Thursday, January 31st, 2019 by The Cavalier Daily

The Cavalier Daily

Vol. 129, Issue 17

Thursday, January 31, 2019

EMMA KLEIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

THE CAVALIER DAILY

This week in-brief

NEWS

CD News Staff

Homer Statue damaged The University Police Department responded to a report of damage to the Homer Statue, located on the South Lawn directly in front of Old Cabell Hall, Sunday. The bronze statue — which was unveiled in 1907 and originally sculpted by Moses Jacob Ezekiel for Amherst College — depicts the blind poet Homer and his student guide. The student guide originally held a lyre, but the lyre is now missing following Sunday’s incident. “At this time it is unclear how the damage occurred, but UPD is investigating the matter,”

UPD Crime Prevention Coordinator Benjamin Rexrode said in an email statement to The Cavalier Daily. Although it is not confirmed whether or not the damage is a result of vandalism, other statues have been previously vandalized at the University, including one of a seated Thomas Jefferson — located on the Lawn — last April, where the statue was painted with the phrase “Racist + Rapist.”

RILEY WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The student guide on the Homer Statue is now missing his lyre.

Norovirus outbreak confirmed at U.Va.

CHARLOTTE COONEY | THE CAVALIER DAILY

An individual may contract the disease by making contact with contaminated surfaces.

The U.Va. Department of Student Health announced in a University-wide email Tuesday evening that a norovirus outbreak has occurred at the University. Christopher Holstege, the executive director of the Department of Student Health, said in the email that “cases of norovirus have been confirmed in the UVA student population” and described the illness as “highly contagious.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, norovirus spreads rapidly and is common on university campuses. An individual can contract the disease by coming into direct contact with contaminated people, food, water or surfaces.

Holstege said that contagious students will be “isolated for many days” and will not be allowed to participate in any University activities while they are sick. Holstege encouraged students in the email to call Student Health if an onset of symptoms occurs. Norovirus symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, an upset stomach and potential body aches. The symptoms can appear anywhere from 12 to 24 hours after an individual is exposed to the virus, and the virus can spread for up to two weeks, even after an individual begins to feel better. Student Health did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

U.Va. professor on administrative leave for assault English Prof. Jeffery Allen was charged with felony strangulation and misdemeanor simple domestic battery in November. University spokesperson Anthony de Bruyn confirmed that the University has learned of the charges against Allen and has placed him on administrative leave with pay and is currently still pending a more comprehensive review of the case. “Administrative leave is not punitive in nature and this action by the University is not a finding of wrongdoing by Professor Allen,” de Bruyn said in an email to The Cavalier Daily.

On Nov. 7, officers were called to the University Medical Center emergency room. There, the alleged victim — a female family member of Allen’s — reported he had strangled her to the point where she felt as if she could no longer breathe. Police found scratch marks on her neck. Allen was arrested the next day. Allen had hearings Dec. 7 and Jan. 14 in Charlottesville Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Allen was scheduled to teach ENCW 3610 — Intermediate Fiction Writing — this semester.

COURTESY CHARLOTTESVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT

Allen was arrested for felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault Nov. 7, 2018.

Cayden Dalton pleads guilty to abduction, assault

COURTESY ALBEMARLE-CHARLOTTESVILLE REGIONAL JAIL

Dalton admitted to attacking his ex-girlfriend after Block Party.

Former third-year College student Cayden Jacob Dalton — charged with attacking his ex-girlfriend following last year’s Wertland Street Block Party — pleaded guilty to felony abduction and felony unlawful wounding in Charlottesville Circuit Court Friday afternoon. Dalton — who is no longer enrolled at the University — was arrested Aug. 26 after Charlottesville police responded to a 2 a.m. call from his ex-girlfriend, also a University student. Areshini Pather, deputy commonwealth’s attorney for Charlottesville, testified in court that Dalton appeared at his girlfriend’s residence visibly drunk and shouting insults after she ignored his text messages the night of the assault. He then choked his victim from behind after she threw a glass of wa-

ter in his face. Dalton also allegedly jammed his hand into her mouth, which resulted in bruising on the back of her trachea and repeatedly banged her head on the floor, resulting in bruising on her neck and hemorrhaging in her eyes — both consistent with blunt-force trauma. Dalton told police officers in his initial interview that he wished that she had died. Under Dalton’s plea deal — which was accepted by Judge Humes J. Franklin — Dalton will serve a two-year protective order that prohibits him from any contact with the victim and promise not to return to the University or Charlottesville. Dalton’s sentencing is scheduled for May 2.

www.cavalierdaily.com • NEWS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

Brandon Avenue apartments slightly behind schedule Apparent construction delays due to recent inclement weather, will be ready for student move-in by early August Ali Sullivan | Senior Writer Construction on the Brandon Avenue apartments — the University’s newest on-Grounds housing development slated to house over 500 undergraduates — has run slightly behind schedule in recent weeks but will be fully open for students by the time move-in occurs in early August. Construction on the Brandon Avenue apartments began in Aug. 2017 and have a planned completion of July 2019. According to a status update from Facilities Management, construction reached the halfway point in November 2018. It appears that construction might be running behind schedule, due to the fact that the building’s exterior has yet to be completed. Don Sundgren, associate vice president and chief facilities officer, said that abnormal weather is to blame for the apparent delays in construction. “Some of the activities are on schedule and some are a little bit behind, but they’re working on an accelerated schedule on those ac-

tivities to make up for lost time,” Sundgren said. “Getting the exterior of the building complete is one of them.” However, the KBE Building Corporation — a Maryland-based construction company contracted for the development — has accelerated work on the site in order to ensure the apartments’ habitability by August, with construction now occurring almost every day. “[Construction work occurs] essentially during daylight hours, and it could be longer than that once they’re inside with some temporary lighting,” Sundgren said. “They’re working no less than five days a week and sometimes as much as six or seven days a week.” Despite the delays, the University plans for construction to be substantially complete by the end of July — meaning that students will be able to move into the apartments for the 2019-2020 school year without issue. The University has identified the greater Brandon Avenue cor-

ridor as a key redevelopment zone — one which has the potential to “offer superior environments for future academic, residential and related endeavors” — following the publication of the Office of the Architect’s 2008 Grounds Plan, a document detailing the University’s plans to preserve and establish both sustainable land use and land use that reflects the purposes of Thomas Jefferson’s Academical Village. The Brandon Avenue Master Plan, published by the Office of the Architect in Nov. 2016, envisions the area’s transformation into a holistic student community. The reimagined corridor will include academic spaces, student wellness facilities and a central “green street” — a “one-way loop with a landscaped bioretention area and gathering spaces in the center” — to connect the South Lawn complex to the U.Va. Health System alongside the new Brandon Avenue housing complex. The construction on Brandon Avenue began in 2017, before the City of Charlottesville

SOPHIE ROEHSE | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The Brandon Avenue apartments are the University’s newest on-Grounds housing development and is slated to house over 500 undergraduates.

approved the transfer of the street in its entirety to the University in April 2018. Construction to develop the “green street” will extend through the 2019-20 academic year, with an expected completion date of Feb. 2020. Sundgren said that the con-

struction will not impede access to Brandon Avenue housing.

U.Va. accepts 26 percent of early action applicants Admissions receives record number of applications for fourth consecutive year Nik Popli | News Editor The University Office of Undergraduate Admission released its early action offers for the Class of 2023 Friday. The University’s early acceptance rate was 26 percent, with 6,550 offers of admission from a pool of 25,126 early action applicants — the most in the University’s history. Last year, the University had an offer rate of 27.8 percent for early action applicants. “Our first reaction after the early application deadline in November was a mixture of excitement and concern,” Dean of Admission Gregory Roberts said in an email statement to The Cavalier Daily. “The size of the early pool is incredible this year, and reviewing so many applications in a short period of time is challenging. What’s more, the talent, depth and diversity of this group is astounding and record-breaking, making the selection process even more difficult.” The University extended offers to 43.4 percent of applicants who qualify for in-state status, and 19 percent for students applying from out of state. Nearly 7000 applicants were deferred. Of those accepted early action, 627 would be the first in their families to attend college — an increase

from 444 last year. The University also extended early offers to nearly 4 percent more minority students. The middle-50-percent range of SAT scores of accepted early action students who qualify for instate status was 1350 to 1500. For out of state applicants, the middle-50-percent range of SAT scores of accepted students was 1450 to 1540. The middle-50-percent range of ACT scores was 30-34 for instate students and 33-35 for out of state students. The University’s offer rate for out-of-state students dropped from 21.4 percent to 19.3 percent. Overall, the University received a total of 40,804 early and regular applications for the Class of 2023, a ten percent increase from last year’s record-setting pool. Applicants came from all 50 states and 155 countries across the world. Roberts said in a previous interview with The Cavalier Daily that the University received a 25 percent increase in early action applications from people of color. Roberts also stated that the number of applications from African-American students increased by 35.6 percent, while the number of Hispanic and first-generation applicants grew by

MADDY SITA | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The early action acceptance rate has decreased from 28.9 percent for the Class of 2021 to 26 percent for the Class of 2023.

22.2 percent and 20.5 percent, respectively. “We are now a year and half away from the events of August 2017, and I think that was an event that shook our school and our community and it made national headlines and my guess is that it impacted student decisions last year,” Roberts told The Cavalier Daily in early January. In addition, the number of female applicants increased by 17.2

percent from last year, and the number of legacy applicants increased by 11.5 percent. “We’re honored that this accomplished group of students is interested in UVA and believe the class of 2023 has the potential to be our most impressive yet,” Roberts said. According to Assoc. Dean Jeannine Lalonde’s “Notes from Peabody” admissions blog, admitted early action applicants will learn

if they were also accepted into the Echols, Rodman and College Science Scholars by mail. The University’s enrolling class is targeted to be about 3,750 students. Regular application decisions will be released by April 1.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

