Newly elected SGA President Jaylyn Long ’24 (front) signs the Accountability banner during ASPIRE Week. With her are Class of 2025 Senator Martina Pugh and current SGA President Joey Zeldin ’23. ASPIRE Week celebrates UMW Eagles’ core values.
From the first day you became an Eagle, you began to learn about, embody and reflect our ASPIRE Community Values. ASPIRE is an acronym that stands for Accountability in our behaviors, the pursuit of Scholarship, holding ourselves to the highest levels of Personal and Institutional Integrity, cultivating Inclusive Excellence for everyone, demonstrating Respect and Civility in all we do, and maintaining Engagement in the communities to which we belong. Our values guide us and make us who we are and for that reason a celebration is in order.
SGA Vice President Jaylyn Long came up with the idea to host our first-ever ASPIRE Week, which continues to take place this week, April 10-15, 2023.
Flip the Field – an experiential learning opportunity for student-athletes that’s taking place alongside ASPIRE Week and in conjunction with Division III Week – flips the script. Our student-athletes are the educators. Coaches and their teams of student-athletes are engaging faculty, administrators, students and staff on their field of play by hosting immersions, clinics and friendly contests.
Here’s a recap of ASPIRE Week and Flip the Field events, with a few more opportunities still left to participate.
ASPIRE WEEK
Monday, April 10: Accountability Day was marked through tabling and brief updates from selected offices and student and professional organizations.
Tuesday, April 11: Scholarship Day featured ASPIRE tabling at the Majors Fair and a chance for students to create name tags displaying their current or intended major.
Wednesday, April 12: Personal and Institutional Integrity Day saw the Honor Council and Student Conduct Review Board tabling, with an opportunity for UMW community members to sign a banner to recommit to personal and institutional integrity.
Thursday, April 13: For Inclusive Excellence Day, student organizations and offices on campus that display inclusive excellence tabled throughout the Cedric Rucker University Center. University Dining served lunch in the Restaurants at the Top of the CRUC with a menu featuring dishes that highlight the cultural heritages of many of their team members.
Friday, April 14: For Respect and Civility Day, there will be a social media-based celebration that you can join using #MaryWash.
Saturday, April 15: For Engagement Day, students are invited to engage in community service projects taking place across campus. Prior sign-up is kindly requested. There will be a pizza party for participants after the event has concluded. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
FLIP THE FIELD
You do not have to be athletic to participate in Flip the Field events. Come and gain first-hand knowledge of the amount of time and effort student-athletes dedicate to the sports they love. After three full days of events featuring men’s and women’s lacrosse and swimming, women’s basketball, men’s soccer, field hockey, baseball, volleyball, rugby and esports, there are three remaining opportunities to get in on the fun this afternoon. Just show up and do your best!
Thursday, April 13, 3 to 4 p.m.: Join the Esports team in the Esports Arena (University Center 306) to learn how our Esports competitive teams warm up for their matches, learn what goes into an effective practice week and practice a hands-on skill of warming up using the computer application software Aim Labs.
Thursday, April 13, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Join the Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams in the Indoor Tennis Center for a tennis clinic and pickleball tutorial (if you have your own rackets and/or paddles please bring them. There are a limited number of loaner rackets available.)
Thursday, April 13, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.: Join the Softball team at their game field for a tutorial on throwing, fielding and hitting.
