Thursday, January 25, 2024

The Cavalier Daily

Vol. 134, Issue 9

LEON ARCEO, ADAIRE BURNSED, ALBERT TANG & HONOR WOOD | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Thursday, January 25, 2024

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The Cavalier Daily

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief Dear readers, As we settle into another semester, I’m honored to share the first print issue of The Cavalier Daily’s 135th term with all of you. In the following pages, you will find stories that give you a glimpse into life on Grounds.

From student-led startups to disaffected graduate students, the University continues to evolve as a unique microcosm for national

discourses.

We live, work and learn at an institution of higher education in a moment that has brought into question the purpose of education. The values that have long driven our university, and all others like it — the pursuit of complicated truths, a commitment to open debate and an unconditional support for academic freedom — should not be taken for granted. In fact, they are ac-

tively threatened.

This is why the work of student journalism is so important — our staffers’ dedication to the values of intellectual curiosity and respectful citizenship is reflected in these pages, and the work they undertake ceaselessly supports the growth of our community.

To the University and broader Charlottesville communities, we look forward to hearing and re-

ceiving your feedback via email, social media and our website.

Your interaction with and ideas about the University and our coverage are always encouraged.

And if you are particularly dedicated to the cause of independent journalism, a tax-deductible donation is more than welcome.

With all that said, thank you for partnering with us on this journey — none of this would be possible without you.

Sincerely, Nathan Onibudo

135th Editor-in-Chief of The Cavalier Daily

NEWS This week in-brief CD News Staff

Littlejohn’s Deli to return to the Corner Four years after closing its doors, Littlejohn’s New York Delicatessen is making a return to the Corner, reopening on 1427 University Ave. some time during the spring semester.

Class of 1994 alumnus Bill Smyth, who was also an accomplished swimmer and coach for the University swim team, returned to Charlottesville after retiring from his position as a swim coach at Boston University to reopen the restaurant alongside business partners Dain North and Stefan Friedman.

A number of menu favorites will be returning, such as the Nuclear Sub and the Chris Long, famously named after the University alum and previous NFL Athlete. Many of these classics existed during Smyth’s time at the University, during which he himself frequented Littlejohn’s quite often. Despite a few updates to the interior and the ordering system, the restaurant will maintain many defining characteristics of the original iteration of Littlejohn’s.

Littlejohn’s reopening goes against the current trend where, due to rising rents and difficulties faced by the restaurant industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Corner has seen significant turnover. More national chains, such as the Raising Cane’s which opened in September, have been moving into locations once held by locally owned businesses.

Smyth said that an exact reopening date has not been placed on the calendar, but he believes they will meet their goal to open sometime this semester. By doing so, he hopes that graduating fourth years will have a chance to stop and embrace the deli’s sense of community and tradition before they leave the University.

1.17 1.18 1.22

Cedric Rucker to remain as interim dean of students through the next academic year Kenyon Bonner, newly appointed vice president and chief student affairs officer, announced that Cedric Rucker, interim senior associate vice president and dean of students, will remain in his position through the 2024-25 academic year. Bonner, who started his position as VPSA Jan. 16, said that Rucker’s continued presence will allow him to better understand students’ needs and inform the University’s national search for a permanent dean of students.

Rucker took on the position of interim dean of students in Fall 2023 after a long career as associate dean of student activities at the University of Mary Washington. Rucker had previously earned a master’s degree in sociology at the University and returned in 2022 to serve as a senior associate dean in the Office of African-American Affairs.

The Office of Student Affairs has faced high turnover rates in recent years. Rucker replaced Robyn Hadley, who served as both dean of students and vice president for student affairs for two years. Rucker is the third person to serve as dean of students since Allen Groves left the University in 2021 after 14 years in the role.

Many universities across the country have reported significant trouble in the recruitment process for administrative staff. Several of these schools have seen significant turnover in top positions, including president, provost and other executive roles. J.J. Davis, executive vice president and chief operating officer, called the struggle to recruit and retain talented faculty a “war on talent” during a September 2022 Board of Visitors meeting.

According to Bonner, the search for a new dean of students will begin in the fall.

Facilities management keeps Grounds safe amidst heavy snow The University’s Facilities Management team mobilized plows, snow-blowers and deicing materials Jan. 15 in response to a snowstorm. The storm brought 3.6 inches of snow, more than any other snowfall within the past year.

Richard Hopkins, Facilities Management associate director of Grounds, said that Facilities Management determines its priorities for deicing and snow removal based on the University’s needs on the days when the University community experiences inclement weather.

Facilities Management also works with the city of Charlottesville to ensure that the University’s Medical Center remains accessible to the public, regardless of the University’s level of function on a given day, Hopkins said. While Facilities Management clears the areas on Grounds, the city is responsible for the surrounding roads like Jefferson Park Avenue, Main Street, and University Avenue.

“What are the priorities of that day, and how do we meet the needs of the students and the Medical Center?” Hopkins said. “We also [have a] big responsibility… to the [Charlottesville] community, which [means] access to health.”

Charlottesville experienced another snowstorm Jan. 19, although the snowfall was much more brief.

Thursday, January 25, 2024 | 3

NEWS

New VPSA Kenyon Bonner speaks on values Bonner speaks on two decades of student engagement, passion for leading others Lexie Stadler | News Writer Kenyon Bonner, the newly appointed University vice president and chief student affairs officer, spoke with The Cavalier Daily about his leadership values, plans and inspirations.

With a passion for engaging with students and fostering dialogue, Bonner’s experience and background revolve around a dedication to student success.

Commenting on the uniqueness of the University compared to previous schools he studied and worked at, Bonner said he hopes to engage with students involved in self-government organizations to further shape the University community. His path in student affairs, which most recently included an over 20-year career at the University of Pittsburgh, is characterized by inclusive leadership, fostering collaborative environments through diverse perspectives from students, faculty and staff.

A first-generation college student, Bonner said that he recognizes the importance of accessibility resources and a balanced learning environment.

During his time as an undergraduate student at Washington and Jefferson College, Bonner served as the president of his Black Student Union and played for his university’s basketball team. He said that his background in both learning from and guiding others has set his priorities as a leader.

“I’m a first-generation college student and that motivated me to stay in this field and work in higher education… Being the first to go [to college] in my family, understanding what it feels like to not have resources or people you can talk to … is part of my history. I also was a student athlete in college,” Bonner said. “That perspective of balancing both the in classroom and outside the classroom in collegiate athletics is something that I bring with me.”

Bonner received his Master’s of Education in rehabilitation counseling from Kent State University, where he learned to listen to student perspectives as part of his practicum — it was then that he learned about bettering a student’s environment to help them succeed and where he discovered that student affairs is an outlet to guide students.

As the previous vice provost for student affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, Bonner focused on student-centered, servant leadership — a leader-

ship style focused on empowerment and growth of others.

Bonner demonstrated this commitment through an initiative to engage with off-campus students in isolation by hosting neighborhood walks and handing out free COVID-19 supplies in Oct. 2020. Bonner said he plans to continue practicing servant leadership at the University.

As he begins his time at the University, Bonner views adjusting to the new community as an exciting challenge that he is well-prepared to tackle, through his three-step philosophy of listening, learning and understanding. He said that his first task is meeting new people and understanding the University culture — a challenge he eagerly anticipates. “​​I think it’s important and responsible for me [to experience] as much as possible, to begin to form my own understanding from the people who are already here … [They] can impart their wisdom to me,” Bonner said. “Anytime you move into a new environment, a lot of what you do is listening, learning and understanding … the history, the culture and what people’s aspirations are, and then figure out how you can help participate in that.”

Bonner said that there is strength in uplifting a variety of perspectives — at the University, he sees the manifestation of inclusive leadership in the tradition of student self-governance.

“I am excited about the student self-governance like the Honor Committee and the [University] Judiciary Committee. I think those are really unique and special parts of U.Va. that I don’t have experience with, but they intrigue and inspire me,” Bonner said. “The fact that students have taken on that responsibility and really shaped the student experience at U.Va. over decades is really exciting and something that I am looking forward to learning more about.”

Bonner said he also values fostering dialogues that bring forth contrasting viewpoints, a practice he would like to continue at the University. He said that he thinks the University already has a strong culture around discourse and disagreement, which he sees as important in higher education. “[Disagreeing is] not an easy thing to do, to engage in dia-

ADAIRE BURNSED | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Bonner began his role at VPSA at the start of the 2024 Spring semester.

logue and discourse and perspectives that you disagree with, or sometimes vehemently disagree with,” Bonner said. “I think that’s a healthy philosophy of higher education, and I think one of the cornerstones of what it means to attend a university.”

Closing the interview, Bon-

ner spoke on major inspirations that have influenced his student affairs journey thus far. He said that students themselves are his greatest inspiration, adding that seeing students grow from his mentorship is the largest reward.

“My driving motivation is helping people achieve their

goals… however they define it,” Bonner said. “Those are my paychecks.”

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NEWS

Honor Committee hosts first ever “Honor Week” The events, designed to increase student engagement with the Committee, will run Feb. 4 through Feb. 9 Jackie Bond | Staff Writer The University Honor Committee will host an Honor Week full of student events from Feb. 4 through Feb. 9. These events, such as the dinner with Honor Alumni, an information ethics seminar and “cookie chats” with Honor representatives, are designed to foster student engagement and participation with the Committee.

A previous amendment to the Honor Constitution, passed in 2017, required the Committee to host a biannual popular assembly to create space for student participation and feedback. After the multi-sanction referendum in March 2023, this amendment was again changed to require an annual popular assembly. With a myriad of events designed to improve community engagement, the Committee turned this popular assembly into the first ever annual Honor Week.

Throughout the week, the Committee will host several information sessions and open dialogues to collect student feedback. These include a Q&A about joining the Committee, an Honor System Walkthrough, a multi-sanction town hall, a mock hearing and several tabling events to survey students about their experience with the Honor system.

