Friday, February 14, 2014

Friday, February 14, 2014

Vol. 124, Issue 39

Students without legal residency may soon receive in-state tuition benefits Jiaer Zhaung, Alia Sharif, and Henry Pflager Senior Writers

Del. Tom Rust, R-Fairfax, proposed a bill last month that would declare children of immigrants who are in the country illegally eligible for in-state tuition under specifically delineated circumstances.

The Higher Education Equity Act, HB 747, would grant in-state tuition benefits to individuals with temporary resident status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provided the individual went to high school in Virginia and has either graduated or obtained a GED. In order to qualify, individuals also must have filed for a Virginia tax return, or in the case that he or she is a dependent, at least one guardian must have filed income tax returns for at least three years prior to the date of enrollment.

Deferred Action is a policy enacted in June 2012 that defers deportation of those brought to the United States as young children, given they do not present a risk to national or public security and meet certain age and educational criteria.

The University had no comment on the legislation, but does not enroll individuals who cannot provide proof of citizenship. Technically, persons receiving a Deferred Action classification are considered legally residing immigrants.

“An applicant’s status is not known during the application pro-

cess,” University spokesperson McGregor McCance said. “However, if an offer of admission is made and accepted, the student must provide documentation of [his or her] status before enrolling.”

In a follow-up email, McCance said students with Deferred Action status were considered on a case-bycase basis.

University Dean of Admissions Gregory Roberts said in an email that the University does not assist students with Deferred Action status, and the University’s admissions strategy would not change if this bill were to pass.

Related policy at other Virginia institutions is not uniform. Larry Hincker, associate vice president of university relations at Virginia Tech, said enrolling students living in the

country illegally remains a possibility.

"The university technically doesn’t know,” Hincker said. “It’s highly possible that undocumented aliens [are] here. The university does not ask for proof of citizenship."

The bill passed the House Education Committee with a vote of 19-3 and was recommended to the Committee on Appropriations Jan. 28 — the same day similar bill HB 88, sponsored by Del. Alfonso Lopez, D-Arlington, was tabled by voice vote.

Though HB 747 received broad bipartisan support in the Education Committee, similar bills have died eight times in the past. Most never made it to the House subcommittee.

The two parties remain highly divided on this legislation. Accord-

ing to an editorial in The Washington Post, “Mr. Howell [Republican Speaker of the House] saw to it that the bill was sent to die in the Appropriations Committee” with concerns about long-term financial obligations.

The Appropriations Committee took no action on a bill similar to HB 747 in the last legislative session.

Of the Appropriations Committee's 22 members, 16 are the same as last year's Committee.

Sen. Richard H. Black, R-Leesburg, strongly opposes the bill.

“We want to make it as easy as we can for actual citizens to be enrolled and use the state money,” Black’s legislative aide Chris Lore said. “And to make it easy for illegal immigrants to take advantage of the tax dollars that we’re all paying in is just not ac-

Graphic illustration by Sylvia Oe

ceptable.”

According to The Washington Post, the bill would apply only to undocumented students who arrived in the United States before June 2007, and about 100 students will annually fulfill the bill’s criteria for the next 10 years.Student Council will consider a resolution supporting HB 747 next week. The bill passed out of Council’s External Affairs Committee Tuesday with only one person voting against the measure.

Vice-President for Organizations Neil Branch, a fourth-year Batten student and sponsor of the resolution, said the resolution was likely to pass the whole Student Council. “[Students living in the country illegally] shouldn’t be punished simply because of their parents' actions,” Branch said. “Currently we have a lot of high-achieving students denied these educational opportunities.”

Branch said he has reached out to several offices of Virginia legislators but has not yet received any official response, which he said was likely because of the recent snowstorm.

“It doesn’t apply to everyone — it’s a pretty narrow bill,” said Sam Bosch, legislative aide for Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, and copatron of a similar bill in the Senate.

“It only affects the small population of students who would be approved for deferred action status, and even if they are approved for that status, they still have to meet other criteria.”

Joseph Liss, Sarah Pritchett and Meg Gardner contributed to this story with reporting.

news

Katherine Wilkin Senior Writer

The Virginia House of Delegates passed two bills Monday changing current laws regarding human trafficking , an issue which has gained significant traction recently in the state legislature. “This is a rapidly growing crime in Virginia, and our goal is to stop it,” said Del. Robert Bell, R-Albemarle, who proposed one of the bills. “The sex trade is … an abuse of the young people that are victimized by it, and we want to stop it as soon as we can.”

The bills passed in the House will serve to clarify the application of current laws regarding trafficking, kidnapping and abduction “Part of the problem is that some law enforcement [officers] have difficulty just trying to figure out exactly what laws pertain to traffickers,” said one

2

House passes bills to fight trafficking Del. Robert Bell proposes successful bill to make trafficking punishment harsher, Senate likely to pass similar law

aide to a Democratic state senator, who asked to remain anonymous. “There are laws already on the books for people who engage in kidnapping or abduc-

“

N

The Cavalier Daily

This is a rapidly growing crime in Virginia.

-Del. Robert Bell

tion, so there are similar statutes that might be related to trafficking, but they’re not all necessarily grouped together in a standalone trafficking set.”

House Bill 235, which passed 94-5, focuses on clarifying the

punishment for those engaging in sexual trafficking as customers. With the new provisions, those who solicit underage prostitutes, if convicted, will be required to register with the Virginia sex offender registry.

The bill also calls for equal punishment for offenders, regardless of whether or not a minor is brought into sexual trafficking willingly.

“We don’t think it’s a question of whether its against their will or not,” Bell said.

House Bill 660, which was passed 92-7, allows prosecutors of human trafficking cases to seize, and ultimately call for the forfeiture of, assets whose acquisition is traceable to trafficking.

“It is substantially broader than our current statute that only covers cars and only second offenses,” Bell said.

Sex trafficking is an issue that has similarly received increased attention in the Charlottesville area in recent years. The Char-

lottesville Justice Initiative, an organization that started up this fall and is working to raise awareness about human trafficking in Charlottesville and the surrounding area, plans to offer programs for victims of human trafficking, residents of the Charlottesville area and local law enforcement.

“We’re working towards the idea of having an in-depth training in police departments so they will know what to be looking for,” said Julia Craig, point person for the organization.

Though the CJI was not heavily involved in the two recent House initiatives, their umbrella organization, the Richmond Justice Initiative, was “at the forefront of the two bills,” Though results in the House do not always predict the outcome of a bill in the Senate, the recent bicameral support for the human trafficking bills bodes well for the ultimate passage of concrete legislation, the Demo-

cratic aide said.

Craig said. The Arbor, an upand-coming organization which plans to support and provide housing for victims of human trafficking in the area, planned a Feb. 3 awareness event with Albemarle County Public Schools, which has been rescheduled due to snow. Presenters will discuss human trafficking in the region, as well as services the Arbor plans to provide for victims and their families.

Craig says there are a number of things Charlottesville residents can do to raise awareness about human trafficking on their own.

“A lot of people don’t even really realize it exists, so just spreading the word about the issue would be one thing,” Craig said. “You’re able to anonymously call into the national human trafficking hotline and report a tip, so if you feel like something fishy [is going on], you can report a tip.”

LGBTQ Center kicks off sixth ‘Love is Love’ campaign Center gives away custom T-shirts to promotes equality, raise awareness on Valentines Day; aims to give away 1000 shirts, 400 more than last year Brendan Rogers Senior Writer

The University’s LGBTQ Center kicked off its annual “Love is Love” campaign this week. The campaign aims to raise awareness and create a more welcoming environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning students.

The Center is distributing red T-shirts bearing the phrase “Love is Love” and encouraging students and faculty to wear the shirts on Friday for Valentine’s Day. This year marks the sixth anniversary of the campaign. Scott Rheinheimer, coordinator of LGBTQ Student Services, began his position just more than a year ago, and has since seen the project gain substantial popularity.

“I had only been on Grounds

two weeks last year when the campaign started,” Rheinheimer said.

“I was really nervous that no one would know about this campaign.”

Last year, 600 “Love is Love” shirts were given out in just one day.

“This year we expanded the shirts from 600 to 1,000,” he said.

“We also offered larger sizes; this way everyone can show their love.”

Students are broadly supportive of the campaign.

“I think the T-shirts send a good message,” third-year Architecture student Brett Rappaport said. “It’s a powerful but simple message.”

Fourth-year College student Chanel Cooper said the campaign is an important way for allies to express their support for LGBTQ communities.

“I always wear [the shirt] every year,” she said. “There are always going to be those groups that try

to ‘other’ people … but overall, I’d say the University is an accepting environment.”

The campaign aims to foster an overall appreciation of the University’s LGBTQ communities and advocate for support at an institutional level.

“U.Va. has definitely come a long way from where it comes from in the past,” Rheinheimer said. “It’s a huge improvement, but we still have a long way to go.”

Among institutional improvements that Rheinheimer has campaigned for is an online list of gender-neutral bathrooms around Grounds that students can access.

“Our leadership at the University is one of the most supportive,” Rheinheimer said. “They are doing everything they can to make sure people are accepting.”

Shirts are available to all students for free at the LGBTQ Center

Andrew Elliott | The Cavalier Daily

The LGBTQ Center has been giving away “Love is Love” t-shirts, above, all week ahead of Valentines Day this Friday.

in Newcomb Hall’s basement from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout this week. Students picking up a shirt are asked to wear them on Friday,

and are also invited to join other members of the community for a photo Friday at 4 p.m. on the South Lawn side of the Rotunda.

NEWS

Friday, February 14, 2014

3

Virginia Senate votes to repeal controversial ultrasound legislation Newly elected Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam casts tie-breaking vote; bill likely to fail in House Kathleen Smith Associate Editor

The Virginia State Senate passed a bill Tuesday to repeal a law requiring women seeking an abortion to receive a transabdominal ultrasound before undergoing the procedure. The bill is expected to fail in the House of Delegates.

Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat and former physician, cast the deciding vote in favor of

repealing the law when faced with 20-20 gridlock in the chamber.

SB 617 was brought to the floor

by Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Newport News"I am totally opposed to any legislation mandating an unnecessary medical procedure," Locke said in an email. "This law was designed specifically for the purpose of interfering in a woman's right to obtain a perfectly safe medical procedure, decided upon by her and her physician--not politicians.

A Republican-controlled House

and Senate passed the bill in 2012, when it was signed into law by former governor Bob McDonnell.

