Thursday, March 21st, 2019 by The Cavalier Daily

The Cavalier Daily

Vol. 129, Issue 23

Thursday, March 21, 2019

GABBY FULLER | THE CAVALIER DAILY

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THE CAVALIER DAILY

This week in-brief

NEWS

CD News Staff

U.Va. to increase employee minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2020 The University will increase its minimum wage for fulltime employees eligible for benefits to $15 per hour by Jan. 1, 2020, according to a statement released March 14. The University’s current minimum wage of $12.75 was last adjusted in December 2017. The increase will cover around 1,400 full-time employees eligible for benefits across the University and Medical Center staff. Around 700 more employees who currently earn close to $15 an hour will also see an increase to their wages. U.Va., the largest employer in Charlottesville, raised its minimum wage from $12.38 to $12.75 per hour in 2017 after calls from students, community members and employees. The state and federal minimum wage is $7.25. The newest increase will not apply to outside contractors that employ individuals who work at the University,

such as Aramark — the provider for University dining services, which pays employees $10.65. The University does not offer health insurance, vision coverage, dental insurance, disability benefits and access to retirement plans to contracted employees. “Over the next few months, my team will be working on a plan to extend the same $15 commitment to contract employees,” University President Jim Ryan said in a community-wide email statement. “This is legally and logistically more complicated, but our goal is to make it happen.” The decision to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour comes a week after Ryan's community working group identified jobs and wages as the most important issue facing the Charlottesville and U.Va. communities, based on a survey that received over 3,000 responses.

LAUREN HORNSBY | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Full-time, benefits-eligible employees will receive the new wage Jan. 1, 2020.

MSA holds vigil for victims of New Zealand attacks

CALLIE COLLINS | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The vigil ended with a prayer with several verses from the Quran read aloud.

Members of the University community came together Monday evening to hold a vigil in the Amphitheater for the victims of the recent terrorist attack committed at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand March 15. The event, hosted by the Muslim Students Association, was attended by over 100 community members, including Dean of Students Allen Groves and University President Jim Ryan. Al Ahmed, a fourth-year Curry student and president of the Muslim Students Association, began the vigil by discussing the necessity of coming together during these times of tragedy. He also stressed the importance of taking action in the wake of such attacks, saying that learning more about Islam and working to connect with the Muslim community are important steps in moving conversations forward. “Islamophobia isn’t new to our Grounds,” he said. “Over the course of my time here, we've had a number

of Islamophobic incidents that have occurred.” Ahmed was followed by a number of Muslim students who shared personal experiences, reactions to the attacks and offerings of how to move forward as a community. Dean Groves also spoke, echoing calls for action to be taken to prevent similar tragedies in the future. “Honestly, it was really overwhelming to see how many people came out tonight,” Ahmed said in an interview with The Cavalier Daily. “It just shows that people care.” The Muslim Students Association also released a statement last Friday calling for wider recognition of the issues affecting the Muslim community. The statement has since been signed in solidarity by nearly two dozen organizations and community leaders affiliated with the University, including Student Council, the University Judiciary Committee and University President Jim Ryan.

McIntire School of Commerce accepts 54.6 percent of applicants for Class of 2021 The McIntire School of Commerce announced admissions decisions for the Class of 2021 undergraduate program March 14, with a 54.6 percent acceptance rate — a slight increase from last year’s 52.1 percent. Of the 560 applications received, 306 were accepted, 38 were deferred and 216 were denied. Accepted students have until March 21 at noon to accept or deny their offer. The average cumulative grade point average of those who applied was 3.60 — a minor increase from last year’s 3.59. Accepted applicants had an average GPA of 3.75 — a slight decrease from 3.77 last year — with a range from 3.0 to 4.0. Deferred applicants had an average 3.43 GPA — a decrease from 3.50 last year — and denied applicants also had an average 3.43 GPA — an increase from 3.34 last year.