NEWS • www.cavalierdaily.com

Implications of the new School of Data Science School of Data Science responds to early concerns, logistical questions Ali Sullivan | Senior Writer The University recently announced the establishment of the School of Data Science following a $120 million private gift — the largest in University history — from the Quantitative Foundation, a Charlottesville-based hedge fund led by Class of 1991 McIntire graduate Jaffray Woodriff. The School of Data Science will become the University’s 12th school and the first since the creation of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy in 2007, which was established by a $100 million gift from media mogul and entrepreneur Frank Batten. Batten graduated from the University in 1950 before becoming chairman and CEO of Landmark Communications, Inc. in 1967 and founding The Weather Channel in 1982. According to the CPI Inflation Calculator from the Bureau of Labor Statistics — which works by calculating average price changes over time for a “basket” of predetermined consumer goods — $100 million in 2007 has roughly the same buying power as $124 million in 2018, making the Batten school millions of dollars more expensive to establish than the School of Data Science. The School of Data Science was conceived during former University President Teresa Sullivan’s tenure, during which she worked to secure letters of support from all University deans while conversing frequently with the Quantitative Foundation. The predecessor to the School of Data Science — the Data Science Institute — was likewise established during Sullivan’s presidency with a $10 million grant from the Quantitative Foundation. “The Data Science Institute was born around the dinner table at Carr’s Hill, where some interested faculty and alumni were discussing the data explosion and our limited progress in analytics,” Sullivan said in an email statement to The Cavalier Daily. “I am a demographer, and the issues of sheer analytic capacity and protecting individual privacy are major ones in my field.” The Data Science Institute currently only offers an online master’s degree program in data science, and Sullivan said that a significant demand exists for degrees, certificates and courses at undergraduate levels. When the School of Data Science is established, the Data Science Institute will be integrated into the School of Data Science, and the University will expand the online master’s degree program.The School of Data Science will also offer undergraduate degree programs and certificate programs that can be combined with majors from other University schools. With the recent announcement of Amazon’s second headquarters in northern Virginia — only two hours away from Charlottesville — the demand for data science skills in Virginia is likely to rapidly increase. Sullivan said that the program would allow stu-

dents to expand their career options and become better qualified to fill some of these vacant positions. “The addition of a data science credential will help students from any major in opening a wider range of career choices for them,” Sullivan said. “Because the graduate students in data science will need to demonstrate that they can work with people from a variety of knowledge domains, faculty in the other schools will be able to get skilled assistance in analyzing data for their research or class project. The world is full of data, but not full of people with the capacity to analyze and make sense of the data.” Phil Bourne is the interim dean of the School of Data Science, the current director of the Data Science Institute and a biomedical engineering professor. Bourne said the University’s plans to establish and announce the school were not contingent on Amazon’s recent announcement to move part of their second headquarters to northern Virginia. “[The School of Data Science] was in the works before [the Amazon decision] was even apparent,” Bourne said. “Amazon is only a part of what’s happening. … It’s clear that there are data analytics needs across every sector.” Initial Criticisms Initial concerns in regard to the School of Data Science included those about housing and how the University will accommodate a potentially expanded student body. History Prof. John Edwin Mason said that onGrounds housing accommodations must be built into plans for the new school. The University has yet to name a site for the School. “[The University’s] failure to properly accommodate its students, forcing them on to private housing market, is a huge driver of the unaffordability crisis in Charlottesville right now,” said Mason. “A new data science school is not a bad thing in and of itself, but built into the plans for this school has to be substantial, significant ways to address the housing crisis.” The increasing rent costs in Charlottesville have risen to a particular salience in the last decade, in part due to the rise in popularity of off-Grounds student housing. As the University student body has grown, demand has increased for housing close to central Grounds, resulting in rising rent costs in areas surrounding the University. The University will be opening the onGrounds Brandon Avenue apartments in fall 2019, which will provide 313 beds for students. As of now, there are no plans to build additional on-Grounds housing complexes alongside the new school, Bourne said. However, that decision may change when President Ryan announces his strategic planning effort — which will collect input from across the University in part through the “Ours

to Shape” campaign — at the end of this academic year. Announced by Ryan during a Board of Visitors meeting in September 2018, the plan is how Ryan will outline goals and growth for the University in future years. Bourne said that if the Strategic Planning Committee calls for expanded student housing, the School of Data Science might revisit the idea of incorporating new residential housing. But Bourne predicted that the University will not see an increase in undergraduate enrollment — or a consequential increase in demand for housing — with the creation of the new school. “There was discussion about a residential college, but that isn’t going forward at this point,” Bourne said. “For the time being, not knowing the results [of the Strategic Planning Committee’s efforts], we’re kind of working on the premise being that the increase numbers will come predominantly from online, which doesn’t require residential housing.” Online enrollment is predicted to increase as the University begins to offer the expanded online master’s degree program in data science. “The goal is to turn out a smaller number of quality students which are leaders,” Bourne said. “Rather than increasing on-Grounds numbers dramatically, it’s taking the students we have and giving them the opportunity to increase their analytical skills.” Bourne said that students will be able to enroll into the school beginning in their third year at the University, and enrollment will ideally begin for the online masters’ program in the fall of 2019. The University must get approval from the Faculty Senate, Board of Visitors and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia before the school is officially established and ready to enroll students. The Impact on Charlottesville Both Bourne and President Ryan predicted that the School of Data Science will lead to improvements in Charlottesville and the Commonwealth through an increase in business, finance, healthcare and education analytics. However, Mason said he believes the “trickle down” effects of the school will likely be limited, saying that the University’s failure to pay many of its employees a living wage dims the shining prospects of the school’s establishment. “It’s wonderful to have this contribution, but U.Va. has been under pressure for under 50 years to make sure that everybody who works here receives an adequate living wage, and the University still hasn’t gotten to that point, where everybody who works here receives a living wage,” Mason said. “To bring in a new school, with new people, that will put additional pressure on the City without building

MADDY SITA | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The University received a $120 million private gift from the Quantitative Foundation to establish a new School of Data Science, which is the largest gift in University history.

in, somehow, ways to address the housing crisis and ways to make sure everybody gets paid a living wage, this seems to me to be a big mistake.” Charlottesville resident and activist Matthew Gillikin recently posted a Twitter thread highlighting research on the Quantitative Foundation’s donation history from 2011 to 2016. During this time frame, the foundation donated over $25 million — $12 million of that going to the University — with the other largest donations going to elite private schools, such as St. Anne’s-Belfield in Charlottesville and Woodberry Forest in Orange. “The initial press release declared this donation would have a ‘transformative effect on UVA’s ability to serve the commonwealth, nation, and world’ - leaving out the city and county surrounding UVA,” Gillikin said in a direct Twitter message to The Cavalier Daily. “This parallels the work of Woodriff’s charitable foundation, which has done relatively little to address the most pressing social issues in Charlottesville and the surrounding areas.” The University does not decide what to do with money from its donors — the allocation of a monetary contribution is determined by the respective donor. Donors are able to give to the University area of their choice — some of these being outlined and detailed on the University’s giving website. While other smaller donations by the Foundation were made to local charities and nonprofits — including the Tom Tom Founders Festival and the Boys & Girls Club of Charlottesville — Gillikin tweeted that the Foundation’s donation history reflected “spotty histories of positive social change,” adding that it was reasonable to be skeptical that such a large dona-

tion would be made “to a university that won't pay a living wage.” The first calls for a living wage emerged after the the University desegregated in the 1960s, and according to members of the Living Wage Campaign at U.Va., their movement is the longest-running unsuccessful living wage campaign at a collegiate institution, with members still attempting to persuade the University to pay its workers higher wages. “The University … has been a prosperous university,” Mason said. “That has meant poverty for the overwhelming number of African Americans who work for this University. They receive poverty wages.” Currently, the University pays workers a minimum wage of $12.38, while Aramark, the provider for University dining services, pays its employees $10.65. Meanwhile, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s living wage calculator — which estimates the living wage needed to support individuals and families based on the cost of basic necessities — a living wage in Charlottesville stands at $12.02 for a single adult or $16.95 for a family of four in which both parents work. Mason said the University’s highest priority should be to mend its relationship with the Charlottesville community, saying that the University should institute a living wage and address its role in the affordable housing crisis to strengthen town-gown relations. “Data science is in and of itself a neutral thing,” Mason said. “It can be used for good purposes and for bad purposes, and we shall see how it’s going to be used in Charlottesville.” Jaffrey Woodriff and the Quantitative Foundation did not respond by press time for a comment.

www.cavalierdaily.com • NEWS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

U.Va. to address safety concerns with arrival of e-scooters Students share thoughts on the scooters while the University works to educate and enforce safe, respectful riding on Grounds Zach Rosenthal | Staff Writer From the introduction of 200 Lime electric scooters to Charlottesville in November 2018 to the addition of 100 more Bird electric scooters this January, the University and City of Charlottesville are embracing the e-scooter trend. However, concerns among University officials remain regarding the safety of e-scooters on Grounds. The University currently encourages students to park e-bikes and e-scooters at existing UBike stations, such as those outside Clark Hall, Newcomb Hall, the Aquatic & Fitness Center and elsewhere around Grounds. UBike is a bike share system established by the University that allows students to rent bicycles for transportation on and around Grounds. According to Wes Hester, the deputy University spokesperson, U.Va. is still working on its exact policy on e-scooter parking. Hester also stated that the University requested through the City that e-scooter companies limit usage in “key sensitive areas like the Lawn and sidewalks.” The e-scooters and e-bikes — which have become a regular sight around Grounds, on the Corner and the Downtown Mall — are currently regulated internally by the companies and externally by the City and Charlottesville Police Department. Lime warns users against leaving e-vehicles in no-parking zones, which may result in a fine or suspension from using the service. For Lime, unlocking a vehicle costs $1 and then an additional 15 cents per minute through the mobile app. Bird scooters are marginally more expensive, costing $1 to unlock and 20 cents per minute to use. Both companies require riders to register an account using their respective mobile app. Upon registration — which requires a valid drivers license — users can unlock any scooter or bike associated with the company and ride it until they are finished, at which point they park the dockless scooter or bike and end the ride through the mobile application. Upon opening up the Lime ap-

plication — which shows where all the e-scooters and e-bikes are parked — scooters and bikes can be found within areas that are off-limits, including Central Grounds, first-year dormitories, North Grounds and areas around John Paul Jones Arena. “They add another way to get around grounds that's not too expensive,” third-year College student Seth Hochman said in a Twitter message. “I don't ride them into grounds because of the red lines/ boundaries so when I ride them I ride them back to where I live which is on Grady Ave.” First-year College student Sara Massei also noted that the boundaries established on the Lime app have deterred her. “I’ve never been fined [because] it clearly tells you the areas where you can and can’t park … as long as you ride smart (i.e., sober, not on ice, follow street laws) you’re good to go!” Massei said in a Twitter message. Under Virginia law, it is illegal “for any person to operate an e-scooter with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more by weight by volume or 0.08 grams or more per 210 liters of breath.” According to Lieutenant Miller Stoddard of the Albemarle County Police Department, e-scooters are defined as motor vehicles — and riders can be cited for a DUI. “For the purposes of Virginia Code, a motor is defined as gas, Diesel and/or electric powered,” Stoddard said in an email statement. While students like Hochman and Massei respect the boundaries established by Lime and the University, as well as the laws established by the State and City, other students say they do not. “I drive them wherever I please,” third-year College student Henry Hollandsworth said in a Twitter message. When asked to elaborate, Hollandsworth stated that he drives scooters on sidewalks — where they are barred — and roads, always without a helmet. Both Lime and Bird recommend helmet usage but do not require it. Rather, the responsibility

RILEY WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Under Virginia law, it is illegal “for any person to operate an e-scooter with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more by weight by volume or 0.08 grams or more per 210 liters of breath.” E-scooters are defined as motor vehicles — and riders can be cited for a DUI.

to determine helmet requirements is made by local and state legislatures. In Charlottesville, the City Code requires only individuals who are 14 years of age and younger to ride with a helmet on bicycles and e-scooters. The City also further regulates the scooters by limiting them to a speed of 15 miles per hour. Additionally, according to an online information sheet provided by the City’s Department of Neighborhood Services, e-scooter and dockless bike usage is prohibited on the bricked areas of the Downtown Mall, the Corner and Court Square. Scooters are also expected to obey all traffic laws that a motor vehicle would — stopping at stop signs and red lights, as well as not interfering with pedestrians on the sidewalk. Hester noted that the University is working with the e-scooter companies on safety issues. “Both companies have offered to help educate and reinforce safe and

respectful riding in the city and on Grounds,” Hester said. The issue of e-scooters driving on the sidewalk is of particular annoyance to second-year Engineering student Skyler Moon. “As a runner, they make running around [Charlottesville] more dangerous than it already is,” Moon said in a Twitter message. “Several times I have been minding my own business only to be cut off or almost ran into by somebody on a scooter who missed the fact that they are not supposed to be on sidewalks. They are also left in groups on sidewalks where they restrict the ability of people to walk/run on the sidewalk and present a tripping hazard.” However, despite reports of scooters mounting the sidewalks, no scooter-related tickets have been issued by University Police since the scooters were introduced to Grounds last November, Hester said. First-year College student Aly

Rayle said she has a separate issue with the e-scooters — specifically Lime — for erroneously charging her twice. “When I woke up the next morning, I opened the Lime app only to realize my ride never properly ended and it said that my ride had lasted until 7am. I was charged nearly $50 for a ride that was supposedly 5 hours long,” Rayle said in a Twitter message. She is currently working to dispute the charges. Although e-scooters have presented new challenges for the University and City, some students say they are glad to have them. “I think they’re an awesome alternative form of transportation for when buses aren’t running, are infrequent, or you don’t want to spend so much money on an Uber,” Massai said.

