Thursday, January 15, 2015

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Vol. 125, Issue 30

Meet the

FOA addendum: reservations linger

Kappa Alpha Order, Alpha Tau Omega, Phi Sigma Kappa will not sign additional agreement Katherine Ballington and Luc Cianfarani News Writers

In an effort to improve current safety procedures, the University is requiring fraternities to sign the new Fraternal Organization Agreement addendum by Jan. 16 as part of an agreement lifting a suspension on Greek social activities first enacted in November. The addendum comes out of intense scrutiny of the University Greek system following a Nov. 19 Rolling Stone article, later retracted, alleging a gang rape at the University’s chapter of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.

Phi Kappa Psi recently chose to sign the FOA addendum, aiming both to improve safety for its individual members and guests at its events. Third-year College student Stephen Scipione, the University chapter’s president, said he believes the new procedures will aid the prevention of future issues.

“Future problems will certainly be mitigated by the new FOA,” Scipione said. “I view it as taking both preventative measures to stop problems from occurring as well as taking reactionary measures designed to have better resources available to deal with any problems if they occur.”

While Scipione acknowledged that adjusting to the changes in the short term may prove difficult, he said he hopes the new procedures will begin to feel normal.

“I believe it will take a social event or two in order to properly phase in the stipulations in the FOA, as is the case with implementing most new procedures,” Scipione said. “It will become a natural process there on after.”

The University’s chapter of St. Anthony Hall also recently accepted and signed the FOA addendum.

A third-year brother in St. Anthony Hall, who wished to remain anonymous, said he believes signing the FOA was necessary to retain a

relationship with University administration. However, he said he does not think the changes will be difficult to execute.

“I think the FOA will be easily implemented,” he said. “All of the changes that were made in the FOA were made to make fraternity functions safer, and I believe they will do that.”

Despite potentially jarring changes in safety protocol, he does not expect the recruitment process to be strongly affected.

“Recruitment will ultimately remain the same, except for the changes we have to make during parties,” he said.

Fourth-year Commerce student Sanjay Palat, the Inter-Fraternity Council public relations chair, said the IFC has yet to discuss what will happen to fraternities that choose not to sign the FOA. “We haven’t discussed what would happen if they choose not to sign the FOA going forward,” Palat said. “That’s something we’ll look at the 16th, if they decide not to sign after that date.”

Though University President Teresa Sullivan approved the new measures, Palat said the IFC was not pressured by the University into making specific changes.

“The new FOA is not something that was imposed on us by any means,” Palat said. “The new FOA is something that the IFC developed in collaboration with a bunch of different student groups. It was something that was entirely student generated.”

One of the changes the agreement requires is for fraternities to have a third-party security agent outside the door at parties where the number of guests in higher than the number of fraternity members present. This agent will need to be provided a printed list of those invited to the party and will be responsible for allowing only those on the list to enter. Palat said while this change will be a financial burden on fraternities, the Council is

looking into ways to offset the cost.

“We’re looking at funding sources to help mitigate the cost of the security agents right now,” Palat said.

“We’re also looking at ways that we can find a market of security agents that are at a lower cost to help reduce the financial burden that this poses to fraternities.”

Despite these challenges, Palat said he believes the measures will help in making fraternity parties safer.

“We made these changes because we honestly think that all of the changes to the FOA make our community safer, and our parties safer, and are good things,” Palat said. “We see these changes as positive changes that are good for fraternities in the long run.”

Not all University fraternities have signed the addendum. Kappa Alpha Order and Alpha Tau Omega have said they will not sign the agreement. At least 14 of the IFC’s 31 fraternities have signed the agreement as of Wednesday night, and at least 10 others said they had not but planned to before the deadline.

But not all signatories are entirely satisfied with the new agreement. A member of a fraternity which signed the addendum said it fails to address the concerns which brought about Sullivan’s suspension of fraternity social activities.

“I think that the biggest issue I find with [the FOAs] is that they were created in reaction to sexual assaults and many of these restrictions go after what isn’t related to sexual assault and mainly go after creating restrictions of parties,” said the brother, who asked to remain anonymous.

Fourth-year College student Jakob Scheidt, former University Phi Sigma Kappa president, said that though the chapter has yet to sign the FOA, he thought the group likely would. He said without support from a fraternity’s national branch it would be difficult for a chapter to reject the agreement.

However, despite Phi Sigma Kappa’s probable acceptance of the FOA, Scheidt said he sees problems in the agreement’s language. Additionally, he said the requirement of a third-party security official at parties is worrisome.

“The most contentious thing, I think, is the security agent that they’re requiring to be at parties which we have to pay for,” Scheidt said. “It’s going to be a bigger [issue] at smaller fraternities with less resources.”

Scheidt also said Rolling Stone’s recent article enabled the University to quickly implement unnecessary changes, even though the story had numerous factual inaccuracies.

“It’s an issue of due process,” Scheidt said. “I think if most fraternities had the choice, they would dispute [the FOA]. There is already a lot of policy in place that, for the large part, keeps fraternities pretty safe.”

Furthermore, Scheidt said missing from the agreement is a way for the University to determine if the changes are effective.

“The University doesn’t seem to have anything in place to measure how effective any of these measures are going to be,” Scheidt said.

“We’re just enacting things, and we don’t actually know if we’re making things better.”

With the University’s fraternities facing significant modifications of their procedures, the final FOA addendum will move to improve safety throughout the University community by encouraging the cooperation of all the fraternities which signed the agreement this week.

“Creating such a document using input from dozens of fraternities inevitably led to much debate,” Scipione said. “But we are all satisfied with the final outcome and are ready to fully cooperate with the new guidelines laid out in the FOA.” Henry Pflager contributed reporting to this article.

EXECUTIVE BOARD President Ben Gorman Vice President of Judiciary/IFC-JC Chairman Evan Vranian Vice President of Administration Jason Will Vice President of Membership Peter Schnuck Vice President of Risk Management Anderson Granger Member at Large Owen Sperling

COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN Community Service Chair Drew Souders Public Relations Chair Cameron Thum Membership Education & Scholarship Chair Andrew Sheppard Diversity & Outreach Chair Alexis Soued Faculty & Alumni Relations Chair Will Crimmins Sustainability Chair Keating Walsh

N news

The Cavalier Daily

ATO, KA decline to sign FOA addendum National organizations cite due process violations during Rolling Stone article fallout

Matthew Comey News Editor

Two University fraternity chapters — Alpha Tau Omega and Kappa Alpha Order— announced they will not be signing a new Fraternal Organization Agreement addendum required of fraternities by the University.

The addendum was drafted by a variety of stakeholders, including fraternity alumni, current members and the Inter-Fraternity Council, during Winter Break, and fraternities will be required to sign it by Jan. 16 or face suspension by the University.

The addendum, coming on the heels of a six-week suspension of organized Greek social activities, would require all IFC chapters to have at least three sober brothers at fraternity functions. The agreement also imposes limits on the types of alcohol which can be served and requires guest lists at parties — and in some cases third-party security personnel, as well.

At least half of the 31 IFC fraternities have either signed or plan to sign the addendum in the near future, including Phi Kappa Psi, the fraternity at the center of a story in Rolling Stone article published in November which detailed an alleged assault at the fraternity in Sept. 2012. The fraternity signed the new agreement Jan. 8, and Charlottesville Police said Monday their investigation found no “substantive basis” for the claim that the chapter was involved in the

incident — though they added the investigation into the alleged attack is still ongoing.

The Cavalier Daily is still waiting to hear from several chapters about whether they have yet signed the addendum, but as of Tuesday night no other chapter said they are not planning to sign the agreement.

University spokesperson Anthony de Bruyn said the University will not comment on the matter until after the Jan. 16 deadline passes.

“We remain hopeful that all groups will commit to these reasonable protocols designed to improve student safety,” he said.

The national organizations of Alpha Tau Omega and Kappa Alpha released nearly identical statements Tuesday, citing a violation of student and organizational rights as reason for not signing the addendum.

“The University violated the previous FOA as well as student individual and organizational rights,” the statements read. “The system-wide suspension, which was initiated for reasons that were found to be untrue, unfairly punished all members of fraternities and sororities. It was maintained and used as leverage to require the changes to the FOA. Because we do not accept the validity of a suspension imposed in contravention of the existing FOA, university policy, Virginia law and the constitutional rights of our members, we are not compelled to sign a revised FOA to continue operations on campus.”

The chapters also said the addendum could unfairly increase liability faced by the chapters’ members.

“Second, [Alpha Tau Omega’s/ Kappa Alpha Order’s] own risk management policies, much like the policies of all national fraternities and sororities, are as strict or more strict than this new FOA,” the statements read. “Our chapter will comply with the more restrictive of the policies in its activities.”

Alpha Tau Omega CEO Wynn Smiley said the fraternity has traditionally had a good relationship with the University.

“This doesn’t reflect our longterm relationship with U.Va. and its administration,” he said. “Just this particular issue is one we take issue with.”

Smiley said he is unsure how the disagreement will play out in the coming weeks.

Alpha Tau Omega, above left, and Kappa Alpha Order, below, announced their opposition to the addendum to the FOA proposed by the University.

Kelsey Grant | The Cavalier Daily

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NEWS

Thursday, January 15, 2015

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Students, faculty receive Green Dot training Program emphasizes active bystander intervention, will launch across University late March Katie Grimesey Senior Writer

During Winter Break, 150 University students and faculty participated in a four-day Green Dot program which aims to decrease violence on school campuses and within communities. The program’s University incarnation placed particular emphasis on sexual assault, stalking and intimate partner violence.

The initial stage of the Green Dot program focuses on improving bystander intervention.

Nicole Thomas, prevention coordinator for the Office of the Dean of Students, said those trained during the break will help further expand the program at the University.

“All of those people [trained in the program] are serving on a subcommittee for [Green Dot] implementation,” Thomas said. “Everyone who went through the four days is either helping with event planning, bystander intervention training or research and assess-

ment.”

Thomas said trainees will serve on seven different committees to expand the scope of Green Dot beyond bystander intervention. “[Green Dot] has other components like community mobilization, relationship building, social marketing and events,” Thomas said. “The goal is that a student is touched by the message of being an active bystander multiple times during their college career. The message of [the Green Dot program] is that you can choose to do a proactive or a reactive behavior that stops violence if you see something happening.”

Third-year College student Alex Pinkleton said the program uses red dots and green dots to symbolize where on Grounds community members are most at risk of sexual assault. Red dots represent harmful or dangerous situations, while green dots represent locations where Green Dot has taken took place.

“Sexual assault isn’t a tumor, but rather a bunch of red dots on a map

of the campus,” Pinkleton said.

“And then, there are a lot of green dots that counteract these red dots, and they’ll prevent [red dots] from occurring in the future.”

Third-year College student Grace Finley said students who went through the Green Dot training are planning to launch of the Green Dot program at the University alongside a number of faculty members.

“We have officially not only received the bystander training, but also received certification to give bystander training,” Finley said.

“The students are now all involved in committees with the faculty.

Once the Green Dot program is launched, [other] students will be able to actually be trained in how to be an active bystander.”

Thomas said the program’s launch is planned for late March.

Each training session will have a capacity of around 35 people, she said. “[The training is] six hours long and really interactive,” Thomas said. “[Any] more people than that

Applications see slight decline University drop follows national trends, first-generation applicants increase William Marshall Senior Writer

The University saw a decrease in total applicants for the undergraduate Class of 2019 compared to last year, with the number of applications shrinking from 31,336 to 31,107.

The marginal drop did not come as a surprise to the admissions office, Dean of Admission Gregory Roberts said. Roberts said he anticipated a drop-off following significant growth in total applicants in recent years.

“I’ve spoken to four other admissions deans from top 25 institutions, and they’ve experienced declines more significant than what we’ve experienced,” Roberts said. “It is something that we almost expected nationally.”

Roberts said that with more than 31,000 applicants, the pool is just as robust as it has been in the past.

“It’s still a deep and strong application pool,” Roberts said.

