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

The following message is from the Office of the Provost and University Faculty Council Chair:

Dear Colleagues,

We write today to share next steps and provide clarity for the Academic Affairs Organization Model shared with UMW faculty and staff at the beginning of February. We are eager to continue the conversation and provide opportunities for feedback and refinement of the plan through established shared governance of the University Faculty Council, the deans and the administration.

The two upcoming UFC meetings in February and March will be key moments in the timeline to collect additional feedback and implement the next phase of the plan. The University Faculty Council will coordinate input from all avenues, formulate questions yet to be answered, and dispel misconceptions about the process or the plan itself. UFC strives to represent all faculty perspectives, and we know there are many viewpoints to consider. These meetings are additional opportunities to bring your viewpoint forward and discuss the next steps. We have much work ahead, including the process of reviewing and revising the Faculty Handbook.

The conversations we have had through this point have been illuminating. It’s clear that not everyone will agree, but we can come to a general consensus for a model that will spend less on administrative costs and help break down barriers, so we can be more collaborative. We have been working together on this plan and a potential path forward since September. As the Academic Organization Working Group worked throughout the fall semester, there were numerous opportunities for conversation, feedback and critique. The group provided weekly updates, in-person and online sessions, individual meetings and small group sessions, at several different times in the academic schedule.

If you did not yet engage in these opportunities, we encourage you to learn more and join the conversation at upcoming UFC meetings.

Today, we shared the model with the UMW Board of Visitors, which also reiterated their commitment to engage with UFC on a regular ongoing basis and encourage a revitalization of faculty engagement in shared governance. We have UFC as an established channel for further feedback, and we look forward to seeing you at the upcoming meetings. Following the March meeting, we will report back to the Board of Visitors at their regularly scheduled April meeting.

Rachel Graefe-Anderson, Ph.D.
University Faculty Council Chair
Associate Professor of Finance

Timothy M. O’Donnell, Ph.D.
Provost

The following update is from the Office of the Provost and Office of Administration and Finance:

UMW Campus Community,

Following the closure of Monroe Hall for the spring 2024 semester, the Registrar’s Office has relocated classes to other classrooms on campus. The full list is available online.

Students should check email and Canvas for any additional updates from instructors.

Faculty offices have also been reassigned to other academic buildings, and we continue to update the list online. Office information will also be updated in the online directory this week. For those with offices in the Monroe Hall, we’ll share upcoming opportunities to retrieve and move items in coordination with department chairs.

We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we adjust the class schedule at this critical moment in the semester and keep this iconic building on our campus in good repair and structurally sound. Classes, events, and activities should not convene in Monroe Hall, and the building will be closed to all access during the roof reconstruction project.

For those who have booked events, the Office of Events will reach out to relocate meetings.

The following message is from the Office of Police and Public Safety:

Campus Community,

UMW Police & Public Safety Offices moved to Eagle Village prior to winter break. The main office and customer services are now located at 1127 Emancipation Highway in the retail space next to the main entrance for executive offices. Additional offices are located on the second floor.

In addition to visiting the office in person, the campus community can also reach UMW Police & Public Safety via phone. The numbers remain unchanged: on-campus emergency number 540-654-4444 and non-emergency number 540-654-1025. UMW’s police station, now located at 1127 Emancipation Highway, will continue to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Short-term parking, accessible spaces and vendor parking are available at the new location.

You can also find many resources online on the safety resources page, sign up for the Guardian app, or make sure your information is correct to receive UMW Alerts. Check the safety resources page for important safety reminders.

UMW’s emergency alert system, called UMW Alerts for short, notifies the campus community of emergency situations, as well as weather watches and warnings issued by the National Weather Service. Students, faculty, and staff are automatically enrolled in UMW Alerts with contact information registered with the University, including UMW email address and cell phone number. The University adds new members weekly, but you can update your information at any time following the directions on the emergency alerts information page.

By downloading the Guardian app, free of charge, as part of UMW Alerts, you’ll also have one-touch connection to UMW police or 911, be able to discreetly send a text or digital image during an emergency, and share your location if at risk.

You can also report a concern about a student at any time. If you see or experience anything of concern, no matter how seemingly insignificant, report it via the online reporting system or by calling UMW Police at 540-654-1025 (non-emergency) or 540-654-4444 (emergency). Intervention is the key to prevention. Central to successful threat assessment and management is sharing information and concerns. Our team of trained faculty and staff members reviews information on a regular basis and as concerns arise.

