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WINSTON TANG | THE CAVALIER DAILY
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 10 | www.cavalierdaily.com The Cavalier Daily
New Works Festival showcases the talent of the University Four student-written plays featured at the Drama Department this past weekend
Kyndal Harrison | Staff Writer
The New Works Festival features four plays written, directed and put on by students. Performances continue through March 5 in the Helms Theatre.
EMMA KLEIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY
Editor’s note: Major plot details of each show are discussed in this article.
This past weekend, the Drama Department presented its fourth annual New Works Festival, which is co-sponsored by the Drama Department and an Arts Enhancement Grant. The festival consisted of four plays written by third and fourth-year students. Weeks of hard work put into the production of these shows resulted in a successful showcase of writing, directing and acting talent by students of the University.
The first play of the night, “Door Knock” by fourth-year College student Caky Winsett, is a relatable comedy about the nervousness which occurs before a first date. The play focuses on Greg, played by third-year College student Reed Foster, and Catherine, third-year College student MailleRose Smith, as they are about to go on a Tinder date together. Greg is a nervous wreck who is struggling to knock on Catherine’s door, causing her in turn to worry about Greg’s tardiness to the date. Greg — accompanied by a terrible wingman, played by third-year Engineering student Ryder Sadler — and Catherine — who has an equally terrible wingwoman, played by second-year College student Rainah Gregory — spend the majority of the show trying to self-soothe their bubbling anxiety. To make matters worse, their respective friends constantly tear Greg and Catherine down to try to prevent the date. In the best way possible, the entire show is a cringe-fest. Viewers can relate to the horror of preparing for a date they are dreading, and the two protagonists of this play do not hide their fears.
Ever wonder what goes on in the imagination of a child? The festival’s second play of the night, “Child’s Play, or the Bear,” by fourth-year College student Jess Miller, oddly answers that question. Clever yet jarring, Miller’s play is a linear story told from the perspective of a child. The show features three players — a man portrayed by first-year College student Javier Perez, a woman played by fourth-year Engineering student Halle Wine and a plush teddy bear. Each player has multiple roles throughout the story and is aided by projections that humorously point to the player and states what character or object they are playing.
In one of the funniest moments of the night, the woman said, “I am now a prostitute,” eliciting a hearty laugh from the audience. The show automatically dives into a world of prostitutes, cops and even dinosaurs. For a child’s play, Miller’s plot revolves around mature topics such as infidelity, alcoholism and emotional abuse. Unfortunately for those fond of all things cute, the show features the most outlandish, gruesome death of a teddy bear ever seen on Grounds. In the end, “Child’s Play, or the Bear” leaves the audience pondering how a child was ever exposed to such mature and violent themes. Th e third play of the night, “Secretaries” by fourth-year College student Elizabeth Bangura, begins as a relatable story of annoying coworkers, then evolves into a thought-provoking social commentary on mainstream feminism. The play focuses on two coworkers at a pet talent agency, Stephanie and Jasmine, played by second-year College student Tanaka Muvavarirwa and firstyear College student Haeli Knox, respectively. As they discover their boss is not the best person to be employed by, Jasmine proposes an idea that may cost her and Stephanie their jobs.
However, in a sharp turn in tone for the play, Stephanie refuses to go along with Jasmine’s plan. Throughout the show, Jasmine tries to convince Stephanie to go along with her until Stephanie finally explains that she cannot risk her job because she is a woman of color with very few options. In a poignant speech, Stephanie enlightens Jasmine that not all women are afforded the same liberties. Community member Lee Smith reflected on the play’s messaging after it’s conclusion. “I mean the saying goes, ‘if your feminism is not intersectional, then your feminism is s—t,’” Smith said.
“Secretaries” definitely makes that point clear.
The featured show of the night was “The Art of Being an OK Person,” by Isabella Ullman, a thirdyear in the College and award-winning playwright. This play was very much the embodiment of the “... you’re wondering how I got here” meme. The plot revolves around a series of very unfortunate events told by MacKenzie, played by fourth-year College student Casey Breneman, to an unwilling Officer, second-year College student Brody McDevitt. For the entire story, MacKenzie ruins relationships with her boyfriend, second-year College student Matthew Oley, and best friend, second-year College student Haden Cunningham, and terrorizes strangers — played by fourth-year College student Zachary Gorman and second-year College students Karen Zipor and Olivia Morrison — all in the pursuit of love.
Without giving away too much, MacKenzie is the worst. She has been banned from multiple restaurants — including Taco Bell — and blocked on every social media platform — even Venmo. Her story ends up being an engaging examination of the psychology of a pretty terrible person. While thoroughly amusing, the show does seem a little tone-deaf following the commentary on fourth-wave feminism by “Secretaries.” After the incisive critique Bangura’s play offered, MacKenzie’s exploits felt like a disjointed, if still entertaining, way to end the night of student productions. “Th e Art of Being an OK Person” ends as MacKenzie escapes her criminal charges through a couple of Twinkies and a funny story.
The nuance and ingenuity of these shows were wildly diverse and interesting in the scope of topics they covered. From the firstdate jitters presented by “Door Knock” to the gruesome teddy bear murder in “Child’s Play,” the fourth annual New Works Festival is the perfect place to get your fill of the University’s local talent. Th e New Works Festival continues with more performances March 3-5 at 8 p.m. in the Helms Theatre. Tickets are available through the U.Va. Arts Box Office.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Ruffin Gallery makes space for Nick Cave’s “Spot On”
Nick Cave opens video-performance art exhibit
Kalista Diamantopoulos | Staff Writer
Who Will Write the Story? The Critical Role of Local Journalism
Dancing bodies in “Soundsuits” graced the walls of the Ruffin Gallery during the Feb. 28 opening of “Spot On” — a video-performance art exhibit by artist-in-residence Nick Cave, hosted by the McIntire Department of Art. University students and faculty gathered in the space to view the captivating performance videos on display — titled “Blot,” “Gestalt” and “Bunny Boy.”
