The Blue & Gray Press

THE

BLUE &GRAY

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON STUDENT NEWSPAPER

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

VOLUME 89 | ISSUE 10

PRESS

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE

Eagle Landing residents find mold in apartment

Higher vehicle registration to affect parking next year

KELLY EMMRICH Assistant Life Editor

The “Black mold in Alvey creates concern for its residents, staff responds with investigation and advice” article in the Oct. 29 issue of The Blue & Gray Press received a lot of attention from students, parents and administration.

This caused more residents to start coming forward about their own mold stories.

One Eagle Landing resident, Jenna Gray, a senior psychology major, came forward and spoke about how her first floor apartment became a living petri-dish.

It all started when Gray’s roommate, Karlin Hoffman, a senior English major, started developing respiratory issues by the end of move-in day. While doing some residual cleaning, she discovered an alarming leak and large amounts of mold behind the kitchen cabinets.

Hoffman, Gray and their roommates found that the mold had been cultivating for quite a while and had simply been patched up with plumber’s putty.

Plumber’s putty is used for covering up the problem, not fixing it. It is still possible for the mold to release toxins after being covered, making this solution ineffective.

After realizing that the mold had been there for a long time under withering plumber’s putty, the four girls put in a work order. However, as soon as they reported it to maintenance, they ran into problems with the administration.

“When I called to ask for somebody to come out and check the leak/ mold, because I was having issues with my allergies, the best I got was ‘we’re swamped, we will get to it when we can, it might be a day or two before some-

Sexual assault specialist plans survey

EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH News Editor

As the largest freshman class in the University of Mary Washington’s history finishes out their first semester, concerns of next year’s parking situation begin to spread across campus. Next year the current freshman class will be eligible to register for parking permits on campus, making the fight for parking spaces more competitive, especially with the promise of future construction.

As of now, the university’s Parking Management office does not allow freshmen students to register for vehicles, though exceptions are allowed.

Despite the large number of incoming students, approximately 1,380, the number of incoming students applying

Caroline Trabucco/ The Blue & Gray Press

Mold found in Eagle Landing apartment, causes heath problems for the four students living there.

body gets there,’” said Hoffman.

The girls were forced to wait for their turn on the list because maintenance had a lot on their plate.

Administration expects the students to act like adults, and subsequently the students expect the administration to treat them like adults, so, when Gray and Hoffman were forced to involve

their parents to receive any action regarding the mold problem, they were very frustrated.

“Four women were knowingly put in a unit that had a mold and leak problem and it took our parents getting involved for administration to begin to take the issue seriously. Before this point we had

•MOLD |11

HEATING SHUT DOWN | 2

Avina Ross’ work began when she was an undergraduate student at the College of William & Mary and heard from a friend that she was a survivor of a childhood rape.

The friend encouraged Ross to intern and organize programs with her on campus, including Take Back the Night. These experiences propelled Ross to continue working in sexual assault prevention and advocacy, taking her experience throughout the state of Virginia. Ross is now the sexual assault prevention specialist for UMW. She was hired in September this semester and plans to implement two programs during the spring semester.

Ross has previously worked with

•ROSS |10

ISSUE

“Parking Management will do our best to accommodate each eligible student wishing to bring a vehicle to campus” Robin Jones for exceptions did not rise, according to Robin Jones, parking management supervisor.

Next year, however, the department is expecting a sharp increase in vehicle registrations as freshmen students become sophomores and are permitted to bring their vehicles to campus.

According to Jones, a budget and funding request was made following a parking study that took place in February 2014 for a new, much needed parking deck. If the request is approved, construction for the parking deck could begin as early as 2017.

As the number of incoming students is expected to rise in the next few years, Jones said that the parking management office will make sure to accommodate students who need assistance with parking or with registering their vehicles.

“Parking Management will do our best to accommodate each eligible student wishing to bring a vehicle to campus,” Jones said.

Parking has fluctuated in the past few years due to the construction of

EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH News Editor

IN THIS

1922

Caroline Trabucco/ The Blue & Gray Press

•PARKING |11

AGORA COFFEE

FOUL PLAY?

STRONG FINISH

New shop brings delicious drinks, warm environment

Professor grading bias and possible solution explored

Cross Country wraps up regionals despite injuries

VIEWPOINTS | 4

SPORTS | 3

LIFE | 7

NEWS Student Government Association Beat

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

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015 The Blue & Gray Press is introducing its new weekly SGA beat!

The Student Government Association gives students a voice to the administration.

Check it out here!

Executive Cabinet members: Hannah Tibbett(President), Alexander Obolensky (Vice President), Diana Inthavong (Honor Council President), Sarah Campbell (Legislative Action Committee Chairperson), Ray Celeste Tanner (Association of Residence Halls President), Miriam McCue (Commuter Student Association President), Sarah Clay (Academic Affairs Committee Chairperson), Zaïre Sprowal (Diversity and Unity Coordinating Committee Chair), Ethan Lane (Inter-Club Association President), Juliet Narine (Judicial Review Board President), Vidya Dwarakanath (Executive Coordinator), Dana Krafft (Communications Director), Rebecca Cain (Director of Community Outreach), Timmy Caish (Technology Coordinator), Martha Keegan (Treasurer), and Tate Houff (Secretary).

Chris Markham All motions were originated and passed in the student senate, and then approved by the executive cabinet.

MANAGING EDITOR Tess Osmer

SECTION EDITORS

•

A motion proposed that the Buildings and Grounds committee work with the buildings and grounds department to install a sidewalk between College AVE and Jepson where the grass has been worn away by heavy foot traffic.

•

A motion that received approximately 230 signatures proposed that Dining committee work with Sodexo and UMW Dining to extend the service of providing bagels at Blackstone till 12 p.m. and to adequately account for the demand.

•

A motion proposed that the buildings and grounds committee work with the grounds committee work with buildings and grounds department to change the timings of the back door or Eagle Landing on Friday and Saturday.

•

A motion proposed expelling member of Student Senate for excessive absences.

•

A

•

A motion proposed that the student government association formally request that the Board of Visitors hold a vote to decide whether or not the University of Mary Washington and the University of Mary Washington Foundation should pursue institutional divestment from the fossil fuel industry during their regular meeting, formally requesting that the BOV vote concerning divestment on the meeting occurring between Feb. 18-19.

NEWS Sarah Grammer Emily Hollingsworth

VIEWPOINTS Alex Spence

LIFE Della Hethcox

SPORTS Mikey Barnes

ONLINE Ethan Tobin

PHOTO Alex Sakes

ASSISTANT EDITORS Ester Salguero

motion proposed that sustainability committee work with administration to provide well labeled recycling bins in Qdoba.

REPORTING BY TESS OSMER

Hannah Galeone Kelly Emmrich Reina Datta

Faculty Advisor Sushma Subramanian

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

2

Caroline Trabucco/ The Blue & Gray Press

UMW’s heating plant shutdown for several hours on Tuesday, Nov. 10, making for a chilly campus

Heating shut down, students inconvenienced KATHERINE BARTLES Staff Writer

On Nov. 6, the University of Mary Washington’s Facility Services sent out a campus wide announcement that they would be shutting down the steam and condensate systems on the Fredericksburg Campus.

The shutdown was scheduled to take place on Nov. 10 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The email read that this outage was necessary in order to make repairs on the heating system before it became colder, and that the majority of the campus would not have hot water.

According to John Wiltenmuth, associate vice president for facilities services, the emergency repairs were due to leaks that appeared when the campus steam system was activated for the winter.

When asked why the repairs to the heating were planned for November and what the outage intended to fix, he responded by saying that the leaks were only discovered two weeks prior to the outage.

