The Blue & Gray Press

THE

BLUE &GRAY

March 15, 2018

VOLUME 91 | ISSUE 18

PRESS

1922 UMW participates in National School Walkout day

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Creative Commons On Wednesday, March 14 at 10 a.m., students and faculty around the world particpated in walkouts.

Meaghan McIntyre News Editor

17 minutes for 17 lives.

On Wednesday, March 14 at 10 a.m., across various time zones, students of all ages walked out of classes to show support and solidarity for the victims of the Parkland, Florida, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school shooting that took place exactly one month prior. The walkouts were also a symbolic way to call for change in gun legislation.

While the core of the walkout originated and took place in the United States, schools in numerous international locations also participated in the walkouts. Ireland, Mexico, Germany and other countries were all involved in

the protest.

The demonstration was organized by the Women’s March Youth EMPOWER organization. According to their website, the National School Walkout was planned with specific goals in mind.

“Students and allies are organizing a National School Walkout to demand Congress pass legislation to keep us safe from gun violence at our schools, on our streets and in our homes and places of worship,” said a statement on the official women’s march website.

“We view this work as part of an ongoing and decades-long movement for gun violence prevention, in honor of all victims of gun violence - from James Brady to Trayvon Martin to the 17 people killed in Parkland.”

Around 3616 walkouts were regis-

Jessica Machado has high hopes for the Office of Disability Resources

KATE SELTZER Senior Writer

UMW needs increased staffing to accommodate students with disabilities.

Jessica Machado, who took over as Director of the Office of Disability Resources (ODR) this fall, said that the office is currently too small to keep up

that we’re a small office [consisting of] student workers, office manager, assistant director, [and] director.”

In a report delivered to the Board of Visitors last month, Machado found that UMW has a higher percentage of students registered with the ODR than any other Virginia public college or university. The number of students eligible to receive benefits from the ODR has grown by 7.3 percent over the past year and is projected to continue to climb.

The same report states that UMW has a far higher than recommended student-tostaff ratio. According to the Association on Higher Education and Disability, the recommended caseload for the ODR is 100:1 students to staff. Presently, UMW has a student to staff ratio of 252:1, although this statistic does not account for additional support services outside of the ODR. “I think that there’s a lot of great work being done and that there are many people here at UMW that work hard for students with disabilities,” Machado said.

“There’s a lot of great skills and experience in our ODR office, but we’re very limited in that we’re a small office [consisting of] student workers, office manager, assistant director, [and] director.”

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE

tered as having taken place as a part of the National School Walkout.

Across the country school administrations responded differently to the planned walkouts. Some schools gave pushback and forbid students from leaving. Students were warned that they would be suspended or otherwise punished for participating. Other administrations were more open to, and even encouraging of, student participation in the walkout.

Though some students were unaware of Mary Washington’s participation in the event, professors were encouraged to allow students to participate if they wished to.

On the evening of Tu e s d a y, March 13, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dr. Keith Mellinger emailed the CAS faculty to inform them of the planned walkout and to encourage them to be “appropriately supportive” of the students who wish to participate.

Both students and faculty chose to participate in the walkouts. Faculty who

walked out alongside students were conscious of being supportive of any decision their students made.

“I have personal opinions about gun violence and what we should do about it, but as a faculty member I did not want to make it a part of the class that was meeting during the walkout,” said professor, Zach Whalen.

Prior to the walkout, Whalen presented his students with two options.

“What I did was say what the class discussion topic for the day was, and told them that if they wanted to start talking they could,” said Whalen. “I also told them that there was the walkout going on, and that I planned to walkout, and they were all free to join.”

W h i l e the National School Walkout was publicized, some Mary Washington students did not know the university was taking part in the walkout until right as it was beginning or even after it took place.

Going into her 10 •WALKOUT | 10 a.m. class, sophomore

“That said, with a growing population of students with disabilities, there is a great need for increased staffing to support students with disabilities (in ODR and across the UMW campus community) and resources to support this work.”

In addition to increased staffing within the ODR, Machado spoke of a need for two new high-level positions outside of the office. She said these staff members would aid in “coordinat[ing] services and promot[ing] inclusivity for the campus as a whole.”

Machado is trained as a psycholo-

gist and was previously the director of the George Mason Autism Support Initiative Program. She hopes to use this background to “develop stronger supports for students with disabilities.”

“I hope to use the experience I have developing and directing a program for targeted groups of students by developing targeted programming here at UMW to support our students and the UMW retention efforts,” •MACHADO | 2 Machado said.

She also hopes to continue to promote “the understanding here at UMW

“[My participation] wasn’t planned, but it’s important to stand with the students who are making a difference and trying to make a change.”

-Caleigh Pope

-Jessica Machado with the growing population of eligible students and demand for resources.

“The biggest barrier I see is lack of resources, [such as] staff, space, and funding,” Machado said. “There’s a lot of great skills and experience in our ODR office, but we’re very limited in

IN THIS

ISSUE

ACTIVISM BLUES

Shyan Murphy/ The Blue & Gray Press UMW Director of Disability Resources Jessica Machado.

collegE TOWN

Fredericksburg local uses music as protest.

Fredericksburg should embrace its student population

LIFE | 7

VIEWPOINTS | 4

INDIANAPOLIS BOUND

Jeffrey Leckrone to represent UMW in NCAA Championship SPORTS | 3

NEWS

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

Office of Disability Resources to be expanded on

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.

•MACHADO | 1

that disability is an important component of diversity,” as well as making the ODR “a positive and welcoming environment” for all who utilize its services.

Jessica M a c h a d o ’s favorite part of the job is working with students.

However, she says that

it is difficult to expand the office to fully meet the needs of all students with its current resources.

“Being a small office in high-demand, it’s very difficult to find the time to move the office forward,” Machado said. “In order to move forward, we need more support.”

Search for new Dean for UMW College of Arts and Sciences

The CAS Dean Search Committee reviewed all prospective Dean applications and conducted interviews. After this process they narrowed the pool down to four candidates. Each prospective candidate agreed to participate in an open forum with the students and faculty at UMW. Candidates performed a quick presentation and then engaged with the audience in question and answer.

The open forum that took place on March 13 featured prospective candidate Claudia Bornholdt.

Dr. Bornholdt received a PhD in Medieval German and Scandinavian Literature from Indiana University Bloomingdale, and is the Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Literature at Catholic University. From 2014 to 2016, she was the Interim Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Catholic University where she oversaw the college’s academic and faculty affairs.

During her presentation, Dr. Bornholdt emphasized the necessity of holding Humanities and STEM at the same level of importance. She believes that these fields are codependent and had advocated for more interdisciplinary curriculums to be available to students.

Dr. Bornholdt strongly believes that education should be “inclusive, accessible, and global.”

During her forum she also discussed the importance of a warm community in

“In order to move forward, we need more support.”

-Jessica Machado

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

Jessica Link Staff Writer

Keith Mellinger, the interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), is stepping aside to welcome a new Dean. After a thorough search, the College of Arts and Sciences Dean Search Committee has narrowed in on four prospective candidates.

At the University of Mary Washington, the Dean of the CAS takes on the job of overseeing 20 departments that make up the college. This oversight can focus on a multitude of things including curriculums, faculty development, and student experiences.

The Chair of the CAS Dean Search is Mary Washington chemistry professor, Dr. Kelli Slunt. Dr. Slunt was reached out to for a comment but was unable to respond before the publication of this article.