The original version of the bill required women to undergo a transvaginal ultrasound before receiving an abortion, but lawmakers revised the bill to require only a standard ultrasound after significant public backlash. A standard ultrasound uses a transducer over the abdomen to create 2-D images of the abdominal cavity , Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax,

Kelsey Grant | The Cavalier Daily

Legislation in 2012 required women seeking abortions to get an ultrasound. The bill originally required trasvaginal ultrasounds but was changed to only require abdominal ultrasounds.

voted for the law's repeal in Tuesday's vote.

“I think we have an absurd bill on our hands,” he said. “In the early stages of pregnancy, an abdominal ultrasound will show nothing … in

the earliest stages of pregnancy, the only way you can have an image is to have an internal ultrasound.”

see ABORTION, page 5

City Council announces ‘complete streets’ plan

Initiative seeks to ensure streets will accommodate trees, pedestrians, bicyling pathways; plan passes body 4-1 Kathleen Smith Associate Editor

Charlottesville City Council adopted a “complete streets” resolution earlier this month to ensure future roads will accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and tree-lined roadways. “[The new policy will] ensure that transportation infrastructure investments support the making of an attractive, healthy, and safe, walkable and bike-able Charlottesville,” according to Council’s agenda.

The street design policy was initially proposed by councilmember Kathy Galvin in September.

“Context Sensitive Streets simply means that the design, engineering and building of our

streets should fit the context they’re in and accommodate the transportation modes that make sense in that context,” Galvin said.

Neighborhood Development Services Director Jim Tolbert said the increase in the number of pedestrians and cyclists make this plan necessary for the community.

“Over time the plan should lead to a system of streets that provide for all users,” Tolbert said.

Council approved the use of $50,000 from the Capital Improvement Program Contingency Account to pay outside consultants who will aid city staff with the project. Groups of staff members will work with advisers from the PLACE Design Task Force, Planning Commission, Tree Commission and the Bike/ Pedestrian Committee.

Council proposed a similar policy in November 2010, however the policy was not successful.

Council’s vote was 4-1 in favor of the project. Council member Bob Fenwick, who began his term as councilor this January, voted against the project, and said there was no need to spend on outside consultants.

Tolbert said outside experts are needed to supplement current city staff members and offer specialized expertise.

The street design resolution falls under Charlottesville’s 2013 Comprehensive Plan. This extensive proposal includes plans to create streets better equipped for storm water management, cultivate Charlottesville’s “tree canopy,” create transit infrastructure that promotes a safe environment for pedestrians and cyclists, and continue to develop the Charlot-

tesville business community.

The Context Sensitive Street Design is one of the policies in-

cluded in a city-wide slated to begin in July and be completed by March 2015.

Dillon Harding | The Cavalier Daily

Street cleaning program seeks to improve neighborhoods, like the one above on 6th Street, and make accomodations for pedestrians, bicyclists and automobiles.

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Friday, February 14, 2014

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4

Kelsey Grant | The Cavalier Daily

focus

University parking reaches limit

No plans for expansion; programs to increase alternatives Senior Writer

For those who have a car on Grounds, finding a convenient and affordable parking space is a daily concern. Student enrollment has increased in recent years, creating a higher demand for parking spaces.

A point of contention among faculty, students and administrative officials is whether the University’s current capacity for parking is appropriate given increasingly strong demand.

Rebecca White, director of Parking and Transportation, said her department works hard to reconcile the growing demand for parking spaces with the desire to keep Grounds a pedestrian-friendly area.

“There are about 18,800 parking spaces on Grounds,” White said. “Approximately 2,300 of those spaces are intended for patients and visitors and do not require the purchase of an annual permit. Of the remaining 16,500, most require the purchase of a permit.”

White said the price of the per-

“

We are developing programs in hopes of absorbing the population growth without necessarily increasing the auto population.”

- Rebecca White

mits varies depending on the location on Grounds.

“Low-cost commuter parking at U-Hall, available to students who live off Grounds, costs $18 per month,” White said. "Low-cost storage parking on the top deck of the Emmet/Ivy Garage, available to residents of University housing, also costs $18 per month. On-site dorm parking, available to students living in that dorm, costs $40 per month.”

White also said her department offers “occasional parker” permits,

sold in packs of five. She said the price of the permits depends on the daily rate of the lot.

During fiscal year 2013, University Police wrote 23,198 citations for parking violations.

“We have a warning citation policy, which waives the fine for the first citation with a fine under $100 written in 12 months,” White said.

According to Rebecca White, Director of Parking & Transportation

18,800 Parking spaces on Grounds

“Due to that policy, of the 23,198 citations written, 11,044, or 47 percent, had zero fines due.”

White said that though there are no current plans to increase parking capacity on Grounds, Parking and Transportation has been working to find other solutions to make transit at the University successful and easy. They hope to develop alternative solutions to accommodate the growing student and faculty population in the coming years.

“We are developing programs in hopes of absorbing the population growth without necessarily increasing the auto population,” White said. “For example, UTS provides frequent bus service through adjacent neighborhoods, a U.Va. ID allows a free ride on Charlottesville Area Transit, we have Zipcar available, carpool incentives, bike and pedestrian improvements, et cetera.”

Faculty experiences

Faculty members have expressed different opinions on the parking situation.

Spencer Phillips, economist and adjunct professor at the University said as an adjunct professor, he doubted he was entitled to any parking privileges, but that his experience had still been positive.

$$

23,198

Parking citations written during 2013

2,300

of the parking spaces don’t require purchasing an annual permit

“I pull right up to the front door of Monroe Hall, lock my bike to the rack and I'm good to go,” Phillips said. “I rarely have use of or need for a car, but when I do, I just use the paid lot under the bookstore.”

English Prof. Rennie Mapp said even using the bus system had raised some time and cost concerns.

“For a while, I parked at U-Hall and rode the bus to Grounds to save money,” Mapp said. “That was very time-consuming, and not cheap.

Most colleges do not charge their faculty for parking, but U.Va. is an exception.”

White said her department determines who receives a spot in reserved lots on a first come, first serve basis.

“There is no distinction for faculty versus staff,” White said. “Many reserved lots are sold out and waiting lists are maintained.”

Student experiences

For many students, finding affordable parking for their cars on Grounds is a constant struggle.

Second-year College student Jonathan Riggle said living in Bice, he has had varied success in finding good parking.

“If you don’t having a parking

$$

47%

Of those parking citations had ZERO fine due

“They increase prices on student permits every year,” Collins said.

“Their sort of long-term goal is to reduce car usage on Grounds. Ideally they would like to push all of the parking out to the perimeter.”

Collins said another long-term goal would be to make the entire McCormick Road area pedestrian.

He said such a project would be 10 to 20 years in the future.

Collins said the Building and

“

Caelainn Carney

Every student wants to be able to park near their dorm or wherever they are going.”

- Chris Collins

$$

16,500

remaining parking spaces and most require purchasing an annual permit

permit, you either have to park on Brandon Avenue or [Jefferson Park Avenue],” Riggle said. “And sometimes those fill up during the week.

I did not get a permit, because it is so expensive.”

Riggle said students with cars who forgo buying a permit face a tradeoff between saving money and having to walk a long way to legally park their cars.

“It’s better not to have to pay for the permit and have to park far away every once in awhile,” Riggle said.

Third-year Engineering student Chris Collins, co-chair of the Student Council’s Building and Grounds Committee and student representative of the University’s Parking and Transportation Committee, said the high prices of permit parking for students is part of an effort to reduce overall automobile usage on Grounds.

Grounds Committee works to pinpoint areas where students are having difficulty obtaining parking and try to find a solution for them.

“Every student wants to be able to park near their dorm or wherever they are going,” Collins said.

Collins also said members of his committee have been able to secure a few more spaces for students along Jefferson Park Avenue in the past few years and are currently working to obtain increased parking in the 14th Street area.

The parking debate has not only provoked discourse among undergraduate students, but among graduate students as well.

First-year Law student Morgan Lingar said, because most law students do not live close to Central Grounds, they need to drive if they want to visit that area. She said this causes some law students to spend more time on North Grounds than they might otherwise.

“I think especially for those who are at the Law School or at Darden, it really has a barrier to being present on main Grounds,” Lingar said.

Though most events for Law stu-

see PARKING page 5

NEWS

Friday, February 14, 2014

5

ABORTION House version has ‘zero percent’ chance, Skelley says Continued from page 3

Barker drew a distinction between the reasoning and the rationale behind the Republicanbacked law. Barker said though the rationale is to provide standard medical care, the reason behind the law is to dissuade women from pursuing an intended abortion.

“The perception is that this would lead women to change their minds, but research shows it does not have that effect,” he said. “Even if it were, we don’t write into the code of Virginia everything that’s standard medical practice.”

Supporters of the bill, meanwhile, believe there is a need for women to have an ultrasound be-

fore proceeding with an abortion.

“Considering the fact that health procedures far less complicated than abortions require ultrasounds, I do see a viable argument that requiring an ultrasound for an abortion is a legitimate health and safety regulation,” said fourth-year College student Peter Finocchio, chairman of the College Republicans. “I think that every Virginian, whether pro-life or pro-choice, agrees that abortion ought to be a safe procedure.”

State College Republicans Chair Elizabeth Minneman, a third-year College student and pro-life advocate, recognized the resistance toward the law.

“As a proponent of individual freedom, I understand concerns

that the intervaginal ultrasound method of providing information to women is overly invasive and medically unnecessary,” Minneman said.

Instead, Minneman said she thought a less invasive and more educational approach would be more effective.

“I would be more in favor of laws similar to the ‘Women's Right to Know Act’ in Minnesota, which requires women who have abortions to receive information about their fetus' level of development, how the abortion is performed and how the abortion affects the fetus,” she said.

The bill has spurred particular backlash from women's groups, which Center for Politics spokes-

person Geoffrey Skelley said may be a problem for Republicans.

“Female voters are already predisposed to vote Democratic for assorted socioeconomic reasons, and limiting abortion rights probably hasn’t helped the GOP with that bloc of voters,” Skelley said.

Skelley said that though the United States is split relatively evenly among “pro-life” and “prochoice” supporters, the majority of Americans deem abortion an acceptable practice in some cases.

Democrats have attacked the language of Republicans on the issue of abortion, Skelley said, claiming the GOP is waging a “war against women.”

Skelley said the likelihood of the bill even making it to the

House floor for a vote is low.

“Republicans control the Virginia House of Delegates by a 67 to 32 margin, so there is pretty much a zero percent chance of the bill passing the House,” he said.

Locke said she agreed there would need to be a change in the power dynamics of the House of Delegates for the bill to stand a chance of passing.

"Moderate Republicans must also vote their conscience rather than focus on the next election," she said. "That is not likely to happen as long as the House is under Republicans."

