The Weekly Ringer

University Faculty Council Alternative Terms Committee explores options for return of January term

Since 2021, the University Faculty Council’s Ad Hoc Alternative Terms Committee has been exploring options for alternative academic terms, namely a three-week January Term, or J-Term. The committee aims to have a finalized report to the council this school year, according to Michael Benson, chair of the committee and assistant professor of theatre.

SHELBY GRAY HERZOG Staff Writer

“The impetus for investigating an alternative term was the inclusion of a J-Term in UMW’s 2020-2021 academic calendar,” said Benson. “The term was included in the academic calendar due to the revised winter break due to the pandemic. Many students and faculty who participated in those classes reported a positive experience. This prompted the UFC to investigate an alternative term further.”

At the Nov. 30 council meeting, the committee shared results from a faculty survey, which received an estimated 31% response rate, according to the meeting minutes. The committee has not yet presented the official report.

Based on the survey results, 71.4% of respondents were in favor of bringing the January term back, and

28.6% were opposed.

The survey asked faculty members about three different options for the January term.

“A majority of faculty supported extending contracts by 3 days to allow for a J-term and Saturday graduation,

instead of having a contract pause or holding graduation on a Wednesday,” according to the meeting minutes.

After preliminarily analyzing the results of the survey, the committee is recommending the term start in January as opposed to December. After speaking with support staff, such as those working at the Speaking and Writing Center, library and help desk, would not be available in December. Under this schedule, commencement would fall one week later than currently scheduled, but would still be on a Saturday.

One issue the committee is working to address is that faculty not teaching during the January term would not be paid for service work they perform.

“This plan would require additional days of work without compensation,” the Nov. 30 meeting minutes said. “For example, those teaching a J-term would be compensated for work done during this time (including service work), but other faculty not teaching the J-term who are asked to attend to service roles would be doing service work without compensation.”

When it was held two years ago, the goal of the three-week January term was to provide students with a nuanced experience and allow both students and faculty new opportunities. It was

Student Activities and Engagement creates Eagle Engagement

Points system to bolster student involvement on campus

This semester, the Office of Student Activities and Engagement began a new program that will allow students to be rewarded for attending on-campus events. The points that students earn are all overseen by the professional staff of the office. All currently enrolled students are eligible to participate in this program.

ANNA GROSSNICKLE Staff Writer

“Eagle Engagement Points are a way to encourage and incentivize attendance at events,” said Director of Students Activities and Engagement Sandrine Sutphin. “Events are tagged with various words like ‘professional development’ ‘wellness’ ‘diversity’ etc. and the more events students attend, the more points they’ll gain.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, events had to be moved online or otherwise adjusted. As in-person events return, the office is working to adjust.

“One of the main goals of the Office of Student Activities & Engagement is to get students more involved and connected on campus, and our hope is that having an incentive program like Eagle Engagement Points will help to encourage students to attend more events,” said Sutphin.

As students earn Eagle Engagement Points as a reward for attendance at events, these points can eventually be exchanged for prizes. Each event is worth anywhere from one to five points.

UMW University Faculty Council considers reinstitution of the J-Term. Sarah Sklar/The Weekly Ringer

University President Troy Paino poses with Sammy D. Eagle on Devil-Goat-Day. Student Activities and Engagement / Facebook

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Eagle Engagement Points incentivize student attendance at on-campus events

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“While there are benefits to attending any kind of events, we do offer more points to events that are considered more educational, developmental,

and/or can enhance what students are learning in the classroom,” said Sutphin. By visiting UMW Presence, students can find a catalog of events that can earn them points,

organized by the amount of points that they are worth. For example, events that are tagged as “social,” such as February’s Eagle Con, are worth only one point. However, attending an event that is tagged as “service,” such as January’s Canal Path Cleanup, is worth five points.

Students who choose to participate in the program will get to decide what the prizes will be. Those interested can fill out a form through UMW Presence to submit their suggestions for prizes.

Students who visited Winter Club Carnival were given small cards that advertised the new program.

“I have not seen or noticed any promotion for [Eagle Engagement Points] around campus or on social media,” said junior English and studio art double major Arden Jones. “I am already interested in going to academic events. The eagle engagement points are an added bonus.”

Many students are unaware of the new Eagle Engagement Points program.

“I haven’t seen much promotion for Eagle engagement

points on campus yet,” said senior history major Katherine Rayhart. “However, I wouldn’t be surprised if SAE has flyers up on the bulletin boards and I haven’t seen them yet. I got a card at Club Carnival that talked about the points.”