Diversity and Inclusion Task Force offers its recommendations Vanisa Clay Staff Writer

On November 6, 2017, there was a set of recommendations put forth by the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force about a variety of topics. One of these recommendations concerned the Statement of Community Values.

The current Statement of Community Values has not been updated since 2011. It can be viewed on the UMW Human Resource page.

According to the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force Recommendations document that can be found online, the first part of this two-part recommendation means to, “conduct a university wide, interdisciplinary assessment of UMW’s Statement of Community Values. Establish an interdisciplinary ad-hoc committee of students, staff, and faculty from across campus to review UMW’s Statement of Community Values, to revise it as appropriate, and to promote the new version across the University.”

The second part of the recommendations has to do with the UMW, “Statement of Guiding Principles on Diversity and Inclusion.” It calls into question if the statement should have the same status as •DRAFTS | 11 order to maintain strong retention rates.

Dr. Bornholdt talked about the importance of diverse student and faculty bodies, and of her own personal experiences. During the time she serves as the Dean Search Committee and CFO Search Committee at Catholic University, the applicant pools did not feature candidates of different ethnicities and genders. She stated that she was the only woman on both search committees. Dr. Bornholdt sees this as problematic because she believes education is enriched by diversity, and should strive to be more inclusive.

UMW Professor Anand Rao expressed that he was “really glad” that the candidates are participating in the open forums, so that people can really meet the candidates. Professor Rao believes the CAS Search Committee has found strong candidates who “represent a lot of perspectives.”

Professor Rosalyn Cooperman of the UMW Political Science department said that believes that the Dean Search is “very important” because of the “role the dean plays in the link between departments and other colleges.”

Professor Cooperman is “very pleased” with the Search Committee for bringing forward a “pool of qualified candidates.” Cooperman feels that Dr. Bornholdt is especially well-qualified, and is “very collaborative and inclusive” which are essential qualities in a Dean.

CORRECTIONS for THE Week In last weeks issue of the Blue & Gray Press, there was a typo in the Police Beat “Assault and Batter.”

In last weeks issue of the Blue & Gray Press, one of the sport pages was reprinted from the previous issue.

FACULTY ADVISOR Sushma Subramanian

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

Thursday, March 15, 2018

SPORTS TREVOR YOUNG Staff Writer

Leckrone to represent UMW at NCAA swimming championship in Indianapolis

In this age of political and cultural your success, but Jeffrey has done a great tension nothing can be so refreshing job keeping his focus and setting himself than to come together and celebrate up for a successful meet at NCAAs,” the achievements of the extraordinary Now that the season is over Leckrone individual. Let this be the case for has to train alone, which definitely Jeffrey Leckrone, a UMW swimmer, changes the dynamic of practice, as whose qualification for the NCAA Brethauer said. Leckrone took the Championship in Indianapolis is a major opportunity to describe the new achievement. Being the only swimmer challenges he is facing in his private from Mary training sessions.

Washington “It’s especially representing the tough without school at NCAA teammates to push is not easy, but me, Swimming Leckrone is alone is incredibly determined and difficult and this prepared. His experience has coach, Abby really made me Brethauer, appreciate my expressed teammates so her pride in much more. It’s Leckrone’s work nice having a ethic and zeal. Jeffrey Leckrone swimming at a meet UMW Athletics lane to myself but “Jeffrey with no one next to me in the other qualifying for NCAAs is a huge lanes it’s really tough to get motivated accomplishment and we are all so proud sometimes,” said Leckrone. to have him representing the team and Even though Leckrone will not be the University in Indy,” said Brethauer. competing alongside of his teammates, “Training solo really makes you realize he will hardly be alone at NCAA. how important your teammates are to Accompanying Leckrone to Indianapolis

will be his family, girlfriend, and her mom, who will all be cheering him on by the poolside. Not only that, but as Leckrone competes he goes with the goodwill of everyone here at Mary Wash as our ambassador to the NCAA. In a statement, Leckrone returns the love to UMW, which he says he will be proud to represent.

“It feels great supporting this school, I represent UMW with a lot of pride and it is truly an honor. Without this school and this team I can’t imagine who I would be,” said Leckrone. “My environment here, especially Leckrone competing on this team, has made me into someone that I am genuinely happy to be. Representing UMW at this meet is just a small way I can give back for helping me become a better swimmer and person.”

Swimming at UMW has helped

Leckrone grow as a person, and as his swimming career progresses he is finding himself reaching new levels of excellence.

As a new generation of scholars prepares to leave UMW and takes stock of everything they’ve done and learned over their years in Fredericksburg, we can all find something to relate to in Leckrone’s story. Like all of us, UMW has helped refine and prepare Leckrone for the world.

“Even just last year, going to this meet and competing was not something I imagined I would be doing. I feel like I should be more nervous than I UMW Athletics am but I’ve been reminded by my many coaches and friends that I have put in the work and deserve to be there just as much as anyone else. I feel confident that I can perform well and make the most of this experience,” said Leckrone.

Inside the Mary Washington recruitment process

ELIZABETH DEVINE Staff Writer

Every year, the coaches of UMW’s varsity teams recruit student athletes from all over the country. As a member of NCAA Division III, Mary Washington “does not offer athletic scholarships nor do they utilize the National Letter of Intent program,” according to the UMW Eagles website.

Despite these restrictions, UMW’s competitive recruitment process favors well-rounded students who are passionate about the sport they play.

For many UMW student-athletes, the recruitment process began halfway in their high school career, but the process is unique for every individual and sports team.

Carly Kingston, a first-year lacrosse player, said that in her senior year of high school she sent an email inviting UMW’s women’s lacrosse coach to watch her play at a club lacrosse team tournament.

“After she saw me play, she emailed me back, asking for information about myself. We had a few phone calls, and then she invited me to campus,” said Kingston.

Depending on the sport, coaches hold open tryouts, even after recruiting

how well a person swims just by their times.”

If student-athletes are not rewarded athletic scholarships, what compels them to play a sport at Mary Washington, considering the tremendous amount of time and energy they must sacrifice?

Torrington revealed that during his college decision process, choosing the school was more important to him than choosing the team.

“This was the only school I really wanted to go to,” said Torrington. “I wanted a small school where I could actually focus on my work.”

In contrast, Keller’s main reason for choosing Mary Washington was for swimming.

“I was looking for schools where I could swim, but it all came together because I really like Mary Washington,” said Keller Bowerman was attracted to Mary Washington because of its tennis facility and training staff.

“Besides clicking well with the girls, UMW’s tennis facility is a thousand times better than the ones at Division I schools that gave me offers,” said Bowerman.

chosen student-athletes.

“People who are recruited do not necessarily try out,” Kingston said, “people who are not recruited have the opportunity to try out, but they usually have a harder chance of getting on the team, because the coaches already recruited the number of people they want on their team.”

During spring of her high school junior year, first-year tennis player Emily Bowerman was contacted by UMW’s head women’s tennis coach, Patrick Catullo, after he saw her play at junior tournaments that were hosted at Mary Washington’s tennis facilities.

“My recruitment process here was casual, because I was playing in tournaments here almost every weekend in high school. I already had a relationship with the coach,” said Bowerman.

For first-year swimmers Josh Duke, Claudia Keller, and Bradley Torrington securing a position on the team was a matter of emailing Abby Brethauer, the head men’s and women’s Swimming coach, their times to see if they would be a good fit for the team.

“The whole process wasn’t really that formal,” said Keller, “you can judge

Some student athletes believe that the Division III level offers the right amount of competition.

