OPINION | Untangling the Web: Weaving One Unified Spider Community at UR
(04/07/25 3:46pm)
Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of The Collegian.
Use the fields below to perform an advanced search of The Collegian's archives. This will return articles, images, and multimedia relevant to your query. You can also try a Basic search
47 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of The Collegian.
Editor's Note: Maeve McCormick, daughter of Meredith McCormick, is a writer on The Collegian's staff.
Ring Dance, a Westhampton College tradition during which junior women celebrate their academic achievements at the Jefferson Hotel, proceeded smoothly Saturday night, a break from the controversy of previous years.
Change is hard, right? Trying something new can be frightening. We often choose to stick with favorite activities, words and behaviors that feel safe simply out of familiarity. We, individually or culturally, are accustomed to such safety. These metaphorical safety nets often get labeled as “traditional” in contrast to unfamiliar practices or ideologies that get marked as “modern.”
As alumnae, we have both served on Westhampton College Government Association, and last year we were the WCGA president and chair of senate. We are disheartened and saddened by some of the responses to Ring Dance 2015.
I seem to be one of the few women at Ring Dance who voluntarily walked alone during the ceremonial procession.
I want to begin by sharing with you my gratitude to the Westhampton student leaders and colleagues who organized this year’s Junior Ring Dance. Each of them worked so hard to plan this year’s dance, an event meant to celebrate the academic accomplishments of our junior women and their friendships with one another.
Upfront, I'm not against Ring Dance existing or women making the choice to participate. I encourage those who feel that the evening means something to them to show up, if they can. They should be able to attend wearing whatever color dress, or even suit, they want. They should be able to choose who, if anyone, will walk them down the now infamous flight of stairs. (Yes, this is me throwing my hat in the ring after this weekend’s controversy with the new ceremony rules).
Last edits made at 7:44 p.m. by Collegian reporter Jesse Siebentritt.
We all learned this rule in kindergarten: Don’t put your hands on other people without their permission. It seems that our administrators forgot this lesson Saturday night at Ring Dance when the deans and policemen crossed the line from strongly encouraging against to physically restraining escorts from walking down The Jefferson Hotel’s historic flight of stairs with junior women.
Security at Ring Dance this year will be tighter than in the past because of damage to The Jefferson Hotel at last year's event, and everyone attending must be registered on the guest list.
Contact photographer Chrissy Wengloski at christine.wengloski@richmond.edu
Ring Dance is an annual event with an unknown year of origin. It is a one-night celebration to commemorate the academic accomplishments of Westhampton College junior women, for which parents fly across the country to escort their daughters down the stairs at the Jefferson Hotel and to see the white-clad group form the "W" at the bottom.
I am writing this article not only as a leader on this campus, but also as a student of both Westhampton College and the University of Richmond. I am writing this article not only as a student who has heard from both sides of the story, but also as someone who understands the criticisms of the proposed changes to Ring Dance.
During the past six months, there have been some changes at Richmond. Have you been paying attention? I really hope so, because these changes are bound to affect you or someone you know.
To begin I would like to thank The Collegian for the piece it published last week called, "Traditions exist for a reason" by Thomas Neale, because the public voicing of opinions of the many people who comprise the University of Richmond community can only serve to broaden and diversify discussions pertinent to the school.
I am the father of a Class of 2010 alumna. My daughter loved her time at Richmond. She graduated summa cum laude, was a three-year officer on the Honor Council and became editor of The Collegian her senior year. She was a journalism major and women's studies minor.
Many junior Westhampton women, donned in long, white dresses, are escorted down the steep staircase of the Jefferson Hotel each February to receive their class rings.
Like all other Westhampton freshmen, I was informed about the changes to the Ring Dance tradition recently.
The changes to Ring Dance, which were decided on this year, have prompted many reactions from students and alumni including a petition organized by Anna Kuta, a Westhampton College alumna who graduated in 2011.