The Student Leadership Symposium is one event that provided students with Eagle Engagement Points. The event is tagged as “leadership,” which makes it worth three points. The Leadership Symposium is an event that happens every semester that helps teach skills to student club officers.

The Office of Student Activities and Engagement hopes to expand the Eagle Engagement Points program. The goal is to eventually allow students to earn points from activities other than on-campus academic events.

“Currently the main way to earn points is by attending events, but soon we’re also hoping that students can gain points by participating in a variety of experiences (like being a student leader, working on campus, doing community service, etc.),” said Sutphin.

Ad hoc committee surveys faculty regarding opinions on potential January term

FROM J-TERM PAGE 1

considered an additional mini-semester for students who wished to fulfill a requirement in the downtime of winter break, as well as a chance for students to catch up on credits if they were behind.

Additionally, the January term generated a total revenue of $395,566, according to an article in The Weekly Ringer.

Many students are in favor of holding another January term.

“I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t happen,” said Isaac Huling, a senior political science major.

Senior philosophy major Mary-Elise Alworth is also in support of the January term coming back.

“I think that it is beneficial for students who are on an accelerated path in their undergraduate studies,” she said.

Some students wish they could have participated in the term before graduating.

“I wish I could’ve participated in it,” said Jane Delaney, a senior philosophy: pre-law major.

“It’s unfair that some people were able to graduate sooner just because they were able to do J-Term.”

As of Jan. 23, the committee is still working to gather information and have yet to present the totality of their findings to the council.

“The main thing that has stood out is how genuinely invested the faculty are in student success,” said Benson. “While not at all surprising, as this is what makes UMW special, it has been uplifting to see the care and concern from all areas of the UMW community through this committee’s work.”

Sammy D. Eagle poses on the first day of class for the fall 2022 semester. UMW SAE / Facebook

Ball Hall, dormatory located on Ball Circle, pictured during a snow storm. Sarah Sklar/The Weekly Ringer

How do you roll: The great toilet paper debate

ELI KEITH Staff Writer

It must have been in middle school sometime, scrolling through a meme page, when I first became aware of the toilet paper debate, which consisted of the following dilemma: When you put the roll of toilet paper in position, in which direction do you want the roll to spin? This is the over/under debate, and it’s one that has sparked fiery exchanges for decades.

As someone who has always felt that over was the way to roll, I decided to take to the internet; the place where I was first introduced to this question would be the best place to search for an answer. As it turns out, there’s some science to the issue.

According to an Inc. article citing a study from the University of Colorado, “The correct way to hang toilet paper is ‘over.’ Why? Because ‘under’ vastly increases the possibility that food-poisoning bacteria will spread from the restroom to the rest of the workplace.”

can even write our names, and we’re often silenced from discussing the rules and regulations of the porcelain throne after those formative lessons due to the taboo nature of the subject.

But then, why is there such contentious debate surrounding the direction of your toilet paper roll?

Until I researched, I had no idea about the scientific reasoning behind the issue. But toilet paper patents and E. coli probably aren’t people’s typical arguments for the way the roll should spin. If you’ve grown up in an “under” household, you may feel strongly that under is the way to go just because that’s the way it’s always been.

It’s the same with tying our shoes—why do we feel so strongly about using one loop or two?

Perhaps it’s the perceived triviality of the matter, then. While it’s difficult to achieve meaningful success and attain appreciable power in our careers or other communal outlets, our personal lives often remain comfortably under our control. As a result, our very personal moments, then, may be the ones we have the most ownership of.

For those who are nervous to partake in more difficult discussions, the kind that is necessary for human progress that benefits everyone, perhaps the low stakes and light-

This chalks up the increased likelihood of contracting food poisoning, typically in the form of E. coli from human feces, to the way people often touch the wall that the roll is mounted on when they reach for a rip, especially if the roll is facing under. Of course, this is a bigger concern for public restrooms, though bacteria are also familiar with the private spaces of peoples’ homes.

If that’s not enough to convince you, you must not be afraid of E. coli. (How was eating the Chipotle lettuce back in 2015?) Allow me to continue.