According to Hamza Aziz, Committee chair and fourthyear College student, each of these events aim to educate the student body and Charlottesville community about the new multi-sanction system which provides a set of possible injunctions beyond expulsion for students who break the Honor Code.

“This is the first year where we’re branding it as Honor Week and really making it a larger scale event,” Aziz said. “We’re partnering with a lot of organizations and really trying to make it more of a known initiative that students can expect to happen every year.”

Aziz is working with Rachel Liesegang, vice chair for the undergraduate community and fourth-year College student, Amelle Chanda, senior educator and third-year College student, and other Honor representatives to plan the many Honor Week events.

The Honor Committee consists of 29 elected representatives and roughly 80 unelected support officers. According to Aziz, the Honor Committee started planning Honor Week

events in October 2023.

Will Hancock, senior educator and second-year College student, said Honor Week is designed to improve student understanding of honor proceedings under the new multi-sanction system.

“There’s still not a ton of clarity in the student body about what exactly the new case process looks like with the sanctioning panel and what the new sanctions look like,” Hancock said. “I think [these events] will be really cool, just to get a different angle and be able to physically see the layout [of the Committee]”.

Honor Week will begin with a Committee Kickoff and dinner Feb. 4 at 7:00 p.m, the Committee weekly meeting time. According to Hancock, the University community is encouraged to join and participate in this meeting.

“Students are welcome to come to Honor Committee meetings every Sunday but [this meeting is] going to have more of a community focus,” Hancock said. “There’s going to be more time for input from the community … allowing for more direct feedback to representatives.”

Increasing student engagement with Committee proceedings is a primary goal of Honor Week. When University students voted in favor of the Committee’s multi-sanction system in March, voter turnout was 23.7 percent — double the turnout of the previous year’s election, and the third-highest in the past decade.

Second-year College student Alysha Johnson expressed interest in attending Honor Week events and learning more about the Committee.

“I think I actually would be pretty interested in [attending] mostly because I want to learn more about the good sides of Honor,” Johnson said. “I feel like we really only hear about the punishments and different things like that, but don’t really get to talk about how cool it is that U.Va. has a student run honor system and [that students] are able to directly interact with people who are making these laws.”

The Honor Committee is also partnering with several University organizations to plan events, including a student roundtable with several Contracted Independent Organization leaders and a student self governance panel with the Uni-

ADAIRE BURNSED | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Aziz says that he hopes Honor Week will lead to more student engagement with the Honor Committee.

versity Board of Elections. Other events include a live debate between the Jefferson Society and the Washington Society and an AI Exchange with the Karsh Institute of Democracy in which AI experts will talk to students about the impact of AI technology.

“There’s been a lot of willingness around grounds among student leaders, but also among administrators to work with Honor on Honor Week events,” Aziz said. “With these partnerships, we’re able to tap into the audience’s that those organizations are reaching and expand who we can engage with.”

To further encourage student engagement, the Committee is hosting a series of giveaways, starting with free Bodos and Honor Booklets on the South Lawn. Other events include a

run with President Jim Ryan and the Committee, as well as an Honor Festival with the University Programs Council as a celebratory end to the week.

Though Honor Week is a University-wide program, the Committee discussed strategies for promoting specific schools throughout Honor Week. Maille Bowerman, a fourth-year Architecture school representative, spoke about reaching architecture students through a drawing canvas open to the public.

“A [community art installation] is kind of popular for the school,” Bowerman said.

“We [could] post a large [canvas] where people could write or draw what the honor system means to them.”

According to Aziz, the ultimate goal of the week is to receive as much student feedback

as possible.

“The work that’s being put into Honor Week is really to better the honor system,” Aziz said. “We hope to consolidate feedback, identify themes that come up out of events, surveys and tabling, identify students’ concerns and perceptions, and really gather all of that not just for the sake of gathering it, but to act on it afterwards.”

Thursday, January 25, 2024 | 5

NEWS

University has yet to resolve graduate payment issues The University claims there is no systemic problem, but graduate students continue to receive late and incomplete payments Thomas Baxter | News Editor

ALEYNA BUYUKAKSAKAL | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The union continues to ask students who receive late or missing payments from the University to contact their social media page to track the extent of the problem.

Over a year since first sharing their grievances with the University’s administration, graduate student workers continue to report late payments. The University chapter of the United Campus Workers of Virginia, a union representing employees at universities around the state, posted on social media that payments for several graduate student workers, which should have arrived mid-December, came late.

The University told fellowship recipients of the Ph.D. Plus program, an initiative that aims to prepare scholars for long-term career success, that their spring stipends were to begin disbursement Dec. 15. When students received their stipends, they were several thousand dollars below the agreed sum, an issue that was not cleared until Dec. 22. It was later clarified by the University that stipends meant to be distributed as single sums were instead accidentally sent as a smaller monthly payment. While the problem was resolved quickly, graduate students remain concerned about the consistency and frequency of mistakes.

This issue is not new and UCWVA U.Va. has been vocal in their concerns for over a year. Over 60 graduate students reported receiving late payments in December 2022. The un-

ion immediately demanded answers from the University, stating that Student Financial Services was unresponsive to emails from concerned workers, many of whom had to alter their budgets to afford rent.

A majority of the late, incomplete or irregular payments that graduate students reported were for stipends, which are provided to most graduate students to cover living expenses.

While the University provides wages to all research and teaching assistants, according to union representatives, wages more often arrive on time when compared to stipends because they fall under payroll and are subject to stricter labor laws. According to the University, roughly 180 stipend payments that were supposed to arrive in December 2022 were received late, with some arriving after Jan. 1, 2023.

Since November, UCW-VA U.Va. has been sharing stories and quotes from affected students on their Instagram. One story, from graduate Arts & Sciences student Jacqui Sahagian, exposed how long these payment issues have been a concern.

“I’ve been paid late more times than I can remember in the last five years,” Sahagian said. “The amount of time I’ve spent contacting admin about my pay truly boggles my mind.”

Laura Ornée, UCW-VA U.Va. chapter chair and graduate Arts & Sciences student, said that the wage and stipend system also represents a larger problem with how the University views graduate students.

“Graduate students are continuously only seen as students,” Ornée said. “Whereas if we were to get all our pay through payroll this would be less of an issue.”

Executive Vice President and Provost Ian Baucom commissioned a task force to investigate the issue in January 2023. It issued its final report in May, providing immediate, short, medium and long term recommendations for actions to resolve the problems with inconsistent payments. So far, all immediate and short term recommendations have been implemented, with three of four medium term recommendations ongoing and the fourth, the creation of a new loan program, complete. Work on long term recommendations, which include changing payment dates for stipends and the development of a central system for graduate financial aid, will begin this semester.

Notably, the task force decided that the cause of the late payments was unrelated to SFS staffing levels, but rather miscommunications of deadlines and overarching bureau-

cratic delays. They also stated that temporary vacancies in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences had exacerbated the issue, though the roles had allegedly been filled at the time of the report’s publishing. Ornée noted her skepticism towards the task force’s conclusions, saying that if it were a simple communication or efficiency issue, it could have been solved already.

“It seems that [payment issues] just keep happening,” Ornée said. “So that tells me ‘Okay, you’re missing something, and clearly you’re not able to solve this with the solutions that you proposed.’”

Despite the report and the implementation of several recommendations, the union said that payment issues persisted into the fall semester and held a town hall meeting Dec. 6 to discuss their response, where they questioned the University’s allocation of resources towards new projects, but not towards graduate students.

Low salaries for some administrative positions has led to significant turnover for department financial staff and has required small groups of people to oversee disbursement to a large graduate community. After payment issues in December, the one SFS employee tasked with overseeing graduate disbursements was forced

to return from holiday to resolve the issue.

University spokesperson Bethanie Glover said that the University is not aware of any systemic issues leading to students receiving their 2024 Spring funding late. She added that students facing issues with payment should contact administrators.

“Any student who believes that an error has occurred with regard to the payment of stipends or wages is encouraged to reach out to their Director of Graduate Studies and departmental administrators,” Glover said.

“They are also encouraged to provide specific information through this issue tracking form, which is monitored by fiscal staff in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.”

Ornée said that the union is currently working on their response to the issue, but that students with grievances should reach out to them via social media so that they can track the extent of the problem.

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LIFE

The Cavalier Daily

Top 10 ways to get the most out of a trip abroad With winter break in the rearview mirror, prospects of travel rest on the shoulders of upcoming breaks … time to start daydreaming Sam Saks | Top 10 Writer

SAM SAKS | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Cavalier Daily writer’s trip abroad took her throughout Barcelona and around Spain.

As the excitement of the spring semester emanates over our snow-covered Grounds, the sweet vacation memories of the holiday season still linger. This cold winter may have some thinking back to the more tropical — or at least more temperate — times of winter break. For all of you marinating on trips abroad this spring or summer, here are a few ways to soak up all you can in your next vacation outside of the United States.

1. Eat as the locals do

For many, a vacation abroad means trying new foods.

However, vacationers will often search for munchies in touristy areas that lack real authenticity. To get a taste of the real deal, find at least one local market during your time abroad and grab a bite from a stand — or three. During my time in Barcelona, Spain this winter break, I weaved through countless vendor booths selling seafood, meat and baked goods. My favorite purchases were fresh bakery breads. Just by exploring local markets for a short while, I got to experience the slower flow of city life as locals placed their Friday morning orders.

2. Look up at the architecture

During time abroad, take in the unique architecture of the places you visit. Notice how building styles blend — or oppose — one another, and admire the painted stucco, stone walls and elaborate terraces around you.

I walked down balcony-lined streets adorned with clothes lines and Spanish flags while in Barcelona, each one giving me a fuller picture of Spanish life and culture. Juxtaposing these views were the exceptional works of famed architect Antoni Gaudí, such as La Sagrada Familia, Park Güell and Casa Batlló.

