I don’t imagine this needs to be said, but this June 16th article should be difficult to read for anyone in the Mary Washington College community who knew Ms. Mann personally. It describes witness testimony about the homicide’s discovery, and details of the crime scene:
Tag Archives: Grace Mann
Hearing held for suspect in murder of Mary Washington College student Grace Mann
“Hearing reveals new details in Grace Mann murder case,” Keith Epps, Free Lance Star, 6/16/15.
This article describes the crime scene in detail, as well as allegations about the events leading up to the homicide. Please note that the story is disturbing before reading it.
“Feminists at Mary Washington say they were threatened on Yik Yak,” Justin Jouvenal and T. Rees Shapiro, Washington Post
The Mary Washington College tragedy grows sadder and more troubling …
… with this article from yesterday’s New York Times:
I can’t imagine how campus must have changed since I was a student. I lived on campus for four years, and I swear I never witnessed anything like the things this article describes. I remember “Mother’s Rugby” being an affable group of sports nuts, and nothing more. I knew one member because we were in a class together — he was a very nice guy. During one walk around Fredericksburg, he actually defended a couple of female companions from a few locals who were about to harass them.
I don’t even remember too much controversy on campus connected with any social or political issues. I wasn’t aware of any organized vocal feminist community, or anyone visibly opposing feminists either.
In 1991, I think, there was some controversy connected with a … Multi-cultural Center? I think it was an office dedicated to advocating for students who were members of racial minorities? And when the gay students demonstrated for social acceptance, there were a few psychos wearing homemade anti-gay t-shirts (suggesting, of course, a Freudian defense mechanism for their own unconscious impulses).
But there was nothing like the events we’re currently reading and hearing about.
I might just stop reading the news, so that I can preserve my image of the college that I still love.
Eric Robert Nolan, Author 