that the process is occurring,” said Fleming.

“We often receive feedback from students that they don’t know what’s going on and don’t know what opportunities are available. It was important to simply get the word out.”

RAs live somewhat of a double life, and the position requires more than what meets the eye. For Sarah Giuseppe, a junior majoring in political science and geography, and the RA for the fifth

floor of Mason, being an RA has had a meaningful impact on her college life.

Giuseppe almost transferred from Mary Washington her freshman year, but she says, “I became an RA because someone who was an RA urged me to and through doing so I discovered the sense of community I was looking for at Mary Washington.”

Ronan Gofourth, a junior majoring in American Studies, and the RA’s for Madison, shared some of the difficulties of the position.

“The hardest thing about being an RA is not being able to fix everything for everyone of my residents,” said Gofourth.

F o r G i useppe, one of the more difficult aspects of being an RA is finding a way to balance everything.

“The hardest thing is your work, life, school balance,” said Giuseppe.

Flemming wants to help students make the best educated decision when thinking about applying for the position.

“We don’t want to make assumptions about how many people will apply without any marketing effort on our part,” said Fleming. “The RA job is a challenging, yet rewarding position. It takes good time management, patience, and a commitment to others over self.

It takes compassion and persistence. We

“By attracting a larger candidate pool, we have an opportunity to ensure our staff is representative of the UMW population.”

-Dave Fleming

10

Shyan Murphy / The Blue & Gray Press Residence Life has used a variety of methods to advertise for Resident Assistant applications.

have found that a personal invitation, with multiple methods of getting additional information out sets students up to make informed decisions about their own candidacy while feeling supported through the application and interview process.”

Gofourth and Giuseppe will no longer be RAs going into their senior years.

“As I expand my academic and professional pursuits, I feel that it wouldn’t be fair to my residents to have so much time taken away from them,” said Gofourth.

The task of being a RA is not an easy one, and all the advertisement seems justified. Both Giuseppe and Gofourth have advice for anyone who might be interested in applying for the position.

“I think that it’s not for everyone and it really depends on the individual,” said Giuseppe. “It really matters where your strengths lie, where your heart lies, and the reason you want to apply in the first place.”

While like all jobs, being an RA comes with its benefits, applying for the position should not be based solely off of them.

“I wouldn’t recommend it if you are just in it for the perks, and you should be self aware when thinking about applying,” said Gofourth. “Not only are you going to be busy, but you will be having a huge impact on the residents and their lives.”

Although there are many emails being sent, posters being put up, and signs hung across campus, Fleming says they feel strongly about meeting the needs of all students and ensuring they have someone they can connect with.

“By attracting a larger candidate pool, we have an opportunity to ensure our staff is representative of the UMW population,” said Fleming. “We feel strongly that any UMW student should be able to look at our staff of roughly 75 and see at least one person they can relate to in some way.”

Thursday, February 22, 2018

NEWS

Gun safety program partnered with a Virginia conceal carry course

•FIREARMS | 1

Conceal Carry course.”

About 40 people attended the course.

The course was open to all UMW students, staff, and faculty, though only students turned out. The class, normally costing around $100, was offered to UMW students for a small sum of only $10; staff and faculty were charged $75.

Junior Morgan Roane was very pleased with the experience.

“I hoped to gain a better understanding on Virginia gun laws and how to handle a situation before it escalates to something hostile,” said Roane. “I wanted to attend the class because I want to get my conceal carry one day and I wanted to brush up on my personal safety knowledge.”

Roane continued to say that, “I feel

that everyone could use a refresher every once in a while.”

Roane advocated for the course and expressed how beneficial personal and

campus the opportunity to learn about the laws and safety—and not just personal safety, you can learn about gun safety as well,” said Roane. “The most

course.”

With the passing of this event, the Firearms club is looking to decide what the future holds next for them.

“We are preparing for and asking members what they would like to do next,” said Johnson. “After an event is over, we discuss what was successful about the event, and what are some things we can improve on to make events better in the future” Overall, Johnson explained that she was “very satisfied with the event.”

The Firearms Club of UMW currently meets every Thursday.

For more information on the club, contact Natalie Johnson: njohns@mail. umw.edu.

“I wanted to attend the class because I want to get my conceal carry one day and I wanted to brush up on my personal safety knowledge.”

-Morgan Roane gun safety awareness is for a college campus.

“This course should be offered on campus because it gives everyone on

valuable thing I learned was how to do my best at avoiding and handling situations that have escalated. I would recommend that everyone take this

The UMW Firearms club recently hosted a safety strategies course that was open to UMW students and faculty.

Natalie Johns / Facebook

Student Government Beat Monday, February 19 - Friday, February 23 Executive Cabinet Mondays at 5 p.m. in the UC Capitol Room The Cabinet extensively discussed the recent events on campus regarding the Spirit Rock and white supremacist stickers. Several guests attended and spoke at the meeting regarding the topic. SGA is currently developing some action points based on the incidents and feedback gathered.

