The Blue & Gray Press

THE

BLUE &GRAY

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER

PRESS

April 13, 2017

VOLUME 90 | ISSUE 22 SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE

1922

Men’s Rugby coach invovled in investigation REBECCA MELSON & Mallorie Harnish Staff Writers

The City of Fredericksburg Police Department is currently investigating accusations that a University of Mary Washington student poisoned Tim Brown, coordinator of team sports and manager of UMW’s Mother’s Rugby team, while dining at a local restaurant.

According to a search warrant filed with the Fredericksburg Circuit Court, the incident occurred last December, when Brown claimed to have become violently ill after three occasions of dining in specific restaurants within the Fredericksburg area, including Noodles and Company.

A student’s social media message said that the alleged poisoning occurred in response to comments Brown made to team members that could be perceived as sexist.

One message said, “Hoping the director of the rugby team knows I *accidentally* messed up his food when he came into my restaurant,” and was reinforced with another saying: “It was subtle. He probably didn’t notice. Normally I wouldn’t have been so petty but I have a friend on the team who told me things he’s said about all the issues with feminism at UMW.” Brown declined to make a comment regarding the matter.

When asked for statements, several men’s rugby team members also de-

Andrew Boswell / The Blue & Gray Press

Rebecca Melson went to the city Circuit Courthouse and ran across a warrant involving Tim Brown and an anonymous message on Yik Yak.

clined to comment on the issue. However, anonymous members of the men’s and women’s rugby teams stated that Brown also has a troubled relationship with the women’s rugby team.

In October of 2016, Brown offered to sponsor the women’s rugby team.

However, women’s rugby members said they declined the offer.

Members of both women’s and men’s rugby have said that Brown can be abrasive at times, and uses his authority to intimidate people, even those

he is coaching.

According to members of both teams, Brown appears to be in fine health. Two sources close to the matter said that his illness was not very serious. One source said that it was unclear whether his slight illness had been caused by the tampering of his food.

Events that led up to some of the tensions with Mothers Rugby, began in 2014 when the team came under fire due to chanting sexist songs that included offensive lyrics.

The rugby teams were recently classified as having varsity status, leaving them under the supervision of the athletic department. They were put on suspension and required to participate in education and training sessions regarding sexual assault and violence. Due to the suspension, the men’s team was not able to go to the Nationals in Washington State because they were not recognized at that time.

•CIRCUIT COURT | 10

Award-winning professor inspires students through her story Amanda Bielecki Staff Writer

Regina Root / Facebook Page

Susan Goodin made the documentary, “Regina’s Gift,” that told her inspiring story.

IN THIS

ISSUE

MARY WASHICON

Regina Root, an award-winning professor at William and Mary, mother and wife, taught students something that cannot be relayed in a classroom.

According the documentary, “Regina’s Gift - A Life and Death Battle with a Brain Tumor,” her story began in early August of 2014 when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The news would be devastating to anyone, especially family members. She and her family attempted to remain strong.

The risky surgery would take around eight hours. Root’s battle wasn’t over though. Due to the damage in her brain, she had to undergo an intense and grueling rehab. Craig Vasey, executive of the Committee of the American Association of University Professors for Virginia understands why this discussion was so important.

“The goal was to make us aware of the reality of faculty who have to cope with disabilities, and of the fact that the state has not really done a whole lot yet

CAMPUS COMMUNITY

Lively costumes at Comicon hosted by Geek Alliance

Community college versus four-year institutions

LIFE | 6

VIEWPOINTS | 4

to provide or even require reasonable accommodations,” Vasey said.

Root was at the University of Mary Washington on April 8. She was here to speak at the meetings addressing faculty with disabilities in the Commonwealth.

After hearing Root’s inspiring story, it is clear to see how important support and attention towards this topic is. The meetings addressed a number of different areas.

“The goal was to make us aware of the reality of faculty who have to cope with disabilities and of the fact that the state has not really done a whole lot yet to provide or even require reasonable accommodations,” Vasey said.

Root’s speech during the meetings gave the entire room a new perspective and was one of the most impactful moments within the meetings.

Vasey admires Root for her perseverance.

“I think all the faculty who attended were quite impressed,” Vasey said.

“You cannot help but be moved by the

30(0) LOVE

•REGINA ROOT | 2

Men’s tennis coach reaches 300 wins in career

SPORTS | 12

NEWS THE

BLUE & GRAY PRESS

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

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

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Alex Spence

Editor: Ester Salguero | blueandgray.news@gmail.com

Faculty and student talk of lack of state accomodations •REGINA ROOT |1 enormity of the collapse of her life due to the brain tumor and the effects of the surgery that eventually removed it and that she did not quit and still has not quit in her struggle to come back… She is back in the classroom at William & Mary and coping with all sorts of challenges and meeting them.”

Root first started feeling symptoms in late July of 2014 while she was on a hike with her family in Colorado. The symptoms began with extreme exhaustion and later progressed to her hearing things that weren’t actually there, such as a telephone ringing. After the symptoms became too much to bare she rushed to the hospital and received an MRI which resulted in the discovery of the tumor.

“The goal was to make us aware of the reality of faculty who have to cope with disabilities and of the fact that the state has not really done a whole lot.”

SECTION EDITORS NEWS Ester Salguero

VIEWPOINTS Tessa Cate

LIFE Kelly Emmrich

SPORTS Mikey Barnes

ONLINE Ethan Tobin

PHOTO Alex Sakes

Business Team Linda Fitzpatrick Janelle Behm

FACULTY ADVISOR Sushma Subramanian

2

-Craig Vasey The doctor said that the location of which the tumor had settled was problematic. It was located in her brain stem and required immediate surgery that would be scheduled for the next morning at the University of Virginia Hospital.

That morning the surgeon came into the room and informed Root that she was not a candidate for surgery and that they do not operate on tumors in that location. It was called an inoperable brain tumor. The doctor continued to explain that he would be shocked if Root could find any surgeon who would complete the operation.

Due to this issue, the doctor told her to come back in a year, which was almost unfathomable given the severity of her symptoms. At that point the symptoms had progressed to her peripheral vision, she was unable to walk without assistance and the constant ringing in her ear continued. The symptoms worsened as she suffered through the inability to swallow, double vision, significant weakness in her face and more.

The symptoms were due in large part to bleeding in her brain.

The bleeding passed impacted several neurons and neural networks within her brain. However, it provided an opportunity that had not existed before. It created a sort of “pathway” to the tumor, which would allow the doctor to operate on it. The doctor told Root that she would have a one in three chance to not wake up, one in three chance that she would be the same as before and a one in three chance that she would improve.

Through amazing perseverance, she has returned to teaching after a two-year battle.

The most important message is the one we can learn from Root. She is a true hero who has shown perseverance, strength, and how no obstacle is too big to conquer.

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

In last week’s Issue Jeffrey McClurken, professor and special assistant to the provost for Teaching, Technology, and Innovation, had his photo used an illustration for the article titled “Professors’ political opinions: helpful or hurtful?” about professors providing political opinions in class. Using the photo made Professor McClurken appear as though he was the professor being critiqued in the piece.

However, this was not the case. The photo should not have been used.

Student Senate Beat Wednesday, April 12

The following motions have been passed by UMW Student Senate.

