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VOLUME 95 | ISSUE 14

Office of Disability Resources recently relocated to Seacobeck Hall

MATIAS ESQUIVEL Staff Writer

Over the winter break, the Office of Disability Resources (ODR) moved from its previous location in Lee Hall room 401 to Seacobeck Hall room 005.

Some students are concerned about how accessible the new location is to students with disabilities.

Once inside Seacobeck, The Office of Disability Resources is accessible, but the process of getting inside the building is what causes trouble. The only wheelchairaccessible entrance is on College Avenue, making the building inaccessible from the campus side.

“Whenever you open up a new building [they are] always fairly unique and they always come with their own challenges,” said Gary Hobson, the capital outlay program director. “We did make sure that we provided accessible parking at Seacobeck, that we looked at the walkways coming from the sidewalk ... and tried to make sure that there were no issues of door thresholds or anything like that; so that’s why there’s that large plaza there.”

Hobson recognizes the finished building has limited accessibility from the main

THE

RINGER

Thermostat issues affect Eagle residents Scotti mullen News Editor

The new Seacobeck Hall is still under construction, but The Office of Disability Resources was moved there.

Mariam Ahmed / The Weekly Ringer

campus.

“If students are on Campus Walk, you have a challenge getting from Palmieri Plaza over towards Seacobeck as far as the crow flies, if you were trying to take a direct shot there,” he said. The only wheelchairaccessible entrance is off College Avenue.

Freshman Emily Huelett believes there should have been more consideration of ODR’s location in regards to accessibility.

“The whole purpose of the Office of Disability Resources is to help students with disabilities, mentally and physically, and I don’t think that they took into account the physical at all

The entrance from College Avenue is accessible.

Mariam Ahmed / The Weekly Ringer

INSIDE

JANUARY 27, 2022

News | 1

Winter storm sheds light on thermostat issues.

and how difficult it would be for the people who have physical disabilities to get to the new office,” Huelett said.

“The whole purpose of the Office of Disability Resources is to help students with disabilities, mentally and physically, and I don’t think they took into account the physical at all.”

-Emily Huelett Katya Stafira, junior sociology major in the Special Education Program, admires the design of the accessible entrance.

“The only way I have accessed the building so far is from the College Avenue side,” she said. “The entryway from the College Ave side is completely accessible. There are no stairs/curbs/lips that would have to be avoided so it’s a really great design!”

ODR director Jessica Machado was not available for comment in time for publication.

Even though accessibility from the center of campus is difficult at the moment, there is a proposal for funding for accessibility improvements

Opinion | 3 Marvel fans express hopes for phase four films.

around campus.

“There was a project that our office worked with ODR on, and it’s an accessibilities improvement project that is campus-wide,” said Hobson.

“Governor Northam’s budget came out in December of [last] year, so … we requested around 11 million dollars in funding, campus-wide. That includes construction and design and other soft costs that go into a project, so that’s just not necessarily 11 million dollars going into actual direct improvements.”

The budget for the proposal requested, for the 2022-2024 biennium, was “partially put together by an inspection that we had through the Office of Disability Resources and [Sabrina Johnson].

Dr. Johnson, before her retirement, had sponsored a visit by a gentleman who had worked with the government dealing with accessibility issues, so he actually came through December 2019 and actually did a tour of the campus and identified and helped put together some information for us.”

The document Hobson provided for this claim includes a Capital Budget Request for 11.25 million dollars, of which 6.82 million is set to be used for exterior accessibility for all non-accessible halls, full interior accessibility for Dodd Auditorium and James Farmer Hall and full site accessibility across campus.

Life | 4

Apartment residents wrapped their fish tank in a towel to keep their Betta fish warm.

Jess Kirby / The Weekly Ringer

Ever since Adara MacDonnell, a junior political science major, moved into Eagle Landing, she has had issues with her thermostat. No matter what temperature she set it to, the thermostat would reset and not heat the room above 68 degrees. She and her suitemates filed work orders, but nothing Facilities did fixed it. They continued to have issues with the thermostat, and one morning, they woke up to an apartment that was 59 degrees.

“Not having heat in the middle of winter is absolutely miserable,” she said. “I usually sleep with multiple blankets, including an electric blanket, but I would still wake up at three [in the] morning from the cold. … It got to the point that it became hard to function normally because we were all so cold.”

The cold was also affecting other household members.

“The fish tank in the kitchen had to be wrapped in a towel to insulate the heat at one point because the tank dropped nearly 10 degrees and was getting too cold for the fish,” said MacDonnell.

MacDonnell’s thermostat issue is part of a wider, long-term problem facing students in Eagle Landing.

An email sent to Eagle Landing residents on Aug. 13, 2021, stated that Facilities had become aware of thermostat issues in the building.

“Each apartment in Eagle Landing has an individual thermostat that gives you a certain measure of control over the AC and the heat in your living space,” said the email from the Office of Residence Life and Housing. “These thermostats are tied to our Building Automation System (BAS) that monitors each thermostat and can be used to set points and temperature ranges. Facility services has discovered a problem with the BAS that could potentially affect your environment control.”

Throughout the fall 2021 and spring 2022 semesters, MacDonnell and her roommate group placed three work orders regarding the thermostat.

Though Facilities responded to these quickly and tried different tactics to fix the thermostat through the system instead of in person, the issue kept happening.

“It wasn’t until it snowed on Jan. 16 and the apartment dropped down to 59 degrees that we

We tried TikTok recipes that went viral in 2021.

SEE THERMOSTAT PAGE 2

Sports | 8

Sydney Hall shares her passion for swimming.

News

Thursday, January 27, 2022

The

Weekly Ringer Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief Jess Kirby

weeklyringer.eic@gmail.com

Business Editor Erin Matuczinski

weeklyringer.business@gmail.com

Associate Editors Bernadette D’Auria Cosima Pellis

weeklyringer.associate@gmail.com

Copy Editor Abigail Slaughter

weeklyringer.copy@gmail.com

News Editors Josephine Johnson Scotti Mullen

weeklyringer.news@gmail.com

Opinion Editor Norah Walsh

weeklyringer.opinion@gmail.com

Life Editor Josephine Good

weeklyringer.life@gmail.com

Sports Editor Victoria R. Percherke

weeklyringer.sports@gmail.com

Online Editors Maggie Mae Young Cameron Delean

weeklyringer.online@gmail.com

Photography Editor Emily Warren

weeklyringer.photos@gmail.com

Faculty Advisor Sushma Subramanian ssubrama@umw.edu

Corrections Due to editor error, last week’s article “Seacobeck Hall, new home of College of Education, finishes long awaited renovation” incorrectly referred to sophomore Elizabeth Golden as a secondary education and biology major. She is a biology major in the secondary education program.

