Making A Difference
During their transformative undergraduate days, many Mary Washington students help transform the lives of others. On the nationally celebrated “Make A Difference Day,” the student-run office of Community Outreach and Resources (COAR) sponsored an extravaganza pairing 100 Mary Washington students with 120 local children. The children created cards for American soldiers in Iraq, decorated T-shirts for children in Haiti, and made goody bags for patients in the local hospital.
UMW students also used their fall and spring breaks to build homes as a part of the Habitat for Humanity Program, participated in Adopt-a-Family during the holiday season, and met representatives from a variety of community agencies on Cause and Effect Day.
Such activities are often the experiences that students value most, and frequently result in a call to service after graduation. Leaving behind family and friends, many alumni join the Peace Corps to serve as volunteers in the developing world, applying the skills and knowledge they acquired at UMW to help improve the lives of people in need, promoting hope and freedom in the process. This year, moving from 20th to seventh place, the University of Mary Washington experienced the biggest jump nationally among small schools in the number of alumni serving in the Peace Corps.
Symbolic of the University’s commitment to global awareness and cultural diversity, the 15th annual Multicultural Fair – with the theme “Differences Enrich Us All” – transformed the campus into a cultural smorgasboard, showcasing ethnic food, crafts, music and dance from every continent. The 11th annual Cultural Awareness Series also spanned the globe, bringing to campus scholars and performers who addressed myriad topics, ranging from Islamic studies to civil rights.
Student life was energized by performers such as New York-based rock artist Gavin DeGraw. Devoted fans waited more than five hours in a line that twisted around George Washington Hall before doors opened for the DeGraw concert. Described as a modern-day piano man, the songwriter walked around campus chatting with students, then conversed with them from the stage.
On a more serious note, Ralph Nader visited UMW as part of a conference on the effects of 9/11, meeting with students to discuss politics and speaking to a packed auditorium. Defending the importance of a liberal arts education, he encouraged students to take classes in religion, philosophy, literature and classics in preparation for a life of critical thinking rather than a specific career.