The Blue & Gray Press

THE

BLUE &GRAY

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER

March 17, 2016

VOLUME 89 | ISSUE 17

PRESS

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE

Student injured while in hammock, University UMW sends precautions examines expansion for Talley Center PAIGE WALTON Staff Writer

1922

UMW Police discloses application process RIPKEN SMITH Staff Writer

As the University of Mary Washington grows in size and enrollment, the attention given to mental health care is changing.

As Dr. Tevya Zukor, director of the Talley Center for counseling services puts it, “student success is more than just academic.” With the growing population and needs of students, it seems an increase in the mental health services on campus could benefit the student body.

Mental health is paramount in the overall health and well-being of an individual. Developing appropriate outlets for stress and anxiety, utilizing effective coping techniques and many other strategies are some of the benefits that could be gained through proper counseling.

According to their website, the Talley Center is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and has nine staff members. With a campus of more than 4,000 students, the needs of students may be difficult to meet with this current staff.

“We simply don’t believe that there are enough resources for the entire student body… [and] are looking to get an expansion in hours of the psychiatrist and/or more counselors to better suit the student population,” said Student Government Association president Hannah Tibbett.

In response to the growing need, Zukor said that “the University has been receptive to our data and the information has been shared with the highest

•TALLEY | 11

UMWregistrar/ Twitter

ESTER SALGUERO Assistant News Editor

As the temperature increases so does the use of hammocks and slacklines. All around campus students can be found cocooned in colorful fabrics hanging from trees, columns and just about anything you can attach a hammock to. Juliette Landphair, Vice President for Student Affairs, sent out an advisory about the use of hammocks on campus due to a recent incident involving a student who was lounging around at the amphitheater. The message said that the person was seriously injured from an accident concerning the structures of the amphitheater while using a hammock.

The University has forbidden the attachment of hammocks and slacklines to building structures and the amphitheater which is currently under renovation. Joni Wilson, the director of Landscaping and Grounds on campus, has been appointed as a guide to the possible damages that come from fastening hammocks or slacklines to trees.

DivestUMW/Facebook

After sexual assault allegations came out against William Somers, a former sergeant of the UMW Police Department, many people speculated as to how this event could have occurred. An article by The Blue & Gray Press regarding the Somers’ story, titled “Former UMW sergeant arrested for sexual assault,” released on Jan. 29, drew attention to the application process for prospective police officers here on campus.

Students such as freshman Maddie Reid still express concerns with the hiring process.

“I am not sure on how the University hires its officers, but I don’t think they would hire people that they knew would cause harm to the students or faculty,” Reid said.

Some of the concerns may originate from lack of knowledge of how the hiring process could work. UMW’s Chief of Police Michael Hall was unable to shed light on how the old hiring process was conducted since he had not been employed by the University until after Somers had been hired.

“Although it was different when Somers came to UMW in 2011, I still feel responsible,” Hall said. Since Hall has been in office, only certified law enforcement officers have been eligible for campus police positions. If they are not certified then they cannot proceed to the rest of the application.

After completing the initial online application, candidates are then

•POLICE | 10

Virginia Student Environmental Coalition/Facebook

Members of UMWDivest receive removed during Richmond sit-in | 2

IN THIS

ISSUE

GOT TALENT?

YOUR VOTE

MEDIA MADNESS

Highlights from UMW’s annual showcase of talent

Millennial voters appear to reflect stereotypes.

Social media forever changes March Madness

VIEWPOINTS | 5

SPORTS | 12

LIFE | 6

NEWS

Editors: Sarah Grammer & Emily Hollingsworth | blueandgray.news@gmail.com

Three DivestUMW members detained during Richmond sit-in

THE

BLUE & GRAY PRESS

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

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

SECTION EDITORS NEWS Sarah Grammer Emily Hollingsworth

VIEWPOINTS Hannah Parker

LIFE Della Hethcox

SPORTS Mikey Barnes

ONLINE

EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH News Editor

Three members of DivestUMW received summons for trespassing last Monday, March 7 at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality in Richmond after participating in a sit-in with other students from Virginia universities. There were 17 students in total who received the summons.

The students, Sarah Kinzer, sophomore English major, Rabib Hasan, senior political science major and Katie Armstrong, junior and geography major, were issued the summons with 14 other Virginia students from different universities, including the University of Virginia, the College of William & Mary, Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University.

The students held the sit-in in the department’s lobby, located on 629 East Main St. in Richmond.

Once the summons were given, police removed the students from the property. None of the students were held in jail, according to Kinzer.

All of the students who received the charges will go to court on May 11 for trial.

DivestUMW and other Virginia university students, in conjunction with members of Virginia Student Environmental Coalition, began the rally by sending three demands to David Paylor, the department’s director.

The demands were that the department repeal permits issued to Dominion Virginia Power to dump coal ash wastewater from the company’s Bremo Power Station and Possum Point power plant, that the department re-issue the current permits only after an investigation of untreated wastewater dumped into Quantico Creek in 2015 is conducted, and that the permits for coal ash wastewater release are rewritten to comply with the Clean Water Act for

Ethan Tobin

Student Government Association Beat

PHOTO Alex Sakes

ASSISTANT EDITORS

the best available technology standards.

The demands also asked that a mechanism for an independent third party monitoring of the permits is implemented.

Paylor was first appointed as director of the Department of Environmental Quality in 2006 by Governor Tim Kaine. He was later appointed by Governor Bob McDonnell in 2010 and Governor Terry McAuliffe in 2014.

Paylor is president of the Environmental Research Institute of the States and has been a field biologist, an aquatic ecologist, water resources manager, a director of petroleum programs and director of operations, according to the department’s website.

The 2015 incident in Quantico created concern as environmentalists worried that the wastewater would make its way into the Potomac and Quantico waterways, according to a report from The Washington Post. The department reportedly said that the plan was safe and that the two waterways would be protected.

A similar incident with coal ash from Duke Energy Carolinas in 2014, where a spill sent 39,000 tons of coal ash and approximately 25 million gallons of coal ash pond water into the Dan River and reached the Kerr Reservoir, led the company to pay $2.5 million to Virginia, according to the same report.

According to Kinzer, the recent development with Dominion Virginia Power is one reason DivestUMW wants to work to create fossil fuel divestment from UMW. “This is why DivestUMW’s fight is so crucial,” Kinzer said. “Fossil fuel companies like Dominion have a commanding grasp over our governmental systems. We as an institution need to cut our ties with this industry that abuses our government in order to privilege its own profits over the safety of Virginians.”

Wednesday, March 16, 2016 •

A motion was offered for the Landscaping and Grounds Committee to cover ground for areas around Combs Hall that lack grass and vegetation, which create run-off when it rains. The motion passed.

•

A motion was offered to ask the Publicity Committee to have Richard Dynes and Mary Greenlaw, candidate for Fredericksburg mayor and current Fredericksburg mayor, come to speak on campus. The motion passed.

ADVERTISING TEAM

•

ADVERTISING MANAGER

A motion was offered for the Buildings and Grounds Committee to install tampons and sanitary pads dispensers in academic buildings and the University Center. The motion passed.

•

A motion offered that the office of the President make the report from the President’s Council of Sustainability report on divestment available to student senate and students for review was tabled.

•

A motion was offered to release the report from the President’s council on sustainability about divestment to the Student Government Association and make it available to students. The motion was passed.

A motion was offered to have the Buildings and Ground Committee patch a missing brick in the tunnel on the way to the Simpson Library. The motion failed because the brick had already been patched.