Workshops for the 2018 SGA General Election begin next week! You must attend one of the following sessions to run for SGA positions: Tuesday, February 27 at 3:30p in the Career Center Conference Room Wednesday, February 28 at 5:00p in Monroe 116 Thursday, March 1 at 3:30p in the Career Center Conference Room For more information, visit umwsga.org or contact info@umwsga.org

Student Senate Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in Monroe 116 While the following motions have been passed by the Senate, they are still subject to further review and a vote by the Executive Cabinet. Listed motions may not take effect as written and are not obligated to occur.

02.21.1– Motion that the Academic Affairs Committee work with Academic Services and faculty members to add more Honors-designated humanities courses 02.21.2 – Motion that the Dining Advisory Committee work with Dining Services to add hand sanitizer dispensers to entrances and exits of the University Center 4th Floor Dining Area.

02.21.3 – Motion to work with Student Activities and Engagement to develop a formal reservation system for the Spirit Rock.

For more information, visit umwsenate.org or contact vp@umwsga.org.

DETAILS PROVIDED BY MATTHEW GOOD

Thursday, February 22, 2018

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SPORTS

Editor: Ryan Brauch | blueandgray.sports@gmail.com

UMW tennis continues to dominate Kendall Parker: the inside scoop

OLIVIA TAYLOR Staff Writer

The UMW men and women’s tennis teams have both been off to a dominant start to their Spring seasons.

The women’s team competed in the Eagle Indoor Invitational, hosted by Mary Washington this past weekend. The women’s team is currently undefeated on the season, with victories over Dickinson, Methodist, and Franklin & Marshall. All of these wins were substantial, two of them being with 9-0 with no answered points from the opponent.

“Every season the team changes with freshmen coming in and seniors graduating. This year we have four freshmen who are learning trust our new process,” said senior Hannah Jabush when asked about how this season differed from others.

“In the off season we did a lot of team building activities and worked hard in the weight room getting stronger which will hopefully help us during our season.” said Jabush with high hopes for the season ahead.

“In the past three years that I have been here we have been a successful team that has won the CAC championship and has competed in the NCAAs. We hope our success this year will be the same as past years,” said Jabush.

Senior captain Kait Brogan has similar sentiments for the season, “We have a lot of talent and po-

tential. Dedication, commitment, and leadership can account for the early success of our team,” said Brogan.

This weekend exhibited strong play from all members of the team. Ashley Barrow and Caroline Mosberg won in doubles 8-2 against Dickinson, Sara Fioretti and Jabusch won at two doubles, 8-2, and Brittany McBride and Addie Hinton won at three doubles, 8-1. In singles, Brogan won at one 6-3, 7-5.

The women’s team has a jampacked season ahead of them, heading next to Chapman on Mar. 6.

“It’s a good balance between conference, regional, and national teams and we’re looking forward to the challenges ahead,” said Jabush.

The men’s tennis team has also been off to a strong start with a 2-0 record for the season so far, stacking up on victories over Kalamazoo and Kenyon.

“The team is more unified and have gotten rid of past hindrances.

The team has done great and has really stepped up,” said junior captain Matt Miles.

“The Eagles scored doubles victories at two, with Matt Miles and Michael Fleming picking up an 8-5 victory, and at three, with a 9-7 win from Ryland Byrd and Moses Hutchison. That point would prove to be crucial in the team decision.” according to the team’s website about the Kenyon match.

Joseph Brown hits a forehand

UMW Athletics

Freshman Cole Reece has had the opportunity for some great experiences so far even just being a freshman.

“This past weekend we defeated Kenyon College and Kalamazoo College. The scheduling got backed up and we didn’t get on the court until late on Saturday night to play Kenyon. I didn’t get on court until 12:30 and it ended up coming down to my match. Everyone put up a big fight with big comebacks and positivity during the match. I ended up clinching the match for my team at 2 in the morning. It was an unreal experience especially as a freshman and this being my first collegiate dual match against a high ranked division 3 team. We all came together and fought really hard. It showed true toughness and grit in our team,” said Reece.

“Our performance as a team has been amazing as well but we all know that there is still plenty of room to improve and we know we can get a lot better. As a team we have all worked extremely hard in the fall season and during offseason. We are really hungry to make a run in the NCAA tournament so we have been working hard,” said Reece on the season ahead.

The men’s team also has a full schedule of play to look forward too this season. The team has a full weekend of tennis for next weekend at home. They will be hosting Sewanee, and Coe on Saturday, and Stevens on Sunday.