3. Get some History 101 on

One of the great beauties of visiting places abroad is not only seeing them as they are today, but understanding what they once were. Cities and suburbs alike are filled with rich, and often very accessible, history — take advantage of it. Devote a little time to visiting historic museums and exploring once-inhabited quarters. I visited the Barcelona History Museum, which includes excavated Roman ruins dating back to the third century, giving me an incredible snapshot of the old city.

4. Try out your language skills Depending on where you venture abroad, you may find that the local chatter is that of a different language. Though English is widely used abroad, trying your hand at a foreign language can help you forge connections and navigate the city. If the opportunity presents itself, try communicating in the native language of the place you’re visiting and see where it takes you. It may just spark a great conversation, get you to where you need to go or help you find a hidden gem in town. During one lunch in Spain, I utilized my basic Spanish skills to communicate with a Spanish-speaking waiter to order patatas bravas for the table.

5. Take the road less traveled

It can be tempting to play adrenaline junkie by attraction-hopping while venturing abroad. However, I believe that culture is best experienced in boroughs embedded in foreign cities. Make your way through various neighborhoods and notice the daily rhythm that surrounds you. I enjoyed exploring the Gràcia district in Barcelona, a neighborhood with six different plazas, each with its own identity. I arrived at La Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia just in time to see a group of older women dancing in the square — an unexpected and authentic find.

6. Explore new cuisine

Though you will explore local markets abroad, you will likely have most of your meals in restaurants and cafés. While perusing menus, make sure to order some food staples of the country you’re in. If they’re known for it, you better believe they serve it right. If such food isn’t up your alley for an entrée, take some bold steps for some starters. Since I’m not much of a seafood person, I enjoyed smaller no-fish staples — like patatas bravas, tapas and churros — while in Spain.

7. Venture outside the city

While you will likely spend the majority of your time abroad in the city you’re staying in, taking a day trip to neighboring regions via train provides a change of scenery and a new perspective. Swapping one city for another or opting for the countryside gives you a greater understanding of local culture and landscapes. During my last full day in Spain, my family and I ventured to Girona by rail to explore their medieval quarters and the Eiffel Bridge.

8. Seek out the local low-down

Abroad, you’ll likely need a taxi or Uber to get around the city. Don’t be shy during these rides — though they may feel like an intermediary process, drivers are often locals who are eager to talk about the city and its culture. Strike up a conversation and gain insight on the local ways of life. During one particular cab ride in Spain, I learned about the variations in dialect throughout the country.

9. Explore the arts

Nearly all countries have their own musical genres and unique dance styles. Ditch the AirPods during the vacation and seek out local music and dance. Not only will you better understand the vibrant art culture of the country, but you may just find yourself in the groove. I enjoyed watching flamenco dancers accompanied by Spanish and flamenco music from a guitar trio in the historic Palau de la Música Catalana.

10. Visit local shops

After trekking around abroad for a while, breaking the time up by stopping into shops is a great way to check out the local artistic talent and get some much-needed air conditioning. Peel off the road and check out what boutiques and stores have to offer. I was excited to buy a bookmark that resembles the stained glass windows of La Sagrada Familia. The best purchases are those that will remind you of memories abroad.

Thursday, January 25, 2024 | 7

LIFE

Despite its name, OK Energy start-up aims for greatness The new student-run beverage company hopes its energy drink will charge up Grounds Charley Thomas | Feature Writer “Don’t be yourself. Be OK.” It sounds like a cynical run at a motivational mantra, but it’s actually the slogan for the University’s newest start-up company — OK Energy.

The brainchild of Evan Nied, Jefferson Scholar and second-year College student, the energy drink business officially launched on Grounds and in nearby locations Wednesday. Nied’s product enters a competitive market, up against popular drinks like Celsius and Monster. Nevertheless, the team behind OK Energy believes that their comedic, outside-of-thebox branding will attract the everyday people they envision as customers.

Nied’s entrepreneurial project sprouted from an unusual source.

While he was creating a website to connect fraternities with DJs during his first year, Nied met Liam Shields, Delta Psi social chair and fourthyear Engineering student. Shields mentioned that his brother works in consulting, prompting chats with Nied about career possibilities in the field — a post-graduate path that Nied was considering at the time.

Shields explained that his brother’s consulting firm had been integral to the creation of Coca-Cola’s touch screen fountain drink machines. This consulting project piqued Nied’s in-

terest and sent him on an internet searching spree.

“I was [down] the Wikipedia rabbit hole, and I didn’t find the consulting company [responsible for the machines], but I discovered this little-known, discontinued subsidiary of the Coca-Cola corporation called OK Soda,” Nied said. “It was created to appeal to disillusioned Gen X-ers in the early 90s — like our parents when they were teenagers, or the Nirvana crowd, grungy, nihilist types.”

Nied wanted to give the failed concept a second chance — an idea that he believed was simply ahead of its time. After several conversations with his corporate lawyer father and alcohol-manufacturing uncle, Nied reclaimed the public domain trademark and decided to enter the most viable sect of the beverage industry.

“I realized that my only options were either sparkling water or energy drinks,” Nied said. “Liquid Death already has their toes in [sparkling water] — they’re already a comedic brand. With energy drinks, though, all the marketing is exactly the same, and the market is expected to double by 2030. I realized if [OK Soda] came out now, it would blow up and be huge.”

With an idea in mind, Nied set

out to form the OK Energy team.

He recruited second-year Engineering students Jack Deutsch and Ali Rizwan and second-year College student Maxwell Mitchell as company advisors. They support the business in several ways — most notably as artistic visionaries that help Nied develop marketing schemes.

The four met as first-year hallmates in Balz-Dobie dormitory, and they bonded over what once seemed like outlandish project proposals.

“Evan always had his door open, and he would run ideas by people,” Rizwan said. “We’d be walking past, and he’d pull us in and tell us how he had this crazy idea for an energy drink company.”

With a $25,000 grant from the Jefferson Foundation and the counsel of his fellow students, Nied began his start-up journey. After selecting the playful oxymoron “OK Energy” to serve as the marketing motif, Nied turned to his friends for advice about what buyers would seek in an energy drink formula. “[Customers] care about taste.

They care about caffeine content.

They care about calories. That’s kind of it,” Nied said. “Then I was like, ‘What’s the best thing on the market? It’s Celsius. What if we make a formula similar to Celsius and add

one more milligram of caffeine?’”

The first OK Energy drink on shelves will be “Meh-Ango” — a name that keeps with the brand’s trademark nonchalance. “Feeling Blue Raspberry” and “Passionless Fruit” are on deck for release, rounding out Nied’s first collection of 10 calorie, 201 milligram caffeine beverages.

“The real differentiating factor is the marketing,” Nied said. “We have ‘OK girls’ and ‘OK guys’ as brand ambassadors instead of supermodel Red Bull and Monster Energy girls.

We’re regular people — just OK people.”

To reinforce the “OK” concept at the core of the company, Nied plans to donate a portion of profits to mental health organizations that help people who may not feel “OK.” Until the brand generates enough revenue to begin donations, it will support mental health organizations in non-monetary ways.

“We’re partnering with a mental health CIO called Active Minds at U.Va.,” Nied said. “We’re going to be giving them a bunch of free cans and shouting them out.”

OK Energy will be sold in 30 vending machines on Grounds, as well as at both 7 Day Junior stores on

the Corner. Nied also wants to tap into the local bar scene to promote OK Energy sales.

“We are working with some bars to develop a special mixed drink called an A-OK,” Nied said. “It will launch at Crozet on February 8 and [will mix] OK-Energy, Bacardi, Basil sweet and sour mix, and soda water.

[I think] it’s incredible.”

While the University-wide launch of OK Energy may seem like enough of an accomplishment, Nied has ambitious aspirations for the brand’s future.

“I would love for this company to become a staple not just at U.Va., but [on] multiple other college campuses,” Nied said. “Long term, we hope to launch at Virginia Tech, James Madison University, William & Mary and maybe a D.C. school like George Washington University.”

Nied expressed that pursuing his business passion was personally rewarding, and he encourages others to take similar leaps of faith.

“I’ve spent thousands of hours working on this in the last year or so, but it has been one of the most stimulating and interesting projects I’ve ever worked on in my entire life,” Nied said. “Jump headfirst into it. Do things that make you uncomfortable but proud later.”

Renovated Alderman Library stirs wonder for first-time visitors The reopening of the University’s main library was a success, and students have arrived in droves to experience it for themselves Mia Tan | Life Editor At last — Alderman Library is open. The library has garnered a positive response to its Jan. 8 unveiling, praised for its generous seating space and reading rooms bathed in natural light. As students flock to its steps in the early days of the spring semester, Alderman promises to be an unparalleled study spot that will be beloved for years to come.

Students, faculty and Charlottesville residents alike can now enjoy the sparkling new building, the culmination of a three-year long renovation. The library offers upgraded amenities, refurbished furniture and plenty of study resources. Its proximity to the Corner and Central Grounds makes it accessible from many parts of the University, and a wide range of hours accommodates both early risers and night owls.

The library’s vastness commands immediate attention. Fourth-year Engineering student Morgan Small noted that, compared to Clemons Library and Charles L. Brown

Science and Engineering Library, Alderman’s architecture lends the building an airy feel.

“I think Alderman is absolutely beautiful,” Small said. “It’s very open and spacious … [and] a lot less cramped than Clemons or Brown.”

First-year College student Brianna Whitaker echoed this sentiment, describing how the library is more comfortable than other study spaces around Grounds.

“The ceilings are higher, and there’s more space to just move around,” Whitaker said. “Places like Clemons and [Brown] kind of have a claustrophobic feel to [them]. [Alderman] is a lot more approachable.”