Page 2

UMW Alum Nick Francia named on 2021 Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors list

KAITLIN SMYTH Staff Writer

University of Mary Washington alum Nick Francia was recently named to a prestigious advisor list in the financial industry. He was one of only 10 Washington, D.C.-based financial advisors named to 2021’s Forbes Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors list, which features 500 of the top young advisors in the country.

Francia credited his accomplishment to his coworkers, saying it was a “team effort.”

“I was humbled and thankful for the team I have around me,” said Francia. “It might have been my name on the award but it is truly a team effort. The team is our family and we work together extremely hard.”

Francia is a co-head of The Capital ESOP Group with his business partner Keith Apton, a UBS Private Wealth Management practice, where they manage a 10 person team. Francia has been with UBS Financial Services, Inc. for over a decade.

“Our entire practice is dedicated to work with business owners on different ways to monetize a privately held business,” he said. “When a business owner is looking for different ways to transition their business, we have the intellect and resources to advise them on the most tax-efficient way to sell their business.”

According to his coworkers, Francia leaves a lasting impression on the people he works with.

“There are few people who stack up like Nick and he embodies our core values,” said Breton Laubscher, Wealth Strategy Associate for The Capital ESOP Group.

“I’m proud to work with him and everyone on this team every day. He’s an incredible motivator for me personally and is one of the people that if you happen to have a brief interaction with him, it’s a lasting memorable one.”

“The Alumni Relations office was pleased to hear that Nick Francia ’11 had been named to Financial Planning’s Top 40 Advisors Under 40 list. A significant accomplishment for someone who graduated just ten years ago,” said Mark Thaden, executive director of alumni relations. “We are so proud of the professional achievements of UMW alumni, like Nick.”

Prior to attending UMW, Francia was always interested in pursuing a career in financial services, especially because of his father.

“My father has always been my role model and was always in finance,” he said.

“We would have deep conversations about numbers, lending, investing and financial

Francia graduated from UMW in 2011.

Photo Courtesy of Nick Francia

decisions overall. … I cannot really see myself doing anything else than this.”

Francia chose to attend UMW both because of athletics and academics. “[UMW] was the perfect combination, so I got recruited to play baseball,” he said. “That was really the driving factor because not only was I going to get a great education, but also UMW would be able to provide me a platform to continue to play baseball and develop myself as a studentathlete.”

Baseball has always been an integral part of Francia’s life, and that didn’t stop at UMW. “I have been playing baseball my entire life since I could walk,” he said. “It was always a passion of mine. It was something that allowed me to fit right in at UMW. What could have been a really scary transition from high school in Connecticut to a college in Fredericksburg, Va., not knowing anybody, ended up being an unbelievable experience. The second I got to UMW, I immediately had a network of friends and teammates. A lot of them are still my close friends today.”

Francia graduated with a degree in economics. His favorite class was Game Theory with economics professor Brad Hansen.

“It was a course around how to problem solve,” said Francia. “When you get into the real world, regardless of finance or not, a lot of what you will do requires you to have solutions. Being able to think outside the box and understand the perspective of everyone around you and creating that

solution that can solve someone’s problem is really what makes a difference to them long term.”

Hansen remembers Francia as a strong student.

“Although one class may stand out for him, I remember him being an excellent student in all the classes he took with me,” said Hansen.

Francia admired UMW’s closeknit community during his time as an undergraduate student.

“The network of people surrounding UMW is one of the reasons why I am fortunate to be successful today from the [combinaton] of the faculty and peers,” he said. “The size of the classes were imperative. It felt like the teachers took a genuine interest in your academic success and were also accessible if you needed help after graduation.”

Francia highlighted the importance of internships, one of the key factors that influenced his success today.

“I had a lot of internships, which were instrumental in what I wanted to do and best for me to do long term,” he said. “I would do everything that I could to get the experience. I would try to learn as much as I could. Even though you learn a tremendous amount in college, there is no substitute for those real-life scenarios.”

He also noted the importance of surrounding oneself with the right people.

“If you spend time with five successful, well-rounded people, you inherently become a better person because of having intellectual conversations and thinking deeper,” he said. “Those internships helped me build a core base of people that I could reach out to and discuss ideas with.”

This year, Francia would like to focus on helping members of his team be successful.

“My biggest goal in 2022 is to see some of the new members of our team really excel [in] their own careers,” he said. “I am focused on teaching them what I have learned over the 10-plus years and allowing them to continue to grow, learn and excel.”

Francia advised UMW students to work hard and be coachable.

“I firmly believe that there are four characteristics no matter what industry will make you successful: strong work ethic, coachable, humble and consistently learning not only from your mistakes but also from the people around you that are successful,” he said. “There is an inherent competitiveness to people who are successful. Find your inner competitiveness that drives you and let that fuel your fire.

Always be humble and outwork everybody.”

Cold weather intensifies thermostat issues

FROM THERMOSTAT PAGE 1

called non-emergency police,” said MacDonnell. Because it was the weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, no one could come fix it until that Tuesday. “However, they did provide us with three space heaters for the rooms.”

Due to editor error, last week’s article “Photo Almost a week later, Facilities came to Essay: Sports over the past 100 years” did the apartment to fix the thermostat, and it not credit Bernadette D’Auria and Daniel has been working ever since.

Childers. They both contributed to reporting “It was really frustrating because we’d for the article. This has been corrected in the been experiencing this issue for a long online version of the article. time,” said Lauryn Bailey, MacDonnell’s suitemate and a junior history major in the The Weekly Ringer strives for accuracy and will secondary education program. “Once we correct any inaccurate information could actually get Facilities in-person, they printed in the newspaper. Please report any corwere really helpful, but I think they’ve been rections to Jess Kirby at very overworked … they didn’t have the time weeklyringer.eic@gmail.com or Sushma Subramanian at ssubrama@umw.edu. beforehand.”

Although the heaters warmed their

apartment, they caused electrical issues in one of the rooms.

“They gave us these heaters to use, but just in our bedroom it caused the power to go out randomly throughout the day, and it wouldn’t turn back on on its own so we had to reset the breaker,” said Bailey.

Junior studio art major Olivia Breda has also experienced a broken thermostat in Eagle Landing.

“We have had constant thermostat issues since we moved in sophomore year,” said Breda. “No matter how many times we set the temperature up it always reverts back to 68 degrees and feels even colder because it kicks on the [air conditioning] to get there.

Winter or summer, our apartment is always freezing.”

The cold has made it uncomfortable to live and study in the dorm for Breda and her

roommates.

“It makes it difficult to get up for classes in the morning because the apartment’s been cooling since the last time one of us turned the heat up before we went to sleep, and especially during online classes it was impossible to sit and pay attention in a freezing cold apartment,” she said.