Of the total applicant pool this year — 58.2 percent were white, 15.71 percent Asian-American, 7.1 percent non-resident aliens, 3.73 percent black or African-American, 3.73 percent Hispanic, 3.55 percent multiracial, 0.18 percent Native American or Alaskan Native and 0.18 percent Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. An additional 7.4 percent did not specify race and ethnicity. 10.3 percent of the applicant pool were first-generation students. “[In] Demographics... we saw a slight dip in hispanic and multi race and non resident alien applicants, but not anything shocking,” said Sadie Royal Collins, McIntire Director of Undergraduate Admissions. “We saw a pretty nice uptick in our first generation applicants but this is only the first year we have tracked this number. There were not huge differences.”

RILEY WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The School of Commerce extended offers to 306 candidates.

Batten offer rate 40 percent for Class of 2021

NICK ZURGIS | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The Batten School extended initial offers to 79 undergraduates.

The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy offered admission to 79 students out of a pool of 200 applicants for the Class of 2021, with an admission rate of 40 percent on March 7. The offer rate has gone down. In the fall of 2018 and 2017, 86 students and 84 students were admitted respectively. This year, students who received offers are predominantly female and white-identifying, making up 64 percent and 76 percent of the admitted pool respectively, although the diversity of accepted students has increased in the last two years. The number of admitted students who identify as black or African American has more than doubled since last year. Admitted African American students now represent 13 percent of

the population, compared to 6 percent in the graduating class of 2020. The number of students who identify as Asian/Asian American and Hispanic/Latinx has also increased this year. Asian/Asian Americans make up nine percent and Hispanic/ Latinx nine percent of accepted students. Furthermore, one percent of admitted students classify themselves as Native American and six percent as other. Applicants were able to identify as multiple races/ethnicities. This is the first year since 2009 that Batten has extended offers to Native American students. However, this year’s class does not include Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, whereas, in the fall of 2017, this population made up one percent.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

Examining the economic impact of March Madness U.Va. could contribute over $1 million for the Atlantic Coast Conference by winning the tournament Zach Rosenthal | Staff Writer The University’s men’s basketball team will compete in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament Friday for the seventh time in the last eight years with the potential to impact admissions and raise money for the University’s athletics department. Although the funds earned for participation in the tournament will not be known until after the tournament is completed, it is expected to be around $282,000 per game — a 3 percent increase from last year. According to Jim Daves, the assistant athletics director for media relations at the University, the process for determining how much money goes to colleges is “complicated.” “Bottom line, the more ACC teams win and advance in the tournament, the more benefit to the league membership, including teams not participating in the tournament,” Daves said in an email statement to The Cavalier Daily. He added that Division I conferences get paid in “units” — a fixed amount of money that rises three percent annually. In 2018, the worth of a “unit” was approximately $273,500, according to the NCAA. Daves said he had “not seen a value for the units for this year’s tournament.” However, by increasing the past years’ value 3 percent — the typical increase — a unit in 2019 will be worth roughly $282,000. An Atlantic Coast Conference

member team could then potentially earn $1.41 million for the Atlantic Coast Conference over a one-year period by winning the entire tournament. The total monetary value of each unit is then distributed by the conference in whatever manner it chooses, though the NCAA urges that it be distributed evenly. Daves said this means teams in strong conferences who do not enter the tournament can still reap the benefits of their conference’s success. In 2018, the ACC split the money equally between all teams, including the ones who did not make the tournament. According to Daves, the money brought in by the tournament is considered “athletics revenue” and henceforth goes back into the athletics program at the University. Based on an analysis of the revenues and expenses of the UniversiPAIGE HILLMAN | THE CAVALIER DAILY ty’s men’s basketball team, revenue spikes after good performances. The University’s men’s basketball team earnings increased in 2017 after three consecutive seasons of being in the March Madness tournament. For example, revenue increased when “There are so many factors that Lalonde was able to recall a couple versity and Virginia Commonwealth U.Va. reported their 2017 earnings, go into a student’s college decision,” of instances where the University’s University — which made runs into which followed a 2015-2016 season as a Lalonde said in an email to The Cav- basketball team was mentioned in an the Final Four in 2006 and 2011 renumber one seed and a 2016-2017 sea- alier Daily. “I could see the coverage admissions context. spectively. In both of the years folson as a number five seed. of our students and community dur“I have had prospective students lowing their tournament successes, According to Assoc. Dean of Ad- ing the NCAA tournament inspiring and parents compliment the students the number of freshman applications mission Jeannine Lalonde, the expo- prospective students do more research on the basketball team while I’ve been increased. sure the University gets from compet- about the University, but I don’t think at college fairs or evening programs,” ing and advancing in the tournament there’s any data showing that UVA Lalonde said. can also potentially lead more students appearing in the tournament causes Lalonde pointed to other Virginia to apply to U.Va. next year. higher application or yield rates.” colleges, such as George Mason Uni-