Many students had anticipated the reopening of the new library, but none more so than those in the University’s graduating class. Most fourth-year students had never set foot inside Alderman until last week. Fourth-year Commerce student Ishyan Veluppillai remarked that Alderman had been mentioned

in his conversations for years.

“Older University students who’ve graduated always shared a lot of stories about Alderman,” Veluppillai said. “So I was looking forward to finally stepping in it.”

Small also reflected on the timing of the library’s reopening. For her, exploring the new library redeemed the troubles of her early college years, which were upended by COVID-19 restrictions and online classes.

“So much of my college experience [was] off-kilter because of COVID,” Small said. “My entire first year was eaten by the pandemic … so it’s really fun to be in this new space … It’s been a mythical figure until now.”

Five floors of hidden nooks might liken Alderman to the Greeks’ Labyrinth, but the library is hardly mythical now. Patrons are welcome to browse the library’s trove of books and archives, which is expected to fill gradually within the first few

months of 2024. Veluppillai looks forward to seeing what collections will fill the empty bookcases.

“I’m curious to see what [the University] will do with those spaces and how the complete structure will come about,” Veluppillai said.

For now, students cite one another as the primary forces that shape the character of Alderman. From establishing the ‘talking floors’ to finding favorite study spots, Small anticipates that students will fall into patterns as they frequent the library.

“I think that students will fill each space in a unique way, and this is something that will naturally occur over time,” Small said. “[Alderman] seems like it’s meant to be form-fitting to whoever is studying here.”

So far, students have had few complaints about the space. For Small, even the prospect of working elbow-to-elbow with someone is a delight rather than a nuisance.

“I don’t think that overpopula-

tion is really a problem, but more of a testament to Alderman being such a great space,” Small said.

Whitaker also commented that despite the flurry of visitors, the library’s pleasant atmosphere allows students to remain comfortable for long periods at a time.

“I wanted [Alderman] to be a space in which it would be easy for me to just come and study, and it was,” Whitaker said. “Even with the crowd.”

The outpour of positive comments about Alderman highlights the renovation’s success. From students settling into the University to those preparing to graduate, patrons are inspired and excited by the new space. Veluppillai and thousands of others now take full advantage of what Alderman has to offer.

“I think a lot of students are going to really benefit from this library,” Veluppillai said. “It’s the new place to be on Grounds.”

8 | www.cavalierdaily.com

The Cavalier Daily

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Teaching the Queer Black Novel

Student Council President Tichara Robertson serves the University in a new way this semester with her class on LGBTQ+ Black youth in literature Elizabeth Shackelford | Staff Writer

LEON ARCEO | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Robertson’s syllabus consists of five books centering on LGBTQ+ Black characters, most of which are geared towards middle-grade children and young adults.

Fourth-year College student Tichara Robertson serves as the University’s esteemed President of Student Council — but even when she is not directly engaging with students through the council, the experiences of her fellow students are at the forefront of her mind. This semester, Robertson will not only represent the student body, but also lead and educate them in a class of her own design.

Robertson’s syllabus consists of five books centering on LGBTQ+ Black characters, most of which are geared towards middle-grade children and young adults.

Last semester, Robertson took a class on pedagogy from the Cavalier Education Program in the Center for Teaching Excellence. This class allows students to craft their own courses that may later become open to enrollment by students. In the class, students are equipped with a variety of teaching strategies and techniques. The program allowed Robertson to develop her own

curriculum and design a syllabus based on her academic interests.

After successfully completing the class, Robertson submitted her course to the Student Council Academic Affairs agency for review and was selected to teach.

Now, Robertson is leading the class she designed on LGBTQ+ Black youth in literature and theory.

“We’re starting off with ‘All Boys Aren’t Blue,’ which is a memoir by George M. Johnson,” Robertson said. “It’s their tale of growing up Black and Queer and what sort of struggles come with that — then we’ll be moving straight into fiction.”

Following “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” Robertson’s syllabus continues into novels like “You Should See Me in a Crown” by Leah Johnson, “Felix Ever After”

by Kacen Callender, “Pet” by Akwaeke Emezi and “The Stars and The Blackness Between Them” by Junauda Petrus.

Robertson decided to teach these particular books because she hopes they will facilitate

thoughtful conversations about topics that often go ignored.

“The unfortunate fact is that a lot of books center whiteness — or a lot of the books that are elevated center whiteness — as well as heterosexuality,” Robertson said. “What we’ll be uncovering [in this class] is what do [books centered on Black and Queer characters] do? [We will ask] what themes are talked about and how we can translate them to the possible impact on Black Queer youth.”

Robertson chose books that were written specifically with young, Black and LGBTQ+ readers in mind. As a longtime fan of young adult novels, she wanted to legitimize the intellectual value of a genre that is often devalued because of its audience.

One of Robertson’s primary goals for the class is to teach students about the intersections of different social identities.

“Intersectionality is important. There are a lot of books about Black youth and a lot of books about queer youth. I think

that it’s worth discussing that intersectionality and bringing visibility to those books [with this overlap] that don’t have as much visibility,” Robertson said.

After reading and discussing each book on the syllabus, Robertson hopes that students in her class will walk away with a better understanding of the field of Black Queer studies and be better equipped for the conversations that go along with the discipline.

As a double major in Political and Social Thought and African American and African Studies, Robertson plans on using her own academic interests and experiences in these arenas to inform conversations.

“I will be adding context through talking about Black Queer theory because it is a relatively new [field of study] and [has a] long history of theory as a discipline in academia,” Robertson said. “[The course] has a lot of rich ideas about gender, race, sexuality and how they’re intertwined.”

Hoping that students will learn from one another as much as from her, Robertson is excited for the multitude of new perspectives her students can offer to one another.

“I want to be able to uncover [new ideas] with [students] over the course of the class so that when they come out of it, not only will they have an understanding of [the Black and Queer] experience, but also a lot more empathy and much more understanding of how to be a better citizen and a better neighbor,” Robertson said.

Students can enroll in Robertson’s 2-credit course — listed as INST 1550 in SIS — to learn more about intersectionality, literature and the queer Black experience this semester. The class meets every Monday and Wednesday from 1:00-1:50 p.m. and is graded on a CR/NC scale.

Thursday, January 25, 2024 | 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Swifties at U.Va. enter their CIO era Members of the Taylor Swift-focused student organization “make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it” Abigail Milne | Staff Writer The University’s most bejeweled student organization started with a Yik Yak message.

Fourth-year Batten student Olivia Beam posted a message on the anonymous sharing app asking whether other students would be interested in creating a Taylor Swift-focused club on Grounds. In a matter of seconds, she received a reply from second-year Engineering student Emily Spradley, a fellow Swift enthusiast who expressed interest in helping Beam create the group.

The pair began to brainstorm events to bring Swift fans together. They wanted to create a club for students with a shared love for Taylor Swift’s prolific, cross-genre discography.

After assembling their executive team, Beam and Spradley applied for Swifties at U.Va. to become a Contracted Independent Organization formalizing their club status. The application process required Beam and Spradley, now co-presidents, to document attendance at their early events, submit a list of their executive board members and draft a club constitution. The Student Council approved their application last semester.

Becoming a CIO granted Swifties at U.Va. access to University event spaces and financial support.

Rather than pay out-of-pocket for food and decorations — as they did for their first few events — the executive board can now apply for Student Council funding to help cover their expenses.

In the era of the Eras Tour and “Taylor’s Version” re-recordings, Taylor Swift is more visible than ever, and “Swiftie” has become somewhat of a loaded term. For some, the term evokes images of obsessive fan behavior and complicated conspiracy theories. Swifties at U.Va. deemphasizes this kind of Swift-mania. Instead, the club focuses on building community around a common interest.

Beam says the group is not interested in worshiping Swift — instead, they offer a space for fans to share their love of Swift’s work and “bond with other people.”

Only one semester after its serendipitous beginning, Swifties at U.Va. has quickly grown bigger than the whole sky, with nearly 400 students now in the club chat on GroupMe and almost 600 followers on their Instagram account.

First-year College student Julia Shuttleworth joined Swifties at U.Va. last September by accident.

Looking for the GroupMe chat for her dorm hall, she stumbled upon

the Swifties’ chat and decided to go to their “Red (Taylor’s Version)” listening party.

“It’s really great to just be able to have fun with a lot of people that have a common interest,” Shuttleworth said. “It’s a space that’s very focused on joy.”

With their new CIO status, the club’s co-presidents look forward to expanding this joy to even more students. Hosting events in spaces on Grounds will make future Swiftie gatherings more convenient for younger members to attend.

“One of the big things we were excited about with becoming a CIO is being able to book places that are more accessible for first years, because I know places like the Corner are a little bit of a trek,” Spradley said.

Achieving CIO status makes it easier for the organization to collaborate with other student groups on large-scale events. In October, second-year College student Quinn Connor — a Swiftie on the University Programs Council — invited Beam and her team to organize a “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” release party. Complete with friendship bracelet-making stations, a life-sized cardboard cutout of Taylor and a raffle for “1989” sweatshirts, the UPC and Swifties of U.Va. release party brought a crowd of excited fans to 1515 for the most highly attended Swiftie event of the entire semester.

Smaller club gatherings over the fall semester included a “Reputation Stadium Tour” watch party, a “Swiftsgiving” potluck and a winter semi-formal with plenty of Swift’s music on the playlist. At a cozy listening party held in Beam’s apartment, “Red (Taylor’s Version)” played in the background as Swifties carved pumpkins and baked chai-flavored cookies — a recipe Swift posted to her Tumblr account.

“We’ll have a whole in-depth conversation about, like, ‘what’s the most underrated song? What’s over-hated? What’s your favorite album?’” Beam said.