She has not placed work orders or contacted Facilities to get it fixed.

“We haven’t tried to get these issues fixed because we’ve heard that others have also been dealing with it and as far as we know nothing has been done,” Breda said.

Any student that has an issue can fill out a work order request form found on the university’s website.

Eli Osborne contributed to reporting for this article.

Opinion

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Page 3

Phase four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe leads fans to be hesitant after “Avengers: Endgame” GABRIELLE CERCONE Staff Writer

When asked about the Marvel Cinematic Universe after “Avengers: Endgame,” Alexi Kerey, a senior sociology major in the elementary Content warning: The following article includes spoilers about the education program, said, “I kind of gave up after Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Tony Stark died because he is my favorite.”

The Marvel universe has been a longstanding source Similar ideas were expressed by fans over the of entertainment for many people worldwide ever since idea that these characters were thrown away, the comics were first released. Due to the franchise dismissing character development that they had ending its most recent plot arc by killing off several had up until that point, simply to achieve the beloved characters and introducing new characters, the easiest resolution of the plot and transition into a Marvel Cinematic Universe’s direction in phase four has new phase with new characters. disenchanted fans, which has led to a diminished fervor “Phase four has not killed off characters with and increased hesitance in the fanbase. wasted potential so far,” said freshman Garrett Marvel divides its cinematic universe into phases in Hennessey. “The concept of multiverse allows for order to easily organize the franchise. Phase one includes different variations of characters returning [and] the first six Marvel movies starting with “Iron Man” in Stan Lee wanted the Marvel Universe to reflect our own world. therefore opportunity to save characters.”

Ussama Azam / Unsplash 2008 and ending with Marvel’s “The Avengers” in 2012.

The first real glance at the future of Marvel “My fear is that there will be an oversaturation of new Phase two covers the next six movies, beginning with was dependent on the release of “Black Widow,” which heroes and not enough competent villains to pose actual “Iron Man 3” in 2013 and closing with “Ant-Man” in 2015. had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. threats,” said Hennessey. “I wonder with the sheer amount Phase three covers eleven movies, from “Captain America: When “Black Widow,” the first movie in phase four, of heroes will the writers write themselves into a corner?”

Civil War” in 2016 through “Spider-Man: Far From Home” was finally released, the film significantly underperformed Although there are concerns about the sheer abundance in 2019. Phase four, the phase that Marvel is currently in, in the box office, according to Statista, becoming one of of superheroes being introduced into the franchise, “Stan is set to include at least nineteen movies, as well as several the Marvel movies with the lowest box office revenues.

Lee said that the Marvel Universe is a reflection of our television shows beginning with “WandaVision” in 2021 This underperformance of revenue was influenced own world, so it’s great to include characters that anyone and most likely concluding with “Blade” in 2023, though by the pandemic delaying its release and its availability can look up to,” Hennessey said. the exact releases for 2023 have not been confirmed. on Disney+. Even with these factors impacting the Aiyanna Bartley, a senior sociology major, said that The first three phases are often combined into what is commotion surrounding the film, the overall hype that the while she’s “sad that phase three is over, [she’s] excited to deemed the Infinity Saga, and phase four begins the stories film received from fans was underwhelming, especially see what phase four will look like and if it will integrate of new heroes (such as Kate Bishop’s Hawkeye) outside compared to the attention “Captain Marvel,” another the X-Men.” of those originally focused on in phase one (such as Tony Marvel movie focusing on a heroine, received around its The inclusion of the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Stark’s Iron Man). While there is excitement surrounding release.

Universe has been put off so far, as there were film the fourth phase, the way that Marvel decided to end the The unexpected lack of box office viewership “Black ownership rights issues due to the X-Men not being under Infinity Saga in “Avengers: Endgame” has left many fans Widow” received indicated a negative sentiment from the same film production company as the rest of Marvel. questioning Marvel and becoming disappointed with the Marvel fans. However, its performance statistics were One reason that the opinion on Marvel seems to be overall direction that Marvel is heading in. most likely influenced by factors such as COVID-19 shifting is that Marvel is not doing enough to entice new For example, many fans were upset with the way that and the Disney+ release, since fans have shown their fans into engaging with their content as their current fan Marvel handled the deaths of Natasha Romanoff (the consistent, unrelenting support as the Universe expands. base ages.

Black Widow) and Tony Stark (Iron Man), as well as For example, the television shows that have been Looking at fan demographics, Generation Z has shown the end of the character arc for Steve Rogers (Captain released as a part of phase four have performed well in less interest in the Marvel franchise than their Millennial America). their viewership statistics, according to Fiction Horizon. predecessors, who currently make up the majority of Although this is the case, some fans critique how Marvel fans. This indicates that Marvel needs to pay the shows diverge from or contradict plots (such as increased attention to how they portray the characters the time travel in the show “Loki” and in the movie and plot lines throughout phase four in order to keep up “Avengers: Endgame”) with the rest of the movies, the engagement seen in the past. but others don’t seem to mind this occurrence.

With a fanbase that is getting progressively older and “I really enjoy the addition of TV series in the expressing discontent towards the major plot choices [Marvel Cinematic Universe],” said freshman Ben that Marvel is making, there will have to be a shift in the Schwartz. “They have more screen time than the way that Marvel continues the franchise. While fans still movies allowing us to learn about the characters. love the characters and want to hold true to their devotion The episode format also allows for different stories to Marvel, if they continue to feel betrayed by the choices that the movies could not tell in their format.” that Marvel makes (such as killing Tony Stark), that Despite fans’ overall hesitance towards Marvel’s loyalty will likely fade away. released films in phase four, not everything that has been released so far has been a disappointment, so Norah Walsh contributed to reporting for this article. some fans hold out hope that Marvel will redeem The Marvel Cinematic Universe is set to release at least nineteen movies in itself. phase four of the franchise.

Erik Mclean / Unsplash

Letter to the Editor: The case for including the funnies

When I picked up a copy of The Weekly Ringer as a freshman three years ago, my first thought was “where’s the funnies?” Like most people my age, the funnies page had been my primary interaction with newspaper as a medium. Before I read the “news” or whatever, I’d flip to the back to see what Garfield and the Peanuts gang were up to. With the recent rebranding, The Weekly Ringer now has the opportunity to open itself not only to print media but visual media as well.

Now, I’m not saying the paper has to obtain the rights to reprint classics—in fact, I’d prefer it didn’t. A funnies section is a gateway to greater community engagement, from readers and contributors alike. Having a page of one-to-five-panel black-andwhite comics penned and inked by UMW students with original (possibly schoolthemed) characters would foster a unique school culture and allow for a wider range of commentary on current events. It might even boost readership if students who otherwise wouldn’t give the paper a second glance start doing so once it runs comics. It would also be a boost to visual arts students who could count their tenure as cartoonists for The Weekly Ringer as work experience, much like I suppose the writers do. Now is the perfect time for The Weekly Ringer to hold auditions (applications?) for art students and the artistically inclined to establish a stable(ish) rotation of comics, if not for this semester then next fall.