Carly Hughes, a first-year cross country and track and field runner, said, “I thought that the team offered the right amount of competitiveness. I knew the coach would push me to get better, but it wouldn’t be high-stakes, high-pressure.”

While recruiting, coaches seek student-athletes who are hardworking not only in the game, but in the classroom as well. The head coach of track and field, Kunle Lawson revealed that the team’s coaches “look for student-athletes who are selfsufficient.”

“We try our best to support them, but the more diligent the student-athlete is in the classroom, the greater the likelihood they find academic success,” said Lawson.

Similarly, UMW’s women’s tennis team’s head coach, Patrick Catullo, recruits prospective student-athletes that can “help the women’s tennis team achieve the team goals each year as well as be able to succeed academically at UMW.”

Weekly Scoreboard baseball

Mar. 12 vs. Southern Vt. (W) UMW: 19 Southern Vt.: 7

softball

Mar. 9 vs. Brevard (L) UMW:7 Brevard: 9

Men's lacrosse

Men's Lacrosse

Mar. 10 @ Catholic (L) UMW: 7 Catholic: 8

women's lacrosse

Mar. 10 @ Southern Virginia (W) UMW: 19 SVA: 2

Mar. 17 vs. Geneseo TBA

women's lacrosse

Mar. 15 vs. Gettysburg TBA

baseball

Mar. 15 vs. Bridgewater TBA

softball

Mar. 15 @ Bridgewater TBA

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VIEWPOINTS

The City of Fredericksburg should embrace its identity as a college town SARAH BOND Staff Writer

Fredericksburg is quickly becoming a college town and it’s time for local lawmakers to embrace that. While the City has never explicitly said it doesn’t want to invite a lot of college students to the area or become a “college town,” the actions of lawmakers tell a different story. This is specifically shown through the lack of parking for students, new unaffordable housing developments and the plans which the city has set for Fredericksburg moving forward.

Parking, for instance, has been a longstanding struggle between UMW and local lawmakers. The Comprehensive Plan for the City of Fredericksburg states that Fredericksburg should be striving “to protect the integrity of that neighborhood from negative impacts.” This may be alluding to the student parking issue in the College Heights neighborhood. It is problematic that this implies that students and faculty parking is interfering with the “integrity” of the neighborhood. It suggests that students are not an integral part of the College Heights community. The residential communities, incorporation of parking meters and strict regulations on where students can park further alienate students from the local community.

The Comprehensive Plan frequently mentions UMW, however, the University is discussed as a separate community within the larger area which needs to be regulated and controlled. For example, the plan says that it wants to “work with the University of Mary Washington to address student/resident issues in neighborhoods surrounding the University.”

Some of these issues being “adverse impacts to surrounding neighborhoods,

Kyrstiane Urbaniak/Blue & Gray Press

Fredericksburg City Hall is located on Princess Anne Street and is close to the UMW campus.

such as under-age drinking, parking impacts, and overcrowded rental units.”

The stereotypes and stigmas surrounding college students and the “rowdy” behavior which they make bring are understandable but it’s harmful to solely focus on the negative impacts. Instead of treating college students as a problem which needs to be handled, the City of Fredericksburg should recognize college students as an economic tool as many other successful college towns have, such as Blacksburg, VA and Chapel Hill, NC. The Comprehensive Plan also states that it wants the College Heights area to be restored to only owner-occupied properties instead of rental properties. This not good news for the large number of students who seek off-campus housing in the College Heights area. The city’s plan to ”recover

from excessive numbers of rental units and reestablish itself as an owner occupied community” is a direct hit to the growing number of UMW students renting homes.

As the University of Mary Washington continues to expand its campus and increase its student body, more people are attracted to the Fredericksburg area. With more students, the historic downtown area continues to grow as well. The city has attracted new historic infill development such as the newly built apartments on William and Prince Edward, which are being sold for almost two million dollars.

The city’s new housing developments such as the George Street Brownstones, which are being built behind Foode restaurant, show a pattern in development of more high-end homes for sale and a clear shift in the demographics of down-

town. The location of Fredericksburg is strategic and inviting to many people in the DC Metropolitan area. Many UMW students look for jobs and internships in the Washington, DC area. Fredericksburg is seeking to build expensive new multi-family homes for sale near the train station. The opportunity to live in downtown Fredericksburg with access to the train and quick transport in DC is a perfect place for recent graduates, however the homes are not affordable and not suited for younger unmarried recent graduates. Again, this is attracting an older population to the area. If more affordable housing options opened up downtown, Fredericksburg could become a place where students not only come for school, but stay after graduation.

Fredericksburg is currently experiencing A Tale of Two Cities: the city itself and the University, which are telling two different stories of Fredericksburg. While the historic downtown district is a separate entity from the University, I believe that these two worlds should be joined together. Instead of being divided, the University and City Council should work together to provide a cohesive and unified Fredericksburg where college students are not left out of the developments in the Historic District. As residents of Fredericksburg, the ability to enjoy and live in Fredericksburg should be available to anyone who lives there, especially the UMW community because it makes up an important part of the local Fredericksburg area. It is vital that local lawmakers recognize the legitimacy of college students as residents and the benefits of supporting students in the area.

Summer courses offer numerous benefits for UMW students ALEXIS ZIRPMOULIS Staff Writer

It is that time of year again to start thinking about registering for classes.

Summer classes have already opened up for registration. We are all excited to be nearly finished with the spring semester, but students should consider registering for summer courses.

It is always important to think about the benefits of continuing your studies over the summer. Based on personal experiences, I have found that there are many students who are curious about enrolling into summer courses, but are not sure whether it would be a good idea for them because they do not fully understand what choices or benefits that come along with enrolling in the short semesters.

I began my college journey in 2012 and I began enrolling into summer courses in 2013. I am so happy that I did. Even though I attended community college before transferring to UMW in 2015, I struggled to enroll in the limited

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courses that were offered that worked around my full-time work schedule. Online courses are appealing to me because of their relaxed nature, and many times you are given permission to work at your own pace. I have also found that unlike during the fall and spring semesters at UMW, a lot more summer courses are offered online, which means even if you are planning to go home for the summer, or go on vacation out of the country, you can still continue your education from a distance. However, you may find that without physically being present in a classroom setting, you quickly forget about the work that needs to be completed, therefore it is important to be strict with yourself and set personal expectations.

Summer courses have a shorter duration. I believe this is what spooks many students away from enrolling into summer courses, because rather than being roughly sixteen weeks long, summer courses are usually roughly only five

weeks long. I have never found this to be an issue and I have never truly felt overwhelmed even while taking a full course load in a short period of time. From personal experience, I feel as though my professors realize how short the semester is and they truly work with their students regarding the workload that is assigned.

As I mentioned, I try my best to take a full credit load during the summer because flexibility is key with my full-time work schedule, but initially enrolling in even just one or two summer courses every year may allow you to potentially graduate early. Personally, I enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to take summer courses to get all of my General Education requirements out of the way, so I had more time during the regular academic year to focus my time on my major and minor requirements. If you are behind on credits or maybe you want to re-enroll in a previous course that you did not do so well in, summer is the perfect time to do it and catch up.

Summer courses at UMW are often pretty small. Last summer I enrolled into a course that I feared I would struggle with throughout the semester, but luckily there were less than 10 students in my class. I received a lot of one-on-one time with my professor and never left the classroom feeling confused about assignments or my overall grade.