Kelly Emmrich Ester Salguero Izzy Briones

Natalie Furman

FACULTY ADVISOR • Sushma Subramanian

DETAILS PROVIDED BY JAMIE MCGUIRE

2

UMW Libraries celebrate 75 years as Federal Depository library EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH News Editor

As final exams approach and as many University of Mary Washington students embark on research projects, the Simpson Library and its online databases could increasingly become a dayto-day fixture. There is more to UMW Libraries than many realize, however.

Last Thursday, UMW Libraries held a celebration for 75 years of being a Federal Depository Library, or a library that stores records and documents from the U.S. Federal Government. These records are then made available to the public.

According to the Federal Depository Library Program’s website, UMW Libraries is one of more than 1,200 depository libraries in the United States.

UMW Libraries became a depository library in 1940 after it was recommended for designation in 1939 by Virginia 1st District Congressman Schuyler Otis Bland, according to a news release from the University.

Andrew Sherman, chief of staff at the Government Publishing Office, presented UMW Libraries with a plaque on March 10 commemorating the 75 year anniversary of becoming a federal depository library.

According to Sherman, one of the most popular documents requested from federal depository libraries were copies of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Provost Jonathan Levin, regional depository librarian from the University of Virginia Barbie Selby and Congressman Rob Wittman spoke about the library’s importance in creating informed citizens and the skills necessary from librarians to parse the depository information, especially as more information is becoming available online.

“What we truly have here is a national treasure,” Wittman said.

Wittman’s remark was apt as the day-long event for the award screened the 2004 film “National Treasure” starring Nicholas Cage at 7 p.m. The event also included an open house where visitors could have snacks and drinks and attend a keynote from Heather Ryan, assistant professor at the University of Denver’s Library and Information Science program, who spoke about how information was written, stored and preserved from the past into the present, and how it could potentially be stored in the future.

University librarian Rosemary Arneson said that UMW Libraries receives documents ranging from information of the U.S. Census, hearings from Congress, information from the executive branch to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Supreme Court Rulings.

“It all adds up to a lot of good stuff,” Arneson said.

Most of the information would be

•LIBRARY | 10 Thursday, March 17, 2016

SPORTS

UMW Cheerleading prepares for competition NIKKI CONTRINO Staff Writer

Kelsey Bracewell

Walking into a gym full of cheerleaders is an exciting experience, filled with bodies being thrown in the air, girls flipping and a lot of “Let’s Go Eagle Nation” shouting. All 24 girls, one guy and three coaches are giving it all this competition season and are ready to display all the talent they have.

The UMW Cheerleading squad is officially competing in Reach the Beach on April 2 and 3 in Ocean City, Maryland.

The UMW cheer team is making great strides working to get the largest team they have had competition ready. With a male on the squad this year, the cheer team will be competing in the co-ed division and will be facing challenging teams they have not yet gone up against while competing.

Junior English and education major Katie Koth is excited for the competition weekend as a whole “it is so much fun to have a weekend away with such an awesome team. I am really excited to showcase how hard we have been working all year on stunts, tumbling and jumps.”

The team is going to be doing various stunts, such as one-leg stunts and twist-up

stunts, in an attempt to ensure all the talent they have is expressed through their routine. The routine will consist of a dance, stunting, tumbling and a jump sequence,

“THE CONFIDENCE AND PRIDE THAT OUR TEAM WILL GAIN FROM A SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE WILL BE A BIG WIN FOR UMW CLUB SPORTS.” -Kelsey Bracewell, Cheer Coach adding up to a total of two minutes and 30 seconds of exhausting, but rewarding work.

Each team member has grown exponentially over the course of the season and coach Kelsey Bracewell is confident that a

successful performance in within the grasp of the cheer squad.

“I am exciting because it is my first competition,” said freshman business major Christine Mears, “I think we have a lot in store for everyone to see.”

Reach the Beach is a competition held every year for many different types of cheer squads. UMW cheer will be attending the All Star and College Nationals event in hopes of placing, first, second or third place in the competition. Reach the Beach also rewards three paid and six at-large bids to the Cheerleading Worlds competition.

“The pressure of competition has brought out the raw talent of our team,” Bracewell said. “The confidence and pride that our team will gain from a successful performance will be a big win for UMW club sports.”

All of the team members have shown their commitment and dedication to the success of the team and are excited for the great things that will come from UMW cheer.

2016 NCAA Final Four: Blue & Gray Press Sports Writers’ Picks

Kelsey Bracewell

Done Dancing

Staff Member

South Pick

East Pick

West Pick

Midwest Pick

Chris Markham Mikey Barnes Sean Kinslow UMW Athletics

Over Spring Break, the University of Mary Washington women’s basketball team won its first Capital Athletic Conference championship since 2011. It was the fifth time head coach Deena Applebury has won the CAC championship tournament in her 14 years as head of the program. The Eagles beat regular season champion Marymount University at their home in a blowout contest of 73-55. With this victory, the Eagles earned an automatic bid to the DIII NCAA Tournament. The Eagles landed in the East bracket where they were chosen to play at Maryville, Tennessee. The Eagles fell to the hometown Maryville College Scots 67-56, a game in which the Eagles had the lead for the majority of. Applebury and the Eagles will be losing just one player to graduation, that being senior Sarah Listenbee.

The Eagles will look to repeat their success in hopes to advance even further in the NCAA Tournament.

Cody Reynolds Ethan Tobin CJ Cummings Mathieu Wetmore

Weekly Scoreboard

baseball:

Mar. 15 @ #8 Shenandoah

(W) UMW: 9 Shenandoah: 5

Softball

Mar. 14 @ Bridgewater (VA.)

(W) UMW: 5 Bridgewater: 3

Upcoming: Mens lacrosse

Mar. 19 vs. Salisbury 1:00 p.m.

Womens lacrosse Mar. 19 @ Frostburg St. 3:00 p.m.

tRACK & FIELD

Mar. 19 @ Lynchburg 10:00 a.m.

3

VIEWPOINTS

Deeper look into life as transgender student

?

ANDREW UNGER Staff Writer

Every semester, two weeks before the start of classes, I send out an email to each of my professors. They all say the same thing: the name of mine they have on their roster and the name that I actually use. I am a transgender student.

When I moved in, I had to put up my own door decorations, because the old ones had my birth name on them. To my friends, my name is Andy. To my family and for administrative purposes, it’s something entirely different. This is just the starting point of what it is like to be transgender.

“UMW is a pretty good school to be transgender at,” said freshman Brenden Bowman, who lives in Madison Hall, the gender neutral dorm on campus.

This actually rings very true for many of the transgender people on campus. There is a gender neutral dorm which allows transgender students to live in a place where they are comfortable.

Everyone has their preferred pronouns and their chosen names on their doors. The

faculty also tend to be very good about using the correct names and pronouns, according to freshman Elliot Tucker.

However, there are still several issues that need to be sorted out.

“Generally, using the bathroom is kind of hard,” Bowman said.

While there are gender neutral bathrooms on campus, the system used to install them makes them gendered despite their label.

In each building, there is at least one gender neutral bathroom. But this bathroom is usually just a formerly gendered bathroom in which the sign has been changed.

Because of this, there will be a floor in each building where there’s a men’s room and a gender neutral bathroom, or a women’s room and a gender neutral bathroom.

Having nowhere else to go, the gender without a bathroom use the gender neutral bathroom, thus making it back into the exact same thing with a slightly different label.