The passing of a motion does not mean that its terms are subject to happen. The motions will be reviewed by the Student Government Association Executive Cabinet, who will then vote on the proposed motions.

OLD BUSINESS •

Allowing mini fridges in Eagle Landing failed executive cabinet because of electricity problems.

•

The motion for toiletries and paper products in Eagle Landing and UMW Apartments passed executive cabinet.

• Motion about keeping food stations open untill 2 p.m. was passed and Sodexo wants to work with students to understand what stations in general have been closing early.

ANNOUNCEMENTS • •

This Friday, April 21 is President Pianos inauguration.

April 18 is the Brompton BBQ at President Pianos House.

RSVP

For more information, contact the president of Student Senate, Ethan Carter at : ecarter@mail.umw.edu

All motions were originated and passed in the Student Senate.

They have not gone through approval by the Executive Cabinet.

DETAILS PROVIDED BY JAMIE MCGUIRE

Thursday, April 13, 2017

SPORTS Tennis coach leads on and off the court KAITLYN WIEDMANN Staff Writer

Sue Spencer / Perfect Shots

Todd Helbling, the men’s tennis coach at the University of Mary Washington, has recently earned his 300th victory. He has been coaching at UMW for 18 years and says that he was drawn to Fredericksburg because it had “a beautiful campus with strong academics where I would feel good bringing quality student-athletes to have a positive learning and playing experience.”

Helbling was initially drawn to the world of sports because of his love for competition. 18 years later, he still has a love for the thrill of the game, getting better every day. “[The sport is] great preparation for what I deal with in my personal life every day as well,” Helbling said.

He has found that involvement in athletics teaches many valuable skills such as dealing with adversity, thriving in a team environment, time management, developing character and building trust. These skills are beneficial to nearly every area of life, but are especially helpful to anyone who has had to work collaboratively.

Sports can teach us to handle stress better and to learn to work out difficulties with others in a positive way.

Being involved in sports also pushes people to succeed. Helbling said that the

“THE GREATEST SUCCESS COMES WHEN YOU WORK HARD AND WANT TO STEP UP IN THE BIGGEST MOMENTS. ” - Todd Helbling most valuable qualities a player can have are work ethic, determination and belief.

“The greatest success comes when you work hard and want to step up in the biggest moments,” Helbling said.

Many college students who coasted through high school on their smarts discover this personally when they find out that they need to rely more on their work ethic to succeed in college. If they had not developed this skill already, they begin to struggle.

Helbling helps cultivate this skill in his athletes outside of the court by encouraging them to stay on top of their work.

“Treat it just like [your] sport….do the

best you can do and have no regrets,” Helbling said.

If you fail, that’s all right. Winning and losing is just as much a natural part of life as it is in sports. Helbling says that the best way to respond to a loss is by “focusing on getting better that day and trying to do better the next time we play….the same I would say for in a classroom after a poor quiz, test or paper. Get back to work, try to improve, and look forward to that next challenge.”

His favorite piece of advice he gives his athletes is to “control what you can control.” Instead of wasting time stressing out over things outside of your reach, you focus on yourself, your own attitude and how to best prepare for the challenges you face in your own life. In doing so, you’ll be ready to tackle your problems head-on, as Helbling recommends.

“Most of the time you cannot avoid them or work around them. They are a part of life,” Helbling said.

Helbling recommends students to get involved in something other than school, as most of the benefits of being involved in sports also apply to student government, community service and any other group or organization you could get involved with and be committed to.

The struggles of rooting for your hometown team

wahrscheinlich Philadelphia Flyers

HARRY FISHER Staff Writer

As someone who spent half his life growing up in Philadelphia, I’ve always found it difficult to like a place like Virginia. I’m more at home among narrow streets lined with cars and tall buildings then I am among wide-open rural areas and small towns. Of course, Fredericksburg is far from a small town, and over the past 10 years, I’ve learned to love this city and think of it as a second home. Unfortunately, the one thing I continually find it difficult to do as a resident of Fredericksburg is express my interest in Philadelphia sports teams.

The fact of the matter is that teams like the Eagles, the Flyers and the Phillies don’t get nearly as much love outside of Philly as they do in or around it. One

Philalelphia Eagles

could argue that the same can be said for all professional sports teams, but I beg to differ. During my 10 years in Virginia, I’ve met plenty of people young and old who are fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Yankees, just to name a few, and we’re nowhere near any of those cities. Half the time, I’m afraid to tell anyone that I’m a fan of the Flyers or the Phillies because of the confused look or pitiful shake of the head they always give me as a response.

I find that if you bring up the Philly sports teams anywhere outside of Pennsylvania or the surrounding states, you’ll generally receive a response that indicates scorn or mockery towards the teams. I’ll admit, none of the Philly sports teams are perfect, but what sports team is? I’m sure we can all attest to this, all professional

football teams screw up and lose the Super Bowl at one point or another. So why is it so easy for people down here to like the New York Giants, but not the Eagles? I know that not every sports team is universally loved in a place like Virginia, but it always seems to me like there’s extra hate towards Philly.

I’ll admit, I’m not as big of a sports fan as a lot of people I know, and in my eyes, people tend to get a little too crazy about sports sometimes. I understand that sports are exciting, and it can be really exhilarating to hype up your own team while talking trash about another one, but I think that’s exactly the problem. People have no respect for other people’s favorite teams.

Is it really necessary to make other people feel bad about whom they’re rooting for, just so you can feel better about your

own side? Sometimes it goes beyond just friendly competition- sometimes people go absolutely nuts over who they think is going to win in a simple ball game.

I think it also has something to do with the fact that Philly teams have had less than stellar performances in recent years.

But so what if the Eagles haven’t won the Super Bowl yet, or if the Phillies haven’t won the World Series since 2008?

Every team has the potential to do better in the future. I really think we need to stop bashing each other’s preferences in sports teams and realize that even though “home” means something different to each of us, we all love to root for the home team.

Weekly Scoreboard SOFTBALL:

Apr. 8 vs. Wesley (W) UMW: 9 Wesley: 5

women's LACROSSE

Apr. 12 vs. Frostburg St. (W) UMW: 19 Frostburg St.: 7

baseball

softball:

Apr. 12 @ Southern Virginia (L) UMW: 6 Souther Virginia: 9

men's LACROSSE

Apr. 12 @ Frostburg St. (W) UMW: 9 Frostburg St.: 7

April 14 @ Frostburg St. 3:00 P.M.

women's LACROSSE

April 15 @ Marymount (Va.) 1:00 P.M.

baseball

April 13 @ Bridgewater (Va.) 3:00 P.M.

men's LACROSSE

April 15 vs. Marymount (Va.) 1:00 P.M.

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Community colleges fall short of community feeling STEPHANIE COOK Staff Writer

Everyone has different criteria for where they want to pursue higher education. Some individuals want to get out of their hometown, while some want to pursue special majors only offered at select institutions. Some people go to college for the athletics, some go for the experience and some just go to get their degree, but there’s a growing population of students who commute to and from community colleges every day.

In-state tuition at the University of Mary Washington is currently at $5,945 a semester, while in-state tuition at Germanna Community College, just down the road, averages from $1,872 to $2,808, depending on how many credits you take.

Based on tuition alone, the price of one semester at UMW could equate to one full year at Germanna. Looking at these numbers, it doesn’t seem like much of a surprise that community colleges are growing in popularity across the nation, but it led me to think about why I choose to attend a four-year institution versus a community college.