Enrolling into summer courses will keep your brain active and help you maintain positive brain activity year around. The more you continue to exercise your brain, the better you will perform academically. Just remember do not bite off more than you can chew, but if you have never taken a summer course it does not hurt to try at least one. If summer courses are not for you, there is a brief period of time that you are allowed to drop the course for a full refund. We all need balance in our lives, and now is the time to regain that balance by enrolling in summer courses.

Thursday, March 2018 Thursday, January 21,15, 2015

VIEWPOINTS

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

UMW has a responsibility to protect students ABBY HUNT Staff Writer

The Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, FL has many schools increasing security measures across the nation. From increasing frequency of lockdown drills to installing bulletproof shelters in classrooms, many are preparing for a horrifying modern reality.

The UMW Department of Public Safety responded to these events by sending out an email to all students on Feb. 22. The email acknowledged that many students, faculty, and staff had expressed concerns about how prepared the university, mostly administration, actually is in the event of an active shooter on campus. They certified that the UMW Department of Public Safety “strives to provide protection and preparedness”. They also urged anyone with “acute” anxiety to visit our counseling services at the Talley Center. The rest of the email aims to make students feel prepared.This included two YouTube video scenarios depicting an active shooter, that were not required to be watched. The email also relays a “joint responsibility as a community” to pay closer attention to any potentially threatening or alarming behaviors demonstrated by our peers. The 650 word email stirred up a lot of conversation among UMW students due to the upsetting videos and the way the email was worded.

The University has a responsibility to protect its students from the very real threat of gun violence. The email was sent out by the UMW DPS with the intention of making students feel not only more comfortable with the school, but also to feel confident that in this situation, the students themselves would also do the right thing. However, many students probably did not even open the email, let alone watch the attached videos. It is this uncertainty that suggests that the major-

ity of the school is unprepared for such a catastrophe such as this.

Considering that UMW is an open campus, we are subject to a number of different dangers, similar to any other public space such a mall or park. A middle aged couple strolling down campus walk could be concealing a cache of weapons and no one would ever know. This poses the most threat to those who live on campus.

Although all residential buildings are only accessible with an active Eagle One card, it is not hard to gain entrance into any of the residential buildings by simply telling another student that they forgot their Eagle One. I am a geography major, and almost all of my classes for the past three years have been held in Monroe, which seems to be a pretty safe building. Many of the doors that lock can only be locked by a key that only Faculty have. The computer labs and physical science labs have locks with key pads and are also accessible by Eagle One, but only if you are a GIS student.

Crystal Knapp, a senior art major, said she spends most of her time in in Melchers Hall. She suggested that different academic buildings can be safer than others. She said that all rooms in Melchers “should have keypad lock systems on them similar to rooms like sculpture or the digital lab have. That would make some students feel safer in an emergency situation. In addition I think the confusion of the art building would be non-beneficial to a shooter if they where to enter this specific building. I believe the University should have a set plan on what happens if a shooter enters any of the academic or residential buildings. They teach us drills like that in public school, but not in college. I think this is very important especially in the wake of the mass gun violence issues facing any and all public schools or universities nowadays.”

Junior psychology major, Kate Larkin

noted that the computer labs have superior security.

“They lock down the computer labs for technological security reasons, not student safety reasons,” said Larkin. “I think it’s good that the University addressed the parkland shooting and what happened that day. However, they should have addressed it to its severity. In each academic building students should have some sort of safety plan. Even just spending three minutes in class talking about it, considering how often these shootings are happening now it’s something that could happen here and it’s scary. I live in the UMW apartments, and I have a friend that can easily spider-man crawl up to my third floor apartment balcony and surprise us.

This concerns me because if someone was trying to hurt people they could easily get in. I never think to lock my back door three stories up.”

“As I was reading through the beginning of the email I felt as if this was a placating email, sent just because, in the wake of a very serious fatal shooting turned political altercation, what else is the university supposed to do?” said senior communications and digital studies major Alexis Ricks. “But as I continued through the somewhat lengthy email, I began to feel more comforted, specifically in the portion of the piece when they discuss the steps to take when faced with a crisis of this magnitude. The idea of preparation and its

importance was obvious throughout the email which made me feel as if my campus is truly prepared, as they are helping me to be better prepared.”

“I spend most of my time in and outside of class in Combs,” said Ricks “If I was faced with a school shooter in this portion of campus I would fear for my safety because of the number of windows around the building, many of which are often left open. But I would feel more comfortable because many of the doors do lock, and because of Comb’s proximity to Brent House I do feel a sense of increased security. I think that if the university really wanted to make an impact on how we would react in a school shooting they would make a computer simulation a requirement, similar to the drinking education program everyone was forced to take.“ Senior international affairs major, Rachel Lynch disagreed though, saying, “Unfortunately, there is only so much a school can do to prevent against radical attacks. I don’t think putting all of our resources towards security would be the best idea. I can’t think of any realistic security measures that could help to fully equip every inch against an attack that could happen anywhere within the school’s linear mile radius, when a shooting takes place in a matter of seconds to minutes.”

The topic of gun violence is not fading, if anything it is intensifying. Families are talking to their school children, businesses are talking to their employees, and unfortunately schools are talking to their students. Most students said the email was at least reassuring.

“The idea of preparation and its importance was obvious throughout the email which made me feel as if my campus is truly prepared.”

-Alexis Ricks

Staff Ed: The Blue & Gray Press stands with students participating in the March For Our Lives On Mar. 14, thousands of students nationwide, from elementary school to college, participated in the National School Walkout. The event was a protest against gun violence and was organized by student survivors of the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. The event proved controversial, with some schools banning students from walking out of classes, and alternatively, other schools creating large scale events to recognize the walkout and memorialize the victims.

Several student survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting have also organized the March For Our Lives, which will take place on Mar. 24. The organization has obtained a permit to march in Washington, D.C., with “sib-

ling” marches taking place in many major cities throughout the country and worldwide. As of publication, the March For Our Lives website listed 738 officially registered marches internationally.

The March For Our Lives website states that “the mission and focus of March For Our Lives is to demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues. No special interest group, no political agenda is more critical than timely passage of legislation to effectively address the gun violence issues that are rampant in our country.”

On Mar. 2, an email was sent out to all UMW students through OrgSync regarding the march. Due to popular demand from students, charter bus rides

to Washington, D.C. for the march will be provided to UMW students.

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas and other school shootings before it have struck fear in the hearts of students worldwide. Students should not be afraid to go to school and get an education because of the possibility of an active shooter. Stronger gun laws must be passed to prevent potentially dangerous individuals from getting access to semi-automatic weapons intended to inflict mass casualties. AR-15 rifles, like the one the shooter used in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy, serve no purpose other than to kill as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time.

There is no good reason for individual citizens to have access to a military

weapon.

The editorial board of the Blue & Gray Press stands with the students who walked out of class today and supports their right to freedom of speech, and also encourages students to participate in the March For Our Lives. While registration for the bus rides closed on Mar. 12, students seeking transportation should not be discouraged and should work together to carpool with each other to Washington, D.C. They also can participate in the local Fredericksburg march being held on Route 3 at William St., just a short walk from campus. Students should feel empowered to stand up for what they believe in and exercise their freedoms of speech and assembly.

By THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD

5

LIFE

Editor: Lauren Closs blueandgray.life@gmail.com

Encore! Show Choir prepares for upcoming performance RACHEL MARTIN Staff Writer

Three times a week, the group of twelve students that make up Encore!