“We rely upon a third party contractor for repair services. This week was the earliest they were available.”

-John Wiltenmuth Wiltenmuth added that the heating plant boiler had to be shut down in order to fix the main steam and condensate piping systems, explaining why heat and hot water was temporarily unavailable in residence halls and academic buildings.

“We rely upon a third party contractor for repair services. This week was the earliest they were available,” Wiltenmuth said. “[It is] somewhat similar to turning off water to repair a plumbing pipe. Several leaking pipes will be fixed and a valve will be replaced.”

After the hot water outage had ended, he said that the necessary work was finished and the repairs that were done should be expected to last more than five years.

However, because the system is somewhere between 15 and 70 years old, there may be more things to be fixed later on.

There is no guarantee that there will be no more outages for the remainder of the year, according to Wiltenmuth.

•HEATING| 10 Thursday, November 19, 2015

SPORTS

Despite setbacks, cross country closes season on strong note CODY REYNOLDS Staff Writer

Chris Markham / The Blue & Gray Press

The University of Mary Washington men’s and women’s cross country teams finished 10th and ninth respectively at the South/Southeast NCAA Regional Championship this past Saturday, November 14 in Winchester, Virginia.

The men’s team was fighting an uphill battle with top runner junior Ben Sorensen being out for the race, along with senior Kevin Speray and freshman J.P. Burklow suffering injuries mid-race. The top places on men’s team were hotly contested, with the top two runners finishing within .3 seconds of each other.

Senior Ian Granger was able to narrowly secure 29th place with a time of 27:12 beating out sophomore teammate Kevin Jones, who finished 31st. Because the top 35 individuals in the race earn All-Region honors, Granger and Jones before secured that medal for the first time The top runners on the women’s team finished in a pack led by senior Claudia Autore in 35th place with a time of 23:49, earning her first All-Region honor as well.

She was followed by fellow senior Colleen Boyle at 42nd overall with a time of 24:04.

Senior captain Sam Park described the course as fairly hilly, but not too difficult.

The team had raced at the course before a few weeks prior and knew what to expect.

When asked about how she felt finishing her final cross country meet, Park felt

“’I’M JUST HAPPY THAT THE TEAM PULLED TOGETHER WHEN IT MATTERED AND MADE SOMETHING HAPPEN OUT THERE” -Kevin Jones that “It still doesn’t feel real that my cross country career is over.”

Park had been running XC for eight years, and spoke on how hard it was to say goodbye.

Chris Markham / The Blue & Gray Press

“Distance running is a big part of how I identify myself,” Park said, “so even though my collegiate career of cross country is over, I’ll continue to run and compete in road races.”

Park also noted how quickly one loses their endurance, so she will be limiting her off season to one week before preparing for the indoor track season this spring.

“It will be my first chance to take more than 14 days off in between seasons since high school, I will continue running half marathons,” Park said.

The Eagles were the last of the UMW fall sports to finish their season, attesting to how long the experience is.

“It was so much fun because we had a small team, together we accomplished so much,” Park said. “I’m proud of my team and I’ll miss running everyday with such a fun and hardworking group.”

This year was the first under new head coach Kunle Lawson following the retirement of long-time UMW coach Stan Soper. Jones thought that both Lawson and assistant distance coach Alec Villiva “have made him a better runner this year.” Last

year, Jones finished 90th at the regional championships. “I didn’t know how well I placed until after the race, I felt that the coaches prepared me well enough so that I could do as well as I did.”

When asked if there was any animosity felt between teammates when there is a neck and neck finish, Jones responded that “There are small rivalries within the team, and even if it is a little frustrating to be beaten at the finish I’m just happy that the team pulled together when it mattered and made something happen out there.”

Jones went on to mention that he is “looking forward to a little off season” to give his legs a rest and to focus on his schoolwork, but is “excited for the indoor track to start this winter and show what I’m capable of outside the conference.”

The Eagles had a strong season, and under a new coach showed great confidence in their abilities. The runners are looking forward to coming back strong this winter and spring in both indoor and outdoor track.

UMW men and women basketball open up season with victories MIKEY BARNES Sports Editor

Basketball is back for men’s head coach Marcus Kahn and the rest of the UMW men’s basketball team. Coming off a disappointing season last year, which followed up an Elite Eight appearance in 2014, the Eagles are looking for a different outcome. Last year’s team boasted a brand new look, with only four returners on the team and a whole new coaching staff, led

by Kahn. The new look Eagles led by Kahn and then senior Taylor Johnson finished last season 8-19.

This year’s UMW Eagles is led by nine returners and some key freshmen as well as transfers.

They opened up their season on the road against the No. 22 ranked team in the nation, the Randolph-Macon Jackets. The older and experienced Eagles traveled to Ashland, Virginia ready to pull off the upset. An early back and forth start between the teams created an exciting game in the earlier parts. The duo of sophomore Eric

Shaw and junior T.J. Jones helped separate the Eagles from the Jackets for a seven point lead at the 9:35 mark in the first half, in which they would not trail afterwards.

UMW went on a 10-0 run in the early parts of the second half to give them a 15 point lead. The lead would get as high as 22 points for the Eagles. A 53.2 shooting percentage from the field for the Eagles held them cruise to a 17 point victory.

The UMW men’s team was led by Jones, who finished with a game high 26 points.

Junior Asa Scott cleaned up on the boards for UMW, grabbing nine rebounds.

The men’s team were back in action Wednesday, Nov. 18 as they dropped a nail-biter to Lynchburg College 77-72 on the road.

The Eagles were led in scoring again by Jones, who finished with 16 points. Freshman Mark Madison also had 16 points on the game. Junior Haden Thompson finished with 12 points in just six minutes of play.

The Eagles dropped to 1-1 on the season.

The UMW women’s team, who had a

quite successful season this past year under head coach Deena Applebury, returned hungry and ready to create greater success.

Applebury and the Eagles finished 20-7 on the season last year and was the runner-up in the CAC championship game.

After the loss of a few seniors from the years passed, the Eagles have added a few key freshmen and look to junior Breezi Comden and senior Megan Green to lead the team this coming season.

The Eagles opened up their season against Lynchburg College on Nov. 16.

Comden and freshman Elizabeth Dofflemyer led the Eagles in the early parts of the game as the two combined for a bulk of the Eagles points in the first quarter as they broke out to a 16-11 lead. This year the NCAA implemented quarters into women’s basketball for the first time. A variety of Eagles contributed in the second quarter to help the team to a 16 point lead, as they took the second quarter 23 to 12.

Sophomore Taylor Barton and Dofflemyer scored all but one point of the team 13

points in the third quarter. Barton scored three baskets herself and Dofflemyer scored on a three-point play on an and-one layup alongside a long-range three point basket. UMW went into the fourth quarter with a 19-point advantage 52-33.

In the final quarter, it was very back and forth as both teams scored 15 points apiece. The Eagles finished the 19 point victory 67-48, to open up the season 1-0.

Comden was the leading scorer with 16 points, Dofflemyer finished just behind her with 15.

On Nov. 20-22, the women’s team will be competing in the Hyatt Place tip-off tournament at home in the Anderson Center. The women’s team first game will be played Friday at 7:00 p.m. The men have their first home game of the season Saturday at 7 p.m. when they play host to Shenandoah and Hampden-Sydney on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Weekly Scoreboard Volleyball:

Nov. 5 @ Juniata vs. Case Western Reserve NCAA III Championship First Round (L) UMW: 1 Case Western Reserve: 3

MEN'S BASKETBALL:

Nov. 18 @ Lynchburg (L) UMW: 72 Lynchburg: 77

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Nov. 5 @ Lynchburg

(W) UMW: 67 Salisbury: 48

Upcoming:

Men’s Basketball Nov. 21 vs. Shenandoah University 7:00 p.m.