Now that I’ve attended a four-year

university and visited several community college campuses throughout my years here, I can say the feel of each setting is unique. Community college campuses tend to feel like a continuation of high school to me.

Very rarely do community colleges offer dorms, so everyone is usually off campus by nightfall. I also noticed that there weren’t many events held by the community colleges, whereas a quick walk down UMW’s campus walk gives insight to events happening all over campus every day. While UMW is home to commuters, the commut ers at UMW differ greatly from

Student stress: course registration causes headaches KAYLEE TYE Staff Writer

One of the most stressful things for any college student is choosing which courses to take.

This process can be stressful for students who do not know their major yet and students who know their major but face already-full classes.

I remember my freshman year when I would look up classes 4

and write down the ones I wanted. Then when my time to register came up, the classes were mostly full. Then I would just panic and try to decide what I could take instead.

Now that I am a sophomore at UMW, it has been easier to get into classes. However, some of them still always fill up.

industry, many employers are looking for individuals with a bachelor’s degree or higher, I decided to attend a four-year university.

At UMW, students all push to graduate with bachelor’s degrees, and then may choose to attend graduate school here or pursue their master’s here. By staying at UMW, students are able to continue their sense of campus community in a place they are already familiar with. Students who graduate from community college with associate’s degrees are teenlife.com forced to transfer elsewhere those at community colleges in the should they choose to further their education, which can cause a rift in sense that they are still part of the “cam- their education by switching campus climates so quickly. pus Overall, the decision to attend a community.” Classes at community colleges may have large groups of four-year university seems worth it people that get along, but the larger to me, because I want to graduate “campus community” doesn’t seem with a bachelor’s degree from one to exist at any of the community institution, without the discomfort of shifting education styles in the colleges I’ve visited.

Additionally, the academics of middle of my studies. Attending a each must be taken into account. four-year university allows for a Most community colleges, includ- feeling of community that is hard to ing Germanna and my hometown find on community college campuscommunity college only offer as- es, and arguably makes it easier for sociate’s degrees, certifications and one to jump into their chosen career career studies certifications. Keep- path or pursue even higher educaing in mind that in the growing job tion.

What could the university do to help this problem? Or at least help alleviate students’ stress.

I don’t think we can ever change the process of picking classes.

I agree that the students with the most credits should pick first because they are closer to graduation.

They need specific classes to graduate on time.

The school also provides students an academic advisor.

An academic advisor is one of the best tools a student can use to help register for classes.

If all the classes a student wants fill up they should seek their advisor’s advice on what to do or take.

One thing that would be helpful to students would be to create a waitlist.

UMW does have a waitlist for some classes such as geology, however, having the option to

waitlist more classes would make students feel better.

Depending on the professor, a student can email and ask to be put on a waitlist.

That way, when it’s a student’s turn to register, they can sign up on a waitlist.

One important thing the school should do is inform students that the upper level classes will full up and that they should have a backup plan.

When students register for classes, I always recommend that they should have backup classes ready.

Students could refrain from completing all their general education requirements in the first year or two to save some room for when they are upperclassmen.

Thursday, April 13, 2017 Thursday, January 21, 2015

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

UMW Parking Management is not the bad guy WILLIAM ATKINSON Staff Writer

Tucked in the basement of Lee Hall, Jean Elliot’s phone suddenly rings. She presses the receiver to her ear and listen’s intently. It’s yet another report from a parking enforcement officer calling to warn her that a student has illegally parked in a “Customer-Only” spot in the Pizza Hut parking lot between College Avenue and Jefferson Davis Highway.

Forced to make a tough decision, Elliot decides to locate and contact the student before tow trucks from Shanks Towing impound the car. Eventually, the lucky student is found and the car is moved out of harm’s way.

This is a typical Tuesday morning for Elliot, who as parking manager, can make or break a student’s day.

Elliot is responsible for directing parking enforcement officers to ticket cars, advise students on where it is safe to park, and manage the main office in Lee Hall where tickets are paid.

“People are always coming in angry,” Elliot said. “Everyone wants to yell at us. We get a lot of complaints from students who get tickets in College Heights.

We don’t even issue tickets in College Heights.”

Being a parking manager at a university may seem like a stress-free profession, but it can be an emotionally taxing job.

Nobody likes paying parking tickets, so being the one to give them out and enforce the rules is a tough role to play.

The barrage of complaints and angry confrontations Elliot encounters each day is often too overwhelming.

“We had a Community Service Officer come to work for us. She was so excited to get in the office and manage the front desk. Her very first encounter was a student cursing at her and throwing the ticket at her. She was dumbfounded and pretty shaken up. She had no idea how to react,” Elliot said.

Elliot explained that she is not purpose-

fully patrolling campus looking to issue tickets to illegally parked cars. Instead, the most popular circumstance requiring her to give tickets is when a neighbor or school employee contacts her and complains that someone has taken their spot.

“I actually try to help the students. I’m not out looking to nab you,” Elliot said.

“One time a girl got her car stuck in a parallel park on College Avenue. She maybe had two inches to work with and was holding up traffic. She couldn’t get out without help so we all came to safely direct her out. It must have been a 10-point turn,” said Elliot, who couldn’t help but laugh.

Elliot tries to see the lighter side to her job and block out some of the negativity that comes with it. In reality, the university is not responsible for most tickets accumulated by students and does not even enforce towing.

“People think all we do is hunt for cars to ticket. We don’t have any quotas we have to meet. The only way we know we are doing our job well is the number of complaints we receive,” Elliot said.

Although there is no mandatory ticket quota set by the university, Elliot and her staff still need to be diligent. If they receive too many complaints from university faculty that students are in their parking spaces, her job could be in jeopardy.

“Basically, a ticket is a warning. We need you to stay out of those designated spots. University employees, including professors, are given those spots so they can do their jobs,” Elliot said.

Elliot was hired when former parking manager, Robin Jones, accepted a new position as Administrator of Computerized Maintenance Monitoring System within Procurement Services. Prior to working with UMW, Elliot worked in warehouse management. Elliot had no prior experience in parking management.

“I do like working here. Sometimes it

Tessa Cate / The Blue & Gray Press

gets stressful but I think I’ve grown a little thicker skin. It’s hard to deal with angry people, especially face to face usually on a daily basis. I think it’s the mother in me that feels bad and wants to help them,” Elliot said.

Shortly after taking the job, Elliot was criticized by students in an article that appeared in The Blue & Gray Press. During move-in weekend in the fall semester, in a 24-hour period between Aug. 25 and Aug. 26, 28 students had their cars towed from the Eagle Landing apartments. Most of the parking spots are clearly labeled as customer parking or UMW student parking. However, it was reported that 10 spots directly behind Eagle Landing’s parking deck were not marked, resulting in multiple students’ cars being towed.

Two students interviewed by The Blue & Gray Press about their experience with Jean Elliot and the parking management staff in Lee Hall stated that the staff admitted that they should have put signs in those spots but failed to do so.

“I thought [the article] was a little unfair but I can see why they were upset,” Elliot said. “But parking management and the school has no connection with private

tow truck companies, besides the signs they mentioned, we really had no say in what happened.”

UMW senior Tanner Havens has had his fair share of experience with UMW parking management. Havens does not have a student-parking pass and has been ticketed multiple times this year.