Serious journalism and lighthearted fun can coexist, and do so in a great many of the nation’s papers. Why can’t ours follow suit? (Seriously, if a funnies page is completely off the table, I’d love to know why.)

Thank you for your time, -Derek Knight

Derek Knight suggests that The Weekly Ringer offer the funnies in their publication.

Miika Laaksonen / Unsplash

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Life

Page 4

Spicing up the top TikTok recipes and food hacks of 2021

mariam ahmed Staff Writer

Being a college student is hard as it is, but prepping meals doesn’t have to be. In the last year, a few quick, easy and creative recipes on TikTok have gone viral. I decided to try out the biggest food trends of 2021 by adding a few twists to them. These recipes are recommended for college students who want fun and creative meals.

The Baked Feta Pasta This first recipe has been a hit on TikTok because it requires a few ingredients and is easy to make. This pasta was originally made with feta cheese, but I wanted to replace it with Boursin Gournay Cheese, which is soft, creamy and flavored with garlic and fresh herbs. This pasta is best served hot and fresh out of the oven.

Servings: 4-5 Total Cook time: 40 minutes Ingredients: 2 pints cherry tomatoes 1 medium diced red bell pepper 8 oz. sliced bella mushrooms 4 cloves garlic 5.2 oz. Boursin Garlic & fine herb gournay cheese ½ cup olive oil Salt and black pepper (to taste) Crushed red pepper flakes (to taste) 10 oz. Rotini or your favorite type of pasta

Using Boursin Gournay Cheese will give your baked feta pasta a more flavorful taste.

Mariam Ahmed / The Weekly Ringer

Crunchwrap Tortilla Wrap Hack The second recipe is called the tortilla wrap hack. This hack gained popularity because it’s easy to make and can be filled with your favorite toppings. The crunchwrap from Taco Bell is so tasty that I decided to make it using the tortilla wrap hack.

Servings: 4 Total Cook time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil ½ lb. ground beef 1 small diced yellow onion 4 minced garlic cloves 1 Old El Paso taco seasoning mix 4 large flour tortillas ½ cup tostitos nacho cheese 1 small diced tomato 1 small diced red onion ½ cup shredded lettuce Nacho cheese doritos or your favorite type of crunchy chips ½ cup sour cream ½ cup shredded Mexican cheese

Dalgona Coffee Dalgona coffee, also known as whipped coffee, is perfect for college students who want to mix up their coffee routine because it takes less than 10 minutes and saves a lot of money. I put a twist on this recipe by using almond milk instead of whole milk, and I added a pinch of cinnamon, along with a few ice cubes.

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 tablespoons instant coffee 2 tablespoons boiling water 2 cups almond milk 3-4 ice cubes Whipped cream 1 pinch cinnamon Directions: In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar, instant coffee and boiling water.

Using a hand mixer, combine everything until it becomes smooth.

Fill a glass with the milk and ice, then add the coffee mixture to the top.

Serve with a swirl of whipped cream and cinnamon on top.

Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

In a medium, oven-safe baking dish, add cherry tomatoes, diced red bell pepper, mushrooms and garlic cloves. Place the Boursin gournay cheese block in the center of the baking dish.

Season and toss everything with olive oil, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and the cheese is golden on top.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.

Add the pasta and pasta water into the baking dish and stir until well combined.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Adding doritos to the tortilla wrap hack will give a similar flavor to the Taco Bell crunch wrap.

Mariam Ahmed / TheWeekly Ringer

Directions: In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once hot, cook the ground beef until it is brown and not pink anymore. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5-6 minutes. Add the taco seasoning mix and cook for 10 minutes.

Warm up the nacho cheese in a microwave safe bowl for 20 seconds.

Lay the flour tortilla on a flat plate. Cut from the bottom edge of the tortilla to the center of it.

On the bottom left corner of the tortilla, spread the nacho cheese and add the beef on top.

On the upper left corner of the tortilla, add the lettuce, tomato and red onions.

On the upper right corner of the tortilla, add 4-5 doritos chips.

On the lower right corner, spread the sour cream and add the shredded Mexican cheese on top.

Fold the nacho cheese and beef corner to the top of the lettuce and tomato corner Fold the first two layers to the top of the doritos corner.

Fold the three corners to lay down on top of the source cream and cheese.

In a small skillet, melt some butter and add the crunch wrap. Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until golden.

Serve warm with some of your favorite hot sauce.

Whipping coffee is an easy way to change up your morning drink.

Mariam Ahmed / The Weekly Ringer

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Life

Page 5

The unofficial searcher’s guide for Squishmallow hunting molly avery Staff Writer In 2017, Kellytoy released a new brand of stuffed animals called Squishmallows. For three years, the company produced and sold them to a small pool of customers, but during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, Squishmallows went viral on TikTok and rose in popularity.

Since their initial peak, the Squishmallow obsession has continued; they’ve become a hot item to collect for all age groups, especially college-aged students. Part of the thrill of collecting these stuffed animals is the search. While many stores sell Squishmallows, they all sell a different variety and often sell out quickly, so finding the one you want for a fair retail price isn’t easy.

With many stores pricing their Squishmallows differently, there is no exact retail price.

However, the typical retail price for Squishmallows goes as follows. $5 for a 5-inch, $10 for an 8-inch, $20 for a 16-inch, $30 for a 20-inch and $40 for a 24-inch. Though there are other varying sizes, these are the most common and popular ones.

If you’re like me, a college student on a budget, it gets costly to collect. Since their growth in popularity, Squishmallow prices have slowly been increasing, with many stores price-gouging. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of the 10 best places, ranked from worst to best, to search for Squishmallows in Fredericksburg on a budget.

Number 10: CVS I’m starting to think Squishmallows being sold at CVS is a myth that the online squish community made up to mess with me. I’ve heard of plenty of other people having success at CVS stores but have yet to find anything for myself at one. However, I keep checking, especially since CVS is said to have an exclusive Valentine’s Day collection for cheap prices.

Number 9: Hot Topic Hot Topic is quick to sell whatever the latest trend is, Squishmallows included. That being said, the store is a hit or miss. They usually only sell mystery Squishmallow bags at their stores, so you aren’t guaranteed to get what you want. For $22, it’s really not worth the risk.