Show Choir get together to practice singing and dancing.

“It’s been a rewarding experience,” said senior Tori Power as she reflected on her time in Encore! Show Choir.

Show Choir is a musical ensemble that both sings and dances simultaneously, which looks and sounds easy but can be rather difficult due to certain things like breath control and how to face so you can be heard by the audience. Being in Encore! myself, I can vouch for the fact that all the hours we put in are worth it in the end. There’s nothing like watching your hard work pay off in the eyes of the audience.

A lot of practice goes into the performance to reach such abilities.

Encore! practices three times a week on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Sunday

Photo courtesy of Bethel Mahoney.

is half dance and half vocals, practicing in DuPont. Monday is Encore! is UMW’s only show choir. Photo courtesy of Bethel Mahoney. all vocals in DuPont, and Tuesday is all dance in the Fitness Center.

Aside from the rehearsals at the beginning of the week, there are “officer meetings on Wednesday and all of the extra performances we do during the semester, normally on Fridays,” said sophomore Justine Purdy. With all that time spent practicing, the people in Encore! grow close.

“It feels like one big, crazy, sassy, talented family,” said sophomore Kimberly Fulco.

Outside of practice, the ensemble has various tasks.

The choreographers work on dances, the musical director works on music arrangements, the publicist Photo courtesy of Bethel Mahoney. and treasurer coordinate Encore! Show Choir’s next show is on Apr. 13.

fundraisers and other events and the president and vice president oversee everything and help look for costumes and opportunities. Everyone else practices the choreography and music whenever they can.

When asked how many hours they spend on Encore! outside of rehearsals, Fulco said she spends “maybe 10” hours on extra work. Those hours aren’t always the most spectacular. “It can be hectic sometimes, barely having time to eat and then running to rehearsal,” said sophomore Lauren Priddy. With practices being later in the day and overlapping normal dinner time on Sunday, the ensemble turns to restaurants, leftovers, dorm snacks or eating unrealistically early for dinner.

Currently, Encore! is in the middle of preparing for their show on Apr. 13.

The show has a one-hit wonder theme and includes songs such as “Eye of the Tiger,” “Africa,” and “Never Gonna Give You Up.” There will also be senior solos by Tori Power and Grace Foust.

“Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda” benefits teenage students GARY KNOWLES Staff Writer

I wish I read books like “Simon vs.

The Homo Sapiens Agenda” when I was a teenager, but I am glad I am reading them now. Over spring break, I was captured by the novel’s emotionally mature way of handling such a difficult topic as coming out of the closet. For young readers unsure of their sexuality and identity, having access to a book like this will be a groundbreaking experience.

This novel by Becky Albertalli recently inspired the movie to be released on Mar. 16 called “Love, Simon.” If the movie holds the least bit true to the book, then it will definitely make an impact on a wide audience.

Albertalli crafts a story for the reader that is equal parts funny, happy and sad.

It also makes the reader’s skin crawl from the level of social paranoia the protagonist, Simon, carries around with him.

Simon is a 17 year old high school student that knows he’s gay; but he can only talk about it over a chain of emails with another anonymous gay student, Blue. At least that is until he’s blackmailed after someone discovers Simon’s emails.

The story reads fast, and I’m sure the movie will move in a similar fashion.

It doesn’t bog down the reader with complex, creative grammatical structures and vocabulary. Simon’s narration cuts to

the point and carries you until the end.

The novel’s matter-of-fact handling of difficult themes such as sexuality, tolerance and even racism in the middle of contemporary Georgia adds to its strength.

I remember being someone like Simon, the awkward teenage boy with something he’s not exactly ashamed of but can’t bring himself to say out loud. Perhaps that seems like it doesn’t matter to people who aren’t gay. But I think the novel offers something to everyone.

The most important thing about Albertalli’s novel, that’s soon to be adapted on the big screen, is the fact that the young men and women who are questioning their sexuality will be able to find a book like this with ease. Due to the book’s popularity, it’s on shelves everywhere, even stores like Walmart and Target.

I can’t emphasize enough how beneficial this easy access is for young people relating to “Love, Simon,” a movie based on the book, Simon’s experience. Nothing will be released Mar. 16. is worse than the isolation that Simon them had sad endings. Not to mention felt in high school. When I was Simon the issue of actually finding a copy of as a teenager, the only books I could those books was a whole other struggle. find about being gay were definitely not It is inspiring to know that some kid aimed at people my age and most of just like me, just like Simon, will find

this book and be given the courage they need to come to terms with who they are.

Even if coming out, in the words of Simon, “feels like a strange sort of loss.”

If you haven’t had a chance to read the book yet in anticipation of the movie, you should. However, the point of this article isn’t to provide a striking advertisement of the book or movie.

Sometimes during reading, there are moments you realize the awkwardness of how high school used to be and, in some ways, it pulls you out of the experience. But maybe that’s why the book is so successful. Simon’s experience in the trials of coming out and being himself in a high school that’s less than accepting reflects how truly awkward growing up is for all of us.

Simon talks in part on how, “White shouldn’t be the default any more than straight Pinterest. should be the default.”

If we want to create an inclusive society in an increasingly divisive world, what better way to start than giving stories like this to the young people who need them?

Thursday, March 15, 2018

LIFE

Decades of resistance: Gaye Adegbalola’s activism through music ES HETHCOX Online Editor

spirit through her own music.

Perched on a stool in front of a “Instead of small crowd in the LibertyTown Arts fighting the men who Workshop, Gaye Adegbalola’s expert oppressed us, what hands move across the smooth mahogany I try to do with my of her guitar, as her clear voice fills the music is empower room with melodies of social injustice. women to do what This is her activism. they need to do,” A blues singer who grew up in the Adegbalola said. midst of the civil rights movement, Her performances Adegbalola has used her skill for do just that, especially creating clever and empowering tunes when she sings “She to combat the issues that women of all Just Wants To Dance” ethnicities and sexualities face in society. by blues singer Keb’ “My weapon is my music,” Mo’.

Adegbalola said. “My arena is the bar “In my generation, room, the concert hall, the festival.” you didn’t dance until Seated on a red leather couch in her a man asked you to Fredericksburg home, surrounded by dance,” Adegbalola framed posters of past albums and tribal recalls. “So when décor, Adegbalola tells her story of I sing that song to resistance. an audience, I’m The beginning of resistance giving these women The Fredericksburg, Va., of the 1960s permission to go and was nothing like the city that radiated dance wherever, and blue in the 2016 presidential election. whenever, they feel In the civil rights era, racial tension like it.”

Es Hethcox / The Blue & Gray Press. was plentiful, and protests erupted Every time throughout the growing city in Adegbalola strums an attempt to end segregation. the chords to this song and belts With a mother who organized out the lyrics, someone in the lunch counter sit-ins, teenage audience stands up and begins Adegbalola was in the to dance. Whether it’s in the thick of the activated air of back of the club or the edge of Fredericksburg. the crowd, Adegbalola said that These early day sit-ins led someone always begins to sway Adegbalola to more protests, to the rhythm of that song. eventually taking her to the “I consider dancing to be streets of New York City to vital to one’s whole spirit,” protest the war in Vietnam.

Adegbalola said. “God’s greatest During those protests, gift is shakin’ your ass.”

Adegbalola watched as Resistance continues peaceful demonstrators were With decades of her music hit with billy clubs by police career under her belt, Adegbalola on horseback, witnessing firsthas worked to empower women hand the damage that can be of all backgrounds and identities done to protestors. through her tunes of resistance.