Alumni and faculty have expressed concern about this year’s application pool following a Nov. 19 Rolling Stone article detailing an alleged gang rape at a Univer-

sity fraternity. Roberts said it is too early to tell if the article will have had a significant impact.

“It’s impossible to determine at this point whether [the Rolling Stone article] did or did not affect [application volume],” Roberts said. “What I haven’t looked at yet is the submission by gender, for example. That may or may not tell us anything, but its something to look at.”

Though it is unclear whether the article will lead to a lower acceptance rate in the future, Roberts said three prospective students asked to have their applications withdrawn in protest of the allegations made in the article.

The University also saw a spike in the number of first-generation applicants, which the Office of Undergraduate Admission credits to revamped recruiting efforts aimed at reaching underrepresented student populations. According to preliminary data, there were 370 more first-generation applicants than last year — a 12 percent increase.

Roberts said this increase is precisely what the Office of Undergraduate Admission was aiming for in its outreach ef-

forts.

“We spent considerable effort recruiting first-generation students because we want the best and most interesting students at U.Va., regardless of their background,” Roberts said.

Admission recruiters reached out to students who do not typically consider applying to the University for financial reasons, advertising University scholarships such as Blue Ridge Scholarships and financial aid options such as AccessUVa. “We don’t want any student to be discouraged from applying for fear of cost of attendance,” Roberts said. “We have a robust financial aid program which should be an attraction.”

Recruiters traveled most extensively in Virginia, reaching out to more rural populations.

School districts in central Virginia — where the number of students receiving free or reduced lunches is higher than in other districts — were given greater attention than in past years.

The admission staff also toured outside of the state, partnering with recruiters from Yale, Harvard and Princeton in search of applicants from both urban and rural areas, Roberts said.

would make it really chaotic, so before the launch we’re going to make sure we’re practicing our content and training specific groups of students.”

Thomas said the newly trained group will train students from many different organizations across Grounds with the ultimate aim of reaching a diverse cross-section of the community.

“If before the launch we only train one or two groups, then people across Grounds aren’t going to know what we’re talking about,” Thomas said. “But if we’re able to train student leaders and students across Grounds, then the word will get out a little quicker.”

Dillon Kuhn, assistant director for employer relations in the Office of University Career Services, was trained through Green Dot and will serve on the program’s relationship building team.

“The idea is to really look at the University as a whole,” Kuhn said. “[We aim to] figure out how to best seek out support across the University and figure out what students,

Admissions applications

what staff and what faculty we need to have conversations with.”

Kuhn said Green Dot’s larger goal is engage the entire community in the fight against sexual assault.

“The idea is that [advocating against sexual assault] doesn’t take a lot,” Kuhn said. “There’s not necessarily large growth required. Really, it’s just about educating everyone here that we can all be a part of the solution, and restoring the idea of looking out for each other.”

Pinkleton said the Green Dot program trains bystanders not only to understand what to do in a potentially dangerous situation, but also on how to personally determine how comfortable one is with taking action in such as situation.

“It’s really important for everyone to think for, of themselves, ‘What would you actually do?’

Pinkleton said. “A lot of times people will nod their heads, and say, ‘Yeah, I should stop that scenario,’ but then they haven’t thought it through completely to know exactly what to do.”

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NEWS

The Cavalier Daily

McDonnell appeals conviction Lakshmi Kopparam Senior Writer

Former Gov. Bob McDonnell was denied his request to remain free while his corruption case is in appeal, according to the Associated Press.

The request was denied Tuesday

by U.S. District Court Judge James Spencer, prompting McDonnell’s two year prison sentence to begin Feb. 9.

McDonnell filed his notice of appeal Tuesday, a step which moves his case of public corruption to a higher federal court. The appeal does not contain details of McDonnell’s argument and simply notifies the U.S. District Court that he wants his case reviewed by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

“Not having taken the plea deal, McDonnell gambled and lost

A judge denied former Gov. Bob McDonnell’s request to remain free during his appeal.

— maybe he will have better luck with his appeal,” Center for Politics spokesperson Kyle Kondik said.

McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, were found guilty of several corruption charges by a jury last year.

The charges were in relation to the couple taking gifts and loans from a former vitamin executive, Jonnie Williams, in return for promoting his products.

Marshall Bronfin| The Cavalier Daily

Pakistan, Paris draw student mourners to vigil ‘Every act of terrorism or mass murder should be commemorate,d’ Abdous says

Tiffany Truong Senior Writer

Members of the University community gathered in the Amphitheatre Tuesday night for a candlelight vigil to remember the more than 130 victims of a December school shooting in Peshawar, Pakistan — most of whom were children.

The event, organized by thirdyear College student Khadija Razzaq, sought to recognize not just the victims in Peshawar, but also the terrorists attack that have occurred across the globe in recent months.

“There are so many [terrorist attacks] that happen, and it’s sad that we’re not able to cover each attack that happens, even though I would love to,” Razzaq said. “Doing one will bring awareness for others to know it’s happening and keep it in your mind.”

Second-year College student Sundus Razzaq began the vigil and spoke of her family members who live near the school in Peshawar and of the unifying thread which connects perpetrators of violence.

“Here at U.Va. we’re educated and informed, and that’s how it

should be,” she said. “We’re expected to be able to distinguish between who is the enemy. We should know these perpetrators all belong in one category. They all share the same trait bred by ignorance.”

English Prof. Lisa Goff addressed Pakistani students, quoting “This Little Light of Mine.”

“The song celebrates the individual light, the single light glowing in the darkness,” Goff said. “It’s charming but it’s not sufficient. This [vigil] is much closer to a solution in a lot of ways — a collective light. … Let that shine.”

Many of the school children who died in the attack were children of soldiers in the army. Dean of Students Allen Groves spoke of the pain individuals feel following the death of children.

“If at any time a light is lost to violence, we tend to react with anger and grief,” Groves said. “One of the most unnatural things to happen is for a child to predecease their parents. Those parents will never fill that hole in their hearts. While every life is important, the life of a child being cut short is particularly egregious and that causes particular pain.”

The school reopened three weeks after the attack, representative of the feeling of hope among the students and the local community, said thirdyear Engineering student Haider Inam, who visited the school roughly two weeks after the incident.

“I met the survivors,” he said.

“There was a unity, a frame of thought they were united upon, hoping for a better Pakistan and a Pakistan with a brighter future. All of the terrorist activities aren’t just a threat to the education in Pakistan.

It’s a threat to the lives of students and their mentality all over the world.”

Second-year College student Yasmina Abdous said it is important to recognize acts of terror that occur across the globe.

“I think it’s important for [the attack] be recognized in the community just because all lives matter, and today it seems that some are shown to be more important than others,” she said. “But everyone is the same.

So every act of terrorism or mass murder should be commemorated.”

All citizens, first-year Engineering student Taji Harris said, should show support in the face of hardship and crisis.

“Beyond the student body, I think it’s good for every person that’s aware to express some type of support,” Harris said. “This is just a good act of humanity, and I believe it extends upon any type of responsibility. It’s a civil duty to show support for other humans when a tragedy like this happens.”

Khadija Razzaq said she believes

vigils will help raise awareness for these issues across the globe — beyond what is focused on in particular news outlets.

“It’s not like we can actually do anything about it in this stage in our lives, but keep it in your brain and do something about it in the future so humanity can be sane again,” Razzaq said.

Lauren Hornsby | The Cavalier Daily

Students, faculty and staff gathered Tuesday for a candlelight vigil to honor the victims of recent tragedies in Paris and Pakistan.

Gorman elected IFC president, commits to address culture Caelainn Carney Senior Writer

The Inter-Fraternity Council elected its new executive board and committee chairs Tuesday night. The new leadership will face heightened scrutiny following the implementation of revised Fraternal Organization Agreements with the University Jan. 16. Transitions will take place in February.

Newly elected IFC President Ben Gorman, a third-year College student and member of Phi Kappa Psi, said he would like to continue to promote change

within the IFC while preserving the rich history and traditions of fraternity life at the University.

“I think the primary thing that I hope to accomplish is, first and foremost, a continuation of the trajectory that we are currently on,” Gorman said.

Gorman said he will also prioritize returning focus to the IFC’s individual chapters, working together to implement the recent FOA addenda.

“I think what we have been doing — and we’ve done an incredible job — is reacting to jobs as they have come forth recently,” Gorman said. “What I want to do going forward is go into

a proactive mode versus reactive. Whether that means helping [fraternities] implement the new FOA addendum — though funding initiatives, through planning risk assessments.”

Gorman also said many internal initiatives will serve to make fraternity brothers better members of the University community as a whole. Gorman said that to this end, he would like to further develop the IFC’s relationship with other University organizations.

“I want to promote scholarship and leadership within the IFC,” Gorman said. “I don’t mean just pouring money into

the system. I want to make them better members of the community. Externally, I want to continue to develop relationships that we’ve cultivated with other organizations around school.”

Additionally, Gorman said the new leadership will focus on addressing larger questions of fraternity culture.

“The other thing I see as a challenge is larger cultural change across the Greek system — in terms of educational programs regarding high risk drinking, bystander intervention and promoting the cultural change to go along with the institutional change,” he said.

Gorman said he felt he had a lot of institutional knowledge of the IFC, which would serve the position well. Gorman also said he was motivated to help carry the University Greek system through a particularly difficult period.

“It is not necessarily that I love the Greek system like crazy and want to defend every last bench and foundation it stands on,” Gorman said. “Rather, I want to see the longevity of [the system] and the sustainability of it through some of the toughest times that we are facing.”

See page 1 for new IFC positions.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

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FRATERNITY NAVIGATING

focus

RUSH

Rushing process continues following recent lifting of temporary suspension, new stricter FOA requirements OPEN HOUSE 7-10 PM TH Jan. 15

FRI Jan. 16

Houses North of Beta Bridge

Houses South of Beta Bridge

SAT Jan. 17

All Fraternities

SUN Jan. 18

NO CONTACT

ROUND 1

INVITE ONLY

MON Jan. 19 TUES Jan. 20 WED Jan. 21 TH Jan. 22

NO CONTACT

ROUND 2

INVITE ONLY

FRI Jan. 23 SAT Jan. 24 SUN Jan. 25 MON Jan. 26

NO CONTACT

ROUND 3

INVITE ONLY

Yash Shevde Senior Writer

This year’s fraternity rush is expected, by some, to be the safest and most supervised recruitment in recent years.

Inter-Fraternity Council President-elect Ben Gorman, a third-year College student, said the negative coverage of Greek life by Rolling Stone and other media outlets has, in fact, led to a slight decrease in rush signups.

This decrease may be attributed to the implementation of a late registration period, however, which allows students to sign up the day rush starts.

“Also, parents may be concerned about their children rushing fraternities,” Gorman said.

Fraternity rush is the series of social events hosted by the IFC and individual fraternity chapters where prospective Greek members interact with current members of fraternities.

This year’s fraternity rush follows not only a Nov. 19 Rolling Stone article implicating Greek life at the University as a dangerous milieu, but also the lifting of temporary suspensions on Greek life and addenda to their Fraternal Organization Agreements with the University.

The FOA already required dry rush events, but the new addenda increase requirements of fraternity events in the hope increasing student safety, Gorman said.

“Fraternities are going to be even safer than they may have been before,” Gorman said.

Fourth-year Engineering student Paul Van Pernis, current IFC vice president of membership, said fraternities will now take it upon themselves to ensure they only operate within the law and FOA guidelines this year.

“Everybody knows that we

are being watched, and I think now more than ever it is imperative that everyone follows the FOA agreements,” Van Pernis said.

Why rush?

Reasons for participating in rush vary, Gorman said. Fraternities offer members various benefits, such as life-long friendships, alumni connections, leadership positions, brotherhood, community service and social activity.

“The purpose of rushing falls on individuals themselves,” Gorman said. “Everyone has a different intent for rushing. …

Social activities being the least of them.”

Students interested in joining a fraternity are often interested in the close-knit bonds formed between members.

