University Dining Brings Valentine Treats, Feb. 12-14
Valentine Cupcakes
University Dining will be hosting a Valentine Treat Shop in the lobby of the Cedric Rucker University Center between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. February 12th through the 14th. Shoppers will be able to purchase cake pops, heart-shaped cookie pops, chocolate chunk hazelnut brownies, and cupcakes with salted caramel, chocolate or raspberry fillings – all prepared and decorated for Valentine’s Day by the University Dining bakers.
These holiday bakery items may also be purchased through the University Dining online Gift Shop. Items may be ordered through February 9th and will be available for pick-up at the Valentine Treat Shop February 12th through February 14th. For additional information, contact Rose Benedict at rbenedic@umw.edu or call 540-654-2169.
Sainz Featured in ‘Ask the Expert’ for Vision Latina
Professor of Spanish and Center for International Education Director Jose Sainz
Professor of Spanish and Center for International Education Director Jose Sainz answers questions in an ‘Ask the Expert’ feature by Vision Latina about the steps international students, particularly from Latin America, should consider when applying to U.S. universities. View the feature (in Spanish).
Bonds a Panelist on Free Lance-Star Forum Discussing Data Centers
Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds
Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds served as a panelist in a forum held by The Free Lance-Star to discuss Fredericksburg data centers. The forum panelists include Daren Shumate of Shumate Engineering; Tracy Vargo, a principal partner at Stonebridge; Brent Hunsinger of Friends of the Rappahannock; and Eric Bonds, a University of Mary Washington professor and co-founder of Fossil Free Fredericksburg. Read more.
Crawley Posts New “History on the Hill” Column for The Free Lance-Star
Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley
Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Bill Crawley posted a new “History on the Hill” column for The Free Lance-Star entitled “Mary Washington’s controversial ‘Wo-Man Contest’.” In the column he goes back in time to highlight an eyebrow-raising event, conceived by students in the fall of 1977. Read the article.
Speed Networking Event for Students, Feb. 13
Tell your students! Fredericksburg Regional Alliance (FRA) and the UMW Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) are set to plan, organize, and manage a new Speed Networking event scheduled for Feb 13th, 2025, at Woodard Red Room. At this event, industry partners and students will meet and interact in a structured and timed format to build potential business connections; the event is set up to be a fast-paced way to network; participating students receive feedback at the end. As part of the Career Launching Events series of the COB, it is designed to help our students succeed in professional contexts.
Gentry to Speak at ACES Luncheon
College of Business Professor Lance Gentry
College of Business Professor Lance Gentry will be a guest speaker at the ACES Networking Luncheon: Architecture, Construction, Engineering, and Surveying (ACES) Industries on Wednesday, April 16, 2024 at Fredericksburg Nationals Stadium. For more information or to purchase tickets see the April 2025 ACES Luncheon event page.
Farnsworth Comments on DEI for MSN and WJLA
Professor of Political Science and Director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth
Professor of Political Science and Director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies Stephen Farnsworth was quoted by MSN and WJLA this week in feature entitled “Federal DEI workers placed on administrative leave following Trump executive order.”
The piece stated, “This is going to be a pretty significant impact for a lot of individuals, particularly in the Washington region, where the headquarters are often where DEI initiatives are concentrated,” explained Steve Farnsworth, PhD, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “You’re looking at a number of people who may be looking at other jobs in the federal government. They may need to be transferred. That could create some dynamics involving bumping people in terms of unions.” Farnsworth expects unions for federal employees to file lawsuits.
Read the articles: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/federal-dei-workers-placed-on-administrative-leave-following-trump-executive-order/ar-AA1xGrrs
https://wjla.com/news/local/diversity-equity-inclusion-accessibility-officers-administrative-leave-president-donald-trump-executive-order-jd-vance-administration-washington-dc-united-states
In addition, other recent media mentions for Farnsworth include:
President Trump’s Second Inauguration (RTVI Television)
“It is clear the president has followed the plan he brought out during the campaign,” said Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington. “Throughout his time as a candidate and as a former president, he often talked about tightening up the border. It’s clear that is one of the key priorities he is working through with the first round of executive orders.”https://www.youtube.com/live/8O3RVfcGcFk?t=510s
The Biden Legacy (El Observador, Portugal)
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, recalls the three major initiatives that Joe Biden successfully launched at the beginning of his term: “Dealing with the Covid-19 crisis, increasing infrastructure spending and reducing health care costs.”https://observador.pt/especiais/um-parentesis-entre-as-administracoes-trump-ou-um-presidente-com-obra-feita-o-legado-de-joe-biden/See Attached: Observador_JoeBidenlegacy
Who gets the last laugh? (The Economist)
There is a widely held view that comedy has an inherent left-wing bias, and in their book “Late Night in Washington”, three academics, Stephen Farnsworth, S. Robert Lichter and Farah Latiff, found that it did—at least after dark on TV.
