UMW Faculty Featured on C-SPAN This Weekend
University of Mary Washington faculty members were featured on C-SPAN from Friday, Sept. 20 to Sunday, Sept. 22 as part of the cable network’s Fredericksburg Weekend.
Tim O’Donnell, professor of English, discussed the accomplishments of American civil rights leader James Farmer and the impact he had on the movement in a segment about the James Farmer Collection that will air on Book TV. Farmer taught the history of the civil rights movement to Mary Washington students for about a dozen years before his retirement in 1998. That year, President Bill Clinton awarded Farmer the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Also on Book TV, Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, delved into his book, “The Nightly News Nightmare: Media Coverage of the U.S. Presidential Elections, 1988-2008.” The book examines news coverage of presidential nominations and election campaigns from 1988 to 2008, focusing on changes in the amount, tone and focus of news coverage in these different electoral contests.
Author and Professor of History Jeff McClurken discussed the difficulties families faced once their loved ones returned from the Civil War. McClurken, author of “Take Care of the Living: Reconstruction of Confederate Veteran Families in Virginia,” explored the consequences of the war for more than 3,000 Confederate soldiers and their families in Virginia during a segment of the same name.
During a segment on American History TV, Scott Harris, director of the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library, discussed James Monroe’s life from his time as a student at William and Mary, to his role as Secretary of War during the War of 1812, and his time as president of the U.S. Editor of the Papers of James Monroe Dan Preston presented an inside look at the fifth president, including at Monroe’s collection of books and personal letters.
The interviews were recorded during visits to Fredericksburg in August. For a full schedule of air times, visit http://www.booktv.org/schedule.aspx or http://www.c-span.org/History/schedule_print.aspx?Network=AHTV&Offset=0.
Family Weekend Returns for 40th Year
More than 1,500 friends and family members gathered at the University of Mary Washington from Friday, Sept, 20 through Sunday, Sept. 22 for Family Weekend. Family Weekend, now in its 40th year, invites friends and family of UMW students to visit the campus and to get a taste of student life.
This year included more than 40 events throughout the weekend, including the education abroad fair in Lee Hall, a cookout and club showcase on Ball Circle, and a tour of Brompton, the home of UMW President Richard V. Hurley. The weekend also featured a 5K run on Saturday morning and numerous workshops and open houses by various academic departments.
During the weekend, Bingo in the ‘Burg, a collaboration between UMW and the Fredericksburg Visitor’s Center, invited families to downtown Fredericksburg with bingo cards with the names of businesses. Each participating business gave out a sticker that corresponded to a space on the bingo card. Winners had the chance to receive more than 30 small prizes and two grand prizes, including a free semester of textbooks, up to $600.
For a full schedule and registration information, visit http://www.umw.edu/familyweekend/.
UMW Club to Host Silent Auction
Mary Washington’s Young Women Leaders Program will be hosting a silent auction on Saturday, September 21 as part of Family Weekend. The event will take place on Ball Circle from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the rain location will be the 3rd floor of Lee Hall. Gift certificates to local restaurants, spa services, and gift baskets will be auctioned off and awarded to the highest bidders. EagleOne and cash will be accepted. The funds raised will go toward leadership projects with our seventh grade mentees.
Information submitted by Amanda Bletsh
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UMW Launches Litter Prevention Campaign
The University of Mary Washington will take part in the Keep America Beautiful® Cigarette Litter Prevention Program, a national program to reduce the impact of cigarette butt litter.
In its first year, UMW will target cigarette butt litter throughout the campus with a concentrated and sustained effort and will partner with the Fredericksburg Clean & Green Commission in their efforts to reduce cigarette butt litter in the City of Fredericksburg. This year’s campaign theme is “Butts are Litter Too.”
To kick start the campaign, student volunteers will hand out pocket ash trays on the Fredericksburg campus from Wednesday, Sept. 11 through Friday, Sept. 13.
The Keep America Beautiful® Cigarette Litter Prevention Program tackles the issue by integrating four proven approaches: encouraging enforcement of litter laws, including cigarette litter; raising awareness about the issue using signs and public service messages; placing ash receptacles at transition points such as entrances to public buildings; and distributing pocket ashtrays to adult smokers.