Van Pernis described his rush experience as “a great way to connect and get closer, and interact with other guys.”

Van Pernis also said when his mother passed away, his fraternity brothers traveled with him to Nashville and provided him emotional support.

“The first people I had told were my fraternity brothers,” Van Pernis said.

Even after college, members often reflect on their fraternity experience as a defining factor in their life.

Dean of Students Allen Groves, for example, said in a speech at the Pre-Recruitment Information Meeting that he still identifies as a fraternity man, many years after his own time in college.

Rushing by the numbers “[Rush] is a process of narrowing down where [the rushees] fit in best,” Gorman says.

The IFC maintains records of rush participants, 60 to 70 percent of whom will end up

receiving a fraternity bid — an offer of acceptance — by the end of the process, current fraternity brothers said.

Delta Sigma Phi President Peter Trombly, a third-year College student, said roughly 400 rushees attended their open house last year. Two hundred were invited back to the first round, 100 to the second and 50 for the third round. Twenty-five bids were eventually offered — roughly six percent of the initial attendees. Twenty new members ultimately accepted their bids.

Another fraternity, which wished to remain anonymous, said their open house last year brought 310 rushees —165 of the 230 first-round invitees attended, 88 of the 141 second-round invitees attended and 46 of the 61 invitees in the third round attended. Twenty-two of the 23 bids — 7.4 percent of the original number of rushees — accepted the offer and joined the fraternity.

As a part of the rush process, a rushee first attends open house events. The rushee can then be invited back for subsequent rounds — there are three — with three events held during the first two rounds and two events held during the third round. Finally, at Final Hours, a rushee will visit his third choice chapter first, his second choice chapter next and his first choice at the end.

Paying dues Current and incoming members of fraternities pay financial dues to their fraternity, some reaching almost $1,000 per semester to maintain active membership.

Dues fund both institutional costs and initiation fees, covering everything from food to insurance, Trombly said.

Van Pernis, however, said a rushee should not ask about dues from the outset during the rush process, since prospective

members’ financial situations do not affect bids for membership.

“If you just met a [brother] … it’s kind of weird to ask him how much he pays per semester,” Van Pernis said. “You don’t want to shell-shock someone.

No [fraternity] will think less of a kid because of his financial means.”

Van Pernis said many fraternities also offer scholarships for members.

Having a fulfilling rush experience To share opinions on and suggestions for rush, the IFC hosts mandatory annual pre-recruitment information sessions.

This year, however, fraternities will allow rushees to register at the door, Gorman said. As a result, rushees may miss this pre-rush information session entirely — therefore missing the presentation on how to safely navigate the rush process.

Third-year Commerce student Chase Pion, the IFC vice president of the judiciary committee, said though the rush process will be dry, Boys’ Bid Night may not be. However, the measures outlined in the FOA addenda, including those requiring bouncers and sober brothers, are to be implemented by fraternities, which agreed to these new terms during these processes.

“As far as fraternity infractions during rush go, there are more complaints filed during rush than for the rest of the year,” Pion said. “However, that is not due to rush causing an increase in bad behavior, but because the number of fraternity sponsored events during rush skyrocket when compared to the number of fraternity events during a typical two week period.”

TUES Jan. 27 WED Jan. 28

NO CONTACT

TH Jan. 29

FINAL HOURS

FRI Jan. 30 Invitations for final hours, in ascending order, 1, 2, 3rd choice

BID DAY

SAT Jan. 31 Bid extended, rushee makes decision Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

S

sports Chanhong Luu Associate Editor

Coming off a 12-point loss to No. 25 Syracuse, the Virginia women’s basketball team will face visiting Boston College Thursday evening, looking to regroup at home, where it is 9-1 this season.

The Orange got out to an early lead Sunday, entering halftime up 41-23 as Virginia (12-4, 2-1 ACC) shot a dismal 25.6 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Syracuse made eight of 18 from beyond the arc in the first half and 12 in total. The Cavaliers eventually recovered from early shooting woes, coming within nine in the second half — but the Orange offense could not be contained. Syracuse ultimately came away with a 70-58 victory.

"Syracuse ran a four-guard lineup, and we struggled with our posts," Virginia coach Joanne Boyle said. "We didn't hit shots early. They got transition going on us. We were never really settled. We made a couple of runs in the second half, but we had some defensive breakdowns and they pushed the lead back up."

Boston College (8-8, 0-3 ACC) heads to Charlottesville after also

The Cavalier Daily

6

Women’s hoops hosts Boston College Team eyes rebound after defeat against Orange, must contain Eagles’ three-point shooters in conference contest suffering a conference loss — 10458 to Notre Dame — the second time this season the Eagles have allowed a team to score at least 90 points. The BC defense has given up an average of 72.9 points per game, last in the ACC, but the team has also hit the 90-point mark twice itself. A large portion of the Eagles’ scoring has come from the three-point line, where they make 8.5 shots a game — the best in the conference. “[Boston is] very much a system team,” Boyle said. “They play four guards and a post player. They really spread the floor on you. We’re going to have our posts be able to guard the three-point line. We’ve got to able to take their three-point shooting away and to just sit down and guard, move our feet and execute against their zone because they will play a 2-3 zone most of the game.”

Sophomore guard Kelly Hughes has the most three-pointers for BC and also leads her team in almost every other statistical category — including rebounds, minutes played and points. Hughes may be able to lead the Eagles to their first winning season since the 2010-11 campaign, a year that ended with a WNIT loss to the Cavaliers.

The series between Boston College and Virginia has remained

competitive, with the two teams trading wins in the past three seasons in both the regular and postseason.

“It kind of turned into a rivalry between BC and Virginia, so we know they’re going to come out and play,” junior guard Faith Randolph said. “We really want to do what we’ve been doing in practice and just really take things away from them because when they get really comfortable on offense, they start hitting.”

In three conference games, three different players have led the Cavaliers in scoring. Randolph averages 17.4 points a game but failed to reach that average in the first two games of conference play — though the team did light it up for 24 points against Syracuse.

“I felt we weren’t being aggressive,” Randolph said. “So, I really felt that I needed to be effective on offense and just believe in what I’ve been working on in the summertime, my preparation. I feel like I got back to that a little bit, finding my shot, and being confident in my shot.”

Sophomore guard Breyana Mason — who had 16 points in a 15-point win against Virginia Tech — and freshman guard Mikayla Venson, who scored the team’s last

10 points in a comeback win against Wake Forest, took Randolph’s place for the first two conference games.

However, the two were not the only young players to step up when veterans were not playing at the top of their game. In the loss against Syracuse, freshman forward Lauren Moses posted 11 rebounds in the first half and 13 on the day, while the team’s leading rebounder, senior center Sarah Imovbioh, only had

nine total.

“Lauren was inconsistent — she got into a lot of foul trouble,” Boyle said. “But I feel like she’s not fouling as much, so we’re able to keep her in a rhythm a little bit more in the game, and that’s important because she really needs to get a chemistry with Sarah.”

Tip-off Thursday is set for 7 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.

Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

Junior guard Faith Randolph exploded for 24 points in the team’s loss against Syracuse Sunday.

Randolph is one of a trio of players averaging double digit points per game.

Cavs prepare for weekend meet with rival Hokies Men’s squad exceeds expectations with strong performance from underclassmen, women seek to maintain ACC dominance against Virginia Tech Robert Elder Associate Editor

Despite failing to capture the ACC championship for the first time since 2007, the Virginia men’s swimming and diving team

felt confident heading into year two under coach Augie Busch.

After performing well against improved conference competition throughout the regular season, the Cavaliers rose to the occasion when competing on the national stage, with the men placing 26th

Courtesy Virginia Athletics

With eight top-three finishes already in the 2014-15 season, sophomore Austin Quinn has burst onto the scene for the men’s swim team.

at the NCAA championships — one spot higher than last year.

But such preseason optimism took a major hit on Oct. 22, when the team announced that five major contributors — junior Luke Papendick and seniors Kyle Dudzinski, David Ingraham, Jake Pearce and Charlie Rommel — were suspended for the remainder of 2014. The quintuplet accounted for two broken school records, in addition to two ACC championships last season.

On an already-young team, most of the star power was gone.

The Cavaliers could no longer rely on the few upperclassmen to carry the team, instead looking to new faces to carry the team. But to Busch’s delight, the controversy seemed to have uncovered the next Virginia great: sophomore Austin Quinn.

“Sometimes adversity is a great teacher,” Busch said. “It usually brings out good things in coaches and in athletes. Austin [Quinn] is just an example of that.”

The Chagrin Falls, Ohio native

was a decorated high school athlete, racking up numerous state and national honors while also winning the state championship in the 200-yard individual medley.

But the 2013-14 season presented the usual growing pains for a freshman athlete. Overshadowed by proven veterans, Quinn quietly worked on his craft, improving as the season progressed.

Quinn earned event wins in the 500-yard freestyle against Duke in January and Pittsburgh in February before setting season-best marks at the ACC championship meet in the 100 and 200yard backstroke and 200-yard IM. Still, few could have predicted his success through the first three months of the 2014-15 season. Though he has yet to capture an event win, Quinn has secured three third-place finishes and five second place finishes, including three against NC State in the 200-yard freestyle, 200-yard backstroke and 400-yard IM. “I’ve always been one who’s been great in the training pool

and not so great when it comes to competing,” Quinn said. “This year has been a huge step for my level of competition and being able to suit up for big races. I credit a lot of that to having to step up for the team.”

This weekend, Quinn will lead his comrades into battle as the No. 21 Virginia men (1-3, 0-0 ACC) square off against instate rival No. 12 Virginia Tech (6-1, 3-1 ACC).

The No. 5 women’s team (2-1, 0-0 ACC) will also face their Hokie counterparts in the Virginia Tech women’s team (7-2, 3-1 ACC).

Both Virginia teams are oozing with confidence after a very successful outing in December at the Georgia Fall Invitational. Unlike a year ago, Busch was able to use this fall meet as a measuring stick for his athletes. His swimmers rested before the meet, producing season-best times that will be indicative of future performances in postseason championship meets.

see SWIM, page 8

SPORTS

Thursday, January 15, 2014

7

Wrestling faces off against Duke

No. 14 Virginia wrestling will begin conference action against Duke in Charlottesville this Friday.

The Cavaliers put their 30-match win streak inside Memorial Gymnasium up against a Blue Devil squad that is considerably better than some of its previous iterations.

Virginia (8-3) is coming off a dramatic two days at the Virginia Duals which included two come-from-behind victories and a heart-wrenching loss to No. 6 Virginia Tech in the finals, with two

of those matches being decided by the last bout.

Duke (5-3, 1-1 ACC) continues its journey from the basement of the ACC. The Blue Devils placed dead last in the previous four conference championships, and the Cavaliers shut them out 38-0 as recently as two years ago.

Duke has already defeated Northern Iowa and No. 22 NC State this season, but lost a tight match to No. 9 Pittsburgh, which required overtime in the heavyweight bout.

—compiled by Matthew Wurzburger

Lauren Hornsby | The Cavalier Daily

Senior Nick Sulzer, ranked No. 2 in the nation at 165, was one of four Cavaliers to win all four of his matches last weekend at the Virginia Duals.

Getting a leg up

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n Saturday, millions the best way to make Brady falter watched as Tom Brady is to throw four guys at him — and threw his 46th playoff touchdown that’s exactly what the Ravens did and bypassed Joe Montana for the in the game and have been doing most touchdowns in NFL post- all along — but during the second season history. His half of Saturday’s game, three passing touchBrady adjusted.