South Region Challenge

Women’s Basketball Nov. 20 vs. Randolph College 7:00 p.m.

Hyatt Place Tipoff Tournament

3

VIEWPOINTS

Anonymous grading: suggested solution to professor grading bias

JAKE KALKSTEIN Staff Writer

Recent studies suggest that grading biases are pervasive throughout higher education.

A myriad of variables such as a student’s race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age and sex, as well as a student’s personal relationship with instructors, performance on previous work, class attendance and class participation can all elicit grading biases in an academic setting.

Thus, a grading bias does not necessarily have to be driven by a particular animus.

Positive feelings toward an individual or group can also evoke a grading bias. In the majority of these cases, however, the influence of grading biases are subtle and nearly impossible for instructors to admit, even to themselves.

One study, published in 2014 by John Malouff, a neuroscientist, found that prior experience with a student biased the grading of written work product.

In the experiment, 159 faculty members or teaching assistants across substantive disciplines were randomly assigned to grade either a poor oral presentation or a good oral presentation, respectively, given by the same university student.

Subsequently, all graders assessed an essay written by that student. Analysis showed that graders assigned significantly higher scores to the essay following the good oral presentation.

Another recent study, published in 2015 by Tobias Rausch, examined the effect of personality similarities between students and instructors on judgmental biases of forthcoming student achievements.

Analysis showed that students who displayed similar personality traits to their instructor were judged significantly more positively than students who displayed dissimilar personality traits.

If undergraduate institutions are to be bastions of academic integrity, they must be pragmatic by acknowledging grading biases and urging its faculty to implement more objective grading methods.

Grading work without knowing who completed it, also referred to as anonymous grading, is commonly known as the most effective mitigation tool.

In fact, anonymous grading can be found ubiquitously in American law schools as well as many graduate pro-

Caroline Trabucco Visiting economics professor Matthew Davis

grams.

Matthew Davis, a visiting UMW economics instructor, has utilized an anonymous grading policy since he first started teaching.

As a TA, Davis realized that students’ previous performance had the potential to bias his grading on subjective assignments such as essays.

“If a particular student who had always done well received a poor grade on an assignment, I found myself looking harder to make sure I didn’t miss anything, that maybe they really did have the right idea in there somewhere; to sort of give them that extra attention that I wouldn’t necessarily give a C student…I realized that this slightly differential grading was not fair,” Davis said.

Going forward, Davis felt obligated to implement an anonymous grading policy in which students write their Banner ID

Gred/Flickr

numbers on their assignments instead of their names.

“It’s very low cost. My students write their IDs on their tests and all I have to do is match their IDs to a roster.”

Question by question grading, another mitigation tool, is also highly effective.

As opposed to grading one test at a time, question by question grading prevents the expectation that students’ performance on previous questions will be indicative of their performance on upcoming questions.

Daniel Kahneman, a famous psychologist and Nobel Prize winner, writes on the subject of question by question grading by saying, “the first question I scored had a disproportionate effect on the overall grade…if I had given a high score to the first essay, I gave the student the benefit of the doubt whenever I encountered a vague

“IT’S VERY LOW COST. MY STUDENTS WRITE THEIR IDs ON THEIR TESTS AND ALL I HAVE TO DO IS MATCH THEIR IDs TO A ROSTER” -Matthew Davis

or ambiguous statement later on.”

Biased grading is also preventable by using detailed rubrics. Rubrics provide an objective and rigid form of grading criteria. This approach works best if the rubric is shared with students.

Of course, there are limitations with respect to the efficacy of these grading methods.

For example, when students consult an instructor regarding unique assignment topics it will be difficult for students to remain anonymous.

Furthermore, these grading methods will only be useful when assignments or testing involves subjectivity, e.g. essays or short narrative answers.

On the other hand, it is virtually impossible to grade multiple choice, fillin-the-blank and matching questions in a biased manner because answers can only be right or wrong. Thus, instructors must use discretion.

There is no room for irrelevant factors like pro-activity, age, gender or race to result in one student to be treated differently than the others.

Grading has to be unbiased so that all students are held to the same standards and treated fairly. Instructors have a moral obligation to promote objectivity and to that end, to avoid applying bias and other subjective criteria.

Editorial: Social media reacts to ISIS attacks We have lived another weekend unscathed by the atrocities ISIS has inflicted.

Beginning Thursday and thankfully ending on Saturday, of this past weekend, a total of 170 innocent lives were lost.

A double suicide bombing on Thursday, Nov. 12, plagued Beirut, Lebanon where 40 civilians were killed by two suicide terrorists.

While the following Friday, Paris fell victim to seven terrorist attackers who claimed the lives of 129 people as reported by the New York Times.

At 6 p.m. on Friday UMW students were going about their business as usual until we logged onto our social media, a before dinner, unwinding activity, to find our newsfeed stacked with the latest updates of the attacks in Paris, France.

We saw a slew of friends utilize Facebook’s French flag filtered profile picture homage along with the Safety Check tool, which Facebook has only activated for natural disasters, that allowed users to alert their loved ones concerning their safety in France.

Two air strikes have been conducted by the French Government, as French president Francois Hollande declared Friday’s attacks “acts of war,” by ISIS. While on Saturday morning ISIS claimed responsibility of both the French and Lebanese attacks.

What we may not have realized Friday, while prayers for the French were pleaded for and while concert goers held their breath under dead bodies, is that this is an every-day experience for those in Syria

and Lebanon. That is why millions of refugees are fleeing Syria.

By the time the second bomb went off in France, Twitter was slammed with updates of the carnage.

While Beirut was left with nothing but rubble to pick through with no help from their corrupt government.

Not to mention that now, those countries in proximity to Syria, such as Lebanon, may be subject to further attacks by the French military.

It is important to realize that the group that the French, American and Russian forces are seeking to combat, ISIS, is wreaking havoc in its own territory, and is not explicitly restricted to attacks on the west.

Social media tends to desensitize us to

the rest of the world, but it should be used to gain knowledge and information. After the terrorist attacks correlated by ISIS made their mark and we filtered our pictures to line our faces with red white and blue stripes to show our “solidarity” we are left to realize that nothing we click gives any real support.

We at the Blue & Gray Press look to these events with a heavy heart. But we seek to inform our readers to look at the bigger picture, that though it is tragic what happened in France last friday, it is a reality for many in Syria and other Middle Eastern states.

Moreover, it has been for years throughout the Syrian Civil War and the War on Iraq.

By THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD

4

Thursday, November 19, 2015

VIEWPOINTS

Editor: Alex Spence | blueandgray.views@gmail.com

Livestock industry causes harmful effects on environment

NATALIE FURMAN Staff Writer

Earlier this semester I wrote an article about the impact of the meat industry on the environment but found myself in a tizzy a just a few days after it was published.

I cited sources which I now believe have been skewed. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, which covers the harmful impacts of the livestock industry, the environment and global warming effects did not provide sufficient sources.

I now believe that the FAO has fallen short of accounting for all of the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to livestock and production.

The FAO published a report in 2006 estimating that 18 percent of human-induced worldwide GHG emissions are attributable to livestock.

Analysis by Robert Goodland and Jeff Anhang reviewed the FAO’s accounting, and ended up explaining how GHG emissions attributable to livestock actually accounts for at least 51 percent of human-induced GHG emissions.