The first piece, “Blot,” consisted of a mirrored image of a body cloaked in a black, shaggy garment called a “Soundsuit” set against a bright white background. The body moved and flowed on the screen, creating shapes reminiscent of a perpetually changing inkblot. For Cave, “Blot” is his way of rethinking the idea of drawing.
“I sort of generate new shapes and ideas through that particular video,” Cave said. “I wanted it to be more about this sort of morphing of one form as it reshapes and redefines itself.”
During the performance, there were moments of the paper-white colored feet and face of the body emerging from the cascading shag, before disappearing again in the tangled mass. As the body twisted and shifted, the garment itself created a sound almost as mesmerizing as the sight of the mutating shapes.
“The sound is fabulous,” Cave said. “It almost sounds like the ocean, and it is coming from the synthetic fabric.”
Creating sound through the materials of the Soundsuits is a recurring theme in Cave’s work, which appeared again in the second video performance displayed at the gallery — “Gestalt.” The video showed a white studio with four dancers, who entered one by one clothed in Cave’s iconic Soundsuits. This time the suits were highly ornate, adorned with countless pearlescent buttons. The first dancer was dressed in a Soundsuit with all-white buttons and a clear washboard with an attached hood to cover the face. The second and third dancers had similar head contraptions — but with abacuses instead of washboards covering their faces. The fourth dancer’s costume was completely different from the others — made up of patterned buttons and a head piece that looked like a pope’s hat.
The dancers swayed and stumbled around, grappling at their headpieces in an unsettling manner, as if they were trapped and wanted to escape. The video was able to affect its viewers, who softly giggled under their breath in response to the comical display of one of the dancers playing with the abacus of the other dancer. However, this playful display became more and more aggressive as they began dragging each other around the studio by the feet — causing buttons to come undone from the Soundsuits and fall on the ground. According to Cave, the performance “comes out of this place of bullying and how we sort of alarm one another in terms of bringing awareness to that.”
The final video was “Bunny Boy,” displayed on a screen at the end of a wooden hallway set in the middle of the gallery. “Bunny Boy” featured a dancer dressed in a bunny suit made of hot pink fur. The suit was open in the front to reveal the dancer’s toned chest and torso. Bunny Boy moved around the small space, patting the floor with the long fur extending from his pink paws. Viewers excitedly ventured down the dark hallway until they were frightened by the dark silhouette of Bunny Boy that began to eerily inch closer and closer towards them. The piece was created to comment on how “we live in the world in this sort of space of isolation,” Cave said.
“When you're in [this space of isolation], and there's no people in there, you will be amazed that [Bunny Boy] actually lives underground, and you'll hear the cars going by, or an ambulance going by or kids running on the ground.” Cave said. “He's just sort of disconnected but is trying to find a way to sort of relate be a part of a bigger universe.”
While the works at Ruffin Gallery were all video performances, Cave also creates live performances. He does not have his own dance company but rather utilizes local talent from the cities where he executes his projects, striving to “affect a community and leave an imprint.”
Cave is set to leave his mark at the University as well — hosting workshops that will culminate in a performance series by five groups of five artists to be presented on Grounds. The given prompt is “2020.”
“It will be a destination sort of experience. So that's going to be interesting to move around the campus and just see how they're looking at space, how they're willing to utilize space, how they're invading space,” Cave said. “I don't know what that's going to be.”
Thursday, March 19, 4:00 PM in Charlottesville City Council Chambers and livestreaming as part of the 2020 Virginia Festival of the Book
How does local media help safeguard our democracy?
What can we do to prevent news deserts and restore communities that have already lost their local media?
Join us for a FREE panel discussion exploring the impacts of local reporting on democracy and a civil society, and examining the threats facing it, including the economic and job devastation the newspaper industry has suffered.
featuring Katrice Hardy, executive editor of the Greenville News and South Regional Editor for USA Today Network Eric Lichtblau, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Return to the Reich Lewis Raven Wallace, independent journalist and author of The View from Somewhere Marcia Bullard, retired CEO of USA WEEKEND
Book sales and signing will follow. FREE to attend and open to the public.
To learn more, visit VaBook.org
Sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Federation of State Humanities Councils
Hosted by the Daily Progress, Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism, Virginia Library Association, and the Virginia Press Association
OPINION
LEAD EDITORIAL The University and Fraternity Panel is a step foward There needs to be a system that holds IFC fraternities accountable to the University community
The IMP Society and Student Hip-Hop Organization hosted an event Oct. 2018 at Beta Theta Pi’s fraternity house where there were alleged violations of the previously agreed upon terms of the party. The IMPsand SHHO later called out Beta Theta Pi members’ “blantant discrimination” barring students of color from entering the house, creating an unwelcoming and separate space. In response to issues such as these, the University Judiciary Committee introduced the University and Fraternity Panel at a recent General Body meeting. The primary goal of the Panel is to hear cases of alleged misconduct at any co-sponsored event between recognized Inter-Fraternity Council fraternities and organizations affiliated with the University, such as CIOs. In implementing this body, UJC has not only filled a gap in the judicial system, but has also set an
important precedent in holding one of the largest social organizations on Grounds accountable for its behavior. Currently, any reported misconduct of IFC fraternities is adjudicated within its own judicial body — the Inter-Fraternity Council Judiciary Committee. The IFCJC uses a separate set of standards and sanctioning procedures to handle these reports. However, this does not include a specific system for hearing cases involving CIOs or any other University-sponsored organization. The absence of an adequate body to hear a case regarding these allegations demonstrated a clear shortcoming of the judiciary system at the University. While the IFCJC does provide some oversight for fraternities, the University is not involved in any of these processes. In fact, the University has no authority in these cases, and reports of misconduct concerning Greek life is handled almost exclusively by the fraternity’s national organization. Nevertheless, the University may act in cases that directly follow its jurisdiction, meaning the involvement of University groups or property. Therefore, the formal creation of this committee within UJC is an important recognition of the University’s responsibility in such affairs. The Panel will not necessarily be its own independent entity, however, as each UFP trial will be required to have an equal number of representatives from both UJC and IFCJC in order to ensure a fair and equitable voting system. In addition to this, each representative on the UFP will have to complete procedural training led by a student experienced with the innerworkings of deliberation and sanctioning. This collaboration will essentially fill the current gaps in the University judiciary system to ensure an environment in which all students can not only feel welcomed and safe but also have the ability to hold others accountable when they foster an environment in which it is impossible to do so.