U.Va. considers plan to create new performing arts center A presidential task force outlines plan for a “Creativity and Experimental Arts Nexus” in Emmet-Ivy corridor Bridget Starrs | Staff Writer Several University faculty members and recent studies conducted at the University have called for the building of a performing arts center as a part of the University’s plan to renovate the Ivy Corridor. A task force created by University President Jim Ryan published a report last month outlining plans for dividing the Ivy Corridor into three nexuses — including the “Creativity and Experimental Arts Nexus,” which allocates the east end of the Emmet/Ivy property to the building of a center for the arts. It also includes a Discovery Nexus which calls for a center for transdisciplinary research and a Democracy Nexus that intends to strengthen democratic institutions through physical and virtual gathering spaces. According to the report, the center “should provide flexible, configurable spaces hosting a continuum of innovative arts activities,

from concerts and exhibitions, to workshops and classes, to research and the creation of new works.” The Board of Visitors discussed the performing arts center at a Buildings and Grounds committee meeting Feb. 28 but has not approved it. In an interview with The Cavalier Daily earlier this month, Ryan said the report is part of a six year plan and that the performing arts center is currently in the pre-planning phase. Another study — led by the the Office of the Provost and Vice Provost for the Arts and the Office of the Architect — also examined the need for a performing arts center. According to University Vice Provost for the Arts Jody Kielbasa, the approximately 90-page study also proposed combining the Fralin Museum of Art and the Kluge Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection into one facility. “Those are all possibilities that

I guess are under consideration — and again — nothing is finalized,” Kielbasa said. The need for larger facilities is the primary reason for a performing arts center, Kielbasa said. “Performances of size need to be accomodated,” Kielbasa said. “We’re limited because we don’t have facilities to do large dance performances, to bring in touring productions, visiting artists or troupes. The performing arts center study indicated that with current U.Va. programming, we could fill that center at least 240 evenings a year.” Over the past two years, several studies — including one by the College Graduate School of Arts and Sciences — have outlined the need for a performing arts center at the University. Old Cabell Hall, which frequently hosts University arts programs, lacks the resources of a performing arts center, Kielbasa said.

“There are a number of things that cannot be accommodated in Old Cabell Hall, including theatrical shows,” Kielbasa said. “By and large, it’s a musical recital hall. I believe we’re the only major college in the Commonwealth of Virginia that does not have a performing arts center.” James Madison University, Virginia Tech, George Mason University, Washington and Lee University and Virginia Commonwealth University have on-campus performing arts centers. The Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech opened in 2013. Benjamin Rous, music director of the Charlottesville Symphony, conducted the Charlottesville Symphony at the Moss Center’s opening gala. “It galls me that Virginia Tech has the Moss Center and we have nothing,” Rous said. “Tech is beating us. And I think a lot of people

around town recognize that, not just me, and there’s a lot of energy right now about fixing that situation.” In an email statement to The Cavalier Daily, University Deputy Spokesperson Wes Hester said a specific location for a performing arts center has not been determined since the project first needs to be approved by the Board of Visitors. If approved, the project is expected to cost between $120-$140 million and construction would begin in 2022 with an end date in 2024.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