Kendall Parker

UMW Athletics

GEMMA SPICKA-PROFFIT Staff Writer

On Feb. 8, Kendall Parker became one of the few athletes to score 1,000 career points for the UMW basketball program. The game was against Wesley College and Parker was able to provide 16 points to UMW’s win.

“Our team was trying to send a message throughout the CAC, so we were really focused on winning that game,” said Parker.

Adding that milestone did not even cross her mind before the game that night.

Immediately after passing the mark, parents and fans in the crowd celebrated Parker by holding up signs displaying a large “1000”.

Her teammates and coach rushed out to hug her after the quarter was over.

In her senior year, she has spent time sharing everything she has learned with her younger teammates and giving everything she has to each game, knowing any game could be her last.

Her favorite moment of all her time on this team was in her sophomore year when the team won the CAC Championship.

“That was an amazing experience; there is nothing like it. We fought every day, and we were determined that we were going to win the championship that year,” said Parker.

Parker, a Fredericksburg local, played basketball for Stafford High School and several different traveling AAU teams before attending college. Although she originally started playing baseball as a child, she tran-

sitioned into playing basketball because she liked the fast pace and aggression.

She dedicated her entire late childhood and teen years to perfecting her game.

“I probably spent more time in the gym than I did anywhere else,” Parker reflects, “and I wouldn’t trade that for the world because it got me to where I am today,” said Parker.

There are several people that Parker views as role models. Her mom has been her main role model throughout her life. Athletically, Kobe Bryant has had a significant influence on her. As a child, Parker used to keep up with him closely, as she was inspired by his work ethic and the amount of time he spent in the gym.

Parker rarely has free time for hobbies but she loves listening to music and watching Netflix. She listens to a wide variety of genres, ranging from rap to country. As for TV shows, her favorite of all time is Psych.

Given that Parker has scored 1,000 points, it is only logical to ask some 1,000 themed questions about her. When asked to choose between living one life that is 1,000 years long or living 1,000 separate, normal length lives, she decided she would prefer to live one long life because she would want to remember everything. When asked if she could have 1,000 of anything else besides points, she would want 1,000 cars so she could sell 999 of them.

Men’s lacrosse tops Shenandoah in offensive clinic

JOSHUA STALEY Staff Writer

On Saturday Feb. 17, The University of Mary Washington men’s lacrosse team went face to face with Shenandoah University in their third game of the season.

UMW improved to 2-1 after this exciting game at the Battleground Complex.

The Eagles started out strong by jumping ahead to a staggering 5-1 lead by the end of the first quarter. Mary Washington immediately took the lead when junior Conor Healy scored the first goal. Behind Healy, Chris White scored two goals, followed by Kieran Burns, and Cole Hogan who each added one.

Shenandoah got their first goal six minutes into the quarter.

Ben Byrne and Healy scored two more during the second quarter. Shenandoah got another goal more with two minutes remaining. As the second quarter came to an end, junior Shane McKenzie gave the Eagles one additional goal with nine seconds to spare, making the score 8-2 in

Thursday, February 22, 2018

UMW’s favor.

Twelve seconds into the third quarter Byrne made his second goal of the game putting The Eagles up 9-2. With 14 minutes left in the quarter, White scored his third goal of the game with an assist from McKenzie. Shenandoah added another goal making the score 10-3 with UMW still in the lead. McKenzie then scored his second goal of the game putting the score at 11-3. The Hornets, with 6 minutes in the third quarter, made another goal, 11-4. Mary Washington took the last two goals making the score 13-4 at the end of the quarter.

Just a minute into the fourth quarter, Sean Tuite scored his second goal followed by Davis Perkins with twelve minutes left. With these two goals, the lead grew to 11. Freshman Jamin Lane scored his first goal of the game with nine minutes left. Shenandoah scored two more goals throughout the last quar-

ter bringing the score to 16-6. With 11 seconds left in the game, the Eagles took the win with Bryant Baus scoring the last goal of the game making the final score a dominant 17-6.

Mary Washington lead in shots, ground balls, and face offs won. 42 of the 67 shots were by the Eagles, while the Hornets only had 25. The Hornets had a total of 30 ground balls and the Eagles had 45. Of the 25 faceoffs, Mary Washington took 14.

Mary Washington showed an overwhelming amount of support this Saturday, as the stands at the Battleground Complex where full of students, faculty, administration, and family members of the players.

“The Eagles played such an amazing game” said junior Shyan Murphy. “I’m happy to see how well we did against Shenandoah,” said Murphy.

“These guys are phenomenal!” Dean

Rucker replied when asked how he felt about the game. “The play is excellent.

Their defense and the way they distribute the ball is incredible. The Eagles are awesome!”

The University of Mary Washington men’s lacrosse team will be back on the field on Saturday Feb. 24, as they travel Pennsylvania to play against Ursinus College.

Chris White

UMW Athletics

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