When asked about why Swift’s music brings people together, the Swifties at U.Va. pointed to nostalgia and the license to fully experience emotion. “[Swift’s music] continues to be something that you feel like can grow with you,” Shuttleworth said.

“It spans so many different genres… and yet you can still feel the common thread of allowing yourself to deeply feel things. It can be something really complex or it can

be an emotion that’s really simple, but [Swift’s music] allows you to sit with that for a moment.”

Beam calls Swift’s catalog “the soundtrack of my life.”

“A lot of people can resonate with the fact that we just listen

to Taylor Swift all the time. And I think it’s very unifying,” she said.

In the next few months, the Swifties of U.Va. look forward to expanding their outreach, and they invite anyone with an interest in Swift’s music to join upcoming

events like Taylor Swift karaoke and a “Lover” album themed Valentine’s Day party. Long live the Swifties!

MARIAM SESHAN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

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10 | www.cavalierdaily.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The University Salsa Club has all the right moves The organization is spicing up the U.Va dance scene and cultivating lasting bonds Delores Cyrus | Arts & Entertainment Editor

COURTESY UNIVERSITY SALSA CLUB

Showcase, which takes place at the end of each semester, displays what student choreographers and club members have been working on together.

While winter has brought a chill to Grounds, not even the cold can cool down the University Salsa Club.

Referred to by its members as the “spiciest” Contracted Independent Organization on Grounds, the Salsa Club is a completely student-run organization that celebrates and shares Latin dance with the University community. Offering everything from weekly lessons to lively performances, the club gives everyone the opportunity to learn and grow through the collaborative art of social dancing.

Since the group’s formation in 2006, its members have been dedicated to making dance styles like Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha and Merengue accessible, giving those who want to learn Latin dance a space to do so right here in Charlottesville.

According to Sidney Hubli, fourth-year Commerce student and President of the Salsa Club, a key component of the organization is its supportive and community-centered environment, sharing that it has brought her some of her closest friends at the University.

“I think the community that [the Salsa Club] has made is maybe even more important than the actual dancing or events that we have,” Hubli said. “We try to make a really wel-

coming environment for people of all dance levels, of all interest levels.”

This intention is present in the structure of the Salsa Club’s Monday evening dance lessons, where student instructors teach styles of Latin dance at varying levels of difficulty each week. The variation in the combinations that are taught gives everyone — from beginners to the more advanced — a place to comfortably try something new.

“You meet a bunch of different people, and everyone learns together,” Hubli said.

Hubli said that one of her favorite things to witness at these lessons is the confidence that grows in those who come week after week. She said that once the initial “spookiness” fades away, dancers don’t just feel more comfortable in lessons, but are also emboldened to take what they’ve learned to other social dancing events, or even to audition to become an instructor for the Salsa Club.

For third-year College student Molly Rathbun, becoming an instructor this school year was a way to become more involved in a club that has been “the best part” of her week since joining during her first year.

“Being able to introduce [others] to something I am so passionate

about — and am so thankful to have been introduced to myself — is so exciting,” Rathbun said. “ I want to make sure I can be someone in the club that makes people feel welcomed and excited to dance.”

Instructors like Rathbun not only teach the steps, but they also teach lessons on the cultural importance of the dances they do.

Sofia Posadas, the club’s artistic director and third-year College student, explained that each style of dance is introduced during lessons with an acknowledgment of its history, the movements and music associated with the dance, and how the dance may differ depending on where you are in the world.

“At the beginning of each new style that we teach, we give a background of where it came from, and how it got developed over the years into the style that we’re learning today,” said Posadas, explaining that the Salsa Club tries to blend the traditional with the modern when choreographing for the community.

In addition to weekly lessons, the Salsa Club also hosts larger events over the course of each semester. Already on the calendar for this spring is the annual Salsa Fest — a day-long Latin dance congress, slated to take

place Feb. 24, where professional instructors come to teach lessons — and Showcase, which takes place at the end of each semester to display what student choreographers and club members have been working on together.

Early in the semester, dues-paying members can audition to be placed into one of the Showcase dances, which are choreographed by the club’s advanced dancers. Once auditionees are paired with their choreographers, they have the rest of the semester to work on their routines.

“They become little families throughout the semester,” Hubli said, describing how close the groups get in and outside of rehearsals. “People go out to dinner, my [dance group] went into the hot tub at the AFC one time for fun, so you kind of become really close friends with them.”

As Artistic Director, the organization of Showcase is Posadas’ primary focus during the fall and spring semesters. While preparing for the event is a lot of hard work, she said it’s her favorite job she’s ever had. This is because she gets to see a semester’s worth of bonding and dancing culminate into an evening of impressive and moving performances.

Posadas said that the event is at-

tended by members of the community, Latin dance admirers and the family and friends of the dancers on stage, filling the room with an immeasurable amount of support and esteem.

“It’s awesome, everyone’s hyping each other up, it’s not a quiet room,” she said, describing the atmosphere the day of Showcase. “Everyone’s yelling, everyone’s excited. It’s really hype and it’s just so exciting watching it all come together.”

Like at lessons, a growth in confidence can be seen in the dancers at Showcase too. Similarly to Posadas, Hubli’s favorite thing about Showcase is getting to see these transformations in the dancer’s dispositions unveiled on the stage.

“It’s really nice to see a whole personality [and] confidence shift,” she said. “Which is just wonderful to observe and be a part of.”

As the Salsa Club warms up for the semester ahead, the group is thrilled to continue doing what it does best — fostering friendships, instilling confidence and sharing the richness of Latin culture with the community, one dance at a time.

11 | www.cavalierdaily.com

SPORTS

The Cavalier Daily

What is wrong with Virginia men’s basketball?

Two Cavalier Daily writers explain why the Cavaliers are stuck in the mud CD Sports Staff Currently sitting in a three-way tie for fourth place in the ACC, Virginia has fallen slightly behind the success of last year as the Cavaliers shared the regular season conference title with Miami. A 13-5 record is nothing to scoff at, but a 1-4 road record with four costly blowout losses is certainly cause for concern entering the gauntlet of ACC play.

Virginia’s losses are especially frustrating considering it boasts the nation’s second best scoring defense — yet simultaneously presents the 331st ranked offense. The Cavaliers have reputable scorers in senior guard Reece Beekman and sophomore guard Isaac McKneely but are seldom able to rely on others to carry the load offensively.

Holding an NCAA Tournament resume that would be destroyed with another blowout loss, the next month of play will be either a resurrection of March hopes or an indicting statement that the program is entering a potentially tough rebuild. Two Cavalier Daily writers assess below why Virginia is in its current position.

A roster incompatible with the system Michael Liebermann, Senior Associate: Virginia’s vaunted system depends on program continuity. It requires experienced players familiar with its intricate mechanisms, guys who have labored for years to reach mastery. This team lacks those players, a result of shifts in the college basketball landscape that have made player retention a difficult task.

The roster is loaded with inexperience, filled with players still acclimating to a system designed for maturity. Virginia has seven newcomers and only two scholarship players who have played more than one year under Bennett.

The unique packline defense is confusing, bewildering to anyone accustomed to a traditional man or zone defense. Getting used to Bennett’s patented defense is a tedious process. So is mastering the unique offensive schemes.

The word “inexperience” gets tossed around with abandon, but this type of inexperience is specific. This type of inexperience concerns not just age or years spent playing college basketball. It instead refers to years under Bennett

— whether a player has undergone the yearslong progression typical of Bennett’s greatest products. Few of the current players have.

The inexperience is not the fault of one individual. One could blame the current college basketball landscape, or the NCAA’s transfer portal, a formerly muddled process that was tidied in 2018 — triggering a mounting transfer wave. One could also blame the NCAA for removing the mandatory redshirt year in 2021 for first-time transfers, dismantling the greatest deterrent to transferring.

Without that deterrent, the offseason has essentially become free agency, a chaotic period of roster turnover. It has nibbled at Virginia’s ability to retain players and has made it harder to develop a core of stalwarts like the one at the nexus of the 2019 National Championship team.

This reality has dug pockets of gloom within a mercurial fanbase.

The system, some proclaim, is outdated. This doomsday conclusion is extreme, if not totally unwarranted. The system can still work, but it requires player retention — an increasingly difficult objective.

Virginia has, at the moment, the pieces of a future powerhouse.

In McKneely, freshman guard Elijah Gertrude and freshman forward Blake Buchanan, among others, it has a young group that, with time, can mature into an experienced lineup.

But that will all shatter if, disgruntled by lack of playing time, the young talent departs. It has undeniably been the recent college basketball trend, forcing some coaches to adapt. Bennett seems committed to defying this momentum, sticking to the system that has delivered a National Championship and two Naismith College Coach of the Year awards. Bennett’s system has worked throughout his time at Virginia, and it will continue to work. It may simply require more time than is left in this season.

Inconsistency with a side of optimism Connor Lothrop, Senior Writer: This team’s youth is a real problem. Beekman is the only returning starter from a year ago, and most other players within the program are either an underclassman or a transfer. Just 34.1 percent of min-

ALBERT TANG | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Sophomore guard Ryan Dunn soars for an electric slam dunk.

utes and 28.1 percent of scoring return from the 2022-23 roster.

That inexperience leads to a lot of inconsistency and mental lapses. Virginia lost their first four road games of the year by an average of 20 points, and the team seemed to sleep walk through large chunks of each. The team committed 18 turnovers against Memphis, an unforgivable number for a Bennett-coached team. Notre Dame ripped off a 15-2 run in the second half against a lackadaisical Cavalier squad. Wake Forest and NC State achieved similar runs late in the first half, and the entire second half of the Wisconsin game should be burned from memory. Virginia too often lets teams of a similar skill level go on long runs because those teams are mentally tougher.