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Forging a track home in the Big Apple When train travel brings people together

LIFE As the train pulled away from the Providence station, I shifted back in my seat and popped in my headphones in hopes of a little shut-eye on the 10-hour train ride back to Charlottesville. I was drifting off into that subpar sleep of travel where the closest thing you can get to a nap is to close your eyes and drift off for a moment before your head slips from the window and begins to tilt forward. I was just raising myself back from one of these periodic jolts when an announcement over the loudspeaker caught my attention. “Due to a downed power line, all stops in between New Haven, Connecticut and New York City have been halted indefinitely. This train will go no farther than New Haven — everyone must get off there.” Even before the conductor finished speaking, a chorus of curse words and exasperated sighs rang through the air. The conductor announced that the closest they

Jacqueline Kester | Life Columnist could get any of us was New York City. We were to get off the train at New Haven and take a local metro line to Grand Central Station. However, I still needed to get to Virginia, and the only other southbound trains came out of Penn Station. I would have to find another train out of Penn and then walk between the two stations. The girl sitting next to me looked to be in her early 20s. She had been busily typing away up until then but now turned to me and asked where I was going. We spent a few minutes exchanging travel plans and current frustrations, and I soon gathered that she was on her way to Philadelphia for her brother’s surprise birthday party. As the train pulled into New Haven, I prepared to collect my bags and line up for the exit, when she asked, “Hey, since we are going the same way, do you want to travel together?” My face lit up at the prospect, and I felt relieved that I would not

have to navigate the cityscape of New York alone. We left our train with the others and boarded the local commuter train to the city. There, we grabbed what available seats we could as the cars were quickly becoming overcrowded. A college student sitting next to us — who was on his way back to school in Virginia — explained that he was similarly derailed by Amtrak’s schedule change and was also attempting to make his way across NYC in time for a southbound departure. And so our travel party grew. It soon occurred to me that with so many people trying to rearrange their travel, we should call ahead of time to get our new train tickets. I made a quick call to the 1-800 number, bypassed the automated recordings and spoke to an agent. Just like that, my ticket was fixed free-of-charge, and I secured a spot on the last southbound train out of Penn Station for the day. I encouraged my travel mates to do the same.

Within half an hour, we all had successful calls and new tickets — except for me. I was the only one who did not receive an email confirming the switch. Frantic voices around me also indicated that the last train was now sold out, and I worried that without a new ticket, there was no guarantee I had actually secured a spot. Four desperate calls to Amtrak, three ticket agents and two dropped calls due to tunnels later, I finally had confirmation that I had a spot. Relieved that the only task left was to walk the mile in between the two stations, we exited our train at Grand Central Station and walked up the stairs towards the pavement. We walked out its doors and immediately the sounds of the urban landscape engulfed our ears. The city chimed with cliches like car horns and taxi drivers’ shouts — it was stunning. Our vagabond trio made our way through the city. My hat and gloves still in the bottom of my

suitcase, my icy hand gripped the handle and alternated with the other hand every now and then, which I kept in my pocket for warmth. The cold air bit at my ears and tangled my hair, but the whirring sound of suitcase wheels was our anthem as we sped along the sidewalk with a pace faster than the locals. Of course, we were relieved when we finally reached Penn Station, but as I parted with my new friends, I felt a different emotion arise. I was proud that three complete strangers — all in that no man’s land between adolescence and adulthood — came together. Although our generation’s social presence is mostly online nowadays, and we do not cultivate spontaneous conversations with others in person as often, our ability to do so certainly is not dead. The truth is, I probably could have done it alone, but instead, I shared an adventure with some strangers and have a great story to share.

Everything you need to know about the Corner Meal Plan Read this before you purchase another expensive U.Va. Meal Plan Marlena Becker | Food Columnist By the end of first year, I knew I was done with University Dining forever. I simply couldn’t spend another year with the Newcomb salad bar or the O’Hill fries. I had heard about the Corner Meal Plan from a few people and know myself well enough to determine that I was going to be eating out more than cooking, so I bought the plan at the beginning of second year and haven’t looked back. What is Elevate? The Corner Meal Plan is run through a company called Elevate Meal Plan, which was started by two University graduates. Elevate has partnerships with off-campus restaurants at colleges across the East Coast. The founders of Elevate initially launched a catering company for Greek life organizations but wanted to expand their mission to create better food options for all University students and address the issues of both expensive meal plan costs and dissatisfaction with the traditional meal plan. How does the money work? Elevate is similar to a traditional meal plan in the sense that

you buy a chunk of meals at once and then use them throughout your time at the University — they don’t expire until you graduate. You can choose between 45 meals for $499, 75 meals for $799 or 105 meals for $1099. If you do the math, the price per meal becomes less expensive the more meals you buy. The three plans break down into $10.28 per meal, $9.84 per meal and $9.66 per meal, respectively. The Semester 80 University Dining meal plan breaks down to about $10.75 per swipe — after you subtract the $350 plus dollars from the price up front, which is being generous — making Elevate a better deal per meal than the University Meal Plan with arguably much better food. How does ordering work? All you need to do to order on Elevate is open the website on your phone — unfortunately, there is not an app yet — choose your restaurant, choose your meal and place your order. Some restaurants allow for advanced ordering — which is basically takeout — meaning you can walk in and your food will be ready. How-

ever, most of the restaurants I use regularly don’t provide that, so you have wait in line with everyone else and then let them know that you ordered on Elevate. It is worth noting that Elevate does not include tip, so a few of the sit down restaurants are takeout only — Asado, Peloton Station, Oakhurst Inn Cafe — in order to combat this. What restaurants are on Elevate? There are over 20 restaurants on the Corner and beyond on Elevate, and you can easily see the full list on their website under University menus. Some of the most popular places include Roots, Corner Juice, Trinity and Revolutionary Soup. It is worth noting that most of these restaurants don’t have their full menu available on Elevate — there are a limited number of combos you can get from each place. Which restaurants aren’t on Elevate? Most of the more casual restaurants on the Corner are available on Elevate — in my opinion, the only surprising ones that are miss-

ing are Take it Away, Poke and The Virginian. Bodo’s also isn’t on Elevate, but it would hardly ever be worth it to use your $9-10 Elevate meal on a $4 bagel. The pros If you are debating between a University meal plan and Elevate, the pros are endless. Most obviously — it’s cheaper, and the food is better. If you live behind the Corner, it is also much more convenient than the dining halls, and in reality, the Corner is not that far from Central Grounds either. Even if you were never considering getting a University meal plan, there are still many benefits. Depending on the restaurant and which plan you get, it is possible to save $1 or $2 on each meal, which can definitely add up over time. Also, if you are working with your parents on developing a budget for food, this is a much simpler way to handle finances than having to figure out a way for them to reimburse you for constantly eating out. Buying Elevate is generally just a good way to budget and sets a restraint on the amount of money spent when

you eat out. The meals also don’t expire until you graduate, and you are able to use as many as you want in any day. The cons The biggest con of Elevate is that it is not always worth your money. If you would only ever be buying meals that are less than around $9.80, then Elevate is obviously not for you. The other large con is that some restaurants, especially the more popular sitdown ones like Trinity, Revolutionary Soup and Armandos are only “open” on Elevate during certain hours — usually for lunch and not dinner. Also, as I mentioned before, some restaurants offer a more limited menu — I did have to change my Roots bowl of choice when I got Elevate. If you are someone who is already often eating out on the Corner or debating purchasing a University Meal Plan, I would definitely suggest at least taking a look at the menus available on the Elevate website. In my opinion, once you go Elevate, you’ll never go back!

www.cavalierdaily.com • LIFE

THURSDAY, JANURARY 31, 2019

A first-year showdown: Croads vs. The Castle Which is the more edible option? Elise Kim | Food Columnist Let’s enter the mind of a naive first-year. Those 1 a.m. munchies hit. You’re sitting in your dorm room, but the warm, fluorescent glow from Crossroads innocently beckons you from the wallows of your books and piles of papers. It’s terribly hard to resist the temptation of half-defrosted chicken tenders accompanied by some packaged honey mustard, a goodold Chipotle wanna-be or the appealing visual of those worm-like noodles swimming in a bath of liquid before being transferred to your bowl of spaghetti. Come 1 p.m. the next day, and you’re feeling guilty over that late-night indulgence — if you can call it that. To compensate, you venture towards a supposedly healthier option –– The Castle. You have to restart your order a good four or five times because you keep forgetting that you can’t remove selections once they’ve been added to your bowl. The quinoa is nice and cold, bitter and flavorless. As per usual, there’s always one topping missing, but the extra splat of tzatziki on top of the rock-hard falafel somewhat makes up for it. When it comes to either of these options, I suppose I’m being a bit critical. Hailing from a household with daily doses of heartwarming home-cooked meals, Croads and The Castle were a harsh wake-up call. However, now that we are all evidently trapped between these two firstyear staples, let’s take a further look at each in order to crown a lesser of the two evils. In terms of health, The Castle clearly outdoes Croads, as is suggested by The Castle’s motto — “Live simply, eat joyfully

ELISE KIM | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Crossroads is located on the first floor of O’Hill and is frequented by first-year students.

and savor tastes that inspire the mind.” I’m not so sure about the optimism of this quote, but The Castle definitely deserves some commendation for its attempts at adapting to society’s current healthy-food trends. The greens selection isn’t half bad, and I must grudgingly admit that more often than not,

the paninis are usually quite edible, regardless of what students choose to throw in there. Pro tip — if you’re craving a burrito beyond the freshness of Croads, order a panini with a tortilla base. The fillings are definitely fresher than anything you’d get at Croads. Moving onto the next category — the ability to satisfy gener-

ANDREW WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The Castle is located by Old Dorms and is a popular first-year stop for healthier options.

al cravings. By default, Croads gets this one. Most people don’t wake up in the morning thinking, “Wow! I’m really craving a salad today.” If you do, mad props to you, but the majority of us have cravings for various assortments of sweets, fried foods and essentially anything that is not beneficial to your gut. Croads offers some of the unhealthiest of delicacies –– burritos, burrito bowls, pasta and breadsticks, pizza, cheeseburgers and grilled cheeses stock Burrito Theory, Society Pies and Grille Works. These options are not fine dining, but aside from the slight inedibility of the breadsticks, they will definitely satisfy your cravings. If you are not craving savory foods, Croads is also home to 1819 Supply, which is essentially a firstyear’s source for chips and candy galore. Say goodbye to those plus dollars as you watch your stash fill up with Doritos, Chips Ahoy and Pop-Tarts, among a multitude of other options. In this aspect, Croads also serves a more versatile purpose, offering much more than The Castle’s limited three options.