Multiple Virginia Republican lawmakers were contacted, but did not respond to requests for comment.

PARKING Most parking garages have space available, White says Continued from page 4

dents take place separately on North Grounds, Linger said it would be positive for the different schools at the University to mix

more. She said increased parking spaces on Central Grounds would help facilitate this.

“I do think it would be really positive for the University community in general,” Lingar said.

Riggle said, as the parking situ-

ation stands, people just have to make the best of the situation.

“Essentially, parking at U.Va., if you don’t want to pay for such an expensive pass, you just have to be smart about it,” Riggle said.

White said the claims about

there being too little parking on Grounds really depend upon where people would like to park and how much they would like to spend.

“We find daily — and significant — availability in the Central Grounds Garage, Emmet/Ivy Ga-

rage, Culbreth Garage, U-Hall area, etc., but these areas are sometimes viewed as too expensive or too remote,” White said. “The programs that have been developed for those who do not want to have a car have big strengths.”

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opinion

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LEAD EDITORIAL

No taxation without education Undocumented students in Virginia should be given the chance to pay in-state tuition to attend a public university

Comment of the day “Obviously the Cav Daily was wrong in simply ignoring one of the biggest and most successful sports at the University. It honestly boggles my mind how many national team rowers are produced yearly from the UVA ranks, and how little anybody knows about them.

It’s much easier to crank out 4 articles a week about a struggling football team.”

“Dan Schwartz” responding to the Caroline Burke’s Feb. 10 column, “A sport by any other name.”

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Student Council’s External Affairs committee passed a resolution Tuesday in support of a bill in the House that would allow undocumented immigrants living in Virginia to attend any state school and pay in-state tuition.

One of the requirements for eligibility is proof that the college applicant or applicant’s parents paid Virginia income taxes for at least three years. Additionally, the applicant must have attended a Virginia public or private school for at least three years and have graduated high school or earned a GED. The justification for charging lower tuition for in-state students is that they or their families have contributed to state funding by paying taxes. Many are under the impression that undocumented workers pay no taxes, making them freeloaders who try to reap the benefits of living in our country while

avoiding all of the costs.

But this is a huge misconception. Undocumented workers do in fact pay taxes. Despite the fact that there is little incentive and much disincentive for undocumented workers to pay taxes — they are usually ineligible for Social Security and Medicare benefits, and the risk of being deported dissuades many from filing tax returns — undocumented workers contribute about $15 billion to Social Security each year, according to the New York Times.

To offer in-state tuition to undocumented workers who have contributed to the tax pool of the state is a matter of fairness. And it also could give undocumented workers an incentive to pay taxes, so their children will have the opportunity to go to college for the same price as their next-door neighbors.

Some may argue that those who break the law by entering the country

illegally do not deserve to benefit from the price of in-state tuitions. But this argument is flawed, because most college applicants who are undocumented probably entered the country at the discretion of their parents.

There are about 2.1 million undocumented minors in the United States, who under the DREAM Act could obtain legal status. The DREAM Act applies to undocumented minors who have been in the country for at least five years, indicating that these 2.1 million were too young to have entered the country of their volition.

They do not deserve to be punished for circumstances over which they had no control.

To deny in-state tuition to undocumented students who live in Virginia leaves them in a kind of limbo. Prospective students who are U.S. citizens have the option of choosing a public school

outside their state and paying a higher price, or staying in-state and paying less. Undocumented applicants do not have that choice. They are treated as out-of-state students despite their residence. Such a policy restricts their access to the educational opportunities that all other prospective college students have.

There is widespread agreement that the whole country is in need of an immigration policy reform, but the debate on that larger issue is too complicated to fit into one editorial. The current bill before the Virginia House is a small improvement to a flawed immigration system, specific to the issue of educational opportunities. There are many students who could bring great contributions to our University or to other Virginia public schools. This initiative is an important step toward bringing them into those institutions.

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OPINION

Friday, February 14, 2014

7

Trust the greek system Fraternities do not discriminate against minority students Opinion Columnist

Last week, my fellow columnist Nazar Aljassar penned an article in which he denounced the University’s Greek system for a detrimental lack of diversity. He subsequently called for a push to increase minority representation in all fraternities and sororities, even suggesting assigned quotas for each house. These solutions were, as Aljassar proposed, to ensure that minorities could also benefit from the “institutional power” that Greek chapters hold.

It is an unfortunate reality of rush at the University that every student who seeks to join a fraternity will not be granted the opportunity. Hundreds of male students rush every year, and each house can only take so many pledges. For some rushees, this is not a problem — many students rush simply to have fun, meet more people and take advantage of the events put on by each chapter. Others inevitably find the Greek system’s innate exclusivity off-putting. Despite that fact, mandating quotas as to the types of members that should be taken by a fraternity would be an unreasonable overreaction.

To quell ideas that the Greek system is prejudiced, I want to establish that minorities are in no way precluded from signing up for

rush. I understand if some minorities feel that they may not be able to connect with brothers. But the best advice I heard before rush was to keep an open mind about each fraternity, which is something I do not think enough people do. No chapter will be exactly as you expected.

Nobody should forego rush if he is even slightly interested in pledging, especially if his hesitance is based on a perceived lack of diversity in the Greek system.

Moreover, while fraternities at the University are predominantly composed of whites, Aljassar’s article paints the fraternity system as unrealistically homogenous. Indeed, the Greek system overall is quite diverse. That diversity is perhaps not superficially recognizable, but each house includes brothers from all over the world — including minorities and international students — with different backgrounds, academic interests, future plans and worldviews. To say that Greek men can be distilled down into white, preppy, Keystone-swigging, private school graduates would be doing a disservice to all fraternities. If a minority rushee does not feel at home among members of a chapter, odds are it is more than just his ethnicity that is making him uncomfortable — and mandating quotas will not fix that issue.

All fraternity houses on Grounds, regardless of how they

structure their rush events, take recruitment very seriously. They would not invest so much time and money into rush if new members were flippantly chosen. While, admittedly, it can be hard to fully get to know everyone well within the span of a few days — the length of

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Alex Yahanda

To say that Greek men can be distilled down into white, preppy, Keystone-swigging, private school graduates would be doing a disservice to all fraternities.

each round of rush — every house puts in an admirable effort to learn as much as it can about rushees.

There is no guarantee, however, that every interaction will go well. There will undoubtedly be differences in personalities between brothers and those rushing, and particular conversations will not be enlightening or even enjoyable. These negative experiences are nobody's fault. Fraternities each are slightly different.

They are, at their cores, social institutions, and will tend to bring together brothers who naturally mesh

with each other. Of course, minorities can fit in well enough in a fraternity setting to join a chapter. Houses do not reject minority rushees simply based on the fact that those students are minorities.

It is true that some students inherently have advantages over others before rush even starts. Maybe they attended high school with current brothers, already know people in fraternities or have certain personalities that set them apart from other rushees. They have the virtue of being more tailored for Greek life, which works to their benefit during the short rush period. Conversely, some rushees just do not thrive well within Greek culture. But that awkwardness is not totally reflective of who they are as people. Being cut from a house’s rush does not mean that you are considered to be of diminished character or intelligence.

Greek exclusivity is no more discriminatory than any other student group. All organizations have cultures or tryout procedures in which not everyone can excel.

Aljassar’s article suggests that the rush process is futile for people who are not already cast in the mold of the traditional fraternity brother.

What’s more, though, is the entitlement that he seems to feel towards fraternity membership. He views the benefits offered through Greek life as rights that were only made impossible by virtue of his not being

white, thereby exhibiting an incomplete and ignorant understanding of both the composition and the functioning of Greek houses.

The fundamental role of a fraternity is to bring together people who are compatable based on a variety of characteristics. You cannot force those bonds via quotas — nor do you have to. Skin color or ethnic differences alone certainly fail as the most important determinants of inclusion into a fraternity, just as they should not be a major reason for cutting a rushee. I know most houses have exhibited the capacity for interpersonal connections that bring brothers together irrespective of race. If one cannot relate to anyone in a fraternity beyond those who are of a similar ethnicity, then Greek life will not be the best fit.

Do not let Aljassar convince you that the Greek system is only for the stereotypically fratty. It isn’t.

Mandating quotas for pledge classes is not necessary. Just because some people — by which I mean any student, not just minorities — do not find a home in the Greek system does not indicate that the system is purposefully stacked against them.

Alex Yahanda is an Opinion columnist for the Cavalier Daily. His columns run Wednesdays.

No more middle man Students and faculty should have face to face conversations to develop potential solutions to the problems of the Honor system Forrest Brown Opinion Columnist

The Honor Committee recently voted to add a non-binding resolution to the students’ election ballot asking whether students prefer non-proctored exams. Described

by Honor Committee Chair Evan Behrle as “unexpected,” the move signals that the Committee is still actively looking for ways to shake up the Honor System at the University, but also that it has learned from last year’s failed referendum.

Behrle said that the decision reflects the Committee’s desire to seek student input on important questions.

The Committee should be praised for continuing to push students to think about what Honor means to them, which it has done not only by passing the resolution but also by increasing outreach and education this year. The next step should be the development of a concrete dialogue between students and faculty

on issues like proctoring exams.

Many of the problems the committee has faced in the past year have been due to a disconnect between the faculty and students on Honor issues. The Restore the Ideal Act was motivated in large part by increased disillusionment with the system from the faculty, but failed because the product put in front of the student body didn’t reflect the ideals of the average student.

The act’s failure and the passage of the so-called Bellamy Amendment caused many students to feel that the legitimate issues Restore the Ideal sought to address were resolved — which simply isn’t true.

Faculty are still going to be reluctant to buy in to the system as long as jurors’ discomfort with the single-sanction or lack of familiarity with by-laws allows guilty students to escape unpunished. As long as faculty are reluctant to trust the system, Honor will fail to live up to its potential. Until both students and faculty have complete confidence in

the system, the community of trust will be an incomplete ideal.

I think the current committee recognizes this, which is why it’s looking for student input as well as reaching out to faculty on the issue of proctoring. By receiving input from both sources, any future proposals will be much more likely to be accepted by both groups. But as long as this interplay is happening indirectly, with the Committee at the center of the dialogue, neither party will fully understand the other’s perspective. As long as that gap persists, it will be difficult for the two groups to take the other’s concerns into account when evaluating a potential change, which will make it difficult for any change to be widely supported by both.

So how can this be addressed?