“Why am I fightin’ this Her music ranges from songs fight in this way?” Adegbalola promoting safe sex in the midst recalls asking herself. of the sexual revolution, crisis This question ultimately hotlines for women in abusive In commemoration of the Virginia Statue of Religious Freedom, the Department Classics, Philosophy and Religion encouraged Adegbalola to Department.situations and support of the of Classics, Philosophy and Religion will host a conference titled “Religious explore what the definition of Freedom in a Fractured America,” March 22 and 23.

LGBTQ community. As the activism is and how she could country slogs through a divisive use her ear for music to help political and social morass, people resist.

Adegbalola has not stopped “For me, [activism] is fighting for marginalized not about sitting in, it’s not people—on and off the stage. about picketing, it’s not about Besides her recent gathering petitions. It’s about involvement with the NAACP to speaking to an audience and address the rising incarceration presenting my view of the rates among black males, world,” she said. “I think that Adegbalola is presently working any artist, whether you are on an album addressing a visual artist, dancer or a prominent social issues. One of writer, what you want to do her upcoming songs targets on is tell a universal story in a the water crisis in Flint, Mich., unique way.” where residents have been Changing her tune sickened by lead.

Adegbalola first “You Flint water, baby,” recognized the powerful Adegbalola recites. “You dirty impact songs could have in as you can be.” the early days of her music In her upcoming album, career, when she researched Adegbalola will once again blues music from the 1920s take aim at social problems and 1930s. through melodies filled with What she found was that witty euphemisms and clever for black working-class word choice, marking another women, their histories were moment she uses her music as a rooted in the lyrics of blues weapon of activism. music.

“The album will be things Classics, Philosophy and Religion The conference, organized by Professor Mehdi Aminrazavi and Professor Speaking through lyrics Department. of that ilk, that still relate to Jennifer Barry is the department’s effort to address the growing religious of former blues artists, activism. But I’m not waving a intolerance which has affected members of not only the UMW community, Adegbalola explains flag, I’m not wearing a pink hat. but the larger public as well. The speakers of this year’s event, hand selected by members of the department, how female blues singers come from various disciplines and professional backgrounds in the hope of bringing different perspectives and It’s in my music.” reclaimed their time and solutions to issues related to Religious Freedom in America. didn’t let the men in their lives oppress them.

“For blues women, they weren’t going to take no stuff,” Adegbalola said.

She continued with a quote from a 1923 blues song saying, “I got the world in a jug and the stopper in my hand, any man who loves me has got to come under my command.”

These words stood out to young Adegbalola, who for the first time was realizing how music provided early female singers the platform to practice their empowerment.

Influenced by these powerful female voices, Adegbalola Gaye Adegbalola. has carried their

7

Weekend Events

Thursday

• ISIS From Space: Using Remote Sensing To Assess the Economic Impact of Islamic State Governance in Iraq and Syria @ UMW- Dahlgren Campus, 8 a.m.-10 a.m.

• Revolutionary Rift: George Washington and James Monroe @ Monroe Hall, Room 116, 7 p.m.- 9 p.m.

@theBlueandGray

Saturday

• UMW Foreign Film Series – L’ Orchestra di piazza Vittorio (Italian) @ HCC Digital Auditori- • UMW Philharmonic Unearthing um, 7:30 p.m.

America’s Treasures with Arturo Sandoval @ Dodd Auditori• Great Lives Lecture Series: um, ALL DAY The Dust Bowl Girls @ George • Washington Hall, Dodd Audito- • UMW Foreign Film Series – rium, 7:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

The Time that Remains (Arabic) @ HCC Digital Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

Friday

• UMW Foreign Film Series – Detective Chinatown (Chinese) @ HCC Digital Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

BlueandGrayPress

The Blue & Gray Press

LIFE

Friend groups and others’ perceptions shape individuals

JOSE REYES Staff Writer

The thought of entering college as an athlete was exciting to say the least. On top of the liberating college experience that awaited me, I would have the privilege of arriving one week early and with one less worry than most other students, meeting new friends. Although I had teammates, I would still have to get to know them, but at least I already knew they loved the same sport as me.

Besides, after we train, eat, sleep and

even fart together, getting to know them wasn’t very hard.

Although the meeting new friends problem was solved, or so it seemed, I still had the usual troubles we all experience. I had the hassle of finding my classes and arriving on time, meeting and liking my professors, not procrastinating and climbing the billion steps to get to the dining hall. As if that weren’t enough already, I had practices, gym days and film sessions to remind me I was still a college athlete. I have a whole new appreciation for those that

Students often form close-knit friend groups at school.

According to the looking-glass self concept, individuals are shaped by those around them.

Allison Tovey / The Blue & Gray Press

Friends enjoy lunch in the UC dining hall.

Allison Tovey / The Blue & Gray Press

have jobs in addition to college; it is inspirational and I have no idea how they do it.

College is seen as an opportunity to realize our potential and exceed our limits. A chance to explore not only ourselves, but the wonderful world around us. This got me thinking a lot about my team, other athletes and mostly anyone on campus that has a friend group they hang out with. As I thought more and more about it, I was led to a question that I struggled to acknowledge, and even more so failed to answer that holds immense value in our college experience: Are our friend groups, instead of helping us bloom, unintentionally limiting our growth?

Don’t get me wrong, friends and teammates can be super supportive and amazing. Personally I didn’t even want to make the effort to hangout with anyone else; I had everything that made me happy right in my own group. It wasn’t until I began to think about a social physiological concept I learned in class, the looking-glass self, that I realized I could be missing out on something quite significant.

Charles Horton Cooley, an American sociologist, was the first to suggest the looking-glass self concept in 1902. “A person’s self grows out of society’s interpersonal interactions and the

Allison Tovey / The Blue & Gray Press

perceptions of others,” stated Cooley.

Through studying this I learned that our day-to-day interactions and how we think others perceive us, shape who we are as individuals. I began to see how a few small things, for example, the way we appear to everyone else as we enter the dining hall, or how we take chairs to use at our table, or even how we may leave without cleaning up sometimes, change not only what people think of us, but it changes the very nature of who we are. It seems a bit extreme at first, but overtime these small drips fill a very large bucket.

In a place like college where we should be experiencing individual growth and fostering long lasting relationships, this concept does nothing more than close doors for us. So take some time to look around and breathe for a bit. Be mindful at the start of your day and challenge yourself. As for the question I didn’t want to acknowledge, well, the answer lies in others, specifically those we haven’t yet had a chance to meet. It is them who have the largest impact on who we will become and the impact we will have on everyone else we cross paths with. I would say that the moral is to be mindful, because every moment is an opportunity, and every opportunity is the chance you’ve been waiting for.

ResHall Recipes: Irish nacho appetizer for St. Patrick’s Day CAMERON ASHLEY Staff Writer

When someone mentions St. Patrick’s Day, green, luck and festivities all come to mind. Since the holiday falls on a Saturday this year, there’s plenty of time for students to celebrate with friends and family. A simple recipe that my family makes every year is Irish nachos. Typically, Irish nachos are made with potato skins but our twist on it is waffle fries. This also makes the recipe way easier to make, even in residence halls. The most important and only appliance needed is the oven. This recipe is great to make as a appetizer for parties or gatherings of friends.

