ONE MARY WASHINGTON JUNIOR THINKS ABOUT LEAVING HIS BELOVED FREDERICKSBURG
By Mikey Barnes
It was August 23, 2013 when I first stepped foot on the campus of the University of Mary Washington as a freshman. To be honest, I cried like a baby as I hugged my mom goodbye. It was hard to leave. No longer was a home cooked meal going to be waiting for me on the kitchen counter when I got home from baseball practice next to a note from my mom telling me how much she loves me. No longer would I be able to spend my down time chasing my dogs around the yard alongside my best friend, my brother. My brother was certainly the hardest person to leave behind, but I knew it had to be done. I did not cry because I was sad; I cried because there was a new chapter in my life and it all happened so fast.
I soon discovered that Fredericksburg, the town my school was in, became like a family to me. I became infatuated with the school, the town, the townspeople and everything the community had to offer. I loved the look of the quaint downtown. I found my regular spots, like Capital Ale House and the banks of the river. When the weather’s nice, the pace of life picks up and there are more people walking about and visiting shops.
I grew up in what’s technically a college town – Fairfax, Va., the location of George Mason University. While it is indeed an excellent school, the town around it is nothing like Fredericksburg. In Fredericksburg, the true beauty of the town really resonates with you.
Now that I’m a junior in school, I’m starting to think about what it might be like to make another change, or maybe I don’t have to. I started to wonder what it might be like to live in Fredericksburg, not as a student, but as a young professional. What is it like to live in a college town without, well, being associated with the college?
* * *
In 1908, Fredericksburg welcomed a university to its small quaint town. Virginia Governor Claude Swanson signed legislation for the establishment of State Normal and Industrial School for Woman at Fredericksburg, an all girl’s institution. Known for being a battleground during the Civil War, Fredericksburg reached its peak in significance when the university was brought to its town. Accompanied by the Mary Washington Hospital, which was built in the early twentieth century, the city was starting to develop.
* * *
The business owners in the area say that the students benefit the local economy. Matt Thomas, owner of an upscale restaurant downtown called Kybecca, said that college students were helpful to his business. “I believe a university that is decently run will almost always be a boon for a town and that's certainly true of Fredericksburg,” Thomas said, “A larger university would be a problem since they take up so much more space and town populations change dramatically when students are in town.” He said a school the size of Mary Washington benefitted the businesses but also prevented streets from being clogged up and parking to becoming scarce. Pat Preston, the owner at Cat’s Closet has been in business for 26 years now has seen the evolution of the relationship between downtown and the university. Preston said, “I think it is a positive experience for all parties involved.”
* * *
The University of Mary Washington has done a lot for the community. Often the university hosts events to help clean up the community, such as Good Neighbor Day, Into the Streets, and Pumpkin Palooza. I have participated in these events in the past, and they help bring a sense of community to the town
In 2007, the school bought Eagle Village from the JBG Rosenfeld Company. It was purchased by the University of Mary Washington Foundation for $115 million. On Feb. 20, 2009, the foundation hosted a ceremony for nearly 150 guests. The crane connecting the Eagle Village to campus was put in place in January of 2010. On July 26, 2010, the first phase of Eagle Village was completed. Virgil Nelson, the senior vice president of Eagle Village referred to the shopping center as, “a great economic generator for the City of Fredericksburg.”
As a student of the university and a resident of Eagle Landing, a hotel-style dorm at the other end of the bridge, I know first hand the benefits of having Eagle Village and in such a short proximity from the university. Having Central Park is great for the city, but Eagle Village is so close that it makes life so much easier for the faculty and student body.
University of Mary Washington junior and tour guide Maggie Tuite is a big fan of Eagle Village and feels as though it attracts potential students to the university, “Eagle Village is very beneficial to the university because it has a variety of restaurants and also a grocery store within walking distance of campus. This attracts prospective students here because it is way to eat off campus and get food since they can not have a car here their freshman year.”
Stephanie Brown, a resident of Fredericksburg and a commuter herself, had some positive things to say about Eagle Village. “It's more inviting with the new places to eat, and it's pleasing to the eye. Looks a lot better than it did when I first moved out here. It's a one stop shopping center. Plus it's convenient for students and offers employment opportunities for the community.”
* * *
In deciding whether to consider living in Fredericksburg when I graduate, I spoke to Glenn Taylor, a junior who grew up in town. When I spoke with Taylor, he expressed the significance of how easy it is to become part of the fold in Fredericksburg. “Getting involved in the Fredericksburg community is easy and people don’t take advantage of it like they should. There is so many opportunities because of the people involved with the university.” As a college student now, Taylor has seen the opportunities grow immensely, “I have known people on campus before I even started, to be here alongside of them, I recommend the community get involved, there is so many opportunities, especially for the youth.”
When talking to Taylor about his plans after college, he plans to live elsewhere. Though he loves Fredericksburg, Taylor has had his time and knows they are greater opportunities elsewhere for him. He has not an idea where yet, but he knows he has had his time here. A computer science major, he sees himself working in our nation's capital, as he says, “that’s where the money is.”
Next, I spoke to Brooke Turner, a 2015 graduate who stayed. Turner studied psychology and was in the education program while at Mary Washington. Turner works at UMW as a paid tour guide and does substitute teaching in the area. While in Fredericksburg, Turner is an associate director of LINK after school program, which provides mentoring and resources to local homeless students which is an organization held at The Center For Faith and Leadership, which is right across the street from the UC. Turner described why she stayed here in Fredericksburg, “I stayed around UMW and this area because of the opportunities available for my interest. There are so many ways to grow in my field of study in Fredericksburg and I am taking advantage of every opportunity!”
Next, I spoke to Fredericksburg natives who commute to the Northern Virginia/D.C area for work and they expressed different opinions on it. Melanie Comstock, a faculty member at Belvedere Elementary school said, “the commute is really bad, it's tough, but it gets better if you have an EZPass.” Melanie lives here in Fredericksburg, just ten minutes from the campus of Mary Washington. She commutes Monday through Friday to her job as an elementary school teacher, where she works in the autism program. Fredericksburg to Northern Virginia might not have been her ideal commute at first, but it has proven to be beneficial, as she is in the profession she loves at a place she feels welcome.
* * *
When I first arrived here at UMW and in Fredericksburg, I never expected to call this my place my home. The first few weeks were so rough for me, I had not a positive thought in the world concerning my future here. I never would have thought I would end up being voted Mr. UMW or chosen as a model for the school. I could not imagine seeing myself as someone not just in love with the school, but the city as well. When talking to all of these people, they gave me great insight on this city and what it has to offer. Taylor could not have put it better, when he was telling me how much this town has to offer and how little advantage is taken of it. I could not agree more with those words. That being said, I also sympathize with Comstock when she expressed the overpriced commute to the DC area for work.
As a communication major, with the intention of becoming a publicist of some sort, I feel as though my best option is a bigger market, outside of Fredericksburg. Though I have immense love for this city and the people, like Taylor, I feel as if I want to make it to bigger and better things, Fredericksburg is not the town for me to reside after graduation. I will always hold Fredericksburg near and dear to my heart and plan to make constant visits to the place I will call home for four years.