As a first-year, it’s only right to somehow give rest to this competition of Croads versus The Castle. I cannot lie and say that I have frequented either of these places as often as the average first-year does. My prejudice towards frozen fast food and skepticism of the origins of the food available at both places inhibit me from succumbing to the easy access of what they have to offer. However, as promised, I have prepared a final declaration after much careful deliberation. While both have their pros and cons, there is one option that best meets the overall needs of first-year students — Croads. Maintaining a healthy diet is obviously the optimal objective, but sometimes, some comfort food at Croads is just what a stressed-out first-year needs. Additionally, Croads actually offers healthy snack options in the section of shelves across from Burrito Theory. From nut butter and fruits from the refrigerated section of Croads to sprouted crackers, healthy alternatives are definitely possible amid the fried mediocre food of Croads to help satisfy those 1 a.m. cravings.

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LIFE • www.cavalierdaily.com

Top 10 ways to start your day How to tackle the gigantic struggle that is getting out of bed

Grace Breiner | Top 10 Writer

Stay under the covers

There’s a small collection of people out there — I’m not sure how many of us there are — who set our alarms a little bit earlier than we actually have to just so that we have those extra 10 minutes to lay in bed. You can use those 10 minutes however you choose. I usually either internally moan about how unfortunate it is that I have to get up or scroll through Pinterest and Instagram in a feeble attempt to keep my eyes open. It would probably be easier to get straight up, and some people do — though I don’t understand how — but I like those minutes when you’re conscious of how comfortable you are without being rushed to get up and get going. Do I often fall back asleep? I’m not going to lie — yes, yes I do. The system is not without flaws, but you’ll never catch me complaining about having spent too much time in bed.

Read something inspirational

Another reason I like scrolling through Pinterest in the morning is for the random optimistic quotes that are often not attributed to any author or have clearly been screenshotted from Tumblr. I’ve definitely pinned a few that just say “You got this.” Whoever wrote that doesn’t know me at all, nor do they know that I do in fact “got this.” But I know that I got this, and I’m sure you do too, so why not put it in cursive print with the picture of a cartoon butterfly and call it inspirational? Some more morning positivity vibes come from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s adorable new book called “Gmorning, Gnight.” If even Miranda needs a little cheesy optimism to get it together in the morning, then I refuse to be embarrassed of my Pinterest habit.

Pour yourself some coffee

Listen to music that gets you excited for the day

Breakfast foods all day, every day

Duh. I probably don’t even have to write this one out, but what kind of person would I be if I didn’t include this crucial step in every sane person’s morning routine? Brewing coffee in and of itself can be a relaxing process, even if you don’t drink it. But of course, you will drink it since we’re all caffeine addicts here.

There’s nothing like the bitter silence of the morning to wish you were asleep again. Music can lighten the mood considerably and drown out that voice in the back of your head that’s wondering if you can just get back in bed and skip out on the rest of the day. If you have a roommate you can always put in those headphones and blast it. Or you can be like my brother and blast Kanye West for the entire house to hear.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day in my opinion — not because it jumpstarts your metabolism, which I’m pretty sure is made up — but rather because it includes waffles, pancakes, eggs, cereal, bagels, toast and many, many pastries. Am I the only one that is completely jealous of those buffet style breakfasts they have in the TV shows? And then the characters have the audacity to not even eat any of it. How dare they pass up on an entire tower of pancakes and a bowl of strawberries — don’t they know what I would do for that kind of luxury?

www.cavalierdaily.com • LIFE

THURSDAY, JANURARY 31, 2019

Get moving

Text your friends about anything

Plan something fun for later

TO DO LIST

Exercising in the morning is pretty well advocated for, but if you’re not into exercise, dancing it out is enough to shake the sleep out of your body and get the adrenaline pumping. You may look goofy or you may have Brendon Urie-like dance moves — seriously that man can make anything look cool — but either way, the king of dance himself would tell you to go for it. Besides, you’re by yourself in your room. If now’s not the time to make a fool of yourself, then when is?

Go over your to-do list

I know that your to-do list can sometimes be a big yikes — who even knew that many things could even fit in one day? Confronting the reality of your day early on can prepare you for what’s ahead and help you plan accordingly. Plus, if there’s any time of the day that I want to realize that I have class until 6 p.m. and then a meeting at 8 p.m., it’s when I’m drinking coffee and jamming to Hamilton. He was non-stop and so are you.

There’s nothing like waking up to a 6 a.m. text from your friend about their trip to the gym or the run they tried to take in 10 degree weather. Raise your hand if you’ve either sent or received a text from a friend about a weird dream. They have no bearing on real life, but they’re seriously hilarious. According to my one roommate’s subconscious, my other roommate was going to walk down the aisle at her wedding to the sound of a rooster crowing. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to that?

While you’re texting your friends about your poultry-related dreams, you may as well see what they’re up to later. Having something to look forward to later in the day can make even the longest of days seem less daunting.

MADDY SITA AND TYRA KREHBIEL | THE CAVALIER DAILY

10.

Go ahead and start

The best way to start is to start. I can dance around my room all morning long, drink a liter of coffee and blast Lin-Manuel Miranda as loud as I want — and I do all of those things — but nothing is going to get me out of the door besides my own two feet and the belief that what is waiting for me outside is even better than lying in bed. Bed is awesome, so that’s a tall order, but I think the world is going to deliver. One last sip of coffee — O.K., we’re ready.

SPORTS No. 3 Virginia defeated No. 23 N.C. State Tuesday night at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. as the Wolfpack’s comeback fell just short. The Cavaliers (19-1, 7-1 ACC) stayed atop the ACC standings with a gritty win against the Wolfpack (16-5, 4-4 ACC), who proved to be a difficult matchup. Just like they did last week against Clemson, the Wolfpack mounted a late run to challenge the visiting Cavaliers, who led for most of the game. This time, however, their upset bid fell short. “We’re thankful for the win, but we need to grow from this and learn from it,” Virginia men’s basketball Coach Tony Bennett said. N.C. State’s high pressure made Virginia struggle on offense, forcing the Cavaliers out of their rhythm. Virginia had a season-high 16 turnovers — an extremely high tally for a team averaging a national best 8.4 turnovers per game before this contest. The Wolfpack had just eight turnovers. “N.C. State plays good defense,” Bennett said. “They’re good with their hands, they’re athletic, they’re aggressive and they did rattle us and take us out of our rhythm.” Virginia never trailed in the first half but never led by more than seven points. Like Duke, N.C. State did a great job contesting the Cavaliers’ three-point shots. They forced Virginia to score inside and in doing so, kept the game close. Although the Cavaliers shot 61.1 percent from the field in the first half, they attempted just one three-pointer and had eight first-half turnovers, yielding only 27 points. Virginia led 27-23 going into the second half. The Cavaliers, however, came roaring out of the gates to start the second half, going on a 8-1 run to take a double digit lead, 35-24, with 16:40 left to play. As Virginia’s hot shooting started to cool down, N.C. State made somewhat of a dent in the Cavaliers’ lead, but Virginia still led 51-43 with 5:55 remaining in the game on a layup by junior forward Mamadi Diakite. Diakite finished the game with eight points, five rebounds and four blocks. Then, the Wolfpack surged on a 10-2 run to tie the game at 53 points apiece with 1:29 to play. N.C. State senior guard Tor-

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No. 3 men’s basketball defeats No. 23 N.C. State The Cavaliers stymie the Wolfpack’s upset bid behind balanced scoring Zach Zamoff | Sports Editor in Dorn scored seven of his 13 points on the run. The next possession was crucial for the Cavaliers. Sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter drove to the basket but missed the layup. Fortunately, junior transfer guard Braxton Key was there for the tip-in to restore Virginia’s lead at 55-53. Key had a solid game with eight points and a team-high eight rebounds. On the subsequent possession, senior center Jack Salt found himself matched up against N.C. State junior guard Markell Johnson, a clear mismatch. Salt was forced to foul Johnson on his drive to the basket. Johnson sank both free throws to tie the game at 55, and Salt was forced to leave the game after fouling out. Junior guard Ty Jerome had a chance to give Virginia the win on the game’s last possession, but his off-balance runner just rimmed out, and the game went to overtime. Johnson hit a three on the first possession of overtime for N.C. State, but Virginia responded immediately with an alley-oop by sophomore forward Jay Huff. Huff converted the free throw after being fouled by N.C. State graduate transfer Wyatt Walker to make it 58-58. The rest of the overtime period passed uneventfully until junior guard Kyle Guy hit a difficult, contested three-pointer to make it 64-61 Virginia with 2:00 to go. It was Guy’s only three-pointer of the night but a critical basket. “That was huge. That was huge for him,” Bennett said. “You always want him, when he has a good look, to take the shot.” N.C. State cut Virginia’s lead to one, but two free throws by Hunter left the Wolfpack needing a three to tie. Hunter led the Cavaliers in scoring with 15 points. They had the opportunity to do just that when Hunter fouled Johnson on a three-pointer, but Johnson missed the first free throw and the Cavaliers escaped with a hard-fought 66-65 victory in a hostile road environment. Up next for Virginia is some much-needed rest before taking on Miami at John Paul Jones Arena Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.

CHRISTINA ANTON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Junior transfer guard Braxton Key stepped up big time for the Cavaliers, finishing with eight points and a team-high eight rebounds.

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www.cavalierdaily.com • SPORTS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

“It’s not a game of success, it’s a game of who fails the least” John Smoltz shares his wisdom with Virginia baseball team Colin Cantwell | Sports Editor As a Hall of Fame former pitcher and current color commentator for Fox Sports, John Smoltz’s career is defined by its successes, not its failures. However, in his recent speech to the Virginia baseball team before the upcoming start to their season, Smoltz emphasized failure and the lessons it can teach, as well as the importance of character above individual success. “I don’t think people talk enough about failure and what failure can be and how it can motivate because we don’t want to fail … so no one talks about it,” Smoltz said. Smoltz was in Charlottesville to speak at the Step Up to the Plate gala last Saturday, an annual event in John Paul Jones Arena to kick off the Virginia baseball season. Past speakers at Step Up to the Plate have included Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona and Hall of Fame ex-players Cal Ripken, Jr., Brooks Robinson, Ryne Sandberg, Ozzie Smith and Dave Winfield. “I get excited about this event every year,” Virginia baseball Head Coach Brian O’Connor said in a press conference. “How can you not, when you have a basketball arena full of 900 people there to support your program and the players that play in it?” Though O’Connor has seen many baseball legends speak to his team — having led the Cavaliers since 2004 — he was especially impressed with Smoltz. “His message to our club was really impactful, talking about how you handle failure,” O’Connor said. “I know our guys will take it well, and hopefully, it helps them continue to improve as individuals and also as a group.” Last season, Virginia missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in O’Connor’s 15 seasons. Smoltz’s message could prove

