Congrats to our brilliant geography students who put UMW on the World Geography Bowl map year after year! A team of five undergrads, joined by a Georgia grad student, won the competition this week at a SouthEastern Division of the American Association of Geographers meeting in Tennessee. Alex Chrvala, the top- scoring undergrad, and Darby Libka, the top-scoring female, will tackle the national World Geography Bowl in April.
Civil Rights Trip Sparks a Mary Washington Movement
A group of UMW students traveled to Montgomery, Alabama, to explore the ongoing civil rights struggle in America. Along with new experiences and perspectives, they gained a new motivation to be agents of change – at Mary Washington and in the world. Read more.
Head Start Gift Box Drive Through Nov. 28
It’s almost time for COAR’s annual Head Start Gift Box Drive. Each year we ask students, faculty and staff to fill boxes full of necessities and toys for children ages 3 to 5 years old.
These are distributed to the Head Start programs in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania schools.
To participate, come by the University Center and check out a gift box through Nov. 28 and return them by Nov. 29.
If you are unable to check out a box, donations of the following individual items would be appreciated as well:
- Hats
- Gloves
- Scarves
- Small toys
- Coloring books
- Crayons and markers
- Small books
All of these items will need to fit inside a shoe box sized box. We appreciate your continued support for service at UMW.
Lower Costs for Closed Captioning and Transcription Services at UMW!
Lower Costs for Closed Captioning and Transcription Services at UMW!
ODR is pleased to announce long-term collaboration led by George Mason University that has resulted in reduced rates for video transcription and captioning services. The standard turn-around time (about 4 business days) is less than $2/minutes for each of the three vendors. Additional costs apply with alignment services. 3Play Media is the only vendor currently providing alignment services. If you unable or unavailable to do the alignment within your department, you will need to use 3Play Media and pay for the alignment service in order to have a final product that is usable. Specific pricing information can be found on the ODR website: Video Captioning and Transcription Services.
Danielle Smith, ODR Assistive Technology Coordinator, has planned the following dates for walk-in hours to learn more about how to set up an account and answer questions regarding these vendors.
Walk-in hours (Lee Hall, 431 – AT Coordinator Office)
- Wednesday 11/28- 1:30-3:30
- Thursday 11/29- 9:30-11:30
Reminders:
- All videos posted online must be captioned. Videos should be shown with closed captioning, and at least be available with closed captioning, in case the need arises. Don’t find yourself in a bind without the captioned content – work on getting videos captioned as soon as you can.
- Rates are based on turn-around time from when content is uploaded. It does take time for a user to learn the system and convert the content into a format that is acceptable in the system. Build in time for this learning process. ODR recommends designating someone in your department who can learn how to use the system and creating your own process to avoid last-minute issues.
- Use of these services allow for the purchase of SRT files (caption text files). Alignment is needed in order to merge caption text files with video files. This allows for the end product to be a captioned video and ready for use. This service can be provided for an additional fee by 3PlayMedia when using 3PlayMedia for the complete captioning service.
ODR encourages every department and office at UMW to develop their own system and provide accessible content, now at lower costs than ever before!
Campus Blood Drive Nov. 16
The last campus blood drive of the year will be held on Friday, Nov. 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Digital Auditorium of the HCC.
The event is co-sponsored by Alpha Mu Sigma.
Wear a flannel for #flannelfriday and you will be entered to win a $20 Chipotle gift card.
Sign up to donate at redcrossblood.org/give, zip code 22401, and select the UMW drive. Please email umw.redcrossclub@gmail.com with any questions or comments.
Thanksgiving Lunch for Faculty and Staff Nov. 15
Campus Dining will host a Thanksgiving lunch for UMW faculty and staff on Thursday, Nov. 15 in the Maple Salon at the Top of the UC. The menu will include classic roast turkey, baked ham, candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and more! The cost for current members of the faculty and staff is still just $6. The cost for other guests is $9.45 plus tax.
For additional information, contact Campus Dining at 540-654-2165 or Dining@umw.edu.
Try 80s-Themed Fitness Class Nov. 12 Free
On Monday, November 12, there will be an 80s themed Barre fitness class in Goolrick Hall Dance Studio 5 at 6:30 p.m. The class will be 60 minutes and is free to the UMW community (no group fitness pass needed).