Although probably most important, the risk of spreading and accidentally consuming E. coli bacteria is not the only reason why you should hang your toilet paper using the over method; mounting your toilet paper this way also provides for a better bathroom experience. Since nothing is fighting gravity’s pull on the end of an under-hanging roll, there’s a higher chance of the roll spinning out of control, landing perfectly good toilet paper on the floor—most likely in a puddle of random wetness that we all hate to encounter in a bathroom. This is a chance that we all would like to keep slim, for wasting toilet paper bodes poorly when you’re nearing the end of the roll and don’t have time to head to Giant until the following night. I’ve been there, you’ve probably been there; I think we can agree that it’s a bad situation to be in.

Apart from the scientific reasoning behind why you should be an over person, too, you can listen to Zeynep Yenisey of Maxim, who points out that “the 1891 patent for the toilet paper roll literally states that the end of the roll should be hanging off the exterior.” Take it from the inventor: over is the way to go.

It’s a free country, yes, but we do have rules.

Looking at those rules, it’s necessary to find the source of our knowledge on bathroom etiquette. For many, if not all of us, most of our bathroom behavior is learned before we

hearted nature of a toilet paper debate is a way to dip your toe in the water (preferably not toilet water). Of course, such a conversation wouldn’t carry the same weight and importance as more serious conversations that need to be had. But asking someone how they hang their toilet paper, fold their shirts or decorate their house can be the conversational push someone needs to take a leap at discussing uncomfortable, taboo or socially unacceptable topics.

And honestly, sharing about silly things we do, like the various ways to hang your toilet paper roll or tie your shoes, is fun. So, if you’re still an “under” person, I’m just interested in hearing why.

EagleOne access should be required for all campus buildings

DANIELLE ROSS Staff Writer

To improve the safety of the UMW community, entrances to all on-campus buildings should require EagleOne cards 24 hours a day.

In order to enter any of the dorms on campus, students are required to use their EagleOne IDs to swipe in. This serves as a security measure for students living on campus, as it prevents people who are not enrolled at the university and students who live elsewhere from gaining access to personal living quarters.

However, this is not the case for other buildings on campus.

For example, because UMW is an open campus, anyone from the public is allowed to enter buildings such as the Cedric Rucker University Center, Simpson Library, Hurley Convergence Center and all of the classroom

buildings across campus. Several of those buildings, such as the CRUC, close at night, while others, like the HCC, require EagleOne card access after a certain hour, depending on the day. However, that leaves a wide range of time during which any person can come and go as they please, causing students to feel unsafe.

Students have spoken up about concerns regarding their safety many times.

In February 2021, multiple female students reported being followed by a man who was trying to enter Willard Hall, a freshman dorm room, according to an article by The Weekly Ringer.

Two other safety concerns occurred on Friday, April 9, 2021, when students received two campus safety alerts via email, as reported in The Weekly Ringer. The first said that a middle-aged white man called a student a racial slur in the UMW Apartments parking lot, and the second said that two students were approached by a half-naked man

near the amphitheater.

In a separate case in September 2021, multiple female students were approached by a white man on the UMW campus, as reported by The Weekly Ringer. Though they had never met before, the man recognized the students and knew them by name after viewing their social media profiles.

All of these instances involved men who were not affiliated with UMW having access to the campus. To address these threats the resulting feelings of unsafety, The UMW campus is located less than five minutes from several residential neighborhoods and downtown Fredericksburg. Residents from nearby areas stroll down campus daily. Knowing that just about anyone could enter buildings where students are learning, eating or living is disconcerting.

The toilet paper debate is between the “under” and “over” method. Kev Bation / Unsplash

While it’s difficult to achieve meaningful success and attain appreciable power in our careers or other communcal outlets, our personal lives often remain comfortably under our control.

Personal essay: An orphan’s way through college

DAVY WASHINGTON Senior Writer

On a moderately hot summer day in 2018, I was getting ready for a date when I saw my mom for the last time. I had told her that I would be back later that evening, and she had given me her credit card to use for buying lunch and whatever else I might end up getting. The date went pretty well, all things considered, and I even met her parents later on in the evening when they invited me back for dinner.

When the date ended and she and her father were driving me home, we pulled up to the side street of the townhouse I lived in, and I saw flashing red lights coming from two ambulances surrounding the street. All I can remember thinking was, “I hope that’s not me.” Getting out of the car, I saw EMTs hovering over my mom’s body, trying to resuscitate her. Seeing that and my home in ruins left an imprint on my brain that I can never erase.

Growing up, college was always a bit of a tough topic, but it became even more so after my mom passed away a year before I graduated high school. (I don’t have a father figure, either, as I don’t have any real attachment to my biological father.) Where was I going to find the guidance that college demands you have? How was I to know the difference between a subsidized and unsubsidized loan? Who was going to get me and all of my belongings from Alexandria to Fredericksburg? Will I be able to keep myself financially stable in my first semester?