especially prescient for this Cavaliers team as they look to bounce back from a disappointing fifth place finish in the ACC Coastal Division. However, Smoltz had words of praise for O’Connor and the Virginia program, including their recently renovated home stadium, Disharoon Park. “[I’m] very impressed with the baseball stadium,” he said. “This is my first time here. Obviously, I’ve seen the College World Series [which Virginia won in 2015] and the success and the records the coach [O’Connor] has had here.” Smoltz credited O’Connor with establishing a winning culture that has reflected down on its players. “[The] level of what is expected here is pretty high. You don’t see that in a lot of baseball programs in college,” Smoltz said. “They’re one of the elite programs and certainly the kids that are here are trying to live up to that and attain that high level.” Smoltz even compared the Virginia team and its continued success under O’Connor to his own Atlanta Braves, who won 11 straight National League East division titles between 1991 and 2005 under legendary manager Bobby Cox. “Certainly, when you were part of something like I was, when every year you were supposed to continue to win, and everyone kept wanting to chop us down or give a reason we weren’t [going to be] successful … it’s pretty special,” Smoltz said. Smoltz emphasized the importance of adjusting after failure, which he himself did in his career with the Braves. He missed the entire 2000 season after undergoing Tommy John

surgery and struggled in his return to the starting rotation upon returning. Cox moved him to the bullpen, making him the Braves’ closer. In his first full season as a reliever, Smoltz went on to set what was then a National League record for saves with 55. However, Smoltz does not consider this the most impressive rebound from failure of his career, preferring to discuss instead his 1991 season, in which the Braves won the first of their consecutive division titles. Smoltz had won a respectable 14 games the prior year on a last-place Braves team. “I was coming off a great year a year before on a team that lost almost 100 games,” Smoltz said. Smoltz opened the 1991 season with a 2-11 record on a team that started the season 39-40 and was on course to miss the playoffs midway through the year. “The great manager, the Hall-ofFame manager, Bobby Cox stuck with me. I knew I couldn’t have stayed at that rate in the rotation, but I turned it around,” he said. The Braves won 55 of their last 83 games that year to sneak into the playoffs then continued their momentum on to the World Series, where they lost in seven games to the Minnesota Twins. For his part, Smoltz finished the season 12-2, pitching the final game of the regular season, Game 7 of the National League Championship against the Pittsburgh Pirates and Game 7 of the World Series against Minnesota. “When you overcome something like that, you feel like you can overcome anything,” Smoltz said. However, as a player whose career overlapped almost completely with baseball’s steroid era when records were shattered by juiced-up stars, he also made sure to note that an athlete’s character is more important than their success. “Baseball had a big cloud over it when I played,” Smoltz said. “I’m most proud of the fact that I didn’t fall prey or victim to any of those temptations that were going to taint my character.” As the Cavaliers prepare to play their first game on Feb. 15, O’Connor and the Cavaliers look to take Smoltz’s’ lessons to heart. “We all love to win and we’re going to win and we’re going to be proud of winning but we’re going to win the right way,” O’Connor said.

COURTESY VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

EMMA KLEIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Virginia baseball opens the regular season Feb. 15 against Vanderbilt in Scottdsdale, Ariz.

EMMA KLEIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

THE CAVALIER DAILY

LEAD EDITORIAL

Allow more meal plan flexibility

OPINION

Unused meal swipes and plus dollars should not be going to waste

mong the many costs of attending the University, dining and meal plans are a major expense for students. If a student buys an All Access 7 Plan, for example, that student will pay at least $5,100 over the academic year in dining costs — to put that in perspective, that is over a third of the cost of tuition for an in-state student. Additionally, the full cost of food will likely be much higher since this plan does not cover any off-Grounds dining. Of course, many upperclassmen do not get the All Access 7 Plan and instead opt for a combination of a smaller meal plan and eating off-Grounds or in their apartments. If, for example, a student buys a Semester 80 Annual Plan, the student will pay $2,420 over the school year and will receive 80 meal swipes and $350 Plus Dollars per semester. Anything beyond that is up to the student to cover. However, for a variety of reasons, students often times do not use their whole meal plan in a given year. Under the current meal plan contract, all unused meal swipes and Plus Dollars are to be forfeit-

ed upon the completion of the academic year. This means that each year students are losing money simply because they did not eat on Grounds enough during the school year. Furthermore, the amount they lose can be quite significant. Given that a single meal swipe costs $10.75 under the 80 Plan, students who use 75 of their swipes and all of their Plus Dollars in each semester will lose $107.50 worth of meal swipes at the end of the academic year. This is in addition to the money students are already losing when they use the meal exchange option at various locations on Grounds that do not add up to the $10.75 each swipe is worth. One example of this is, the the original Chick-fil-A sandwich meal exchange option, which rings up to around $7. Moreover, there are many students who use far fewer than 75 meal swipes over each semester and will thus lose even more money. One may argue that students are aware — or at least should be — that meal plans do not carry over to the next year and should act accordingly or face the consequences.

While this line of reasoning is not completely without warrant, it also undervalues the uncertainty that students face when choosing a meal plan, especially going into second year. Because first-year students are required to have a meal plan with unlimited swipes, they are often unaware of how large of a meal plan to buy in their second year. Facing this uncertainty, students are often inclined to choose the larger option, thinking that it is better to have too many swipes than not enough. Unfortunately, this line of thinking frequently leads to students losing money. Second-years are not the only concern with this issue — there are also many students that are required to buy meal plans that may not need them. All students living in Hereford College, Brown College or a language house are required to buy a meal plan each semester. This means that students will likely have leftover swipes at the end of an academic year that would not carry over and may have to purchase a new meal plan at the start of the next year. Therefore, because of this

policy’s negative impact on students, the University should provide students with more options for what to do with leftover swipes at the end of the academic year. The easiest and most beneficial solution to this problem would be to allow meal swipes to carry over to the next academic year. Students pay for these meal swipes, and it is only fair to allow them to use the full plan. Moreover, the Corner Meal Plan offered by Elevate allows students to carry their meals over to subsequent academic years until they graduate — a major selling point for the plan. There are other options the University could pursue to ensure that these swipes do not go to waste. One would be to credit back to students unused swipes or plus dollars to their SIS account to be used for other expenses. If the University was not inclined to reimburse students in some form for their unused meal plans, they could also make a permanent program where students could donate swipes to the U.Va. Community Food Pantry — an option which was temporarily offered

in October of 2018. Ultimately, it appears that the only motivation for not allowing meal plans to rollover is to make additional profits by exploiting students’ uncertainty and living situations. But should the University stand for this standard when it flies directly in the face of the interests of the student body as a whole? Of course not. Students should have ownership of the swipes they've paid for and should have more control over meals that would otherwise go to waste. For this reason, we believe that the University must ensure that students have more flexibility with unused parts of their meal plans so students really get what they are paying for.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

SUPPORT THE PROPOSED SCHOOL OF DATA SCIENCE The proposed school represents a new kind of science for the public good

s Clive Humby once said, “Data is the new oil. It’s valuable, but if unrefined it cannot really be used.” It is a well worn, but meaningful phrase. Data, when analyzed appropriately, may change the world as much as oil has done in ways both positive — the ability to travel, see and understand our world — and negative — global warming. To push the metaphor to its limits, the proposed School of Data Science at the University is a green refinery for the digital age, responsibly harnessing the power of data to make a positive difference in the world. The University’s Data Science Institute , now in its sixth year, has as its mantra data science for the public good. We are educating students to be leaders in this new ewconomy, training them to be vigilant about how data can be misused and teaching them to ask questions about how to use it responsibly. This is a great start, but a new school puts it all on steroids. The School provides the necessary infrastructure for a large scale effort and expresses the importance that the University places on this emerging field and from which students will graduate to be leaders in the new economy. With the recent announcement, we have the opportunity to expand the DSI into a new school, one of only 12 at the University. This will allow us to do something really special on a scale we can’t reach as an Institute. We are creating a “school

without walls,” in the words of President Jim Ryan, as a means of connecting data to all academic disciplines. While the new School will have its own building, faculty and students — made possible by the generosity of Jaffrey and Merrill Woodriff and the

members of the University community can collaborate with the the government, nonprofits and the private sector. We envision an open and transparent ecosystem in which all participants mingle and exchange ideas, while remaining constantly vigilant

new School must teach our students to always question the data and how they use it — where it came from, how it was engineered, who it will affect and how the results might be interpreted from multiple perspectives. This questioning should begin before software

Besides identifying problems, data science can also suggest solutions. Quantitative Foundation — it will also have satellites in other schools where data science can be studied and best academic practices exchanged. This makes sense as data science is an interdisciplinary endeavor, embodying aspects of statistics, computer science, information science and applied mathematics which are then applied to all disciplines and the vast treasure trove of data they are accumulating. The outcomes range from new scientific discoveries, to improved efficiencies to a better understanding of the world around us. The planned School of Data Science will help faculty, students and researchers work across disciplines, in keeping with the original Jeffersonian notion of the Academical Village. The difference is that, in this case, it will be an Academical Village for a global society, where

about practicing responsible data science and making sure everything we do is in service of the public good. When one thinks of unintended, and perhaps intended, consequences involving data, it's impossible not to think about Facebook. I doubt the founders of Facebook anticipated the consequences of their data platform in distributing fake news and other forms of misinformation. But I also doubt that there weren’t those who knew what they were doing when they used it as such. Thus, data science and how it is used is relevant to over 1.74 billion of us — as of 2016 — that use Facebook since data science is at the heart of what Facebook does. It represents the largest collection of social and behavioral data ever collected. Analysis of those data, for better or worse, is data science. Our job is to train for the better, not the worse. While not an easy undertaking, the

is written, not after it is written, deployed and in the hands of millions of users. Data ethics is already a hallmark of our training, but we must continue to strive further to instill awareness throughout all our academic and research programs. Employers want — and society needs — data scientists who can apply their theoretical training to real-world problems without unforeseen consequences — no small task. Besides identifying problems, data science can also suggest solutions. For example, at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains the Virginia Forest Laboratory measures levels of ozone in the surrounds. Ozone at ground level is detrimental to health, while in the upper atmosphere it is vital as a protective layer against ultraviolet radiation. Data science, engineering and environmental science students working together at U.Va. have figured out how

to mount measuring devices on drones and come up with a more accurate and far-ranging view of ozone distribution. We want our students not only to come up with results but to be community leaders who can shape policy. The initial focus of the new School will be on problems related to health, notably health disparities; the opioid crisis and neurodegenerative diseases; education and how we can better train all students; democracy or more specifically the lack thereof; and business and financial analytics, aimed at improving the financial well-being of the Commonwealth; and last but by no means least, problems identified by the City of Charlottesville to which data science can be applied. There is much to do in a data driven economy. By committing to be the first School of Data Science of its type in the country, the University has made a great start towards training the workforce of tomorrow, discovering solutions to pressing societal problem, and serving our community. Data Science is a team sport, and we are all members of that team. I look forward to the work ahead. PHIL BOURNE is the Director of the Data Science Institute and Acting Dean of the proposed School of Data Science.