Goodland retired as lead environmentalist adviser at The World Bank Group after serving there for 23 years. In 2008 he was awarded the first Coolidge Memorial Medal by the IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, for outstanding contributions to environmental conservation.

Anhang is a research officer and environmental specialist at The World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation.

They notably explained how the FAO underestimated or overlooked some categories of GHGs, and assigned others to the wrong sector.

The FAO’s 2006 analysis claimed that 7,516 million tons of CO2e per year is attributable to livestock.

Goodland and Anhang found in 2009 that 25,048 million tons of CO2e attrib-

U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr

utable to livestock were missing from the FAO’s 2006 analysis.

Then in 2012, the FAO partnered with global livestock industry association to undertake further analysis and in 2013, they reduced their estimate of GHGs attributable to livestock from 18 percent to 14.5 percent.

In an analysis by Goodland and Anhang focuses especially on carbon in livestock respiration, carbon absorption forgone on land used for livestock and feed production, and the lifecycle of methane.

The argument for counting carbon in livestock respiration is that a perfect equilibrium once existed between the amounts of CO2 respired by animals and that photosynthesized by plants, but it no longer exists.

The amount of carbon respired by animals has increased sharply as the number of livestock raised has risen, and at the same time much more forest has been cleared, therefore decreasing the amount of carbon absorbed through photosynthesis.

This has coincided with a huge increase in carbon released by humans, industries and transportation.

There is a worldwide shortage of grassland but an ever-increasing demand for livestock production.

To keep up with this demand the only option is to destroy natural forest. Livestock markets have been increasing mostly in developing countries.

Rain forests, which normally store 200 tons of carbon per hectare, which is a metric unit of square measure equal to 100 acres, must be destroyed to expand livestock-raising and they are replaced by grassland, where the carbon stored per hectare drops to eight.

The FAO does not count these large amounts of GHG reductions from photosynthesis that are forgone by using 26 percent of land worldwide for grazing livestock and 33 percent for growing feed.

Livestock accounted for 37 percent of human-induced methane, according to the FAO in 2006. Experts have affirmed the point made by Goodland and Anhang that accounting for methane should reflect that it dissipates in the atmosphere much more quickly than carbon dioxide.

In addition, research done at Harvard University has affirmed the point made

by Goodland and Anhang that official accounting for methane appears to under-

count actual methane emissions significantly.

Livestock production contributes to a perilous amount of emissions and there is only one effective strategy to slowing climate change in the near term – and that is replacing livestock products with better alternatives.

The Kyoto Protocol made it a priority to reduce the usage of fossil fuels – but GHG emissions have increased by more than 60 percent since the Kyoto Protocol was signed.

The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty, which extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that commits State Parties to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, based on the premise that (a) global warming exists and (b) man-made CO2 emissions have caused it.

If you want to join the cause and end climate change, check out chompingclimatechange.org and do not forget to click the NO BULL tab if you would like to get involved in the No Bull Project, a campaign that aims at spreading awareness about the impact of the livestock industry on the environment and encouraging people to adopt alternative forms of “meat.”

Recent ISIS attack leaves Islam the target of ignorant accusation HANNAH PARKER Staff Writer

On Nov. 13, 2015, a day surely to go down in history, the world shook. In a full-fledged terrorist attack on the capital of France, Paris, 129 civilians were killed and 352 were left injured according to the U.K. paper, The Telegraph.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria extremist group, better known as ISIS, admitted to being the culprits behind the attacks on Paris, saying it was just “the first of the storm” for the future terroist attacks to come according to The New York Times. ISIS has successfully inflicted fear throughout the world and the world wants retaliation now.

And rightfully so due to the innocent lives lost and the fear captivating the world, but some forms of “retaliation” are not so righteous.

Exploding over social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and anonymity sites such as Yik Yak, people are classifying all Muslims as “terrorists” because of the inhuman acts of ISIS. ISIS is an anti-Western militant group centralized in northern Syria stretching to Iraq whose goal is to create their own Islamic State in their region, according to CNN.

There are two very important words to pick out, militant and group. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary militant is, “having or showing a desire or willingness to use strong, extreme, and sometimes forceful methods to achieve something” and a group is, “a number of people who are connected by some shared activity,

as a Muslim or religious act is incorrect.

Terrorism is, “the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal,” according to Merriam-Webster dictionary.

Nowhere in that definition does it specify a religion that solely uses tactics of terrorism. The world needs to learn to

Bluegobblin/Flickr Citizens gather at the National Gallery in rememberance of the innocent lives lost

interest, or quality.” ISIS is a connected number of people who share the same desire to use extreme methods to achieve a goal. Therefore, generalizing the entire Islamic religion as terrorists is simply incorrect.

Not only that, stereotyping terrorism

stop associating a 1,400-year-old religion with actions that have occurred over the last decade.

If we were to look broadly over the history of the world ‘terrorism,’ it would be associated with multiple religions.

Are all Christians terrorists because

of actions of the Ku Klux Klan? Are all Buddhists terrorists because of the League of Blood Incident in 1932, which plotted the assassination of politicians and the wealthy? Are all Hindus terrorists because of the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombings, which set off bombs in two trains killing 68 people?

No. Just like not all Muslims are terrorists because of the actions of ISIS or Al Qaeda alike.

We would like to believe that our school is above such ignorant generalizations, but sadly the night of the Paris attacks hate posts were made over Yik Yak degrading Muslims and the Islamic religion.

Examples include posts from Yik Yak such as: “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslim,” “Christianity does not condone killing #Islamdoes,” and“If I kill in your name does that mean you condoned my killing? No, Islam condones the killing of nonbelievers. Simple as that.”

The ignorance that surrounds the concept of terrorism is clouding the real issue at hand- ISIS, not Muslims, but ISIS. And before the world can learn the difference and learn that terrorism has no religion unrighteous retaliation will proceed on.

5

LIFE

Editor: Della Hethcox blueandgray.life@gmail.com

New exhibition on campus, New Ceramics in the Old Dominion

NICOLE LINDELL Staff Writer

Just beyond the doors of duPont Gallery lies a room filled with the otherworldly art of the “New Ceramics in the Old Dominion” exhibition.

A severed head in a chair and an enormous nude woman posing with a rabbit and a plant made of semi-human faces now call this gallery their temporary home, along with several other works which are both beautiful and outlandish.

According to the University of Mary Washington Galleries website, this exhibition includes artwork by professors from nearly every college and university in Virginia. The website also states that “The variety of forming methods, firing ranges and conceptual approaches represented highlight the incredible potential of clay while revealing the talent and skill of professors across the state.”

The word “variety” is aptly used, as the pieces displayed in the gallery range from the avant garde to more traditional ceramic work like plates and bowls. As for forming methods, some pieces are made entirely of clay while others were created using alu-

minum, graphite, steel, glaze, and found objects like chairs or pitchers.

Each piece in the exhibition has a unique flavor: some are haunting while others are joyful, some seem childish in design while others seem mature and refined. Similarly, while some are extremely simplistic others are very intricate. There is truly a piece in the exhibition for every artistic taste and inclination.

Carly Hossler, a senior historic preservation major, presides over the gallery and answers any questions that visitors or students may have.

“Surprisingly, a lot of people have [come

to the gallery] because a ceramics professor [from UMW] has two pieces on display. A lot of his students have come in,” said Hossler.

The professor mentioned

by Hossler, Jon McMillan, created the pieces titled Pinned and Specimen 3.

“I think my favorite piece is probably Specimen 3 by Jon McMillan,” Nicole Lindell Hossler said, as she paused to walk across the room and double check the title.

