Official Greek life would harm UMW community

By VICTORIA MUNEVAR

Last year in the official UMW Class of 2020 Facebook group, several students started a petition to officiate Greek life on campus. This sparked a heated debate in the comments section, among students who had polarizing opinions on the issue.Read More

NFL: National Football….Los Angeles?

By JOHN JAMESOM

Staff Writer

A little more than a year ago, the city of Los Angeles had not housed an NFL team in more than 20 years. Now, both the Chargers and the Rams call it home. Living in close proximity to D.C. many of us take for granted the omnipresent influence of a local NFL franchise, especially one that can’t be claimed by a specific state. The Redskins are a staple in Northern Virginia, with this in mind, one can begin to understand the frustration and confusion felt by the jilted fans these two franchises left behind.Read More

Sox to be a Boston fan

By JACKSON DOWNEY

Staff Writer

While most people who own an Apple watch use it to track their steps, see notifications, or just as a fashion statement, the Boston Red Sox used Apple watches in an underhanded … Read More

Got served: UMW Volleyball fails to get a win at the UMW Invitational

By OLIVIA TAYLOR

Staff Writer

The University of Mary Washington Women’s Volleyball team is coming off of a spectacular 2016 season, where they earned the title of Capital Athletic Conference Champions and made it to the NCAA … Read More

Recipes and reviews: a new Netflix release viewing guide

By KAYTLYN BIDDLE

Senior Writer

Death Note: Review

Death Note is a Netflix original that came out Aug. 25 this year. Based on the highly successful weekly shonen manga, Death Note, the movie revolves around a … Read More

UMW soccer goes scoreless during the UMW Classic

Olympia Jarrell

Senior Writer

The University of Mary Washington hosted its annual UMW Classic Women’s soccer tournament this past weekend and both games were very heated as Mary Washington defended against two very skilled visiting teams.Read More

September 7 Podcast

Podcast of the September 7 issue of the Blue & Gray Press Read More

Cavaliers and Celtics finalize Kyrie Irving trade

By COLLIN JOHNSON

Staff Writer

The Cleveland Cavaliers finalized a massive trade sending Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics after what seemed like a never-ending trade deal, in exchange they are receiving Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, a 2018 first round pick and a 2020 second round pick. Irving demanded the trade due to not being happy with his secondary role next to LeBron James. Although, Irving and James do have a good relationship, Irving is 25 years-old and already has one championship under his belt.Read More

UMW students and faculty celebrate discount from Eagle Village’s Giant

By PAIGE WALTON

Staff Writer

Beginning this fall semester, Giant in Eagle Village now offers a 5 percent discount on final purchases to students or faculty with a valid University of Mary Washington ID. Read More

Men and Women’s Cross Country both ranked fourth in CAC preseason poll

By KYLEIGH COUTCHER 

Staff Writer

This season Mary Washington’s Men and Women’s Cross Country teams have both placed fourth again in the Capital Athletic Conference preseason polls. Mary Washington Women’s team assumed the fourth spot in the poll with 58 points and the Men’s team found themselves in fourth with 56 points.Read More

Rugby players share their feelings about the season

By SHYAN MURPHY

Staff Writer

Each year, the University of Mary Washington gains new recruits from all over for their sports programs. UMW is primarily a Division III school with a variety of sports options offered including … Read More

Virginia football teams have a great Week 1

By DUSTIN THOMAS

Staff Writer

The University of Mary Washington might not have a collegiate football team, but that does not mean that our students do not take an interest in the sport. Collegiate football is the number one most-watched sport in the United States and our liberal arts institution is no different.Read More

NFL week 1 predictions and analysis

By ZACHARY WOHLEKING

Staff Writer

After much anticipation, the NFL has returned and fans everywhere are ready to celebrate by holding down a spot on the couch all Sunday long. Read More

One time Group Fitness fee is met with mixed emotions by UMW students

By KATE SELTZER

Staff Writer

With the semester starting back up, as students are getting back into the swing of things, returning students may notice a change at the fitness center when they go to sign up for any of the various group fitness classes. In previous years these classes were free, however, due to an increase in demand and popularity, beginning this year students will be asked to pay a fee of $10. This new fee, which only needs to be paid one time, will grant students unlimited access to all of the group fitness classes for the duration of the school year.Read More

Staff-Ed: UMW administration stands with its students

By THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS STAFF

The previous academic year at the University of Mary Washington was filled with discussions, debates, the presidential election and national discord felt even at the community level. The year also brought about many changes at the campus level with the first year and inauguration of our university’s president, Troy Paino. In the conservative area of Spotsylvania County, just an hour away from Washington D.C., our community felt the reverberations of the partisan political tension.Read More

The University Center welcomes a new executive chef

By OLYMPIA JARRELL

Staff Writer

This year, the University Center is seeing some real changes with the new executive Chef, William Allison. After working in places ranging from Hawaii, to California to other locations in Virginia, Chef Allison was recently hired as the new executive chef for the University Center’s Dining Hall.Read More