MEGA-GIFTS THREATEN EDUCATIONAL AUTONOMY While the generosity of the Quantitative Foundation appears as a net positive for the University, mega-gifts hold significant drawbacks

he School of Data Science represents a new chapter both for University and higher education at large. Endowed by the Quantitative Foundation’s $120 million gift, this sum marks the highest private gift ever given in the University’s history. While the announcement generated a considerable amount of buzz about U.Va.’s future educational landscape, the real issue lies in the University’s future with alumni giving. $120 million seems like an unprecedented amount of money to give as a gift to a university. But nationally, these types of massive mega-gifts have been a major factor in driving universities’ wealth — in 2017 alone, mega-gifts surpassing $10 million collectively generated over $6 billion for higher education institutes. This new wave of mega-gifts has changed the landscape of university fundraising. Rather than court a wide swath of ordinary alumni for small donations, universities now feel the pressure to court big donors and attempt to score big. This shift stems from a myriad of factors. For one, the United States has a record amount of billionaires — 585 to be exact. For comparison, only 13 existed at the debut of the

Forbes 400 list in 1982. With this growing class of the super rich, universities now have more opportunities than

lar sum from Phil and Peggy Knight, the co-founders of Nike. John Paulson gave Harvard 400 million to endow

be the beneficiaries of large gifts, compounding their already wide-reaching influence and power in higher educa-

When the money comes from outside sources, the nexus of control remains outside of the realm of those who have the largest right to allocate the resources. ever to snag mega-gifts. At the same time, this fundraising shift didn’t occur independently of other factors. The traditional fundraising campaigns directed at alumni bases have become less successful. Middle America simply has less to give, with their expendable incomes shrinking since the early aughts. Meanwhile, the losses incurred for the middle class ended up largely in the coffers of top 1 percent over the past decade. With wealth steadily accumulating within a small pool of Americans, many institutions have had to turn towards the economic elite in order to reach benchmark fundraising goals through lump-sum donations. The University of California, San Francisco raked in $500 million from the Helen Diller Foundation. The University of Oregon received a simi-

their engineering and applied sciences school. Against this backdrop, the University’s new Data Science school, funded by a similarly hefty gift, seems to be more normal than one might first believe. However, there are significant drawbacks if this fundraising trend continues. With the wealth gap mirroring the status of charitable giving in the United States, fewer and fewer individuals have the opportunity to impact their alma maters. This inequality compounds other forms of existing inequalities, such as the fundraising discrepancies between historically black college and universities and primarily white institutions — HBCUs largely have not benefited from windfall donations that largely benefit PWIs. Beyond racial inequity, elite universities possessing institutional wealth tend to

tion. As a result, plutocrats have consolidated their ability to have outside influence on higher education and double down on the institutions that protect their wealth and prestige. Less affluent alumni lose their ability to have a more democratic impact on their alma maters. Universities are already allocating resources towards “major gift fundraising” in order to bypass the bone-dry and lukewarm giving patterns of ordinary alumni and target the magnates. As a result, current institutions rest in constant state of flux, where their fund goals rely on the fickle aims of wealthy. Instead of fishing with large nets, now universities essentially attempt to hunt the Moby Dicks of donors. The instability becomes ingrained for resource attainment. In essence, the University’s new

Data Science school represents a new era of fat cats dictating our educational frontier. As long as institutions remain bound to cash flow coming from the top 1 percent, students, faculty, staff and alumni are going to have to give up control of the direction of where their resources are headed, in this case, towards a Data Science school. In the meantime, the Living Wage Campaign and a sufficient expansion of on-Grounds housing to mitigate the increasing rent prices in the Charlottesville/Albemarle area have to be placed on the backburner. When the money comes from outside sources, the nexus of control remains outside of the realm of those who have the largest right to allocate the resources. If the University becomes dependent on large donors, the Charlottesville community has to become prepared to see their landscape redirected by the whims of mega-wealthy, making what’s “our to shape” shaped for us. KATHERINE SMITH is a Senior Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at k.smith@cavalierdaily.com.

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OPINION • www.cavalierdaily.com

VIRGINIA SHOULD REDUCE TAXES ON THE POOR Sales and “grocery” taxes raise the cost of living too high in Virginia

t the beginning of this year, Arkansas lowered its state tax on groceries from 1.5 percent to 0.125 percent. A difference of 1.375 percent may seem inconsequential and barely noteworthy, but in Arkansas, the move to 0.125 percent marks the end of a 13 year long political process that started in 2006. On the campaign trail, Gov. Mike Beebe (D) vowed to incrementally lower the rate from 6 percent to 0.125 percent. Throughout Beebe's 8 years in office he continually fought to lower the tax rate, and the process was completed under his successor Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R). For lower income families in Virginia, that process never took place. Unfortunately, the Commonwealth of Virginia still unnecessarily taxes basic necessities such as food and water, requiring the most disadvantaged citizens to pay for a tax that raises little to no money. A “grocery” tax is a specific subset of the sales tax, or excise taxes levied on all products that are bought within a state, except for five states which have no sales tax. However, the majority of states carve out exemptions for necessary products, such as groceries. While Virginia's state sales tax ranges from 5.3 percent to 7 percent, the food for home consumption — or, "grocery tax”— is 2.5 percent. Although these numbers do not seem exorbitantly large, they place the greatest burden on low- and middle-income families

CARTOON

due to their regressive nature. A regressive tax is a tax in which the individuals in lower income brackets pay a greater percent of their income to the tax, rather than wealthy individuals who pay a relatively small portion of their income.

ing both taxes would lessen the cost of living in Virginia for the poorest families. The primary argument against cutting sales taxes concerns the shortfall in revenue it would create. However, eliminating the “grocery”

health insurance premiums and generally improve public health, as the increase in price would force marginal consumers to buy less cigarettes. The remaining $230 million could be collected by raising the average state income tax, virginians who earn

Instead of a family saving money towards a down payment on a home, low-income families are forced to pay a relatively high fraction of their income on the items they have to buy.

Most regressive taxes are structured uniformly, meaning that everyone is charged at the same rate. A sales tax and more specifically a “grocery” tax are regressive and are the most detrimental as poor Americans can not simply eliminate food from their budget. The Virginia General Assembly should reduce the sales tax to 4 percent and exempt all non luxury food items — meat, canned goods, vegetables, etc. — from the tax entirely. Lowering the sales tax rate and eliminating the tax on groceries would reduce the cost of living in all regions of Virginia, making the state more affordable for low income Virginians. If enacted, these tax reforms would be just as impactful as raising the minimum wage, because lower-

tax would barely create a dent in revenue. The average American spends $2,792 on food per year, at a rate of 2.5 percent multiplied by the population of Virginia is approximately $600 million, or 1 percent of the Commonwealth’s budget. Furthermore, a reduction in the sales tax would cost $130 million, for a combined total of 1.5 percent of the total statewide budget. $730 million is admittedly a lot of money, yet Virginia has a very large operating budget and an extensive taxable base. There are many ways to recoup $730 million. Raising the tax on cigarettes to $1 per pack, up from the current rate of 30 cents per pack, would net approximately $500 million in added revenue. This would also help save money on state

above 100,000, by approximately 0.15 percent. Raising the average state income by 0.15 percent, for earners over 100,000 dollars, would increase state revenue by approximately $230 million. The cost of reducing the sales tax and eliminating the “grocery” tax is not prohibitive, and finding state funds elsewhere — as in a higher tax on cigarettes and state income — would have fewer negative effects on the most underrepresented groups in Virginia. Furthermore, what I proposed is only one option of many — there are other ways to raise the necessary funding or scale back spending. The majority of states have eliminated the “grocery” tax altogether, recognizing that it is neither fiscally prudent nor morally sound to tax

The Evolution of Lime Gabby Fuller | Cartoonist

the bare necessities such as food and water. While a flat tax on food for consumption sounds fair, it disproportionately harms the most vulnerable in our society. Instead of a family saving money towards a down payment on a home, low-income families are forced to pay a relatively high fraction of their income on everyday items they have to buy. Addressing the impact of the “grocery” tax is not a new idea in Virginia politics. During his 2017 gubernatorial campaign, current Virginia governor Ralph Northam endorsed eliminating the tax for low-income Virginians. Virginia must consider the needs of its’ poorest citizens, therefore I would urge Governor Ralph Northam and the General Assembly to follow the lead of 30 other states and exempt food from taxation, as well as to reduce the sales tax. Doing so would lower the cost of living for not just the poorest families but for all Virginians.

MATTHEW BAKER is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

www.cavalierdaily.com • PUZZLES

WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE Dan Goff | Puzzle Master

PUZZLES

*THE SOLUTION TO THIS PUZZLE CAN BE FOUND IN THE NEXT ISSUE

Across 7 Prison location where much of "The Green Mile" takes place — two words 9 Shaq's is 7'1" 10 A talking Disney channel dog has one of these 11 It's ravaging University students, apparently — wash your hands 12 Person with access to the spiritual world 14 Offred's profession 15 Be warned — the Rocky Mountain variety isn't a type of seafood at all 16 A leopard, or someone with the chicken pox 19 Polish or Russian old woman 21 Sudden, unexpected 23 Increase power, status or wealth of 24 Character on "Community" played by Danny Pudi 25 Barters 26 If you want to preserve your one-down, it's a good idea to get a ___ — two words Down 1 The ___ of students is in danger this time of year, thanks to things like 11-across and people who don't wash their 20-down 2 Male deer 3 Artillery 4 Bald by choice 5 One millionth of a meter 6 A type of belt meant to keep a woman from having sex or masturbating — today, it's a decent indie band 8 Deserving 13 False show, pretence 15 Greenhouse where Fla.'s state fruit is grown

4 8

18 19

17 Gradually discontinuing something — two words 18 Tax on imports or exports 20 Please wash your ___ or we'll all get the 11-across 22 Lucy Hale stars on "___ Little Liars" 24 If you have the 11-across, you probably have a pretty bad stomach-___

CORRECTIONS In the Jan. 24 issue of The Cavalier Daily, the article titled “Medical social workers give support to patients” contained typos which mistakenly referred to Chris Popish as male. She is female, and this error has been corrected.

* SOLUTION FROM LAST ISSUE

T T P R E S R I A E V E R I W A L L O E M I S U O L T R A I N A E B L O O D I D A S H O R T M

L E S Y A N D O N O N O G A C E R V I C I T H T N L P H I G H S E I W P N D E R S T A N S C C S E T I C E B Y W E S T A I N G O T R C A E D Y E S T U M E

O R D I S N A S N D A G D R Y I F F T

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A& E ARTS AND

Weaving stories of family and hope Artist Lily Hope shares the power of story and tradition through Native American weaving

ENTERTAINMENT

Storytelling is an aspect of culture that is tied into nearly every form of contemporary media. Through books, movies, TV shows and everything in between, a vast array of stories are constantly being fed into the world. However, the power of stories is not limited to merely these mediums. In a studio in Juneau, Alaska, a different method of storytelling is taking place — one that has been passed down for generations through immensely talented indigenous artists. Lily Hope, a Mellon Indigenous Arts visiting artist at the Fralin Museum of Art, is a Tlingit artist specializing in Chilkat and Ravenstail style weaving, a style of art that has been carefully preserved and passed down for the last several hundred years. During a recent weaving demo Jan. 23, Hope shared the stories of unique events that led her to a life of weaving, teaching and sharing her skills, alongside her apprentice Anastasia Hobson-George. Under a flowered blanket at the top of the stairs at the Fralin, a massive loom had been constructed. Hanging underneath a brightly colored partial weaving were dozens of strands of yarn, each cluster held together at the bottom with baby socks, a fitting juxtaposition of old and new. This was a typical set-up for Lily Hope, who often works at her loom for hours on end, every day of the week, in her home in Juneau. One of only about 10 professional Chilkat weavers, Hope approaches her work with a dedication and genuine passion that is evident upon first interacting with her. As she demonstrated her methods of weaving, Hope would turn to the small collection of observers and talk, telling intimate stories about her life as a weaver, a mother and a daughter. As a young girl, Hope often spent time observing her mother weave in the traditional Chilkat style. This method of weaving involves spinning yarn made from mountain goat fur and pieces of cedar bark, dyed bright colors such as yellow and blue. While most contemporary weavings are created using synthetic material, there are sometimes attempts to revert to the traditional methods. Hope and Hobson-George are embracing this approach, working to weave a pair of leggings using only traditional spinning and dyeing techniques. The work of Chilkat weaving