You can refresh your preparedness by accessing resources online and reviewing information for an active shooter response, with a reminder of the Run, Hide or Fight rule for these situations.

As we start the spring semester, we appreciate your attention to these updates. At UMW, many staff and faculty are focused and trained on campus safety and well-being, and there are also ways in which you can be prepared individually, including being aware of your surroundings, reporting issues when you see something (no matter how seemingly insignificant), and making sure you receive timely updates as they are issued.

Contact Chief of Police Michael Hall with questions at mhall2@umw.edu or call the non-emergency number 540-654-1025 for general information.

This seemingly beautiful woodland photo is actually filled with 80% invasive species, Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven), located in two areas around our UMW Physical Plant and ball fields.

In January, UMW Landscape & Grounds awarded a grant from the VA Department of Forestry to remove these trees, treat the stumps with herbicide and address future sprouting Ailanthus seeds this spring. You likely saw the big removal show in late January!

Ailanthus altissima forms dense, clonal thickets which displace native species and can rapidly invade fields, meadows, and harvested forests. This invasive tree species is extremely tolerant of poor soil conditions andcan even grow in cement cracks!

It is also the host species for another invasive species, the Spotted Lanternfly. This invasive plant hopper was discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014. In Pennsylvania and its native range, SLF is a pest of grapes, peaches, hops, and apples…and it’s working its way into Virginia. Removing their host tree helps keep them at bay!

The University of Mary Washington’s championship soccer field has long been associated with Roy Gordon, founding coach of the men’s soccer team. Now efforts are underway to name the field in his honor, while funding future improvements for the competition field and soccer stadium as a whole.

Gordon served the University of Mary Washington and its intercollegiate athletics program, especially the men’s soccer program, with distinction, dedication, and loyalty for 34 years. His men’s soccer teams captured 386 total wins, won eight Capital Athletic Conference titles, and advanced to nine NCAA tournaments. Since the Eagles made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1985, their cumulative record under Gordon’s leadership was 329-133-33, for an outstanding .698 percent.

One of the most respected college soccer coaches in the nation, Gordon repeatedly earned regional and national awards. He was named the Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year eight times, selected as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Regional Coach of the Year on five occasions, and named Virginia State College Division Coach of the Year an impressive four times. Gordon became one of only eight head coaches in Division III history to surpass 400 career wins, in 2007. Gordon received the NSCAA’s prestigious Honor Award in 2009, and was named to the NSCAA Hall of Fame in 2023.

“My guess is that playing soccer at Mary Wash was a deeply meaningful experience for many of you, and that the lessons learned and friendships made continue to influence your lives years after leaving Fredericksburg”, said UMW Hall of Fame alumnus Scott Karr. “This is certainly the case for me, and I am incredibly grateful to Coach Gordon for all I took away from my time at Mary Wash.  He was a phenomenal coach, team-builder, and teacher.”

The first coach in Mary Washington soccer history, Gordon oversaw the development and transition of the home field, from the site of the current recreation field on Alvey Drive, to the development of the Battleground Athletic Complex in the 1980s. Gordon’s Eagles hosted the 1997 NCAA Division III national championship.

Current coaches have also created nationally competitive teams and the enhancements to this facility will continue to attract the high-quality student athletes. The 1992 NCAA Division III women’s national championship and the 1997 NCAA Division III men’s national championship were decided on the Eagles’ home pitch, and the field has been the site of dozens of conference tournament and NCAA Tournament competitions over the years, including hosting conference and NCAA Tournament action in each of the past two years.

That momentum has brought larger crowds to games and the need for additional enhancements to the experience for players and audiences.

“UMW Athletics is excited to announce that the UMW soccer stadium is getting an upgrade through a multi-year fundraising effort led by our alumni. Our goal is to raise $600,000 and we are halfway there,” said UMW Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo. “The improvements will help elevate the program, ensure first-class facilities and attract the best future players.”

Upon completion of the fundraising effort a proposal to name the facility goes to the UMW Board of Visitors for approval.

LEARN MORE about the project and make your gift electronically. The Office of University Advancement can explain naming and customized giving options. Call 540-654-1024 or email advance@umw.edu for more information.