June 17, 2024

Coach Pens Lyrics to New UMW Fight Song

The University of Mary Washington now has a fight song to call its own, thanks to the lyrics of Corey Hewson, coach of the women’s soccer team. Hewson beat out 10 other submissions to a recent contest sponsored by the Department of Athletics and the Office of Student Activities. The winners were announced at Devil-Goat Day on Thursday, April 24. Cedric Rucker, associate vice president and dean of student life, presents awards to Corey Hewson (right) and Ronald May (left). Hewson, who received a master’s degree in education from UMW in 2005, and runner-up Ronald May, a sophomore business major, contributed the lyrics to “Soar, Eagles, Soar,” a composition by Paul Murtha, a world-class composer and arranger for the United States Army Band. Murtha has long been associated with UMW as a member of the UMW Faculty Brass Quintet and an arranger for the UMW Philharmonic Orchestra. Philip Pierce, director of athletic development and promotions, Jim Ford, director of the UMW Pep Band, and Kevin Bartram, maestro of the UMW Philharmonic Orchestra, reviewed each anonymous submission and voted on their top choice. Freshman Hannah Morgan, an English and computer science double major, received third place and Garrett O’Brien, a sophomore economics and anthropology double major, received an honorable mention. The fight song will be heard at university athletic and student events. “We want the song to last and be a part of the UMW culture and tradition,” said Vice President for Student Affairs Doug Searcy.

National Geographic Photographer Visits UMW, May 8

Noted National Geographic photographer Annie Griffiths will present “A Camera, Two Kids and a Camel” at the University of Mary Washington on Thursday, May 8. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. in the Jepson Alumni Executive Center and will be followed by a book signing and Q&A session. National Geographic photographer Annie Griffiths  will present a lecture on Thursday, May 8. ©National Geographic Live. Photo by Mark Thiessen. During her visit to campus, Griffiths also will meet with UMW photography and journalism students. In 2008 Griffiths published “A Camera, Two Kids and a Camel,” a photo memoir about balance and the joy of creating a meaningful life. In 2010, she published “Simply Beautiful Photographs,” which was named the top photo/art book of the year by Amazon and by Barnes and Noble. She has photographed in nearly 150 countries in her career at National Geographic and her work has appeared in dozens of magazine and book projects. Griffiths has received awards from the National Press Photographers Association, the Associated Press, the National Organization of Women, The University of Minnesota and the White House News Photographers Association. In addition to her photography work, Griffiths is the executive director of Ripple Effect Images, a collective of photographers who document the programs that are empowering women and girls throughout the developing world. For more information about the lecture, contact Carole Garmon, chair of the Department of Art and Art History, at cgarmon@umw.edu.

A Living Legacy

History lurks just under the surface at the University of Mary Washington. Every brick, every tree, every bench on Campus Walk could tell a story from the university’s 106-year history.

A Living Legacy

UMW students collaborate with peers across the country in an innovative history project.

UMW Philharmonic Closes Season with Spring Concert, April 25

The University of Mary Washington Philharmonic Orchestra’s “happy ENDINGS” concert will close this year’s season on Friday, April 25. The concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in Dodd Auditorium, will feature classical music with exciting conclusions.

Senior Lavar Edmonds will perform a solo during the UMW Philharmonic concert on April 25.

Senior Lavar Edmonds will perform a solo during the UMW Philharmonic concert on April 25.

Director Kevin Bartram used last month’s concert with Itzhak Perlman as inspiration for the program.

Seniors Lavar Edmonds, a violinist, and Rebecca Brown, a harpist, will be featured soloists, along with UMW faculty trumpet instructor Jim Ford. Edmonds will perform the “Symphonie Espagnol” by French composer Édouard Lalo, a work that requires both skill and expression. Brown will tackle the difficult “Dances Sacred and Profane for Harp and Orchestra” by the French impressionist Claude Debussy. Ford will perform the exciting “Trumpet Concerto in E Major” by Johann Nepomuk Hummel.

The program also will include “Farandole” by George Bizet, the epic “Symphony No. 5” by Dmitri Shostakovich, and Strauss’ “Champagne Polka.”

“The dancers in our community will enjoy this polka, and our music selections should also appeal to the younger generation as well as our loyal older patrons,” said Bartram. The concert, shorter than many others this season, will have no intermission.

The orchestra, composed of both students and community musicians, receives support from the Friends of the Philharmonic, and generous donations from local businesses which also help to fund music scholarships at UMW.

Tickets to the concert are $10 for general admission or $2 for UMW students and faculty, and are available at the Visitor’s Center and at philharmonic.umw.edu.

UMW Students Present Research at Annual Symposium, April 25

Hundreds of University of Mary Washington students will present their research as part of the annual Undergraduate Student Research and Creativity Symposium on Friday, April 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event celebrates excellence in undergraduate student research by giving students the opportunity to share their work with faculty, their peers and the public.

Every year, students showcase their work at the Research and Creativity Symposium.

Every year, students showcase their work at the Research and Creativity Symposium.

Hui Cao, professor of applied physics and physics at Yale University, will present a keynote lecture on Thursday, April 24 to kick-off the symposium. Cao’s lecture, “Structural Color – Origin and Evolution,” will be held at 7 p.m. in Jepson Hall, Room 100.

The symposium, in its eighth year at UMW, will feature oral presentations, poster sessions, art exhibits, and theatrical and music performances from numerous disciplines across the university. Diverse oral and poster presentations will be held in Jepson Hall; geography, history and American studies presentations will be held in Monroe Hall; a mindfulness gallery and religion talks will be held in Trinkle Hall; English, linguistics, and communication presentations will be held in in Combs Hall as part of the Kemp Symposium; and art history senior presentations will be held in Melchers Hall. Students will perform original music compositions and scenes from several plays in duPont Hall’s Studio 115.

The Undergraduate Student Research and Creativity Symposium is funded by the Class of 1959 Endowment. For a full schedule and list of student presentations, visit http://cas.umw.edu/student-research-and-creativity-symposium/.

UMW Student Remembered for His Voice, Love of the Outdoors (The Free Lance-Star)

Psychology Professor to Appear on Radio Program

Mindy Erchull, associate professor of psychology at the University of Mary Washington, will appear on the public radio show “With Good Reason” to discuss her research on the connections between female jealousy and abusive relationships. The show, “A Jealous Kind of Love,” will air beginning Saturday, April 26. Mindy Erchull, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Mary Washington, has received the 2011 Psi Chi Southeastern Regional Faculty Advisor Award for her active involvement as the university’s Psi Chi chapter advisor. During the show, Erchull will suggest that women who see jealousy as a positive thing may be more likely to find themselves in abusive relationships, based on findings from a recent survey. The program also will feature commentary from instructors at several Virginia institutions, including George Mason University and the University of Virginia. Erchull was recently named the 2014 recipient of the Florence L. Denmark Faculty Adviser Award by Psi Chi, the international honor society in psychology. Audio files of the full program will be posted online at http://withgoodreasonradio.org/2014/04/jealousy/. With Good Reason” is a program of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. The show airs weekly in Fredericksburg on Sundays from 1-2 p.m. on Radio IQ 88.3 Digital. To listen from outside of the Fredericksburg area, a complete list of air times and links to corresponding radio stations can be found at http://withgoodreasonradio.org/when-to-listen/.

Sharp Elbows in Republican Primaries (Associated Press)

Study: Crew that Sailed with Columbus Suffered Scurvy (USA Today)