Transgender people being able to use the correct bathroom is actually a huge problem nation-wide. In Tennessee, lawmakers have proposed a bill that would force trans-

gender individuals to use the bathroom that matches the gender they were assigned at birth.

Thankfully, while bills like this have been introduced in other states, such as South Dakota, they have always been shot down.

In New York, in fact, Mayor Bill de Blasio issued an executive order mandating that every transgender person would be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice.

Another major issue on campus is how the administration deals with birth and chosen names. “On an administrative basis, it’s pretty decent. It’s hard that everything is registered under my birth name, though,” said freshman Cap Richardson.

Under the current regulations, rosters automatically have students’ birth names on them, and Eagle One cards must have birth names on them, instead of transgender students’ preferred names.

This fairly accurately mirrors the situation many transgender people in America face when it comes to changing their names. I just began the process to officially change my name. Luckily, in Virginia, it is much less pricey than in other states. In Florida,

I would have to pay over $400 just for the legal process, along with the fees associated with changing your driver’s license, getting new copies of your birth certificate, and the other sundry tasks involved in fully changing your name.

In Virginia, the total only comes to around $50. However, the process is long, taking months and involving hundreds of dollars and quite a bit of paperwork.

Overall, according to Richardson, “The struggles that come with being a trans student at Mary Washington are the same ones that I would experience anywhere else.”

There are some problems, but the administration appears to be actively working to improve the college experience for transgender students.

The gender neutral bathrooms are definitely a step in the right direction, and hopefully there are more changes coming in the future.

I’m proud of the way our school is changing to accommodate transgender students, and I can only hope that it continues to progress in the future.

student suffers academically, emotionally and financially while the University suffers by not retaining the student.

There is also no reason not to be proud of number of new students at the start of the year. Other schools like Virginia Tech and George Mason also celebrated their largest enrolling classes. At the time the official UMW census was taken in November, the number had slightly decreased to 972, which is quite similar to the class of 2011 with 982. This also reversed a trend of decreasing enrollment: 955 (2012), 944 (2013), and 856 (2014).

2014 was a tough year. While applications were up, the number of enrolling students dropped. We did not hide this as the editorial claims. The writer continues claiming “the school has increasingly been lowering the standards of admission.” Differences in class size are not correlated with the quality of the class but are impacted by many factors. These include but are not limited to the size of the applicant pool, the availability of financial aid, or even campus construction. The basis for admission has remained largely unchanged.

UMW will not admit students who do not demonstrate qualities that indicate they are prepared for the rigorous academics of this

university.

The writer continues with “where are the statistics that show the accepted GPA and SAT scores of incoming classes?” Over the past four years, the average high school GPA of the incoming class has actually gone up: 3.48 (fall 2012), 3.51 (fall 2013), 3.56 (fall 2014), and 3.56 (fall 2015).

There has been a slight decline in average SAT scores, but one reason the University elected to initiate a test-optional pathway is that college success has been shown to correlate much more strongly with daily high school performance than with performance on standardized tests. Also of note, this past year, we had a record number of students admitted to and enrolled in the Honors Program. These are our strongest students academically and they represented 10 percent of the entering class in 2015.

Standards have not been lowered and this information is available in print and online.

We did experience some decline in freshman to sophomore retention over the past few years (this data is shared publically, every year), but this can be attributed to many factors. The really good news here is that after three consecutive years of modest decline, freshman to sophomore retention rates improved this year, bringing the rate back over 80 percent. Also, our fall-tospring retention for first year students who started this fall 2015 is almost exactly the same as the rate from last year. Our per-

centage of new students who were put on probation after the fall semester, also on par with last year, leads to the same conclusion: there is no indication that this class will be any less successful than last year’s class.

Claims were also made about the character and personality of the admitted class.

There simply is no statistical evidence that the Class of 2019 has a higher percentage of students, either struggling academically or behaving in ways inconsistent with the community values of the University. Drug dealing, unfortunately, happens at even the most selective universities in the United States, as recent stories in the news suggest. UMW has both legal and disciplinary means of addressing these problems, and as a member of this community, I hope and trust that any evidence of such activity is being reported to appropriate authorities.

Admissions is not “blinded” by our largest freshman class, nor are we “hiding” statistics. The Entering Class Profile is published annually on our website. I encourage you to check it out. http://www.umw.edu/ admissions/undergraduate/checklist/entering-class-profile/ I, along with the entire Admissions team, take tremendous care in the application review process with the goal of enrolling the best class we can possibly enroll.

Melissa Yakabouski ‘94 Director of Undergraduate Admissions

Letter to the Editor : A recent staff editorial in The Blue & Gray Feb. 18 claims that admissions standards have been lowered and that students are being admitted who may be “detrimental to the academic and communal integrity of the institution.” This is not true. The statistics and supporting documentation are available for anyone to see. We are proud of the job we do in Admissions as we continue to attract a diverse, competitive and well-rounded freshman class each and every year.

It’s difficult not to take your editorial personally because I’m invested in UMW. I began my freshman year at Mary Washington College in 1990. It wasn’t perfect, but I loved it. After I graduated in 1994, I took a one year temporary position as an admissions counselor and never left. I’ve done just about every job in admissions from tour guide to publications to operations and became director two years ago. My desire to continue the great tradition we have here of exceptional students, high academic standards and an engaged thriving community is what I strive for every day.

First and foremost, we do not admit students who we do not believe will succeed at Mary Washington. The last thing we want to do is set a student up to fail. The

4

Public Domain Vector/ Google

Thursday, March 17, 2016 Thursday, January 21, 2015

VIEWPOINTS

Editor: Hannah Parker | blueandgray.views@gmail.com

Habits of Millennial voting live up to stereotype

JONATHON MYERS Staff Writer

On March 1, according to an article in Bustle magazine, well over a million people showed up to vote on Super Tuesday in the state of Virginia. Around 800,000 people voted in the Republican primary and more than 575,000 people voted in the Democratic primary. I was not one of those people. Call it apathy, or call it whatever you like. I did not vote. I simply did not care enough.

The Bloomberg View said that three out of 10 voting age Americans are Millennials, making us the largest voting demographic. Despite the massive presence in the eligible voting age range, nearly 20 percent of the Millennial voting demographic participated in last year’s midterms, dropping from the average of 26.6 percent for the same age range in other midterm elections over the last 40 years, according to the Washington Post.

However, this election year more young people are getting interested in politics than in the 2008 election of President Obama. A wild-haired, 72-year-old Brooklynite has

young people all over the country ‘feeling the Bern.’ Boasting the only presidential campaign for the 2016 election that is powered by regular people rather than bankrolled by corporate interests, Senator Bernie Sanders has stolen the hearts of Millennials disillusioned by the promises of capitalistic endeavor in favor of something a little different.

While the hype for Sanders continues to build, one can’t help but feel a little concerned about the flakiest demographic of voters.

“I think people are pretty mobilized, but I don’t know the data. I’m afraid that the apathy will kick in during the national election because if Hillary wins the nomination, some Bernie supporter might sit out and that’s how Trump becomes president,” said English major Maria Schleh.

A valid concern, as Hillary lacks the Millennial support Sanders has. In Iowa and New Hampshire, Sanders ran away with over 80 percent of the Millennial vote according to the Boston Globe. Without their champion, will the upsurge of political activism just fade into a passing fad? Not necessarily.

Yes means yes, or no?

Affirmative consent is put into question ELIZABETH BRANTLEY Staff Writer

Knowing the difference between right and wrong is something that humanity should take pride in understanding. Most of us seem to know a red light means stop, stealing is wrong and punching a bee-hive is a one-way ticket to a bad time.