Another issue was that during the three-week stretch where the Cavaliers lost four of seven games and nearly fell to middleweight Northeastern, they completely lost the ability to shoot the basketball consistently. In those losses, as well as the Northeastern game, their three-point percentages were 26.1, 21.1, 18.2, 33.3 and 33.3. Modern college basketball is a three-point based game, and it’s hard to win when you can’t hit the game’s most valuable shots. Worse still, this was on a very low attempt rate of just

32%, nearly 10% lower than their opponents. Too often, Beekman, McKneely and Rohde are settling for long two-pointers, the least valuable shots in basketball, taking contested three-pointers or just plain missing open shots.

The team shot much better when playing quality teams like Florida, Texas A&M and Syracuse and received all of the benefits of making three-pointers, like forcing the opponent to retort and opening up space for interior scorers. When misfiring, those benefits go away and Virginia is notably worse because of it.

Despite the inconsistency, the team’s floor is relatively high. Over their last pair of conference games Virginia vanquished archrival Virginia Tech in Charlottesville and finally got the monkey off their back by winning their first true road game of the year against Georgia Tech. Those two games have seen junior guard Dante Harris return from an early season ankle injury and graduate student forward Jordan Minor slot into the starting lineup.

Both games were close and neither team is exactly the best in the ACC, but they revealed a blueprint the Cavaliers can use to succeed. First, Minor will need to continue to play a bruising brand

of interior basketball — playing physical defense, rebounding and finishing passes from the playmaking guards. Then, the squad’s continuously stellar defense will have to be maintained. Virginia is ninth in the country in percentage of opponent possessions that end in turnovers. Continuing to take away possessions from other teams is vital to a team with as much shooting volatility as the Cavaliers possess. Importantly, the team’s shooting percentage also ticked up, with a bad game against Virginia Tech begetting a positive 1123 performance in Atlanta.

Virginia had a bad month. The last few weeks revealed a lot of flaws in the team, but this past week’s victories have restored some optimism. February road games against Clemson and Florida State, a visit from No. 3 North Carolina and a penultimate game at No. 12 Duke will make or break this team. They will need to win three of those four games and stay near-perfect against all other opponents to have a chance at seeing NCAA Tournament basketball.

Otherwise, another year of disappointing postseason basketball looms in the form of the NIT.

Thursday, January 25, 2024 | 12

SPORTS

TILOCK: Believe in “Grind Now, Shine Later” Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton will lead Virginia women’s basketball to greatness in due time Xander Tilock | Sports Editor Hired in 2022 to resurrect a below average program, Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton has established a culture of arduous discipline from her first day in Charlottesville. Virginia had long been a conference bottomfeeder, drifting into mediocrity after the legendary tenure of former coach Debbie Ryan and her multiple Final Four appearances. However, the culture is rapidly changing for the better as Agugua-Hamilton, a Herndon, Va. native, is creating tangible progress that will require multiple seasons to manifest in full.

The mindset Agugua-Hamilton has instilled in her players prioritizes progress being the goal instead of a short-lived result, phrased as “Grind Now, Shine Later.” Many players are quick to enter the transfer portal instead of honoring their commitment to a program, but Virginia maintained all of its key contributors from the 2022-23 season — a shining endorsement of Agugua-Hamilton’s vision.

Unfortunately, the team’s record is nowhere near where it should be based on its abundant potential.

Even coming off of a historic upset at No. 15 Florida State, Virginia pre-

viously slid through a brutal six game losing streak in conference play. The Cavaliers are far from even imagining the thrills of postseason basketball.

The season has been characterized by painful single-digit losses with a handful of blowout defeats sprinkled in on occasion. Even though the present situation is grotesque, the future of the program is the complete opposite.

For starters, Agugua-Hamilton brought in a local superstar in freshman guard Kymora Johnson. A consensus five-star recruit and Charlottesville native, convincing Johnson to stay home will set a precedent for other in-state recruits to attend the University. Johnson scored 35 points in the contest against Florida State and was just named national freshman of the week.

Johnson is flanked by four-star freshman guard Olivia McGhee — another top-50 recruit who is becoming a program cornerstone in her own right. Rival program Virginia Tech is clearly the best in the Commonwealth right now and is currently ranked 19th in the nation — yet valued recruits are beginning to choose the Cavaliers over the Hokies.

Transfers are also viewing Virginia as an attractive option, including sophomore guard Paris Clark — a McDonald’s All-American and the 2022 New York Gatorade Player of the Year during her senior season of high school basketball. Junior guard Jillian Brown transferred in from Northwestern and was a top-50 recruit in her high school class as well.

These budding stars all have multiple years of eligibility remaining and could very well develop into program cornerstones. They already all rank within the team’s top five leaders in points per game.

There is no question that the entire roster is loaded with promise, led by the experience of fifth-year forward Camryn Taylor and graduate student forward Sam Brunelle. Given all of this talent, one might wonder why the Cavaliers are struggling so much, but the answer is relatively simple.

Virginia as a team shoots a mediocre 37.9 percent on all field goals, including a less than ideal 27.4 percent on three-point shots — a mark that ranks outside the top 300 teams in college basketball. Moreover, many shots are simply uncontested misses.

The Cavaliers struggle to convert easy points and often lack the stamina to maintain Agugua-Hamilton’s aggressively fast offensive pace for a full 40 minutes of play.

Even in an 80-51 win over William & Mary, Virginia shot 41 percent overall. The Cavaliers are cursed with awful misses from wide open opportunities. Eventually, they will be able to convert those misses into easy points, as seen against Florida State.

Shooting is streaky in college basketball and unfortunately this Virginia squad has not held the hot hand for most of this season.

That offense is also sorely missing senior guard/forward Mir McLean, formerly of the prestigious Connecticut program. McLean has averaged double digit points per game throughout her two seasons at Virginia but is currently recovering from a season-ending knee injury suffered last year. Brown also suffered a recent injury, leaving the team without one of its most crucial bench scorers.

Considering injuries alongside the program’s youth, it is completely fine for the Cavaliers to be producing a below average campaign. McLean’s eventual return coupled with fur-

ther development from Johnson and McGhee — dubbed the dynamic duo of “O and Mo” — will correct the relatively simple shooting flaws of the roster and turn Virginia into a real ACC threat.

Agugua-Hamilton is widely regarded as one of the best coaches in the country — as evidenced by her leading an unknown Missouri State team to a 26-4 record and top-25 ranking in the 2019-2020 season. This year’s record is not what she had hoped, but as the team’s stars continue to develop and diligently improve each week, Virginia’s efforts will eventually result in greatness.

It is important to remember that an individual season is not the end goal — continual progress is the ideal process for the program. Agugua-Hamilton and her Cavaliers should hold full confidence with rising recruits and skilled leaders. The pieces are in place for a powerful program, but the goal lies in Agugua-Hamilton’s straightforward mantra. Coveted recruits and transfers trust Agugua-Hamilton’s vision, and everyone else should as well.

Men’s lacrosse sets sights on NCAA title once again With key roster changes, a mix of new talent and veterans have the Cavaliers aiming for the NCAA title Cole Huff | Staff Writer Following last year’s 13-12 overtime loss to Notre Dame in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, Virginia men’s lacrosse will once again embark on the search for its 20th ACC championship and 8th NCAA title.

Leading that effort will be graduate student attacker Connor Shellenberger and senior defender Cole Kastner. Shellenberger is Virginia’s second ever three-time USILA First Team All-American, while Kastner was awarded the ACC Player of the Year in 2022.

The majority of the Cavaliers’ offense returns for their 2024 season, including the likes of Shellenberger, graduate attacker Payton Cormier and junior midfielder Griffin Schutz.

In addition to these weapons, Virginia acquired McCabe Millon — NLF’s No. 1 prospect in the freshman class — as well as Tufts senior transfer Jack Boyden, who totaled 157 points with 69 goals last season.

Peering at the defense, Virginia looks set to keep other offenses quiet with Kastner and junior defender George Fulton. The Cavaliers also boast a brick wall behind their defense

in junior goalkeeper Matthew Nunes, who set the program record for saves last season with 213.

The central question about this year’s team lies on the dot, as Virginia looks to find the same success at faceoff that former midfielder Petey LaSalla managed. LaSalla finished his career with a program best 1,050 faceoff wins.

Coach Lars Tiffany’s answer seems to be senior midfielder Gable Braun, who appeared in 14 games in 2022 and managed a career best of 11 faceoff wins against Richmond. He missed 2023 due to an injury, but is now back at full strength.

However, there is competition at the faceoff specialist position. Two transfers — graduate midfielder Matthew Desouza and junior midfielder Anthony Ghobriel — will both look to start in that role. Coming from Binghamton, Desouza finished seventh in the nation for faceoff win percentage at 62.2 percent. Ghobriel transferred from Navy where he won 60.5 percent of faceoffs, putting him 12th nationally.

But it is not just players that have

shuffled for the Cavaliers, as Tiffany’s staff will also see a change at the offensive coordinator position. With the departure of former assistant coach Sean Kirwan, Tiffany has brought in former Lehigh University head coach Kevin Cassese. The two coaches go way back, as far as 2004, when Tiffany was head coach at Stony Brook University and gave Cassese his first Division I coaching job. At Lehigh, Cassese had a program best 136 victories and led his team to six Patriot League championships.

Looking at the schedule, Virginia’s first test will be Feb. 10 against the reigning Big Ten Champions, Michigan. Ranked No. 13 according to USA Lacrosse Magazine, the Wolverines will prove difficult for No. 3 Virginia with their faceoff specialist, senior midfielder Justin Wietfeldt. Last season, Wietfeldt finished fourth in the country for faceoff percentage.

Following Michigan are Richmond and Ohio State, two teams that Virginia handled with ease last season.

The Cavaliers will then face No. 6 Johns Hopkins – who will see its entire attack return from last season – to

kick off the month of March. The Blue Jays will be good competition for Virginia as it prepares for its conference games later in the season.