CHANHONG LUU downs helped lead his According to ESPN, Associate Editor team against the Baltiin his first seven playoff more Ravens in the Dihalves against the Ravisional round of the playoffs, but vens’ four-man rush — which inwhat millions didn’t realize was cludes two losses and one where that Brady’s legs essentially won he would’ve lost if it weren’t for the game for the Patriots. a missed field goal by the Ravens At times during the game, I — Brady only completed 52.1 thought I was watching Ben Ro- percent of his passes. Though not ethlisberger play. When the Ra- counted in completion percentagvens rushed, Brady stepped up es, eight of his passes were thrown in the pocket and delivered pass to the Baltimore Ravens, includafter pass. He scrambled. He ran. ing one in the first half of SaturHe avoided sacks. But given the day’s game. The number of touchstatistics, it wasn’t just my person- downs he threw in that period: al bias in the Patriots’ favor which two. He was also sacked twice in led me to see a different quarter- the first half and after some exterback. nal motivation which apparently From my very official (unof- fired him up, he wasn’t sacked at ficial) research, I’ve learned that all in the second. After the break,

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Friday’s contest will be the first of five ACC matches for Virginia, three of which are at home. The Memorial Gymnasium advantage will provide a boost for a team currently dealing with injuries as wrestlers like No. 15 senior Joe Spisak fight to return to the lineup and No. 19 senior Gus Sako struggles to return to his 2013-14 form.

The match begins at 7 p.m.

Brady completed 72.7 percent of his passes for an average of 6.9 yards a chuck, including the goahead and record-breaking 23yard touchdown toss to Brandon LaFell.

In a game where his running backs only rushed for 14 yards and didn’t even receive the ball in the second half, Brady also provided the crucial runs needed when a receiver wasn’t open in the red zone. He’d complete the runs himself — running from the four-yard line into the end zone to start the Patriots’ first 14-point comeback. With the rushing touchdown, Brady also reached the top of another record: he now has the most rushing touchdowns in the playoffs among active quarterbacks. And on the same drive that led to his record-breaking pass touchdown and the go-ahead score, Brady snuck up the middle for two yards to convert a second down and one that allowed that

drive to continue.

Next weekend, Brady and the Patriots will face one of the best in the league in avoiding the rush and making big plays with his feet: the Colts’ Andrew Luck.

Against the Broncos, Luck also stepped up in the pocket and extended plays time after time. He even had a long 20-yard scramble Sunday, and according to ESPN, was never sacked despite being under pressure on 15 of his 45 dropbacks — the most pressure he has had to face all year. Not only was he not sacked, but he also completed all but five passes for almost 100 yards and a touchdown under duress. In 2012, I’d say Luck was best in the league under pressure — and he did it again this year, throwing for seven touchdowns with guys surrounding him and clouding his vision.

And if the Patriots get to the Super Bowl, they could face either

the Seahawks or the Packers, both of whom also have quarterbacks known for extending plays with their speed. Also, the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers’ injured calf was the talk of the town leading up to his divisional matchup with the Cowboys. Even with the injured calf, Rodgers was able complete two of four passes from outside the pocket — both for touchdowns.

The news that Brady’s counterpart on the Broncos, Peyton Manning, played against Indianapolis with a torn right quadricep and only completed six of 21 attempts that went past five yards — overthrowing eight of those attempts — showed that legs are a crucial body part even for quarterbacks who tend to make money with their arms. Thus, come Saturday and Sunday, I won’t be saying, “may the best man win,” but, “may the man with the best legs win.”

Scientifically ranking Virginia’s top men’s basketball players

ith the Virginia men’s uate. basketball team halfway Yes, this will be a list — and through its regular season, it’s I get that lists are the easiest coltime for a definitive ranking of umns to pull off. But it’s my first the team’s MVP up to column in more than this point. I asked a two years, so cut me a MATT COMEY few of my friends, and little slack. Plus, this Sports Columnist I got several answers. list will leave you satThat’s understandable. isfied, and won’t sting With a team this deep, the ques- like when your favorite music tion becomes somewhat difficult. review website doesn’t even put Sure, without Anthony Gill’s T-Swift’s “1989” in the top 30. dominating presence down low Why won’t this list disappoint? late in games, the Cavaliers Because it’s purely scientific. If would have at least two losses — you don’t agree with the rankings, but what about consistency? Mal- you don’t agree with science. And colm Brogdon has been a pretty if you don’t agree with science, reliable force on both sides of the you don’t deserve to be on your ball, but he’s rarely taken control computer right now reading this of a game like we saw him do article. last year. And Justin Anderson, The rankings will be deterwhom I would call the favorite mined by a point system estabin this race, doesn’t even rank in lished before I calculate the rethe team’s top three in rebounds, sults. As I write this introduction, blocks or steals — though he is I still don’t know who is going to top three in turnovers commit- come out on top. And just to give ted. credit where credit is due, you So, let us systematically eval- should know I got this idea from

a Jalen and Jacoby podcast that came up with the best backcourts in the NBA. While I’m switching up the scoring categories, I’m staying true to its core. (If you’re curious, they picked Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker from San Antonio, and while they aren’t in top form right now, you can’t argue with their resume.)

On to the scoring system!

Major categories (1st place = 3 points, 2nd = 2 points, 3rd = 1 point): - Points - Field goal percentage (min.

60 shots) - Rebounds - Assists - Minutes played - Intangibles Minor categories (1st = 1.5 points, 2nd = 1 point, 3rd = .5 points): - Blocks - Steals - 3-pt. percentage (min. 10 attempts)

- Free throw percentage (min.

30 attempts) - Turnovers (fewest, min. 200 minutes) - Personal fouls (fewest, min.

200 minutes) - Bonuses (each can only be claimed once per player): - SportsCenter Top 10 spot (3 points) - ACC Player of the Week (3 points) - Top five in the ACC in one of the above categories (3 points) OK, this scoring system might throw a monkey wrench into the whole unbiased and scientific shtick I was going for previously.

I wish I had the numbers for plus/ minus in team scoring when each player is on the floor, or offensive and defensive efficiency ratings, but I couldn’t find any sources that were a) reputable and b) affordable (looking at you, Ken Pomeroy).

The players are ranked below,

with their respective scores in parentheses. A full scoring breakdown can be found at the column’s conclusion.

Honorable Mention: Darion Atkins, senior forward (6) and Mike Tobey, junior center (7) I have to hand it to our two big men for turning things around as of late. When the season started and Tony Bennett went back and forth between which of these two started, it often seemed like a loss-minimizing calculation.

Atkins’ outside shot and Tobey’s play under the rim have certainly qualified as cringe-worthy at times, and the team surely needed to limit that kind of play.

In recent games, however, the two have picked things up dramatically. Tobey recorded his first two career double-doubles this season, and now leads the team in rebounds. In the Harvard

see COMEY, page 8

8

SPORTS

The Cavalier Daily

SWIM Team returns two of five swimmers suspended in 2014 Continued from page 6 The Virginia women placed third, behind only No. 2 Georgia and No. 5 California, while the men placed fourth behind No. 6 California, No. 12 Georgia and No. 19 Auburn.

In total, the women broke 10 school records, including two — junior Courtney Bartholomew in her leadoff 100-yard backstroke in the 400-yard medley relay and

sophomore Leah Smith in the 500-yard freestyle — mere hundredths of a second away from all-time NCAA bests. Meanwhile, the men took down two school records — junior Yannick Kaeser in the 100-yard breaststroke and senior JB Kolod in the platform diving event.

While the Lady Cavaliers stole the show, Busch said the performance from his men, who lack the elite individual performers of the women’s team, was just as worthy of recognition.

“I thought our men were equally good, if not better, than our women,” Busch said. “If you look at our best time percentage, the men blew them out of the water in percentage of personal best time.”

Now, after a week of training in Florida, Busch has his team focused on Virginia Tech. A year ago, the Cavalier women crushed the Hokies in a 245-125 victory.

As usual in ACC competition, few are worried the Saturday’s result will be much different.

“I expect our women to do well,” Busch said.

This does not mean Virginia Tech will not pose a significant challenge. The defending ACC champions have been impressive in dual meets this season, their only loss coming against powerhouse North Carolina in October.

Virginia will return Pearce and Rommel to the lineup — Dudzinski is out for the year due to injury, while Papendick and Ingraham have left the team — which should boost the relay teams.

Though the Cavaliers will still be undermanned this weekend, but as the season has proved, Virginia will make no excuses as a youthful movement hopes to bring the men’s team back to the top of the ACC. “I think we want to come out and show the rest of the country what we can do with what he have,” Quinn said.

Diving action begins Friday at 1:30 p.m., while swimmers will compete Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.

COMEY Justin Anderson grades out as best player by wide margin Continued from page 9 game, he played almost perfectly in the opening minutes, and I’m convinced he single-handedly caused the demoralization leading to the Crimson’s demise.

Atkins, on the other hand, has finally become a viable starter in his senior season, and actually leads all Cavaliers in field goal percentage. And he was a clearcut reason Virginia was able to come away with a victory Saturday against Notre Dame. I have no reason to doubt these players will only improve as the season progresses.

4. London Perrantes, sophomore guard (8) Perrantes has been somewhat of a disappointment to start the season. But then again, that’s largely due to how impressively he played down the stretch last season. Perrantes has been a good distributor and defender so far, but still hasn’t been able to establish himself as a consistent scoring threat. As expected from a point guard, he leads the team in assists by a mile with 62, and his assist-turnover ratio is an admirable 3.1.

The most frustrating thing about Perrantes is that we know what he’s capable of offensively.

We saw it against Miami a week-

and-a-half ago, when he lead the team in scoring with 26 points.

It’s very possible that — just like last season — he’ll heat up for ACC play. Last year, his 3-point shooting cranked up to 51 percent during conference play after he hit just 37 percent in non-conference games. Additionally, his ACC points per game improved by 1.2 over non-conference play.

When London’s shot is respected, the entire offense opens up and becomes one of the scariest guards in the country.

3. Anthony Gill, junior forward (9) One could make an MVP argument for any of the three remaining players. Without Gill, the Cavaliers would not be a top10 team, possibly not even top 20.

He’s third on the team in points, second in rebounds and field goal percentage — not to mention first in being the manliest man out there on a game-to-game basis. And though he has one of the strangest free-throw stances we’ve ever seen, he’s managed to up his percentage by eight points from last season, making him less of a concern when he steps up to the line.

Perhaps Gill’s best skill is turning up the heat when he’s needed — which is why I ranked him second in the “intangibles” category. When the offense is

struggling, passing the ball to Gill and letting him work a defender is rarely a bad strategy (see: Davidson and Miami games). Also, there’s something about the fact that all the players call him the funniest guy on the team. While he didn’t make No. 1 on this list, I can’t think of another guy at this university with whom I’d rather play pickup basketball.

2. Malcolm Brogdon, junior guard (12) Brogdon has quietly been putting together another phenomenal season. He’s second on the team in points, assists and minutes played, and first — fourth in the ACC — in free throw percentage. He’s currently on pace to score more and shoot better than he did last year, and while his assists and rebounds per game have dropped marginally, I have a nagging feeling there’s another level we haven’t seen from Brogdon this year just waiting to come out.

I’m also going to trust Bennett when he talks about Brogdon’s great leadership, which is why he receives intangibles points.

Brogdon is that steady force in the game you can always rely on, even if it goes underappreciated.

He hasn’t had any game-winners this season, and has only made a few plays which have brought the crowd up on its feet, but his calmness in tough situations is

just as important as any Top 10 jam could ever be. Brogdon is the yin to Justin Anderson’s yang.

1. Justin Anderson, junior guard (20.5) All right, maybe this wasn’t that close of a contest after all. If you were thinking that all the bonuses in my scoring scale worked in Anderson’s favor, you were correct. But even if you take out the bonuses, Anderson still comes out on top (though only by 2.5).

And who’s really surprised?

He’s the team’s leading scorer, the entire conference’s leading 3-point shooter, and by far the most fun guy to watch on the floor. His clear passion for the game not only helps his team, but gets all of John Paul Jones Arena pumped up during home games.

When the guys need some help working out of a slump, he’s the one who waves his arms up and down to get the stadium on its feet. Then, he’ll knock down a timely 3-pointer or slam home an electric dunk, and the entire place erupts. There’s already talk about him being a first-round NBA Draft prospect — and while I’m happy for J.A., it will be a sad day when the Cavaliers have to watch him leave.