Number 8: Party City The only reason Party City made it on the list is due to the fact that the Squishmallows they stock tend to be exclusive to their stores only, and they are quite adorable. However, their prices run high. A 12-inch Squishmallow at Party City goes for $32. For reference, a 16-inch Squishmallow at a typical retail store costs about $20. If you’re collecting on a budget, you can skip Party City.

Number 7: Aldi You’re guaranteed a great price for just about anything at Aldi. Every once in a while, the store will stock up with various Squishmallow products. Sometimes they’re 12-inch Squishmallows, and other times they have box sets of 4.5-inch Squishmallows. Since they have these amazing prices for these popular toys, as soon as any Squishmallow hits the shelf at Aldi, it’s almost immediately bought. I only check Aldi if I happen to pass it while running other errands.

Number 6: Costco My friends and I were lucky enough to find some 16-inch Squishmallows for $10.00 each at Costco last September. While their prices are a bit higher now, they are incredibly fair and are close to the typical retail price. If you’re like me though, you don’t have a Costco membership. If I ever want to go to Costco, I have to rely on my friend who does have a membership.

Number 5: Hallmark What’s nice about visiting Hallmark is that you’re always guaranteed to find Squishmallows. Most other places on this list can sell out and not restock Squishmallows for extended periods of time. However, Hallmark has made it a priority to keep itself well stocked. They restock Squishmallows on Tuesdays, so that’s the day to go for the newest ones. The only fallback to Hallmark is that their prices are a bit higher than other places. An 8-inch Squishmallow that could be found at Five Below for $5.55 sells for $13 at Hallmark. It’s not nearly as bad of a price gouge as Party City, but for those on a budget, there are cheaper alternatives.

Number 4: Walmart If you can get over the extreme feeling of dread that creeps in upon visiting a Walmart, it’s a great place to get Squishmallows. They’re currently carrying exclusive Valentine’s Day Squishmallows ranging from $5 to $10. Outside of the seasonal Squishmallows, Walmart will randomly place giant bins of 16-inch Squishmallows for $15 around the store. The best places to look for these bins are the toy aisles and, oddly enough, the garden center.

Number 3: Walgreens Despite being a pharmacy first and foremost, Walgreens has an aisle of toys. In this aisle, people can find typical retail-priced Squishmallows. I frequent a Walgreens about 10 minutes away from campus and they usually always have some in stock. What makes Walgreens so special, though, is that the majority of the Squishmallows they sell are exclusive to Walgreens only, so you won’t find them in other stores.

Number 2: Target A trip to Target will cure any problem you might have. While you’re there, you can find Squishmallows for the typical retail price. Much like Walgreens, Target carries a fair amount of Squishmallows that can’t be found at other stores. They’ve recently become better at keeping Squishmallows well-stocked, so you can almost always find one when you go.

Number 1: Five Below Five Below is a safe haven for college students everywhere. Even with their prices on some items increasing to above $5, they still have many bargains. 8-inch Squishmallows can be found for $5.55 and occasionally 4.5-inch “Squishes” can be found for $4. Due to how incredibly cheap they are, they sell fast; I’ve found that the best day to go is usually Sunday when most stores restock their collection if they have any to restock with. Sometimes, Five Below will do “Sunday Squishday,” an event where stores are guaranteed to restock, sometimes with new Squishmallows that were not previously sold at Five Below. Collectors can check for that event via their social media accounts.

If you aren’t having luck in stores, you can also order online. Shipping is $7.50 on all orders no matter how large or small. When it comes to saving money while collecting Squishmallows, Five Below is the best place to look.

This isn’t every store you can buy Squishmallows at in Fredericksburg. GameStop, Cracker Barrel, Claire’s, independent toy stores and a myriad of other places also sell them.

Whether you want to avidly or casually collect Squishmallows, most collectors can all agree that the best part of collecting is the hunt. Depending on how many Squishmallows you intend to collect, the price can add up quite quickly. This should be an activity everyone can enjoy, whether you have a budget or not, and thankfully the right stores make that possible. Happy hunting to all my fellow Squish collectors!

“The Coffee Pod” podcast addresses self-help and advice Abby knowles Staff Writer While sitting in the dining hall with my friend Ally Tingen at the beginning of the fall semester, we brainstormed ideas of how to get more involved at UMW and make more connections with all kinds of people. Since COVID, it has been a struggle to meet people face-to-face and to develop connections, so we both wanted to step out of our comfort zone with something that would deepen our connections with others. We came up with the idea of doing a podcast where we would talk about issues that we face in society today, with the hope of helping others on campus in similar situations. Unfortunately, classes started to pick up and we got so busy that we left behind the plan to start a podcast. Once classes slowed down, we picked up the thought again and worked towards the early steps in having a podcast.

And that was where “The Coffee Pod” began.

Ally, co-founder of “The Coffee Pod” and a sophomore psychology major, is also ecstatic about the podcast.

“I’ve always loved the idea of helping younger girls with situations that I would’ve wanted advice on,” she said. “I absolutely love listening to podcasts; they are a way to decompress for me, and it’s even more rewarding being able to do that for other people.”

Our dynamic works well because I usually work with SoundTrap and Ally has a passion for designing graphics.

She said she “loves making graphics for our social media on Canva and also creating her own work on Procreate and designing different templates whenever we post new episodes.”

Once I began my Intro to Digital Studies course, in which we discussed podcasting, I learned more about the software that makes a podcast possible. Without that knowledge, I would have had no idea where to start and probably never would have. It was then that the two of us decided we would take this seriously and begin a podcast all about self-help, empowerment and being genuine about our life experiences as young adults.

Before we even recorded an episode, we needed a microphone. Spontaneously, we decided to race to Target and buy our first, and arguably the most important, piece of equipment. We then needed to give our podcast a name that encompassed us and our personalities but would also be catchy for our listeners.

After throwing around a few ideas, we finally settled on “The Coffee Pod” because we are both obsessed with coffee and felt that it was unique, fresh and catchy. We envisioned our listeners sitting and having coffee with us, in a figurative sense, as we catch them up on our lives and the world around us.

Then, we had to figure out what we wanted to accomplish with this podcast. In order for us to grow a steady support system through our following, we needed to give the listeners a motive to pay attention. Our first episode was recorded on my dorm floor, following a rough outline of what we planned to talk about. Little did we know how impactful this creative outlet would be in weeks to come.

Senior biomedical science major Bennett Varghese expressed his gratitude for the podcast.

“I think the Coffee Pod is not just a regular podcast that gives advice and good tips, I think it is an experience

and gives the listeners opportunities to be vulnerable with themselves because of the brutal honesty and vulnerability of the main hosts,” he said.

He also went on to mention the importance of men understanding women and what we go through.

“And for all the dudes, I think it’s a great tool to learn about what women think on the regular and how we make them feel by some subconscious actions,” he said.