In 2012, nearly 240 communities reported an average 42 percent reduction in littered butts as a result of implementing the program. Tobacco products, including cigarette butts, are the most-littered item in America, representing nearly 38 percent of all items, according to “Litter in America,” the Keep America Beautiful® landmark 2009 study of litter and littering behavior. This research also showed that individuals who would never litter items such as beverage cans or paper packaging may not consider tossing cigarette butts on the ground “littering.”
The “Butts are Litter Too Campaign” is only one of UMW’s sustainability efforts centered on waste reduction. University waste reduction efforts include participation in Recyclemania, a national recycling contest, in which UMW placed first in Virginia in 2012 and 2013. In addition, the university has partnered with Sodexo Inc. for a comprehensive food waste reduction campaign, including reusable take-out containers, composting and raising student awareness of the economic, environmental and social impact of food waste.
National nonprofit Keep America Beautiful® has field-tested and expanded the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program since 2003, funded by Philip Morris USA, an Altria company, and with additional support from Reynolds American Inc. Services Company. Information about starting and maintaining a community Cigarette Litter Prevention Program is available online. The “Guide to Cigarette Litter Prevention” can be accessed through the Keep America Beautiful® website www.kab.org or directly at www.preventcigarettelitter.org.
Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. With a network of over 1,200 affiliate and participating organizations, Keep America Beautiful forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. To learn more about Keep America Beautiful, go to www.kab.org.
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UMW Celebrates Honor System Through Week of Events
Join the Center for Honor, Leadership and Service for a week-long Honor Celebration from September 2 to 6. The honor system, a deeply held tradition at UMW, is integral to campus life for students, faculty and staff.
The celebration will kick off on Tuesday, September 3 with a keynote presentation by Jeff Rouse, three-time Olympic champion swimmer and president of the Rappahannock Economic Development Corporation (REDCO). Rouse will answer questions from the audience about fair play in sports and life at 7:30 p.m. in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium. The Q&A session is free and open to the public. Ed Jurith, U.S. Representative to the World Anti-Doping Agency, originally scheduled to present the lecture, was unable to attend because of illness.
Rouse, a native of Fredericksburg, is a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. At the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Rouse won a gold medal as part of the men’s 4×100-meter medley relay team and a silver medal in the men’s 100-meter backstroke. In 1996, he picked up two more gold medals for the men’s 4×100-meter medley relay and the men’s 100-meter backstroke. He is a 1992 graduate of Stanford University.
The week will continue on Wednesday, September 4 with a free barbeque and concert on Ball Circle at 4 p.m. The concert
will feature music by Neil Tibert, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences, and Keith Mellinger, associate professor and chair of mathematics.
The Honor Celebration also will include activities for students throughout the week, including conversations on honor and community in each residence hall and in-class discussions about academic integrity.
The honor system at UMW was founded upon the personal integrity of each individual member of the university community. It requires that all members of the community conduct themselves honorably at all times and in all dealings with others. This shared commitment to high ethical standards creates an atmosphere of trust and respect vital to the unique sense of community which characterizes the institution.
For more information, contact David Rettinger, executive director of the Center for Honor, Leadership and Service, at (540) 654-1364.
Meet our New Employees
Please join us in extending a warm UMW welcome to our newest employees
Briant Atkins joined the Department of Emergency Management and Safety as an Institutional Fire Safety Officer on August 25.
Andrea Cordray joined the College of Business as a Student Support and Outreach Coordinator on August 16.
Sarah Cotter joined the Department of Admissions as an Admissions Counselor on August 25.
Joe Ferguson joined the Department of Physics as a Visiting Assistant Professor on August 28.
Danielle Hollandsworth joined the Student Health Center as a Registered Staff Nurse on August 28.
Keila Jennings joined the University Bookstore as a Store Clerk Senior on August 28.
Sarah Lindberg joined the Department of Admissions as an Assistant Director on August 25.
Melissa Palguta joined the Department of Counseling and Psychological Services as a Staff Psychologist on August 10.
Thomas Schukis joined the Athletics Department as a Ground Lead on August 25.
As a correction to last week’s list, we welcome Melody Denhere to the Mathematics Department as an Assistant Professor.