“I got two tickets this semester just from leaving my car in the parking lot behind Jepson. I was thinking about getting a pass but they’re just way too expensive.

So I figured I’d just test my luck,” Havens said.

UMW offers students the opportunity to purchase parking passes that would allow them to park in specific areas on campus.

However, it is $225.00 and is only available to students who can prove their residency.

Elliot remains hopeful that she can help students while also protecting faculty parking spots.

“I get that nobody wants to deal with the parking police. Everyone blames us for towing when we have nothing to do with it. I want to be able to help students avoid that,” Elliot said.

Staff Ed: UMW releases “The New Guy” as part of new marketing strategy As the school year closes in on its final days, the University of Mary Washington looks for new ways to broaden their search for the freshman class of 2021.

In a brilliant move, the university turned to multimedia strategy to reach out to incoming students.

In an effort to advertise UMW’s academics, beautiful campus and the surrounding Fredericksburg area, they utilized the talents of President Troy Paino and put him in front of the camera for a YouTube video series titled, “The New Guy.”

In a six-episode series, Paino explores the campus as well as Fredericksburg to familiarize himself with the hottest spots around town such as Carl’s, the Rappahannock River and even a quick train ride to Washington D.C. The series properly introduces him to both current and incoming students.

As the new president of UMW, Paino could not have been introduced to the students and incoming community any better.

The premier of “The New Guy” filled the Digital Auditorium on April 7, with

UMW students, faculty and staff eager to see if they made a cameo as well as to watch Paino’s quirky personality come alive on screen.

As we move forward in the digital age, it is important that UMW continues to find new ways to reach out and connect with students.

This video series is exactly what the university needed to grab the attention of incoming students. The gorgeous visuals of our campus along with friendly faces on screen create a connection that is hard to compete with.

“The New Guy” not only reassured the community that Paino was the right man for the job, but it was marketing gold for the university.

With over 4,000 views on YouTube for just the trailer alone, it’s safe to say the university made a wise decision in going digital with the latest advertisement.

As we move forward, students and the community alike are excited to see what multimedia moves the university will make next.

By THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD

5

LIFE

Editor: Kelly Emmrich blueandgray.life@gmail.com

Geek Alliance hosts MaryWashiCon for the ultimate geek experience MARIA SCHLEH Contributing Writer

On Saturday, April 8, the University of Mary Washington’s Geek Alliance held their annual convention, MaryWashiCon, in the Hurley Convergence Center. This year’s convention was the result of a combined effort of Geek Alliance club members and leaders over the course of several months in order to deliver the ultimate “geek” experience.

MaryWashiCon strives to offer something for everyone—whether you’re interested in anime, video games, Korean boy bands or whatever fandom strikes your fancy.

The convention started at noon on the HCC’s third floor with a short opening ceremony. From there, convention activities continued until 7:45 p.m., concluding with a rave held in the University Center’s Colonnade Room. Two classrooms were reserved for panelists with a third designated as the game room. Attendees had their pick of consoles, from a PlayStation 4 to a Nintendo Switch, as well as a variety of games.

Jasmin Hansen, Jake Hora and Grant Raycroft scheduled the event and were responsible for determining panel times, ensuring that there was no overlap for panelists, and working in enough breaks for said panelists to enjoy the convention as well. This year, the schedule was

accessible using the Guidebook app, reducing the need for printed materials. Panels included “K-Pop 101,” “Revamped!: Vampires in Anime and Manga,” “Dramatic Readings of Stupid CreepyPastas,” “Life Hack: Cosplay” and a short lip-sync competition.

MaryWashiCon 2017 also provided vendors and catering for the second year in a row. “The Space Needle,” run by Kaela Gosdzinkski, sold crocheted plushes and other handmade items throughout the day and even held a raffle. Iainne Johnson, the designer for MaryWashiCon’s promotional art, participated as a vendor as well. MaryWashiCon also had the opportunity to host a table for GexCon, a small LAN video gaming convention from the local area.

A new addition to the convention was the roaming floor staff, who ensured that everything was running smoothly and on time. Dressed in reflective safety vests and armed with walkie talkies, the floor staff was an essential part of keeping the day safe and fun for everyone.

The convention’s main activities concluded with the annual cosplay contest, judged by Jasmin Hansen, Kaela Gosdzinkski, Maria Schleh and Blake Gostelow. Katelyn Brown, hosted the event, dressed as a glamorous robot. She kept up an entertaining banter with the contestants. After the cosplay contest,

attendees transferred to the UC for the rave, hosted by Amanda Gambale.

Putting together a successful convention is no easy feat. “I started planning the convention as far back as November and still that last week until launch was intense,” Raycroft said. “We changed our venue from the traditional Monroe Hall to the Hurley Convergence Center.

We wanted to move there in 2016 but we weren’t certain how well the location would suit us. Moving there was a risk that I think really paid off. While the surface area for the convention was smaller, it was a much grander produc-

Maureen Iredell/Facebook

tion.”

Despite the difficulties, MaryWashiCon had a good turnout, including current students and alumni, as well as assistant dean Melissa Jones and her family.

After the event, Raycroft felt optimistic about the future of the convention and believes it has the potential for further growth.

“It’s been a very long and tiring path to our launch date,” Raycroft said. “What made that worth it for me was when Dean Jones’s son, Joshua, thanked me.

To know it made his day made mine."

Student and faculty dance concert showcases hip hop, modern dance ABIGAIL WHITTINGTON Contributing Writer

The whispers of the audience hushed as four ghostly figures took their place on the dark stage. The lights on the stage came on and the four figures became four women dressed in flowing white gowns. They walked staggered from the front of the stage to the back of the stage, swishing their gowns with occasional instances of performative writhing pain.

Then the music began and the women performed a contemporary dance piece.

This performance, titled Frayed, was part of the University of Mary Washington Faculty and Student Dance Concert that took place this past Saturday and Sunday in Dodd Auditorium. The concert, which was themed Emerging Voices, featured 12 performances choreographed by students and faculty and performed by students.

Some of these performances included: Black Widow’s Lullaby, a seductive dance about five female spiders catching their male prey; Excursion to India, a mashup of song and dance that showed a variety of dances in India; Knowing Your Ipsum, a dance choreographed to “Self”, an original play written by Covenant Babatunde about a girl who struggles with her inner self and her self-image; and many more.

Some students were thrilled with the range of dances. “I thought the more technical pieces were impressive and well-spaced out with the groove pieces,” said junior, Ryan Ford.

However, some students felt there wasn’t enough variety in the show. “I do wish there was more variety in the types of dances people would do. Not just hiphop and modern but there are so many different styles of dance that I think would be really great to showcase at

6

UMW,” said senior, Andrea Ville Students and faculty had been working on the pieces for the concert for at least a semester. A few performances were a year in the making as some dances had the opportunity to attend the American College Dance Association Conference.

In one case, a dancer learned a full routine in a just a few days. “Originally I wasn’t supposed to be in the show but one of the girls had unforeseen circumstances,” said junior Christine Ayad who filled in for junior Michayla Rice during Saturday’s performance of Black Widow’s Lullaby. “My roommate, who was also in the piece, taught me all the choreography over a few days during the week leading up to the show. We drilled it together multiple times until I felt comfortable.”