Despite this, one concept seems to continue to elude humanity’s grasp: consent.

For whatever reason, people still have issues in recognizing whether or not they’ve been given consent to engage in sexual activities with another person.

This dilemma has plagued humanity for centuries, but the state of California has given us an answer.

Back in 2014, a piece of legislation was passed which enforces something called “affirmative consent” on college campuses. Under this new law, consent is specifically defined as being an “affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity,” that “can be revoked at any time.”

It reads easily and clearly, letting both students and law enforcement know what is and isn’t legal sexual conduct. If all participants voluntarily agree to sex the whole time through and are capable of making such decisions, then everything’s on the up and up.

Some, however, have found affirmative consent to be an overwhelmingly negative law. It has been argued that the bill was ambiguously worded and has unrealistic expectations. Robert Carle at the Federalist writes that this law generalizes to the extreme, “turning nearly everyone who has ever dated into a sexual offender.” The claim is that affirmative consent takes everyday romantic gestures and turns them

into something illegal unless the other party gives verbal consent before every single interaction. This can not only ruin the mood of sexual encounters, some argue, but also put innocent lovers at risk of being unfairly put on trial.

Such arguments fail to keep a few key points in mind. First, being safe is always more important than feeling stupid so “ruining the mood” is hardly a convincing argument. Secondly, sexual assault is already a fairly commonplace and severely traumatizing event on college campuses and needs to be recognized as such. In a study released by the Association of American Universities last September, an average of 23 percent of undergraduate women reported having been victims of sexual assault or misconduct along with 5 percent of undergraduate men. This means that in a class of 20, four women and one man will have, on average, been victims of sexual assault.

According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, 68 percent of all sexual assaults are never reported to law enforcement.

Under affirmative consent, every victim can be empowered to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were wronged and that they are owed a chance at justice under the law. This way, it is no longer be a question of, “What was she wearing?” or “Was he leading them on?” All that matters is whether or not everyone said “yes.”

As of now, only three universities in Virginia have affirmative consent policies: UVA, VCU, and the University of Virginia College at Wise. Almost all the rest, including UMW, are listed by the Affirmative Consent Project as having strong consent policies with no state mandate requiring it.

Affirmative consent:

affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity

Theresa Thompson/ Flickr Millennial voting has dropped over the past 40 years due to voters stereotypical empathy.

“I do think people are saying that if Bernie isn’t running they won’t bother to vote, but I think if Trump becomes the opposing candidate they might vote for fear of getting him as a president,” said English major Saleha Malik.

It all comes back to the “T” word. Even if Millennial apathy proves stronger than “the Bern,” will it be stronger than fear of the alternative?

According to MSNBC, only 17.5 percent of young people view Trump favorably.

Despite not getting the youth vote, Trump is enjoying some pretty hefty popularity from older voters, and it seems almost imminent that he will take the Republican nomination from his rivals. How will

Millennials react then?

As a Millennial disinterested in voting myself, I’m not sure how to answer that.

I don’t feel as though I support any of the candidates enough to mobilize myself into action.

If Trump’s massive popularity despite his outrageous behavior is of any indication, the fate of this country lies outside of the hands of people like me no matter what.

But, again, young people are currently the largest voting demographic. Millennial apathy is a problem, I know. I recognize it because I live with it.

However, if people like me sit around and do nothing, we can’t really complain about what we get as a result.

Editorial: Students content with spring concert line up, confused by order of performers As the word got around, Campus Programming Board attempted to keep the upcoming Spring Concert a secret. They asked those with knowledge of the performers, that the word about the opening act and headliner not get out, but things fell through and the UMW student body discovered that up-and-coming rapper, Lil Dicky will be the opener on April 21. A survey that was completed by roughly 600 students determined that they wanted Lil Dicky as one of the performers for the concert. However, their efforts to keep the headliner a secret proved successful, as the student body had not a clue who the headliner was until the hosts of UMW’s Got Talent announced it on March 11. It was then, that shouts of joy and confusion spread across Dodd Auditorium as X Ambassadors were announced as the main act.

In 2015, CPB did not host a spring concert, as Dev performed in the fall of 2014.

This past homecoming, CPB chose not to hold a homecoming concert in an attempt to host a powerhouse lineup. Since the announcement, CPB has made a number of announcements including an email sent out to all UMW Eagles and countless Facebook posts.

Yes, UMW chose this lineup, but we sit

here pondering, how did this combination of performers come about? Lil Dicky, whose style of rap is a little out of the ordinary, has captured the attention of many.

While we expressed our excitement for the rapper, confusion over the headliner submerged. X Ambassadors, a band considered to be “widely popular” is a new group to the majority of us, causing concern over how they are currently serving as the headliner opposed to Lil Dicky, the quickly rising in popularity entertainer.

X Ambassadors, a great group, for sure, but to be chosen as the headliner is completely offsetting and baffling. When walking through campus, one can not help but overhear the student body say at times, “who is X Ambassadors?” Many may know of them for their hit song, “Renegades”, on car commercials. Lil Dicky’s music may not be the type of music you hear on television or different commercials, but is exciting and attention grabbing nevertheless. CPB, we do not express distaste with your choice of X Ambassadors, nor are we saying we are disappointed, but confused, that we are.

With that being said, an applause is due for the obtaining of Lil Dicky as the “opening” act. Though he may not have the title of headliner on April 21, he shall presumably be treated like one by the student body.

By THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD

5

LIFE

Editor: Della Hethcox blueandgray.life@gmail.com

Mary Wash’s Got Talent entertains campus with variety of performances dent Involvement Melissa Jones, Associate Director of residence Life for residential Education Dave Fleming, Dean of Student On Friday, March 11, the University of Life Cedric Rucker.

Mary Washington sponsored its annual talThe evening consisted of a plethora of ent show, Mary Wash’s Got Talent in Dodd diverse performances, particularly of the Auditorium. dance variety.

The event was hosted by undeclared The first performance of the evening sophomore Mike Mogavero and junior was by Andrea Villegas, who mesmerized Mikey Barnes, who arrived late to the event the audience with her extraordinary belly with excuses that he had been looking for dancing.

UMW in every Fredericksburg listed on Joe Cheeks wowed the audience with an MapQuest, a joke that the two continued to elaborate beat boxing performance. Cheeks hold onto for the rest of the event. received the award for having the most creBefore starting the show, Mogavero and ative performance during the competition.

Barnes introduced the judges, who inThe next contestant, Agon Musliu, imcluded Vice President for Student Affairs pressed the audience and judges with his Juliette Landphair, Assistant Dean of Stu- unusual dancing style known as “animation.” Musliu placed second overall at the end of the night.

The rest of the acts throughout the evening were musical skills consisting of voice, guitar and piano performances.

Tselmunn Zgd was the first vocalist to perform and sang a touching rendition of “Let It Go” by James Bay. Amanda Short lit up the stage singing Frank Sinatra’s classic, “Fly Me to the Moon.”

Aripra Mohan played an impressive piano arrangement of One Republic’s hit song “Counting Stars.”

The audience rose to give her a standing ovation.

Ryan Ford performed an original song called “Insomnia,” to the delight of the student body.

Following Ford was Shelby Sencindiver, who played and sang an original arrangement as well.

The arrangement was a mash up of The Eagles’ “Hotel California” combined with The Mama and The Papa’s “California Dreamin’.”