By providing an opportunity for professors and students to talk freely about issues like proctoring, spotlighting, jury composition and informed retraction, each side could come to better understand

the other’s perspective and a more cohesive vision of the system’s future could be formed. To accomplish this, the Committee could set up a panel of professors who could answer student questions about their views on Honor issues, which would allow students to better understand the concerns teachers have reporting offenses in the current system and how changes could address those concerns. This would at least provide students with a more direct source of information to help develop their opinions on prospective changes. Additionally, smaller focus groups with students from diverse areas of the University could meet with professors for a more intimate discussion that would allow for greater interplay of ideas. As long as these discussions were moderated by an Honor representative, they could provide valuable insight for the Committee into areas of agreement and potential disconnects which could then be addressed.

The important point here is that there needs to be a conversation — a dynamic exchange of ideas without a pointed agenda. Rather than bringing a fully formed proposal to students and faculty, the Committee needs to actively create opportunities for them to develop their own solutions to issues facing the system. Any ideas that the community has an active role in shaping will have a much greater chance of success and of increasing support for the system. While the non-binding resolution is a definite step in the right direction, and a sign that the Committee is listening and engaging with both students and faculty, the most productive initiatives will be developed once the Committee takes itself out of the center of the debate.

Forrest Brown is an Opinion columnist for the Cavalier Daily. His columns run on Thursdays.

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OPINION

The Cavalier Daily

In defense of the sports section The Cavalier Daily Sports secion fulfills its duties by covering sports that are popular to readers Fritz Metzinger Sports Columnist

As a high school athlete, my perusals of the morning newspaper met with perpetual disappointment.

No matter what my teams accomplished in the sports (cross country, track, and swimming) in which I competed, local media outlets website often forwent extensive coverage to focus on the other “mainstream” sports.

So when Caroline Burke — part of a varsity rowing team that has worked far harder and accomplished exponentially more than I ever have — published “A Sport By Any Other Name” for Monday’s edition of The Cavalier Daily, I appreciated her frustration. Her critique of how we assign attention to certain sports holds water; athletes on the women’s rowing team and other “smaller” teams receive inadequate media recognition for their exploits.

Burke’s well-intentioned editorial, however, suffers from several misguided notions. As a former Sports Editor of this paper who cares about its continued improvement, I felt compelled to address some of the issues her criticism raises, as they reflect some of the general misconceptions about the

Sports section I have long encountered from other students.

One fallacy of Burke’s argument is that she misconstrues the correlation between a sport’s popularity and its “economic value.” In my experience on the paper, The Cavalier Daily has assigned stories based not on revenue numbers, but on expected reader interest and level of access.

The sports that “rake in the most revenue” do so because the most people want to consume them. In the market for readers’ attention and trust, football’s market share dwarfs that of sports such as volleyball.

And Virginia’s athletic department — like every other responsible department in the nation — obliges people’s preferences. Whereas the school bombards local media with invitations to football and men’s basketball media opportunities, reporters often have to proactively arrange interviews with participants on less discussed teams. The school itself offers no information or media access to club teams, which are normally student-run CIOs. The reason The Cavalier Daily runs five times the number of basketball stories as it does wrestling stories, then, has nothing to do with some desire to perpetuate some revenue-based hierarchy. Rather, the paper is responding to a hierarchy already in place.

With all that said, the implication that this paper has dismissed less glamorous teams lacks any merit. The Cavalier Daily has long excelled in covering such sports.

The section deploys full-time associates for all varsity teams except rowing and the two golf squads, with many of these diligent writers producing professional-quality work — only to meet with a handful of page-views. In the last year alone, sports such as swimming & diving, men’s tennis and women’s soccer have received front page coverage.

To characterize the failure to include a rowing preview as evidence of The Cavalier Daily’s complicity in some sort of rich-sports oligarchy is to insult the many staff members who have worked their darnedest to write gripping stories about some of our school’s less ballyhooed athletes.

These associates and staff writers are students who work their butts off with little hope of widespread acclaim — not unlike the athletes Burke seeks to champion.

Yet the column’s most egregious shortcoming lies in its fundamental confusion concerning the purpose of a student newspaper’s sports section.

Burke spends most of her words targeting not the paper, but society’s general neglect of lowerprofile sports participants. “The

exclusive recognition of a select few sports teams on campus,” she writes, “serves to prioritize prestige and stigma over achievement and success.” Problematic though that stance is — football, basketball and baseball spotlight achievement and discipline plenty for those paying attention — she’s right in that too many young athletes value social recognition over the intrinsic value of athletic accomplishment.

Where she really errs is in claiming that a student newspaper has a duty to “work to refute” this incongruence.

The sports section does not function primarily to lecture about the meaning of sports. It has no obligation to correct societal ills. And it certainly has no responsibility to affirm athletes’ sense of self-esteem.

A good sports section reports the stories that matter most to its readership with accuracy and honesty. Even our columns — many of which do discuss the meaning of college sports and laud the character and persistence of our student athletes — must serve the broader goal of sharing the stories of greatest public interest.

Burke’s analogy with the English, Sociology and Anthropology departments, while clever, misses the point. That those departments boast brilliant and ambitious stu-

dents should not compel investment banks to hire as many poets as they do comm schoolers.

With extremely scant financial resources and a staff of full-time students, this paper will inevitably always fail to cover every single story it should. Additionally, my tenure as Sports Editor last year featured a litany of missteps for which I claim full responsibility: chief among them an unacceptable lack of attention paid to the rowing, golf and club teams.

New editors Zack Bartee and Peter Nance are already toiling to cover those sports more extensively than ever before.

During my stint, nevertheless, we always tried to avoid click-baiting to highlight stories we believed held authentic significance to the student community, as when the women’s soccer team enthralled the school last semester. Moreover, we strove to spotlight athletes’ accomplishments without dabbling in fanaticism.

Above all else, I hope the Sports section continues to aspire to those standards. I hope it continues to tell the stories we need to hear, no matter what sports they involve.

Fritz Metzinger is a former Cavalier Daily Sports Editor.

Closing the loopholes Virginia House of Delegates’ proposed ethics reforms leave much to be desired Senior Associate Editor

In response to former Governor Bob McDonnell’s federal indictment, members of the Virginia House of Delegates have announced a bipartisan package of ethics reforms which they hope to pass in the current session. But though this package is a step in the right direction, it shouldn’t be considered a victory for ethics in politics; the delegates’ proposed reforms are relatively tame, and they leave plenty of loopholes for politicians.

As has been recently publicized, Virginia already has some of the most lax ethics laws in the country; it is currently legal for elected officials to receive gifts of an unlimited value. Given this extraordinary lack of regulation, it’s hardly surprising that the Center for Public Integrity gives Virginia an F for Ethics Enforcement Agencies and an overall F for state integrity. In an effort to combat the state’s neg-

ligence in this area, the proposed legislation would prevent elected officials from soliciting gifts, cap gifts from lobbyists at $250, require the disclosure of gifts made to officials’ family members and establish a State Ethics Advisory Commis-

doing nothing by way of campaign finance reform, and the ethics commission they plan to establish would have no enforcement power whatsoever. A lack of enforcement power means the creation of this commission would be largely symbolic. The commission would not have the authority to investigate potential conflicts of interest; it would only be able to advise officials and Even if the proposed regulations are able to oversee online training. significantly lessen in-office corruption — which ethics seems unlikely — without campaign finance Advising officials and conducting reforms, lobbyists and donors will be able to training are worthsidestep these regulations during campaigns.” while pursuits, but they’re likely ineffective deterrents sion to oversee a newly updated from engaging in unethical activfinancial disclosure system. ity. It’s hard to believe that politiThese changes might sound cians will take such a superficial revolutionary, but that’s only in commission seriously, and given comparison to Virginia’s current the nature of McDonnell’s indictethical regulations. In reality these ment, it seems logical to establish a proposals are fairly minimal, espe- functional commission with actual cially since Virginia delegates are investigative powers.

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Dani Bernstein

The omission of campaign finance reform in these proposals is even more troubling. There are no measures to address campaign contributions or how campaign funds can be spent, two areas which easily lend themselves to conflicts of interest and corruption. Even if the proposed regulations are able to significantly lessen in-office corruption — which seems unlikely — without campaign finance reforms, lobbyists and donors will be able to sidestep these regulations during campaigns. Although political donations are not themselves corrupt, there is a correlation between votes cast or bills introduced by legislators and the interests of parties who significantly subsidize those legislators’ campaigns. This is obviously a serious issue that requires legislative action.

Unfortunately, comprehensive reforms don’t seem to be a realistic expectation from the current General Assembly, since prior to McDonnell’s indictment members of the Assembly consistently rejected chances to tighten their ethics laws.

In 2012, the General Assembly

struck down a bill that would have required the disclosure of tax credits, public officials claim, ostensibly because it would reveal to Virginians how much companies that received tax breaks were donating to members of the Assembly. Back in August, when McDonnell’s activities first came to light, members of the General Assembly — Republicans and Democrats alike — made no moves to introduce ethics reforms.

The apparent indifference Virginia politicians have for this issue is highly disturbing. Now that McDonnell has been indicted and ethical issues are becoming a source of public outrage, the General Assembly is prepared to pass minor legislation to quiet that outrage.

What Virginia really needs is comprehensive and effective legislation that raises the ethical standard to which we hold our politicians.

Dani Bernstein is a senior associate Opinion editor for The Cavalier Daily. Her columns run Tuesdays.

OPINION

Friday, February 14, 2014

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The needle and the damage done Philip Seymour Hoffman’s tragic death demonstrates that the War on Drugs is far from over

Opinion Columnist

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s death arrives at a peculiar time in America’s national conversation about drugs. Almost a half-century after the beginning of its embrace by the 1960s counterculture, marijuana is on its way to becoming more mainstream than cigarettes. Legalization campaigns are ascendant; New York Times columnists are admitting to smoking pot and the President of the United States has gone on record saying that marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol.

If not during this decade, it seems like a safe bet that marijuana will be mostly legal everywhere by the time our children go to college. The War on Drugs, we’re told, is finally winding down, and our drug policy is finally becoming less discriminatory and less punitive.

It is during this heralding of a new libertarian moment that we are rudely interrupted by a heroin overdose. Though the death of such a great talent and family man can never be anything less than tragic, it seems appropriate that Hoffman’s death comes at a time when society

must seriously consider the next phase of the War on Drugs. While marijuana legalization will certainly relieve a great burden from poor communities in America and abroad, anyone who thinks that its legalization marks the end of the War on Drugs rather than the beginning of some far more difficult questions is sadly mistaken.