Virginia stays busy in March with six more games following the battle with Johns Hopkins, including games against Maryland and Harvard. The Terrapins will likely be Virginia’s toughest game during the stretch, as the Cavaliers have not defeated Maryland since the 2021 National Championship. Seven of the Terrapins’ point leaders are returning, and with new offensive coordinator Mike Phipps, they are certainly dangerous.

Virginia will open its home ACC campaign April 6 with a match against North Carolina, and it won’t get easier in conference for the Cavaliers following their bout with the Tar Heels, as next on the schedule is No. 2 Duke. The Blue Devils have many experienced players returning and have added Michigan’s all-time leading scorer, graduate attacker Josh Zawada.

The Cavaliers will have to fight hard for a win in Durham, N.C. Virginia will conclude the regular season April 27 with a matchup

against No. 1 Notre Dame. After falling to the Fighting Irish in last year’s National Championship Semifinal, this year’s match is sure to be personal for the Cavaliers’ veterans. Notre Dame only loses three players from last year’s championship roster, so the Fighting Irish will be no easier to beat than in 2023.

With the level of talent Virginia boasts, the Cavaliers will likely find themselves as a top four seed in the conference and thus in the ACC Tournament. Additionally, Virginia will almost certainly have an opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament come its arrival in May. Fans can expect the Cavaliers’ defensive prowess to be on display from the outset, but the backline group will likely need to buy time for a reshaped attack with Cassese at the helm. The games come thick and fast for Virginia starting in February, but Tiffany’s 2024 team has the coaching, talent and experience to make a serious run for the title.

13 | www.cavalierdaily.com

HUMOR

The Cavalier Daily

BREAKING — Honor Committee Implements New Sanctions Editor’s Note: This article is a humor column After the repeal of the University’s single sanction, the Honor Committee introduced additional sanctions to complement permanent removal — temporary removal, education and amends. Not everyone has been satisfied with these sanctions, however, some claiming they are lenient and undermine the honor code’s swift deliverance of Jeffersonian justice. To reestablish the true intention of the honor system, the Committee has begun introducing more sanctions, this time with an emphasis on honor in public spaces.

Since last week, the University’s South Lawn has been divided into five different sections for the Committee’s sanctions. Built with help from the School of Architecture and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, a set of stocks, a “scarlet letter” station, a boiling water fixture, a University-branded guillotine and a dueling space are now

available for the Committee panel to use for punishments.

Mario Antoinetti, McIntire School of Commerce Committee Rep. and second-year Commerce student, said, “The ‘humiliation’ element of the sanctions will help people stay true to honor,” while tightening the stocks around a first-year who used Chat GPT to summarize a class reading.

Antoinetti also mentioned that volunteering at the new sanction stations has been rewarding, a concept echoed by other Committee members.

“I think this is a step in the right direction. It’s a tangible way to see the work we’re doing benefit our community,” said an anonymous Committee representative while sharpening the guillotine blade.

While the Committee seems satisfied with the new sanctions, the rest of the University’s student body has mixed reviews.

Some view the new sanctions, like the scarlet paint that marks all honor violators’ clothes with the text “I’ve been a very naughty

wahoo,” as less severe.

Darden student Connor Shipton said, “I would take the humiliation over removal. I can cover this up, which means Daddy won’t find out! Yippee!”

Second-year College student Samuel J. Jefferson, set to be boiled in a giant copper pot as “people soup” next Tuesday, shared the following, “Yeah, I knew when I paid this total narc to write my essay that I would end up in hot water, but I didn’t expect … hot soup.”

Others are more than discontent with new sanctions, particularly the implementation of the guillotine which was unveiled during a ceremony Tuesday dedicated to Thomas Jefferson by the “Daughters of the French Revolution” Historical Association.

First-year Engineering student Bethany Bondhill said, “I was pissed because my friend cheated on an exam. Usually, he would be the only one punished, but since they took him out of the picture — literally — we’re down a person for our group presenta-

tion. We’re all being punished for his mistake.”

Dueling caused similar discontentment — especially among professors. Economics professor Robin Banks, who is set to duel a student next Tuesday over a cheating scandal in ECON 2010, expressed worry.

“This duel has taken a toll on my mental health. I thought I was prepared because I’ve seen Hamilton, but I’m so stressed that even reading Friedman isn’t making me feel better.”

Despite the evident toll on all involved, the Committee has stood by this sanction — after all, the honor system began after a duel so what better to epitomize Cavalier honor than standing ten feet apart and shooting at each other?

With the uproar surrounding the sanctions, many question whether the Committee will maintain them for more than a semester. However, the new sanctions do seem to be garnering support from University President Rim Jyan.

CARTOON Late Night Snack Kaileigh Proctor | Cartoonist

“At the end of the day, it’s up to the fine students to decide the fate of their peers,” Jyan said.

“Our bold experiment in student self-governance is reliant on the innovation of young people, and if they’re leaning towards the macabre, well then I say we all lean with them.”

Few are sure what the next steps are, but the Committee will reevaluate the new sanctions “as soon as possible,” with University groups such as the Jefferson Council eager to offer a helping hand in the process. Currently, that reevaluation is rumored to take place after the next guillotining on Saturday. However, given the Committee’s definition of “as soon as possible,” reevaluation could take anywhere from three business days to 180 years.

CLAUDIA HUNN is a humor columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at humor@cavalierdaily.com

14 | www.cavalierdaily.com

OPINION

The Cavalier Daily

LEAD EDITORIAL

Nickel and dined — increase the accessibility of U.Va. dining The rigidity surrounding meal plans discourages an economically diverse student body and forces students into disempowers students from making their own choices In case you have not heard it enough — welcome back. Back to school brings more than syllabus week. For many, the return to class coincides with the return to dining halls. Whether you’re an O-Hill or Runk die-hard, the dining halls are an essential part of the University experience. However, outside of food selection within the dining halls, the University dining system, managed by Aramark, fails to provide students with adequate flexibility. Specifically, the rigidity of meal plans disempowers students to make choices based on their own circumstances. The meal plan system must be restructured to permit more flexibility for students and to accommodate a diverse student body.

One of the problems with the University’s meal plan system is that it requires first-year students to purchase an All-Access meal plan with a minimum of 150 flex dollars.

The least expensive of these options costs $3,085 per semester. This plan provides students with one swipe

per hour. Many University students, whether for cultural or personal reasons, may not eat three meals a day or cannot afford such access. Thus, the University’s All-Access plan is overly prescriptive and excessive.

Unfortunately, the lack of accommodating meal plan options continues, albeit to a lesser degree, as an upperclassman. Students have a choice between the All-Access plan and three meal swipe plans which offer 160, 100 and 50 swipes per semester. On top of the base price, each of these meal plans also requires the purchase of at least 300 flex dollars per semester, meaning that basic access to dining facilities is contingent upon the purchase of flex dollars that students may not even use. So, upperclassmen are obliged to estimate the amount of swipes and flex dollars they intend to use — overestimate and they will pay for more than they need.

The lack of choice is more than just an inconvenience for students — it results in hundreds of lost dollars

for families. Consider that low income families cannot afford to send their kids to 95 percent of colleges and that meal plans, in particular, are known to put a burden on students regardless of economic status.

By limiting options for upperclassmen and locking first years into the most expensive program, meal plans become a financial stresser.

Dining systems provide vital services to University students. Such spaces are especially integral during first year because they allow students to develop support systems. Perhaps, then, the University requires all first years to purchase an unlimited meal plan in order to ensure that no student, irrespective of diverse socio-economic backgrounds, is denied access to these spaces. While this would be an admirable goal, the rigidity of meal plans suggests that the University is looking for an easy fix to a complicated problem. Instead of dealing concretely with the fact that vital socialization is effectively locked behind a paywall, the

University has dictated the terms of first-year meal plans to students.

Ultimately, this is an artificial type of accessibility that places an undue financial burden on students.

The obvious solution is to replace meal plan packages with a fully customizable system. This system is not without precedent — Virginia Tech’s meal plan functions like a debit card from which money is withdrawn each time you enter a dining hall and to which you can add money at any point. This system seems eminently feasible. But, we, as students, are not necessarily experts on what is best practice. We do know, however, that the current system is fundamentally unsustainable and inequitable. A fully customizable system is so blatantly obvious even to non-experts that we question why this solution has not been implemented. Whatever the reason, this solution should be an imperative to the University dining system to more clearly communicate the rationale behind its meal plans and to address the rigidi-

ty which is so prohibitive to student nourishing and flourishing.

The Editorial Board has been known to advocate for sweeping changes. But this time, we are not asking to overhaul an entire system or adopt new epistemologies.

The University’s dining system has strong bones — the food trucks are a win for students and local businesses, craving for Runk burgers last past first year and Ms. Kathy is beloved.

We are simply asking for options that better accommodate student diversity. Changing the meal plan system will not necessarily make college magically accessible. However, if we can knock down one barrier to accessibility, it is worth it.

THE CAVALIER DAILY EDITORIAL BOARD is composed of the Executive Editor, the Editor-in-Chief, the two Opinion Editors, their Senior Associates and an Opinion Columnist.

The board can be reached at eb@cavalierdaily.com.

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The opinions expressed in The Cavalier Daily are not necessarily those of the students, faculty, staff or administration of the University of Virginia. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the editorial board. Cartoons and columns represent the views of the authors. The managing board of The Cavalier Daily has sole authority over and responsibility for all content.

No part of The Cavalier Daily or The Cavalier Daily online edition may be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the editor-in-chief.

The Cavalier Daily is published Thursdays in print and daily online at cavalierdaily. com. It is printed on at least 40 percent recycled paper. 2022 The Cavalier Daily Inc.