There are a host of issues surrounding Greek life and their procedures at the University, and this new body by no means will solve them in their entirety. For example, unsafe party culture, sexist double standards considering fraternities and sororities and concerns about accessibility persist. This judicial body cannot be expected to remedy all of these issues — however, it is a step to begin holding them more accountable to the student body and the groups of which they are a part.
With hopes of continuing to foster a community of diversity and inclusion at the University, this panel is both a necessary and welcomed
addition to our current judiciary system. This judiciary body allows fraternities to be held accountable for how they stand within the University community. By directly acknowledging that fraternities are held to the same standards of student self-governance, UJC is making it easier for the University community as a whole to interact with IFC fraternities. It is a solid step in the right direction, under which there is only room for more improvement.
THE CAVALIER DAILY EDITORIAL BOARD is composed of the Executive Editor, the Editor-in-Chief, the two Opinion Editors and their Senior Associate. The board can be reached at eb@ avalierdaily.com.
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A letter of support for students and the community We see a student demanding respect for a space made to encompass empowerment for all, which focuses on underrepresented communities on Grounds
After reading President Jim Ryan’s letter Feb. 19 to the University community, a specific quote resonated with the U.Va. Black Alumni Initiative — “Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” a quote from Theodore Parker and used by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
We recognize that the students of the University have more knowledge of the events that preceded the viral video recording at the Multicultural Student Center. Big and small news media, as well as small-minded trolls, have built a narrative around this video that exacerbated the current divisive climate in our nation and has contributed to division within our community. In acknowledging the hardships we once bared while attending the University, we recognize you all are negotiating a different world, culture and experience with which we have no familiarity. Echoing the sentiments of Ryan, we stand with you to grow through all challenges, to make your University, our University and our country a better place for all.
We quote our ancestor, Fred Hampton, who collaborated across sentiment of collaborative resolutions he said, "We’re going to fight racism not with racism, but we’re going to fight with solidarity."
From our vantage point, we see a student demanding respect for a space made to encompass a shared nities, while cultivating the holistic empowerment of all." When students come with positive intentions, a mindset centered on collaboration and set their goals in alignment, this creates empowerment of marginalized groups on Grounds, all while
racial lines to bring forth national change. He encountered violent fear based upon narratives presented by the media due to his charisma and being an agent of change. By the age of 21, he would exclaim, “Nobody [leaves]. We all stay right here. With the people. Because we love the people...All power to all people!” In the love and empowerment for all, which focuses on underrepresented communities on Grounds. With an understanding of the published purpose of the Multicultural Center, we evoke Hampton in asking that no students leave, if they are coming as our allies “supporting underrepresented and marginalized commugalvanizing separated communities. We are uncertain of the next steps the students will take on Grounds or how the University will facilitate healing and create collaborative dialogue. We do agree that it is vital to address sentiments expressed by our sister and others in support of her during the recording. We applaud Ryan's warm and timely response, which demonstrates the tone for addressing diversity on Grounds. We align with his words, aiming to pacify turmoil and mitigate vitriol against a student of the University. This story has moved away from the national headlines, but as with each of our experiences at the University, we know the air grows dense and an atmosphere of sorrow lingers. This experience is yours to navigate, but we are here, we are listening and we will support you in any way possible.
THE U.VA. BLACK ALUMNI INITIATIVE is a group “committed to cultivating a network of #BlackWahoos & building partnerships within the U.Va. and Charlottesville community to provide resources, mentorship, & advocacy for current Black students, faculty, staff, Alumni, and citizens of Charlottesville.”
Honor shouldn’t expel students Four years after the most recent referendum on the single sanction, the Honor System still needs reform
Since its founding in 1842, the Honor Committee has expelled hundreds of students. Those expelled for honor violations make up a small fraction of the University population, but the continued expulsion of students raises the question — why do honor convictions merit expulsion?
Other than tradition, the typical justification for expelling students convicted of honor offenses is maintaining a community of trust. If a student leaves the University after committing an honor offense, the rest of the student population ostensibly becomes more trustworthy. Yet many students who admit to honor offenses already remain at the University after suspension. Expulsion fails because it undermines both the consistency of honor penalties and reporting rates for honor offenses. The introduction of the Informed Retraction in 2013 and the Conscientious Retraction in 1982 compromise the logic of expulsion. Both policies ensure that students who committed honor offenses without a contributing health impairment can remain at the University. If students convicted of honor offenses violate the community of trust, so do students who have made CRs or IRs. The distinction between these groups is procedural — according to proponents of the IR, students eventually convicted of honor offenses can lie throughout the adjudication process, but students who make an IR can only lie up to seven days after the Honor Committee contacts them.
Including cases where a guilty verdict is correct, convicted students are not necessarily lying at hearings. The Honor Committee currently defines an honor offense as “a Significant Act of Lying, Cheating or Stealing” that is “committed with Knowledge.” The definition of significance is subjective — according to the Honor Committee, an act of lying, cheating or stealing is significant “if open toleration of it would harm the community of trust.” Because the honthe student being dismissed from the University.” Although only one graduating class polled in the 2017 survey remains at the University, these survey results suggest expulsion is sometimes a deterrent to students reporting honor offenses. Faculty are also skeptical of expulsion as a penalty. Before the IR, an open-ended faculty survey from 2006 mentioned expulsion 85 times. Not all of these mentions were critical, but many were. More recently, in the 2017 Honor Audit Commission Faculty Suring. Anyone who opposes the single sanction opposes a system that already punishes most guilty students with penalties less than expulsion. If the vast majority of students who commit honor offenses are not expelled — and reporting rates are lower due to potential expulsion — the honor system should exclude expulsion as a penalty for honor offenses.