Hossler also remarked that there are several pieces in the exhibition that she would buy for herself if she could. Unfortunately, student budgets do not include the freedom to buy artwork.

The gallery is open during school hours as well as on nights that Avenue Q is showing in Klein Theatre, which means the exhibition has been enjoyed by quite a few playgoers.

“On play nights, we get a lot of people coming in that aren’t students, people from the community,” Hossler said.

Hossler also pointed out that there is another exhibition currently showing in a different UMW gallery. “Our show in Ridderhof is pretty cool.” Hossler said. “It’s a contemporary craft show.”

The UMW Galleries website describes the art displayed in the exhibition as “artworks that utilize traditional materials in new ways, yet maintain the hand and craftsmanship of the artist.” There is also an interactive piece at this exhibition.

Both the “New Ceramics in the Old Dominion” and the “Contemporary Craft” exhibitions are showing in their respective galleries until Dec. 6.

A visit to these exhibitions would be worth your time whether you are an art connoisseur or you simply want to see some crazy sculptures.

Alex Sakes/ The Blue & Gray Press

The faculty created exhibition presents the community with a variety of avant garde ceramic pieces on display with UMW Galleries in duPont Hall.

English professor introduces seniors to revolt literature

HEATHER JACKLING Staff Writer

If you are an English major and you have not yet decided which senior seminar to take for the spring semester, Dr. Clarence “Danny” Tweedy III teaches a class full of great literature and insightful discussions.

Radical Black Fiction Writer, a 400 level seminar course, will be taught this coming spring of 2016.

This course not only reflects some of Tweedy’s personal research and presented material, but also offers students new insight into a literary genre all too often overlooked called “revolt fiction.” Revolt fiction is comprised of novels that portray the often violent struggle to defeat and overcome systemic oppression in literature.

For Tweedy, his first exposure to this type of literature came at a young age. “When I was about 11, my mother and even my grandmother would talk about the novel ‘The Spook Who Sat by The Door’ by Sam Greenlee, this sort of revolutionary novel was just appealing to me,” Tweedy said.

“I didn’t think that there was anything like that out there, and I looked everywhere for it, and even in graduate school I still couldn’t find it. Only with the rise of Amazon was I finally able to get it.”

During graduate school, Dr. Tweedy said that he took a Harlem Renaissance seminar where he found “Dark Princess” by W.E.B Dubois. He said that after reading that novel he began researching others like it and

6

found the genre of Revolt Fiction, which later lead him to the concept of Afrocentrism and the book “Afrotopia.” “[When] I read a book by Wilson Jeremiah Moses called ‘Afrotopia,’ then I started thinking about utopias and dystopias, and so for the past four years whenever I go to the Utopian Studies Conference, I present on Afrotopia and four different versions of it where I walk through these radical texts, I’m always looking at this sort of revolt fiction,” Tweedy said.

When Tweedy came to UMW in 2006, he wondered how he could teach this sort of literature. After a seminar on Octavia Butler, who is a noted female contemporary science fiction author, he realized that her literature also fits well into the sphere of Radical Black Fiction.

“The jumping off point was when I published a paper on her because the argument I made initially made in the paper, and I talked to Dr. Richards about this, was that these more radical African American texts were being dismissed and not being taught because of…revolt fiction or the empowerment associated with it,” Tweedy said.

He believed that it was important for students, especially those who love literature, to be able to experience a wider array of novels, and the various genres that this written world can give to us and thus started laying out the foundation for the seminar.

“At first I was interested in focusing on male authors, but as two students, Audrey

Ricks and Jordan Riser pointed out to me when I was designing the class, and I had told them I had only looked at the men of revolt fiction, it was one of those wake up things,” Tweedy said.

However, once Tweedy began looking at the novels he was going to include in his seminar, he realized that not only had this type of literature exploded in the literary world but also that he could also incorporate many celebrated radical female authors as well.

“I started looking at the male authors and realized that they were writing from a militaristic and nationalist standpoint with male anxieties, whereas the women focused on the radical aspect of the community including the revolt against the roles of gender, being sexually classified, and the black woman within the community, which made me look at the genre in a whole new light,” Tweedy said.

The seminar will be offered next semester, although Tweedy has admitted that he is already looking at making some changes to the course, more specifically, to the texts that will be read by his seniors.

He wants to incorporate more authors from the 19th century, and stick to the time line of the literature, but still maintain the even division of female and male authors.

Tweedy believes that a key aspect is having the students understand the novels through presentations, class participation in addition to research and analysis done entirely by the students.

Clarence Tweedy

“I learned a lot from you all in Radical Black Fiction, in terms of approaches and new ways of looking at things, which changes the way that I think,” Tweedy said to his students.

Tweedy’s seminar is an important contribution to the English department, as it offers students an in depth perspective at a type of fiction that is often disregarded in many English literature classes, and even overlooked in African American literature classes.

This course seeks to introduce students to an overlooked genre in a way that is both fun and knowledgeable, while situating radical black fiction in a historical context that he is always eager to discuss and teach with his students.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

LIFE

Agora Downtown gives coffee lovers new opportunities

GRANT RAYCROFT Staff Writer

As the leaves turn red and the days grow cold, a cozy little place off the brick walk of old-town Fredericksburg is where one can get safe inside from the chill.

A tame and quiet shop around midday, a back-room stocked with books ranging from a grand population of Tor fantasy novels to the works of Anne Rice, is where it is possible to hide in a little corner and disappear inside a good novel or computer screen.

You can get a warm cup of creamy cocoa, topped with powdered chocolate and forget your problems, because this is Agora Downtown.

The latest addition to the downtown Fredericksburg scene would not be reality without the dream of two sisters.

Andi and M.J. Stone come from a set of five siblings in Stafford County. Born two years apart, with M.J. being the elder, the two have always joked about running their own business.

Andi saw herself running a bakery. M.J. wanted a coffee shop.

Ideally, they would also be neighbors.

It was nothing more than a fantasy at the time, but things would change.

After graduating from Brooke Point High School, the sisters went their own ways. Andi went to Virginia Tech. M.J. took to school at New York’s Elmira College.

While attending, their parents, Keith and Kristine Stone, suggested making their dream a reality and the two decided it was worth a shot.

Andi graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in food, science and technology. M.J., after completing her bachelor’s in art, spent two more years in school and graduated with a master’s in business the same year as her sister in 2014.

With their credentials in order, the two had to go about setting up shop.

The location they happened upon was none other than one of Fredericksburg’s longest standing buildings.

Surviving both the infamous Fredericksburg Fire of 1807 and the entirety of the Civil War, the home at 520 Caroline Street stood since 1787.

In fact, to this day it retains its original floor and some walls.

With the help of their parents, who have worked in real estate with a specialty in repairs and renovations, Andi and M.J. spent 10 arduous months remodeling the home into a business front.

Looking back, it was a lot more work than they thought, according to M.J. They had to put up new walls, their father redid all the plumbing for the kitchen, and the stand-up shower was transformed into broom closet.

After nearly a year of hard work, the Stone sisters had their very own homegrown business. The name they settled on was Agora Downtown.

Agora, deriving from Greek, holds a double meaning. It is defined as a gathering place, which the Stones say means “Come, stay awhile, meet people and enjoy yourself.” The other meaning is purely coincidental as agora also means “right now” in Portuguese. Agora features a skip-the-line option for morning commuters short on time.

They are allowed to “grab some coffee and pay on an honor system in case they are in a hurry,” says M.J. Agora Downtown opened on May 2 and since, M.J. and Andi have been working tirelessly. They knew going in that a major struggle many coffee

houses face is lease issues.