Whether marijuana is legalized or not, cocaine will remain an $88 billion business in the U.S. alone, boasting larger revenues than massive corporations like Microsoft and PepsiCo. The UN also estimates the U.S. heroin market to be $55 billion, generating more revenue than Google and Coca-Cola. While it is certainly true that marijuana legalization would be damaging to drug cartels in Mexico, marijuana only accounts for 9 to 17 percent of average cartel revenues and is among the least profitable drugs the cartels distribute. In response to growing competition from U.S. producers, Mexican cartels have begun leasing public land for pot production, improving their product and streamlining their delivery systems.

Since cartels have already proven to be savvy businesses in how they have responded to decriminalization campaigns, there’s no reason to

think that even completely remov- ed purpose, most Americans would ing marijuana from their business justifiably find serious ethical and model would make them disappear. moral issues with their tax dollars Faced with this reality, society is going to fund the production and left only with painful choices. Do we continue a War on Drugs that has had devastating social costs or do we legalize drugs that have had devastating soThough the death of such a great talent and cial costs? Do we allow the cartels to family man can never be anything less than tragkeep shredding the ic, it seems appropriate that Hoffman’s death social fabric of Latin America or do we comes at a time when society must seriously conturn over heroin dis- sider the next phase of the War on Drugs.” tribution to multinational corporations with marketing and promotional distribution of hard drugs. Unless muscle? Though it’s true that the we are willing to accept such a radiprohibition of heroin and cocaine cal shift in our drug policy, cartels has not prevented people from us- are almost certainly here to stay. ing them, studies have shown that Though far from infallible, the price decreases that would come Portugal offers a way forward. In with legalization would almost cer- 2001, Portugal changed the use of tainly lead to more users. To truly all drugs from a criminal penalty to cut down illegal sales of hard drugs, an administrative one. Under the some economists and drug policy new law, drug addiction is treated experts have proposed that the gov- as an illness rather than something ernment directly distribute heroin that warrants incarceration. Drug in clinics to put street pushers out traffickers still face prosecution of business with low prices. Though for distribution, but hard drug usthis approach may serve its intend- ers, often socially marginalized

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Gray Whisnant

visit us at cavalierdaily.com

anyway, face treatment rather than the prison system. Because prices were not significantly affected with distribution laws still in effect, use remained relatively constant with some slight upticks consistent with trends in Spain and Italy. Portugal didn’t come up with a way to end the violence in the global South associated with drug production or a way to rid its society of the devastation of drug addiction, but it forged a sane path forward that has successfully reframed drug abuse as the medical problem that it is.

As the 70 bags of heroin in Philip Seymour Hoffman’s apartment prove, the criminalization of hard drugs is doing nothing to prevent those who want them from getting them. While we should definitely acknowledge the failings of our drug policy, we should realize that the legalization of marijuana is no cure all, and any progress we cheer must be tempered with clear-eyed acknowledgement of the limits of pot policy. As with so many buzzes, there is a hangover right around the corner.

Gray Whisnant is an Opinion columnist for the Cavalier Daily. His columns run Wednesdays.

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sports

The Cavalier Daily

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Baseball faces new season, expectations

Mathew Morris Senior Associate

When Virginia baseball coach Brian O’Connor pitched for Creighton in the early 90s, his mound duties included both starting and relieving. The right-hander, who kept his sandlot days going after college as a minor leaguer in the Phillies’ farm system, won 20 games and notched seven saves in his four years in Omaha.

O’Connor became familiar with both sides of the pitching coin — working from the first inning onward some days and toss-

Cavaliers ranked top six in three major polls, will look to to build on Super Regional performance last year

ing the final frames during others — but looking back, his true passion was for shutting the door.

“I loved closing the most, because I loved coming to the ballpark every day knowing that I could impact whether our team won or lost that game,” O’Connor said.

Though O’Connor relished finishing off games as a Bluejay, he knows the Virginia baseball team’s season is only beginning.

Virginia, a deep and veteran ball club coming off a 50-12 season that ended with an NCAA Super Regional sweep at the hands of Mississippi State, holds the country’s No. 1 preseason ranking and is No. 6 in the

Coaches' Poll. The Cavaliers, not normally the target of much national attention, will have to put in consistent hard work to live up to the high expectations on them.

“You know, the past two years that I’ve been here, it’s been completely different,” junior outfielder Derek Fisher said. “We’ve come into it being a team that had to kind of prove ourselves. We haven’t really gotten much love outside, which was fine, and quite frankly I think it was pretty good for us. And now this year, going into it we’re kind of expected to do a lot … [We have] to go into it with a kind of chip on our shoulder and be able to play and actually prove

35 - 5

ourselves because obviously the polls are nice, but you’ve got to go do it.”

Though outside perception of Virginia is more favorable than in years past, much is the same this season both at Davenport Field and in the Cavaliers’ clubhouse. Virginia returns eight everyday starters, two of three regulars in the starting rotation and 22 players overall. The Cavaliers continue to hold fast to a mental approach, which goes beyond the names on a lineup card and works to make outside perception of the team secondhand.

“We look really to our inside expectations of our team and the expectations that

BATTED .312 WITH 43 HOME RUNS

RECORD AT DAVENPORT FIELD

Clockwise from top left: junior first baseman Mike Papi, junior outfielder Derek Fisher, junior outfielder Brandon Downes and junior infielder Brandon Cogswell. All four were named preseason All-Americans by Baseball America.

FROM No. 25

TO No. 5

IN THE NATION Kelsey Grant | The Cavalier Daily

we have day in and day out,” sophomore left-hander Brandon Waddell said. “You know, they kind of remain the same from last year and this year, and the way we go about our business didn’t change. We know what we’re capable of, and we just kind of stick to that plan.”

Virginia’s 55-game regular season begins Friday at the Hughes Bros. Challenge in Wilmington, N.C. and concludes with a three-game series at Wake Forest in May. In between, the Cavaliers will likely have both ups and downs in a schedule which features 10 ACC teams.

Waddell, who was Virginia’s Fridaynight starter as a freshman and will likely be the Cavaliers’ ace this year, put on 15 to 20 pounds in the offseason in an effort to better handle the grind of the college season.

Fellow sophomore southpaw Nathan Kirby, expected to be part of the starting rotation, looks much improved after a struggling performance last season. Junior right-

hander Nick Howard, a two-way standout and First Team Perfect Game Preseason All-American, also returns, after going 6-4 in 12 starts last year while holding down third base for 37 games and shortstop for 12. This year, Howard and redshirt-senior Whit Mayberry are being considered for team closer.

Whichever player earns the late-innings job will be hard-pressed to match the performance of now-graduated Kyle Crockett, who saved five consecutive Virginia victories last season and ended his career with the second-best ERA in program history.

O’Connor called Crockett the Cavaliers’ best closer of the past decade.

Despite losing Crockett, Virginia remains stocked with returning stars and promising first-year players, including Connor Jones, a right-hander picked by the San Diego Padres in the 21st round of the MLB Draft who instead chose to play for the Cavaliers. Junior Mike Papi, who O’Connor said

will likely start the year at first base, comes off a monster season in which he hit .381, the highest average in the ACC, and batted .412 in conference play. Papi was named a first-team All-American by Baseball America in 2013, and O’Connor said he is more equipped than ever to be a middle-of-theorder force.

“When I look at Mike, or really any of these players, I look at ‘What is their growth and maturity?’” O’Connor said. “I think Mike’s a more mature player than he was last year. He’s in a role now where certainly everybody knows who he is and knows what he’s capable of doing, and that’s a tough act to follow, but I think he’s so talented that he’s capable of doing it.”

Fisher, a first-team Baseball America preseason All-American, will man the outfield alongside junior center fielder Brandon Downes, a third-team selection, and possibly 2013 ACC Freshman of the Year Joe McCarthy. Fisher hit .293 and knocked in

48 runs for Virginia in 2013, while Downes led the Cavaliers with 10 home runs, 59 RBI and 67 runs scored.

Another third-team preseason AllAmerican, junior infielder Brandon Cogswell, also returns, though O’Connor might slide him from shortstop to second base to give the Cavaliers their “best double-play combination.” Junior Kenny Towns will hold down third base once again.

Despite considerable hype, Virginia does not appear fazed by the outside attention.

For Fisher, there is little reason for any individual Cavalier to feel pressure when so many of his teammates can play.

“We have a good club, good lineup,” Fisher said. “There’s really no pressure, and that’s a credit to our entire team — you know, that we’re not really looking to one person to kind of do it all. And that’s obviously what makes Virginia baseball great …

We’re one team, instead of relying on one person to kind of run the show.”

12

SPORTS

The Cavalier Daily

Virginia visits Clemson riding eight-game win streak No. 17 men’s basketball allowing nation-best 55.5 points per game, play No. 2 defense Jacob Hochberger Staff Writer

Porter Dickie| The Cavalier Daily

Sophomore guard Justin Anderson recorded three rebounds, two blocks against Maryland Monday, including an electrifying rejection in the second half that shifted momentum to Virginia.

The Virginia men’s basketball team has hit its stride in recent weeks and looks to build upon its impressive NCAA tournament résumé this Saturday against ACC foe Clemson.

The Cavaliers (20-5, 11-1 ACC) struggled briefly before the new year — determining a consistent starting five proving a tall task for Virginia’s coaching staff. But in the current run of 11 wins in 12 games, the coaching staff has not only put together a solid group of starters, they have formed a rotation capable of standing up to some of the best teams in the nation.

“I think if you have a rotation down, that’s the important thing,” coach Tony Bennett said.

Virginia travels to Clemson (15-8, 6-5 ACC) this Saturday, coming off a victory against Maryland in the final ACC home matchup between the two rivals.

Monday’s win was important for Virginia across the board, but especially for the continued es-

tablishment of the squad's rotation.

“That’s been a strength,” Bennett said. “Darion [Atkins] … has given us a big lift, Teven [Jones] did, Evan [Nolte]… did against Boston College.”

A large factor in Virginia’s recent streak has been the continued contributions of the team’s bench players. Sophomore guard Justin Anderson has particularly distinguished himself in this role, currently averaging 9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game as the sixth man.

“With Justin, we’ve always talked about his passion and his energy he brings and his ability to make those big plays that ignite us,” Bennett said.

His energy was never more on display than in the matchup against Maryland. Following a turnover in the second half, Anderson ran down a fast break and blocked Terrapin freshman guard Roddy Peters’ layup attempt, leading to a transition three-pointer from senior guard Joe Harris, swinging the game’s momentum in favor of Virginia.

“They got the breakaway off

of a turnover, so it was a huge momentum shift for us,” senior forward Akil Mitchell said.

“From there on out, we locked it down on the defensive end.”

Harris, meanwhile, has also increased his production in recent games, averaging 13.2 points in the last eight games and logging a number of distinguished performances in the last month — none more impressive than his 19 points against Maryland.“Virginia has been pounding teams this year but, tonight Joe [Harris] had to step up, and he did it,” Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said.

