Through its participation in the SOS (Start on Success) program headlined by the UMW Center for Community Engagement, UMW Dining was recognized in Food Management Magazine as one of the 12 Top College Food Service Stories of 2023.

Jane Harriman Hall, age 93, of White Stone, VA, formerly of Alexandria, VA, passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 25, 2024. Jane was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 69 years, David Alan Hall and her parents, Roswell Hitchcock and Ruth Damman Harriman. Jane is survived by her daughter, Dianne Harriman Thomas (Stephen B.Thomas), two grandchildren Amanda Thomas Kaeser (Kyle C. Kaeser) and Stephen B. Thomas, Jr., and one great grandchild Riley Brooke Kaeser. She is also survived by a sister, Susan H. Belden; and three nephews, Steven Belden (Tami), Timothy Belden (Kathy), and Douglas Belden (Beth).

Jane earned her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College in 1952, and her M.A. from the University of Maryland in 1969.

Jane’s extraordinary teaching career spanned 59 years. She taught every grade, with the majority of her teaching years at Fort Hunt High School in Fairfax County, VA, where she taught Latin, Ancient Greek and Russian. She finished her stellar career as an adjunct professor at the University of Mary Washington.

Throughout her lifetime, Jane received numerous well-deserved awards and honors for her many accomplishments. Some of her awards include: Jane was chosen for the 1966 edition of Outstanding Young Women of America; being selected as Virginia’s Foreign Language Teacher of the Year in 1984; also in 1984, Jane was honored by the Classical Association of the Middle West and South. In 1996, she was awarded the John F. Latimer Award from the Washington Classical Society, and in 2001, she received a Merita Award from the American Classical League.

Jane was the first Director of the Virginia Governor’s Academy. She also developed the Forum Romanum video series in order to provide a visual tool for teachers throughout the country. This series documented historic moments in Roman history with live characters speaking only Latin. These videos helped students’ ability to use Latin orally. Finding innovative ways to encourage students’ learning was one of Jane’s greatest strengths. She took students on numerous educational trips to foreign countries including Italy and Greece. She held toga parties and Latin banquets. She gave out awards in the classroom for academic achievements. She headed clubs, including the Latin Club and the Latin Honor Society.

In 1978, Jane founded The National Latin Exam on a card table in her family room. The annual exam rewards students for excelling in their study of Latin. She devoted 34 years of leadership and expertise to the National Latin Exam, before retiring in 2011. By the time she retired, nearly 3 million students had participated in taking the National Latin Exam. In addition, more than one million dollars in scholarships had been awarded. The National Latin Exam still thrives today, and the numbers have increased significantly. This year’s Exam boasts over 114,000 participants, including 26 countries, and $131,000 to be awarded in Scholarships. The NLE lives on as her legacy to the American Classical League and to the recognition of thousands of students, teachers, and schools around the world.

In 1970, Jane and Dave built a home on the Corrotoman River and began life part-time in the Northern Neck. Their love for this area grew over the years, until 2003, when they moved full-time to White Stone. Jane was an active resident of the Northern Neck and Tabbs Creek community. She volunteered at the Steamboat Museum, Meals on Wheels, the Animal Welfare League, the Lancaster Community Library, as well as various other community events and benefits. She enjoyed life on the creek, as she and David were seen most evenings taking a cruise on her beloved Duffy, the Festina Lente. She enjoyed the New York Times crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, opera, bridge, tennis, swimming, boating, entertaining, and especially traveling. Jane lived life to the fullest in every way, and she was known by her friends to be the life of any gathering. Jane and Dave were members of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kilmarnock, VA.

Memorial donations may be made in Jane’s honor to the National Latin Exam, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

2024 C2C MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Hosted by the University of Mary Washington – Fredericksburg, Virginia

February 22, 23 & 24, 2024

Tickets: $10 each day. Cash or credit are accepted.
Can be purchased in-person at the front entrance to the arena. Eligible for all events on the day of purchase.

2024 C2C Men’s Basketball Championship Schedule
Hosted by the University of Mary Washington, William M. Anderson Center – Fredericksburg, Virginia

Quarterfinals – Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024

G1 (5 PM ET): #4 UC Santa Cruz vs. #5 Pratt – VIDEO | LIVE STATS

G2 (7 PM ET): #3 Salisbury vs. #6 Warren Wilson – VIDEO | LIVE STATS

Note – top two seeds gain first-round byes

Semifinals – Friday, Feb. 23, 2024

G3 (5 PM ET): #1 Christopher Newport vs. G1 Winner – VIDEO | LIVE STATS

G4 (7 PM ET): #2 Mary Washington vs. G2 Winner – VIDEO | LIVE STATS

Championship – Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024

G5 (7 PM ET): G3 Winner vs. G4 Winner – VIDEO | LIVE STATS

UMW THEATRE TO CONTINUE 2023-2024 SEASON WITH TRUE WEST

UMW Theatre will continue its 2023-2024 season with True West by Sam Shepard.  Performances will be February 15-17 & 22-24 at 7:30 p.m., and 18 & 25 at 2:00 p.m. in Klein Theatre, duPont Hall at the University of Mary Washington. Guests may also attend the Pay-What-You-Can Preview performance on February 14 at 7:30 p.m. The box office opens at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. AfterWords, a post-show talkback with the cast, will take place after the matinee performance on February 18. Tickets are $28 for standard admission and $23 for students, senior citizens, and military. Groups of ten or more can receive a discount as well.

