Thursday, January 26, 2017

VOL. 127, ISSUE 33

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017

Out-of-State

CHANGES TO ENROLLMENT?

In-State

see BILLS, page 2 LUCAS HALSE | THE CAVALIER DAILY

WHAT’S INSIDE SUSAN PLATT ENTERS LT. GOVERNOR RACE PAGE 3

LEAD EDITORIAL: TUITION TRANSPARENCY PAGE 6

NEW EDITOR, NEW HUMOR PAGE 8

JUNOT DÍAZ SHARES INSIGHTS PAGE 10

LINK LAB INNOVATES NEW TECH PAGE 11

2

THE CAVALIER DAILY

Bills seek to limit out-of-state enrollment Proposed legislation would increase percentage of in-state undergraduates, cut off in-state tuition-funded financial aid KATE BELLOWS | SENIOR WRITER A pair of higher education bills to be heard by the Virginia House of Delegates – House Bill 1410 and House Bill 1886 – could decrease outof-state enrollment and financial aid opportunities at the University.

HB 1410 would forbid Virginia’s public universities from using instate students’ tuition towards financial aid and require 75 percent of students enrolled to be in-state. HB 1886 would require schools to raise tuition for out-of-state students to make up for any revenue lost from a higher percentage of in-state students.

HB 1410 would specifically prohibit schools from using tuition revenue from in-state students to financially support in-state and outof-state students, and allows no more than five percent of tuition revenue from out-of-state students to go towards aid for other out-of-state students.

“Universities [like ours] rely upon this model,” second-year College student Zaakir Tameez, co-chair of the Student Council Legislative Affairs Committee and Director of State Relations, said. “If we get rid of that model, then we’re going to have thousands of students who won’t be able to afford U.Va., and the University will no longer be meeting demonstrated need for students.”

According to Tameez, it could impact the University’s financial aid system, which guarantees it will meet 100 percent of the demonstrated financial need of undergraduates.

Members of Student Council, including Tameez, plan to go to Richmond to testify against the bill.

“We’ve already informed Del.

Albo … that we’re coming, and he was very supportive,” Tameez said.

“He said, ‘come on down, let your opinion be heard.’”

Student Council held a meeting Wednesday, in which they provided students with information on the upcoming legislation.

“The overall theme was a general sense of distress — students are worried about the future of U.Va. and about their younger friends and family,” Tameez said in an email to The Cavalier Daily following the meeting.

“Their future is dependent on how the General Assembly session goes and how their legislation will impact financial aid.”

State Council of Higher Education for Virginia spokesman Gregory Weatherford said there’s a lot to balance financially with these bills.

“Our higher education system is a very complicated financial structure,” Weatherford said. “You pull something out of a Jenga stack, and it will affect the others, possibly. So you have to be careful.”

In addition to financials, the bill calls for changes in admissions. The chief patron of the bill, Del. Dave Albo (R-Springfield), said he penned HB 1410 in part to increase the share of in-state students at in-state schools.

“We’re just hoping that [in-state schools] can go 75-25 and then we can stop talking about it,” Albo said.

“It’s not personal.”

Albo said it has recently become much more difficult for in-state students to get into the University. He said when he graduated from West Springfield High School in 1980, about 32 people in his 600-person class attended the University. Now, he

said, 12 get in.

“It is now becoming impossible to get into U.Va.,” Albo said.

According to the University’s Office of Institutional Assessment and Studies, 61.1 percent of in-state applicants were accepted into the University in 1980, while 43.6 percent of in-state applicants were accepted in 2016.

If HB 1410 passes through both the House and the Senate, schools not currently meeting the threshold will have to submit a plan to increase in-state enrollment to SCHEV. The plans would be required to employ a phase-in method, with schools gradually working up to a 75 percent instate undergraduate population.

“By Dec. 21, 2019, no in-state tuition could be used,” Albo said. “[By] 2023, the entire population should be 75-25.”

Currently, the University undergraduate body is comprised of 69 percent in-state students and 31 percent out-of-state students.

Weatherford said limiting out-ofstate admissions could impact universities financially. He said out-ofstate students pay 160 percent of the cost to attend.

“Out-of-state students pay significantly more of the share of the cost than in-state students,” Weatherford said. “So if you limit the number of out-of-state students who can come in and pay more of the share, then what do you do with the rest? What do you do with that money?”

Under House bill 1886, proposed

by Del. Tim Hugo (R-Centreville), state schools would be required to increase their in-state admissions and to to make up lost revenue by increas-

ing tuition for out-of-state students.

Some University students, including Tameez and Student Council President Emily Lodge, said they are concerned the bills could reduce diversity at the University.

“The bills could drastically decrease socioeconomic and cultural diversity at U.Va. by reducing financial aid and our out-of-state population,” Lodge, a fourth-year Batten student, said in an email statement.

Still, Weatherford noted, the recent legislation indicates the General Assembly understands the importance of universities and colleges to Virginia.

“There always is a lot of interest in higher education,” Weatherford said. “[But] there seems to be a little bit more perhaps than previous years.”

According to Lodge, promoting socioeconomic diversity is an integral part of the University’s ability to reach its goals.

“The University of Virginia is committed to an endless pursuit of excellence,” Lodge said. “But excellence cannot be defined by socioeconomic status.”

HB 1410 and HB 1886 are both currently in the House Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee on higher education.

University spokesperson Anthony de Bruyn said the University will not comment on pending legislation.

Hugo did not respond to a request for comment as of press time.

Undergradute enrollment by residency, current and under proposed HB 1410 69%

Current Proposed 75% In-State

100

Out-of-State

LUCAS HALSE | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The proposed legislation would require in-state enrollment to be at least 75 percent.

University Democrats launch ‘First 100 Days’ initiative Effort encourages students to take action in response to Trump presidency RILEY WALSH | SENIOR WRITER ‘’Effort encourages students to take action in response presidency The University Democrats met Wednesday night to introduce a response to President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. The “First 100 Days” initiative is comprised of a list of activities and actions students can take to be politically active, regardless of party affiliation.

University Democrats President Brett Curtis, a third-year Curry student, said the first 100 days of a presidency make a significant impact.

“There'll be sweeping changes and executive orders, which we’ve already seen, and starting to set policy

and goal agendas,” Curtis said. “That really sets the tone, so it’s incumbent to the minority in both the House, Senate and in the presidential administration to makes their voices and ideas and requests and goals just as importantly heard.”

The University Democrats’ list consists of different ways students can involve themselves in politics.

The list encourages students to complete items such as attending a political march in support of a cause they care about and contacting their elected officials.

The list was written to allow for any affiliations, political or otherwise.