Results Broken Down: Major categories (1st place = 3 points, 2nd = 2 points, 3rd = 1 point):

TREAT YOURSELF.

Take a walk. Eat a cookie. Watch that show.

Points — Anderson, Brodgon, Gill Field goal percentage (min. 60 shots) — Atkins, Gill, Tobey Rebounds — Tobey, Gill, Atkins Assists — Perrantes, Brogdon, Anderson Minutes played — Perrantes, Brogdon, Anderson Intangibles — Anderson, Gill, Brogdon Minor categories (1st = 1.5 points, 2nd = 1 point, 3rd = .5 points): Blocks — Atkins, Tobey, Gill/ Wilkins Steals — Shayok, Gill, Perrantes/Atkins 3-pt. percentage (min. 10 attempts) — Anderson, Shayok, Brogdon Free throw percentage (min.

30 attempts) — Brogdon, Anderson, Tobey Turnovers (fewest, min 200 minutes) — Tobey, Shayok, Gill Personal fouls (fewest, min 200 minutes) — Perrantes, Anderson, Shayok Bonuses (each can only be claimed once per player): SportsCenter Top 10 spot (3 points) — Anderson ACC Player of the Week (3 points) — Anderson Top five in the ACC in one of the above categories (3 points) — Brogdon, Anderson

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opinion Comment of the day “It’s about time someone took a stand against a runaway process initiated by patently false allegations.

Student and organizational rights were unapologetically trampled on, and those transgressions need to be addressed. I trust that these two fraternity chapters will behave with integrity and give the university community confidence in their abilities to self-govern.”

“William Glasheen, PhD” responding to Matt Comey’s Jan. 14 article, “Two UVA fraternity chapters will not sign FOA addenda.”

Thursday, January 15, 2014

9

LEAD EDITORIAL

Influence and integrity A University of Kansas professor should honor an Open Records Act Request A University of Kansas student group called Students for a Sustainable Future (SSF) issued an Open Records Act request in April 2014, calling for records of all donations and associated restrictions issued by “Koch family foundations,” as well as documents regarding the hiring process for Professor Art Hall and any professional communications between Hall and those who have contributed to funding his work. Hall is the director and sole full-time faculty member of the university’s Center for Applied Economics, which was launched in 2004 using money from the Fred C. and Mary R. Koch Foundation.

The Koch brothers continue to almost single-handedly fund the center, as well as pay Hall’s salary.

Within their request, members of SSF express concern that Hall’s hiring was “orchestrated by Charles and/or David Koch” which would “undermine academic integrity and freedom.”

The concern is not the inherent connection between the center and the source of its funding, but the fact that people aren’t aware of the depth or circumstances surrounding that connection. Further, if Hall has been pursuing research in line with the Koch

brothers’ interests (for a monetary incentive) rather than his own academic passions, his academic integrity is also sacrificed. Hall may genuinely espouse views similar to the Koch brothers, but the public deserves to know the extent of his involvement with them and their foundations.

Transparency is a key component of academic integrity, and it is missing here.

Hall’s counter lawsuit has halted the release of the documents until they can be reviewed by the court.

Hall thinks the law has been abused in this case and sued as a means of raising public awareness of the issue.

Open-access law compels people to share their private information if it involves a public interest. But Hall argues that in his case it does not — technically, his work is funded through private donations. He thinks these types of requests will make professors too fearful of intimidation tactics to adequately do their work or communicate with their peers.

Still, the circumstances surrounding Hall’s employment and the Open Records Request beg two questions: First, how can a professor claim to have academic integrity or a right to academic freedom when their re-

search is likely subject to private influence? And second, can something still be public information if the public isn’t paying for it? The students, at least, should still be privy to the content of the records, since they are paying tuition to the public institution at which Hall works. They are still being taught by him and (potentially) influenced by his (potentially) biased teaching methods.

Evidence suggests the Koch brothers have had a heavy hand in shaping curricula nationwide. A top beneficiary is Virginia’s own George Mason University, which received $8.49 million from Koch foundations in 2012. Incidentally, Charles Koch serves as the chairman of GMU’s Institute for Humane Studies’ board of directors. And when Florida State University accepted $1.5 million in Koch funding in 2011, “a contract between the foundation and university stipulated that a Koch-appointed advisory committee select professors and conduct annual evaluations,” according to the Center for Public Integrity. To belabor the point, the problem is not with conservative influence, but with a partisan influence on academia in general.

Similarly, at our own University,

the class “Philosophical Perspectives on Liberty,” is privately sponsored by Branch Banking and Trust Company.

The company runs a Moral Foundations of Capitalism Program, and as a result of its patronage, requires the professor teach Ayn Rand’s writings.

It seems that in our case, this connection is made known to the students in the course. So, in the case of the University of Kansas, it seems most in-line with the ideal of academic freedom to, in fact, stand with the SSF and ask Hall to release the requested documents.

Clearly, academic freedom and integrity are paramount at any reputable institution of higher learning.

And we certainly can’t allow agenda-driven outside groups to bully faculty into teaching a certain way, as Hall believes is happening. Privately-funded classes, faculty positions and institutes can seem relatively innocuous — even beneficial — and requests to read a professor’s emails may seem unreasonable. But at the University of Kansas as well as our own University, private money does influence the material students are taught, and in order to preserve academic integrity, the impact of this money should be made transparent.

We don’t need no education A longer school year would greatly benefit American students

Opinion Columnist

Lengthening the school year, especially at the grade and high school levels, ought to be an appealing suggestion. Understandably, after a lengthy winter break, most students might be acutely ill-disposed towards such an argument. There is certainly something to be said of the beneficial impact of both winter and summer breaks, especially as they relate to the improvement of family relations and to mental health. It is arguable, nonetheless, that lengthening the school year can lead to tangible academic improvement and a reorientation of how American students assess the importance of education, all while retaining the benefits of breaks that opponents of such a move point to.

Simply put, increasing instructional time will lead to increased learning among students each year; many students are bound to benefit academically from such an arrangement. That being said, improving the quality of instructional time is at least as important as increasing the quantity of time in school, if not more so.

Lengthening the school year will not

lead many students to think of education as something more than a chore if the quality of instruction at several schools remains mediocre at best.

Although the 180-day school year is the norm, by and large, in the U.S., it is much shorter than in most other industrialized countries, where the school year usually lasts for 200 days or more and where students regularly outperform American students in most academic categories.

The lengthy summer break that most American students enjoy invariably results in significant lapses in learning, which often result in a frustrating game of catch-up when students return to school in the fall, where they must relearn material that they forgot over the break. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the country itself is attempting to catch-up with other industrialized nations whose students outperform their American counterparts. For disadvantaged students in particular, whose parents often cannot afford to send them to summer enrichment programs, the cost of the long break is especially high.

On a broader note, expanding the academic calendar would serve as a powerful expression of the pri-

macy of education. By increasing the in a more advantageous position to amount of time that students spend acquire said pay. Though the increase in the classroom, states can help to in work for teachers brought on by a demonstrate a wider commitment to longer school year will inevitably be giving the next generation the men- substantial, is it truly a radical idea to tal faculties to successfully grapple ask the entire education infrastrucwith the challenges of the future. For ture in the various states to work an high school students struggling with their reading assignments and grade school students contending with their times tables, an increased commitment to the importance of education through lengthening the school year would send a message that their academic achievement is Simply put, increasing instructional time will lead to increased learning among significant and that their own community cares enough to students each year. invest in the improvement of their education.

Granted, teachers — many of whom are underpaid and over- extra few weeks of the year? Granted, worked — may strongly resist such the sheer logistics of such a decision an addition to their workload. A will present many challenges and relonger school year, however, may in quire a fair bit of money (20 billion fact be the most practical way to aug- according to a noted 1983 estimate) ment investment in public schools, but can the public at least have the which educators have strongly yet honesty to accept that the nation unsuccessfully advocated for in re- is falling further behind in educatcent years. Teachers undoubtedly ing its citizens and that the defunct, deserve higher pay for the critical old-fashioned academic calendar is work that they do, and instituting a endangering the nation’s future? longer school year may put teachers All that being said, a longer school

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Conor Kelly

year will not serve as a cure-all for the nation’s educational troubles. It will not substitute for good teachers or proper class sizes, nor will it act as a replacement for parental involvement in the education of their children. The potential benefits of such a system, however, make it a necessary and practical path towards broader reform in education. The current preference for the status quo is only justified if there is a serious possibility that the reforms in question will produce negative results; since many noteworthy studies on the topic of lengthening the school year have indicated that such a system would engender positive results for students, the public should view a longer school year as an attractive idea. The underlying issue at question is the value that we place as a society on education; when American students are in school for less than half of the year, what kind of message does that send, both at home and abroad?

Conor’s columns run Tuesdays. He can be reached at c.kelly@cavalierdaily.com.

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OPINION

The Cavalier Daily

The case for Boston We should back Boston’s bid for the 2024 Olympics, as it is about more than just the money Opinion Columnist

Last week Boston was selected to represent the United States in its bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. While protesters claim the event would be an economic catastrophe, citing the high costs in London and Beijing, they disregard the benefits of the opportunity, including a chance for the United States to host for the first time since the boom of social media, modern technology and the Salt Lake City scandal of 2002.

The last time the United States hosted the Summer Olympics or Winter Olympics were in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia and 2002 in Salt Lake City, UT respectively. Thus, the majority of University students were too young to remember either of these occasions. One of the most glaring concerns if Boston were to give up on achieving its bid for the Olympics is the possibility that it could be a long time before the United States gets to host an Olympics during our generation. With an increasingly globalized world, this could be one of the last chances for University students to see an American Olympics before they are senior citizens.

While it may appear that the

United States would have no problem succeeding in a bid to host an Olympics beyond 2024, as it has hosted a record eight times, a U.S. bid has not succeeded since the Salt Lake City scandal of 2002, in which America paid officials to obtain International Olympic Committee (IOC) votes. The scandal sparked significant changes in the IOC, such as a ban on IOC members visiting potential host cities.

Since 2002, the United States has failed twice to win the bid for the Olympics, with New York City in 2012 and Chicago in 2016. If Boston also fails in 2024 it will not look good for future prospects of hosting because there will have been no improvement from past years.

Because the United States last hosted in 2002, it has never been able to take full advantage of the television, social media and spectator resources while commercializing the games. From 2002 to 2012, television viewership for the Olympics went from 2.1 billion people to 3.6 billion. The number of viewers is only likely to increase by 2024. Additionally, the scope of coverage is steadily increasing; Atlanta in 1996 enjoyed 168 hours of coverage, while London had over 5,500 hours of coverage. These differences show how the television landscape has changed dramatical-

ly since the United States last host- success hosting in 1984 was owed ed the Olympics. to its ability to use already present Although not a perfect city, stadiums and facilities.

Boston has what it takes to make The largest issues with the 2024 a compelling bid for an Olympic bid revolve around space, money host city. Home to the biggest and and taxes. Boston will need to upoldest annual marathon in the world, Boston is arguably the best sports city in America and one of the best in the world.

Although each city has its own unique The United States has never been able to tourist attractions, Boston is also home take full advantage of the television, social to the seventh-most media, and spectator possibilities through popular tourist attraction in the world, commercializing the games.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace, as well as a variety of other historic attractions. grade its transportation system in Therefore, they are ready to take on addition to creating a 60,000-perthe challenge of hosting the largest son stadium for the opening ceresporting event in the world. monies. This kind of spending may Another major factor in Bos- be tough for a city that experienced ton’s favor is the number of stadi- the Big Dig setback, in which the ums and sites that already exist in city of Boston funnelled billions of Boston. With over 100 universities dollars into a failed highway and and colleges in the greater Boston tunnel project in the 1990s and area, including Harvard, Boston early 2000s. Yet, when spending College, Boston University, North- doesn’t go overboard — as it did eastern and MIT, there are a mul- in Beijing — there can be positive titude of stadiums and facilities results. For instance, even though present to contribute to Olympic the London games cost over three events. This is especially important times their original budget, BBC when considering Los Angeles’ claimed that around 69 percent of

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Jared Fogel

those polled in the United Kingdom believed hosting was worth the money.