Many students who oppose the single sanction still support expulsion as a penalty for serious cases, but proponents of a multiple-sanc
or system does not base verdicts on precedent and the subjectivity of a violation’s significance, accused students can know they lied, cheated or stole without believing they violated the honor code.
The reliance on student reporting introduces another complication to the penalty of expulsion. According to a 2012 student survey conducted by the Honor Committee, only 42.27 percent of students would unreservedly report an honor offense they witnessed. In a more recent report, the 2017 Honor Audit Commission Student Survey, 34 percent of students said their most likely deterrent to reporting an honor offense was “uneasiness about the possibility of vey, 23 percent of faculty said their most likely deterrent to reporting an honor offense was “uneasiness about the possibility of the student being dismissed from the University.”
Even without the IR, the current honor system does not enforce expulsion as a single sanction. Some students, particularly students of color, are more likely to face sanctioning. Wealthy students can threaten lawsuits to influence verdicts. With or without contacting the Honor Committee — in accordance with Honor Committee bylaws — faculty routinely lower the grades of students suspected of honor violations, potentially affecting academic standtion system only propose changes to the hearing process, not the IR. Under the current honor system, students can make an IR regardless of the severity of the offense. Since the IR and its penalty apply to even the most serious cases — and since the difference between IRs and convictions does not rest on seriousness — the Honor Committee should, for consistency, eliminate the penalty of expulsion for even the most serious convictions. In deterrence theory, deterrence is both specific and general — discouraging repeat offenders and potential new offenders. When it enforces the penalty of expulsion, the Honor Committee eliminates deterrence for those already convicted of honor offenses — expelling them, not rehabilitating them. Students who support both the IR and expulsion must reconcile why a leave of absence can effectively deter students who make an IR but not those convicted at hearings.
The alleged benefits of the honor system — unproctored exams, take-home exams, professors believing excuses — do not require the penalty of expulsion. Th e benefits of the honor system existed even in years when the Honor Committee did not expel students. Other institutions, including two mentioned in the Honor Committee’s Multiple Sanction Honor Systems Report, exclude expulsion as a penalty for honor violations, at least for undergraduates. To improve reporting rates and sanctioning consistency, the Honor Committee should propose a constitutional amendment lowering the penalty for honor convictions. The honor of the many does not depend on the expulsion of a few.
ADAM GRIM is a Viewpoint Writer for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily. com. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Cavalier Daily. Columns represent the views of the authors alone.
HUMOR
Primary election results: live updates
The end of football season marks the beginning of primary season (and RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12). Now’s the time for all those Government majors to flex their niche knowledge of electoral politics and make you feel bad about not really knowing what’s going on. Anway, The Cavalier Daily sent me on the campaign trail to see what the word on the suburban street was and we stayed in roadside motels with two stars (the news editor wouldn’t go below three). There were many words, some not so nice, and I’m ready to share. Below are some takeaways, overheard conversations and general observations.
Bernie Bros seemed to be out in full force at every stop along the way. I came across a group of them buying double trenta vanilla iced macchiatos with oat milk from the local farm to table coffee roaster — one of them just ordered black coffee and wouldn’t shut up about it. They were all dressed in Vans, Human Rights Campaign shirts and had messy brown hair. I asked them for a quote on how they thought Iowa was going. They politely declined saying that, while they weren’t sexist, they didn’t trust women to report objectively. Joke’s on them, I am a humor columnist.
Joe Biden is still that creepy uncle nobody likes to talk to at Thanksgiving. After he delivered the “punch in the gut” comment in Iowa, it was reported that he angrily “ripped” into his campaign staff, demanding that they get their head in the game. Turns out his campaign staff took it a little too seriously. I saw three staffers near the press tent crying and blowing their runny noses into their “We’re Ridin’ with Biden” shirts. I saw a couple others in the hotel gym kicking a punching bag very, very, very hard. Needless to say, they left New Hampshire early, so my guess is that the Nevada hotels are going to need some tissues.
Speaking of candidates who are aggressive to their staff, Amy Klobuchar was also in Nevada. And that’s all I can report because The New York Times hit me with the paywall before I could do any real investigating because in case you didn’t realize, The Cavalier Daily didn’t actually send me on the campaign trail. It doesn’t seem like we’re a paper that cares much about the electoral process anymore given their “not endorsing a Student Council president” business. I’m not one to really throw my hat in the ring, but from me to you, I might have accepted an “Ellen invited you to like…” Facebook notification.
The recent debate was also telling. While MSNBC didn’t give Ken Bone any air time, they did answer a lot of other questions. Amy asked Pete if he thought she was dumb. He just looked at her, slightly smiling, getting ready to condescendingly flex his Rhodes Scholar knowledge.
There was also a new face — Mike Bloomberg. A candidate that, based on my research, is only relevant because he has enough money to reach every single person in this country with advertisements. His campaign is actually campaigning in Idaho. Who even does that these days? Anyway he has a terrible track record with women, so he is #canceled. But who knows, the Democratic Party is so fragile it may end up endorsing a man almost as disgusting as our fave D.J. Trump.
Overall, there is never a dull moment on the trail, even if the trail is just a bunch of Google Chrome tabs open on my computer — the cookies on my laptop now think I’m a Pete supporter. I guess they aren’t the sharpest cookies in the shed … or something like that. So strap in, this metaphorical trail is set to surprise.
CATE STREISSGUTH is a Humor Columnist for The Cavalier Daily.
CARTOON
Corona Virus
Ruma Jadhav | Cartoonist
PUZZLES
Across 9 A vocal composition set to music; derived from Italian. 10 greatly, exceedingly, strongly 11 Another name for the chemical compound aluminium oxide. 12 Type of whale with a single, long tusk. 13 To make difficult to understand; unclear. 15 African American journalist and anti-lynching activist who helped found the NAACP. 16 Humanitarian and women's rights activist who served as First Lady during the Great Depression and WWII. (First name) 19 Kroger, Harris Teeter, and Whole Foods, for example. 20 Strongly disliked 21 In the early 20th century, the Balkans were described as the ------ --- of Europe. 25 Title of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's hit song from "A Star Is Born" 26 Profane; as opposed to religious or sacred 28 Famous American suffragist from Rochester, N.Y. 29 To acknowledge something as true, even without explicit proof or confirmation.