Caitlin Woodford | Staff Writer is painstaking and slow, taking up to “three hours to weave a single square inch.” It is the close attention to detail and patience that produces the complex, beautiful robes that are the typical product of Tlingit weavers. The weavings are bilaterally symmetrical and often depict important aspects of the artist’s life or clan, adding several layers of meaning to the already intricate designs. In addition to these robes, the Chikat and Ravenstail weaving styles can also be used to create smaller pieces, such as headbands. Hope began her weaving career by learning from her mother, focusing first on these simpler headbands, until her mother volunteered her for a project commissioned by the Portland Art Museum — a full Chilkat robe. Hope described this massive shift as similar to “switching from electric to acoustic guitar.” Despite the initial difficulties, her work was a success, and this path led her to more and more professionally commissioned works for a variety of buyers. However, weaving is much more than simply a professional endeavor for Hope. To her, weaving is a connection to work through her feelings of confusion, grief and healing, a “veil between the human world and spirit world” that brings her closer to her late mother. It is this power of healing that has allowed her to

pour her feelings into the loom, a cathartic experience that she and Hobson-George have recently worked to expand to victims of sexual violence. One of their current projects, a collaborative piece between themselves and fellow weavers, is a blanket dedicated to sexual violence awareness. They plan to bring part of the work into the community — with the collaboration of local women and survivors — to facilitate a work of healing and love. Hope and Hobson-George have also ex-

panded this single project into a non-profit organization that will create new pieces each year for a new issue. This spirit of family and healing seem intertwined with every aspect of Hope’s art. As she spoke of her mother and other women in her life who taught her, Hope had almost untameable energy, speaking with a passion and admiration that was infectious. Though the Chilkat weaving tradition is one rooted in the traditions of the past, it is clear that the art form is alive and well in

Hope and the women she continues to inspire through her work. Even her young daughter, who joined her during her demo, ran among the cords, laughing and smiling, a beacon of light from the newest generation. Clearly, there is nothing dry and historical about this beautiful style of art, which still glows with the loving energy of the countless stories woven into its threads.

ASHLEY BOTKIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The Chilkat method of weaving involves spinning yarn made from mountain goat fur and pieces of cedar bark, dyed bright colors such as yellow and blue.

MAX PATTEN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

This spirit of family and healing seem intertwined with every aspect of Hope’s art.

ASHLEY BOTKIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

THURSDAY, JANURARY 31, 2019

www.cavalierdaily.com • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Time lost in William Wylie’s “Pompeii Archive” Professor of Photography leads special tour of his exhibit at the Fralin Museum of Art Robin Schwartzkopf | Arts and Entertainment Editor “This is one of my favorite pictures,” Prof. William Wylie said as he addressed the robust crowd, which had gathered at the Fralin Museum of Art to hear him speak about his new exhibition. The image, entitled “Plaster relief, Gymnasium C, Stabian Baths (VIII.1.8)” was taken by Wylie in 2015, several years into his photography fellowship at Pompeii. Wylie took the photo while the sun shone onto the relief, creating highlights on the intricate wall. “I loved the way … it felt buried, sort of like Pompeii was buried,” he said. Wylie’s “Pompeii Archive” exhibit — which features photographs from his five years spent exploring the archeological site, as well as works from Wylie’s original inspiration, German photographer Giorgio Sommer — only showcases a small selection of his work from the fellowship. While modest in size, the traveling exhibit still piqued the interest of many eager to hear about Wylie’s experience in Italy. Wylie remarked at the respectable size of his audience to begin the introduction to his

work. “It’s always been a dream of mine to kick [Ansel Adams’] butt,” Wylie said, referencing an exhibition of the American landscape photographer he helped curate in fall 2013. The special tour for Adams’ work may have been popular, but Wylie’s was personal. For much of his presentation, Wylie paired insightful artistic insight with casual commentary about flying to and from Italy — which involved negotiations with airport security to protect his art — and dealing with his Italian historical guide, a man named Savino. “[Savino] wouldn’t let me take the picture. … I basically figured out how to ditch this guy,” Wylie explained, as he pointed to striking photographs on the wall. Wylie described his technical and artistic achievements with brief asides about how they were made possible. “I learned as a child how to get rid of people you don’t want to hang out with,” he said. When asked by one visitor how he would plan his days in Pompeii, Wylie had a quick response. “I sort

of didn’t,” he said. The photographer spent his time searching, observing and paying attention to the details of a prospective shot. “So much of photography is serendipity,” Wylie reminded the crowd, bringing their attention to another picture across the room. “Sanctuary of Apollo (VII.7.32),” which Wylie captured in 2013, was the result of one such moment of serendipity. The photograph is similar to Sommer’s “#1281, Sanctuary of Apollo,” a print of which is also on display as part of the archive. The similarities are purposeful — Wylie began his fellowship with Yale by pitching the idea of recreating Sommer’s photographs — but the shadows in Wylie’s version elevate the new work and were the result of lucky timing. At times, Wylie would spend 30 minutes or more composing and framing his shot, adjusting to fit corners, create or limit shadows or make small changes to the landscape. With minimal editing after the photo was taken — Wylie only photoshopped

out the occasional bit of signage — the governing forces of his routine became compositional strategy and timing. “As an artist, I loved that process,” Wylie said. Periodically, Wylie would address Prof. John Dobbins, a Roman art and archaeology specialist, who was in the crowd and had helped Wylie gain access to the Pompeii site. Dobbins provided insight about the process of creating plaster bodies from cavities discovered in volcanic material. Several of Wylie’s photographs feature the plaster forms, although the exhibit lacks any photographs of living visitors of the site. The absence of people in Wylie’s photographs adds a fascinating layer to his work in Pompeii, which he explained became a mission to create something that felt “of my time, not Giorgio’s time or a classic time.” He described the continuous reconstruction of the landscape, various archeological projects and the challenge the site faces in preserving and presenting the plaster bodies which have attracted global tourists.

The Pompeii of today is not what it was. It has changed with time — and Wylie wanted to capture that. “A photograph fixes time and space in some way,” Wylie said near the end of the tour. “But photography also has a sense of time lost. As soon as you take a picture, it’s in the past.” The question of time lost hung over the gallery as members of the crowd began to mill around the room, paying extra attention to the details Wylie had mentioned on his tour. Despite the relative absence of human bodies, the photographs reflect the shadows of life amongst columns and tiles. “That’s what I love about Pompeii,” Wylie said. “It’s so easy to pick up on the lives that were lived there.” “Pompeii Archive: Photographs by William Wylie” is on display at the Fralin through April 21, 2019.

Listen loud to the Voices of Change The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center hosted a sold out conversation on race, environmental justice and the power of hip hop Elliot Van Noy | Senior Associate Editor The concept of mixing environmental justice and hip hop doesn’t necessarily strike as a likely marriage, but that isn’t how Vanessa Moses, fourth-year College student and head of Black Leaders for Environmental Sustainability, sees it. At an event hosted by the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center Jan. 25, Moses reckoned that Martin Luther King Jr. assisted in approaching environmental issues and the growing fight with climate change because of his continuous promotion of thinking in a new way. The audience stood with palms outstretched and joined with the person next to them. The crowd stirred with their own hope for change as well as with a further understanding for the generation to come’s role in this crucial choice to care about the Earth’s treatment. Speaking to future generations through hip hop — something key speaker Mustafa Ali reasoned to the primarily older audience — isn’t just about music that emphasizes “gangsta” behavior. It’s also about a continuous awareness and education of street knowledge. This includes learning about the conditions of a planet where lower-income black and Latinx neighborhoods and ru-

ral areas are predominantly supplied with poor quality drinking water, unclean air and natural space contaminated by capitalist desires to expand harmful fossil fuels, like the Atlantic Coast pipeline. This is something that Ali emphasized — having grown up in the coal fields in West Virginia, he shared his own experience while staying focused on rallying the crowd into concern by asking questions like, “Raise your hand if you have drinken water in the last 24 hours… if you’ve taken a breath.” Everyone had their hands up, some of them laughing slightly at the obvious nature of the answer, but the shared necessity was even more plain. Ali kept at this to raise awareness of the necessity of keeping the climate change fight inclusive to people from every walk of life, making environmental justice a civil rights issue by offering the truth of this common crisis. “If this is what the revolution for environmental justice looks like, we are dead. I’m serious,” said Ali. He was referring to the demographics of the people listening to him speak — a group of primarily affluent, older people. The audience didn’t laugh at that one, but some nodded their heads and shifted with anticipa-

tion. Ali went on to explain that the movement can’t be one that’s halted by it’s whiteness and age, but rather needs to be one that is communicated to the younger generation — the one listening to hip hop. Those hip hop listeners may be able to connect with a music idol more than a Ph.D. environmentalist, especially through hearing the lyrics of rappers that may be concentrating on shifting vulnerable communities from surviving to thriving. Take Common’s song on Flint, Michigan, for example. “Trouble in the Water” describes with catchy synth “water dirty like the police that floods the streets.” With the help of Hip Hop Caucus, a non-profit that aims to instill political activism in young adults using hip hop culture, Common created the song that addressed the lack of clean water in Flint. The music provides an intersection point between politics and entertainment and gives the youth a greater sense of urgency and relevance. This may lead them to realize the kind of power they possess to implement actual change. This event was characterized by the youth’s sense of their power in the room — from Moses’ place on stage to every student standing next

COURTESY STACY EVANS PHOTOGRAPHY

Speaker Mustafa Ali stressed the necessity of keeping the climate change fight inclusive to people from every walk of life, making environmental justice a civil rights issue.

to the compost bins directing the placement of every utensil, cup and article of food into the waste free destination. The Hip Hop Caucus visitors from Union Hill, Richmond spread a belief about instilling power in the future generation of lawmakers, lawyers and activists — asking the crowd to raise their fist into the air and repeating “Power!” for the sake of encouraging everyone to act and

reinforcing the triumph of inclusion over exclusion. Terence “TC” Muhammed, a speaker from the Hip Hop Caucus noted how often people claim that had they lived in a historic era of civil disobedience, they would have participated in the fight for equity. “You’re in that era now. So whatcha gonna do about it?” he said.

H&S HEALTH & SCIENCE

At the very start of the new year, a research team, made up of personnel from the University’s School of Nursing, the School of Medicine and the Center for Global Health, embarked on their first step towards two research goals — to develop a mobile app that healthcare providers can use to help manage cancer pain and to help strengthen and build research capacity in Nepal. Asst. Prof. of Nursing Virginia LeBaron has been conducting global health work in Nepal since 2004. Since then, LeBaron has partnered with many members who now make up the Nepalese Association for Palliative Care. The University and Nepali teams have now become partners on a bigger scale, and in August of last year, they received a $350,000 grant from the Fogarty International Center though the National Institutes of Health. “In many low- and middle-in-

THE CAVALIER DAILY

U.Va. collaborates on pain-management app Nursing faculty member Virginia LeBaron leads a team focused on creating an app for cancer patients Lucie Rutherford | Staff Writer come countries around the world, the focus is traditionally on infectious diseases,” LeBaron said. “Within countries like Nepal, there’s this growing number of people that are presented with cancer, and the systems aren’t always in place to help manage that.” In addition to the growing cancer issue, access to pain medication is another factor that has to be tackled. While there is an overuse of pain medication in the United States, countries like Nepal have the opposite problem. “You have this scenario where [cancer patients] are presented with really late-stage tumors, tumors that we would rarely see here because people have had access to screening or early treatment,” LeBaron said. “There, we see a lot of people presenting with very large, difficult tumors that have a lot of pain and more difficulty getting pain relief.”