Alex Sakes / The Blue & Gray Press Vocalist and pianist, Damon DixAndrea Villegas’ dance thrilled the audience. on, impressed everyone with his SARAH GRAMMER News Editor

own mash-up of popular songs, including Drake’s “Hotline Bling” and John Legend’s “Ordinary People.” Dixon placed third overall in the show.

A group of three students, Lonnice Edwards, Kathleen Nagle and Sophie Horville, took first place in the show overall with “Hit‘em Up Style” by Blu Cantrell.

Rounding out the evening was the student band, The Champions, who played a rendition of “Somebody to Love” by Queen. Members in the audiences could not help but sing along by the end of the song. By the end of the song every audience member had joined in.

While judges deliberated and audience members casted their votes via text messages, Mogavero serenaded the audience with his original song called “My Angel,” written for someone special in his life.

UMW’s student body seemed pleased with the results of the night, and praised Alex Sakes / The Blue & Gray Press all the performances.

Joe Cheeks beat-boxing during the show.

“I was pretty impressed,” said junior environmental science major Casey Tinius.

“There are some really creative people here. I especially liked Agon, Ryan and Damon.”

Senior biology major Dana Bargh had a similar opinion to Tinius.

“There were a variety of different talents displayed,” Bargh said. “I was really impressed with everyone especially the artists who wrote their own songs.”

The only complaints students seemed to have pertained to the sound system, which seemed to falter during several performances.

“My only issue was the microphone was very loud which disrupted the performances,” Bargh said.

Tinius echoed Bargh’s sentiments.

“The only issue was I think they had the sound system up too loud,” Tinius said. “It made it difficult to actually enjoy some of Alex Sakes / The Blue & Gray Press the performances.”

Ryan Ford singing an original song.

Campus and community join to discuss religious harmony

ANDREW ARENAS Staff Writer

On Feb. 25, the Diversity and Unity Coordinating Committee co-hosted an open forum panel to bring together religious leaders in the Fredericksburg community to answer the question: “Can religious harmony exist?”

The forum served as an opportunity to bring together the Mary Washington campus and the greater Fredericksburg community to have more religious dialogue in our daily lives.

Attendees grew to have a better understanding of their role in limiting the perpetuation of unjust and inequitable practices.

This helps students become more comfortable collaborating and interacting across cultural and religious boundaries.

During the fall 2015 semester, students showed interest in having inter-religious discussion on campus.

This event was made possible with the help of Sister Munira Abdalla, chief administrator for the Islamic Ummah of Fredericksburg, and Robert Renner, a UMW student.

Diversity and Unity Coordinating Committee Chairman Zaire Sprowal, who moderated the panel asked thought-provoking questions on differences of faith and culture.

6

Panel members included the Rev. unity that we can participate in to give Lawrence A. Davies, the Rev. Allen greater meaning to our personal lives,” Fisher, Sheikh Lamptey, the Rev. Gay Davies said.

The importance of M. Rahn, the Rev. Donald Rooney and “As a Muslim, we see religious freedom and Rabbi Michael Wein- difference as beau- liberty was stressed stein. heavily throughout All panel members ty because if every- the panel. come from a variety one was the same the The members went of different religious world would be very through ways peobackgrounds, with ple can accept others boring.” who are different and most serving the city of Fredericksburg.

-Sheikh Lamptey have deeper conversations about religious “Diversity is something that we need to accept with the contrasts. Using respectful language understanding that there is a greater during conversation can go a long

way in developing lasting relationships with others.

“Fear, hate, pride, and ignorance are what impede discussion on our differences,” Weinstein said.

Using racial slurs and an abundance of stereotypes impedes intellectual conversation about cultural differences. It takes a tremendous amount of time and courage to approach others about contrasting qualities of faith.

“The level of openness of learning from others is becoming quite rare now,” said Rev. Rooney.

Lamptey describes that with variety there is so much that you can learn about yourself and from others.

Maintaining our honesty, fairness and respect for one another is crucial to having healthy relationships with others. In times of difficulty and hardship, it is important to have patience because through patience comes clarity.

“As a Muslim, we see difference as beauty because if everyone was the same the world would be very boring,” Lamptey said.

For more information, contact Diversity and Unity Coordinating Committee Chairman Zaire Sprowal at zsprowal@mail.umw.edu.

Andrew Arenas

Members of the panel discussed the future of religious differences.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

LIFE

An Eagle Experience: a foodie’s thoughts

ALEX SPENCE Foreign Correspondent

I am approaching week six here in Europe of my semester abroad and my checklist of places to visit is slowly shrinking.

Most recently, I visited France and the Netherlands and was able to experience each country, despite the short time spent in each.

In Paris, I stood in awe of the Eiffel Tower, while in Amsterdam I found out that a “coffee shop” is actually a shop to purchase weed and eat edibles.

In fact, ironically enough, I am not even sure they sell coffee there.

Throughout each trip there is one goal I set for myself: to eat as much food as possible. I have yet to be disappointed in my-

Alex Spence

turn in the fall where I will no doubt be greeted with a smile as I swipe in after my workout on the UC stairs.

I will sheepishly eye the pasta station, but deep down I know I am headed for the pretzel bar followed by stroll down salad lane where I will hear the familiar sound of mumbles and groans over the empty Ranch Dressing bottles.

I can hardly wait for the big reunion. In just over five months I will be back in the arms of my beloved dining hall.

And not that I could ever cheat on the UC, but while I am here I might as well try a few samples, just to be polite. One of everything, please!

The classic meal of study abroad champions: a chocolate croissant, cafe. self.

UMW’s University Center was voted No. While I continue to impress myself by ac- 1 in cafeteria fine dining. There is even complishing my goals, I have noticed there a promotional video starring the face of is one thing that Europe lacks: the fine din- UMW himself, Mikey Barnes. ing of the University of Mary Washington.

The video features him ooing and ahing I know what you’re thinking, over the gourmet options as stuand yes, I am jealous of your dent in the background are heard morning trips to the Dining Hall making lifelike yummy noises as in the University Center. they dig into their lunch.

Yet, while I am over here gorgAt least this is what I tell people ing myself on the finest crepes, as I am cutting into my authentic baguettes, pastas and pastries, Margherita pizza and sipping on it is just not the same when I do my fine wine. not have to walk three flights of But do not think my heart is not stairs to get it, or run to the bath- back with good ole’ Mary Wash. room as soon as I am finished. In fact, in my head I am always Shout out to old Seacobeck Hall, eating at the UC. Each time I am we all miss you. There comes a out enjoying a meal and a fire point in my daily routine where I truck drives by sounding its siren, ask myself, “is this really better my first instinct is to scarf down than the baked potato bar?” I am my food thinking that I will be not sure I would go that far, but asked to leave in a matter of secthen again I have a biased opin- onds, regardless of a wasted meal ion as a student coming from swipe.

UMW. Of course, no one else underIt is a known fact that UMW stands my nostalgic fire alarm is ranked for its high quality flashbacks, but trust me, they left Alex Spence Alex Spence cafeteria food. Taking home an impression.

Spence searched for food, found the Eiffel Tower. the win for the East Coast, I am anxiously awaiting my re- Nutella crepes are an ideal street food in Paris.

Film festival to support the Rappahannock River

Justin Critzer/Flickr

The Rappahannock River during sunset, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Proceeds from the festival will go towards supporting conservation efforts and education. ty to protect and restore the Yuba River” spire people and unite communities to heal shown from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.

EMILY DALY Staff Writer A second showing will be held April and “advocate powerfully, engage in active the earth,” according to SYCRL’s Wild and 3 at the Daniel Technology Center on the stewardship, educate the public, and in- Scenic Film Festival website.