After a short intermission, there was a brief announcement by Friends of Dance, an organization that seeks to join together professional dancers, individuals, students and local studios in the greater Fredericksburg area. Five dancers were awarded scholarships in dance that night in hopes of encouraging them to continue their dance education and build the dance community at UMW. “I would really love to see the dance department, which is very small currently, continue to grow and develop,” said junior Erynn Sendrick, student choreographer of the dance, Comes and Goes.

“I think the dance community is very present and looking for more support, so performances like this are a great way to show the UMW community and the Fredericksburg area what we’re creating here at Mary Wash.”

Thursday, April 13, 2017

LIFE

UMW Style: the characters of ‘Macbeth’ show off medieval Scottish couture SAVARA GUNN Staff Writer

Neil Galini-Burdick as Macbeth, King of Scotland “My attire just got an upgrade actually because I recently killed the King and I figured I’d take the crown. I found this really nice coat in my closet, and it’s so heavy that it makes it difficult to go down the stairs, but it looks great. I have a pretty rad belt, it looks kind of WWE. I have a lot of red now and it kind of brings out my eyes.”

Victoria Fortune as Lady Macduff, the Wife of the Thane of Fife “I live in Fife which is very green, very mossy, and so my family and I tend to dress in this sort of earthy way. Although my husband is one of the highest-ranking Thanes, we do tend to be a little more humble, we tend to be more modest with our clothing, and so my dress today resembles that. It’s a very simple straight cut, not exactly A-line, but I do have a nice train to express my elegance. It’s a nice forest-y emerald green. It suits my skin tone and hair very well and coordinates with my son and my family as well. It expresses me because I as a person am very modest and very intelligent, I speak a lot and I’m just very simple and down to earth. But at the same time I do hold myself very highly, I am respectful of myself and the people around me. And I do still recognize my place and so my outfit reflects that where it is a rich deep color, but it also has some elements of elegance about it. I’d say that I normally wear rich colors and very heavy styles but simple styles because I can’t move around Fife if I’m dressed like the Queen."

Taryn Snyder/Universoty Relations.

Geoff Greene/University Relations.

Austen Weathersby as Lady Macbeth, Queen of Scotland “It’s been a very stressful week you know, I just became Queen and it was totally unexpected. I was very shocked but I’m glad things fell into place that way. I really like purple, and I enjoy dark colors…It’s the season for it, I guess. My favorite part is how the sleeves tie off, it’s very handy to just be able to take off your sleeves and put them back on if you need to get your hands dirty, not that I do very often anymore.

I do wear a veil, it’s very nice just to frame the face.

My husband just got back home from war and we haven’t seen each other in a while so I try to dress up for him when he gets back. You gotta keep the romance alive. I’m a very structured person, I like to plan things out beforehand and so I think my clothing shows that, it’s very structured, a lot of lines. And I do like a lot of texture that comes out a little more in my nightgown. I also like to dress simply in general to not call too much attention to myself, but I do like a bit of flash here and there so I’ll put on a piece of jewelry. My husband and I do like to complement each other, not completely matching, we are individuals, but we do want to look good together and communicate a united front. Every King needs a Queen next to him. We are equal partners He treats me as an equal and I think that shows, not only in the way we complement each other visually and aesthetically, but also how we act with Geoff Greene/University Relations. one another.

Alexander Rios as Malcolm, Prince of Cumberland.

“I picked this outfit is because I’m really into the fashion of the time. We’re in the 11th century so a lot of the time our clothing is really bland and neutral colors, but I kind of like brighter colors so I’m wearing a red tunic with a nice pattern embroidered on it, and then just regular pants. Actually they're stockings but they’re really high up so they look like pants, and black boots. I wear armor later because I’m getting ready for war. So I have gauntlets and chest armor and studs. My favorite piece I wear is this blue cape so it’s a nice contrast with the red. I’ve never worn capes so it’s my first time. I’m one of the King’s son’s you know so I’m higher up and my clothing reflects that, it stands out. My outfit is really put together and so at the end of the play when I become King, I’m literally put on a pedestal, and I look that way.

I’m ready to be the King and my clothing reflects that."

Geoff Greene/University Relations.

7

Campus. Life. All. Week.

Thursday

Friday

• Donut Fundraiser 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Pollard Hall

• Holi 4 p.m.- 5 p.m. on Ball Circle • Bomba Dancing & Drumming Workshop from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Ball Circle • The Clothesline Project from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Colonnade Room

Saturday • Funsies in Onesies from 5:50 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. in Chandler Ballroom

Sunday • Bingo @ 11 p.m. in Underground • Student and Faculty recital 7:30 p.m. in Pollard Hall

Reel Deals • Rogue One: a Star Wars Story Friday @ 7 and Saturday @ 10 • Hidden Figures Friday @ 10 and Saturday @ 7 pm

LIFE

Personal story: managing anxiety through the college experience

FINNLEY GOFF Staff Writer

I have had people ask me how I get over anxiety when I need to—what I mean by this is how I can sometimes push past things without letting them overwhelm me. Let me begin with some background: I’ve had the symptoms of generalized anxiety ever since I could talk. My mother had anxiety also and quickly noticed my similar symptoms. I wasn’t raised in an environment in which mental health was ignored. I was raised by a mother who was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and treated it with medication for multiple years.

Here’s my secret: I don’t, not really.

You can push emotions off to the side but they’re not going to just disappear because you ignore them. Sometimes, you can push through them if you’re sure enough of what the root of the problem is. You don’t “get over” anxiety; instead, you push through the aspects and effects of anxiety on your life.

Most people experience anxiety throughout different periods of their lives. After all, we’re all lost in a sea trying to understand what we’re doing with our lives, and who we want to be as people. It’s perfectly normal for everyone to experience anxiety about academics, working and relationships.

It only becomes a problem when you can’t turn off the anxiety when everything is fine.

Clinical anxiety isn’t about feeling nervous before a test. It’s about always feeling that something is wrong, even when it’s not.

When I’m feeling like this, I end up lying on the floor under my bed feeling sad and out of control. This has happened to me a handful of times during my time here at Mary Washington. It’s a bit embarrassing, but it’s important to be honest about stuff like this.

Whenever I reach this point, I take a hot shower to let myself relax a little.

The shower is not only warm and com-

Fredericksburg visitor center showcases brochures, maps and local art

ES HETHCOX As Friday night visitors and residents Assistant Online Editor in downtown Freda personal tour of ericksburg begins Fredericksburg’s 40 to ignite, tourists and Mary Washington blocks of historic neighborhoods. Tickets students wander in and out of an old are sold online as well as in person, $18 brick building on the corner of Caroline for adults and $9 for children. and Charlotte Street.