See Attached: Economist Pol Humor
Trump’s first 100 days in office put spotlight on campaign promises, post-election rhetoric (MSN)
The first 100 days matter, especially for a new president,” Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, told UPI. “Even for someone like Donald Trump who’s been president before, it’s an important gauge to see how successful he is at converting campaign promises into policy developments. That 100 days will give us a sense of what those priorities are. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-first-100-days-in-office-put-spotlight-on-campaign-promises-post-election-rhetoric/ar-AA1xzWIF
Trump Sworn in as the 47th Potus (WJLA TV DC)
“Well, I think it was very clear that Donald Trump wanted to turn the page and he wanted to turn the page book to the key issues he ran on in 2024, 2020, and 2016,” said Stephen Farnsworth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpWtrVV4x3I
Trump’s first 100 days in office put spotlight on campaign promises, post-election rhetoric (UPI; The Kansas City Star)
“The first 100 days matter, especially for a new president,” Stephen Farnsworth, political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, told UPI. “Even for someone like Donald Trump who’s been president before, it’s an important gauge to see how successful he is at converting campaign promises into policy developments. That 100 days will give us a sense of what those priorities are.” https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/01/21/trump-first-100-days-greenland-canada-panama/8041737045260/
https://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/national/article298887215.html
What to expect from Trump’s first 100 days in Power (La Tercera, Chile)
University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth points out: “The Future situation in Ukraine is very uncertain. The reports suggest that Zelensky has been effective in warning Trump of that reducing support for Ukraine would be bad for business Americans, who supply many of the weapons used in Ukraine and resupply NATO allies, who send their own weapons to Ukraine. Zelensky too has said that Trump does not want Ukraine’s problems damage its popularity in the same way as the withdrawal of Afghanistan hurt Biden’s approval ratings.” See attached: trump 100 dias
Trump reveals when tariffs will be imposed on Mexico and Canada as he floats even harsher trade action (Daily Mail; What’s New 2Day)
‘Canada is not going to become part of the United States, but Trump’s comments are more about leveraging what he says to get concessions from Canada by putting Canada off balance, particularly given the precarious current political environment in Canada,’ Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said at the time.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14306593/Trump-reveals-tariffs-imposed-Mexico-Canada-floats-harsher-trade-action.html
https://whatsnew2day.com/trump-reveals-tariffs-imposed-mexico-canada-floats-harsher-trade-action-htmlns_mchannelrssns_campaign1490ito1490/
THE COALITION OF OPPOSITES (Le Nouvel Observateur, France)
Senator Marco Rubio, President-elect Trump’s choice for Secretary of State, represents “a rare case of a highly competent and experienced nominee on this team, one who will know how to attract the respect of foreign leaders,” notes political science professor Stephen Farnsworth. Rubio and a few other nominees are destined to appease the benches of the classic Republicans, Farnsworth said, while other choices will be more appealing to Trump’s MAGA supporters. See attached: collection (45)
Reviewing Biden’s Farewell Speech (CBC News Canada)
It’s important to recognize that America is a 50/50 country and the real challenge any politician has, Democrat or Republican, is convincing people who are not already on your side of much of anything, said Stephen Farnsworth. https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6614546
Spanberger and Earle-Sears neck-and-neck in fundraising battle (News from the States; Virginia Mercury; Richmond Free Press) “Virginia elections are often close, and the look ahead to next year suggests more of the same in the campaign for governor,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington and director of UMW’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. “The big challenge for these potential candidates is becoming better known across the commonwealth.” https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/spanberger-and-earle-sears-neck-and-neck-fundraising-battle
https://virginiamercury.com/2025/01/16/spanberger-and-earle-sears-neck-and-neck-in-fundraising-battle/
https://richmondfreepress.com/news/2025/jan/16/spanberger-and-earle-sears-tied-in-first-2025-gubernatorial-poll/
Spanberger and Earle-Sears neck-and-neck in fundraising battle (Virginia Mercury)
“All indications are that this is going to be a very close contest for governor,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “You can see that the lieutenant governor has been very effective in fundraising since you announced, but she hasn’t quite caught up with Spanberger who had a big headstart in terms of her campaign.”
https://virginiamercury.com/2025/01/16/spanberger-and-earle-sears-neck-and-neck-in-fundraising-battle/
Eagles in Recovery Spring Schedule
It’s a brand new year and Eagles in Recovery is looking forward to continuing its support of the community. UMW Eagles in Recovery’s mission is to support those seeking recovery and who have a friend or family member struggling with addiction. Our goal is to provide you with support and resources such as Peer Recovery Specialist led weekly support groups and personal coaching.
*NEW* Friends and Family Support Group Monday’s 7:00 p.m. at The Link room 305 or on Zoom.
For more information please contact:
Peer Recovery Specialist
Devin Walsh
540 654 5640
dwalsh@umw.edu
Simpson Library Construction Update
From Simpson Library and Capital Outlay:
The Simpson Library stairwell repairs continue this spring semester with brickwork repairs on the front façade of the building. Simpson Library remains open and accessible during this work, with two stairwells open as the other stairwell is being worked on. This work, however, comes with increased noise, particularly during business hours.
These repairs and increased noise will be limited to weekday during business hours, so that the library will be quiet after 5 p.m. and on weekends. Alternative study spaces are available in the Hurley Convergence Center (HCC) connected to the library and the Cedric Rucker University Center.
All of our services, resources, and collections are available. Librarians are still available to answer any questions students or faculty have about research and finding information. In addition, many resources are available online, and the Simpson Library website will be updated regularly with information about the construction.
We appreciate your patience as this building maintenance is completed this semester.
For more information and updates, visit https://library.umw.edu/library.