Looking back, certain struggles weren’t that complicated, but they were still taxing to figure out. Luckily, the parent of one of my coworkers at the time was a college counselor and was willing to help me figure out how I would pursue higher education considering my circumstances.

a somewhat normal conversation when people ask about my parents or when I receive an offhanded “Your mom” joke and I have to explain that I don’t have one. I’m not sure there’s ever been one socially acceptable way to respond to that.

As sadistic as it might sound, though, I don’t have anyone telling me what to do, I get to be my own person, and I have all the independence in the world as a 20-year-old, which is nice. But with that comes a strange feeling of alienness when friends tell me about arguments they have with their parents or when there’s petty drama amongst friend groups. I never had time for that once my mom passed—I had to grow up a lot quicker than my peers, and it shows. Being extremely mature is a compliment that I get a lot, but it’s also a comment that carries a lot of weight that most people wouldn’t know about without asking.

While almost four years have passed and I’ve learned to cope with the loss, it’s still difficult to navigate through the tough things that don’t get taught in school. Like, what’s a mortgage? How do credit cards work? From applying to college to answering these questions, I had people that supported me all the way through, and I can never express how grateful I am for them.

Even though it’s hard to not have someone to write home to, being an orphan in college is an interesting experience that I’m proud to say I have. I’ve been told that most people in my position would have given up and gone down a much darker path. Though the grieving process took its toll on me, I eventually sought out some much-needed therapy. And while I did have moments when it seemed a lot easier to turn to unhealthy coping skills, I had a strong enough support system behind me that kept me afloat.

One of the most challenging parts of the college process was filling out all of the FAFSA forms that require so much parent-oriented information. For many students, financial aid is everything, and it can make the difference between going to college or not going to college; I was very close to being in that position. I didn’t have a family income to put in or know how much she made in yearly income, along with a slew of other bits of information they had asked me for.

Apart from that, filing as an independent was probably the scariest thing because it established the reality that I would be paying for all of my college education. This made me think of all the kids that didn’t have to worry about doing this themselves—the stress that they wouldn’t have to deal with to make sure each box was filled out correctly so that I could get the most financial aid I could receive. Suffice it to say, it was a painful cycle of reliving the grieving process. I didn’t have a plan, let alone a ton of money saved up that I could use to put towards attending a university. Thankfully, though, with the help of Suzanne Carter, my college counselor, I was able to get all of the tricky details worked out and join Mary Washington.

But what’s it like living at college as an orphan?

In one simple word: hard. Providing for yourself, needing to work a job to afford basic necessities and being even more in charge of your own life than most of your classmates have been some of the most difficult elements to adjust to.

Being on campus in the fall and spring, constantly surrounded by people who can go home at a moment’s notice or have FaceTime calls with their parents every night is really difficult. It’s difficult to not have something equivalent to that. And don’t even get me started on family weekend. That’s the time, above all others, that I try my best to stay inside to avoid any awkward questions about why mine aren’t here. It’s become

Every once in a while, I think about how far I’ve come, and I’m pleasantly surprised with how well I’ve been doing. I never imagined that I would become who I am today, especially without parental guidance. While I would like to have parents—or at least just one that did care for me—I would never say that I became a worse person because of that loss. My only regret is that my mom isn’t able to see me today and how wonderfully I’m doing, all of the amazing people I’ve met and all of my accomplishments from just two years here.

Davy Washington shares their experience as an orphan in college. Davy Washington / The Weekly Ringer

Washington under the Bell Tower during their first visit to the University of Mary Washington. Davy Washington / The Weekly Ringer

Washington is pictured with their mom.

Davy Washington / The Weekly Ringer

Undeniably comedic: The Undeniably Adjacent creates an interactive improv experience at UMW

NORAH WALSH Associate Editor

On Friday, Jan. 20, I had no plans, a desire to see my friends, a cute outfit on and my ever-present need for a good laugh. Fortunately, I had come across an Instagram post from The Undeniably Adjacent, UMW’s improv club, earlier that week, so I sent out a couple texts to see if any of my friends would want to come along or if I’d be forced to sit and giggle by myself in the auditorium in the Monroe basement.

One of my good friends, Jessica Oberlies, responded that she’d be down to come along with me, and we met right inside the doors to Monroe that face the fountain.