Not only does the Visitor Center offer Each person has one goal in mind: to endless information regarding dining, see what the city of Fredericksburg has sightseeing and history to visitors from to offer. all over the world, but it also represents This building, filled with hundreds the local University of Mary Washington of brochures and maps of the surroundstudent body. ing area, is the Fredericksburg Visitor The back of the Visitor Center holds Center. a gallery full of art, all created by Mary Once crossing the brick steps, a Washington students. The first Friday of cheerful Sial King, travel counselor and every month, the gallery is open from happy employee of over 13 years, greets 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., giving the community customers. a chance to see what local university “My job is the guests,” she said with students are creating. a smile. “If someone walks in with a “Mary Washington brings us a lot of problem, it’s my problem too.” business,” travel counselor James Gaston The Visitor Center has been a part of said. “Tour groups, parent weekends and the downtown community for over 40 graduation bring us lots of family memyears and provides support for visitors bers wanting to see the city where their and residents of the regions of Spotsylchild is living.” vania, Fredericksburg and Stafford. With The Visitor Center helps people from its doors open Monday through Saturday many different countries, all wanting to from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m to 5 see what Fredericksburg has to offer. p.m on Sundays, the Visitor Center is a “We have visitors from Germaconvenient facility for the surrounding ny, Italy, Soviet Union, you name it,” area.

Gaston said. “The stories that people tell Regional Manager Julie Perry said are what makes this job so unique. We she believes the Visitor Center provides always enjoy hearing them—if we have a broad source of information for people the time.” who are visiting the area.

But visitors from other countries ar“Our en’t the only peomission is ple the Visitor to introduce Center provides visitors to service to. the city, and “A majority of ultimately, our job is giving get them to directions to return,” Perry local residents,” said.

King said with a The Vislaugh. “A lot of itor Center the people that offers ticket walk through sales for these doors are horse-drawn looking for how carriage to get to Carl’s rides, which Ice Cream.”

Andrew Boswell/The Blue & Gray Press provide

forting, but it’s also a place where you can be alone. Even in resident halls with shared bathrooms, there can be peace found in a long hot shower.

The second thing that I do is to make tea or hot chocolate and watch something that I love, movies from my childhood, YouTubers I’m really into right now, a new Netflix show I’ve been waiting to watch. Put on your headphones and ignore everything for at least fifteen minutes.

The problems you have been thinking about will be there when you get back.

Sometimes these won’t work.

If you’re feeling down, know that there is at least

one person out there that is happy to help you. With parents, siblings, significant others and friends—there is someone that you can reach out to in this moment.

If you need someone, reach out to them.

In the end, you will feel so much better if you just send that text or make that call.

Pixbay

How Catholicism plays into one family’s Easter Sunday traditions SUSANNAH TOMBES Easter Sunday tholicism on my Staff Writer is my favorite day siblings and myself. of the entire year They shared the because of the hope that it gives me, importance of Mass, the sacraments and and what it represents for my faith as what it means to love your neighbor as a Catholic. Easter for my family is not yourself, but never made me think that I about the Easter bunny and egg hunts. absolutely had to believe what they did.

For us, it’s a chance I decided to to be with each other believe in and celebrate the Catholicism sacrifice and gift of on my own.

Christ’s death and I chose to resurrection. believe what Both of my my parents parents converted to shared with Catholicism, so this me because day is also a remindof their er to me about the authenticity decision that they in sharing made before they it. As I even met. They both grew older, entered the Church Public Domain Pictures I slowly on the Easter Vigil began to unMass, years apart, but it is that connecderstand my religion in a deeper context tion that joined them together. I do not and why they mattered to not only me think that they would realize then how personally, but to my family and friends. their simple “yes” to joining the Catholic After coming to college, I began to Church would change the trajectory of realize that the foundation of faith my their lives and their children’s’ lives. parents set me up with helped my transiIt is because of their commitment tion in entering UMW easier than I think to Catholicism and to living out the it would have been otherwise. Going teachings of the Church and God, that I home for breaks or holidays, but especould witness to what it truly means to cially Easter, gives me a greater apprecibe Catholic. ation for everything that my parents have My parents never once forced Casacrificed for my siblings and me.

Being Catholic is not easy, and my parents knew that when they converted.

However, I am thankful that they jumped in cold water to live full lives regardless of how difficult they would be. Because of their decision to become Catholic, I have an appreciation for suffering and joy in ways that I do not think that I would have if my parents had not showed my siblings and I what it truly means to live our lives to the fullest.

Waiting For The Word/Flickr

9

NEWS

POLICE BEAT MEAGHAN MCINTYRE Assistant News Editor

Vandalism On Thursday, April 6 between 12 p.m. and 10:40 p.m., vandalism of an exit sign occurred at Eagle Landing.

The case is pending.

On Sunday, April 9 at 5:30 p.m., a report was made of a window screen vandalized at Seacobeck Hall. The case is pending.

Tensions rise between rugby coach and women’s team •CIRCUIT COURT | 1 The UMW upholding of Title IX is taken very seriously, and the standards of the university leave no room for prejudice of any kind.

Currently, rugby team members say that they are ready to move on from the past. The men’s team has become elevated into a Division 1 category, and has currently accepted players internationally. There has been no evidence of the team’s current involvement in any sexist activities that would continue to fuel a fire, or warrant activities of retaliation that were displayed in the current investigation requested by Brown.

Multiple members from the men’s team responded with an eagerness to move forward with their reputation and

Steps to ordering your cords: 1. Determine which graduation cord you are eligible for.

2. Find the application online, here: http://students.umw.edu/chls/graduation-cords/ 3. Once you submit your application the designated department will review it.

4. After submittion allow 24 hours for review before going to the department to verify.

5. Take the ticket issued to you to the bookstore and purchase your cord.

On Monday, April 10 at 7:30 a.m., vandalism of two signs occurred on Sunken Road. The case is pending.

On Saturday, April 8 between 12 a.m. and 9 a.m., a laptop computer was stolen from Mason Hall. The case is pending.

changing for the better.

“I feel that we have improved in diversity and tolerance since my freshman year on campus,” Williams said.

Concerning the conduct under investigation regarding Brown and his food being tampered with, Williams gave no support to the presumed activity.

“As a feminist, I feel that, even though we are students, we are adults and should be held accountable,” Williams said. “I think we should always strive to avoid harming people. There would certainly be better ways to handle sexist things being said, and there are always better avenues than resorting to physical harm.”

Cord Guide for Commencement

On Monday, April 10 at 1 a.m., students were caught vandalizing a window and trespassing at Seacobeck Hall.

Four administrative referrals were given.

Larceny

goals.

An anonymous UMW alum and former Mother’s Rugby team member stated that “I had contentions with the school for what happened that year regarding the sexist activity, but I would love to see feminists invited to Rugby matches.”

Though Feminist United members declined to comment, some feminists agree that the UMW climate has been changing for the better since the incident, demonstrating that UMW is a campus that is increasingly progressive.

Feminist and junior creative writing major, Leni Williams, believes that the sexist and bias issues experienced within the UMW community have been

Cords are approximately $7 each.

Who: Varsity Athlete

Who: Sport Members

Color: Gray

Color: Red

Criteria: Graduating seniors who are rostered student-athletes on a varsity team.

Criteria: Documented active membership for minimum of one year on a Campus Rec sponsored club athletic team.

Approved by: Coach

Approved by: Campus Recreation & Club

Who: Student Clubs/Designated Campus Wide Leadership Bodies/Student Employees Color: Green Criteria: A formal leadership position is not required for this cord. Please visit this link for more information on obtaining a Leadership Cord.

Approved by: Faculty Advisor or Supervisor

On Monday, April 10 at 12:10 p.m. a backpack and its contents were reported stolen on Campus Walk near Trinkle Hall. The case is pending.

On Monday, April 10 at 4:40 p.m., a wallet and its contents were stolen from the Eagle’s Nest patio. The case is pending.