“Harris hit a three at the start of the second half and that started them off on a good run. He's a great player.“The Cavaliers will look to carry on their momentum into a tough road test at Clemson. The Tigers’ home court, Littlejohn Coliseum, is a notoriously difficult place to play. Clemson is 12-2 this season at home, highlighted by a Jan. 11

see M BASKETBALL, page 13

Women’s lacrosse faces off against No. 9 Greyhounds Team hopes to rebound from opening 13-12 loss against No. 4 Northwestern, battles second straight top-10 opponent in first home game Chanhong Luu Staff Writer

The No. 6 Virginia women’s lacrosse team welcomes No. 9 Loyola (Md.) to Charlottesville this weekend for its first home game of the season. The Cavaliers opened the season with a hardfought defeat last Sunday against No. 4 Northwestern, who secured a 13-12 win after the Wildcats broke a 12-12 tie with 16.7 seconds remaining in the game. Despite the losing effort, the team found plenty of positives from their play on the field.

“It was a complete team effort between defense, midfield and attack,” senior attacker Liza Blue said. “We just hustled. We have a lot to build from. Even though we lost, we have confidence because we worked so hard together against a top team, so I think we’re feeling good for this weekend.”

Coming into the year, the team expected returning experience on the offensive side of the ball to be a major strength. The Cavaliers (0-1, 0-0 ACC) showed their depth during Sunday’s play,

displaying a dangerous offensive attack even while junior attacker Casey Bocklet, the only Cavalier to be named to preseason AllACC and last year’s team leader in points, was held to zero points by the Northwestern defense.

“I think we do have great attackers, and Northwestern played a different style of defense on Casey that really didn’t give her many chances to touch the ball, “ coach Julie Myers said. “They took her out of her rhythm, but it was great to see Liza Blue step into that slot and really do a great job with her shooting and scoring.”

Blue led the team with four goals against the Wildcats. Also back on the field for the Cavalier offense are last year’s All-ACC honoree junior midfielder Courtney Swan and senior attacker Ashlee Warner. Swan scored three goals Sunday and assisted on another, while Warner registered an assist and three ground balls.

Returning players accounted for 193 of the 220 goals scored last year. “I think all four of us have different strengths,” Blue said. “It just happened to be a good day for me and Courtney, but at any

given point Casey, Ashlee, Courtney or I can score.”

Because of the depth and experience of the offense, the Cavaliers plan to play a more free style of offense instead of relying on set plays for scoring opportunities.

“We’re not running as many plays as in the past because the four of us really know where each other are at this point, because we are all third and fourth years,” Blue said. “We’re just kind of finding each other when we’re open.

We’re worrying less on structure and more on ability and athleticism. “ This weekend’s matchup against Loyola will be the second straight top-10 matchup for Virginia. It is the Greyhounds’ first game of the season.

Loyola’s women’s lacrosse team previously competed in the Big East conference before its split in July 2013, winning two of the last three Big East women’s lacrosse championships but losing in the second round of last year’s NCAA tournament to North Carolina, who defeated Virginia one round later on its path to securing the national title.

The 2013-14 season will mark

Loyola’s first season competing in the Patriot League. The Greyhounds were tabbed as preseason favorites to win the conference, and senior midfielder Marlee Paton was chosen as the Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

“They are definitely an ath-

letic team,” Blue said. “They have two girls from Australia who have very good stick work.”

Paton, along with head coach Jen Adams, were a part of the

see W LACROSSE, page 13 Senior attacker Liza Blue scored a team-high four goals in the Cavaliers’ defeat at the hands of Northwestern to start the season. She is part of a group of returning players that accounted for 88 percent of the team’s total goals in 2013.

Jenna Truong | The Cavalier Daily

SPORTS

Friday, February 14, 2014

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Why Michael Sam shouldn’t be a headline Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. The candy section at Kroger has taken a turn for the heart-shaped, the cheesy jewelry ads are out in full force, and the less festive of us just want to fast forward through the whole ordeal. But this year, that’s not an option. Valentine’s Day and the week leading up to it coincide with events much bigger than chocolate hearts.

The Winter Olympics in Sochi brought many LGBTQ issues to the surface on an international stage. In the wake of homophobic policies and comments from Russian president Vladimir Putin, human rights activists pounced on the Olympics as an opportunity to demand change — some going so far as to suggest a boycott of the games altogether. Of course, that opinion was hardly a popular one, and the Olympics are well under way with American athletes chasing the gold.

The Olympic Charter prohib- soil. I’m referring, of course, to its political demonstrations at the Mr. Michael Sam. games, but that’s not to say that Sam, star lineman at Misathletes will remain silent in the souri, the SEC Defensive Player next few weeks. That very charter of the Year, and NFL draft prosincludes Principle 6, pect, publicly came which states that disout earlier this week crimination against and has dominated reany country or person cent sports headlines. does not belong at the Should he be drafted Olympics. In addition, in May, he would be athletes are permitthe first openly gay ted to make political player in the NFL. He statements away from has understandably competition.

With received a lot of media high-profile names attention this week, like Brian Boitano, and he will continue KERRY MITCHELL Caitlin Cahow and to do so because his Sports Columnist Billie Jean King on the choice to come out U.S. Delegation and was a big deal.

Johnny Weir providBut it shouldn’t be. ing analysis for NBC Sports, the Belle Brockhoff, an Australian whole world seems to be waiting snowboarder, is an openly gay for something to develop in So- athlete competing in Sochi. The chi.

21-year-old came out in response The biggest news of late, to Russian policy before her trip though, happened on American to the Olympics and is now one

of the most outspoken advocates for LGBTQ policy change. She has embraced the role and, if she wins a medal, she hopes to use her platform to spread her message — embracing her identity not as a gay athlete, but as a champion.

Ireen Wüst just became the first openly bisexual athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in the women’s 3,000m speed skating event, but after her victory, the last thing she wanted to talk about was her sexuality. She wanted to talk about skating.

An athlete wanting to talk about athletics? Now there’s a novel idea.

That’s what Brockhoff, Wüst and Sam are, though. They’re athletes — talented, hard-working athletes who also happen to be LGBTQ. It’s a shame that, once they decided to come out, attention shifted from their achievements to their orientation. They — and every other athlete — should

be allowed to compete without the weight of social stigma.

Of course, nothing is quite so simple — even though it should be.

In the United States, crushing social pressure discourages gay athletes from revealing themselves. We shouldn’t need sweeping legislation or union action to correct this. The avenue should be open to all athletes as a result of simple open-mindedness and acceptance on the part of team owners, coaches, teammates and spectators alike.

Love is love. Sports are sports, and an athlete is an athlete. An athlete’s sexual orientation doesn’t define him or her, but our choice — to accept or deny a person the same privilege as anyone else — does define us. To remain openminded may not be any great task, but it could make a world of a difference for the Michael Sams of the future.

ACC Honors four Cavalier Athletes The ACC tabbed four Virginia athletes for weekly awards Tuesday. Honorees included redshirt junior wrestler Joe Spisak, sophomore lacrosse player James Pannell, junior JB Kolod of the men’s swim and dive team and freshman swimmer Leah Smith.

The conference named the No. 16 Spisak the ACC Wrestler of the Week for the second time in his career after he won both of his weekend matches to move to 18-10 on the year.

Friday against North Carolina, Spisak upset fourth-ranked junior Evan Hen-

derson, 4-0, for his third win this season against an All-American. Spisak followed up the victory two days later by defeating North Carolina State sophomore Sam Speno, 3-1. Virginia won both matches, 21-9 against the Tar Heels and 22-10 against the Wolfpack.

Pannell was named ACC Offensive Player of the Week after the sophomore attackman tallied eight goals and two assists in the No. 7 Cavaliers’ season-opening victories against Loyola and Richmond.

Pannell assisted on sophomore midfielder Ryan Tucker’s game-tying goal

with 0.1 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime Thursday night against No. 12 Loyola and scored his fourth goal minutes later to win the game, 14-13. Pannell then tallied the last two goals of the Cavaliers’ Saturday win at Richmond to break an 11-11 tie in the fourth quarter and hand the Spiders a loss in their inaugural Division I game.

Kolod received his first ACC Male Diver of the Week honor of the season after winning both the one-meter and three-meter diving events in the Virginia men’s 179-112 win against Pittsburgh, his

hometown school. Kolod’s three-meter score of 428.10 broke both Virginia program and Aquatic and Fitness Center pool records.

After posting the nation’s fastest time and setting school and AFC pool records in the 1,000-yard free at 9:33.29, Smith won her second ACC Female Swimmer of the Week award. Also from Pittsburgh, Pa., Smith led the Virginia women to a 189-103 victory against the Panthers last weekend, swimming in the 200-yard fly and 200-yard IM as well.

—compiled by Zack Bartee

M Basketball Cavaliers travel to hostile Littlejohn Coliseum Continued from page 12

win against No. 8 Duke, 72-59.

“Going down there, that’s quite a place to play,” Bennett said. “You really have to have your mind set to be ready to go.”

Though many teams struggle

when playing in Clemson, S.C., Virginia has had particular trouble. The Cavaliers have fallen in each of their last four trips there.

Much like Virginia, the Tigers pride themselves on their defense, which ranks second in the nation in points allowed, giving up just 56.2 points per game,

right behind Virginia’s 55.5.

“Defensively, they’re terrific,” Bennett said. “They’re very athletic. They make you earn what you get. They’re good on the glass.”

The Tigers’ defensive presence is led by junior forward K.J. McDaniels, who is averaging 2.7

blocks per game — a total that ranks first in the ACC. He is also averaging 17.0 points per game, good for sixth best in the conference.

“He’s just playing at an extremely high level, and that’s been important in their success,” Bennett said. “He has the abil-

ity to make a difference on the defensive end, whether it’s shotblocking or rebounding, and he has the ability to get to the lane.

He’s pretty complete.”

The Cavaliers’ tip-off against the Tigers is set for noon Saturday and will be televised on ESPN2.

W Lacrosse Cavaliers play Loyola for first time since 2011, hold 21-8-1 edge Continued from page 12 Australian Senior National team which won the silver medal at the 2009 Women’s Lacrosse World Cup. Loyola also opened its season

last year against Virginia, with the Cavaliers prevailing 10-9. Despite this, then-freshman Loyola goalkeeper Molly Wolf set the Greyhound record for saves in a debut, accumulating 11 in the course of the game. “Loyola is a great team,” Myers said. “They return their entire attack and they

have got a terrific goalkeeper.

They are going to play with a lot to prove and they’re going to look at this as a great opportunity just like we are.”