The two of them have the good fortune to have their parents as landlords.

Right now the two of them work the place on their own. Though it might seem quiet, there is always someone going in or out.

Andi likes experimenting with their baked goods. She is always trying new things.

Currently she is trying to open their menu to those with dietary restrictions so many of her treats are made without milk or M.J. says they deliberately do not label them as such, since many folks without those limitations think the words “vegan” and “gluten-free” are synonymous with bad taste.

However they give them a color code, which people with those restrictions recognize.

M.J. also sells her artwork and handmade creations.

The store is advancing in a set of stages, faster than the two had anticipated. One of the recent steps has been the acquisition of a liquor license.

M.J. says they are planning to open up the back for outside seating. Right now it is just an empty lot, but come spring, the Stones are going to start working on it.

With luck, they plan to hold events there and get local musicians to perform.

What is certain is that Andi and M.J. do not want to turn Agora into a franchise chain. They do not intend to be one of big names and want to keep hold of their identity.

There are some thoughts of opening a new location, but it will be drastically different for what they have here.

Still in their first year, Andi and M.J. have big plans for their coffee shop, and so far, their hard work has yielded great results.

If you are looking for a welcoming place to prop your feet up this fall, they will eagerly open their door.

Della Hethcox/ The Blue & Gray Press

Agora is a charming edition to Caroline Street, close enough to the Amtrak Station for commuters as well as the rest of downtown Fredericksburg.

Agora’s hours of operation: Monday – Thursday: 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Friday: 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Saturday: 8:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Sunday: Closed

7

FOLLOW US!

Download for free!

@theBlueandGray

BlueandGrayPress

The Blue & Gray Press

The Blue & Gray Press has a new mobile app available for your viewing pleasure. Availble for both Android and iPhone.

LIFE

Red Cross encourages students to donate blood, save lives

REINA DATTA Staff Writer

According to the American Red Cross, every two seconds someone in the United States needs a blood donation.

For an hour all you need to forfeit is a little bit of blood and your time. There are so many people in the U.S. who are eligible to donate blood, but few do so.

The American Red Cross goes to public schools and universities all around the U.S. to hopefully receive donations from healthy donors. The Red Cross started their blood donation campaign in 1941 for the

U.S. military and today, they are the top blood donation service in the nation.

For many people, the lifesaving act of donating blood does not cross their mind.

Most of the time, it is because they have never really thought about the need for blood donations, or they just do not like the idea of needles.

However, if more people knew that one blood donation could save the lives of up to three people, it is likely that more people would offer their services.

The donation process is incredibly safe and the Red Cross makes sure that every person they receive a donation from is

Jerry/Flickr

The Red Cross now offers mobile blood drives to encourage student donations.

healthy.

Every blood donor is given a mini-physical, checking the donor’s temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hemoglobin to ensure it is safe for the donor to give blood and for their blood to enter another person’s bloodstream.

The actual donation takes less than 15 minutes, but there is extra precaution taken, such as providing food and drinks, to make sure that the donor is recovered and nourished before they are released again.

Individuals who are at least 17 years of age or 16, with parental permission in some states, weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health are eligible to donate blood.

Because blood may be needed at any time by hospitals all around the nation, it must be collected regularly.

No one expects to need blood, however, if it is not available when the need arises, the consequences can be fatal.

Charles Haymond/ Wikipedia Although those who donate can tell you there is no better feeling than sav- A donor waits during his donation. ing a life, about only five percent of elout to be a representative of the Red Cross, igible donors actually donate. That is why or even a local hospital, take their scripted regular donors, those who commit to giv- speech into consideration. ing blood once a season, are so important Know that they are doing their part to in ensuring blood is available year-round ensure that another cancer patient gets the when the need arises. proper treatment, or so that a premature inThe human body always has about 10 fant can grow up to go to college, and have pints of blood in the body, and a single do- the opportunity to continue their life thanks nation only takes one pint. to your donation.

The next time that you receive a phone call from an unknown number who turns

Res Hall Recipe: apple crisp, the perfect fall dish Ingredients:

Directions:

• 1 apple, peeled and

1. Place apples into a

sliced

baking dish, sprinkle

• 1 tablespoon

lemon juice on top.

lemon juice

2. Combine the dry ingredients

• 2 tablespoons

butter, sugar,

sugar • 2 tablespoons butter • 2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats • cinnamon *or try a dash of nutmeg

Abi Porter/ Flickr

DELLA HETHCOX Life Editor

It is apple season, which means that grocery stores are full of glossy, crispy fruit just begging to be used in the kitchen.

My go-to, personal favorite recipes that include apples are either apple pie or apple crisp. Although, I am a firm believer that these two dishes are acceptable for any meal or snack. After all, fruit is good for you.

Whether you are a sweet apple fan of Honey-Crisp or Golden Delicious or want something tarter and heartier such as Granny Smith or Braeburn, you can use your favorite variety for a quick apple crisp that can be easily assembled in your residence hall kitchenette.

If you want to take this recipe to the next level, try substitutions like palm sugar or maple syrup instead of baking sugar.

Add in dried fruit or nuts such as raisins, which are a fantastic addition, especially if you are using a sweet apple, pumpkin and sunflower seeds are also a great way to sneak in some healthy oils.

Of course, if you are planning on this as a dessert, whipped cream or ice cream is always a good idea. For a healthier alternative, try adding a honey-infused Greek yogurt.

oats, cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the apples and lemon juice.

3. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until apples are tender.

9

NEWS

Peer educator program, Climate Survey among spring programs

•ROSS | 1 Virginia’s Department of Health Office of the Chief Medical Examiner as the state’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Coordinator. In this position, Ross worked with cases involving deaths due to domestic violence incidents. Ross has also interned and volunteered with RAINN (Rape Abuse Incest National Network), worked as an adjunct professor of sociology in several colleges and worked with organizations in both Williamsburg and Newport News.

She is currently a doctoral candidate at VCU’s School of Social Work, where she is researching portrayals of domestic violence in media involving women of color and how it can be relevant to social work. According to Ross, she has been welcomed by members of the university, who want to help bring awareness for this issue. As of now, Ross wants to find students and faculty who are not only willing to learn about the subject and teach others, but to offer emotional support to students and victims of sexual assault when they need it most.

Ross is starting a peer training program for the spring semester called TEAL (Team for Empowerment, Advocacy & Learning).

In the program, rising juniors and seniors will receive training regarding sexual misconduct, pedagogy, advocacy/service, prevention, intervention and policy. Once trained, peer educators will work to facilitate educational modules and information sessions to incoming and current student groups.

Interested students can apply between now and Nov. 22. The application will include a professional reference, which can include a professor or

advisor.

In addition, students who take part in the program will have the opportunity to earn internship credits, provided that they have a faculty advisor and meet both with the advisor and Ross regularly.

Ross will also be implementing a Climate Survey, which will get student input not only on how they feel sexual assault is addressed on campus, but allow them to detail their own experiences regarding sexual assault, whether they feel that the campus is safe or unsafe, and describe any instances where they have intervened during a potentially violent situation.

The survey, according to Ross, will allow her to understand from students exactly what sort of educational or preventative actions students, faculty and staff most need addressed at UMW. “[We’re] seeking to capture not only campus norms about sexual assault, [but] student perspective on safety, experiences where they felt unsafe, or intervened,” Ross said.

Ross will be implementing both the peer education program and the Climate Survey in the spring.

However, she is looking for the most to speak with students who have innovative ideas tackling this issue. She wants students to feel they can approach her with anything. Her goal is to make UMW a safe place, and to bring her students’ visions to fruition.