“We have a list of 100 concrete ways and ideas that every single student, regardless of party and other identifying information, can start to get involved and make a difference at the University, in Richmond and in D.C.,” Curtis said.

The meeting was designed to help attendees get started with their lists by providing paper and envelopes for writing to representatives. The University Democrats also provided lists of officials on committees of particular interest to the group.

Both the meeting and the list of activist items were designed to encourage students to be vocal in ex-

pressing their ideas.

“I think that [students] really do appreciate that there absolutely is a need to resist and push back, to do a number of different types of resistance movements,” Curtis said. “This is just another avenue they can start from home each and every day.”

The idea of speaking out was shared by students in attendance, such as first-year Engineering student Brandon Thompson.

“I came out today due to this general election and what has happened,” Thompson said. “I want to try and have some type of impact, some type of way of helping.”

The University Democrats see the list as a way to start students down a path of activism, a sentiment echoed

by Thompson.

“I think it’s a good start,” Thompson said. “I just think we need to be more reflective at ourselves and look within the Democratic Party at where our problems are.”

The true purpose of the list is to make a difference with civic involvement, according to Curtis.

“Find the things that are important to you and make sure that you are making your voice heard,” Curtis said.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017

www.cavalierdaily.com • NEWS

3

Former Biden chief of staff joins lieutenant governor race Susan Platt becomes third candidate in Democratic primary MEGHAN TONNER | SENIOR WRITER Susan Platt announced her candidacy for the Democratic Party’s nomination for lieutenant governor of Virginia Tuesday. Platt has served as a political and business authority in the state, as well as the former chief of staff to Joe Biden when he was a U.S. Senator from Delaware.

Platt has served on the Virginia Tourism Corporation Board, NARAL Virginia and the Bipartisan Election Process Improvement Commission for Fairfax County. During her time on the Fairfax County commission, Platt worked to train more poll workers and create a phone line for addressing polling problems.

“After the [2012] presidential election where there were long lines and machines breaking down, so it was a commision put together to see how can we effectively and securely create a new process,” Platt said of her role in the Bipartisan Election Process Improvement Commission. “We came up with a few solutions to mitigate as many problems as we could.”

Platt has also created statewide organizations Farm Team and EmergeVA to help the advancement of women in government. For a few years following her creation of these

organizations, Platt took a break from public service to take care of her family, but was inspired to return to the political arena by Hillary Clinton’s loss in the presidential election.

“I traveled all across the state to help organize forums and classes to help teach women to be better public speakers, to be more confident on the issues, and simply how to be more effective citizens,” Platt said. “And then Nov. 8 came along and I decided it was time to take my own advice, lead by example and enter the race. There have been 40 lieutenant governors in Virginia. Six Johns, four Jameses, two Roberts and one L. Douglas. No Marys, Louises, or Susans and I intend to be the first Susan.”

Although the Lt. Governor position has little opportunity to exert official agendas through their office, Platt said she would like to provide more opportunities throughout the commonwealth. “[As Lt. Governor] you can put forth some ideas … such as working at the local level in conjunction with the state to help close the opportunity gap and create a better opportunity platform,” she said.

Platt enters an already crowded

nomination race, with former federal attorneys Gene Rossi and Justin Fairfax also vying for the position.

University Democrats does not plan to make an official endorsement for the lieutenant governor position until the fall 2017 semester, after the primary election concludes in June.

University Democrats Communications Coordinator Virginia Chambers, a first-year College student, said the organization is glad to see more Democrats running.

“We are always happy to see many people running, we really love that the Democratic Party is so energetic, especially in Virginia,” Chambers said. “We really appreciate that everyone has their own ideas that they bring to the table, and it’s nice to see everyone so invested in Virginia politics, especially for the lieutenant governor position which can be overlooked.”

Platt intends to visit many college campuses during her campaign to hear ideas and concerns from students, which she believes is a way to create more effective policies.

“I think some politicians talk too much and don’t listen enough,” Platt said. “It’s time for us to sit down with

you and hear your views to say how do we form a framework to pass legislation that will be more beneficial for you to be a success in life.”

In the Republican primary, state senators Bryce Reeves (Spotsylvania) and Jill Vogel (Fauquier), as well as

Del. Glenn Davis (Virginia Beach) are seeking their party’s nomination for lieutenant governor.

The primaries are scheduled for June 13.

COURTESY SUSAN PLATT FOR VA

Democrat Susan Platt previously served as chief of staff during former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s senatorship.

Ed Gillespie speaks with College Republicans Q&A event highlights Virginia’s 2017 gubernatorial race MARK FELICE | SENIOR WRITER The College Republicans hosted gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie Wednesday for a Q&A-style event.

Gillespie, a former White House counselor to President George W. Bush, ran as the Republican candi-

date for the U.S. Senate in 2014. The campaign was against incumbent Democratic senator and former governor Mark Warner. However, Gillespie lost the race 48.3 percent to 49.1 percent — a margin of about 17,000 votes.

COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Ed Gillespie addressed the College Republicans with his thoughts on Virginia’s economy and healthcare policies.

Gillespie said he is running on a platform of economic reform, noting a lack of jobs opportunities in the commonwealth.

“We need economic growth, we need to make it easier for a small business to open up and an existing business to expand,” Gillespie said. “I want to make sure that we are creating jobs, raising take home pay and helping bring people out of poverty with policies based on conservative principles.”

College Republicans member Hank Rosser, a first-year College student, attended the event and said he thinks Gillespie’s policies will help the commonwealth’s economic growth.

“I appreciate the work he has put into creating economic policies that will vie to fix the current stagnant position of Virginia’s economy,” Rosser said. “I feel his campaign will thrive in the future as he continues to adapt and incorporate elements that will benefit all parts of Virginia from the southwestern tip to the eastern shore.”

Obamacare was also a key top-

ic, with the Republican-controlled Congress almost certain to repeal the law that became such a big issue in Gillespie’s 2014 senate run.

Gillespie said the Affordable Care Act damages the commonwealth and said he has had a replacement plan since his run in 2014. His replacement plan, however, would keep certain parts of the law, such as the health plan for children.

University Democrats President Brett Curtis, a third-year Curry student, said Gillespie’s past loss is a reason for him to not be elected.

“Virginians already recently rejected Ed Gillespie’s extremist policies and ideology when we re-elected Mark Warner for Senate in 2014,” Curtis said in an email statement.

“Gillespie was not the right choice to represent Virginia in D.C. nor is he right for the governor’s mansion in Richmond.”

Although there is a Republican primary race, College Republicans do not officially endorse a candidate until one is chosen for the general

election. In the meantime, they host a plethora of events such as this one to showcase candidates and their values, Alison Hiestand, chair of College Republicans and third-year College student, said.