Wolf, equipped with more experience this year, will try to stop the Cavalier’s up-tempo offense, which Myers expects to be a chal-

lenge for every opposing team this season.

“I think we have kind of the complete thing,” Myers said. “We have got one-on-one players that can also pass and finish in tight, so I think it’s kind of hard to shut down. It’s like you have a threepoint shooter, but you also have

an inside game. That one-on-one option out high and wide really opens everything else up. You need to have one to really take advantage of the other, and I think we have both right now.”

The opening draw is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Klöckner Stadium.

The Cavalier Daily

A&E A steady climb arts & entertainment

14

Courtesy Climb ZA

‘Reel Rock 8’ brings chills, thrills to Newcomb Theater

Julia Skorcz

Arts & Entertainment Editor

,The University Programs Council teamed up with Intramural-Recreational Sports and the University climbing team last Thursday to bring "Reel Rock 8" to Newcomb Theater. The film, a compilation of four documentaries, follows climbing’s most daring athletes as they escape the conventional world and seek refuge thousands of feet in the air with only a rope, a few hooks and sheer willpower.

Their feats are nothing less than awe-inspiring. I entered the theater fully intent on taking notes on the production, but the images of sheer rock faces and intensely dangerous climbing stunts that accompanied the announcement of the film’s sponsors made my palms far too sweaty to hold a pen. Even as I recall these events, my heart starts to pound and I have to remind myself that I’m not dangling thousands of feet above the clouds; I’m sitting at a table in Clark Library.

The first video, "The Sensei," follows climbing legend Yuri Hi-

rayama as he attempts to tackle the impossible Mount Kinabalu, located on the island of Borneo. Hirayama attempted the climb once before, but he was unable to reach the summit. Only a temporary setback, this incident prompted him to train even harder and in this documentary he returns with an unlikely partner: Daniel Woods.

Woods fits the typical “skaterboy” profile: long hair covered by a knit hat, slouchy hoodies and headphones blasting an endless stream of rock music — no pun intended.

His skills, however, are far beyond those found in any skatepark.

Woods is considered one of the strongest American boulderers of his generation and Hirayama was immediately impressed by his determination, despite a lack of “polish.” After months of intensive training, the unlikely duo return to Borneo to complete Hirayama’s original mission. The story is not just inspiring, it’s captivating. The precarious camera angles allow viewers to celebrate Hirayama's and Woods’ victories all from the safety of solid ground.

For English climber Hazel Findlay, solid ground has never been

home. She began climbing at age 7 after her father introduced her to the sport. Her story, "Spice Girl," follows Findlay’s climb up Once Upon a Time, one of three paths up a blank cliff face on the Culm Coast Southwest.

To a novice like myself, the feat appears impossible: any divots in the rock are invisible to those standing on the ground. To Findlay, however, the cliff offers endless opportunities. With her father feeding her rope from below, Findlay slowly makes her way to the top and arrives with a breathless gasp and a large grin.

Though magnificent, this climb pales in comparison to the hulking walls of Morocco’s Taghia Gorge.

This excruciating ascent takes almost 24 hours for Findlay and fellow climber Emily Harrington who battle sun, cold, wind and fatigue to complete their climb.

Just as Findlay sets an example for aspiring female climbers in the 21st century, the Stonemasters made significant waves in 1970s climbing culture. This duo, named after two of the pair's favorite recreational activities — I’ll let you figure out the second — was con-

Morals and mysteries Scarlett Saunders Senior Writer

Courtesy Lucy

Schaeffer

In most English literature classes, students are asked to determine a novel’s ultimate takeaway by analyzing the author’s diction, characters and as many subtle details as a discerning eye can catch. It’s enough to drive a student crazy — any object can be symbolic, and any small line may be foreshadowing.

At book readings, however, such minutiae become less relevant. Not only can students speak with the crafters themselves, but they can gain a deeper insight from an author’s pauses and changing tones than could be realized from even a careful reading of the text.

This past Wednesday, short story writer and novelist Lauren Groff performed a book reading at the University Bookstore. Presented by the English department, these readings bring a wide variety of authors to showcase their work throughout the year.

Groff’s reading was unfortunately rather under-publicized, and the event only drew about 40 people, many of whom were English students there with their class. Nevertheless, the reading offered audience members an

sidered an elite of Yosemite National Park.

In "Valley Uprising," audiences are introduced to the tensions between climbers and park rangers in the “hippie era.”

The Stonemasters lead a carefree life and virtually lived on the park’s rock walls, when, in 1977, a plane carrying thousands of pounds of marijuana crashed in a pond within the park’s boundaries.

These climbers were the first to discover the “precious cargo” aboard the plane and were able to live like the kings they always imagined they were. This film differs in that it is — for the most part — a historical account of climbing culture as opposed to a singular accomplishment of one climber.

The friction between climbers and the authorities in "Valley Uprising" offers only a glimpse into the legal risks of climbing.

"High Tension," the fourth and final film of the production, relays Ueli Steck and Simone Moro’s encounter with a community of disgruntled local sherpas on perhaps the most treacherous mountain in the world: Mount Everest.

As the two European climbers embarked on their new route to the summit, they were accosted by a group of sherpas — hired by Mount Everest guide services to haul visitors’ heavier supplies and lay new ropes — who claimed Steck and Moro were unauthorized to climb in that territory.

At base camp, an outbreak ensued in which Steck received a head wound from a large rock hurled by an angry sherpa and was ultimately forced to leave the mountain. This incident sparked outrage from all sides and brought a lot of attention to the climbing world, raising the question as to who has the authority to “claim” a mountain, or at least a path to the top.

Climbing is a multi-million dollar industry with numerous anticipated and unanticipated risks.

"Reel Rock 8" shows the highs and lows of this foreign culture, proving that climbing is more than a sport: it is a passion pursued by the dauntless.

Lauren Groff offers enlightening, entertaining book reading invaluable insight into Groff's work and her writing process.

Groff attended Amherst College as an undergraduate and obtained a graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

She has received several prestigious fellowships, including the Axton Fellowship in Fiction at the University of Louisville and at Yaddo, and has since been published in several journals, including twice in the Best American Short anthology. First published in 2008, Groff has written two novels along with a collection of short stories.

Groff wrote her latest novel, “Arcadia,” while she was pregnant. Groff told to her audience Wednesday that the gloominess which accompanies each of her pregnancies leads to a renewed interest in the concept of happiness.

This time, Groff found herself captivated by the idea of communes — destinations for people who intentionally leave established society to start another life better governed by some conception of happiness. She visited several of these locations and interviewed more than 200 people in her research, ultimately using these experiences for much of her new book.

Groff read two excerpts at her reading — one, a new short story called “Jane le Bishe,”

or “Jane the Doe,” and the other from “Arcadia.”

“Jane le Bishe” was a interesting story about an overweight girl who returns home from Paris and runs away. Though there were many subplots, I couldn’t discern any overarching plot or finite conclusion — many events seemed disconnected and random. And, though the abundance of details created vivid imagery, some of the descriptions seemed forced and fake, as if little thought went into the content of the excessive detail.

The “Arcadia” excerpt was similar — though the plot undoubtedly made more sense in context with the rest of the book. However, though neither excerpt was particularly engaging, the reading itself was an enlightening experience.

Groff concluded with an interesting childhood anecdote. She once thought she glimpsed a monster in the lake in which she was swimming and, to this day, still isn’t sure if it was there — and she doesn’t really care.

“I believe in the mystery,” she said. “I love the mystery.”

The next public reading offered by the English Department will be Feb. 20 by poet Terrance Hayes.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Friday, February 14, 2014

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A study in’Shlohmon’-tion Los Angeles electronica artist find limited success remixing Old Cabell Hall Rebecca Beauchamp Staff Writer

The great tragedy of the evening, to quote a rather unwelcome 3 a.m. text message, was that “nobody could get up and dance.” When the 22-year-old uber-stylish Shlohmo — the stage name of Henry Laufer — loped onto the small, stuffy stage of Old Cabell Hall’s auditorium, he was faced with a crowd which was entirely seated, surely to his dismay.

Shlohmo, a Los Angeles native and apparent fan of the black-hoodie-on-black-jeans look, plays music one must groove to — or at the very least listen to while swaying from side-to-side. But firmly planted behinds didn’t stop the audience from moving. As I sat, I had the pleasure of viewing many 20-somethings nodding their heads as though hypnotized by Shlohmo’s bass-heavy, shoegaze-dipped beats. I saw the multicolored, flashing lights that accompanied Shlohmo’s set illuminate their faces. They looked happy. Some of them looked more than a little bit inebriated. I was certainly content with the scene.

Content, but not overly impressed. Shlohmo is a talented musician. Having never listened to his music, I took it upon myself to check out his SoundCloud page. His collaborative work with dreamy R&B artist Tom Krell — who moonlights as How to Dress Well — is atmospheric and compulsively listenable. His remix of LOL Boys’ “Changes” has definitely secured a spot on my ever-expanding “Makeout 2K14” playlist.

His set at Old Cabell, however, while danceable and aesthetically interesting, was predictable. This predictability was the sort of digestible, derivative electronic music that is appropriate for Saturday night dancing but fails to linger in the mind once the debauchery stops. Case in point: I spotted one audience member sleeping peacefully, with her head against her (assumed) boyfriend’s shoulder.

The high point of the evening was when Shlohmo segued into a remix of Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle.” The hooded musician affected the original’s syrupy-sweet voice and played the track at the speed of honey. What was once a cheesy pop trope became something entirely different: it was funky. It was heavy. It was sexy. I watched the anxiety of influence at work, and that was impressive. Shlohmo put 90s candy pop in dialogue with the hyper-current, hyper-technical electronic music that seems to be characterizing 2014.

Maybe Shlohmo needs time to grow. His Aguilera reinvention proved he understands the old adage: “Good artists imitate, great artists steal.” I doubt Shlohmo will be recognized as one of the great electronic artists of the decade — but then again, what do I know? — but he’s practicing the time-tested art of reworking genres. For this reason, he deserves a couple gold stars, or at least a high five.

After the show I went to a party and made a few bad choices. I danced to Gucci Mane. I went home and ate pretzels, passed out and woke up around noon. I turned on my iPhone, put my headphones in my ears, swiped over to Spotify, and almost instinctively began listening to Shlohmo’s debut

Modern Baseball hits home run James Cassar

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Courtesy Band Camp

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS “Fine, Great” “Charlie Black” “Your Graduation” “Two Good Things”

Earlier this year, I came across a tweet from emo-rock duo Dads, forecasting Philadelphia indie-punk group Modern Baseball “will be the blink 182 of our time.” With blink-182 ranking as my all-time favorite band, I found the comparison bold — and surprisingly, ultimately true. As the group gears up after a release of their second LP, “You’re Gonna Miss It All,” their mastery of the generational voice rings clear.