“We want to be safe, and we want others to be safe, too,” Ross said.

Ross can be reached at aross2@ umw.edu and (540) 654-1166 for appointment. During open hours, her office is located at Combs Hall, Room 108.

“We’re seeking to capture not only campus norms about sexual assault, but student perspective on safety.”

-Avina Ross

Heating plant maintenance causes inconvenience for UMW students •HEATING | 2 living on campus became frustrated and afraid that the residence halls would be incredibly cold, due to the fact that there was a high of 57 degrees that day and they would not be able to use hot water for showers or turn on the radiators.

“For the hot water outage on Tuesday, we were aware of the outage because of the e-mail and we just had to take showers later on in the day,” said Allie Ruhlen, a freshman who lives in Westmoreland Hall.

Ruhlen also said that Westmoreland Hall also had an unannounced hot water outage all day Saturday Nov. 7, but they were not sent any information regarding that outage.

This outage in Westmoreland Hall

10

was not confirmed by Facilities Services Another student, Nikolas Dennis, a sophomore English major, who lives in Willard Hall, said that the outage caused issues for him.

“Because I have OCD, I wash my hands a lot so I had to make sure I was in a place with hot water, so the hot water outage was definitely an inconvenience for me,” Dennis said.

Although the outage was not a huge inconvenience to most people, there were many people who were not aware of the outage until immediately before the system shut down.

This was due to fact that they had not checked their emails.

Altogether, the heating outage was necessary in order to fix the leaking pipes, but UMW students are still frustrated about the inconvenience.

POLICE BEAT

BY ESTER SALGUERO Assistant News Editor

Liquor Law Violations On Monday, Oct. 26 at 12 a.m. a student received an administrative referral for public intoxication at the UMW Apartments.

On Friday, Nov. 6 at 10:20 p.m. a student received an administrative referral for public intoxication at Willard Hall.

On Sunday, Nov. 8 at 1:20 a.m. a student received an administrative referral for underage possession of alcohol at Eagle Landing.

Vandalism On Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. an incident of vandalism was reported from Alvey Hall. The case is pending.

On Sunday, Nov. 1 at 7:40 p.m. a student received an administrative referral and two criminal charges were filed due to vandalism reports at the Stratford Apartments.

On Sunday, Nov. 1 at 7:50 p.m. an incident of vandalism was reported from Eagle Landing. The case is pending.

On Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. an incident of vandalism was reported from the Hurley Convergence Center. The case is pending.

Possession Violations On Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 11:50 p.m. a student received an administrative referral due to possession of marijuana at Custis Hall.

On Sunday, Nov. 8 at 12 a.m. four administrative referrals were filed for possession of marijuana at Virginia Hall.

On Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 9:30 p.m. a student received an administrative referral for possession of marijuana at Virginia Hall.

On Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6:40 p.m. a student received an administrative referral for possession of marijuana at Mason Hall.

On Monday, Nov. 16 at 12:30 a.m. a student received an administrative referral for possession of marijuana at Virginia Hall. .

Larceny On Monday, Nov. 16 at 2:30 p.m. an incident of larceny was reported from Dupont Hall. The case is pending.

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

Thursday, November 19, 2015

NEWS

Majority of freshmen students expected to register vehicles next year

•PARKING |1

became available at the Pizza Hut parking lot, and as of this semester, any vehicle with a UMW decal can park in the first three floors of the UMW Parking Deck rather than being limited to one floor only.

In addition, on Monday through Wednesday, four commuter parking spaces and two UMW Apartment parking spaces were unavailable at the parking lot at the intersection of William Street and Sunken Road.

One entrance and one exit from the lot was also blocked away. This was due to a shared box with Verizon wireless that needed to be fixed, according to Jones, who said Emergency Management and Safety put in the request.

This semester, 1,041 commuter students had received parking decals. Of these 1,041, 909 included actual vehicle registration and 132 included back-up vehicles.

In addition, 833 residents received parking decals this semester. These residents are from Eagle Landing, UMW apartments and residential students who live in the central areas of campus.

These issued decals include 804 issued for registration purposes and 29 were replacements to the original for a variety of reasons.

How does parking match with these numbers?

Currently, there are 37 parking designations listed on UMW’s website and 2,565 parking spaces altogether, according to Parking Management’s records for the 2015 fiscal year. These spaces include parking for students living in residence halls, Eagle Landing, UMW apartments, commuter students, handicapped spaces and faculty and staff parking.

Though parking options are available, parking near academic buildings can be a challenge.

Colin Chadduck, a graduate student studying geospatial analytics, said he has heard complaints from commuting students that parking is limited near buildings where they have classes.

“I do have a lot of friends who do have trouble finding parking spaces near academic buildings,” Chadduck

said. “This campus is designed for people who live on campus.” He added that UMW’s Stafford location is more geared toward commuting students.

Jones said that for those looking for available parking when College Avenue is full, there is available parking on the first floor of the UMW Parking deck and at the Battleground Complex in parking lot no. 33 next to the soccer fields.

“We do have available parking, however it’s just not as close as everyone would prefer it to be,” Jones said. She also said the department has heard from students and faculty members that there is not enough parking on campus.

Brianna Costache, a senior psychology and English double major, said that she lives in the Stratford Apartments near campus and does not use a car.

However, she said she has heard from her other friends who commute that it can be difficult to find space during morning classes.

“I never had a car here, but my friends sometimes [say] in the morning around 10, [parking] can be hard to find,” Costache said.

Parking in incorrectly designated spaces has also been an issue. According to Jones, 189 citations were issued this semester for vehicles not parked in the correct parking areas. Of these 189 citations, 90 were students and the other 99 were a combination of all campus community members.

Freshmen students also had something to say about driving on campus.

While some were initially excited to have a vehicle next year, Kyle Stephens said he would be moving into campus housing next year and does not plan to register a vehicle.

“It’s easier to get around places here,” Stephens said.

Though the campus is small, Ashly Adkins, a freshman, said a vehicle could be necessary to reach places that could not be accessible on campus.

“When I was really sick and needed to go to Patient First, there wasn’t really a way to get there,” Adkins said.

In the meantime, parking will continue to fluctuate as current construction finishes and new projects come underway.

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

• In last week’s Police Beat, the Police Beat was attributed to Emily Hollingsworth, the news editor. It was actually compiled and written by Ester Salguero, the assistant news editor.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Jenna Gray

•MOLD | 1 been brushed off by maintenance and disrespected and lied to by the area coordinator, Margot Jebb,” Gray said.

When administration finally assessed the situation in the apartment, it was decided that the four girls would be moved out of the unit for two weeks so the apartment could be gutted and repaired.

When the four roommates were talking with Jebb about where they could temporarily live, they were first given two options.

One option was that all four of the girls could live in Russell together, but Gray does not have a meal plan due to a special request and needed a full functioning kitchen, so that option was off the table for her.

Eagle Landing had three openings.

However, they were all spaced throughout the building and one of the girls would have to live in Russell Hall regardless.

With parental persuasion, and the help of the assistant director of housing, Brittany Harper, the girls were allowed to live in the Hyatt for two weeks.

“By the time they allowed us to move our stuff I couldn’t be in the room without a mask for more than ten minutes or my allergies would start acting up again,” Hoffman said. “The University did not offer us any protection against the mold, and did not even offer help to us to move our stuff or give us another place to put it. Every precaution we did prior to the university housing us at the hotel was our own ideas and doings.”

The Eagle Landing unit was properly fixed, and the four girls could resume living there after the two weeks

were up. However the process of getting there involved a lot of “run-around, a lot of being brushed off, and a lot of ignored calls from us and our parents to administration,” Gray said.