HAVE AN OPINION? The Cavalier Daily welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns. Writers must provide full name, telephone number and University affiliation, if appropriate. Letters should not exceed 250 words in length and columns should not exceed 700. The Cavalier Daily does not guarantee publication of submissions and may edit all material for content and grammar. Submit to opinion@cavalierdaily.com or P.O. Box 400703, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4703

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS To better serve readers, The Cavalier Daily has a public editor to respond to questions and concerns regarding its practices. The public editor writes a column published every week on the opinion pages based on reader feedback and his independent observations. He also welcomes queries pertaining to journalism and the newspaper industry in general. The public editor is available at publiceditor@cavalierdaily.com.

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MANAGING BOARD Editor-in-Chief Nathan Onibudo Managing Editor Grace Thrush Executive Editor Naima Sawaya Operations Manager Honor Wood Chief Financial Officer Charlie Healy

EDITORIAL BOARD Nathan Onibudo Naima Sawaya Songhan Pang Dan Freed Scarlett Sullivan Paul Kurtzweil Wylie Brunman

JUNIOR BOARD

Assistant Managing Editors Hailey Chung Blaine Hutchens (SA) Catherine Kuryla (SA) Vera Woody (SA) Olivia Nammo (SA) Ella Kotok (SA) Mikayla Wolf (SA) Emma Carpet Assistant Operations Manager Olivia Winesett News Editors Finn Trainer Thomas Baxter Sports Editors

Ben Istvan Xander Tilock (SA) Grace Gould (SA) Micchael Liebermann Arts & Entertainment Editors Delores Cyrus Delaney Hammond Life Editors Mia Tan Kate Johnson Focus Editor Avery Donmoyer Opinion Editors Dan Freed Songhan Pang (SA) Scarlett Sullivan (SA) Paul Kurtzweil Humor Editor Wardah Kamran (SA) Adair Reid Cartoon Editor Sarah Elder (SA) Ada Malpani Photo Editors Leon Arceo Adaire Burnsed (SA) Alison Pike (SA) Albert Tang (SA) Tess Ginsberg (SA) Kate MacArthur Design Editors Lexie Gagnon Sarah St. John Mariam Seshan Chinese Translation Editor Huijing Zhu

Social Media Managers Covonna Bynum Bianca Blancaflor (SA) Halle MCCormack (SA) Cody Scarce Finance Manager Wilson Simmons Advertising Manager Will Peres Analytics Managers Elisabeth Bass Bella Binder Andy Lin Archivist Grace Franklin DEI Chairs Leena Fraihat

Thursday, January, 25, 2024 | 15

OPINION

U.Va. is ahead of the AI game The University has avoided creating rigid solutions to the fast moving problem of AI and proven that they are up to the challenges posed by AI Last semester, the Honor Committee found a student guilty of using ChatGPT on an assignment. This is the first time a student received an infraction for artificial intelligence use.

While the University’s AI policy must continue to adapt to developments, the Committee and University administration have proven that they are up to the challenges set by ChatGPT and other AI platforms. This success has in large part been thanks to their unwillingness to use a strict rubric in handling AI related infractions — a decision that allows the Committee to tailor its responses to the various ways students can use AI. It is time other universities follow our lead and avoid developing rigid rules on handling AI. When ChatGPT reached college campuses, educators feared that the new tool meant the end of original thought. Overnight, take-home quizzes went by the wayside, professors relied more on old-fashioned paper exams and universities were forced to grapple with unprecedented challenges. The University was not, and is not, immune to this struggle. As such, the Committee has spent a great deal of time addressing the AI issue. In March,

the University created the Generative AI In Teaching and Learning Task Force to help address academic integrity concerns regarding AI. The task force has faced a lack of guidance on how the Committee would deal with cases involving the use of AI. Prior to the recent Committee Case, the University community had very little information on definitive guidelines for AI use, much less their

trial without any use of these faulty AI detection programs. Instead, they relied on comparative analysis between the student’s previous work and the work allegedly produced with AI. This decision should fill students with hope because of the Committee’s careful consideration of how softwares were used as verified by humans, not faulty detection programs.

While some schools took sim-

guidelines on how cases involving AI should be handled. This ensures that students who use AI to help digest information are not caught in the same boat as students who access ChatGPT on a closed-book exam.

In addition to its versatility, AI is an exceptional educational tool. It can be used to help students, particularly those with learning disabilities, digest complicated information. Whether

It is time other universities follow our lead and avoid developing rigid rules on handling AI.” implementation. Despite this, conversations around AI were promising.

Committee members indicated an understanding of the benefits of AI, going as far as to say that some use of ChatGPT and other such softwares is not against the Honor code. Furthermore, they have avoided the pitfalls of AI detecting softwares by opting not to use these softwares as evidence.

Last semester, the Committee was able to conduct a fair and impartial

ilar steps to the University, other universities opted to define any use of ChatGPT or other AI services as plagiarism. I understand the appeal of these policies. They are definitive, clear. But sweeping policies and strict rubrics fail to realize both the versatility and benefits of AI. When you can use ChatGPT in so many different ways, why would every use be handled the same? For this reason, the Committee has avoided drafting universal

you are an economics major learning supply and demand curves or a philosophy major trying to understand David Hume, AI can play a vital role in helping you grow as a student. These are benefits that the Committee recognizes while maintaining the fair stance that AI is not a substitute for original student work.

Without a nuanced policy on AI, one that recognizes both its benefits and drawbacks, students and profes-

sors alike miss out on what is a revolutionary teaching tool. Rather than ban AI outright — a task which increasingly proves futile — universities should strive to create a policy that mirrors the University’s by allowing students to utilize AI while still upholding strict expectations of originality. By avoiding a strict rubric on cases where a student uses AI in an academically dishonest manner, the University avoids boxing itself into a corner on a complicated and ever-changing issue.

At the University, considerable time and resources have been poured into ensuring that each move in relation to AI is properly informed. Other colleges and universities would do well to follow the lead of the University and the Committee. With the first AI-related Committee Case now behind us, the cards have been put on the table — and it is coming up all aces.

DAN FREED is an opinion editor who writes about academics for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

Public transportation in Virginia chugs into a reality The Commonwealth Corridor is a commendable train of thought that revamps old infrastructure to support new demands Hecticness of post-holiday travel often forces one to reflect on transportation. This January, many University students, especially those in NOVA, took a train to return to Grounds. However, for students from Southeastern Virginia, driving is the preferable option. Currently, the only train route from Southeastern Virginia to Charlottesville necessitates a stop in Washington D.C. and takes at least eight hours to reach Grounds. This circuitous route is cumbersome and costly. Nevertheless, hope for a quicker train should not be lost — the Commonwealth Corridor project, overseen by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, is underway and will expand existing train infrastructure with an east-west Amtrak route. Virginians should applaud this project, recognizing the work done by policymakers to ensure transit equity and to improve Virginia’s train infrastructure.

Virginia has never been known for its transportation infrastructure, much less for its train system.

We use public transportation less than the national average because all of our rail-lines terminate in D.C. This means that east-west travel is inconvenient and expen-

sive — paradoxically, it is cheaper for residents from more affluent communities to travel by train as opposed to residents from less affluent communities. The Commonwealth Corridor project, which has only just begun, will remedy this injustice and link Southwest Vir-

the stated benefits, public transportation creates jobs in tourism, connects historically underserved communities to job opportunities and, most pressingly for college students, is cheaper than cars. By making train travel a viable option throughout Virginia, the Corridor

in Southeastern Virginia, there has been newfound interest in reviving the Corridor. Recent surveys demonstrate historically high ridership of Amtrak lines in Virginia, suggesting levels of demand that once again make the Corridor necessary. Given this demand for

By making train travel a viable option throughout Virginia, the Corridor is poised to bring benefits to Virginians.”

ginia and Charlottesville to Eastern Virginia with a rail connection.

Once finished, these train lines will benefit in-state students left behind by the current transportation infrastructure, in addition to Virginia residents broadly. In short, the Corridor marks an immense success in local transportation policymaking.

The Corridor is one of many projects that has emerged from a growing national impetus, led by the Biden administration, to expand transportation infrastructure.

Newfound national consciousness of and funding for public transportation recognizes the unending benefits of expanding and improving public transportation. Among

is poised to bring these benefits to Virginians. Construction, however, has not begun, so Virginians have not begun to feel the benefits of the Corridor. But once finished, it will bring into focus how central public transportation is for any community and reaffirm the Biden’s administration’s support for transportation initiatives.

The Commonwealth Corridor used to exist — the Amtrak line between Hampton Roads and Charlottesville was closed in the 1980s due to a lack of revenue. Since then, the Corridor’s feasibility has been debated every few years. Because its closure preceded urban renewal movements and overall greater interest in travel to and residence

train-based transportation, policymakers in Richmond have done well to prioritize the reinstitution of this line.

Despite the myriad benefits of the Corridor, some Virginians worry about the projected cost — the price tag is 416 million dollars.

But this should not be a concern — the General Assembly created the Commonwealth Rail Fund in 2020 which funnels revenue into rail projects. The fund accumulates roughly 300 million dollars per year, so the CRF will serve as the major source of financial support for the Commonwealth Corridor. A project of this caliber will not rely on funding from just one source, but the CRF will be cen-

tral. Virginia’s taxpayers will not be footing the entirety of the bill in the next tax season, but they will be entitled to the entirety of the benefits that the Commonwealth Corridor offers.

Good things come to those who wait — and the Commonwealth Corridor is no exception. This project will not only produce the aforementioned benefits but will also demonstrate the relationship between effective national and local policy making. By taking old policies like the Commonwealth Corridor of the 1970s and reengineering it, Virginian legislators have clearly not only considered the ever-changing needs of residents but also taken advantage of a unique, national moment for public transportation. In short, the Corridor is a necessary and infrastructurally inspiring plan which all Virginians, including University students, should commend.

SCARLETT SULLIVAN is an opinion columnist who writes about politics for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

16 | www.cavalierdaily.com

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