Down 1 A book that is made by folding a paper twice to make 8 pages; one unit smaller than a folio. 2 To encapsulate, to inundate or flood something. 3 According to Christian tradition, three of these men followed a star to meet baby Jesus and present him with gifts. 4 Pakistani women's education activist; winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. 5 Young Swedish environmental activist fighting against climate change; also, Time's "Person of the Year." 6 A bone of an animal that contains high levels of fatty tissues; typically safe to eat. 7 Lawyer and former First Lady known for her "Let Girls Learn" initiative and for her best-selling memoir "Becoming." (First name) 8 These athletes compete in events like the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia. 14 White, flat, and circular seashell with a petal-like center; common beach currency. 16 Singular form of the group of people who supposedly received Paul's letter to the Church in Ephesus. 17 Intermission; the break between two parts of a play, film, etc. 18 Aerial transportation devices that move people and goods; these thin cables are most commonly seen moving cable cars up mountains. 22 A plant prominently used in Japanese cooking as a spice. 23 Synonym for murderer 24 Planned, cultivated space for planting flowers and other plants. 27 When you receive one of these, your phone will buzz or play a ringtone.
WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE Aaron Rose | Puzzle Master * THE SOLUTION TO THIS PUZZLE CAN BE FOUND IN THE NEXT ISSUE
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CORRECTION
In the article “Breaking down the Student Council executive ticket platforms” in Vol. 130, Issue 22 of The Cavalier Daily, a graphic misspelled VPO candidate Shefalika Prasad’s name. The graphic has been updated online. * SOLUTION FROM LAST ISSUE D E B A T E M I S F I T E A E S N A U A F A R C R O S S I N D E X A G H U E T S S C R E E N T E A C A D D Y T I H M S A P O P P Y C O C K S T A Y O A I I O W A P R E O C C U P Y N E J O I R C H A R C O A L L I Q U I D U T S I W U M I M P O R T A N C E A J A R A O L A L R R N U L L E D F L A T L Y
SPORTS
Realities of the redshirt Lizzy Shim, Amandine Toi and Kadin Shedrick discuss their freshman redshirt experiences
The collegiate careers of NCAA Division I athletes are not always straightforward. Many athletes across the country choose to redshirt — the practice of withdrawing from collegiate sporting events for one year, thus extending their playing eligibility by an additional year. Athletes can redshirt for various reasons, ranging from injury recovery to skills development.
For Virginia athletes — including redshirt freshmen Lizzy Shim, Amandine Toi and Kadin Shedrick — the redshirt experience varies greatly depending on the sport and team, and each player has their own story to tell.
After an injury during the 2018-19 season and late start to the 2019-20 season, Shim — who plays for the field hockey team — didn’t have much of a choice when it came to redshirting. After winning a state title and playing on the U.S. U19 National Indoor Team in high school, sitting out for nearly two full seasons was a different experience.
On a positive note, Shim is thankful for the “opportunity to stay in school for an extra year” and has been able to accept her changing role on the team.
“You learn how to support your teammates in different ways than playing,” Shim said. “Every day we’re just trying to get better all together.”
When asked about redshirting’s impact on team chemistry, time management and relationships with coaches, Shim said she has not been able to notice many differences.
After medical issues this past summer, Shim’s transition into last season was a huge adjustment. However, Shim was able to take what she learned about her team and teammates during her redshirt experience and bring it into this year.
A lot goes into supporting one’s team on and off the field, which Shim has been able to acknowledge. Despite not being able to play, Shim’s absence from the field has not affected her relationships on the team.
“When I was able to start playing, learning how to support the team in a playing sense rather than just an emotional sense was super important,” Shim said.
Like Shim, Toi was forced to face a new role on the women’s Hannah Young | Feature Writer
EMMA KLEIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY
While they might not be able to play on the court yet, redshirt athletes find other ways to contribute to the team.
basketball team after missing both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons due to two ACL tears.
“I love basketball so much that … just to watch [practices] was really hard,” Toi said. “It’s hard because you’re dealing with rehab and classes, and the only thing you came here to do was basketball.”
Toi hails all the way from Paris, France. As “a family person” far from home, Toi’s adjustment to Virginia was hard enough without her two ACL surgeries and the pressures of redshirting.
“I felt ashamed to be around people, and I was tired of hearing the same questions,” Toi said, regarding her first year. “I think my second year was better just because I knew how classes were, I knew what I had to do to succeed.”
According to Toi, one of the benefits of redshirting is that she will have enough time on Grounds to graduate with a masters degree. Although Toi admits a masters degree from the University would not be as impactful back home, she seems optimistic about using the extra time to continue making a life and name for herself in the U.S.
Redshirting also gave Toi an older role model during her first year — J’Kyra Brown, a senior guard at the time and transfer who also suffered from a torn ACL. Toi was able to look to Brown for advice not only as a member of the team looking to improve her game, but as a redshirt.
“She told me, ‘You’re a redshirt, but you’re still a part of it,’” Toi said. “I would say I look up to [Brown] a lot, especially her game. Because of her, I never felt by myself.”
Brown is currently continuing her basketball career overseas with the Turkish Yalova Vip Genclik team, but according to Toi, the two still talk often and continue to encourage one another to keep playing their best.
Toi has also built a close relationship with Coach Tina Thompson. At first, Toi admitted that the staffing change between her first and second years made finding a new family within the team difficult. With time, Toi and Thompson have been able to build a solid relationship based upon trust.
“[Thompson] trusted me,” Toi said. “She was like, ‘As soon as you’re ready, you’re going to play.’”
Thanks to Toi’s mentors, her redshirt experience has been beneficial in many ways.
“I became more meticulous and just wanted to be smarter,” Toi said. “I just didn't want to be hurt again.”