“We are trying to get as many candidates for the Republican primary as possible,” Hiestand said.

“We don’t really take sides during the primaries because we may be working with some of these people in the future, regardless of where they end up.”

Hiestand said an event with candidate and state Sen. Frank Wagner (R-Virginia Beach) will be rescheduled due to a sudden conflict. She also said candidates Corey Stewart — who is the Prince William County Board of Supervisors chairman — and distillery owner Denver Riggleman have also expressed interest in holding a similar event at the University.

Lt. Governor Ralph Northam and former congressman Tom Perriello are seeking the Democratic Party nomination for governor.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

4

No. 12 Virginia faces No. 1 Villanova on road Cavaliers look to hand Wildcats another upset JULIA THOMPSON | STAFF WRITER The No. 12 Virginia men’s basketball team travels to Philadelphia, Pa. Sunday looking to hand No. 1 Villanova its second-consecutive loss.

The Cavaliers (16-3, 6-2 ACC) are on a five game winning streak after coming off a decisive 71-54 win against No. 14 Notre Dame. Despite a close first half, the Cavaliers went on a 17-5 run to pull away in the second half and secure the victory.

Virginia’s pack line defense held the Fighting Irish to their lowest point total of the season and forced the team to shoot three of 18 beyond the arc.

Senior guard London Perrantes led the team with 22 points. Three other Cavaliers scored in double digits — junior guard Marial Shayok with 10, junior forward Isaiah Wilkins with 13 and junior guard Devon Hall with 11. Wilkins and Hall also grabbed nine rebounds apiece.

Freshman guard Ty Jerome contributed efficient minutes to the victory, scoring eight points in just 14 minutes.

“The guys stepping up — you just have to have that,” coach Tony Bennett said. “Marial kept us going with some nice buckets, Devon rebounded and Isaiah shot the free throws well. But to get that [performance] from Ty was significant, and he’s been showing that in practice.”

However, Virginia will need another strong offensive effort in order to secure a win against the defending national champions.

The Wildcats (19-2, 7-2 Big East) will likely drop from its top rank after its most recent loss to unranked Marquette in which Villanova blew a 15 point halftime lead in the loss.

goal percentage and 6.6 rebounds per game, Hart is an efficient presence on both ends of the court.

In the loss to Marquette, Hart sat all but four minutes of the first half

In the loss against Marquette, Brunson kept Villanova ahead in the first half, scoring 15 of his game total 19 points. Bridges, who went into the game averaging under ten points,

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Junior guard Marial Shayok recently earned a spot in the starting lineup with his stellar play.

The Wildcats struggled offensively and settled for threes, but sank only four of 22 attempts from downtown in the second half. Marquette took its first lead with 46.9 seconds to play, and the Wildcats were never able to regain it.

In order to succeed against Villanova, Virginia must lock down the Wildcats’ National Player of the Year candidate, senior guard Josh Hart.

Averaging 19 points on a 53.6 field

due to foul trouble, but he still put up 16 points on six of 10 shooting.

However, in Villanova’s only other loss — to No. 18 Butler three weeks ago — Hart struggled offensively, going three of 11 from the field.

Other Wildcats to watch out for include sophomore guard Jalen Brunson, senior forward Kris Jenkins and sophomore guard Mikal Bridges, who are all averaging double digits in points per game.

had a break-out performance with a career high 20 of points. However, Jenkins struggled, missing all six three-point attempts and failing to score a field goal all game.

The Wildcats average 78 points per game, but going into the week, the Cavaliers lead the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 53.2 points a game.

Offensively, the Cavaliers have begun to find their rhythm. Despite

getting off to a slow start this season, Perrantes has scored over 20 points in three of the last five games and is now averaging 12.3 points per game.

Other Virginia role players have increasingly stepped up during the team’s recent win streak. Shayok had a career-best 19 points versus Georgia Tech and added 17 points each in big wins against Clemson and Wake Forest.

Bennett has placed Shayok in the starting rotation in the past few games.

“Coach called my name recently, so I just got to be ready to step up, and I just owe it to [my team] to be ready,” Shayok said.

Both Hall and freshman guard Kyle Guy are offensive threats as well, each averaging 8.2 points a game.

With his strong performance against Notre Dame, Jerome may begin to see increasing minutes as well.

Virginia and Villanova faced off last year at John Paul Jones Arena, where the Cavaliers bested the Wildcats 86-75. However, Villanova went on to claim the NCAA Championship.

This year’s matchup will no doubt be a tough one for Virginia, but if the Cavaliers can continue their offensive momentum and maintain defensive pressure on Villanova’s key players, an upset may be in the cards.

“Now we get a chance to go against a terrific team,” Bennett said after Virginia’s last game. “We’ll have to show up and play.”

Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Sunday in Philadelphia, Pa.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017

www.cavalierdaily.com • SPORTS

5

Virginia takes on in-state rival No. 19 Virginia Tech Women’s basketball looks to make a statement against Hokies ALEC DOUGHERTY | SENIOR ASSOCIATE Rivalry games in college basketball historically put pressure on teams to go out and perform their best, but when Virginia takes on No. 19 Virginia Tech Thursday, the stakes might be even higher for the Cavaliers (136, 2-4 ACC). A tough start to ACC play has the Cavaliers hungry for a big win, and the Commonwealth Clash against the Hokies (16-3, 3-3 ACC) is their next chance to get it.

“We try to treat it as any other ACC game, but any time these two teams play each other, there’s a lot on the line,” assistant coach Tim Taylor said. “Both team want to win this game more than the other ACC games.”

Virginia rebounded from threestraight losses at the start of ACC play with two wins but dropped a close game to Pittsburgh its last time out.

Though the Cavaliers have played fairly well in each game, they still haven’t found a way to win consistently.

“Basketball is a game of possession, and in our wins, we’ve done a good job of securing possessions, limiting turnovers and rebounding the basketball on both ends of the floor,” junior guard Aliyah Huland El said. “But lately we haven’t done as well in those areas.”

Coach Taylor has seen flashes of

great play from the team thus far, and he believes they can take a big step forward by correcting some in-game issues.

“I think we’ve been able to compete for a long time with some of the top teams,” Taylor said. “We’ve been starting to rebound better in these last few games. We just have to be mindful of taking care of the ball and limiting those 6-0 runs.”

The Cavaliers will have to continually play well if they want to have a shot at beating a juggernaut Hokie team. Though Virginia Tech has come back to earth in the ACC after being undefeated in non-conference play, this team is far different from the one that finished 18-14 overall and 5-11 in the conference last year.

Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks has the Hokies off to their best start in years, earning them a No. 19 national ranking going into Thursday’s matchup.