Movies, nature, adventure, environmen- spire activism from the Sierra to the sea.”

The FOR’s press release said that attend- Germanna Community College campus tal activism, coffee and doughnuts. If any The local hosts of the event, FOR, is ees can expect to witness movies in which from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Food trucks and combination of these words makes your known for working alongside UMW stu- people travel through the great outdoors a produce market will be available from 12 heart beat faster, then you may love the an- dents to promote watershed advocacy and sharing their passion for the environment p.m. until 1:30 p.m., and films will be nual South Yuba River Citizens League’s conservation along the Rappahannock Riv- to inspire activism and preservation of na- shown from 1:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. Tickets Wild and Scenic Film Festival being er. Their website says that FOR’s mission ture. can be purchased Online at www.riverhosted by Friends of the Rappahannock is “to be the voice and active force for a The event will be held on March 19 at friends.org. on March 19. healthy and scenic Rappahannock River.”

Paragon Village in Fredericksburg behind If you want more information about the SYRCL, an activist group for the preserThe festival will “show environmen- the mall from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m. Tickets event or FOR in general, you can call 540vation of the Yuba River and the Greater tal and adventure films that illustrate the will be priced at $5 for students, and $10 373-3448 or email Community ConserYuba Watershed, has led this national event Earth’s beauty, the challenges facing our in advance or $15 at the door for non-stu- vationist and Membership Coordinator for five years now. Their website says that planet and the work communities are do- dents. There will be coffee and doughnuts Woodie Walker at woodie.walker@rivertheir mission is to “unite the communi- ing to protect the environment” and “in- from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., and films will be friends.org.

7

NEW NONPROFIT YOGA STUDIO OPENS FEB. 29, 2016 1403 Franklin Street One block from UMW campus

Pay What You Can Afford. Recommended Student Donation $7

Hot Yoga Classes MWF

Regular (not hot) Yoga Classes T/Th Hot and Regular Yoga Classes Saturdays

For schedule, or to register for classes, go to www.yogafredericksburgva.com

Your Support Helps YFF Provide Hundreds of Free Classes Every Year for Underserved Populations in the Fredericksburg Area.

LIFE

Bioethics unveiled in entertaining lecture

Spring Concert lineup announced ETHAN TOBIN Online Editor

CT Senate Democrats/Flickr

BRITTNEE HAYNES Staff Writer

Students at the University of Mary Washington had the opportunity to hear Jonathan Moreno, professor of ethics from the University of Pennsylvania, speak on Tuesday, March 8, as part of the year-long discussion of the Common Read for freshmen students, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot.

The lecture took place at the Hurley Convergence Center in the Digital Auditorium.

During his presentation, Moreno talked about the question of ethics in cloning, stem cell research and other experiments.

He also discussed changing attitudes toward scientific progress, particularly in experiments where bioethics may be a concern, in society and politics.

Bioethics can be serious business, especially when considering the treatment of living persons or animals. However, Moreno made it a lighthearted lecture. Showing clips from the 1978 film “The Boys in Brazil” to describe cloning, clips of Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Ali G” joshing doctors about medical ethics and cracking a pun in his power point about the untimely death of Dolly, the first cloned sheep, saying, “We hardly knew y’ewe.”

Having a doctorate in philosophy, Moreno called himself more of a historian than a scientist, but said that he has researched the trends of science, and has made observations about what types of sciences have progressed and become more popular, and thus more controversial.

He has also written, “The Body Politic: The Battle Over Science in America,” a nonfiction book published in 2011, called a best book of the year by Kirkus Reviews.

Moreno explored how some U.S. conservatives may have grown to distrust scientists as more popular science has shifted from the physics and engineering in NASA and space travel in the 1950s and 1960s to biology, particularly when the first baby

was born thanks to in vitro fertilization in 1978.

The shift toward biology and genetics, particularly in stem cell research, has raised concerns as stem cell lines are often created from cells in a destroyed embryo, a highly controversial topic.

According to Moreno, stem cell research has been a hot button topic among presidential candidates since the early 2000s.

Stem cell research had been limited to non-embryonic stem cells and stem cells from lines created after 2001, when President George W. Bush had made a policy to limit embryonic stem cell research.

President Obama created an executive order in 2009 lifting some of these restrictions to further scientific discoveries.

According to Moreno, the debate surrounding stem cell research has cooled this election, replaced with issues such as immigration and student debt. “[This issue’s] absence is telling us something,” Moreno said.

Among the politicians who may or may not take issue with it, Moreno argued that Ted Cruz may be opposed to stem cell research. But it is only a guess, Moreno said, as none of the candidates have spoken openly about it.

But, Moreno argued, bioethics are not only considered in stem cell research, but for animals as well.

Irving Weissman, a professor at Stanford University, approached Stanford in 2000 about an experiment where human brain stem cells would be transplanted to a mouse with developing neurons, which would then be the first mouse to have human-derived neurons.

The proposal brought concern about its ethical treatment of the mouse, something Weissman had also considered, according to a 2007 article in the National Institute of Health.

The experiment was never performed, but the possibility of a chimera, or a hybrid of different species, has been widely debat-

ed, according to Moreno.

The safe or reasonable overlap between animals and ethical treatment has been an issue among other animals, particularly when it could affect humans.

The Food and Drug Administration approved a type of genetically engineered salmon in November, which helps it to grow more quickly than other salmon. This type of salmon would not have to be labeled as genetically modified.

Because these types of scientific modifications have been happening for years, Moreno said he would feel fine eating the salmon after being asked by an audience member. “As long as I have tartar sauce,” he joked.

The presentation ended with a Q&A and some reassuring words about what could be the future of science. When an audience member asked if he was worried about the things that could come from science, Moreno joked that he had watched “The Jetsons” growing up. Decades later, flying cars have not been invented, at least not yet.

“Whatever we think is going to happen is not going to happen,” Moreno said about the possible advancements and possible threats from future scientific experiments.

Moreno also spoke about the government’s role in science, and believes the government should regulate activity, particularly when it could affect a lot of people, referring to the Flint Water Crisis as a failure of the U.S. government to regulate the water supply.

Freshman Darby Libka heard about the presentation through UMW’s honors program. Libka thought that the material was interesting and felt that Moreno’s presentation of potentially discordant subjects was balanced.

“He showed the sides without choosing one, which I thought was interesting,” Libka said.

The alternative rock group X Ambassadors will take center stage as the official headliner for this year’s spring concert accompanied by opener, a rising comedic rap sensation Lil Dicky, which will take place on April 17 in the Anderson Center.

In collaboration with the University of Mary Washington, the UMW Campus Programming Board announced last Friday, March 11, the official lineup for this year’s highly anticipated spring concert, an event that is already making noise around campus.

According to the CPB spring concert Facebook page, doors to the event will open at 7 p.m. and the concert will begin promptly at 8 p.m.

Ticket sales have already kicked off beginning this past Monday and are on sale $5 per ticket for students and $15 per ticket for non-students. Tickets can be found in three locations on campus including the Student Activities and Engagement office, the University Center and on Campus Walk in front of Lee Hall.

X Ambassadors, who originated from Ithaca, New York and established a name for themselves back in 2009, has most recently made a name for itself on the radio. Popular songs such as “Renegades,” “Jungle” and “Fear” featuring the Imagine Dragons are among their repertoire of songs.

Meanwhile, rising comedic rap artist David Burd, alias “Lil Dicky” brings an innovative, comedic twist on the rap game.