We had looked at podcasts such as “Happy and Healthy” by Jeanine Amapola and “Anything Goes” by Emma Chamberlain as inspiration for our own. Each episode is approximately 50 minutes to an hour, and we record and edit on the software SoundTrap. We use RSS Feed, which is a web feed that allows users and applications to access updates to websites, as our way of uploading the episodes and looking at our analytics.

Sophomore Ruth Rueb, majoring in elementary education, explained her appreciation for the podcast.

“Just listening to [Abby] and Ally’s opinions and experiences on the topic [mental health] is really helpful to those who may be struggling with the topic,” she said.

She specifically enjoyed the episode titled “Off Days Are Okay.”

In our “Off Days Are Okay” episode, we discussed how to deal with having off days, FOMO (fear of missing out) and mental health.

Our episodes are released every Sunday night at 7 p.m. and are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon music. Since launching in Nov. 2021, we have posted eight total episodes about gratitude, navigating college life and relationships, just to name a few. In the future, we hope to continue growing our podcast and our audience.

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Opinion

Page 6

Using reusable bags at grocery stores supports the greater environmental sustainability movement ELI KEITH Staff Writer In a welcome move that follows the City of Fredericksburg’s five-cent tax on plastic bags, Wegmans has joined the fight against climate change and pollution.

The City Council’s decision went into effect on Jan. 1, and since then Wegmans has been more environmentally conscious and, as a result, a smarter place to shop by doing away with their plastic bags. Though the change can be an additional source of financial stress for customers, it is a necessary change for the sake of the planet’s welfare.

The plastic bag tax applies to all grocery stores, but Wegmans has opened up options that not every grocery store has. Customers have the option of paying five cents per paper bag or one dollar per reusable bag, which offers a pleasant alternative to other stores that have eliminated single-use bags but offered no alternative to carrying out your groceries. Though paper bags are more environmentally friendly, they are offered in lieu of plastic bags yet still with a charge to encourage customers to spring for the reusable bags.

In addition to encouraging the use of reusable bags, Wegmans has also said it is going to donate the money accrued from five-cent paper bag purchases to local food banks and United Way chapters.

Wegmans cites efforts towards environmental sustainability as their biggest reason for making the change. Climate change has become one of the most pressing current issues in society, and the reduction of single-use plastics is an obvious benefit since they contribute to widespread pollution and the destruction of ecosystems and the planet.

Sophomore psychology major Emma Sullivan is among the many who have grown tired of the ever-increasing

evidence of pollution. “I think [the elimination of plastic bags] is ultimately a good thing because I see discarded plastic bags in tree branches too often,” she said.

Sullivan’s point is representative of many University of Mary Washington students, who are willing to forgo plastic bags for the sake of a more promising future for the environment and the world.

“I carry my backpack or drive my car pretty much everywhere I go, so having something to carry groceries in isn’t really a problem,” said senior music major Pablo McCrimmon. “I think it’s worth giving up plastic bags for the long-term benefits.”

Though these benefits do exist, some people are concerned about the added burden of bag prices if they cannot carry their groceries any other way.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, food prices have risen even more steeply than pre-pandemic rates, with common items such as meat, poultry and eggs up nearly 16% since Aug. 2019. Additionally, those who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) services to afford their groceries are not exempt from the bag fees, so it creates a difficult situation for individuals who already struggle to buy what they need.

College students and young adults who are new to being financially independent are also among shoppers who need to carefully budget for groceries and other expenses.

However, although the additional charge to buy reusable bags or pay for the paper ones can be financially impactful for some, the decision to reduce single-use plastics, as well as unnecessarily disposable goods, such as paper bags, regards the long-term health of the planet.

Despite the question surrounding affordability of paper or reusable bags, getting rid of plastic bags is still the best thing to do. A reusable bag is one dollar and is stronger and bigger than plastic or paper bags. Though a reusable bag is twenty times as expensive as a paper bag, paper bags do not have handles and can easily rip if overloaded. Reusable bags, on the other hand, are a much sturdier material; they are designed to last for up to 1,000 uses, and the durability combined

with the larger size compared to plastic or paper bags allows customers to carry more groceries in them.

In addition to this, grocery stores allow customers to bring their own bags in, so even if one does not already have reusable grocery bags, they could bring backpacks, duffel bags or anything else that would be helpful for carrying their groceries.

The elimination of plastic bags has greater implications than simply cutting back on single-use plastics in grocery stores.

“When people realize that they don’t need to have plastic bags for their groceries, maybe they’ll start to think about where else they can cut plastics out of their life,” said senior history major Jamie Van Doren.

Indeed, this is the ultimate hope for decisions like the City Council’s tax imposition; though it can be a hard change to make at first, steps like this one will be the progress that leads to a healthier and stronger environment to live in.

The City of Fredericksburg implemented a five-cent tax on plastic bags, which went into effect on Jan. 1.

Roberta Errani / Unsplash

Staff Ed: Welcoming the funnies to The Weekly Ringer THE WEEKLY RINGER EDITORIAL BOARD Upon careful consideration of Derek Knight’s Letter to the Editor concerning the introduction of “the funnies” to The Weekly Ringer, we as a staff have decided that they would be a welcome addition to our publication. Knight’s comic strip, “Devil & Goat,” will be featured in the Life section in future issues of The Ringer.

Reminiscent of our collective childhood experiences of beelining to the funnies before attempting to read the stories that stuck out to us or morbidly happening upon the obituary page, we are eager to see what Knight and other artists have to offer.

In dedicating space of our publication to this venture, we recognize the importance of fostering artistic creativity and alternative forms of journalism.

Some of the most careful considerations can be over a one-panel comic, and the legacy of other comics, such as the timeless Garfield, leave us tickled long after reading the comic strip.

In a time where memes, YouTube videos and TikToks are our digital currency of amusement, we appreciate this ode to our childhoods where we can include our evolved humor into a more antiquated form of in-print entertainment.

We hope you’ll join us in our support of this new endeavor in which artists’ voices are given space to express their comments amidst our own. If you are interested in submitting a comic or applying to become a recurring cartoonist for The Weekly Ringer, email weeklyringer.eic@gmail.com for more information.

This staff editorial was led by Norah Walsh.

News

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Crime Column JOSEPHINE JOHNSON & sCOTTI MULLEN News Editors

The following report is from UMW’s crime log, which can be viewed at Brent House.

Petit Larceny On Jan. 9 at 7:45 p.m., there was an incident of petit larceny in Willard Hall. This case is pending.

Larceny of Auto Parts Between Jan. 14 - 15 at 6 p.m., there was an incident of larceny of auto parts in William Street lot.

This case is pending.

Between Jan. 14 - 16 at 5 p.m., there was an incident of larceny of auto parts at William Street & Sunken Road. This case is pending.