Shedrick, who plays for the men’s basketball team, also has his fair share of mentors in experienced teammates like senior forward Mamadi Diakite and junior forward Jay Huff, who both redshirted their freshman years.
“The older guys that redshirted have just kept me encouraged,” Shedrick said. “They’ve also helped me get as many meals in as possible, so I can continue to gain weight. They know the struggle.”
Shedrick’s redshirt year has provided him with more time to focus on school and use the season to bulk up. While he may wear a different uniform on game days, Shedrick still feels like one of the team. “I think that our team chemistry would be the same regardless of if I redshirted or not,” Shedrick said. “It’s great that we’re all close.”
Although Shedrick has a positive outlook on his experience, redshirting can still take some time to adjust to, as redshirt athletes often have a different practice schedule, diet and lifestyle than their teammates.
“Rather than getting mentally prepared for a game all day, I’ve got workouts of my own before the game,” Shedrick said. “I’m okay with it because I know that it’s the best for my future, and I’m looking forward to the real game days for me soon.”
Despite his frustration of working hard without seeing results and watching teammates his age compete, Shedrick continues to remain optimistic.
“Being a redshirt in general has been frustrating at times knowing I’m doing all of this work, but I don’t get to see the results in a game environment yet," Shedrick said. “[But] redshirting has given me a great opportunity to take the environment of college basketball in and learn [how] some of the veterans prepare for games.”
Like Shim and Toi, Shedrick has found a unique purpose within the redshirt label. Shedrick considers himself a “hype man,” responsible for keeping “everybody into the game and focused.”
Despite the pressure and frustrations associated with redshirting, Shim, Toi and Shedrick have all made names for themselves on their respective teams. All three players emphasize that redshirting requires an immense amount of patience.
While you may not see them on the field or the court, Shim, Toi and Shedrick make it clear that redshirt athletes have to be just as dedicated to their sport, team and self.
Freshman Kate Douglass shines in first collegiate season After competing at the ACC Swimming and Diving Championships just a couple weeks ago, the freshman now has the Olympic Trials on her mind
Freshman Kate Douglass’ impressive resume touts a laundry list of achievements. She competed as a member of the 2018- 19 U.S. National Junior Team, swam at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games and the 2017 Junior World Championships, set numerous high-school records in the state of New York and qualified for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in four events — the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke, the 50-meter freestyle and the 200-meter individual medley. All of that was before she even stepped foot on Grounds her first year.
In the beginning of her first collegiate season last November, Douglass set Virginia records in four events while at the Tennessee Swimming and Diving Invitational, and she hasn’t stopped there. Most recently at the ACC championships, Douglass posted the best time in the nation this season for the 200-meter individual medley, also setting an ACC record. She has also been named the Women's ACC Swimmer of the Week three times throughout her freshman season.
Douglass currently holds three all-time individual school records — the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter butterfly and 200-meter medley — as well as the 200-meter medley relay record with her teammates junior Caroline Gmelich, sophomore Alexis Wenger and senior Morgan Hill.
“You can ask [Douglass] to make a technical change, and she has such great feel for the water that she can make the change immediately,” Coach Todd Desorbo said in an email to The Cavalier Daily. “She is also the most versatile swimmer I have ever worked with — she can swim pretty much everything. If she wanted [to] and had the opportunity [to], she could likely be on the U.Va. top-10 all-time list in every single event.”
Douglass started swimming at a young age with a summer club team, though she was involved in other sports at the time, like soccer. Eventually, she recognized that she was best at swimming and switched to doing it year-round, eventually joining the Chelsea Piers Aquatics Club where her swim career took off.
Throughout her college selection process, Douglass never made a huge list of schools to consider — her mind was set on a select few. The Pelham, N.Y. native ultimately found her way to Grounds because her parents, who both attended schools in Virginia, recommended that she take a look at the University due to its combination of both academic and athletic prowess.
Eva Surovell | Senior Associate
“It was the balance between academics and athletics that really pulled me in here,” Douglass said. “Then I really just didn't look at many other schools after that because I loved it so much.”
Despite the distance from her home in the suburbs of New York City, Douglass didn’t have much difficulty adjusting to life on Grounds, though she still appreciated the visits from her parents.
“I kind of wanted to get out of my hometown a little bit,” Douglass said. “I knew a bunch of girls on the swim team coming into school, so I felt pretty comfortable with everyone on the team already when I got here.”
A typical day for Douglass often includes two practices. At 5 a.m., Douglass wakes up in order to catch a ride with an upperclassman to a 5:30 a.m. lift, which is followed by an hour of swimming. After that, she goes to class, takes a much-needed nap then goes to practice again. While the team doesn’t practice twice a day for the entire week, when they do, swimming takes up a lot of time.
“I don't really have a lot of free time with swimming and classes,” Douglass said. “But it's fine because the swim team girls that I'm with all the time, [they’re] a great group of girls, and we help each other out.”
Even given the time-intensive demands of her practice schedule, Douglass says that the transition to balancing school and academics has become somewhat manageable thanks to the support system provided by the athletic department.
“It was difficult at first getting used to it,” Douglass said. “The coaches and all the academic coordinators make everything so much easier for us and help us when we miss work for meets and everything.”
Douglass is one of seven Cavalier freshmen on the team this year, and she rooms with fellow swimmer Maddie Donohoe.
“It's just a great group of girls that make swimming so much fun,” Douglass said.
While she does spend a lot of time with those in her year, Douglass admires the upperclassmen on the team, as she looks up to their attitudes and their strength throughout the season.
“I look up to all the upperclassmen on the team,” Douglass said. “They've all been through four years of this, and it's just impressive how they've lasted so long … [they’re] what I want to be like.” Douglass’ focus at the moment is preparing for the NCAA championships, which she only has a few weeks left to prepare for. After that, she plans to take a break before beginning training for the Olympic trials held at the end of June.
Though she has certainly performed well so far in her first collegiate season, Douglass doesn’t have a strict mindset when it comes to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.
“I'm trying not to go into it with any high expectations,” Douglass said. “I'm just going to try my best and be as prepared as possible.”