The case for the 2024 Olympics is bigger than just Boston. The Olympics are a source of national pride and success. By hosting the 2024 Olympics, the United States would be able to commercialize the events to an extent that no nation has ever been able to historically.

This encompasses everything from merchandise and tickets to television and publicity. Even if Boston doesn’t succeed at winning the bid to host, it is crucial Boston makes it to the second round of voting in order to prove the United States Olympic Committee has normalized relations with the IOC. Otherwise, it may be a long time before the United States hosts another Olympics. Even if they are not Boston fans, Americans and University students should back Boston for the pride of hosting another Summer Olympics and the opportunity to experience one they will remember.

Jared’s columns run bi-weekly Thursdays. He can be reached at j. fogel@cavalierdaily.com.

Censorship, religion, and politics What the latest Bollywood hit says about India’s fraught relationship with religion and secularism Sawan Patel Opinion Columnist

India is a land of contradictions.

It is home to a huge high-tech labor force as well as a multitude of low-skill agricultural and industrial workers. It is a relatively liberal democracy, yet allies itself closely with the Russian Federation, an autocratic nation. It is the birthplace of three major world religions — Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism — yet is constantly divided by religious violence and upheaval with a long history of censorship and strong religious forces: it was the first country to ban Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses.” Religious groups have long held great power in Indian politics and society. This is even considering the fact that the Indian constitution states the country is a secular republic.

Even though the Indian government is secular, it is responsible through its loose hate-speech laws for protecting the values of its varied religious and ethnic groups.

This requires censorship of what it deems offensive to any group. The Indian constitution guarantees freedom of speech, but the government has loosely interpreted laws regarding hate speech and public order, which are used very liberally to censor books, movies, and television. The logic behind this is that with such a long history of violence and such a diverse population, the only way to keep the peace is by preventing that which is deemed inflammatory from being publicly distributed.

Regardless, religion is one of the most satirized topics in Bollywood — the Indian Hollywood — but the new record-breaking hit PK is the latest and greatest in a line of movies that includes the critically acclaimed “Oh My God”: in which a man sues religious groups that represent God’s will for the destruction of his shop.

However, PK was not intended to be a serious film. It rather playfully places its emphasis critically not on religion as a whole but rather just on organized religion

as it appears in India. The movie’s lighthearted nature is especially evident in the name, a play on the English way of writing out the Hindi word for drunk. It simply suggests that Indians should not listen to religious God-men who have achieved a God-like status among India’s poor and uneducated for their miracles and ability to communicate directly with various deities. The message is to turn inward to find religious experience rather than basing it on communal values. These God-men are criticized for being conservative and corrupt by playing on their vast support for political and monetary gain.

The radical aspect of this film comes in when one considers the context of censorship toward religious criticism prevalent in India.

Films and books like these are rare in that they are never the combination of being this radical and also this influential. The reason it was a successful film is that it is funny; the reason it was the highest grossing Indian film of all time was that it resonated with people. They were

finally really allowed to see both the truth and that others feel the same way as they do about these corrupt religious figures.

However, it is the backlash to this film that is most revealing of the true nature of Indian society.

Even before its release, it was almost prevented from being screened by the censorship board because it supposedly promoted vulgarity.

After the film’s release, the true power of India’s conservative religious groups was revealed. Both religious leaders and fringe groups condemned the movie. These extremist religious groups organized burnings of the film’s posters. Even more portentously, many theatres in major cities were forced to cancel the screening of the movie because of threats to the owners and the theatres themselves. Theatres were threatened with being ransacked and burned.

This is the status of India’s relationship with religion. Even the government has been divided as shown by recently elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s support

from both Hindu nationalists and the politically powerful sages. His checkered past as a Hindu extremist combined with his pro-Hindu reaction to anti-Islam riots when he was the governor of Gujarat in 2002 — where he basically sat by and condoned the violence — should have rendered him unacceptable as a Prime Ministerial candidate.

Instead, he rode a Hindu wave of support to victory.

The combination of government censorship and public backlash from entrenched religious interests is the root of many of these problems. People are not allowed to confront the religious issues because they are hidden to maintain order.

The only way for India to move forward as a democracy and a nation is to take off these democratic training wheels, confront their religiously turbulent past, and move past some archaic traditions.

Sawan Patel is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at s.patel@cavalierdaily.com.

OPINION

Thursday, January 15, 2014

11

Cinematic Wisdom Many lessons about contemporary politics can be gleaned from the recently-released film Selma

Opinion Columnist

In a 24-hour media cycle, it’s easy to feel like every tragedy is unprecedented in scope and that each crisis is the greatest we’ve ever faced. Looking at what happened in Ferguson and the strange confrontation currently unfolding in New York solely through the vacuum of cable news, it’s hard to understand why race relations feel so fraught in our particular historical moment. This is why Oscar favorite Selma is such a useful antidote to the poison of limited understanding.

As it chronicles Martin Luther King’s leadership of the Civil Rights Movement in pursuit of what would become the Voting Rights Act, Selma draws a line between the heroes and villains of the past and those of the present day. Much has changed since 1965, but the film makes a compelling case that liberals and conservatives alike are well past due for an honest reckoning with their history.

For disaffected Obamaera liberals, the film shows how important social movements are for policy change. Though it has aroused controversy for perhaps being too harsh on Lyndon Johnson, Selma depicts a president sympathetic to progressive goals but hamstrung by political inertia. In order to make Johnson endorse changing federal voting regulations, King and

other civil rights leaders skillfully organize activists and manipulate media coverage in one of the most dangerous outposts of Southern apartheid. Whether or not the film gets the specific timeline of LBJ’s endorsement of the entire civil rights agenda correct is irrelevant.

Johnson’s evolution from racist to later saying “we shall overcome” while signing legislation to advance black freedom was directly enabled by a social movement that pushed him to do the right thing; the film only compresses that change to make a point. Contemplating Barack Obama’s legacy in New York Magazine, historian Jeffrey Alexander notes that the same logic applies to our own time. “There have been few social movements on the left during the Obama years,” writes Alexander, but “the exceptions” like “gay and lesbian movements and Hispanic mobilization around immigration” have pushed Obama to take remarkable rhetorical and policy positions like endorsing gay marriage before his reelection and suspending deportations for five million of the undocumented. Selma teaches us that often, if not always, our political leaders are only as effective as people outside the system push them to be.

More damningly, director Ava DuVernay ties a direct link between those who opposed civil rights legislation in the early 1960s and those hostile to improving the situation of African-Americans today. I can feel my conservative

friends tired of liberals “playing the Luther King, Jr. for standing against race card” during the Obama years law and order. Most disturbingly of rolling their eyes, but there is an all was the magazine’s response to ugly intellectual and political lineage the Birmingham church bombing, the film investigates that has never which features prominently in been forthrightly addressed by the Selma’s opening scenes. Rather right. Writing in National Review, than rightly recognizing the act as University alum Rich Lowry argues that the key lesson of the film is that, “It is not 1965,” and that, “the difference between demonstrators in Selma and Ferguson is the difference Much has changed since 1965, but the film between dignity makes a compelling case that liberals and under enormous conservatives alike are well past due for an pressure in a righteous cause and heedless honest reckoning with their history. self-indulgence in the service of a smear.”

What he neglects to mention, emblematic of the state-sanctioned however, is that the magazine he terror that was commonplace in edits was one of the main opponents the Jim Crow South, the editors of this “righteous cause” in 1965. attributed the bombing indirectly William F. Buckley, widely revered to “revolutionary assaults on the by conservatives as perhaps the status quo” against “the white cause” preeminent intellectual of their and “contempt for the law” within movement, wrote a column titled King’s movement. National Review’s “Why the South Must Prevail,” in creed is to “stand athwart history, which he claimed the consequences yelling stop”; the magazine and the of letting blacks vote might be “violent conservative movement it led (with and anarchic” because the white 1964 Republican candidate Barry community as the “advanced race” Goldwater opposing liberal civil must “thwart” the unenlightened rights legislation) certainly proved up black masses. Commenting on to the task in the 1960s.

the actual Selma march in 1965, Though conservatives will Buckley praises George Wallace for certainly claim this history is making some “very good points” irrelevant or that it was Southern while criticizing the “volatile” Martin Democrats (many of whom like

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Gary Whisnant

Strom Thurmond later became Republicans as the white South changed its political affiliation) who were at fault for holding back progress on civil rights, there is ample evidence they haven’t fully cleansed themselves of past sins. Whether it’s the Ferguson police decrying “agitators” echoing Bull Connor’s language or Republican House Majority Whip Steve Scalise speaking in 2002 to a white supremacist meeting and describing himself in private “like [former Klansman] David Duke without the baggage,” it’s abundantly clear we are not living in any kind of “post-racial” society. This is not to say that all Republicans are racist or that Democrats are guiltless, as it was Bill Clinton who dramatically expanded the racist prison-industrial complex, but is the Republican Party in which crypto-Dixiecrat ideology lingers on in a zombified and disguised form.

Rich Lowry is absolutely right that it isn’t 1965 anymore, but when a former member of the Ku Klux Klan received over 60 percent of the white vote in Louisiana just over twenty years ago and the Voting Rights Act that King and LBJ fought for has recently been gutted by a right-wing Supreme Court, we can’t get away from the fact that the lessons of Selma are all too timely.

Gray’s columns run Wednesays.

He can be reached at g.whisnant@ cavalierdaily.com.

Advice and counsel

Students living off-Grounds should have access to RAs Mary Russo Opinion Columnist

After a tumultuous semester, safety has been on everyone’s minds at the University. As we transition to the spring semester, it is imperative that we do not let the lessons and challenges of the previous one slip from our minds. Despite the disorienting adjustment to our new classes and our renewed extra-curricular obligations, we must continue to think critically.

One concern is improving students’ general safety both on- and off- Grounds. To provide enduring support for students who choose off-Grounds housing after first year, the University should implement a system of off-Grounds Residential Advisors.

There are many options that first-year students must consider when figuring out their second-year housing. Often this decision comes early in the year due to the preva-

lence of off-Grounds housing as an option for second years. As a first year, it was difficult to anticipate which housing option would be the best fit for me, but I settled on living in an off-Grounds apartment.

So far, I have immensely enjoyed the extra space, and having my own bathroom and kitchen. However, I have missed the support system that an RA provides, especially because of last semester’s challenges.

In a recent Cavalier Daily article, fourth-year student Rachel Moffitt highlights challenges faced by firstyear students for which RAs provide support: “The things you get trained on — the eating disorders, the sexual assaults — you never expect to deal with it. You do.” Eating disorders, sexual assault and mental health concerns are certainly an issue even after first year. However, if you choose off-Grounds housing, you sacrifice the support to which Moffitt refers.

It is true that second-year students and upperclassmen may re-

quire less support than first-year students. However, the difference between second semester of first year and first semester of second year is certainly not so dramatic that we no longer require any kind of peer-advising or peer-support system. My RA was an extremely helpful resource my first year. She not only showed me the ropes at the University, but also provided informal peer advising about the unpredictable challenges of everyday life.

Some might argue that a solution to this issue would be to emphasize on-Grounds housing and discourage students from living off-Grounds (which the University already does.) However, I do not think this change would be adequate. First of all, if next year every second year student decided to live on-Grounds, there simply would not be enough housing to go around. In addition, the accommodations and freedom of an apartment are often more appealing to students than upperclassmen

on-Grounds housing. Students will take advantage of off-Grounds housing until the University improves accommodations and builds more housing to make living onGrounds a more favorable option.

University RAs are technically state employees, which may complicate a movement to create a program of off-Grounds Residential Advisors. Perhaps a solution to this issue would be to form an informal group of volunteer RAs to be on call (similar to “coverage” in on-Grounds housing) on weekend nights, or a more casual peer advising system for upperclassmen that focuses on emotional and personal support rather than academic support.