True West tells the story of two estranged brothers, Austin and Lee, who have returned to their mother’s home in southern California after five years apart. Austin is an aspiring screenwriter who is looking after his mother’s house while she is away in Alaska, and Lee is his nomadic older brother who finds joy in petty thievery and excessive drinking. The brothers’ relationship is put to the test when a big shot Hollywood producer offers Lee a film contract to create the Western movie he is dreaming up, so long as Austin writes the script. Both brothers must battle their feelings of jealousy and resentment with the possibility of great success on the horizon. This play engages in themes of family, confinement, betrayal, and the American dream as the volatility between the two brothers nears its breaking point.

True West was published by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Sam Shepard, in 1981. It was first produced at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco, California, where it was directed by Robert Woodruff. It premiered on July 10, 1980, and starred Peter Coyote as Austin and Jim Haynie as Lee. In December of that same year, the play opened Off-Broadway at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre, once more directed by Woodruff. True West went on to be produced at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the Cherry Lane Theatre in 1982, where it finally closed its Off-Broadway run of 762 productions in 1984. The show had a Broadway revival on March 2, 2000, where the actors playing Lee and Austin alternated roles in every performance. This production earned Tony award nominations for Best Actor, Best Director, and Best play. Most recently, there was a Broadway production of the show starring Ethan Hawke and Paul Dano in 2018. True West continues to be produced worldwide.

True West is directed by Gregg Stull, professor of theatre and chair of the department of theatre & dance. Scenic design is by assistant professor Bridgette Dennett and costume design is by associate professor Kevin McCluskey. Lighting design is by guest designer Catherine Girardi and sound design is by the director of marketing and audience services, Jon Reynolds, respectively. Fight choreography is provided by Casey Kaleba. For further information, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit www.FredTix.com.

The Youth Climate Action Summit is taking place at the Cedric Rucker University Center on Sunday, February 25, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This conference is organized and supported by UMW  students, the Departments of Earth and Environmental Science and Sociology and Anthropology, along with community members and area high school environmental clubs. This has become an annual event in our region, and it’s the third time UMW has hosted it. For more information and to view the agenda, please go to: https://virginiaclimatesummit.org/registration-and-directions/

Registration (which is free), can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/youth-climate-action-summit-tickets-780325172597 Coffee, pastries, and lunch will be available for students.

If you have any questions, you can email Eric Bonds at ebonds@umw.edu.

Dear colleagues—

Safe Zone is excited to announce that we will be reading Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H this semester for our Faculty/Staff Book Club. The informal discussion of the book will happen on Tuesday, February 27 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. All are welcome to attend the book discussion, even if you don’t finish the book! The first 5 people to sign-up for the Book Club will be given a free book. If you’re interested in signing up or have a question, please email Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu.

We also want to share with the campus community that we will be celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility in the lobby of the Cedric Rucker University Center on Monday, April 1 from 11:00am-2:00pm. We will be making pronoun buttons, sharing information about campus resources, and giving away free swag! Please stop by our table to say “hi” and show your support. All are welcome!

If there is anything we can do to assist you or if you’d like to request a Safe Zone training for yourself or your office/department, do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Wilson at lwilson5@umw.edu.

Safe Zone committee

USC Food Drive to Benefit the Gwen Hale Resource Center:  The University Staff Council is sponsoring a Food Drive from Feb. 19 through March 1, 2024, to benefit the Gwen Hale Resource Center here on campus.  Drop boxes will be set up at the locations listed below for donations.  Please see the flyer attached for the list of the most needed items. There is also a link to donate funds on the flyer. Questions can be directed to Sarah Appleby at sappleby@umw.edu or Lisa Mewherter at lmewhert@umw.edu.

Food Drive Drop Box Locations:

• Simpson Library (lobby)
• Lee Hall
  • Financial Aid
  • Registrar’s Office
  • Student Transition Program Office
  • Student Health Center
• Athletics (main office – Goolrick Hall)
• Facilities (Physical Plant)
• Hurley Convergence Center (info desk)
• Jepson Alumni Executive Center
• Cedric Rucker University Center
  • Center for Community Engagement Office
  • Student Activities and Engagement Office