Who: Horizons Students Color: Royal Bue Criteria: Successful completion of the Explorations level of the program.

Approved by: Horizons Staff (at CHLS) & Horizons Sponsor

Who: James Farmer Multicultural Center members Color: Purple Criteria: Documented active membership for minimum of one year in a JFMC sponsored student organization with a current roster on file in MyUMW. Approved by: JFMC & Club

Possession

Who: Anyone

Who: Veterans

On Saturday, April 8 at 10:40 p.m., possession of marijuana at Eagle Landing was reported.

Five administrative referrals were given.

Color: Orange

Color: Interwoven Red, White and Blue

Criteria: Documented active membership for minimum one year in an SAE approved organization or club with a current roster on file in MyUMW.

Criteria: Veteran status confirmed with Registrar.

The information was compiled with assistance from the UMW Police Manager and Fredericksburg Police Department Public Information Officer.

Approved by: SAE

Who: Anyone Color: Light Blue Criteria: Complete at least 50 hours of community service in the Fredericksburg area or on UMW sponsored trips while enrolled as a full time student. Please visit this link for more information on how to obtain a Community Service Graduation Cord.

Approved by: CHLS Director of Service or COAR staff

Approved by: Registrar

All information was found on UMW’s Student Affairs page for Center for Honor, Leadership, and Service.

10

Thursday, April 13, 2017

NEWS

Classroom recording policy suggested at University Faculty Council meeting

MEAGHAN MCINTYRE Staff Writer

Students miss classes for many reasons ranging from sickness to dealing with personal issues. In situations when they cannot attend class, students tend to rely on professor’s office hours or notes from classmates in order to find out what they missed. However, a new way to obtain classroom material may become accessible to students soon.

On Wednesday, March 1 a classroom recording policy was proposed at the University Faculty Council meeting.

It was brought up as a result of a staff member feeling there needs to be a policy that outlines acceptable student recording of class material. After being discussed in the University Faculty Committee, this idea was then sent to the University Faculty Affairs Committee.

While a specific policy has not been formed yet, the idea to create one stems from a variety of reasons, one of which involves whether or not professors have given approval about broader distribution of the material they lecture on.

Different classes have different policies, however not all professors have always given approval about broader distribution.

Though the specifics for this policy have not been laid out, the members of the University Faculty Council are certain about two concepts. The first is that if a policy is created, nothing will change for students with accommodations who may already be allowed to record classes. The second, which is more of a concern, is if students use this opportunity as an excuse to skip class.

“There are concerns about this being used to replace class,” said University Faculty Chair Anand Rao. Professors have expressed an understanding as to why students believe the

Glenn Taylor / The Blue & Gray Press

ability to record lectures could be beneficial to their studies.

“I think it is completely reasonable for students to record lectures if they want to listen to them again or even to use and cite quotes in future papers,” said Janine Davis. “They should inform the instructor if they plan to record, though, and they should not share the recording publicly in other places, such as on YouTube.”

In classrooms where recording is allowed, students are encouraged to be careful about what they say.

“Classrooms are not public spaces in the same way that study and eating areas are—and in general people should be aware of what they say in common areas, because you never know who can hear, whether it’s a friend, future professor, potential student, or even a future employer,” Davis said.

For students, the ability to record classes is appealing as a way to guarantee they can get all of the necessary information.

“Students should be allowed to record lectures because not all teachers repeat themselves and others have heavy accents that are hard to understand,” said freshman business administration

major Sean Silke.

Others believe that the ability to record lectures would help students to better be able to stay on top of information that is presented in class.

“It may assist students who cannot write notes as quickly or have a hard time keeping up,” said freshman environmental science major Mary Hoffman.

In some cases, it may be hard to see how it would be useful to record material and there are students who feel like it should still be an option.

“I don’t see any reason why students shouldn’t be able to record lectures,” said junior English major Bethany Johansen. “Some classes, I don’t think recording is beneficial, but in others I think it can be helpful.”

For some, recording seems like a useful option when it is difficult to write all of the information down.

“If you have a professor that doesn’t use PowerPoints or put slides up on canvas, and you can’t get all of the information down in a given time, then how else are you supposed to remember all of the information,” said freshman Alexis Erb. While many students agree that recording should be allowed, their opin-

ions about whether a policy should be campus wide or case-by-case differs.

“I think it should be campus wide no matter how the teacher feels,” said freshman psychology major Hanna Steinberger. “That way it doesn’t prevent students from being able to learn.

What if there’s one teacher who’s like ‘I don’t like technology’ and it could hinder a student’s chance of learning.

As long as the recording does not disrupt the class or teacher, it should be allowed.”

Others feel that recording should be determined by professor discretion.

“I personally believe recording in a classroom should be left up to the professor,” Johansen said. “I think they should be able to make their own choices depending on the atmosphere of their classes, and the professors comfort level.”

Students feel that if recording lectures can help them do well it should be allowed. “[Recording] is supposed to benefit the students and the campus, as well as the teachers, should be striving for student success,” Erb said.

New TV channel listing provided for students by Apogee this semester

Celine Chassagneux Staff Writer

Started in the spring of 2017, Apogee and the University of Mary Washington partnered together to bring students a new television channel listing. The new guide option was officially implemented on March 28.

This new listing allows students to identify programming options ahead of time and without the hassle of flipping through the channels individually.

It’s a smoother and trouble-free new digital component that was given to the students from UMW. The reason the university decided to get this new feature and partner with Apogee is due to the fact that prior to the new online listing, Apogee had delivered a guide channel over the cable television system via an equipment ven-

Thursday, April 13, 2017

University of Mary Washington Career Center / Facebook Page

dor. When the equipment that enabled the guide channel broke earlier this year, Apogee reached out to the equipment vendor for fixing. They were informed that the vendor no longer manufactured or supported that particular service.

As a result, Apogee searched for a new equipment vendor and found a few options that could provide a new guide channel for no additional and substantial cost.

“Apogee [had] also found an online guide option, which would not increase costs,” said Sr. Client Services Manager of Apogee, Brenda Saunders.

Not having this particular option cost be increased, added for a smoother transition from the old programming options to the new online listing.

It was Apogee who presented the online option to the university as an alter-

native choice.

Apogee, sometimes referred to as ‘Crapogee,’ found the school a new alternative to a channel guide from the previous one that Mary Washington used to have.

With all the complaints Apogee receives from students due to slow internet and constant Wi-Fi disconnections, Apogee seems to be hoping to redeem themselves with this new online programming guide.

“Rather than not offering a listing as all, it was decided to offer the online (free) option,” Saunders said.

The purpose of the new online channel listing is to allow residents to access the channel listings on any browser, and to have the ability to view current and future television programming options.

“The channel guide provides stu-

dents with a listing of the available cable TV programming and when it is aired,” said chief information officer, Hall Cheshire.

It is something that students will be able to use often and have on hand whenever they need it, as well as not have to worry about a payment.

“It’s actually a really great new digital component that the university and Apogee have come up with,” said junior psychology major, Kelsey Mooring.

“And it’s even better that it’s free.”

Students have found the new TV channel listing to be both beneficial and convenient.

“It’s pretty cool and I use it a bunch,” said Michelle Curtain, a junior accounting major.