Some will point to CAPS as the only necessary counseling system for University students. Although it faces its own set of challenges, I agree that CAPS is a helpful resource. However, I still believe strongly that sometimes students don’t require professional coun-

seling from an adult, but rather the advisement of a close peer. We can — and do — seek this support from our friends and classmates (especially those that are older or more experienced than we are.)

Residential Advisors provide a bridge between the student body and the University administration, but in a far more relatable way than formal emails from Patricia Lampkin or Teresa Sullivan. As a student, I felt more engaged and informed about what was going on at the University when I had an RA. Perhaps these students would have to be named something other than “Residential Advisors,” as they will operate outside of the University’s living community. However, students should have the option to enjoy off-Grounds freedom while still benefitting from the support of an objective peer advisor.

Mary’s columns run Thursdays.

She can be reached at m.russo@cavalierdaily.com.

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OPINION

The Cavalier Daily

HU MOR

Just for wits.

Numerated Thoughts in Scotland Charlotte Raskovich Humor Editor

I. Transferring flights is a bad experience but who has ever had a good experience transferring flights? Writing about how much of a pain it is to wait in line to go through security as your plane takes off would be a cheap shot at relatability humor. This isn’t a Buzzfeed article. It’s in list form but it’s different because I’m using Roman numerals instead of numbers.

II. There’s a woman behind me on the phone with her daughter as I cross the threshold into the plane. She’s speaking in that particular voice moms use when they talk to their crying daughters on the phone.

III. My dad told me I should sleep on the flight so I won’t be so jetlagged when I get there.

Sound advice, but the little television embedded in the seat in front of me has eight episodes of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” on it.

Sorry, dad. You get it though.

IV. Some people I meet here I get a really good vibe from, some I feel vaguely wary of, some I don’t get a vibe at all, which is frightening. Turning into someone who talks about vibes and wavelengths is something that you just have to let happen.

Don’t fight it. You were probably really into crystals when you were a kid and this is the natural corollary. Now, what does it mean when I can’t sense the general shape of who someone is? It can’t be that there’s nothing there. Are you wearing a metaphysical mask? Not the Virginia Woolf “Mrs. Dalloway” mask, a sort of drawing together all your nebulous attributes to a tangible point (everyone cool does that), but rather one that feels like a crystalline barricade and is making me nervous.

This mask is being utilized to get something from the people you interact with. What is it?

What do you want? I don’t have anything you need! I’m not going

to view you how you want me to! I’m going to end up in New Mexico drinking herbal tea and discussing vortexes with my neighbor Lotus! Chill out!

V. My mom has asked me to buy the Young family tartan while I’m here. Before I make gentle fun of my mother and publish it in a school paper allow me to extoll her virtues: she’s read almost every story ever written by Philip K. Dick, she lets me talk hot garbage about her terrible friends as long as I make her laugh in the process, her hair still looks like that of a beautiful “Game of Thrones” lady. Taking all this into account, I will tell you that she is one of those white people who insists on going into deep detail when it comes her heritage. A third Scottish, a fifth Welsh, an eighth French, a dash of Polish — MOM. Mom. It doesn’t matter. We’re just white people. This is my main pet peeve about white people and that’s because I’m white. If I wasn’t, my pet peeve would be

more along the lines of having to worry about getting shot by one. i. Sidenote: Remember the UVA protest in response to Eric Garner’s murder/the lack of a criminal case against the NYPD officer who killed him?

Remember how the protest went through Clemons Library and a bunch of dumpster bagels posted vitriolic and trash on Yik Yak, complaining about how their study time was being violated and calling the protesters “farm equipment”? Let me tell you something: not only are you racists but you are racist NERDS. You love studying and I hate you. I’m going to slam you and your problematic outlook into a locker.

VI. Being in a gift shop called “REALLY SCOTTISH!” is slightly more embarrassing than being in the giftshop for The Museum of Sex. In the case of the latter, yes, I picked up an ergonomically designed vibrator and yes, I couldn’t figure out how to turn it off and yes, a dude

working there came up to me and yes, his gauges were big enough that I briefly considered sticking the oscillating curiosity into one and making my escape. But in the case of the latter, I only nodded politely while he told me about the different features and the many-featured thing moved back and forth rather aggressively in my hand until he paused long enough for me to ask where the off button was. In the case of the former, I have to actively ask about the Young family tartan and gaze upon the utter lack of recognition on the gift shop lady’s face. But I love my mom, so I will buy her a tartan. Until it turns out that family tartans cost 70 pounds. I’m not spending almost 100 dollars on some fake bourgeois nonsense. I need that money for brunch.

Charlotte Raskovich is the Humor Editor for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at c.raskovich@cavalierdaily.com.

The gay quit drinking and you won’t believe what happened Joe Leonard Humor Writer

When Humor editor Charlotte asked me to write a humor article for The Cavalier Daily, I agreed with the silent stipulation that I would never in a million years start my article with the words “When Charlotte asked me to write a humor article for the Cavalier Daily…”

I mean that’s like giving a toast at a wedding with the intro “Webster’s Dictionary defines ‘marriage’ as…” You just don’t do it. So now that I’ve already shot myself in the foot, let’s begin.

It’s hard to come back from winter break without the soft choral tones of “Fifteen” by Taylor Swift playing in my head, waiting for one of them senior boys to wink at me and say “You know I haven’t seen you around before,” but sadly, I remain the same lonely homosexual virgin as last semester, and every

semester before. However, while my friends complain about having to get up early again after a month of sleeping in, I am feeling fully rested for the first time since 1972. It’s with a fresh set of eyes that I greet my final semester at UVA, and for the first time, sober ones.

That’s right kids, I am clean and sober, on the wagon, and going to AA. No more stumbling outside of parties, throwing up and returning with the excuse that I was “praying.” No more waking up naked in my bed, finding my Lady Gaga t-shirt in the dishwasher with no memory of the night before. No more calling my parents at 2 a.m. because I wanted to “chat.” Now my days are filled with waking up and going to class, doing simple chores like buying a lamp and going to AA meetings (and no, I can’t tell you what we say in them, so stop asking.)

As mundane as my life may sound to you, I am overjoyed

to simply be doing some sort of routine. Thanksgiving Break for me consisted of sleeping until 5 p.m., watching gay TV shows with my mother, and drinking until 5 a.m. Winter Break consisted of the same, except the TV shows were all about serial killers. I was destined to spend this summer sleeping late, drinking late, and probably watching shows about gay serial killers.

This is not the first time I tried to quit drinking, however.

I withdrew halfway through my fall semester of 2013 to see a psychologist about my drinking and the anxiety that came from it. As I entered the home of the doctor who came so highly recommended by my parent’s friends, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my doctor dressed like Cam from Modern Family and had the voice of Elton John. That was, until I saw his business card, which said “Combining modern

behavioral psychology with traditional Christian values.”

Uh-oh. While I am a perfectly happy Presbyterian, I am also a notorious homosexual, so needless to say I was apprehensive. My fears were quickly realized when he asked me “Now, did anyone introduce you into homosexuality?” Eeshk.

Fast forward a few months later, I am continuing to drink, and I now have a healthy disdain for that doctor, who we’ll call Dr. Elton John. On April 1, 2014, I woke up on a Tuesday and decided it was time to make a change. I called my father and told him I was an alcoholic in a conversation that lasted 2 minutes and 36 seconds. It probably would have been quicker had I not spent an entire minute convincing him it was not in fact an April Fool’s joke.

I stayed sober for about a month before thinking, “Hey, maybe I can handle drinking again!”

Ten cranberry vodkas, one

ambulance ride and a broken ankle later I realized this was not the case. And while it gave everyone a good laugh to see me wheeling down the streets of New York city on my knee scooter every day, I realized it was probably time to quit drinking permanently. Fast forward a few more months, and I finally got around to it.

What can I say, I know how to procrastinate.

What is my life like now, you ask? Well, I wake up, actually go to class, meet some pretty amazing people at AA meetings, and have time to think about what the hell I’m going to do with my life once I graduate. I can see clearly for the first time, and not just because of the lamp that I bought. See kids, sobriety isn’t all that bad. Who knows, maybe one day you too could be a gay alcoholic with a lamp.

All you need is a little courage, a copy of Beaches on DVD and a lamp.

G

Thursday, January 15, 2015

THE ADVENTURES OF THE AMAZING <THE> A-MAN

BY EMILIO ESTEBAN

graphics MOSTLY HARMLESS BY PETER SIMONSEN

SOLE SURVIVOR BY MICHAEL GILBERTSON

MORE AWKWARD THAN SOME

BY CHANCE LEE

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The Cavalier Daily

14

A&E D’Angelo mounts near-perfect return arts & entertainment Ty Cadogan Staff Writer

Buried in obscurity for the past 14 years, R&B singer D'Angelo has resurfaced — his new record, “Black Messiah,” presenting a tempestuous blend of funk, soul, rock and gospel.

But “Black Messiah” is more than just a comeback record. It also offers the singer's personal commentary on current events. "[Black Messiah] is about people rising up,” D’Angelo said in a statement released last December. “[It’s about] rising up in Ferguson and in Egypt and in Occupy Wall Street — and in every place where a community has had enough and decides to make change happen."

Given this uproarious context, it is interesting the album is far from sonically uproarious itself. D'Angelo — along with the Vanguard, the band with whom the record is partially credited — has deftly sidestepped any attempt to create the feel of real

Fueled by funk, ‘Black Messiah’ simmers with soul

disorder, presenting us instead with confidently coordinated chaos.

A prime example of this coordinated chaos is track “1000 Deaths,” which opens with a bombastic sermon, builds upon a tense, bumbling bass line, and adheres to a structure as distorted as D'Angelo's layered vocals.

Even so, the track is mastered such that all of its disparate sounds stay more or less balanced with one another, creating a static and beautiful cacophony.

"It's war," D'Angelo croons during the song’s chorus. Listening to the track, one is certainly left with that impression.

It takes skill to render such chaos as melody. Skill, fortunately, is in no short-supply on a record that features accomplished session artists like Pino Palladino on bass and James Gadson on drums. Both demonstrate their skills most acutely on track “Sugah Daddy.” An infectious funk strut with a curious gospel flare, the track sees D'Angelo at his most carnal, singing, as he does, of a sultry femme fatale with "brown eyes that make you blue" and of the

"satin lace covering her charms."

Ultimately, though, the strength and appeal of the song lies less with its carnal content and more with its playfulness.

On “Black Messiah,” we witness an artist at play, experimenting freely with different sounds and structural arrangements. Listeners are struck by the g-funk vocal intro to the song “Ain't That Easy,” caught off guard by the Spanish guitar on “Really Love,” and captivated by the audible warfare of “1000 Deaths.” Such musical experimentation — executed with extreme deftness — lends itself to a surprising and thrilling listen.

In the second half of the album, however, this creative experimentation and the overall thrill it engenders does somewhat wane. Tracks such as “The Door” and “Back to the Future Pt. 2” feel stagnant — additions to a record which would have survived well enough without them.

Minor gripes aside, for its sheer musical virtuosity and emotional depth, “Black Messiah” stands as one of the best albums to be released in some

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

years. The record is a testament not only to D’Angelo’s creativity and artistry, but also to his love for the music he makes. Perhaps, the latter explains the glowing

reviews the record has received since its release. It is easy to love a record that sounds as if it were made with love.

2015’s best and brightest A&E compiles popular picks for rising stars of 2015

Candace Carter Senior Writer

Arts and Entertainment has scoured the internet for lists of artists to watch in 2015. To save our readers a little time and trouble, here is our take on this year’s up-and-coming stars, as selected by a few of the music industry’s biggest names in journalism.

Years & Years Called “fresh and innovative”

by MTV and providing “charisma and allure” according to The Huffington Post, this group picked up Bruno Mars’ unique pop and blended it seamlessly with delicate beats to create “Desire,” an emotionally charged track that is both dark and energizing. Not a dance track, but a heart-pounding jam nonetheless.