Carolyn, one of Campus Rec’s certified barre instructors, will be creating an 80s-themed playlist for this special class. All participants are encouraged to wear bright colors, leg warmers, scrunchies, high pony tails, and other 80s attire that is appropriate for a fitness class.
Barre is a trendy fitness class inspired by ballet, Pilates, and yoga. In this format, participants use their body weight, the ballet barre, and a set of light dumbbells to tone muscles and improve flexibility.
Food Drives Benefit Regional Food Bank
The UMW community will be collecting food and other items to benefit the Fredericksburg Regional Food Drive.
The Thanksgiving Food Drive, sponsored by the Staff Advisory Council, began Oct. 22 and will run through Nov. 8. You can drop off donations at the following locations:
- Lee Hall, cashier’s office, 2nd floor
- Eagle Landing, Suite 480
- GW Hall, Room 204
- Fitness Center
- University Center, Suite 206
- Stafford Campus, South Building, Admissions Suite
The annual Stop Hunger Food Drive, sponsored by Sodexo, Campus Dining and the UMW athletes will kick-off on Monday, October 29. Donation bins will be placed in all campus dining locations, Simpson Library, and the UMW Bookstore, which will give a 15 percent discount on one insignia item to customers who make food donations at the time of their purchases.
UMW athletes will be collecting donations outside the Giant food store in Eagle Village October 29 and 30 as well as November 1 and 2 between 10 a.m. and noon, and also on Saturday, November 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food and monetary contributions will be accepted by the athletes and cashiers at the Top of the UC.
When making food donations, please make sure the items are within their expiration dates and that cans are not dented. The items most needed by the food bank include the following:
- Canned meat (tuna and chicken)
- Canned fruit in light syrup or juice
- Canned vegetables, low sodium or no sodium
- Pasta and sauce (no glass jars, please)
- Boxed meals
- Pancake mix
- Macaroni and cheese
- Dehydrated milk
- Brown or white rice
- Cornbread mix
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Instant potatoes
- Canned and dry beans
- Hot and cold cereals
The following personal care items are also needed:
- Bar soap
- Shampoo
- Deodorant
- Shaving cream
- Diapers
- Toilet paper
- Tissues
For more information about the Stop Hunger Food Drive, please contact Campus Dining Marketing Manager Rose Benedict at rbenedic@umw.edu or 540-654-2169.
Jewish Cultural Celebration Events Nov. 5-9
The Jewish Cultural Celebration will be held Nov. 5-9 and will feature traditional Jewish food, a movie night and speakers.
For a complete list of events, visit https://students.umw.edu/multicultural/programs/jewish-cultural-awareness-week/.
Dr. Mark Naison, professor of history and African American studies at Fordham University, will deliver a keynote address on Thursday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. in Lee Hall, Room 411.
Naison is the author of seven books and more than 300 articles on African American politics, labor history, popular culture, and education policy. A member of the Congress of Racial Equality and Students for a Democratic Society in the 1960s, his first book, Communists in Harlem in the Depression, published in 1983, is still in print and is used in graduate courses around the nation.
Dr. Naison is the founder of the Bronx African American History Project (BAAHP), one of the largest community-based oral history projects in the nation, and has brought his research into more than 30 Bronx schools, Bronx-based cultural organizations, and NGO’s. In recent years, the BAAHP’s research has led to granting landmark status to several streets with historic significance, as well as the founding of a cultural center honoring the Bronx’s musical heritage. A co-founder of the Bronx Berlin Youth exchange, Dr. Naison has published articles about Bronx music and Bronx culture in German, Spanish, Catalan, and Portuguese as well as English, and given talks about these subjects in Germany, Spain, and Italy. He recently published a novel, Pure Bronx, co-written with his former student Melissa Castillo-Garsow, and a book of essays on educational policy and Bronx history, Badass Teachers Unite. His seventh book is Before the Fires, An Oral History of African American Life in the Bronx From the 1930s to the 1960s.
UMW Theatre Continues Season with Merrily We Roll Along
UMW Theatre will continue its 2018-19 season with Merrily We Roll Along, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth. Performances will be Nov. 1-3, Nov. 8-10, and Nov. 14-17 at 7:30 p.m., and Nov. 4, 10, 11, 17, and 18 at 2:00 p.m. in Klein Theatre, duPont Hall at the University of Mary Washington.
AfterWords, a post-show talkback with the cast, will take place after the matinee performance on Nov. 4. Tickets are $25 for standard admission, $20 for students, senior citizens, alumni, and military.