Category: What’s New @ UMW

The University of Mary Washington will host the C-SPAN Campaign 2012 Bus, Thursday, Sept. 27, on the Fredericksburg campus. The stop is part of a four-day tour to five Virginia universities and colleges to speak to students and community members regarding their thoughts about campaign issues. The bus will be located beside Lee Hall from 8:30 a.m. until noon.

Political analyst Stephen Farnsworth will be a guest on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal segment from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. Farnsworth, who is a UMW political science professor and director of the University’s Center for Media and Leadership Studies, is an expert on the 2012 presidential election cycle as well as Virginia government and politics. He is the author or co-author of four books, including “The Nightly News Nightmare: Media Coverage of U.S. Presidential Elections, 1988-2008,” “Spinner in Chief: How Presidents Sell Their Policies and Themselves,” “The Mediated Presidency: Television News and Presidential Governance” and “Political Support in a Frustrated America.”

From 10:15 to 11:45 a.m., C-SPAN will hold tours aboard the Campaign 2012 Bus. Visitors will learn via HD TVs, touch screen computers, laptops and mobile devices about the network’s Campaign 2012 website, including video of candidates and campaign events, information on key state races, the electoral college and ways to follow the social media related to the campaign. The tour also will include information about C-SPAN’s public affairs event coverage; web offerings, including archived video going back to 1987 through C-SPAN’s Video Library and Congressional Chronicle; and the numerous ways to connect with the network through social media.

C-SPAN representatives also will encourage students and members of the community to share their thoughts about the presidential campaign. Participants will be asked to comment on the presidential candidates and the issues most important to them in this election cycle. Their responses — captured in 15-second videos via Smartphone and shared instantly — will be uploaded onto various C-SPAN social media platforms, including C-SPAN’s own Tout page (http://www.tout.com/cspanbus). Responses in this week-long election special also will be highlighted on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal. The bus tour is open to the public at no charge. Public parking is in designated “visitor” parking spaces on Double Drive and on the top deck of the UMW Parking Deck accessed from U.S. 1.

More information about the bus tour is available at www.c-span.org/bus or by contacting Jennifer Curran, C-SPAN marketing representative, at (202) 309-3360.

Despite the threat of rain, countless students met at the Lee Hall terrace on Monday, Sept. 17 for the Study Abroad Showcase, the kickoff of the Center for International Education’s  second annual International Education Week. The week aims to expose students to a variety of opportunities abroad.

At the showcase, students who studied abroad in the spring semester or over the summer shared their experiences with other students and answered questions. The students represented 30 programs in 21 different countries.

“This is a show and tell for our students,” said Kate Jordan, study abroad program assistant in the Center for International Education.

Senior Jennifer Crystle helped organize and promote this year’s International Education Week. For her, similar events last year eased her “reverse culture shock” after a semester abroad in Spain.

“This can help them with their reintegration,” Jordan said.

The week also included seminars on internships and scholarships and financial aid. The Education Abroad Fair on Friday, Sept. 21 gave parents and students the opportunity to explore more than 50 study abroad providers and UMW programs. On Saturday, CIE hosted an open house from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Lee Hall, Room 434.

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/396880400379881/.

University of Mary Washington staff formed four volunteer teams that participated in one of the Rappahannock United Way “Days of Caring” on Friday, Sept. 14.

A total of 42 UMW staff members volunteered this year, an increase from last year’s 28 volunteers. Participants came from UMW’s Facilities Services, Advancement and University Relations, Academic Services, and Student Affairs divisions.

The volunteers spent the day at the Boys and Girls Club in Fredericksburg, and helped with weeding, cutting grass, planting flowers, mulching and washing the vans that transport the children. UMW also donated used computers to the club.

UMW’s Director of Service, Christina Eggenberger, has helped involve staff in the Rappahannock United Way’s program for the past three years.

“It’s fun to hear each team name being called…and to show UMW spirit to the community,” she said.

Other local businesses and organizations volunteered, however UMW had the biggest group there, Eggenberger said.

Director of Campus Recreation and the Fitness Center, Mark Mermelstein, worked with other staff members to wash the vans.

“It’s a great opportunity to get out and work on something together,” Mermelstein said.

Rappahannock United Way expanded the opportunity for community volunteering when they changed the “Day of Caring” into “Days of Caring.” Likewise, Mark Thaden, director of alumni relations, has a similar mindset.

“I hope to see our numbers continue to grow every year in participation,” said Thaden.

The construction for the new Hyatt Place hotel in Eagle Village is underway, with the demolition of the vacant store fronts next to the Giant Food grocery store. The demolition process has been closely monitored by the UMW Foundation, who own the Eagle Village shopping center, to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

“We always recycle as much as we can,” said Jeff Rountree, UMW Foundation CEO. “Back when Eagle Landing was built the demolition material was recycled. We take responsibility for our buildings.”
A majority of the debris from the demolition, including steel, metal and concrete has been recycled by the Foundation. In addition to recycling parts of the demolished building, the Foundation also saved the cupola, the small, dome-like structure that resided on top of the original shopping center.

 
“We tried to find a use for the cupola because it looked in good shape,” said Rountree. “It was a feature of the building and worth trying to save.”

 
“The day before demolition a minister called me and asked if it could be used as a steeple for their church,” said Rountree. “In another 10 hours and it would have been demolished. It was almost like divine intervention.”

 
After the Rev. Ronnie Ford contacted the Foundation the cupola was salvaged and donated to The Charity Church of God in Stafford. The piece from the original 1962 building now resides on top of  the church.

 
Following demolition, the new Hyatt hotel will be built with many sustainable and energy efficient practices in place including water conserving plumbing and energy efficient light bulbs. The hotel will also be smoke-free to increase air quality and have limited exterior lighting to reduce the amount of light pollution. The 93-room hotel is expected to open at the end of 2013.

Photos of the cupola at its new home can be found in an article from the Sept. 13 issue of The Free Lance-Star: Cupola from demolished portion of Eagle Village lives on

The Office of Residence Life has three new first-year living learning communities on campus this fall.  Housed in Randolph Hall, all three communities were open to incoming first-year students.

VISION! is comprised of 10 individuals – nine first-year students and one upper-class program assistant. They returned to campus on Aug.19 for pre-orientation activities related to their mission. VISION! is focused on leadership development. During their pre-orientation events, the community engaged in a one-day leadership workshop and had the opportunity to go to the Virginia Outdoor Center in order to complete the ropes course as a community.

Justice for All is comprised of seven individuals – six first-year students and one upper-class program assistant. They returned to campus on Aug.19 for pre-orientation activities related to their mission. The community’s focus is social justice. During their pre-orientation events they traveled to Richmond to visit the Virginia Civil Rights Memorial and the Virginia Holocaust Museum. They also had the opportunity to go to the Virginia Outdoor Center to complete the ropes course as a community.

Empower U! is comprised of 12 individuals – eleven first-year students and one upper-class program assistant. They returned to campus on Aug.192012 for pre-orientation activities related to their mission. The community’s focus is gender empowerment. During their pre-orientation events they traveled to Washington, D.C. to visit the Feminist Majority and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. They also had the opportunity to go to the Virginia Outdoor Center to complete the ropes course as a community.

Interested in getting involved?  If you are interested in getting involved in one of these groups contact Bethany Friesner, Marye House.