Though Douglass may be modest about her future, Desorbo sees promise in the freshman.
“The sky is the limit,” Desorbo said. “She has Olympic-level talent and could be an NCAA champion before her career is over.”
Douglass will compete with other Virginia women’s swimmers at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships beginning March 18 in Athens, Ga.
Former wideout Joe Reed impresses at the NFL Combine The former All-American kick returner put on a great performance at the 2020 NFL Combine, boosting his stock heading into the draft
Former Virginia wide receiver Joe Reed took the field in Indianapolis, Ind. last week for the 2020 NFL Combine, performing on-field workouts in front of, perhaps, the most important audience of his life.
Reed was outstanding throughout his Virginia career, but truly exploded in his senior season — particularly shining on kick returns. In 2019, the Charlotte Court House, Va. native led the nation with a 33.2 yard kick return average and became the only player in FBS history with a career kick return average of over 28 yards and over 2,700 career kick return yards.
Reed is also one of only 10 players in FBS history with over 3,000 career kick return yards,
Sarah Pettycord | Associate Writer
posting 3,042 during his four years at Virginia.
For his kick-returning prowess, Reed garnered numerous accolades, winning the Jet Award as the most outstanding return specialist in college football his senior season, while also being named a first-team All-American and first-team All-ACC athlete. However, Reed also brings skills beyond kick returning to the NFL, having led Virginia in receptions — which totaled 76 as a wide receiver in 2019 — along with 679 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.
As such, Reed’s growth throughout his time in Charlottesville and the versatility he has shown in the 2019 season led him to receive an invite to the
NFL Combine. The Combine is a week-long event held in February each year that gives select college football players the opportunity to showcase their skills to NFL executives, coaches and scouts. During the Combine, players undergo various physical and mental tests in the hope of impressing NFL teams and increasing their chances of being selected in the NFL Draft in late April.
Reed was one of only 337 invited players nationwide, alongside two other former Virginia standouts — cornerback Bryce Hall and linebacker Jordan Mack — who were unable to participate in workouts due to injuries. Reed participated in four different workouts on the field — the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump and broad jump.
The 40-yard dash is the most talked about event at the combine, as NFL players are expected to be fast and agile, especially at the receiver and returner positions. Reed ran an official 4.47 second 40-yard dash, faster than over half of the players at his position and 0.03 seconds faster than the average at last year’s Combine.
Reed completed 21 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press workout, placing him in the top three of all players in his position who competed. The bench press focuses on the strength of an athlete, and Reed’s performance should show NFL teams that he can provide a unique combination of strength and speed at the receiver position.
The jump workouts are centered on power and explosiveness. Reed reached 38 inches in the vertical jump and 123 inches in the broad jump — both of these around the average for his position.
Nonetheless, Reed’s combine results should put him on notice as a strong mid- to late-round selection in the draft. His combination of speed, endurance and strength proves to scouts that he can be more than just a special teams player and can serve as a multi-faceted offensive weapon. Now, Reed just hopes to hear his name called in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, which runs April 23 to April 25.
18 | www.cavalierdaily.com
HEALTH & SCIENCE
School of Medicine surpassed funding record in 2019 The School of Medicine received over $140 million in grants from National Institutes of Health for basic and applied research
NIH continues to support a variety of ongoing endeavors at the University.
During 2019, the University School of Medicine met multiple milestones. The Federal Drug Association approved an artificial pancreas for Type I diabetics developed over the past decade at the University. Another team of researchers discovered the protein that allows the bacteria species Geobacter sulfurreducens to conduct electricity, which could have implications for biomedical device development.
While commonalities between these projects may not be immediately apparent, they all are similar in that they have the same major source of funding — the National Institutes of Health, a federal agency that conducts and supports medical research. In the past year, NIH awarded the University a record amount of funding — $146.3 million, a $25.4 million increase from fiscal year 2018.
David S. Wilkes, dean of the School of Medicine, attributed the University’s growing number of approved grant proposals from NIH, as well as the more than $400 million the School of Medicine received overall this year, to a targeted approach to research that focuses on specific areas of study. Emphasizing depth over sheer breadth, Wilkes claimed, served the School of Medicine well in terms of finances and achievements.
“We put plans in place to reinvigorate the research enterprise at the medical school,” Wilkes said. “That was in part through finding specific areas of research to invest in, investing in current faculty and also making strategic hires of additional faculty.”
Faculty and staff implemented these new strategies at the School of Medicine nearly five years ago when they committed to promoting seven core biological and medical fields — cancer, cardiovascular medicine, metabolic disorders, neurosciences, organ transplant, precision medicine and regenerative medicine. In each of these key disciplines, researchers conduct basic, clinical and translational studies to learn how the body functions and de
Cecily Wolfe | Senior Writer
velop novel treatments and therapies.
“We’re hoping for discoveries that enhance the care of patients, the way healthcare is delivered or novel techniques for diagnosing disease and testing how medicines work,” Wilkes said. “We’re hoping for a better understanding of biology as it relates to human conditions.”
One of the beneficiaries of numerous NIH grants is Boris Kovatchev — director of the University Center for Diabetes Technology and a pioneer on the artificial pancreas, a device thousands already rely on for life-sustaining insulin. When explaining why he has stayed at the University for 28 years, Kovatchev noted that the University’s Center for Diabetes Technology is well-respected when it comes to diabetes technology development. He also expressed gratitude for several colleagues at the University — including Marc Breton, Sue Brown, Mark DeBoer and Stacy Anderson — for their expertise on Type I diabetes treatments ANDREW WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY
and the funding from NIH they contribute to the program.
“When I came to U.Va. a long time ago, U.Va. already had a very strong endocrinology and diabetes program,” Kovatchev said. “Now, the U.Va. Center for Diabetes Technology is probably number one in the world.”
Initial funding for Type I diabetes research for Kovatchev started over 20 years ago, and for almost 12 years, NIH has continuously awarded Kovatchev and his team grants. In 2016, they received over $12 million for clinical trials of the artificial pancreas. Not only did this sum significantly surpass the average amount of NIH research project grants in fiscal year 2018 — $535,239 — but it is also the largest given by NIH for research on Type I diabetes.
