The Best of UMW

You voted, we tallied, and the results are in: the best aspects of life at Mary Washington.

Around Campus

Best Dressed Professor: Gary Richards
Although readers have deemed him the undisputed arbiter of academic fashion at UMW for two years running now, Prof. Richards insists that it’s an undeserved designation. “I mean, c’mon.  I wear the same pair of jeans like every day,” he says, totally downplaying his impeccable taste in sweater-vests.  Not only is he the flyest looking teacher at Mary Wash, but he’s modest too.  Better luck next year, Prof. Barrenechea.
–Ryan Marr

Hottest Professor: Robert Barr
Best Professor: Mara Scanlon
Zaniest Professor: Jim Groom
Best Administrator: Dean Rucker
Best Academic Building: Trinkle

Most Out-dated Policy: One-strike
You say “illegal,” I say “less legal.” Most of us are going to try something “less legal” at some point. That’s what college is about. Kicking somebody out for their first offense is such an antiquated idea that I feel like I could find the one-strike policy at my grandmother’s house, right behind her dentures, crusty  and covered in dust. You kick someone out for a pattern of drug usage, not the first offense.
–Thomas Ella

Best Party Dorm: Mason Hall
When I was moving into Mason Hall my freshman year, my RA had on a name tag that read, “Hi, my name is: Waffle.” After my parents left, he told me that Mason was the dorm where ping pong tables get thrown out of windows, where it’s routine to fail 20 fire drills in a semester and where I shouldn’t be surprised to wake up in front of Mason, covered in vomit.  I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that Mason continues to be the Animal House of UMW. Let them remodel it. We’ll just party that much harder when it opens again.
–Thomas Ella

Best Make-Out Spot: Amphitheater

Best Event: Multicultural Fair
You can’t make it five feet on this campus without running into a white person. I thought college was all about becoming open and educated to new ideas and new ways of life. Well, don’t worry, because every year, UMW crams all that diversity into one magnificent day full of awesome food, sweet music, crazy dancing and all sorts of other festivities.
–Thomas Ella

Best Band: The Like Whatevers
The student band The Like Whatevers made their debut two years ago, when several music majors and their friends got together and started jamming. Today, they hold the spot for most popular student band, thanks to their uniquely blended style of music that marries indie rock with fiddle, flute and even brass instruments. Their love for music is almost as evident as the fun they have playing it, made obvious by their interactions onstage and by the way they have mixed their own personal styles to form one of the largest student bands ever to grace the stages of local Fredericksburg venues.
–Heather Brady

Best Seaco Dish: Mama Jean’s Pasta
Best Employee: LaNita Weisenberger
Best Study Spot: Library treehouses
Most Visible Club: PRISM
Best Women’s Team: Rugby
Best Men’s Team: Rugby
Best Woman’s Athlete: Molly Walter
Most Underappreciated Team: Woman’s Rugby

Best Place to Park: Nowhere
Let’s get real here gang. You’ve got a better chance of finding a parking spot on I-95 than you do of finding one at UMW. Red stickers, yellow stickers, commuter parking, faculty parking – get a good pair of sneakers, because if you’re at Mary Washington you’re walking.
–Joshua Lawson

Best Underground Event: Bingo
Best Use of the Monroe Fountain: Two Dollar Challenge Showers

Around Town

Best Take-Out: Hunan Garden
You can’t live off of Ramen forever, and when you finally crack and can’t stomach one more powder-flavored noodle, Hunan Garden has your back. They’ve got good prices and even better food. If you’re feeling adventurous enough to leave your room, swing by. The service is great and the employees are extremely friendly.
–Joshua Lawson

Best Pizza: Primavera
Best Bar: Capital Ale House
Best Coffee House: Hyperion
Music Venue: The Otter House

Best Breakfast: Eileen’s
For a fresh breakfast pastry and a warm cup of coffee, there’s no place better than Eileen’s. Housed in an old church on Caroline Street, the bakery makes bread, pastries and sandwiches each morning using fresh ingredients. The quaint atmosphere that pervades this establishment greets you when you walk in the door and the sunny yellow room makes you want to stay for hours. This is the perfect place to go for relaxing, delicious breakfasts and lunches with friends or with a significant other.
–Heather Brady

Best Place to Eat When You Aren’t Paying: Bistro Bethem
Best Place to Buy Beer: Snellings
Best Party Street: Rowe
Best Bookstore: Riverby’s
Best Place to Take a Date: Sammy T’s
Best Mexican Food: Soup and Taco