Auto Tamper Between Jan. 18 - 21 at 1 p.m., there was an incident of auto tamper in the Eagle Village Parking Deck. This case is pending.

Theatre department postpones shows to March amid COVID-19 surge dANIEL CHILDERS Staff Writer Due to the current COVID surge, the theater department at UMW has altered its schedule with postponement and rescheduling of shows.

Now starting March 10, “Julius Caesar” will open with a limited run, and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” will now open on March 30, according to a press release from UMW Theatre. A few more productions are set to take place such as “Significant Other,” “White” and “Circle Mirror Transformation.” These will be announced at a later date as COVID conditions allow.

“I think we just need to ride it out, together,” said junior theatre major Matthew Monaghan.

“We are certainly interested in reengaging with the community as a whole, but there are steps to be taken to do that in the correct way.”

-Jon K. Reynolds Reduced gatherings and rehearsals have severely altered the plans of students in the theatre department.

“For me personally, my dad is immunocompromised and we have to be super cautious at home,” said Monaghan. “I love UMW, but it’s overwhelmingly been a challenge to keep up with mandates and limited gatherings that are everevolving.”

The direct contact and sometimes close interactions,

“Julius Caesar” will be opening for a limited run in March.

Emily Warren / The Weekly Ringer

including touching, conflict with COVID standards and regulations.

This causes challenges for productions and normal rehearsals, leading to delays and further challenges.

Despite all of this, the theatre department has assured “Julius Caesar” and other performances will go on.

For faculty, maintaining a safe and productive learning environment remains a priority. Some professors have expressed their views on the pandemic and how different the landscape is now.

Jon K. Reynolds, director of marketing and audience services for the UMW Theatre, said the experience for college students is of the most priority.

“We are certainly interested in re-engaging with the community as a whole, but there are steps to be taken to do that in the correct way,” he said.

UMW Theatre has done virtual shows in the past, but Reynolds hopes to bring back the experience of live theatre.

“We did a virtual production in the spring of 2020 when

UMW’s COVID-19 dashboard is located on the university website. These statistics are from Jan. 26, 2022—the most recent at time of publication.

180

Total cases as of Jan. 25, 2022

28

On Jan. 21 at 7:18 p.m., there was an incident of larceny of vehicle at the Stafford Campus. This case is pending.

our production of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ was sidelined by the pandemic,” he said. “It was very successful, and we have no regrets about having done it. However, we recognize that theatre is a live art form meant to be performed in person, in a shared space with other audience members and the performers.

We took an approach last year to focus on our students’ experience and providing quality educational opportunities to them for the 2020-2021 academic year, and then this year, we decided it was time to begin creating experiential opportunities again for our students and provide live performances to the community because that is what we need to get back to.”

Faculty members in other departments are facing similar issues. James Kuykendall, chair for the music department at UMW, explained that music majors and students have to battle another challenge: instruments that require the mouth to operate such as clarinets or trombones. This

has caused issues since the music department was denied a mask exemption in Sept. 2021, as reported in The Weekly Ringer.

“In 2020-21, the choral ensembles existed only over Zoom; the orchestra performances were synchedup videos,” said Kuykendall. “‘Ensemble’ means ‘together,’ and Zoom is not a way to build a musical community. There are ways of making it work, but they work against the very things that draw people into making music together in the first place.”

The performing arts tinkered with Zoom for some of 2020, and, according to the department heads, it was surprisingly successful. After restrictions eased up, the theatre department began the switch back to live shows, but now with another COVID surge, they’re hoping not to be forced back to Zoom in 2022.

Performing arts remain functional with new schedules.

Amidst the challenges and changes, at least four performances are in the plans for this spring semester. While the theatre department navigates their respective endeavors, the music department has seen no delays or issues in the plans for their shows.

“It certainly seems that the university is being responsive to the fact that theatre students and all our performing artists gain the greatest experience from being with an audience, sharing space,” said Reynolds.

“It appears that the same goes for athletes who need to share space with other schools and with spectators. This year, all was brought back into the realm of possibility for us where last year, it wasn’t conceivable.”

COVID-19 Dashboard

Active cases

Larceny of Vehicle

Page 7

3.43

7-day moving average of new cases per day

54

19 of 22

Quarantine spaces available

115 of 120

Isolation spaces available

233

Total prevalence tests administered from Jan. 14, 2022 - Jan. 20, 2022

4

Total tests conducted at the Student Health Center since Jan. 1, 2022

Total positive prevalence tests returned from Jan. 14, 2022 - Jan. 20, 2022

10

1.72%

Positive Student Health Center tests returned since Jan. 1, 2022

Percentage of positive prevalence tests returned from Jan. 7, 2022 - Jan. 13, 2022

Thursday, January 27, 2022

Sports

Track & field team competes against CNU

On Jan. 15, UMW’s track and field team what a good coach should be, and he is leaving us LEIGH HATTON attended Christopher Newport University’s in good hands.”

Staff Writer Captain Invitational, the first of many meets they The team’s upcoming meet will take place at will represent the university in during this competitive season.

George Mason University. More teams will be attending this meet, “The goal of the meet was to get the rust off, and I think we were including some Division I schools, so members of the team are successful at that,” said Patrick Brown, a senior political science anticipating a bigger challenge. major. “No one on the team has done indoor track in almost two “We are excited to compete against people that can push us more years, so it’s nice to be back.” than what we are used to,” Leon-Ledezma said. “My goal is to hit At the meet, Brown won the men’s 3,000-meter event with a time a season [personal record] in the 60 meters to help climb up the of 9:17. Since this meet conference standings. It will be key to be aggressive from the start of “We are excited to occurred so early in the the race and finish the race strong.” compete against people season, other members of Brown is also looking forward to the competition. the team shared that their “Our next meet is tougher competition, but I like that,” he said. that can push us more goals were not necessarily “The team will have had more time to get in some training so I expect than we are used to.” to win. everyone to be in better form. Personally, I’ll be running a different “We had two days to event. At CNU, I ran in the DMR [distance medley relay] and 3K, but practice before the meet -Valentina Leon-Ledezma at Mason I’m going to be running the 5K.” on Saturday, so we were Amber Zipfel, a senior English and creative writing major, prepared to treat this meet like a practice day,” said Valentina Leon- discussed her race strategy for the upcoming meet.

Ledezma, a senior psychology and sociology major. “We wanted to “My goal is to get a faster time than the last race and strategize get solid times in and see where we were at physically.” for the run, rather than just running,” Zipfel said. “I’m thinking of Leon-Ledezma placed third in the women’s 200-meter event with writing desired lap times on my hand and following that. These races a time of 28:85. will be faster, so we’ll get faster times because the other runners will “Overall, we’re happy with how we performed,” she said. “The really push us.” results on paper might not be personal bests, but it showed us what Brown highlighted the difficulties that the team deals with during we need to work on for the rest of the season.” the winter competitive season.