“Winning breeds success, and [Virginia Tech] has a coaching staff that knows how to win,” Taylor said.

“They’re playing with a lot of confidence. Kenny has brought that to the team, and I think that’s the biggest difference I’ve seen with them.”

Huland El also said Virginia Tech has a talented squad.

“They’re a hustle team,” Huland El said. “They’re very skilled on offense and defense, and their new coach has put them in the best position to score and succeed.”

Virginia Tech’s scoring has been led this season by sophomore guard Chanette Hicks, who is averaging 16.5 points per game. Perhaps the Hokies’ most versatile player is sophomore forward Regan Magarity, who is averaging a double-double this season. She set a new team record with seven-straight double-doubles in Virginia Tech’s loss against Florida State.

To have a shot at beating the Hokies, Virginia must have a better shooting performance than it did against Pittsburgh, when the team shot only 33.3% from the field.

“We’ve been shooting generally well this season — I think the last game was an anomaly,” Taylor said.

“We just have to continue to take good shots and get those extra passes so we’re not forcing shots.”

The Cavaliers and Hokies played each other twice last season, with Virginia Tech coming out on top in both contests. The teams will once against play twice this season, and Virginia has the luxury of home court advantage this week.

CALLIE COLLINS | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Junior guard Aliyah Huland El contributes to a Cavalier defense that leads the ACC in scoring defense which holds opponents to 53.3 points per game.

“I think in any season you have to be able to hold home court, because you know you’re going to play better there,” Taylor said. “We’ve had some big road wins and let some get away, but we have to hold it down here.”

Winning at home Thursday would be crucial to turning Virginia’s conference hopes in an upward direction, especially with a brutal upcoming schedule. The Hokies are one of eight currently-ranked teams that Virginia will play in its final 10 games,

so starting that stretch off on the right track Thursday will be crucial.

Thursday’s Commonwealth Clash matchup will more than just a usual rivalry game, as both Virginia teams will look to finally establish themselves as competitive in a loaded ACC field. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena Thursday night.

Virginia women’s tennis readies for ITA Kickoff Weekend Cavaliers host No. 19 LSU, Ole Miss,Wake Forest with implications for nationals RAHUL SHAH | SENIOR ASSOCIATE

COURTESY VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

Junior Cassie Mercer is prepared to start her season this weekend.

The Virginia women’s tennis team is getting ready for the ITA Kickoff Weekend Event after beating ACC opponent Boston College 4-3 in its season opener last weekend.

“It’s really exciting,” junior Cassie Mercer said. “We’ve been working

all fall and over Christmas break, so it’s nice to finally start playing some matches and get to compete since that’s what we’ve been training for.”

Coach Mark Guilbeau said the win helps set the tone for the season, especially because of the youth of his

team and the strength of the ACC this year.

“It’s very important ... really just from a mindset perspective for the young ladies — especially having a very young team, and especially because Boston College is a stronger team than maybe a lot of people realize,” Guilbeau said. “Our conference is obviously very, very deep and it was an important win.”

To start off the ITA Kickoff Weekend, No. 19 LSU will play Wake Forest Saturday at 10 a.m., and the Cavaliers (1-0, 1-0 ACC) will take on Ole Miss (2-0, 0-0 SEC) at 1:30 p.m.

A consolation match will take place the next day at 10 a.m., followed by a match between the winners of Saturday’s matches at 1:30 p.m.

The Cavaliers know that they are in for a tough match Saturday against an Ole Miss team that has started the season off strong, winning its first two matches.

“I would say [it is] an equally tough match [to Boston College], if not even tougher,” Guilbeau said.

“They have a good bit of experience,

their top players are a young lady that played pretty far into the NCAA divisional tournament last year, very strong ... [and] they come out of one of the best tennis conferences in the country: the SEC.” However, Guilbeau said the tournament being held indoors could be advantageous for the Cavaliers and that they must capitalize on the opportunity.

“I think [Ole Miss] is a bit more accustomed to outdoor tennis, so [I am] really trying to have our team understand that if we can really implement some of the strategies that help on an indoor court — which is a little bit faster, a little more offense — then maybe that can be an advantage,” Guilbeau said.

Now that the season is officially underway, the Cavaliers have begun to spend more practice time devoted to match play, in addition to working on their games individually.

“I think ... we’ve been doing a lot of match play and working on specific things that we see that we are doing well and also need to improve

on in the matches,” Mercer said. “But I think at this point, it’s just doing a lot of the same stuff that we’ll have to do in the matches and just getting a few things better from last weekend.”

With the winner of the meet earning a spot at the ITA National Team Indoors, there is a lot on the line this weekend for all four teams that are competing. However, the Cavaliers know they cannot focus on anything besides playing Ole Miss.

“We only play one team, and that’s Ole Miss.We don’t play anyone else Saturday,” Guilbeau said. “These young ladies have shown good discipline, good focus, good organization and most importantly, a hunger to be in the moment, play one match at a time and give it everything we got.”

Mercer also said Ole Miss will make for good competition.

“I know [Ole Miss] is a really good team, so I’m sure it’ll be a good match,” Mercer said. “I’m just excited to play.”

The action will commence this Saturday at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.

THE CAVALIER DAILY COMMENT OF THE DAY “People argue vehemently against monopolies yet want to promote the biggest monopoly in the world: the US public school system.”

“Tony XL” in response to Carly Mulvihill’s Jan. 24 article, “Revivng the American public school system”

LEAD EDITORIAL

Make tuition hikes more transparent The Virginia Senate should enact legislation to address rising college costs

T

he Virginia Senate recently introduced two bills addressing the drastic rise in college tuition costs. At the University, students have seen an average rise in their tuition of at least 5.3 percent per year since 2009. The bills would require public colleges and universities to be more transparent about tuition increases. If passed, these new pieces of legislation would offer University

students detailed explanations regarding tuition increases, as well as the maximum amount their tuition could rise in four years — rights which are long overdue.

SB 1405, one of the bills presented, would require public colleges to inform students of tuition increases at least 30 days before voting on the changes.

In addition, students would be able to publicly comment within the same time period. This

would allow students and families to know tuition changes have been proposed, to join in the debate and to plan accordingly. If SB 1405 is passed, the Board of Visitors will be responsible for improving the accessibility of its decision-making process.

The other bill presented, SB 1088, would play a key role in prospective students’ final college decisions and their families’ financing options. Students

currently run the risk of seeing their tuition rise beyond their budget over the course of four years. This bill, which essentially eliminates this risk by establishing firm caps on tuition increases, would provide students a sense of financial security before arriving on Grounds.