“NIH has special diabetes funding, and that has been a reliable source of funding for specific areas of research related to Type I diabetes,” Kovatchev said. “They have been our major source.”
Similarly, contributions from NIH subsidize the work of Edward H. Egelman, professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics. Along with other scientists from Yale University and the University of California, Irvine, in 2019, Egelman discovered the structure that enables certain bacteria species to conduct electricity.
While it was commonly accepted that bacteria transported electrons via filamentous appendages that can cause infections, or pili, researchers found that distinct filaments encase molecules with metal and compose a “nanowire” to facilitate electron transfer. Egelman cited recent and past NIH grants as essential for this type of research, as well as for exploring novel topics that led him to unexpected conclusions.
“I am very fortunate to have had sustained funding from the NIH for almost all of my career, and this has allowed my research to go off in unanticipated directions,” Egelman said in an email to The Cavalier Daily. “The point is that with fundamental or basic research we never quite know what the consequences will be … but my NIH funding allowed me to pursue these studies that may have direct implications for everything from nanoelectronics to biomedical engineering.”
NIH continues to support a variety of ongoing endeavors at the University. For example, researchers at the University and Virginia Tech recently accepted $3.4 million to develop a miniature model of a lymph node they hope will aid future studies of the organ. The integrated Translational Health Research Institute of Virginia, an initiative throughout the state to connect clinical researchers, disbursed $200,000 from NIH to four multi-institutional research projects — several of which involve University faculty — in its initial effort to sponsor combined biomedical and data-driven projects, such as the use of ultrasounds to help treat depression.
At the start of a new decade, the challenge for the School of Medicine, Wilkes said, is not necessarily if there will be adequate monetary resources for research, but rather if there will be adequate laboratory space. With a record year behind them, University researchers are looking forward now, as research expansion is likely on the horizon.
Researchers develop resource for those with autism As part of the STAR initiative, this database provides local and online resources concerning intervention, education and more
Brigitte Meyer | Staff Writer
The Joint Autism DRIVE assists individuals with autism and their families by providing information on education, healthcare and programming.
ARIANA GUERANMAYEH | THE CAVALIER DAILY
The Autism Data System for Research Integration, Visualization and Exchange is a networking and educational resource for people with autism and their families seeking to electronically connect with resources and researchers. Launched in November 2019, DRIVE is a part of the larger Autism Supporting Transformative Autism Research program in the Curry School of Education, which seeks to improve the quality of life of individuals with autism by gathering and performing research across disciplines while also educating those diagnosed and their families.
Rose Nevill, director of the University’s Autism Research Core and research assistant professor of education, emphasizes the novelty of the DRIVE.
“It’s the first platform of its kind to link a research registry with an online resources database to share educational information with the community,” Nevill said. “Th ere are other state-based research registries, and there are other statebased resource directories, but we haven’t come across a system linking all of these elements into one.” Nevill is excited about the po
tential of this database for the Charlottesville community.
Because only an estimated 5,000 people in Virginia have been diagnosed with autism, it is critical to connect them with researchers at the University to strengthen research about autism spectrum disorders and increase the resources available.
“DRIVE greatly expands the number of individuals and families we can include in studies, which has great benefit for understanding and treating autism appropriately,” said Robert Pianta, dean of the Curry School, in an email to Th e Cavalier Daily.
Nevill and Micah Mazurek, director of the STAR program and associate professor of human services, both emphasized the research aspect of the DRIVE, as researchers can more easily access potential research participants by recruiting through a database than via other pathways.
“It is an interactive database that allows researchers and members of the community to connect so that we can share opportunities for research with community members including people with autism and their family members as well as professionals,” Mazurek said.
Nevill mentioned two important studies which the DRIVE has helped launch. One study through the University’s Brain Institute is attempting to determine why autism is diagnosed more regularly in boys than girls. Th e second is an initiative to develop training modules for healthcare workers who treat individuals with autism to bridge the communication gap between provider and patient. Patients with autism typically have more negative health outcomes than the non-ASD population and even individuals with other neurodevelopmental disabilities, so this research is critical to improving quality of care.
Equally as important, the DRIVE aims to connect individuals with autism and their families with local, online and event resources. Potential local resources include postings about schools with special resources for those with autism or therapy clinics that are close users. Online resources consist of guides, handouts and trainings that DRIVE coordinators have collected and deemed useful for individuals and their families. Th e events posted on the website focus on supporting, educating and encouraging the autism community.
Currently, the DRIVE is recruiting participants for five active studies. Th ese studies are focused on parent-child brain synchrony that studies how children and parents play together, the development of reading and writing skills in children with autism, the healthcare needs of adults with autism, the brain differences between boys and girls with autism and an eye gaze study, which tests a tool titled AutismEYES to identify risk factors of the disorder in children. With around 300 individuals registered in the DRIVE, every new recruit matters.
“We’re seeing people joining every week,” Nevill said. “At this rate it’s slow, but it’s steady [and] increasing.”
With social media campaigns and a Facebook page launching soon, the program’s directors are hoping to reach more people across Virginia to recruit into the program. So far, feedback about the program has been positive and bodes well for DRIVE’s expansion. “We’ve had a lot of positive feed
back from community members so far about the ease of use and the way in which all the information is presented through a centralized platform,” Nevill said. “We have an email address listed on the site through which people can give us feedback at any point if they would like to do that.”
Participants are able to withdraw from any study if they wish.
“So far no one has left, but they do have the ability to leave at any time if they don’t wish to participate anymore since the DRIVE is technically set up as a research study,” Nevill said.
Looking further to the future, Nevill says they plan to tweak and expand the DRIVE, so it could be presented to other organizations, specifically state-level government programs. Th e program also hopes to attract interest from individuals in other states, which would allow for further collaboration with and enhancement of the DRIVE’s capabilities.
“We are hopeful and excited to be able to expand the program and help the community,” Nevill said.
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