Establishing a name for himself in 2013, Lil Dicky is most well-known for songs such as “Professional Rapper,” “Save Dat Money” and “The Antagonist.”

For more information on this event, go to the SAE office which is located on the third floor of the UC or check out the official spring concert event page on Facebook.

University Relations

Attention job-seeking students!

The Spring 2016 Job and Internship Fair, hosted by the Center for Career and Professional Development, will be held March 24.

Stop by the Chandler Ballroom in the University Center and network anytime from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

9

NEWS POLICE BEAT

Application process for UMW Police officers revealed, two experienced officers join department

EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH News Editor

Assault Assault and battery occurred at the Campus Recreation Field on Saturday, March 12 at 2 p.m. The case is pending.

Hit and Run Hit and Run with property occurred on the Sunken Road Lot on Friday, March 11 between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. The case is pending.

Underage Intoxication Underage intoxication occurred in Virginia Hall on Sunday, March 13 close to 5 a.m. EMS became involved and an administrative referral was given.

Emily Hollingsworth/ The Blue & Gray Press

Newest members of UMW Police, John Piersol (left) and Melissa Catterton (right).

•POLICE |11

Drug Possession Possession of marijuana took place at Westmoreland Hall on Tuesday, March 8 at 6 p.m. Two received administrative referrals.

Larceny Larceny in Annex A occurred between Friday, Jan. 1 and Wednesday, Feb. 24 at about 1 p.m. The case is pending.

Department.

Larceny occurred at the Simpson Library on Wednesday, Feb. 24 between 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. The case is pending.

Larceny of a bicycle occurred around the exterior of Trinkle Hall between Wednesday, March 2 and Wednesday, March 9 between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.

The case is pending.

Vandalism Vandalism occurred at the Eagle Village Parking Deck on Sunday, March 13 close to 2 a.m. The case is pending.

The information was compiled with assistance from UMW Police Manager James DeLoatch and Fredericksburg Police Department Public Information Officer Sarah Kirkpatrick.

10

screened by a panel. If they pass the screening, candidates must take a written exam and score above a 75 percent in order to proceed to the fitness exam.

Following the fitness exam, a panel interview is conducted where the panel asks about 10 to 12 questions to help find out whether or not the applicant would be a good fit in the community.

Succeeding the panel interview the applicant must sign disclosure forms in order for the University to investigate the individual’s background history.

During this investigation, current officers journey to the applicant’s community to find more information about the applicant’s personality and how they interact with members of their community. If the applicants pass this investigation, they would then need to get a psychological and medical examination.

These two exams cost on average about $1,200, a cost that is covered by the university, according to Hall. If the applicant then passes these exams they are offered a possible employment po-

sition depending on what the finalizing committee says. This committee is made up of officers, school officials and residence life administrators. Recently, UMW has hired two new campus police officers using this application process.

On Feb. 10, the two new campus police officers, John Piersol and Melissa Catterton, started work. Piersol has an extensive background with law enforcement working in the Metropolitan Police Department and the Prince William County Police Department. Catterton worked as a deputy in Caroline County where she was awarded for her “heads up action and attention to detail,” the Caroline Progress, an online publication, said.

Hall said that as a female officer, Catterton could help bridge the gap between men and women in the department. Having a female officer could also be asset to the department as 65 percent of the student body are women.

After working in previous law enforcement departments, the two new officers have gained knowledge of how to react in certain circumstances.

“The experience these new officers have will help the department better interact with the community,” Hall said.

Freshman Christopher Cummings believes that the new officers will give UMW Police a head start in the right direction when it comes to emergencies.

“The UMW police are really helpful and they are there when you need them. I did not know that they were hiring more officers but I think that it’s great because they can respond faster to emergencies with more personnel,” Cummings said.

After the sexual assault allegations against Somers, some students have felt some disconnect between the student community and the campus police.

“There were no indications of anything out of the ordinary, and the incident wasn’t something that he, the school nor the department saw coming,” Hall said.

Junior education major, Sheree Turner said she has had a positive experience with UMW Police and hopes trust will continue to rebuild between the department and students.

“They are extremely friendly,” Turner said. “When I first got to UMW I didn’t talk to very many people but the officers were always welcoming. I hope that these new officers are a good addition to the team and help to bring back trust between the students and the department.”

Even with an extensive application process, individuals still have the ability to make bad judgments and decisions.

“A large amount of people have the misconception that the application process will weed out an individual that may commit some future bad act,” Hall said.

Even though there is already an extensive application process in order to become a campus police officer, UMW Police is still looking for more steps to add to the process. These steps will only be added if there is a greater possibility to uncover more information that may be useful in determining whether or not the applicant will be a good fit for the position.

One process under consideration, according to Hall, is using a polygraph test, essentially a lie detector test. The polygraph test and its implementation in the hiring process is currently under review by the department.

Day-long celebration and plaque honor UMW Libraries •LIBRARY | 2 available through the government documents. Because more government services are putting information online, it has made it quicker for UMW Librarians to pick the exact documents and to help students do the same, as it is made available to them.

Arneson is honored for the award and believes the acknowledgement for the library and its staff is well deserved.

“I am really proud of this,” Arneson said. “It is a recognition of a lot of hard work from our really strong staff.”

Junior geography major Beatrice Ohene-Okae, who also attended the

“IT IS A RECOGNITION OF A LOT OF HARD WORK FORM OUR REALLY STRONG STAFF.” - Rosemary Arneson

event, believes the documents could be a source of needed aid to students.

“It promotes use of the library,” Ohene-Okae said. “It could also help with research assignments.”

Senior English major Chris Griffiths attended the event because Arneson is a teacher for one of his classes. According to Griffiths, having federal records available could also aid people outside the University.

“I would say it’s a pretty valuable service to everyone,” Griffiths said.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

NEWS

Chipping paint from the University Center stairwell raises questions

OCEANA PEEMOELLER Staff Writer

Near the start of the spring 2016 semester, students began to notice that paint on the underside of the grand staircase was beginning to flake off at the University of Mary Washington’s new University Center. The first sign of it was the white paint chips on the floor of the staircase.

Many students did not seem to notice the damage done to the grand staircase.

James Rives, a senior English major, said that he eats at the second floor of the University Center regularly and did not notice anything amiss.

However, more observant students picked up on the damage.

“I noticed it around the start of the semester,” said senior English major Karlin Hoffman. “I noticed a crack in a portion of [the stairs] and a friend pointed out a whole lot more.”

Some students, such as Hoffman, jokingly call the grand staircase “the crumbling deathtrap.”

The grand staircase showed sections of where the paint chipped off on the underside of the third floor staircase, noticeable if one looks up from the entrance of second floor staircase. Another section of the chipped paint can be seen near where the first floor staircase meets the second floor.

Despite her nickname for it, Hoffman was of the belief that the damage to the grand staircase was superficial because buildings settle and cracks can happen.

She did, however, have one concern. “[The grand staircase] being the only staircase for students to regularly use and the elevators being out of use every few weeks, I think it will quickly get to be a lot worse than it already is,” Hoffman said. “I feel as though the amount of damage that has been done to them

is not completely normal for a new settling building.”

Redbeacon.com, a company that connects professionals with homeowners hoping to get advice for their home-improvement projects, explained that the paint could be chipping because of bad preparation of the surface being painted, water damage, the usage of the wrong primer with a particular brand of paint, mixing two incompatible paints together to get a particular shade, too many coats of paint or heat damage.

John Wiltenmuth, the associate vice president for Facilities Services, explained the cause of the issue quite simply.

“The materials simply did not perform as expected.”