These bills come at a time in which the cost of higher education in the U.S. has increased at an exceedingly fast pace. While some of

these increases are justified, many students don’t learn about them until the changes are adopted. Even then, the justification of the tuition increase is often not disclosed to students en masse. Enacting these bills is essential in increasing student involvement in determining how much their education will cost, and providing them with the opportunity to make well-informed financial decisions.

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MANAGING BOARD Editor-in-Chief Mike Reingold Managing Editor Tim Dodson Executive Editor Carlos Lopez Operations Manager Danielle Dacanay Chief Financial Officer Grant Parker EDITORIAL BOARD Jordan Brooks Jake Lichtenstein Mike Reingold Carlos Lopez Noah Zeidman JUNIOR BOARD Assistant Managing Editors Lillian Gaertner Ben Tobin (SA) Evan Davis (SA) Colette Marcellin (SA) Trent Lefkowitz (SA) Alix Nguyen (SA) Grant Oken

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017

www.cavalierdaily.com • OPINION

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TRUSTING SCIENTIFIC FACTS

Serious institutional changes are needed to rebuild public’s trust in scientific community

J

ames Berg, the editor-in-chief of Science, recently voiced concern about what he sees as a “crisis in public trust in science,” the rejection of scientific findings by large parts of the public. This view is supported by public opinion data that reveals a widening divide between the views of scientists and the general public — most drastically on issues like global warming, vaccination, and the safety of genetically modified foods. Survey data dating from 1974 through 2010 also revealed public trust in scientists has been decreasing despite rising education levels.

This decay in trust afforded to scientists is a surprising and disturbing trend given both technological advancement and the significance of scientific findings in the creation and advancement of a modern society. Beyond the undesirable ignorance that arises when new knowledge is summarily rejected, it is essential that today’s citizens can make well-informed

decisions on matters pertaining to public policy, especially as issues such as climate change and pollution confront us with complex problems to solve.

Part of the blame for this decline lies with the media, which corrodes trust in science by exaggerating results and highlighting advice from non-scientific

clude increased retractions and irreproducible results. However, the risk lies not in healthy skepticism but rather in disbelief.

There are serious consequences to mistrust in science.

For example, suspicion of vaccinations in certain communities has led to a measles outbreak in California. Public policy, often

There are serious consequences to mistrust in science.

celebrities. Tim Caulfield of the University of Alberta also argues that frequent conflicting stories about health research leads people to regard health messages as unreliable. This isn’t to say skepticism toward scientific findings is wrong or that critiques of findings are unnecessary. Some legitimate problems with scientific publishing in-

times influenced more by misguided public sentiment rather than established findings, can unnecessarily add financial barriers to investment and research and prevent needed precautions.

A less immediate consequence may be reductions in government funding to scientific research — an action that would hamper future discoveries while

also undercutting our economy’s competitiveness.

Solutions for this problem must be manifold. For one, the issues in scientific publishing must be addressed, a process that has already begun. For example, AllTrials is an organization that fights to make research open in order to end cherry picking data. But what’s important is not so much to understand the results themselves but the method by which researchers arrived at them. Comprehensive education about scientific history will demonstrate the method by which new knowledge was obtained, how important theories rose to prominence and how new observations led to the revision of those theories. In addition, it will help disprove the belief that science deals with certainties, allowing the public to understand that uncertainty is inevitable.

Some have urged a more clear-cut distinction between scientific findings and the policies derived from them to pre-

serve the neutrality of scientific findings in the public eye. Jeremy Berg echoed this view by urging scientists against venturing beyond explanations into making policy or overhyping their results.

Whatever the method, it’s clear the scientific community must reverse and, at the very least, halt this trend. Trump’s presidency makes this all the more urgent given his history of promoting discredited scientific theories. The announcement that Robert Kennedy Jr., a prominent advocate of the link between vaccines and autism, is expected to chair a vaccine safety commission for the President is a troublesome sign that these views have not changed.

ALEX MINK is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at a.mink@ cavalierdaily.com.

REFORMING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, THE RIGHT WAY Affirmative action based on class omits residential segregation

L

ast semester, fellow writer William Wong penned a column in favor of reforming affirmative action. While I do not disagree with the aim, Wong’s rationale behind it fails to paint a full picture by ignoring other data which contradict his own arguments. Furthermore, his advocacy for an affirmative action on the basis of socioeconomic status omits the role of residential segregation.

In his claim against race-based affirmative action, Wong unsurprisingly cites the work of UCLA’s Richard Sander. However, sixteen different social scientists examined Sander’s data but didn’t reach the same conclusions. Furthermore, in an amicus curiae brief for Fisher v. University of Texas, leading scholars and methodologists find Sander’s study fails to meet the “basic standards of good empirical social science research.”

In fact, as Richard Lempert details, the overwhelming majority of social scientific research demonstrates there is no link between affirmative action and failure to graduate — something Wong’s presentation of data would have you think otherwise. Sociologists Mary Fischer and Douglas Massey even show minority students admitted to selective universities who scored below the institutional SAT average performed better and had lower dropout

rates. Education researchers Sigal Alon and Marta Tienda find similar results, demonstrating minority students have better graduation rates at elite colleges than their least-selective counterparts in spite of their initial and perceived disadvantage. In another study, Harvard’s Mario Small and Christopher Winship come to similar

tion and the American Psychological Association filed amicus curiae briefs in support of preserving race-based affirmative action.

Wong goes on to consider alternatives to affirmative action. One of those alternatives is class-based affirmative action, an option I also previously supported. While I certainly do not

If the nation seeks to resolve inequalities, then it is imperative that alleviatory measures address the effect of residential segregation on educational opportunity.

conclusions, particularly with respect to black students.

Now, it is not just these aforementioned scholars who reject the notion that affirmative action harms minority students in general. In an amicus curiae brief for the Fisher v. University of Texas case, 823 social scientists argued in favor of preserving race-based affirmative action.

Moreover, The American Educational Research Association, the American Statistical Association, the American Political Science Association, the American Anthropological Association, the American Sociological Associa-

deny the successes of class-based preferences to preserve diversity in some institutions, the broad application of such preferences merits further research because class-based affirmative action presumes that all socioeconomically disadvantaged students are equally disadvantaged. However, this is far from true. Researchers at Stanford found lower-income White Americans tend to reside in middle-income neighborhoods.

This prevalence advantages the lower-income white students by providing them access to the resources typically available to middle-income students. On the other

hand, the researchers found lower-income black students tend to live in neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty, limiting them from the middle-class resources available to lower-income whites. Likewise, middle-income blacks also tend to live in neighborhoods with high concentrations of poverty, resulting in similar disadvantages.