What You’ll Need: 1 bag of frozen waffle fries or your preference of frozen potatoes Bacon Bits Shredded cheddar cheese Sour cream Green onions Aluminum foil Directions: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Preheat the oven to the specified instructions on your frozen potatoes Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil Place frozen fries on the baking sheet Bake fries for five minutes less than directed Once your fries are nearly finished, take them out of the oven and sprinkle as much cheddar cheese as desired on top of your fries Place them back in the oven for the remaining five minutes Once cheese is melted, take your fries out of the oven Add desired amount of sour cream, bacon bits, and green onions on top Enjoy!

Flickr.

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NEWS

Faculty and students share their views on the significance of the walkouts

•WALKOUT | 1

english major Ca“For me personally, I think it is releigh Pope was unaware ally important that people in higher ed of the walkout but was glad to have the show their support for movements in opportunity to participate.

K-12,” said UMW class of 2015 alum, “[My and Diparticivision of pation] “I have personal opinions about gun T e a c h wasn’t ing and violence and what we should do about Learning planned, but it’s it, but as a faculty member I did not want T e c h importnologies ant to to make it a part of the class that was (DTLT) stand employmeeting during the walkout.” with the ee, Jessistudents ca Reinwho are gold. “I -Zach Whalen making feel like a differa lot of ence and the time trying to make a change,” said Pope. movements that happen in K-12 get lost While some had known about the in higher ed. And it is important that demonstration going into the day, many they do not because these are the stustudents expressed a wish that the walkdents that will be coming here next.” out had been better publicized among “I wanted to symbolically support the student body so they would have the movement,” said Whalen. been made aware that it was taking Even though she was unable to parplace. ticipate in the walkout, sophomore psy“I think the walkout was an importchology major Miranda Batte-Futrell ant way for the students to show their was able to discuss the empowering support for the families of the victims feeling that comes with participating in of the Florida shooting, and to express a walkout for a good cause. their discontent with the current state “As someone who has previously of gun laws,” said sophomore environparticipated in a walkout, I know how mental science major Mary Hoffman. empowering and influential they are, “I wish it had been better publicized, ever if only in the smallest way,” said because this is a really important issue Batte-Futrell. “Walkouts give individuand I would have participated without als a collective voice that projects conhesitation had I known about it.” cerns and stances to the government, Beyond respecting the goals of the demonstration to call for change in gun legislation and to honor the lives of the victims of gun violence, students and faculty had their own reasons for participating in the walkout. who then might have to take some type

of action or face further backlash.”

While some students supported the goals of the walkout, they felt they create more of a statement on a high school level than they do on a college campus.

“For high schoolers, I feel walking out is so much more impactful, because this movement is focused on them and their school environment is much more strict regarding attendance,” said senior Es Hethcox. “The high school’s walking out of school are the movement, and the

happened on higher ed campuses. They need to be something we don’t forget about.”

Walkouts are one form of civil protest; another popular demonstration method is marches. Alongside the National Walkout Day, the March For Our Lives will be held on March 24 in Washington D.C. Survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting are leading the organization of this rally.

“I think the walkout was an important way for the students to show their support for the families of the victims of the Florida shooting, and to express their discontent with the current state of gun laws.”

-Mary Hoffman nation’s eyes are on them. We college students are supporters, but the nation is not watching us in this movement.”

Though the focus of the activism appears to be primarily on high schoolers who are speaking out, many feel it is important to remember that these acts of violence are not solely limited to taking place at one educational level.

“These acts of violence are not limit-

“The K-12 kids are the future. If we are not showing our support for the potential leaders of the future, then we are being passive and that is not good.”

-Jessica Reingold ed to K-12,” said Reingold. “They have

Both for the march, and the walkouts, social media has played a role in spreading the word about them. Celebrities such as Zendaya, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kendall Jenner, Jon Bon Jovi, Ellen DeGeneres, Katy Perry, and many more took to social media to express their support for the students who participated in the walkouts. A video posted by The Views twitter account showed Whoopi Goldberg with a group of students marching down the streets of New York City.

As the call for change regarding gun policy continues, members of the UMW community feel the importance to take an active stance in the movement.

“The K-12 kids are the future,” said Reingold. “If we are not showing our support for the potential leaders of the future, then we are being passive and that is not good.”

Photos from Creative Commons The walkouts lasted for 17 minutes in honor of the 17 victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

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Thursday, March 15, 2018

NEWS The Committee to Review the Statement of Community Values seeks feedback •DRAFTS | 2

UMW honor pledge.

In an effort to accomplish these initiatives, The Committee to Review the Statement of Community Values, led

by Associate Professor of Communication Dr. Anand Rao and Dean of Student Life Cedric Rucker, have written three drafts of a revised “Statements of Community Values.” The revised statements contains two options regarding the “Statement of Guiding Principles on Diversity and Inclusion.”

The key points, from the first draft for “Statements of Community Values,” deal with intellectual inquiry, inclusive excellence & equity, respect & civility, integrity & personal accountability, and leadership, collaboration & engaged citizenship. The key points of the second drafts spell out the acronym, IDEAL. This stands for, Intellectual inquiry, Diversity, Equity, Accountability and Leadership. The third draft address accountability, scholarship, personal integrity, inclusiveness, respect, and en-

gagement.

The two “Statement of Guiding Principles on Diversity and Inclusion” options are a revised text that offers an updated point-of-view and wording.

The second option is to do away with the “Statement of Guiding Principles on Diversity and Inclusion” all together, because according to a PDF on the UMW website titled three draft statements, it has been “integrated into the new draft revisions of the ‘Statement of Community Values.’”

The committee is asking for feedback on the drafts from the Eagle community. Any feedback on which, elements, language, and what students and faculty feel should be included or excluded.

(Link Online only) Feedback can be given via https:// www.umw.edu/diversity/reports-data/ task-force/recommendations/community-values-feedback/

Interested in editing? Contact us •

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News Interested in working for the News section of The Blue and Gray Press? We are looking for dedicated students with a passion for news and an interest in editing and designing dynamic layouts. If you think you’re the one for the job contact blueandgray.news@gmail.com Life Interested in student life, cool events and performances around campus, popular culture, books, movies and music? Like designing fun spreads and editing creative articles? Contact Lauren Closs at blueandgray.life@gmail.com for more information about being Life Section Editor.

Sports The sports section actively covers both University of Mary Washington sports and national sports. Please email Ryan Brauch at blueandgray.sports@gmail. com if you are interested.

Viewpoints The Viewpoints editor is responsible for editing all opinion pieces, handling all Letters to the Editor and Op-Eds as well as Staff Editorial, and laying out the Viewpoints section for the print edition of the paper. Contact Ginny Bixby at blueandgray.views@gmail.com if you are interested.

Online Calling all digital savvy Eagles! The Blue & Gray Press is looking for candidates for the online editor position. The position deals with the maintaining of the newspaper website and accompanying social media platforms. Contact Es Hethcox at blueandgray.online@gmail.com for more information.

Student Government Beat Monday, March 12 - Friday, March 16 Executive Cabinet Mondays at 5 p.m. in the UC Capitol Room SGA is co-sponsoring a series of discussions with the Office of the President over the next couple of weeks called “UMW: Can We Talk?”.

The sessions will be attended by many administrators and student leaders to hear what students have to say and answer any questions.

We invite you to attend one of the upcoming sessions: • Monday, March 19 at 7:00p in the UC Ballroom, Room A • Tuesday, March 27 at 7:00p in the UC Ballroom, Room A •

SGA General Elections start next week! Voting runs from Tuesday (20th) – Thursday (22nd) on OrgSync. You can also vote in person from 10-2 at the UC or HCC on Wednesday or Thursday.