The group’s debut album “Sports” blew the doors off late 2012 — enough to warrant a wider reissue the following year.

Modern Baseball’s signature blend of folk-accented pop-punk is supplemented by the lyrics of best friends Brendan Lukens and Jake Ewald, who chronicle a year in the life of awkward 20-somethings from a dorm room at Drexel University.

While blink-182 made a name for themselves as the voice of millennials prancing around naked during their extended stay

in juvenalia, Modern Baseball’s poetic nods to social networking and the haze of the college party scene color their version of growing up with equally successful insight.

Where “You’re Gonna Miss It All,” could’ve been a half-hearted extension of the band’s preceding work and still have satiated appetites, it fortunately neither rests on the laurels of past successes nor exists to completely revamp expectations. There are inklings of the band’s past, whether in the unassuming stomp of opener “Fine, Great” or in the brash, double-time nostalgia presented in “Apartment,” but the album’s surefire standouts remain indicative of a sonic growth spurt.

Previously, vocal duties were largely left to Lukens, a decision which shaped the band’s sound to mirror the puerile psychoanalysis of Say Anything. On the delightfully simple “Broken Cash Machine,” however, Ewald gets to man the microphone. Although his voice doesn’t stray too far from Lukens’ near-monotone delivery, his spitting about “his eyes burning holes in your old

Courtesy Hypertrak via Youtube

Second full-length EP continues awkward auditory adventure pictures” gives this breakup battle soundtrack more ferocious punch than Taylor Swift could ever dream of.

In another dose of variety, drummer Sean Huber steps out from behind the kit to deliver a rousing vocal take on the tortured first single, “Your Graduation.” His powerful vocals soak up the pain of losing a first love on a drunken night of goodbyes, choking them down with a smoky, ferocious growl.

Despite providing a more holistic glimpse of the band’s membership, lyrical conventions on the record don’t stray far from time-tested trademarks. Silliness abounds on the jaunty “Rock Bottom,” where a line coyly suggests, “no amount of aspirin or pizza could stop this from hurting.”

The same song invokes a sense of harmless voyeurism, as Lukens wonders, “Is he here? / Are you making out? / I can hear you guys on the couch / Shut up and make out to something already, I’m waiting.” The lack of introspection is, in some instances, a hilarious hallmark — definitely contributing to the appeal of “Sports”

overall — but here, it’s a bit stale.

Still, there are glimpses of wordsmithing which showcase definite development. The sharp “Charlie Black” spills over with “fake lives, but nothing like, tangible,” and the cathartic closer “Pothole” finds a narrator begging for acceptance, where he “can be every crack in your concrete / if you let [him] off easy.” The latter track, which finds Modern Baseball in stripped-down form, endcaps the record with incredible force.

However, the track which precedes it, “Two Good Things,” best summarizes Modern Baseball’s latest project as a whole. Over supercharged guitars, a clattering of cymbals and a warbly bassline, a diary stained with teenage existentialism is jostled open. “I’m still outside / Not doing anything wrong / Just walking around in circles listening to high school songs in my head / Because it’s better than lying awake.” Though the band has since put school on hold to pursue Modern Baseball full-time, there’s no doubt they continue to write on what they remember their wasted youth to be — and how they miss it all.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Friday, February 14, 2014

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Still a ‘Force’ to reckon with

Metalcore group Of Mice & Men’s new album shows major transition Candance Carter Senior Writer

The new Of Mice & Men album out this month, “Restoring Force,” marks a significant change in the band’s style. Where their previous sound was raw and solid, the band has become more sophisticated and intensely emotional, a shift which works to their advantage.

Despite this strong emotional register, however, many of the album's strongest elements are tainted by the fact that they can be heard on nearly every other record in the scene. These techniques have already been used and perfected by other wildly popular bands of the same genre, including A Day to Remember and Bring Me the Horizon.

Certain tracks on “Restoring

Force” hold hints of the sound that gave Of Mice & Men their rise to fame. “Another You” showcases similarities to the band’s morose trademarks, and the pummeling “Break Free” serves as a throwback to the powerful screaming abilities of the group’s (admittedly gorgeous) frontman Austin Carlile. As an “unclean” vocalist, he is largely responsible for creating the passion that characterizes most metalcore bands, and even though his all-out screaming is sadly absent in some places on “Restoring Force,” the album retains its emotional glory.

The band’s new “clean” vocalist, Aaron Pauley, has a welcome presence on the latest album. The closing track, “Space Enough to Grow,” soothes whatever anger the rest of the track listing throws out, considering the all-pervading heaviness of the album’s first

10 songs.

Subtle electronic overtones “Identity Disorder” excites my mark the first appearance of fraud love for the technical side of mu- in the album’s musicality, howsic. The layering of clean and un- ever. The use of computer-altered clean vocals, paired with delicate elements is extremely evocamelodies, is a rebirth of original- tive of early material from the ity on an album otherwise lacking less technically-proficient group any inkling of it.

Crown the Empire, even though In contrast to the album’s “Restoring Force” thankfully uses conclusion, Carlile’s harrowing the technique more frugally, a tesperformance in the opening sec- tament’s to the band’s true talent. onds creates a deRenowned liciously dark and metal band SlipALBUM HIGHLIGHTS mysterious mood. knot seems to “Identity Disorder” Auto-tuned vomost heavily incal passages are fluence the group’s “Break Free” strategically used new sound, as “Space Enough to Grow” seen in the punthroughout both the album opener, ishing guitar of ”Public Service “Bones Exposed” Announcement,” and “Glass and the breathy, sluggish “You Hearts.” The style is certainly not Make Me Sick.” While it’s a noble unwelcome. The electronic influ- source of inspiration, Of Mice & ences deepen the sound rather Men fails to successfully emulate than cheapen it. their latest appeal.

The alterations made to Carlile’s vocal style presents the most prominent change in the group’s sound. Instead of his traditional, throat-scarring screaming, he has turned to a rough yell that is the sole trademark of Bring Me the Horizon’s Oliver Sykes. The style is still wonderfully driven by pure emotion, especially in songs like “Feels Like Forever” and “Break Free,” but is too distractingly familiar to be taken seriously on first listen.

Although certain elements are strikingly time-worn and trite, this album shows a tendency toward progressive styles and mixtures that Of Mice & Men haven’t explored in their career until now.

Fortunately, the purity and heaviness of their sound has survived the transition and holds significant promise for the band’s future.

In “Endless Love” with Alex Pettyfer A&E interviews actor about his sensitive, silly sides

with Shana? Gabriella?

Pettyfer: Shana is amazing.

Senior Writer She places a huge focus on the characters and where those characters are going in the ,“Endless Love,” an Amerimovie. Gabriella is such a lovely can romantic drama directed by woman and has really made the Shana Feste (“Country Strong,” movie what it is.

“The Greatest”) and co-writAE: Any funny anecdotes ten by Joshua Safran (“Gossip from filming you want to share Girl”), is set for a Feb. 14 nawith us? tionwide release. Starring Alex Pettyfer: I am a huge prankPettyfer as David Elliot and ster. I actually tried to stop off Gabriella Wilde as Jade Butterat the drugstore this morning. field, the movie, a remake They were shocked beof Franco Zeffirelli’s 1981 cause no one in L.A. gets film and an adaptation of up before 11 o’clock, and it Scott Spencer’s novel, is was 7 o’clock in the mornyet another modern take ing. But I wanted to buy a on the tale of star-crossed I don’t think I’m an Oscar-worthy actor, but fart cushion, put it under lovers, with characters the press chair and sit here swept up in a whirlwind I love making films. Just keep trying at what making fart noises. of romance only to face you love and if that makes you happy, then AE: When on set, is disapproving parents and there one thing you have that’s all that matters. divisive class boundaries. to have with you throughWe sat down with Pettyfer out production? And when at a virtual roundtable last week AE: Did the director do any- are you the happiest on set? along with other participating thing to get you and the rest of Pettyfer: I’m the happiest at colleges to ask him about his cast to bond while making the night, on night shoots. I’m a upcoming project. movie? night owl. I stay up all night.

Arts & Entertainment: Some Pettyfer: We did a month And I need my iPod. people say “Endless Love” is a of rehearsal before the movie.

AE: Have you ever been starmodern day “Romeo and Juliet.”

Shana, the director, built this struck?

Do you agree? environment where we could Pettyfer: I met Steven SpielAlex Pettyfer: Yes, in the really trust each other. Gabriella berg because he produced “I sense that the film revolves and I got on very, very well and Am Number Four.” As a lover around two star-crossed lovers. she was so easy to work with. of film, to be in the presence of But it’s more a personal conflict Hopefully, our chemistry comes Steven Spielberg was incredible. between Jade’s father and Daacross on-screen.

I shook his hand and he said, vid. It’s not as heavy as “Romeo AE: What was it like working “Alex, I’m very excited for us to and Juliet.”

AE: Did you watch Zeffirelli’s version of “Endless Love” while preparing for your role?

Pettyfer: Yeah, I watched the original and read the book.

The original movie is very different. This remake is more about two people in love who are finding themselves.

AE: Did you see parts of yourself in your character as David?

Pettyfer: Yeah, I’m a hopeless romantic!

“

Eugenie Quan

go on this adventure together.”

He was pretty incredible.

AE: What has been the most valuable advice given to you as an actor?

Pettyfer: Keep your private life private and focus on your work. Don’t let the two intermix. Create characters for people to watch and love without having them be distracted by who you’re dating or what you’re doing.

AE: What advice would you give to an actor breaking into the industry?

Pettyfer: When I first started out, I dealt with so much rejection. It’s very hard, as any human being, to hear that you’re not good enough or that you’ll never make it. I guess my advice is just to keep your personal integrity. Believe in what you believe in and keep trying. Not in a deluded way — I’m not going to ever win an Oscar. I don’t think I’m an Oscar-worthy actor, but I love making films. Just keep trying at what you love and if that makes you happy, then that’s all that matters.

AE: What are you most excited for the fans to see in this movie?

Pettyfer: I guess just love at its … purest. You know, the naïveté and the feeling that you can conquer the world. I just hope they have a good time.

It’s a Valentine’s Day movie.

It’s lovely and charming. It’s not a serious movie. It’s there to have fun and to remind us of love.

AE: Speaking of which, any plans for Valentine’s Day? Pettyfer: Yeah, my mom is going to be my Valentine’s date.