As I descended into the Monroe basement, I was unsure of what to expect, as I had only seen a handful of improv shows in middle school when my brother was exploring his acting career. Jess and I made it into the auditorium, found good seats where we would be well positioned to watch the antics on stage and settled in for the ride.

activities that human beings perform, which elicited much funnier and more random suggestions. The process of suggesting is rather chaotic, and it’s an opportunity for the audience members to give the cast members fuel for their comedy.

E Wiley, a junior creative writing major, expressed their affinity for this game in particular, especially since they play the lead role in the game under the name “Brick Brickman.” Their fellow cast member Snider relayed the same sentiments.

“I’d say my favorite part of Friday’s show was our first game, Animal Expert,” Snider said. “It’s usually a fan favorite thanks to E’s recurring character, the exasperated and ethically dubious TV host Brick Brickman.”

When I talked with Elizabeth Ashby, a sophomore psychology and theater double major who is another one of the cast members, I learned that there are two types of improv: long form and short form.

“Short-form improv is sort of like a five-minute game, and a long-form improv usually takes either half of the show or a full show span,” Ashby said.

During Friday’s show, their games were classified as long-form improv, which allowed me and the rest of the audience members to fully immerse ourselves in the games before switching gears to another one.

To prepare for this long-form improv, the cast members rehearse beforehand, which helps them hone the skills that they later use during the show.

For those of you who have never been to an improv show, it’s a very interactive experience in which the cast members explain the rules and premises of their game and then get suggestions pertaining to a range of topics from the audience members that they’ll then incorporate into the game.

But, what is a game?

In their informative response to my questions about the behind-the-scenes of improv, Gabe Snider, a senior historic preservation major and cast member of The Undeniably Adjacent said, “A ‘game’ in improv is basically a format for a sketch or scene with specific rules. But aside from those rules we have to make up everything on the spot: characters, setting, conflict, anything we act out.”

When I talked to some of the audience members about watching and interacting with The Undeniably Adjacent, they also contributed their favorite games. Charmaine Spencer, a senior biomedical sciences major with a neuroscience minor said that her favorite game was one in which they couldn’t say the letter S.

The S-less scene consisted of two people having a conversation utilizing some of the words they had sourced from the audience. Throughout this conversation bit, they could not say any word with the letter S in it or else they would be eliminated and a new person would replace them.

Jamie Grahek, a freshman business major who attended the show to see her suitemate Laura Connors perform, said, “My favorite part was all the scenes with Laura in it.”

Another one of the games was called Animal Expert, and it started with the cast members suggesting an array of different animals. This was followed by a call for

“We practice twice weekly around campus, and we basically will run through different exercises to help our quick thinking skills, character building, etc. to prepare us for shows,” said Ricky Muñoz, a senior history and geography double major who is both a cast member and the president of The Undeniably Adjacent.

In addition to rehearsing during the weeks leading up to shows, the cast also has a rehearsal before the show to get them warmed up.

“It’s mostly exercises that get our energy up,” Ashby said. “It’s so hard to go out on a stage and be low energy, because generally you’re gonna get the same thing back from an audience.”

Right before the show, the cast members also refresh themselves on how the show is going to be organized.

“The practice before a show is kind of like a rehearsal because we run the same games that we’re going to perform at the show,” Snider said.

Watching the cast interact and produce such funny scenes together communicated a wonderful sense of community to the audience, and I could really see the passion and interest—not to mention the level of genuine fun that they were having—during the show.

Because of this, I wanted to know how being part of The Undeniably Adjacent positively influenced the cast members—either during the shows or in their lives in general.

In true comedic fashion, Wiley described the most unexpected outcome of being part of the club with a joke. Wiley said, “Probably the news helicopters that follow us all constantly. And the emails from Lorne Michaels to host SNL.”

In a more realistic sense, some of the cast members recognized how what they rehearsed had an influence on their life.

“I truly didn’t expect how useful improvisational skills would be in my day-to-day life,” said Muñoz. “Doing improv really helps sharpen your brain, and helps you think quicker in all kinds of situations.”

Both from watching the show and from interacting with the performers, you can tell how much pride they have in their club and in each other.

“If anyone ever sees me and does talk to me about something they liked about the show, doesn’t even have to be something I did, I will thank them with every fiber of my being for supporting something so ridiculous,” said Wiley.

As a fan of the ridiculous—especially when it’s done well—I had a wonderful Friday night thanks to The Undeniably Adjacent, and I am so grateful to them for making time for me to pry into their tips, tricks and connections to improv.