This is where the pain-management app that LeBaron is hoping to create comes into play. For many years, the NAPCare group has been writing pain-management guidelines which help healthcare providers — particularly oncologists — manage cancer pain. The issue is these guidelines are paper-based. According to LeBaron, many health providers don’t know these guidelines exist or simply don’t use them. In response to this, the University team is trying to transition from paper to a technological platform that is highly accessible and available. In addition, they are hoping the app will track when guidelines cannot be followed, allowing for a better understanding of the barriers Nepali practitioners face when trying to manage patients’ cancer pain. In early January, LeBaron and the team visited four different

TYRA KREHBEIL | THE CAVALIER DAILY

hospitals in Nepal that each serve a different kind of cancer patient — these included public, private and hospice care within the urban area of Kathmandu and one center in a more rural setting. The first step while there was working collaboratively with the Nepali team to create a survey, which was to be sent to oncology care providers, mainly nurses and physicians. The survey asks a series of questions designed to better understand the barriers that Nepali health providers face when managing cancer pain and to gain feedback about the app. For LeBaron, collaboration between the two research groups is extremely important. The idea is that the survey will be co-created to gain as much insight as possible from the Nepali team, ensuring they ask the right questions to collect the most beneficial information. According to Josh Moore, Nursing graduate student and research assistant for the project, this project is something that is cutting-edge not only for Nepal but the University community as well. “The palliative care program that [LeBaron] is wanting to implement is something that I don’t even see in our hospital…. It is really groundbreaking and new,” Moore said. “It could be huge in not only helping the practitioner or provider at the bedside … but it’s actually helping track where there are lapses in the ability to provide adequate pain control.” As the research assistant, Moore taking charge of the virtual library being created for the

app. Due to his experience with research, another of Moore’s main focuses is increasing Nepal’s research capacity. During the team’s trip to Nepal, he was able to lead a talk on conducting research in addition to gathering information and visiting the hospitals. “Part of the goal of this grant is to actually help them start conducting research like this on their own,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of research out there on how countries like the United States should conduct research in Nepal, but there’s nothing out there that tells Nepal how to conduct research in Nepal. That’s what we’re trying to bridge the gap between.” Moore and LeBaron are aiming to improve research capabilities in local community groups in Virginia — from places like Charlottesville to rural areas where access to medical care is more limited. They hope that by the end of the two-year grant, their models will continue on to settings far beyond the University and Nepal. The next steps in the research, according to LeBaron, are synthesizing the information gathered in the surveys and designing an app based on those responses. The app will then be pilot tested, and the research team will make adjustments based on feedback from the test before the app begins collecting data. LeBaron hopes that in the future, this app can help researchers understand the issue of limited access to medical resources in Nepal and other countries.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2019

www.cavalierdaily.com • HEALTH & SCIENCE

Three McIntire degree programs designated as ‘STEM’ McIntire’s newly-recognized STEM degrees attract an increasingly international student body Callie Freeman | Staff Writer After years of integrating STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — into its curriculum, the McIntire School of Commerce learned early this month that three of their degree programs — the B.S. in Commerce, M.S. in Commerce and M.S. in the Management of Information Technology — have been designated in the second week of January as official STEM degrees by the Department of Homeland Security. The designation offers new opportunities for international students who wish to work in the United States after graduation. Starting in 2011, McIntire has made conscious decisions to build quantitative business analytics into their degree programs, even hiring new professors on the basis of their ability to integrate STEM into their classes. These decisions were a result of corporate sponsors hiring students with increasingly quantitative backgrounds. McIntire, which maintains consistent contact with corporate sponsors, decided to include more quantitative components in their curriculum. Now, James Maxham, McIntire

associate dean for graduate programs, and William Stamps Farish entrepreneurial research professor, believes that part of the strength of McIntire’s curriculum lies in its STEM focus. “We have a great history of placing students in jobs, especially business analytics,” Maxham said. “But since we have started pushing into these [STEM] fields in 2011, we have seen a greater increase in the number of students our corporate sponsors are hiring.” McIntire’s history of STEM integration made Maxham, who spearheaded the official designation process, realize that one part of his job was already done for him. According to Maxham, the curricula of the designated programs were already sufficiently based in STEM topics that they did not need to be altered before submitting the STEM designation proposal. “I looked at what it takes to have a STEM designated program and realized we have had this [in our curriculum] all along,” he said. The Department of Homeland

Security, in accordance with Department of Education “STEM” standards, keeps a detailed list of programs that qualify as “STEM designated” — such as business statistics, mathematics and computer science. Especially since 2011, McIntire has been integrating elements of STEM — variations of computer programming, statistical analysis, calculus and more — into nearly all of its classes. Commerce graduate student Michael Bateman chose the McIntire program for its STEM experience. “My undergraduate degree was liberal arts oriented,” Bateman said. “That's part of the reason I wanted to do the M.S. in Commerce, because I wanted that STEM background.” Carl Zeithaml, McIntire dean and F.S. Cornell professor of free enterprise, echoes Maxham’s realization about McIntire and STEM. “While people don’t necessarily think of business as ‘STEM,’ we didn’t have to change a thing in our curriculum to become STEM certified,” Zeithaml said. However, other parts of the STEM

certification process proved not to be so straightforward. “We went through a lengthy process of tying our programs to certain University standards to make sure they were STEM oriented,” Zeithaml said. “We submitted [our coursework] through the University. It was a challenging process.” Maxham explained that there were many levels of approval McIntire had to obtain before its programs could be officially designated as “STEM” degrees. The process was overseen by both the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia and by the University provost’s office. McIntire developed proposals based on the SCHEV guidelines, which involved an audit of its programs and a final submission to the provost and SCHEV. But with the arduous approval process has come a potentially positive change in job prospects for McIntire graduates, especially international students who wish to stay in the U.S. after they graduate. Students who graduate from an

official STEM designated degree program are eligible to apply for an extra 24 months to their optional practical training extension, an immigration stipulation that already guarantees 12 months of work experience in the U.S. for international college graduates. Maxham said having an official STEM degree can even help international students obtain an H-1B visa, which allows U.S. employers to hire international workers in certain — often high demand — fields like STEM. According to Zeithaml, when McIntire announced online that the programs were officially STEM designated, there was already international student interest. “[There were] over 1,000 hits on WeChat in China when the article dropped,” Zeithaml said. “At the undergraduate level, I hope that it helps us help the University attract the best international students.”

Batten iLab program launches 23 startup companies in 2018 Founded in 2000, iLab provides funding, legal support and mentorship to entrepreneurs Pumoli Malapati and Vyshnavi Pendala | Staff Writer and Health & Science Editor Last year, iLab was able to launch 23 startups, such as Art for the Heart, DataClassroom and Minimally Invasive Spinal Technology. Founded in 2000, iLab is an initiative supported by the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation that provides financial and legal advice, as well as a workspace to support to young entrepreneurs within and beyond the Charlottesville community. Art for the Heart was founded by Emma Hitchcock, first-year in the College, and Zadie Lacy, freshman at the University of Mary Washington. The startup strives to bridge the gap between the greater Charlottesville community and the homeless community through art. After presenting their art gallery idea at the Tom Tom Founders Festival, Hitchcock and Lacy won the social innovation prize which gave them the opportunity to gain a spot in iLab. According to Hitchcock, iLab has helped boost the confidence of both herself and her partner and helped make their business more professional. “We just really grew confidence-wise being around all of these older business owners and [learned] ... how to interact and network,”

Hitchcock said. Another start-up that benefited from iLab is DataClassroom — a web application that allows K-12 teachers and schools to teach students in sixth through 12th grade analytical and data science skills. According to Aaron Reedy — National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow and founder of DataClassroom — iLab has provided early-stage support, which allowed him both to boost his user number to about 650 users and learn more about how to make DataClassroom better. “iLab is really committed to moving those startups forward no matter what stage they’re at,” Reedy said. “[Initially before iLab], we didn’t really have any real users using our product, [but when] we came out of the iLab, we had about 650 real users, and we were learning a lot of information on how to make DataClassroom better.” Alexander Singh, fourth-year Engineering student and CEO of MIST, has worked to develop spinal implants for patients with scoliosis in order to help reduce invasiveness and complications of current procedures in the hopes of improving patients’ lives. According to Singh, iLab has

helped them to think about how the market works and their company at large beyond their product. “Our biggest difficulty is technological risk — so whether or not our device will actually function in a patient,” Singh said. “iLab … really forced us to sit down and think about ... how the market works in order to build our technology.” The most popular resource for new entrepreneurs is the Summer Incubator Program. Established in 2000, the Incubator Program — formerly known as the Darden Incubator Program — hosted between 10 to 12 teams and required one member of the team to be a Darden student. In its early years, the program operated out of Saunders Hall. In 2012, the program relocated to Nash Drive — neighboring the Darden School of Business and the University’s School of Law— and fully became its own laboratory, the iLab Incubator Program, allowing any entrepreneurs in the Charlottesville and Albemarle areas to apply regardless of their affiliation to the University. “Since 2012, anywhere between 20 and 25 teams participate each summer,” David Touve, senior director of iLab, said in an email statement. “Presently, the summer

program provides up to $10,000 in grant funding, dedicated workspace, legal support, workshops, mentorship, community, and other support to up to 25 early-stage startups.” Going into its 19th year, the Summer Incubator Program has supported 250 companies consisting of 450 founding team members and provided $1.5 million in grants to these companies. “These teams have gone on to raise upwards of $150 million in outside, invested capital (i.e., equity),” Touve said in an email. “And, in excess of $250 million if all forms of capital are considered (i.e., grants, loans, etc.).” Recently, iLab has launched their new pilot program — Catalyst Accelerator Program. This nine-month intensive program provides $20,000 in grant funding to about 10 companies each year. “The Catalyst Accelerator program (aka, Catalyst) is a new program, presently being piloted, focused upon providing support to high-potential companies in our region that are headed toward raising early-stage capital and/or growing to be sustainable ventures,” Touve said in an email. To further support this program, Touve and his colleagues have

applied to a grant of nearly $500,000. Currently, the proposal has been approved by the regional board of Go Virginia — a bipartisan foundation that supports programs that expand the job market and strengthen the economy in every region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. According to Touve, the proposal will be brought to the State Board in March. Through iLab’s programs such as Catalyst and Incubator, with more than 100 mentors, advisors and support from the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, iLab hopes to continue supporting entrepreneurs and innovators on Grounds and beyond the University. “I think that U.Va. entrepreneurship at large has done a really good job of not focusing on whether you are successful or whether you failed but really focusing on the everyday aspect of ‘Are you meeting the deadlines, are you on a certain path or not, what are you actually doing in the moment for your future,’” Singh said. “It’s all about what can they can do to support not only your company but to support you as an individual.”

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