If measured by income, affirmative action based on socioeconomic status would often disproportionately benefit Whites because poor whites are able to reap the benefits of living in middle-income communities. This is displayed in data from The College Board, which shows that, at every income level, whites outperform blacks on the SAT, a significant factor in college admissions.

Accordingly, rather than an affirmative action based on income, we should strive for an affirmative action based on zip code. A growing body of data have shown one’s zip code is the greatest predictor of life outcomes, including educational attainment and health.

Affirmative action meant to counter the effects of residential segregation by focusing on zip codes achieves what an affirmative action based on socioeconomic status is meant to accomplish: provide the nation’s most underprivileged with a better shot at upward mobility and the American

Dream. Aside from benefitting blacks and Hispanics, a zip codebased affirmative action would aid lower-income whites that live in income-segregated communities (e.g., Appalachian whites) and avoid the “negative action” (i.e., “Asian tax”) referenced by Wong.

By citing only data where minority students are found to be underperforming, Wong effectively — intentionally or unintentionally — aggrandizes the issue of mismatch. Perhaps some minority students admitted under affirmative action do underperform, but to portray this occurrence as the general trend is to be remiss of much data demonstrating the positive effect it has had for many minorities. Moreover, to base affirmative action solely on class hides the reality that the white poor have an upper hand over the black poor. If the nation seeks to resolve inequalities, then it is imperative that alleviatory measures address the effect of residential segregation on educational opportunity.

ALEXANDER ADAMES is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at a.adames@cavalierdaily.com.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

H HUMOR Y

ou know who’s nominated.

You know who’s hosting.

You think you know who the winners will be. But that knowledge isn’t going to be enough to get you through hours of conversation during an Oscar viewing party that’s sure to last longer than the lifespan of most birds and small mammals. Lucky for you, I’m here to give you the lowdown on Oscar season and serve up the gossip that everyone’s been buzzing about. Read on for all the Oscars dirt you need to know to impress your friends this February.

Biggest Awards Snub: Oscar Isaac Film lovers everywhere are

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A DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO 2017 OSCAR SEASON up in arms about the absence of Oscar Isaac from the nominee list for the 2017 Academy Awards. A world-renowned stage and screen presence, known for playing Romeo that one time and for voicing a character in a new podcast that stars Ross from “Friends,” Isaac did not receive an Academy Award nomination, will not serve as a presenter at the ceremony and, worst of all, did not even receive an invitation to attend the show. Rumor has it, Isaac will be watching the Oscars alone in his apartment with his goldfish, Wayne. Watch out if your Oscar viewing party guests seem blue this year — you’ll have to be prepared for Oscar Isaac fans who find this year’s awards more than a little bittersweet.

Least Promising Actor: Oscar the Grouch Known for appearing as himself on hit television show “Sesame Street” and in one short Jap-

anese Xerox commercial, Oscar the Grouch was a fixture at film auditions this year, yet was somehow completely absent from the silver screen. Has the epic box office flop “The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland” completely killed the Grouch’s chances as a leading man? Or has his crotchety personality made him impossible to work with? Either way, you can wow your Oscar guests with the inside scoop that the Grouch and his best friend, earthworm Slimey, may be packing up the trash can and making a career change in 2017.

Best Party Snack: Oscar Mayer Meats Whether you’re watching the Oscars from sunny California or the frozen tundra of North Dakota, Oscar Mayer has a meat product that will keep your awards show guests satisfied as you brave hours of acceptance speeches and lame jokes made by a very tipsy Jimmy Kimmel. Tuck

into a tried and true Oscar Mayer wiener, or mix it up with a cold cut tray piled high with delicious bologna. For those of you expecting a hip, young crowd, stock up on Lunchables now — they’ll be completely sold out by the time the big day is here.

Most Likely to Get Upset When “La La Land” Wins All the Awards: My Uncle Oscar My Uncle Oscar loves the Academy Awards. But he hates when popular fan favorites beat out indie films. My biggest piece of advice is to avoid inviting my Uncle Oscar to your viewing party. No matter how much he begs, do not invite my Uncle Oscar to stop by, eat a yummy bologna and watch a few minutes of the Oscars. Even if he promises not to make a scene, I guarantee you that he will catch a glimpse of Damien Chazelle’s pale face during the broadcast and become enraged. He will smash your remote, getting plas-

tic and battery acid all over your cold cuts. He will then shout, “What more do you want, Damien Chazelle? What more could we possibly give you? A Lifetime Achievement Award? The key to the city of Los Angeles? MERYL STREEP’S BIG TOE?!” If your party was not already ruined by the battery acid meat situation, it will then be ruined when my Uncle Oscar lays on the floor, screaming praises of “Moonlight” in an effort to drown out the sound of “La La Land” winning Best Picture.

You’re now as ready as you’ll ever be for the 2017 Oscars. But remember, awards season doesn’t end in March — stay tuned for updates about a certain Frosted Flakes-loving tiger who is rumored to be hosting the upcoming 2017 Tony Awards.

LUCIE LYON is a Humor writer.

NO MORE JOKES T

o all five of the people who regularly read this page: hello. My name is Brennan Lee, and I am the new editor for the Humor section here at The Cavalier Daily. If you’re wondering who the old editor was, her name was Nancy-Wren, and yes, I am what you would call a “step-down” from her.

Some people believe Humor doesn’t really have a place in any legitimate news organization, and I do see the merit in that opinion.

After all, our articles don’t necessarily report the facts of a story, and our objective isn’t necessarily to tell the truth or offer a serious

opinion or perspective on an issue. At this point, you’re probably thinking, Wow, this guy makes a great point — he is a step down.

Often times, satirical or comedic news outlets are accused of having a blatantly liberal bias, or of using sarcasm as an excuse to mischaracterize facts, or of pushing the boundaries too far and offending more people than they amuse.

Many would say that we’re better off not even trying to make people laugh than risking them calling us names on Twitter.

In light of all this, that is why there will be no more jokes within The Cavalier Daily.

Did you think that last line was a joke? Absolutely not. Knock it off, stop laughing, someone might be offended you’re having a better time than them. Sure, this page will be the “Humor section,” but only in name. Instead of parodies or humorous critiques, you’ll be served a dish of facts, and we’re serving them cold and hard.

Don’t you dare laugh at the word “hard.” I don’t mean we’re going to make concrete contact with you when we serve those facts, I mean it’s going to be direct and revelating. I swear, if you placed any kind of connotation on the word “hard,” then I’m personally

outraged. Get your mind out of the gutter and back to this girthy article.

Make fun of the president? I think not; if he got his feelings hurt, how would I ever apologize to him — I don’t have his number, even if I do have his Twitter.