Trump’s tweets provide little reassurance to hurricane victims

By GRACE WINFIELD 

Staff Writer

Hurricane Harvey is the first natural disaster to test Donald Trump’s presidency. The category four storm devastated and displaced thousands of Texans over the past week. As a result of the storm’s extremely heavy rainfall, southern Texas has experienced devastating floods. Houston being the most affected. About 33 trillion gallons of rain have been dumped along the Gulf Coast.Read More

Talley Center needs resources to support graduate students

By JACKSON DOWNEY

Staff Writer

An anonymous graduate student at UMW, visited the Talley Center hoping to schedule bi-weekly counseling appointments. she said that she had been struggling with anxiety throughout the summer and thought the resources provided at the Talley Center could help her with her mental health struggles.Read More

Professors should consider costs when assigning textbooks

By JAIME MCGUIRE

Staff Writer

It is the beginning of a new semester, which leaves college students confronting the inevitable required textbook list. Many students shell out $300 or $400 at the beginning of the semester for just one book but are only able to resell it for a few dollars. If these textbooks are required, why are they so outrageously priced?Read More

Taylor Swift’s reputation: from America’s sweetheart to queen of the snake emoji

By RACHEL FINSTON

Staff Writer

Few celebrities are as image conscious as Taylor Swift. At twenty-seven years old, she is a multi-millionaire and internationally known celebrity. One might even call Swift infamous due to the polarizing public opinions surrounding her music and her personal life. Swift is known for playing the victim, or, is alternatively, America’s sweetheart.Read More

UMW students visit Cuba for first time ever this summer

By GARY KNOWLES

Staff Writer

This past June University of Mary Washington students spent a couple weeks with Cuban citizens. Read More

Personal essay: transferring to UMW was the right decision

By TAYLOR OSTROM
Staff Writer
At first I assumed UMW would be very similar to my former university because they both have a small student population. However, once I stepped foot on this beautiful campus I was pleasantly surprised to find out that UMW was something completely different than WCSU.Read More

Historical floral print blooms into UMW fall fashion trend

By SAVARA GUNN

Staff Writer

Floral designs on clothing have been wildly popular the past few years. Especially during the summer where breezy dresses, modern-day kimonos and shirts have the print sketched across like canvases.Read More

Unforeseen pipe burst closes Willard Hall for the 2017-2018 school year

By ABBEY BAILEY 

Staff Writer

Over the summer a steam pipe burst under Willard Hall, rendering the building uninhabitable for the 2017 to 2018 school year. Bushnell was originally scheduled for summer renovation and was going to be closed during the school year, however, this plan had was postponed as a result of the damage to Willard Hall. After being notified of the change mid-summer, the 91 students who were scheduled to live in Willard were relocated to Virginia Hall and Bushnell Hall.Read More

From uniform to unique: one student’s guide to dorm decor

By MACKENZIE HARD 

Staff Writer

Before move-in, campus is filled with a bunch of the same dorm style residence halls. The same couches and chairs, the same beds and desks and the same kitchens. It is all very uniform but it is a blank canvas for us to make our own. I turned my own apartment into a comfortable and cozy place for me to stretch my feet out on the coffee table. Along the way, I learned the importance of having a budget and an idea for how the space will look. It is much easier to decompress after a long day of classes when I’m coming back into a room that makes me feel comfortable and welcome.Read More

Rappahannock Scholars program changes lives

By MARK NOEL

The Rappahannock Scholars program was created in 2007. The program places six high schools in the Northern Neck region of Virginia in partnership with the University of Mary Washington. These six high schools include Essex, King and Queen Central, Lancaster, Washington and Lee High, Northumberland, and Rappahannock High schools. The main purpose of this program is to support the university’s mission of being a nexus for engagement among diverse communities by recruiting, retaining and supporting underrepresented and economically disadvantage students from high schools in these areas.Read More

Oppressed work to empower each other under Trump presidency

By DANIELLE HOWARD

Throughout the entirety of his campaign, President Donald Trump actively insulted and attacked large margins of American citizens while empowering a select few under the guise of his slogan ‘Make America Great Again.’ His words and beliefs against people of color, members of the LGBT+ community, women, Muslims and more were met with horror and praise.Read More

Potential policy insists that all faculty be evaluated every semester

By GARY KNOWLES

Debra Schleef, the assistant provost for Institutional Analysis and Effectiveness, initiated a motion to change how student evaluations work at the end of each semester. Currently, not all classes are evaluated at the end of every semester. If this proposed addition to the faculty handbook is approved, then students enrolled in credit courses will be given an evaluation form for those classes. Read More

UMW introduces new online streaming database granting free access to documentaries

By MARK NOEL

The University of Mary Washington has many great resources on campus for professors and students but there is a more recent resource that has gone unnoticed by most of the UMW community. This resource is called Kanopy streaming and was founded by Olivia Humphrey in 2008.Read More

Gubernatorial candidate Tom Perriello visits campus during tour to talk about student affairs

By MEAGHAN MCINTYRE

Virginia gubernatorial candidate, Tom Perriello, visited the University of Mary Washington last Wednesday while on his college campus tour. He talked to students and faculty members in the Hurley Convergence Center about his policies on mental health issues, his proposal for free education at two-year community colleges, promoting an environmentally friendly Virginia and combatting sexual assault. Read More