To experience the comedy, ridiculousness and talent of The Undeniably Adjacent, you can catch them again on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. in the Digital Auditorium found on the bottom floor of the Hurley Convergence Center.

The Undeniably Adjacent performed their first show of the semester on Friday, Jan. 20 in the auditorium in the Monroe basement.

Photo courtesy of Ricky Muñoz

“If anyone ever sees me and does talk to me about something they liked about the show, doesn’t even have to be something I did, I will thank them with every fiber of my being for supporting something so ridiculous.”

- E Wiley

“I truly didn’t expect how useful improvisational skills would be in my day-to-day life.”

- Ricky Muñoz

Requiring EagleOne card access to enter all buildings would boost safety on campus

Requiring card access to on-campus buildings has also been effective at other universities.

For example, Stephen Mallozzi, a recent graduate and former resident assistant at the University of Virginia, said there have been several instances where requiring card access on grounds has benefitted his residents.

The required card access prevented him from following the girls to their room, and he was later reprimanded by the police, Mallozzi said.

Of course, there is a convenience factor for buildings that don’t require card access. Most students don’t want to have their card ready just to get to class, and forgetting your EagleOne would be a much bigger issue for students if all buildings required ID access.

“Sometimes I miss my morning alarm and, in my rush to class, I forget my ID,” said Ruby Scopko, a junior biomedical sciences major.

In cases like these, having to go back to your dorm building could make you late to class or the event you’re heading to. Scopko said, “I can’t imagine having to go back to my apartment to get it just so I can get into class.”

Despite being inconvenient at times, the benefits of requiring EagleOne card access for all buildings on campus far exceed the costs.

-

“Just last year, two of my residents were followed back to their dorm building by a lacrosse player from some Pennsylvania university,” said Mallozzi. “He tried to get into the building after them but they shut the door in time and it locked.”

However, our tendency to not remember our cards is likely reinforced by how little we have to use them every day. If we had to use them for more than purchasing food and entering our residence halls, we would get used to the habit and treat them more like our key ring or wallet.

To ensure the safety of all students, we need to put this change in place. Student, staff and faculty safety should be the University’s top priority, and requiring EagleOne card access for all buildings—not just residence halls—would help make that a reality.

“Just last year, two of my residents were followed back to their dorm building by a lacrosse player from some Pennsylvania university.”

Stephen Mallozzi

Crime Column

CALLIE HARKINS News Editor

President’s Council on Sustainability aims to make UMW more eco-friendly

IBERT FANCHER Staff Writer

The President’s Council on Sustainability held its first meeting of the semester on Jan. 17. The council was created in the fall of 2009 with the goal of making the campus more sustainable in terms of being able to coexist with the environment in the coming years.

Burglary/Breaking and Entering

On Jan. 19 at an 11:27 a.m., there was a case of burglary/ breaking and entering at Madison Hall. This case is pending.

Drinking Alcohol/ Public Space

On Jan. 20 at 10:27 p.m., there was an incident of drinking alcohol in a public space at Augustine and Parcell Street. This case is pending.

The council’s goal “is to play a critical role in shaping administrative goals, objectives related to sustainability,” said Sean Morrow, university sustainability coordinator. “The committee regularly meets to discuss recommendations and opportunities for action on campus sustainability issues, policies, or strategies.”

As listed on the council’s website, current goals include

the dining hall.

“The University has done a lot to conserve resources especially in the UC,” said Curtis Kasiski, a class of 2022 UMW graduate who served as a council member. “One of the more notable improvements was the addition of a trash grinder, meaning they can use half as many plastic bags. A community garden was also established with the work of Dr. Bonds last summer which is something they have been trying to achieve for a long time.” Eric Bonds is an associate professor of sociology and anthropology at UMW.

University President Troy Paino is in charge of appointing the council members, a mixture of staff, faculty and students that are selected from a list of applicants. The council is currently focusing on action

sustainable.

Senior Earth and environmental science major Ava Spencer served as a cochair of the council last year.

“Getting to be a co-chair of the President’s council gave me wonderful experience of what my major could turn into the real world pursuing a job,” she said. “They took students seriously, listened to our concerns, and actively tried to make change happen. It felt like important work.”

The council was formed in 2009 and started the process to fund and hire a full-time sustainability position at UMW. After the position was created, it led to the formation of The Office of Sustainability.