NEWS • www.cavalierdaily.com

U.Va. could face legal barriers to increase minimum wage Legal opinions of former Virginia attorneys general interpret state law as prohibiting universities from requiring set wages for contracted employees Geremia Di Maro | Senior Writer As the University looks to increase its minimum wage for all full-time employees on Grounds, a variety of legal barriers may complicate that endeavor for those who are employed by external contractors rather than the University itself. President Jim Ryan announced March 7 that the minimum wage for full-time employees eligible for benefits will be increased to $15 per hour by Jan. 1, 2020. The wage increase will cover around 1,400 full-time employees eligible for benefits across the University and Medical Center staff. Around 700 more employees who currently earn close to $15 an hour will also see an increase to their wages. The increase is also expected to have an annual cost of approximately $3.5 million with an additional $500,000 needed to make adjustments for employees who already earn between $15 and $16.25 an hour. The largest employer in Charlottesville with nearly 17,500 fulltime, benefits-eligible employees, the University most recently raised its minimum wage from $12.38 to $12.75 per hour in 2017 after calls from students, community members and employees. The state and federal minimum wage is $7.25. Hannah Russell-Hunter and Corey Runkel — both third-year College students and members of the Living Wage Campaign at the University — said the wage increase was a major victory for the campaign, adding that it was the largest in the campaign’s history. “It's a very public statement, and I think a tacit acknowledgement of the fact that students have been organizing around this for two decades,” Russell-Hunter said. “[Ryan] kind of alluded to that in his email he sent that this has been an issue at the forefront of U.Va. for like two decades, and that's how long the Living Wage Campaign has formally existed. It was good to see that people acknowledged that this is a product of community member, student and faculty organizing.” Student protesters with the Living Wage Campaign also rallied outside of a Board of Visitors meeting March 1, asking the University to implement a minimum wage of $16.84 and include contract workers in future wage increases. Russell-Hunter and Runkel added that the campaign will continue its efforts to extend the wage increase to contracted employers at the University and advocate for a $16.84 minimum wage. Based on MIT’s living wage calculator — which estimates the

living wage needed to support individuals and families based on the cost of basic necessities — a living wage in Charlottesville stands at $12.49 for a single adult or $17.16 for a family of four in which both parents work. According to a webpage published by the University regarding the wage increase, the average University employee affected by the change lives in a two-person household — 70 percent of which the second member also works, “raising the total household income significantly.” University employees making $15 an hour will also continue to receive more than $12,000 per year in health insurance benefits and retirement contributions. “While a $15 hourly base wage will not cover every type of household, it is above the poverty wage for every family type in our region according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator,” according to the webpage. “The MIT calculator also counts it as a living wage for single wage-earners and families living in Charlottesville and the surrounding counties with two working adults who are childless or have one child.” However, Ryan said in his announcement that the planned wage increase will apply to 60 percent of full-time employees at the University who currently earn under $15 an hour, while the remainder are employed by outside contractors and will not receive wage increases at this time. “Over the next few months, my team will be working on a plan to extend the same $15 commitment to contract employees,” Ryan said in the announcement. “This is legally and logistically more complicated, but our goal is to make it happen.” Ryan added that the plan has been “heartily endorsed” by the Board of Visitors but did not further specify as to its implementation process. In an email statement, Deputy University Spokesperson Wes Hester said cooperation with all of the University’s major contractors has been initiated. “Work has already begun with some contractors, including Aramark, regarding how to achieve a $15 base wage,” Hester wrote. “We expect to provide an update later this calendar year.” Legal standing: Past Virginia Attorneys General opinions side with contractors Much of the legal difficulty that the University could face is centered around the Virginia Public Procurement Act — which dic-

RILEY WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Dozens of demonstrators rallied outside the Board of Visitors meeting March 1, six days before University President Jim Ryan announced the new minimum wage for contracted employees.