The residence life office and facility services recently sent an email regarding the growing awareness of mold in campus housing.

“Turn your bathroom exhaust fan on during and after taking a shower and open your bathroom windows and doors,” was their advice to students living with mold problems.

The email states that, “the university takes the health of its residential students seriously and, to that end, responds to the reports of mold and works to resolve any identified issues in a timely manner.” The University is saying that they are concerned with the wellbeing and health of their on campus residents, but, according to Gray, Hoffman and their suite-mates, that is not the case.

In fact, Gray reported that the administration gave workers the go ahead to open up the walls of the unit and ceiling without telling the students beforehand.

All of the students possessions were still out in the room and Gray noted that they had to throw away a lot of their property because mold spores accumulated on everything in the common areas.

The workers had failed to cover the room in order to protect it from debris while they cut into the walls and ceiling.

Almost all of the kitchen utensils, along with anything left out on the counters, had to be thrown out and replaced.

11

SPORTS

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

Cousins’ success brings fans cautious optimism

Club Team Spotlight: Women’s Soccer Amanda Callendar Staff Writer

CHRIS MARKHAM Editor-in-Chief

To many Redskins fans, Sunday’s performance for Kirk Cousins can be perceived one of two ways: optimistically or cautiously.

Though the 102nd overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft posted a perfect quarterback rating in the team’s routing of the New Orleans Saints, Redskins fans are all too familiar with the glimmer of hope shining only to be painfully shut off.

Yes, there is reason for excitement, as the controversial switch to Cousins over Robert Griffin III in the offseason sparked much debate, but Cousins’ incredible performance of 324 yards and four touchdowns should be taken with a grain of salt considering it came against a defense that is on pace to have one of the most woeful seasons in NFL history.

The Redskins have a history of playing to the level of their opponent. When the play a good team, they put up a fight and keep them honest. When they play a bad team, they turn sloppy and inconsistent.

It was a good sign to see a game by the Redskins that was effectively decided by the end of the third quarter, and in their own favor for once.

In a recent press conference, Gruden even complained about his team’s lack of consistency as giving him “gray hair.” The

cautious fans out there will tell you to not hold your breath and count on those gray hairs to spread on Gruden’s head.

Jay Gruden’s confidence in Cousins in the offseason was viewed by many as ignorance to RGIII’s talent or even Colt McCoy’s potential. Of the three, Cousins had done arguably the least of the three D.C. quarterbacks to warrant earning the starting position.

Due to his controversial call, Gruden was immediately put on the hot seat and will continue to stay there until the end of the season. Dan Snyder is not a patient owner and would certainly consider finding another coach should this season turn out like ones in years past.

However, the optimists out there will tell you that Cousins has only scratched his potential. Cousins has shown flashes of what he can be and what Gruden sees in him, and Sunday’s performance was the epitome of those flashes.

Finally with a healthy DeSean Jackson in the offense and the running game back to where it was at the beginning of the season, Cousins finally has the support around him to show what he can do and prove his coaches right and his doubters wrong.

As it stands, the Washington’s 4-5 record puts them in second place in the NFC East, just half a game behind the

Flickr/KeithAllison

5-5 Giants for first place. With a division title in arms reach, Cousins has more to play for now than ever before and every game for the rest of the season should be considered the most important of his career. To win a division title would most likely supplant Cousins as the Redskins’ franchise quarterback, effectively putting an end to the RGIII ‘era.’

As if he did not already have enough to play for, Cousins has his expiring rookie contract hanging over his this head, adding to what is already an extremely pressure loaded year for the former Michigan State Spartan. His tendency to turn the ball over will not make him a sexy option for other teams in free agency, so Washington is essentially his only option if he wants to continue to be a starter. Gruden is one of the few coaches in the NFL who would have faith in Cousins, proving this to be a make to break year for the both of them.

So how should Redskins fans feel about Cousins after Sunday’s performance?

Getting hopes crushed is all too familiar for fans, but not supporting the potential quarterback of the future can be detrimental to your own cause as a fan. Probably the safest way to feel going forward should be defined as “cautiously optimistic.”

Washington Wizards lack magic early in the season

CJ CUMMINGS Staff Writer

The Washington Wizards have started the 2015-2016 season off a little bit shaky, with a win here and a loss there. The Wizards are currently 5-4 and are third so far in the Southeast Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference.

It may be too early to tell how the team will turn out, but so far their defense has been letting them down. They have allowed their opponent to have an average of 45.9 percent overall in shooting which is ranked 25th in the league, 36.9 percent in three-point shooting, 26th in the league, and 109 points per game, 28th in the league.

“We focused so much on offense every day in training camp that now we’re back

Thursday, November 19, 2015

to focusing on defense,” said starting point guard John Wall in a recent press conference.

As they try to improve their defense, they will be doing it without their shooting guard Bradley Beal for a couple of days.

Beal is listed as day to day with a sore shoulder. Although this may seem like a minor injury, he has been out for 10 days, missing their last three games.

Beal did not participate in shoot-around before the game this Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks, which the Wizards won thanks to the 37 points in the second quarter.

It is possible that Coach Randy Wittman is making sure that Beal is 100 percent before they have him do any basketball related activities. Garrett Temple is playing in place of the hurt Beal.

Flickr/KeithAllison

It will be harder for the Wizards to win if their defense is still trying to come to form and their offense is scoring fewer points.

Power forward Chris Humphries has been increasing his shooting range to beyond the three-point arc. This season, he has made six times more three-pointers than his previous 11 seasons combined. As he improves with his three-point shot, other teams will have to put players further out to guard him.

This will open up space for Wall and Marcin Gortat to move underneath and score more points in the paint. However, for now they are stuck with a subpar defense and a slightly better than average offense.

Wall and the Wizards will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 21 as they will be traveling to the motor city to take on

Barbara Irwin

On a cold and windy day, the University of Mary Washington women’s club soccer team lost a heartbreaking 2-1 game against George Mason University. The second game finished differently, as the Eagles found victory with the 1-0 shutout victory.

The women’s club soccer team ended their competitive season last week with games against George Mason and Old Dominion University at home. The Eagles played their games down at the campus rec field behind the Alvey parking garage, the same location as their practice.

This season, their three officers, seniors Sam Kasner, Courtney Braman and junior Jenna Eggborn, led the women’s club team.

“This season went very well,” Eggborn said. “We had a lot of new members join and we played very competitively against all of our opponents. We had a team pasta dinner early in the semester and our annual fundraiser, Dawn to Dusk, was a success.”

Many new faces joined this year, including a number of former varsity athletes, adding to the depth of the team, totaling the amount of girls to about 20.

Their hard work and practices three days a week helped the girls maintain a cohesive team dynamic throughout their season.

The girls practice Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and work on their skills they could demonstrate on the field. The girls are often forced to share the field with the men’s club team, which at times involve them scrimmaging against one another.

“Whenever we play with the guys, it makes us work a little harder and we push ourselves more,” said sophomore Holly Irwin.

Though their season is over, Eggborn and the rest of the team is very optimistic moving forward, notably next semester, especially with their great team chemistry.

“As a team we always strive to work a little bit harder, we push our teammates and always expect 100 percent,” Eggborn said, “We are a club team and enjoy having a good time together, but the talent the team holds allows us to play more competitively and push each other.”

Soon the team will be voting on new captains as they prepare for the spring season. As they set up their upcoming schedule, the ladies are very excited for the spring and will continue their hard work and maintain the competitive nature of the women’s club soccer team. Their goals for next semester are to continue to practice and condition harder and qualify for nationals in the fall of 2016.

12