“At its roots, and especially shown on campus, sustainability is a very interdisciplinary conversation – meaning there are so many facets of UMW’s community, operations, vision & goals, facilities and more that can be connected in one-way shape or form to ‘sustainability,’” said Morrow. “UMW has made measurable progress in designing future goals, projects, etc. with Sustainability in mind. ”

major, Mackenzie Dickson. “More trash and recycling bins should be provided throughout campus with pictures and an explanation of what can go where; the campus is known for throwing away things in the recycling bin. ”

Paino often attends the council’s meetings.

“President Paino has been very involved and has attended past meetings with the intention of figuring out what we need,” said Kasiski.

The committee reports to the Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance and the University Provost.

“Over the years, Dr. Paino and members of his cabinet have attended PCS meetings from time to time and have met with the cochairs of the PCS to discuss specific sustainability actions and goals for UMW,” said Morrow. “From the perspective of the PCS, we’ve had a very positive relationship with President Paino since he’s been at UMW.”

researching renewable energy options for campus, examining the feasibility of operating UMW events at the certified green event level and looking into logistics of composting food waste from

goals in four categories— administration and finance, operation, education and outreach, and innovation and awareness—all of which are aiming to make UMW more

According to Morrow, the Council led the draft of UMW’s first Climate Action Plan and the Climate Action Task Force.

“The current university’s level of sustainability is moderate, with room for improvement,” said senior conservation biology

Morrow is optimistic about the impact of the council on UMW’s sustainability efforts.

“In comparison to other public universities, we can recognize UMW has room to improve, but with the direction of the PCS and the many sustainable minds on campus, there is a wealth of optimism for the direction of UMW sustainability,” he said.

President Troy Paino poses with the UMW’s “Tree Campus USA” plaque. sustainability.umw.edu

University of Mary Washington Office of Sustainability clipart. sustainability.umw.edu

Daytona-bound: Cheer makes program history

SAM BERTSCH Staff Writer

For the first time in UMW’s history, the cheer team has qualified for the National Cheerleaders Association and National Dance Alliance College National Championship. The competition will take place April 5-9 in Daytona, Fla., where UMW will be joining 400 other schools and going head-to-head with 17 teams in their division.

“I think we just had a really good drive this year and are getting along well and everyone is willing to learn new skills,” said President Annie Wadovick, a senior accounting major.

In order to qualify, the team trained over the past semester and submitted a video of their stunts and tumbling to the National Cheerleaders Association. On Dec. 23, they found out that they scored a spot in the competition.

Though the team has a total of 17 members who participate in sideline cheering, 13 members are part of the competition team and will be going to Daytona.

Treasurer and senior business administration major Abigail Atkinson attributed the team’s recent success to some new training activities. The team’s practices involve a mixture of conditioning, stunting and tumbling.

“We did a camp day this year which was different which really helped build the stunt group’s connection and chemistry,” said Atkinson. “It was an eight-hour day on a Saturday.”

They plan to hold another camp day before the competition in April.

But this year hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing for the team.

“A few months in, a couple people had opted to leave the team and others were shuffled around in stunt groups, leading to me being put in as a flyer,” said Molly Gilhool, a freshman elementary education major. “It was definitely a nerve-wracking experience, since at that point, I had only flown a stunt a few times. But everyone on the team has been very supportive, and I’ve learned a lot in a very short amount of time.”

The team also had to fundraise more than normal, as it costs about $18,000 to attend nationals.

“We had four fundraisers in the fall which is a lot more than usual because Daytona is more expensive,” said Atkinson. Through golf tournaments and popcorn fundraisers, the team has raised $12,000.

This year, the team also welcomed a new head coach, Sareena Barnes, a 2022 UMW graduate and former UMW cheerleader.

“She kind of shook some things up, which was different,” Atkinson said of Barnes. “She’s very dedicated and has a lot of ideas and finds inspiration videos that we would have never thought of before.”

Because an important part of the sport is building trust between teammates, the team started a new tradition of bigs and littles, which built comradery between the existing and new members.

“We are doing bigs and littles for the first time this year where a senior girl gets to mentor one or two new girls,” said Wadovick. “I definitely think it has brought a lot of people close together and brought them closer quicker, which is great for cheer cause it’s about working with your teammates.

Members appreciated the focus on team

University of Mary Washington Winter Sports Schedule

bonding.

“We support each other, trust each other, and do team bonding activities outside of practice,” said Gilhool. “We spend upwards of six hours a week with each other (often more when we have extended practices and games), so that definitely results in a feeling of community.”