The track and field team is also dealing with the departure of their “Indoor track should really be called winter track because we still head coach Kunle Lawson, who has been coaching at UMW for the do all our training outdoors,” he said, “It does really suck in the cold, past eight years. The student-athletes remarked on the significant and it makes snow especially annoying. We do compete indoors, but role that Lawson has played in the team’s successes. there is a challenge there because the air is always super dry.”

“I cannot stress enough that Coach Lawson is the team,” said Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Leon-Ledezma expressed Brown. “I fear that without him, the team will disintegrate more than confidence in her team. it already has. The amount of people who leave the team each year “We look really strong and are ready to put up a fight at our is more than the amount who join. With the amount of people we competitions,” she said. “This year, we’re hosting the outdoor currently have on the team, it’s very difficult to be competitive.” conference championship at Mary Washington, which is a super Leon-Ledezma shared her admiration for Lawson. exciting way to end my senior year.”

“Coach Lawson has had an amazing impact on the team,” she said.

The team’s next meet is scheduled to take place on Jan. 28 and 29 “He is intentional with his coaching and takes pride in his athletes. at George Mason University.

In the eight years he has been at Mary Washington, he has shown us

The positive leader: Swimmer Sydney Hall

MADISON MCCALLUM Standing behind the block, senior biology 50 freestyle, 53.76 in the 100 freestyle and 1:58.32 Staff Writer major Sydney Hall cheers and chants for her in the 200 freestyle. teammates as they make their way In 2019 at the CACs, hosted by St. down to their lanes. To the outside eye, Mary’s College, Hall’s 200 free relay Hall’s excitement for swimming might team was seeded at second behind the seem to be a lifelong love; however, her seemingly unbeatable York College. passion for swimming was one that Diving in shortly after her York took time to develop and was heavily competitors, Hall was able to beat impacted by her passion for leadership them to the wall, out touching the through positivity. competition by a mere 0.1 seconds and Hall began swimming when she was winning the relay for her team. Beating five years old at the local YMCA club her fastest times, Hall shared that this team in her hometown of Chesapeake, meet is one she will always remember.

Va. Viewing it as a mere social activity After graduation, Hall plans to at the time, Hall began to wonder what attend nursing school while coaching lay ahead for her swim career. Beginning the Old Dominion Aquatic Club team to focus more on herself in high school, back in her hometown. Although Hall made the Junior National Swim she will miss countless aspects of Team and served as captain of her swim Sydney Hall smiling after a race.

Emily Warren / The Weekly Ringer swimming here, Hall has a positive team at Hickory High school. She also outlook on what is to come for her. earned a state ring after winning a state title with her 4x100 freestyle “It will be bittersweet, but I am ready to close this chapter of my relay team. Per her coach’s advice, Hall began to look at smaller life and move on to the next one!” she said. universities that had Division III swim programs. She decided to Aside from her athletic recognition, Hall will be remembered for reach out via email to UMW’s head swim coach at the time, anxious her leadership both in and out of the water. After having supportive about what the response would be. role models her freshman year, Hall was determined to follow in the “She [UMW’s then-head coach Abby Brethauer] told me that if I footsteps of the seniors before her. dropped some more time, I would have a spot on the team,” said Hall.

“My freshman year we had amazing seniors who led our team,” “We had our end of the season meet down in Clearwater Florida and she said. “Ever since freshman year, I knew all I wanted to be was a I just remember swimming my heart out.” great leader like them and to make everyone on the team love UMW Hall believes her biggest accomplishment, prior to coming to just as much as I do.” college, was her recruitment to UMW. Her hard work had finally Not only did Hall make it a goal of hers to encourage her paid off, and Hall was overjoyed to have been given the opportunity teammates to grow as swimmers, but she also aimed to make their to further her swimming career at the university. time at the university as memorable as hers.

Joining the team in 2018, Hall immediately made an impact.

“Her [Hall’s] biggest strength as a swimmer is her love of racing As a freshman, she was named First Team All-Coastal Athletic and the extra intensity she brings to representing her team on Conference (CAC) in the 200 medley relay, First Team All-CAC in relays,” said current head coach Justin Anderson. the 200 freestyle relay, Second Team All-CAC in the 50 freestyle and Anderson shared that Hall has a special knack for quickly Second Team All-CAC in the 400 freestyle relay. In her sophomore developing relationships with her teammates on both the men’s and year, Hall added First Team All-CAC in the 800 freestyle relay, women’s teams.

Second Team All-CAC in the 100 freestyle and First Team All-CAC “She’s always helping me make sure I have good form, and she’s in the 400 freestyle relay to her list of accomplishments. In 2 Hall always encouraging me to push myself,” said freshman psychology went from Second Team All-CAC in the 400 freestyle relay to First major Ashley Dyer. “She’s positive and her hardworking attitude Team, crediting this to her urge to step up on the team and take a makes me want to work hard as well.” leadership role.

Now in her senior year, Hall holds personal bests of 24.57 for the

Page 8

University of Mary Washington

Spring Sports Schedule

Victoria R. Percherke Sports Editor

Track & Field

Jan. 28 @ GMU Patriot Games @ Fairfax, Va. Jan. 29 @ GMU Patriot Games @ Fairfax, Va. Feb. 6 @ VWU Richard Drake Invitational @ Virginia Beach, Va. Feb. 12 @ Roanoke Challenge Conference Championships

Men’s Basketball (12-4) Jan. 26 vs. Apprentice School Jan. 28 vs. Regent Jan. 31 @ Pfeiffer Feb. 5 @ Salisbury

Women’s Basketball (14-4) Jan. 24 @ Stevenson Jan. 29 @ Christopher Newport Feb. 2 @ Randolph-Macon Feb. 5 vs. Salisbury

Men’s Swimming (6-3)

Jan. 22 L @ Gettysburg (170-91) Jan. 29 vs. Salisbury Feb. 17-20 vs. Metro Collegiate Swimming Conference Championships @ Camdem, N.J.

Women’s Swimming (8-1)

Jan. 22 W @ Gettysburg (156-105) Jan. 29 vs. Salisbury Feb. 17-20 vs. Metro Collegiate Swimming Conference Championships @ Camdem, N.J.

Equestrian Team

Feb. 5 vs. Mary Washington Show Feb. 19 @ Liberty Show Feb. 27 vs. Regional Show @ Sweet Briar, Va.

Games are available to watch via livestream on the UMW Athletic’s webpage Full schedule not listed above.

Most recent games included.

Bold indicates home game.