Shamir Shamir Bailey appears on several lists of artists to watch this year — including MTV’s, Billboard’s, and Spotify’s — with “On

the Regular,” a beautiful, fresh track with a newly popular message of self-confidence and body positivity. Bailey’s norm-defying fashions, music video so bright we need shades and fusion of light rap and EDM will certainly make a splash this year.

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper Frontwoman Aly Spaltro strays from the powerful female pop stars of 2014 — like Meghan Trainor and Iggy Azalea — in favor of simpler instrumentation and beats. Guided by her raw, lilting vocals, Spaltro has created a cutesy ballad that would sound perfect in a Target commercial in her “Billions of Eyes,” featured by SPIN Magazine. Her several albums provide feel-good, mellow folk tunes for easy listeners.

BØRNS Featured by SPIN Magazine and The Huffington Post, lead singer Garret Borns packs a soulful punch into each track on the band’s 2014 “Candy” EP. Part of a soft pop-alternative genre, everything about the group’s

tastefully grungy “10,000 Emerald Pools” inspires without needing bright, quick synth beats. A heavy, rolling drum tracking sets BØRNS apart and carves out a place for them in the music industry this year.

Tink Harkening back to Destiny’s Child and Rihanna circa 2006 with the release of “Unfaithful,” Tink revives slow, evocative hip hop in her “Treat Me Like Somebody.” Though, according to Billboard, she hasn’t made her formal debut yet, it seems this impressive 19-year-old will wow wide audiences this year.

Each artist listed has his or her own unique sound and will find a niche in the vast array of genres and labels available today, but only time will tell if these artists will live up to the world’s expectations.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Thursday, January 15, 2015

‘Birdman’ proves bold stylistic triumph

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Unique film offering play-like atmosphere is must-see

Noah Zeidman Senior Writer

There is a key difference between seeing a movie and viewing a play. In a play, anything can happen. Every night, the same show is just a little different, and the actors bring something new to the stage. The audience responds in a new way from their own points of view. Films obviously cannot achieve the same degree of spontaneity. They are not alive in the same way plays are.

In spite of this, Alejandro Iñárritu’s ““Birdman” feels, to audience members, a lot like a play. The anti-superhero movie’s pacing is deliberate, lending the characters considerable room to breathe. Every scene feels complete and purposeful. Extended sequences of Michael Keaton’s Riggan Thompson alone in a theater dressing room build in intensity, with Keaton singlehandedly carrying the film forward through monologues often shot in extreme closeup.

A key part of what makes the film feel so much like a staged drama stems from the fact that it revolves around Thompson attempting to stage an adaptation

of Raymond Carver’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love,” the story on which “Birdman” is also loosely based. Scenes from the play are acted in full repeatedly throughout the movie. A kitchen table scene and a motel room confrontation are both depicted at least three times, each a little different.

This repetition brings the film to life. You don’t see a montage of the action — you are immersed in it in real time. This is a bold choice, and if done incorrectly, it could have made the film feel repetitive and plodding.

Fortunately, every moment feels purposeful to the plot, even those moments that have been depicted once or twice before.

The supporting cast is outstanding. Emma Stone’s portrayal of Thompson’s recovering-addict daughter Sam Thomson is extreme without feeling forced. The portrayal treads, but does not cross, the line of stereotype. It is heightened realism

ality of a world obsessed with social media.

The cinematography — manipulated to look almost entirely like a single shot — stands out starkly in contrast to most films’ multi-camera points of view and sharp cuts. This also contributes to the stage play feel of the film: there is a single point of view, and each sequence of action is given its own moment.

It can be overwhelming to view a split-screen or quick cuts showing various sequences all occurring simultaneously.

Luckily, “Birdman” is refreshingly visually focused.

The soundtrack, consisting largely of drum pieces performed by Antonio Sánchez, is energetic and skittish, keeping the movie clipping along nicely despite its Courtesy Movienewz two hour runtime.

— everyone is the most extreme These stylistic elements bring version of himself or herself.

Stone delivers the best mono- poignancy to the film’s overall logue of the play, speaking to discussion of art, particularly as her father in a closeup shot. She it relates to movies, theater and addresses the audience directly, fame. It is a story about the imbluntly laying out the shallow re- pact of blockbusters and super-

hero flicks, made at the height of Marvel’s near-conquest of the film industry. It is a story about an actor struggling to become an artist, featuring a man who once starred in Tim Burton’s over-thetop Batman films. It deals with differing views of technology and social media held by teens and twentysomethings and their parents. Bottom line: the film is timely and powerful.

“Birdman” is not perfect, however. There are challenging moments and scenes that come off as somewhat contrived. The conclusion of the character arc for Edward Norton’s arrogant sociopathic actor, Mike Shiner, is rather abrupt. But even these issues feel at least partly intentional and purposeful, used to draw attention to the artistic deficiencies of the majority of popular movies.

Much goes on in “Birdman,” and it probably bears at least two viewings, particularly for those looking to catch details like the subtle differences between each performance of Thompson’s play.

The film is entertaining, engaging and deeply thought-provoking. It includes some of its stars’ strongest performances to date. “Birdman” is one of the most unique films of the last several years — a must-see.

‘Exodus’ leaves source material behind See the film for its psychological undertones, not accurate retelling of Moses Nina Lukow Senior Writer

“Exodus: Gods and Kings,” Ridley Scott’s new film about the well-known Old Testament book and the latest in Biblically-inspired epic films, has a bit of a misleading title.

The film, though enormous in scale, is not really about gods and kings at all. At its core, once the heavy CGI and convoluted side plots are pushed to the side, Scott’s film is about Moses’ interior psychological space. The main event of the film is the liberation of the Jews from Egypt, but what the film is really about is Moses’ psychodrama and his relationship with his adopted brother, Ramses II, his people and God. Don’t see this film for Scott’s overblown directing — see it for this almost-hidden narrative within.

Scott provides a secularized,

psychologically-driven vision of the oft-repeated tale of Exodus.

God makes a brief appearance as a burning bush, but comes to Moses mostly as a young boy with a British accent. Upon seeing this boy-God for the first time — a messenger, perhaps, just without the winged garb of an angel — I let out an audible scoff in the theater. God, as a small white British child? It seemed too silly to believe.

But Scott’s choice has interesting implications. Each time Moses converses with God, the camera flashes to an alternate perspective, showing that Moses is talking only to himself. Why is God a little boy in Moses’ mind? What does it mean when the other Hebrews can’t perceive God, but follow Moses regardless? Scott doesn’t take the time to answer these intriguing questions he sets up — instead showing a tendency to bombard the audience with too-long

battle scenes and unnecessary CGI shots in almost Peter Jack-

Courtesy IMP Awards

son-like fashion.

Miracles, similarly, do not occur. The awe-inducing phe-

nomena of the Book of Exodus are the result of natural causes in “Exodus.” The Red Sea doesn’t part — its current sweeps it away to one side of the basin. The Nile doesn’t turn red miraculously, but because of crocodile attacks on fishermen. And — perhaps most unprecedented of all — the Ten Commandments are inscribed by Moses’ own hand and not by God’s.

Biblically accurate? Decidedly not. In fact, some controversy has arisen around Scott’s choices. However, Scott may be the first filmmaker in recent years to attempt a Biblically-inspired film in this fashion, where the mighty and the miraculous have a root in the secular and psychological.

The rest of the film, sadly, is balderdash. The whiteness of the cast has been frequently criticized, but the overall poor quality of acting has not.

It will forever confound me

why Christian Bale was chosen to play Moses. Though he has brought gravitas to former roles, he lacks it here. Sigourney Weaver, playing Egyptian queen Tuya, is barely featured at all — begging the question why such a legendary actress even bothered (maybe there will be more in the director’s cut?). And the screenwriting is vacant and hollow, save one moment of polish in which Joel Edgerton delivers a Shakespeare-esqe soliloquy when refusing to free the Jewish slaves.

The film’s backbone is weak; the grand, elaborate production values would need a miracle to hide this fact.

If the film is worth seeing, it is for its unusual interpretation of a classic story. But if such matters don’t interest, don’t bother. The classic animation “The Prince of Egypt” manages to do more in 90 minutes than all of Scott’s 150.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Cavalier Daily

A&E’s Oscar nomination predictions for 2015 A&E names the most likely recipients of the 87th Academy Awards nominations Charles Hancock Senior Writer

Nominations for the 87th Academy Awards will be announced Jan. 15, and figuring out who and what the Academy will nominate can feel like piecing together clues to solve a mystery. But the curious critic can take note of some excellent indicators.

In the weeks before the Oscar nominations are announced, vari-

ous Hollywood guilds and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts announce the nominees for their own awards. Unlike the Golden Globes, the voters for these other awards overlap with the Academy, so their decisions are reliable indicators of the direction the Academy will go with their respective nominations. Based on these groups’ nominations and the awards season conversation, A&E is predicting this year’s Oscar nominations.

For more Oscar predictions, visit us online!

Best Picture (In order of likelihood) “Boyhood” “Birdman” “The Imitation Game” “The Theory of Everything” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” “Selma” “Whiplash” “Nightcrawler” “Gone Girl” “Foxcatcher” Most Vulnerable: “Foxcatcher” Dark Horse: “American Sniper”

Best Original Screenplay “Birdman” “Boyhood” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” “Nightcrawler” “Selma” Most Vulnerable: “Selma” Could Sneak In: “Foxcatcher” Best Makeup and Hairstyling “Foxcatcher” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” “Guardians of the Galaxy”

Best Director Wes Anderson - “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Ava DuVernay - “Selma” Alejandro González Iñárritu - “Birdman” Richard Linklater - “Boyhood” Morton Tyldum - “The Imitation Game” Most Vulnerable: Ava DuVernay Dark Horse: James Marsh - “The Theory of Everything” Best Actor Benedict Cumberbatch – “The Imitation Game” as Alan Turing Jake Gyllenhaal – “Nightcrawler” as Louis Bloom Michael Keaton – “Birdman” as Riggan Thomson David Oyelowo – “Selma” as Martin Luther King, Jr. Eddie Redmayne – “The Theory of Everything” as Stephen Hawking Most Vulnerable: Jake Gyllenhaal Dark Horse: Ralph Fiennes – “The Grand Budapest Hotel” Best Actress Jennifer Aniston – “Cake” as Claire Simmons Felicity Jones – “The Theory of Everything” as Jane Hawking Julianne Moore – “Still Alice” as Dr. Alice Hawland Rosamund Pike – “Gone Girl” as Amy Elliott-Dunne Reese Witherspoon – “Wild” as Cheryl Strayed Most Vulnerable – Jennifer Aniston Dark Horse: Marion Cotillard – “Two Days, One Night” as Sandra Bya Best Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette – “Boyhood” as Olivia Evans Jessica Chastain – “A Most Violent Year” as Anna Morales Keira Knightley – “The Imitation Game” as Joan Clarke Emma Stone – “Birdman” as Sam Thomson Meryl Streep – “Into the Woods” as The Witch Most Vulnerable: Jessica Chastain Dark Horse: Naomi Watts – “St. Vincent” as Daka Paramova

Best Supporting Actor Steve Carell – “Foxcatcher” as John du Pont Ethan Hawke – “Boyhood” as Mason Evans, Sr. Edward Norton – “Birdman” as Mike Shiner Mark Ruffalo – “Foxcatcher” as Dave Schultz J.K. Simmons – “Whiplash” as Terence Fletcher Best Visual Effects “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” “Godzilla” “Guardians of the Galaxy” “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” “Interstellar”

Best Original Score “Gone Girl” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” “The Imitation Game” “Interstellar” “The Theory of Everything”

Best Costume Design “The Grand Budapest Hotel” “The Imitation Game” “Into the Woods” “Maleficent” “The Theory of Everything”

Best Cinematography “Birdman” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” “The Imitation Game” “Interstellar” “Unbroken”

Best Animated Feature “Big Hero 6” “The Book of Life” “The Boxtrolls” “How to Train Your Dragon 2” “The LEGO Movie”