• SGA will be hosting a Candidates Debate on Wednesday the 21st in the Digital Auditorium at 6:00 pm. Come hear from candidates, ask questions, and enjoy some light refreshments!

For more information, visit umwsga.org or contact info@umwsga.org Student Senate Wednesdays at 5 p.m. in Monroe 116

Dean Rucker spoke to the Senate about the progress on reworking the Statement of Community Values. Visit umw.edu/diversity to learn more!

• Three Senators were expelled from the body for violating the Senate Attendance Policy.

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

DETAILS PROVIDED BY MATTHEW GOOD

Thursday, March 15, 2018

11

SPORTS

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

NFL offseason draws attention with chaotic beginning SHACOBE JOHNSON Staff Writer

The upcoming NFL offseason is geared up to be a chaotic one. Coming off arguably one of the most exciting Super Bowls of all time, late February through early March is usually a mundane time period. Luckily, NFL fans have been treated to a lot of drama. Starting with the Chiefs moving on from quarterback Alex Smith and cornerback Marcus Peters. Both moves were shocking and came out of nowhere.

Chiefs have disappointed in the playoffs for consecutive years and it was clear that it was time for some sort of drastic change. Meanwhile, Redskins finally decided to move on from quarterback Kirk Cousins but trading for Alex Smith seems like a lateral move instead of an improvement. To top that off, they gave Smith a huge contract that could have gone to Cousins, who was extremely popular in the city and this move definitely left a bad taste in the mouths of Redskin fans.

On the other hand, Chiefs trading Peters was just a mistake. There is clearly a rift between Peters and the front office in Kansas City, and that lead to this trade.

Kansas City had a chance to have a top 10 secondary, on paper, if they stood still. The prospect of Peters, Berry, and new addition Kendall Fuller would put fear into most NFL quarterbacks. Instead, Kansas City decided to move him to a Rams’ defense was already something to be worried about and Peters takes them to the next level.

Another big headline is the Seattle rebuild. It was speculated that Seattle’s starting safety, Kam Chancellor, and defensive end, Cliff Avril, would both be retiring due to severe neck injuries. Earl Thomas, the starting free safety, has also been in trade talks. Seahawks went from one of the best defenses in history to a team in a deep rebuild. The one thing holding Seattle back from continuous years of greatness was their offensive line. Instead of improving that part of their team, the front office has decided to tear down and remove all the older players.

Seattle started off their rebuild by deciding not to re-sign tight end Jimmy Graham. They traded their

Marcus Peters with the Chiefs

KELLY EVANS Staff Writer

Def Pen

other high profile defensive end, Michael Bennett, to the Philadelphia Eagles for a fifth round pick. Seattle could have received much more for this three time pro bowler but his attitude and baggage definitely decreased his value. In a stunning move, shutdown cornerback Richard Sherman was cut. This was a move that was described as a space saver. This may come to bite Seattle back because Sherman went right to their division rival San Francisco 49ers.

Cleveland shocked everyone by completing four trades in the span of twenty four hours. After much debate about his new home, Jarvis Landry was traded to Cleveland for a fourth and fifth round pick. Landry has had one foot out the door of Miami for a while now. Many Dolphin fans were confused when the team gave Landry a franchise tag because they have many positions to fill with limited cap to work with. I’m not sure if Miami got a fair return for their former pro-bowl receiver. Being on the opposite of Josh Gordon can only help Landry and the Browns.

Cleveland continued their train of transactions by shipping out quarterback DeShone Kizer to the Green Bay Packers for cornerback Damarious Randall. This move makes sense for Cleveland. They get a promising corner while getting rid of a failed experiment. Being down a quarterback, Cleveland then traded a third round pick for Buffalo Bills’ starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor. This transaction can be seen more as a stop-gap than anything. Cleveland still has the first and fourth overall picks and it is not likely they skip on a promising quarterback talent. Tyrod will be the starter for a year or two while the new prospect is groomed. These moves put Cleveland in a great spot for the first time in years.

Free agency kicked off on Wednesday and Kirk Cousins signing with the Minnesota Vikings, leaving the Redskins, the franchise that drafted him. Several other signal callers followed in Cousins’ footsteps in leaving their former team for new beginnings else where.

Case Keenum signing with the Denver Broncos, Teddy

Sammy Watkins with the Rams

ClutchPoints

Bridgewater leaving for the New York Jets, and Sam Bradford agreeing to join the Arizona Cardinals, all left the Vikings following the Cousins signing. Other major moves include Allen Robinson signing with the Chicago Bears, Malcolm Butler and Dion Lewis leaving the Patriots to join the Titans and Sammy Watkins signing with the Chiefs.

The Green Bay Packers also stunned the league by cutting long time receiver Jordy Nelson who is now taking offers from other teams. The Miami Dolphins also cut star defensive tackle Ndamakong Suh. The league year has just begun and there are many surprising transactions soon to come before next months draft.

Kirk Cousin with the Redskins

Sports Illustrated

Case Keenum with the Vikings

Houston Chronicle

Nationals bring in new general manager after releasing Dusty Baker

When the Washington Nationals announced the release of former manager Dusty Baker in Oct. 2017, many fans were left sad, confused, and even a few happy. Within his two year contract with the Nationals, Baker lead the team to two NL East titles with 97 wins in the 2017 season. However, that was not enough for a city who’s seen that title many times before with no following of a World Series win or even a play-offs win.

With the Washington Nationals surprising announcement of a new manager, Dave Martinez, the standards for the new skipper this season are even higher than before. With Martinez being the former bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Chicago Cubs, many fans are skeptical with this decision by Mike Rizzo and the Nationals front office. However, as the bench coach for the Cubs Martinez did lead the team to winning the world

Thursday, March 15, 2018

series in 2016; the same achievement the Nationals expect from him.

Martinez has 16 years of playing experience by playing in the big leagues with teams ranging from the Cubs, Montreal Expos, Rangers, Braves, and more.

Over his career he maintained a Batting Average of .276 with 1,599 hits, 91 home runs, 795 runs scored, and 580 RBI’s.

While there’s little to know about Martinez management mechanisms, he does propose a very laid-back attitude which has shown success in the team in the past with Baker. For Example, during spring training he had the team rehearse their reactions to walk-off home runs.

“I tell them, just like everything else, we work really hard, I also want them to have fun,” Martinez said.

On the topic of his management qualities, general manager of the Nationals Rizzo claims Martinez is the perfect fit for the team. “He fills a lot of things

we’re looking for,” Rizzo said. In a interview with 106.7 the fan with Sports Junkies.

“He’s going to bring energy and an analytical mind to the dugout,” said Rizzo.

“He’s a tactician on the bench and been able to handle superstars. So I think he’ll be able to handle our great players, and I think there’s a great respect for him, and the players I’ve spoken to about it are very, very excited to have Davey at the helm and I think he’s going to be great for the entire franchise.” Rizzo also said that Martinez management and coaching with other players was a key factor in the decision for the club house.

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon who has worked with Martinez in the past also commented on the qualities the rookie manager shares.

“He’s able to have tough conversations,” said Maddon.

With Dave Martinez announced as the

new manager of the Washington Nationals, fans can be unsure of what to expect this season. However, according to Rizzo they can rely on his success coaching mechanisms of other star players and his laid back attitude to have a successful season especially in the play-offs.

Dave Martinez

Fox

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