Fake-break a fake story about fake people within the University? I don’t trust people to be able to understand it’s a joke, even if this is a community of trust. Come up with something original? Next thing you know someone reads the original piece and thinks: “Hey, I had the same idea, what a coincidence.”

Forget about it.

It’s 2017, readers. If 2016 was the year of post-truth, then this is the year of post-fun. The law now is only laughable if everyone else is laughing. To the smart-alecs who read that and immediately thought “But if everyone is waiting for everyone else to laugh, then nobody will:” way to show up late to the party, that’s the point.

Everyone not offended? Good.

I’ve done my job.

BRENNAN LEE is the Humor editor.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017

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Junot Díaz gives a brief, wondrous speech U.Va.’s writer-in-residence shows off a hilarious, bold personality DAN GOFF | ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

“So I forgot the books,” Junot Díaz said to the packed audience of the Newcomb Ballroom shortly after walking onstage. This comment received some laughs until Díaz’s straight face made it clear he wasn’t joking. “Can someone lend me a book? I’ll take whatever book you have.”

Wednesday night, famed Dominican-American author Junot Díaz delivered a hilarious, unorthodox and gripping presentation to an audience of University students and faculty. Díaz, a recipient of several awards — most notably the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award — is the latest of U.Va.’s Kapnick Writers-in-Residence. Díaz will be on Grounds through Feb. 11, during which he will visit several classes, hold a conversation and deliver a lecture.

Díaz structured the book reading in an unusual way, starting with a question and answer forum. Then, he read an excerpt from his short story collection “This is How You Lose Her,” took more questions and wrapped up with an excerpt from fan-favorite “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” Both readings were short compared to the question and answer segments, the latter of which proved Díaz to be a public speaker with incredible wit, wisdom and power.

One of the first things the author did to kick off the questions and answers was get a feel for the demographics of the room.

“Anyone here from Jersey? …

What about Latinos? ... Do we have any immigrants?” Díaz said.

He seemed mostly pleased with the turnout, though he added that “U.Va. could do a little more with their recruiting.”

Nearly every question directed at Díaz involved writing or art, and the author had plenty to say on both topics.

“We’re not here to make friends,” he said, referring to the role of writers. “The reality of who we are is often very difficult to tolerate … if we learn to tolerate imperfections in fiction, we can learn to tolerate ourselves.”

Díaz’s advice to aspiring undergraduate writers may seem a bit strange, when taken out of context — “F—k the writing,” he declared, before going on to explain that a college student’s responsibilities were too stressful without factoring in creative writing.

“Do the things which will always make great artists — read and live.

Hey, listen — forget the writing. Take two years off from writing,” Díaz said.

He was also very candid about how his editing and writing processes differ as a minority writing about minorities.

“I’m writing literary fiction about Dominicans and [the editors] are

like, ‘We’ll sell 11 copies,’” Díaz said.

Díaz also went on to say that he had still received backlash as a Dominican-American writer.

“At almost every level as a writer, I’ve encountered hostility … when you speak Spanish, so many people are automatically hostile to you,” he said.

Díaz added that he had never let this hostility stop him or even slow him down. When a student asked him how to thrive as a person of color in the current environment, he said,

“There is nothing society throws at you that you cannot overcome.”

He then instructed the student to reflect on their child self, “Turn to that young person who made your present possible … you’re gonna need her to survive this.”

He also openly admitted his fear — about writing, about the political climate, about everything.

“I’m chickens—t,” Díaz said.

“Everything frightens me.”

But he didn’t end his lecture on a note of fear. Instead, he left the audi-

ence with an inspiring metaphor.

“What you need to do is look downhill … some people have it much worse,” Díaz said. “When I look downhill instead of uphill, I feel solidarity. We [oppressed groups] are the majority of the planet. We are in good company … that’s been a great source of hope and faith for me.”

True to his character, he finished by saying, “I ain’t giving up. And my a— is old.”

PAUL BURKE | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Junot Díaz delivers the first of several speeches as the Kapnick Writer-in-Residence.

‘20th Century Women’ explores females’ role in ‘70s Mike Mills’s latest mixes nostalgia with progressivism DARBY DELANEY | SENIOR ASSOCIATE It’s 1979. Punk finally enters the mainstream. Jimmy Carter accuses Americans of losing their moral centers. The Reagan administration, the AIDS crisis and climate change are on the brink of

changing the nation.

Mike Mills’s latest film, “20th Century Women,” takes a compelling snapshot of this cultural metamorphosis while presenting a poignant celebration of feminin-

COURTESY A244

Dorothea (Annette Bening) mentors her son, Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann).

ity. Dorothea (Annette Bening) is a Santa Barbaran single mother.

While open to new experiences, she feels distant from the modern world — particularly with the punk subculture.

Dorothea’s inability to fully embrace the changing society prompts her to recruit Abbie (Greta Gerwig) and Julie (Elle Fanning) to help raise her teenage son, Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann). Abbie is a young photographer and tenant of Dorothea’s house, and Julie is Jamie’s provocative neighbor who insists on keeping their relationship platonic. This somewhat contrived parenting endeavor results in dialogues about sex, lessons on how to look cool smoking a cigarette and sharing feminist texts.

The film transcends the coming-of-age genre, focusing less on Jamie than on the three women

who galvanize him into maturation. Jamie is mostly passive as the females imbue his life with music, nature and passion.

“20th Century Women” takes a conversational approach to storytelling. Montages from the 1970s often interrupt the series of disjointed vignettes. These historical references coalesce into an illustration of how individuals are tied to cultural touchstones — a curious Julie reads Judy Blume’s “Forever…” and a nostalgic Dorothea fantasizes about Humphrey Bogart.

While each maternal figure could have molded to archetypes, their nuances become integral to the characters’ personalities. Fully realized depictions of femininity are pervasive in the film, and Bening, Gerwig and Fanning put on riveting performances.

Mills’s ability to create a universal story is remarkable. He employs voiceovers to offer insight into each character’s future. Some characters remain in touch, while others drift apart despite their bonds. Seeing their dissipated connections is surprisingly hopeful, as Mills invites the viewer to ponder how relationships mold the trajectory of their lives. Regardless how fleeting these relationships may be, their impacts are lingering.

From the archival footage to the stunning Californian backdrop, Mills assembles this love letter to the past with astute tenderness.

The craftsmanship alone is worth the price of admission, but with its sensitive portrait of resilient women, “20th Century Women” cements itself as an extraordinary cinematic gift.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2017

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Engineering smart houses, driverless cars Link lab takes interdisciplinary approach to cyber-physical systems research KATE LEWIS | HEALTH AND SCIENCE EDITOR

University Engineering enters into the world of cyber-physical systems (CPS) research with the construction of the Link Lab, an interdisciplinary space designed to facilitate studies relating to the implementation of “smart” systems into daily life.