11

SPORTS

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

Freshman Erin Andrewlevich wins CAC Rookie of the Year GINNY BIXBY Staff Writer

At the Capital Athletic Conference Track & Field Championships in February, University of Mary Washington track freshman Erin Andrewlevich was thrown in at the last minute to anchor the women’s 4x400-meter relay.

“I didn’t know I’d be running it. I was so tired. I’d just run another race five minutes before,” she said. But running the last leg, the freshman clinched the title for the four women relay team.

She was recently named CAC Women’s Track & Field Rookie of the Year.

“I found out about winning Rookie of the Year while I was standing with my best friend at lunch waiting in line for a sandwich,” Andrewlevich said. “I got a text from my dad telling me that I’d won the award. I was really surprised because I didn’t realize I was even eligible for this award. I wasn’t expecting it at all.”

On a recent Wednesday, the team flocked together on the blue track, lunging and stretching before practice. While all members labored through the same warmup routine, each went at their own pace.

In the middle, Andewlevich stood in a hot pink Under Armour sweatshirt, her long blond ponytail fluttering. It was clear that her teammates looked up to her for her skill. But the 19-year-old sprinter is largely unassuming. The team broke up into groups. Andrewlevich was paired up with a male sprinter and the two ran 200 and 400-meter intervals. After each sprint, she would stand there hands propped on her hips, breathing heavily for a seven minute break. Then all of a sudden, she was running again, as if no time had passed between intervals. Andrewlevich maintains a very distinct posture while running. “I call her the boxer because of the way she punches her arms when she runs,” said Kathy Binder, UMW’s sprinting coach. “I tease her about it a lot.”

Forjan having record breaking season

JASMINE TURNER Staff Writer

Daniel Forjan is a junior at the University of Mary Washington and has been a member of the track and field team since his freshman year. Forjan holds school records participating in shot put, discus, hammer and the weight throw with personal bests throws of 15.79 meters in shot put, 44.09 meters in discus, 41.69 meters in hammer and 14.67 meters in weight throw while at UMW. He holds the indoor and outdoor shot put record at UMW and is currently ranked 16th in Division III of the NCAA. In addition to having plenty of school records in the field, he also holds the school bench-press record at almost 400 pounds.

He is two-time All-CAC athlete and CAC

Thursday, April 13 2017

“Practice can get frustrating. It’s painful. But I have to do it in order for me to get better,” Andrewlevich said.

Andrewlevich, a Bristow, Virginia native, started running in 7th grade. She played soccer when she was in elementary school and was very fast, so her father, a former runner himself, encouraged her to try out for the track team. She continued running at Patriot High School and found her passion for the sport there. “My coaches were really great and I made lifelong friends on that team because I spent so much time with people with a common interest,” Andrewlevich said.

“Qualifying for the state championships in the 4x100-meter relay as a freshman was a big accomplishment.”

By senior year, she got second at the state championships in what continues her best individual event, the 400-meter dash. “Years of different and continuous training helped me improve throughout my high school years and helped me reach that goal,” she said. Andrewlevich chose her college based on academics and student life rather than the track program.

She was not even sure she would run in college, but decided to contact the UMW track coaching staff. “I’m glad I did because I love being on the team,” she said.

“But my academics are most important.

That’s why I’m at school and have the opportunity to run track.”

Andrewlevich has a vast array of interests outside of track. While undecided as to her major, she calls herself “a United States history nerd,” is obsessed with the Broadway musical Hamilton and admits to having a crush on Lin-Manuel Miranda.

She is also well-versed in American Sign Language, and is a member of UMW’s dance group, the Performing Arts Club.

“Tap is my favorite style,” she said. “I don’t want to choose between dance or any of my other interests and track,” Andrewlevich said. “I have different reasons

for loving each. I have to find a balance because I could never choose between it all. It’s simply not an option for me. Track helps me manage my time because my schedule is so regimented.”

“I think Erin has the potential to be an All-American in the 200-meter dash or 400-meter dash or both. She has shown potential to be a national champion,” said track and field head coach Kunle Lawson.

Andrewlevich maintains that regardless of any higher glory she may achieve, her main goal in track is to simply bring her time down in the 400-meter dash.

“I can always get faster and it’s easy to set objective goals. I don’t want to be someone who peaked in high school,” she said. “Running is not simple. People think it’s simple because it’s just running but it involves so much technique and training.

I have to think about so many things when I’m running. It’s very complicated.”

“Erin is a great person and an exceptional athlete,” said freshman teammate Yamina James. “She always works hard and makes any situation better. She is always very optimistic and definitely challenges me as an athlete.”

“Everyone on the team is really supportive of each other and everybody cares about each other,” Andrewlevich said.”I have a love/hate relationship with track.

It’s painful. But there’s this constant drive to improve.”

But far from dreaming of national athletic success, Andrewlevich’s mind is in another, more relatable place.

“I need to figure out my major,” she laughed. “I like learning but I need to figure out where to focus my attention beyond listening to Hamilton on a continuous loop.” And with that, she put her earbuds in, listening to the soundtrack again.

champion in shot put.

“I have never seen a point in competing in something if you aren’t trying to be the absolute best in it all the time,” Forjan said. “There’s no point in competing if you are content with just being good at it.”

UMW was not his first choice, as VCU offered what Forjan wanted academically.

Yet Forjan has made the most of his time at UMW with his teammates, a circle of close friends, getting a good education and being fortunate enough to excel in his sport. He attributes much success to God. “God’s got my back through everything so that always helps,” Forjan said. It also has been an easier experience because his family is close to the university.

Although Forjan is confident in his ability to compete, there are times just like anyone else where he gets the “butterflies in his stomach” type feeling.

“In discus and hammer, I have no anxiety, none at all because I don’t care about them as much. I don’t enjoy throwing them, they’re not fun. I literally just go out there and do what I do, whatever happens, happens,” Forjan said. “But usually what happens is good.”

Instead, Forjan focuses all of his pre-performance anxiety on shot put.

“There’s always pressure for me to do really good in it,” he said.

Not only does Forjan feel pressure from his national ranking, he sometimes feels pressure after being praised by teammates.

“That puts pressure on you, but at the same time you’ve got self-expectations, and you’re like ‘wow, I got to do this. I’ve got to keep improving every week.’”

But the anxiety isn’t always there.

Most of his anxiety centers around his own expectations and what he knows he is capable of achieving. “It’s like every time I go out I’m saying to myself ‘Oh my what’s going to happen? Am I going to do good? Am I going to do bad? I know that I have the potential to do good, but is it going to click today or is it not?’ Anxiety is more the frustration than anything else.”

One way that Forjan combats his pre-performance anxiety is with his pre-performance routine.

“Every time before I throw I put my headphones on and walk off, do my little warm up. Right before I throw I like to sit down, I shut my eyes, and I just picture myself at practice. At practice a lot of the times it’s just me throwing alone doing my own thing.”

This routine allows him to go through the motions rather than think about them

Erin Andrewlevich

Erin by the numbers: 60M - 7.98 200M - 25.93 300M - 43.02* 400M - 59.84 * denotes school record and by the time he is in the circle to throw his body takes over, easing the performance pressure and allowing him to be the best on his own personal level.

“I don’t ever get nervous that I’m not going to beat somebody or that someone else is better than me,” Forjan said. “It’s just that question of whether I’m going to do as good as I know I can.”

Sue Spencer / Perfect Shots

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