Wiltenmuth presented an evaluation of the University Center’s progress at a Board of Visitors meeting in February. According to his presentation, the University has been investigating the grand staircase. A description of the investigation says Facilities Services are examining “the delamination of drywall compound that was used as a finish on the grand stair.”

Wiltenmuth said that the issue of the chipped paint will not be fixed until the end of the semester.

“Donley’s, the contractor, has determined a course of repair for the delamination of the stairs. The work is planned for the summer when building use is lower than the academic year,” Wiltenmuth said.

Donley’s Construction was involved in the construction of the University Center, which became open to students August last year. Donley’s was also the construction management company behind Eagle Village and the Alvey Parking Deck.

Alex Sakes/ The Blue& Gray Press

Chipped paint seen on underside of University Center’s grand staircase.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

CATCH UP. Get Ahead. Take Something New. Did you know if you earn a grade of C- or lower in a class, and you repeat the same course in the summer, the summer grade replaces the earlier grade? And if you had to drop some classes, the summer credits can help you get back on schedule to graduate.

Summer registration for undergraduate classes starts March 7.

Classes start May 16.

Register today!

UMW Talley Center in need of more counselors and hours •TALLEY | 1 levels of the administration” going on to say that while “one necessary component [of expanding services] will have to be additional counseling staff, it is not the only solution to this complex problem.”

The leaders of UMW are actively engaged in pursuing more extensive and expansive mental health services may be a considerable step in the right direction.

The culminating efforts of the university may need to be significant in all areas in order for the picture to be fully realized.

“The Division of Student Affairs supports students in making the most of their college experience,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Juliette Landphair. “Serious mental health challenges may prevent students from achieving their academic mission. My colleagues and I therefore support efforts to expand services for students, including support for the Talley Center.”

A topic of conversation that was once thought of as “taboo,” the increase in mental health awareness and familiarity has students speaking up.

In some cases, mental illness can be compared to physical ailments as well.

“Mental illness is just as bad as physical damage… [and] people always focus on injuries that we can see while the

ones that people feel are overlooked.”

Through the combined efforts of students and faculty, the University could expect to see an expansion of mental health services in the near future. Zukor mentions plans to expand the online resources available on the counseling center’s website this summer, such as the development of resource pages that can guide students to more information, assistance for students in utilizing selfhelp strategies and providing access to smartphone apps that promote wellness and mental health.

Zukor reiterates that the resource pages do not substitute counseling, but can be available beyond counseling services hours.

“While these increased resources are not intended to be a substitute for the counseling provided by the Talley Center, it will serve as an additional supplement to support students during times of stress 24 hours a day, seven day per week,” Zukor said.

11

SPORTS

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

How social media has changed March Madness forever HOGAN LEPORE Staff Writer

It is mid-March which means it is time for March Madness.

This is when different phrases like RPI, conference championships, last-four-in, first-four-out and bubble teams arise. Those terms no longer matter because after Sunday night’s Selection Show, the stage is set. Ever since the NCAA Tournament began in 1939, brackets have been alive and well. The issue is not the bracket itself, but how people fill out their brackets.

Back in the day, filling brackets were more complicated. One had to write the entire tournament tree out and make multiple copies so one could participate against their friends. Even half of a decade ago, participants would print out the tree, distribute it among friends and fill it out to compete for bragging rights. Well those days are coming to an end.

With so much media and news coming through social medias today, it only seems right to have one of sport’s greatest spectacles running through the World Wide Web. The NCAA Tournament is now singing the same tune as online

sports leagues like ESPN Fantasy Sports and Yahoo Fantasy Sports. With ESPN’s Tournament Challenge app on iTunes and Google Play stores, fans can compete from their handheld devices. This app makes it easy for anyone to compete and it has more advantages than the hand-written/printed tournament trees.

Connectivity, for one. With everyone connected, participants can compete in as many brackets as they wish. Fan can also

Q & A with UMW swimmer Dallas Tarkenton

Mathieu Wetmore Staff Writer

The University of Mary Washington men’s swim team was crowned the Capital Athletic Conference champion for the 16th year in a row. As the only Eagle representing the men’s swim team at the NCAA Championship meet, junior Dallas Tarkenton is determined to make his mark in all three of his races this week. Tarkenton will be competing in the 200-yard individual medley, 100-yard butterfly, and 200-yard butterfly.

This is exactly the kind of opportunity the Communications and Digital Studies major has been training for since stepping foot into Goolrick. Heading into the final days of his third season with the team, Tarkenton is as focused as ever.

Tarkenton finished in 38th of 46 in the 200-yard Individual Medley. He will be competing in the 100-yard butterfly on Thursday and the 200-yard butterfly on Friday.

Q: Where are you from, Dallas?

A: Richmond, Virginia. I attended high school at St. Christopher’s School.

Q: How old were you for your first swim race?

A: The first race I really remember was when I was 8 at a summer league championships meet. I won a gold medal for the 25 meter backstroke. After that meet, I felt that I would always be a swimmer.

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Q: Why did you pick UMW to swim for?

A: I looked at a few other swim programs, but once I came to UMW I was sold.

Coach Abby has been the greatest thing to happen to me for my swimming. My team has also been an amazing support group.

“The Swamp”(Goolrick Pool) felt more like home than any other place.

Q: Out of all your swimming accomplishments, which one are you most proud of?

A: Making the NCAA National Meet has always been a huge goal for me. It was such a big accomplishment for me to make the cut this year. The past few years I’ve had to grow and change so much, so to finally achieve the first step into a long list of goals has been my favorite accomplishment so far.

Q: Do you have any role models?

A: I have a couple role models. My father has always been a big influence on my life. He continues to motivate and support me with my swimming goals, and I have always looked up to him for guidance and advice which he has always done in the greatest way possible. My other big role model, who I get a ton of teasing over, is Alex Anderson who graduated last year.

Alex took me under his wing and guided me as a swimmer and as a person, and I will always be grateful for all the advice that he has given and continues to give me.

compete in celebrity brackets that feature famous personalities and professional athletes where you can face off against your favorite entertainers.

Convenience. Not only does the app make it quick to fill out multiple brackets at a time, but if your friends do not have the March fever, you can still compete against other users around the world.

Not only can you compete but you can also win. By playing in the Tournament

Challenge app you have the chance to win a $10,000 Amazon Gift Card and a trip to the 2016 Maui Invitational. It is as easy as creating the perfect bracket.

Despite all the advantages of the online tournaments, there is still something about the good old-fashioned paper brackets that are appealing to people. Many prefer the paper brackets just because of its traditional aspect. Before the internet became top dog, paper brackets were the only way to do March Madness. Additionally, if you happen to create a perfect bracket it is more difficult to document that perfection through an app.

Nevertheless, despite what medium one uses to fill out their bracket, the games are always incredible and if you love basketball this is as close to basketball heaven as you will get.

Enjoy the games and make sure you tune in to watch these college teams as they compete with their seasons on the line.

All games can be viewed on CBS, TNT, TBS and truTV.

6 Arab Culture Night TH

ANNUAL

Arab Cuisine by Aladin’s Restaurant Fashion Show Cultural Showcase Live Music by DJ Kimo

Friday, March 25, 6 – 9 p.m.

Chandler Ballroom, University Center Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

Admission: $1 for UMW students, $3 for all others (free for children 3 and under) Cash or Eagleone only

For more information, email Ccobb@mail.umw.edu.

Sponsored by Office of the Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Department of Modern Languages and Literatures; Center for International Education; and the Arabic Culture Club.

12