CPS can take the form of anything from a smart home to a water treatment system.

“Autonomous vehicles is one classic example of a cyber-physical system,” Kamin Whitehouse, director of the Link Lab, said.

“Cars drive themselves — they sense the world, process it and they decide what to do next.”

The University’s interest in expanding its research into CPS began with Jack Stankovic, said Pam Norris, executive associate dean for research at the Engineering school. Stankovic, the University’s BP America professor based in the Department of Computer Science, sits on the steering committee of the Link Lab. Whitehouse, a Commonwealth associate professor in the Department of Computer Science, and other professors expressed sufficient interest in the

school’s CPS opportunities to convince the Engineering school to make the Link lab their primary investment for the year.

“It was very much organically driven,” Norris said. “The nine department chairs across the School of Engineering, working together, decided this was the one area they would recommend for significant investment the next year.”

The construction of the lab’s physical space should be completed by the end of the calendar year.

“We are designing a new space, and it will house over 150 researchers in this area,” Whitehouse said. “It’s the first space of its kind in the Engineering school, and we think it’s the future of engineering.”

Even without a finished lab space, Whitehouse and his interdisciplinary team of researchers are currently working on a number of creative CPS projects — three of which have won awards from the National Science Foundation.

The Link lab has three main focus areas of research — wireless health, smart cities and autonomous robots, Whitehouse said.

Wireless health systems use

wireless technology to improve health outcomes. They can take the form of devices like body sensor networks or an artificial pancreas.

Jon Goodall, assistant director of the lab, is currently working on a smart city project in which he uses high-resolution sensing and intelligent algorithms to predict where city flooding will occur and what affect different mitigation efforts might have on the resultant damage.

The lab’s autonomous robotics research includes work on intelligent transportation systems, such as driverless cars. They have an F1/10 racing team, which designs an autonomous racing car at 1/10 actual size — a scale on which it can be safer to experiment with self-driving technology.

Currently, the lab thrives at the intersection of five disciplines — computer science, electrical engineering, systems engineering, mechanical engineering and civil engineering.

In the future, Norris said she sees opportunities for even greater cross-disciplinary cooperation.

“It’s a strength of U.Va. to be able to pull in ethics and leadership and policy into these big

initiatives, such as this, and this area’s right for it,” she said.

For example, autonomous robotics lends itself to an interdisciplinary approach beyond engineering disciplines due to the ethical implications of smart car use and design.

“How do you control, for example, thousands of autonomous vehicles at the same time?”

Whitehouse said. “How do you make sure that they won’t crash

and cause either damage to the equipment or damage to people?”

Both Norris and Whitehouse aim to make the University a world-renowned source of CPS research.

“If we’re really successful, when people think of CPS, they think of U.Va.,” Norris said.

“When they think of the leader and where they want to go to be in that intellectual environment, we’re at the top of their list.”

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

New Link lab space will be constructed on Engineer’s Way within the calendar year.

Cutting Medicare, Medicaid to have expected costs Potential actions by Price, HHS could lead to medical funding consequences RUHEE SHAH | SENIOR WRITER Representative Tom Price (RGa.), nominated to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, faced his second round of confirmation hearings Tuesday. The Department of Health and Human Services has a $1.1 trillion budget and oversees several agencies including the Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health.

According to Carolyn Engelhard, associate professor of public health sciences and public policy, Price is an orthopedic surgeon by training, head of the House budget committee and has served in Congress since 2005. She said Price is a “staunch conservative” who would like to reverse several parts of the Affordable Care Act and limit regulations that might be “construed as infringing upon physician autonomy with regard to patient care.”

“Tom Price’s role as Secretary of HHS would be to implement the law by writing regulations and policies that define the scope of the

law and how it works in practice,” Tanya Wanchek, associate professor of public health sciences, said.

“I expect Tom Price, as Secretary of HHS, would have a major role working with Congressional Republicans to craft a new law if the ACA is repealed.”

With regard to the ACA, Wanchek said Price has pushed to eliminate the legislation’s Medicaid expansion and to remove the individual mandate, an aspect of the ACA requiring most Americans to obtain health insurance, an exemption or pay a fine. There are portions of the ACA that give significant discretion to the HHS, meaning that even without repeal of the law, its force can be significantly diminished.

However, according to Engelhard, despite Price and the Republicans’ desire to turn back the ACA, it will be difficult to fully dismantle the law.

“Even if the Republicans get this reconciliation bill through to defund

the ACA, they still can’t change the legislation itself without 60 votes in the Senate, which means they'd have to get eight Democrats,” Engelhard said. “So they can take some of the money away, they can very much remove some of the scaffolding of the ACA, but they can't repeal the whole law.”

Though Engelhard said it is too soon to tell exactly what effects Price’s projected policies would have, repeal of the ACA, subsequent changes to Medicare and payment methodologies for physicians could have a large impact on the University Health System.

One of the ways the ACA was funded was by reducing annual inflationary increases in Medicare payments to hospitals in exchange for a promised increase in insured patients, according to Engelhard. If the ACA is repealed, those Medicare reductions would go away, but initiatives like paying hospitals to improve quality metrics and rewarding them for reducing their readmissions

could disappear as well.

According to Margaret Riley, professor of law and public policy, there will be increases in uncompensated care and reductions in funding.

“You’re likely to hear rhetoric saying that providers, especially hospitals, need to become more efficient,” Riley said. “But we’re already at a place where it’s hard to meet our costs, and there are few new places to look for new efficiencies.”

Furthermore, Medicare payments account for a large portion of a hospital’s revenue. Medicare or Medicaid payments account for 50 percent of all patients in hospitals, so any changes to Medicare will have a large impact on hospitals.

“50 percent of all patients in hospitals are paid for through Medicare or Medicaid, so any changes in how physicians are paid will have a big impact on hospitals,” Engelhard said.

“Also, graduate medical education is paid for through the Medicare program, and there have been stirrings over the last decade over how we

should change that, and that could be a big financial loss to hospitals.”

The HHS website describes the department as being the “largest source of funding for medical research in the world,” but it is possible that spending on research will decrease.

“Especially with regard to former Vice President Joe Biden's cancer moonshot, there's a lot of momentum [for research], it might be hard to push that back,” Engelhard said.

“But, there's a significant number of Republicans, particularly on the House side, that really want to reduce federal spending — and when you have to reduce federal spending, you generally have to decrease it across the board.”

Overall, it’s too soon to tell how health systems across the country will be affected, and change will be slow to occur.

“Government is a giant machine and the political institutions were set up so that nothing happens very quickly,” Engelhard said.

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