Last year, they competed at The Grand National Championship at Virginia Beach and left with the title of Grand Champions.

“I certainly didn’t expect to be going to nationals my freshman year, but here we are,” said Gilhool. “We’ve been pushing ourselves pretty hard recently, and it’s starting to feel real. Qualifying for Daytona at all is huge, and I have no idea what to expect from such a big competition. But we’ve been working really hard and improving every practice, so I have a good feeling about it.”

The team is putting together a sendoff showcase on April 2 at 2 p.m. in the Anderson Center. They encourage students to come watch the routine before the team heads off to Nationals.

UMW swim joins New Jersey Athletics Conference

JACK YATSKO Staff Writer

The 2022-2023 season will be the UMW swim team’s last in the Metropolitan Collegiate Swimming and Diving Conference. Beginning next season, the team will join the New Jersey Athletics Conference, announced on Jan. 10 in an update from the women’s swim team.

“The move from the Metropolitan Collegiate Swimming and Diving Conference (METS) to the NJAC conference will mean a more stable conference situation for our men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams,” said Coach Justin Anderson.

The Metropolitan Collegiate Swimming and Diving Conference is one of the largest intercollegiate conferences in the U.S. that focuses solely on swimming and diving. The conference is associated with the NCAA and includes Division I, II and III level teams. In contrast, the New Jersey Athletics Conference provides outlets for other NCAA Division III sports such as volleyball, soccer, tennis and more. While both conferences are located within northern states, the New Jersey conference provides fewer levels of competition, allowing for more competitive matchups.

“Annually this conference should have anywhere from 3-4 schools ranked in the top-25 nationally, and send anywhere from 15-20 swimmers to the national championship on a regular basis,” said Anderson. “It will be a great opportunity for our students to be

pushed to higher levels.”

The new conference includes schools such as the College of New Jersey, Montclair State University and Rowan University, all of which are strong competition for UMW’s swim team.

“The team will benefit from a heightened level of competition,” said men’s swim team captain Stephen Wallach, a senior business administration major, when asked how the change will challenge the team. “A high energy and fast conference will push our team to swim faster than ever before.”

Though UMW swim has been a part of the metropolitan conference, a common misconception is that the team is part of the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference, which many of UMW’s other athletic teams belong to.

“Funny enough, UMW swimming was never in the C2C,” said women’s swim team captain Katie Posavec, a senior marketing major. “When the CAC [Capital Athletic Conference] dismantled, the C2C conference that the school joined did not have swimming.”

With the change in conferences coming next season, the team’s regular season is coming to a close in February with Metropolitan Collegiate Swimming and Diving Conference Championships and NCAA Division III Championships. The team has performed well this season, as the women’s record is 9-1 and the men’s is 7-3. They still have one more meet waiting for them next week.

The team’s last regular season meet will be held at UMW in the Goolrick pool on Feb. 3.

EMILY HEMPHILL Sports Editor

Men’s Basketball (13-5)

Jan. 18 W @ Eastern Mennonite (89-71)

Jan. 21 W @ Pratt (65-45)

Jan. 22 L @ Yeshiva (64-69) Jan. 26 vs. Pfeiffer

Women’s Basketball (16-3)

Jan. 14 W vs. Averett (76-34) Jan. 21 W @ Salisbury (57-48) Jan. 28 @ Lynchburg Feb. 4 vs. UC Santa Cruz @ Newport News, Va.

Men’s Swimming (7-3)

Jan. 20 W @ Marymount (Va.) (193-68)

Jan 21. L vs. Gettysburg (126-136) Feb. 3 vs. Southern Virginia Feb. 16-19 @ METS Championships

Women’s Swimming (9-1)

Jan. 20 W @ Marymount (Va.) (193-69)

Jan 21. W vs. Gettysburg (136126) Feb. 3 vs. Southern Virginia Feb. 16-19 @ METS Championships

Women’s Indoor Track

Jan. 20-21 vs. Marlin Invitational @ Virginia Beach, Va. Jan. 27-28 vs. VMI Winter Classic @ Lexington, Va.

Men’s Indoor Track

Jan. 20-21 @ Marlin Invitational in Virginia Beach, Va. Jan. 27-28 vs. VMI Winter Classic @ Lexington, Va.

Games are available to watch via livestream on the UMW Athletics webpage -

Full schedule not listed above. Most recent games included. Bold indicates home game.

Cheer team at first home men’s basketball game. @umwcheer / Instagram