tates how public entities handle procurement with nongovernmental agencies — and a series of legal interpretations by Virginia Attorneys General in the early 2000s. In 2002, Jerry Kilgore — at the time, the state’s Republican attorney general — wrote a non-binding legal opinion that declared localities could not require their contractors pay contracted employees any set wage amount under the VPPA, writing that “a ‘living wage’ requirement is unrelated to the goods or services to be procured” on the basis that it is a matter of social and economic policy. Deputy Attorney General David Johnson, a deputy of Bob McDonnell — the state’s Republican attorney general in 2006 — wrote a letter to then-U.Va. Executive Vice President Leonard Sandridge, confirming McDonnell believed that the 2002 opinion was applicable to the University. Six years later, a spokesperson for former Republican Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said in a published statement that Cuccinelli believed Virginia codes restricted any state agencies from requiring contractors to pay a living wage. Hester said the University plans to abide by the current legal interpretations set out in in the VPPA and by the Attorney General’s Office in 2006. “According to an official opinion of the Attorney General that was issued in 2006, the Virginia Public Procurement Act does not allow a state agency like the University to require a contractor to pay a living wage as a condition of

a contract,” Hester wrote. “Only the General Assembly can grant the authority for a state agency like the University to negotiate wages paid by a contractor.” “While this opinion prevents us from making the payment of a living wage a condition of a contract, we will work with our major contractors to negotiate appropriate changes to our current agreements that will achieve the University’s objective,” Hester added. Aramark — a Philadelphia-based food services contractor and the provider for University Dining Services — currently pays employees a minimum wage of $10.65 an hour. In an email statement, Karen Cutler, Aramark’s Vice President of Corporate Communication, said discussions between the University and the contractor are ongoing. “We greatly value our employees and have always been committed to paying competitive, market-based wages, while offering a variety of benefits, training and career development opportunities,” Cutler wrote. “We will continue to work in partnership with the University over the coming months to address this opportunity.” A new contract between U.Va. and Aramark? As part of its current contract with Aramark, the University could be in breach of the contract or would possibly be required to renegotiate its terms of agreement if it seeks to contractually obligate the contractor to pay its employees a set minimum wage. The University has contracted dining services

from Aramark since the late 1990s and most recently renewed its contract with the service provider in 2014 for a 20-year-term agreement. According to the University's renewed 2014 contract with Aramark, “Aramark will have the capability of and be financially responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding the employment, compensation, and payment of personnel.” This includes unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation and health examinations. The contract goes on to state that “Aramark will, in its sole discretion, determine the compensation of Aramark’s employees providing the Goods and Services to the University and be responsible for payroll taxes attributable to such compensation for each of those employees.” However, the University or Aramark is allowed to terminate the contract at any time, provided that written notice is provided explaining why the terminating party seeks to dissolve the agreement. The contract states that each party must then engage in “good faith” discussion for a period of at least 30 days, after which either the University or Aramark may elect to terminate the agreement with 180 days prior written notice. The University would then be required to reimburse Aramark for any remaining financial commitments it may owe to the contractor within 90 days of ending the agreement if the University chose to dissolve the contract. If Aramark chose to terminate the contract for

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THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019 any reason, it would be required to pay the University a $3.5 million fee if the agreement were ended between now and 2024, after which the fee would be $1 million. The total amount of reimbursement the University would have to provide Aramark would vary based on the exact termination date of the contract, although Aramark has made a long term financial commitment of nearly $100,000,000 to the University since 2014 under the current terms of agreement. This includes a $70,000,000 unrestricted grant paid to the University by the end of 2014 and held in escrow with the purpose of funding strategic initiatives approved by the Board of Visitors. Most of the remaining funds are set aside throughout the contract period with the purpose of facility upgrades and renovations. According to the contract, the University is also expected to receive a minimum of about $240 million in guaranteed commission from various dining services — such as dining halls, convenience stores and concessions at athletic events — provided by Aramark through 2034. By the end of the agreement, each party should also have a guaranteed profit split of at least $40 million. Neither Aramark or the University responded to questions regarding the possible renegotiation of the current contact between the two parties. Legal arguments for U.Va. to impose a minimum wage requirement Local civil rights attorney Jeff Fogel said that while the University could endure a number of legal obstacles in attempting to require contractors, such as Aramark, to set a higher minimum wage, there are several legal tactics the University could employ to argue that the current interpretation of the VPPA is invalid. Fogel authored a memo to the Living Wage Campaign in 2012 which detailed the legal challenges facing the implementation of a higher minimum

wage for contracted employees at the University and legal argumentation in support of its ability to do so. Fogel said he has met with Ryan in recent months to discuss the issue, adding that he has provided administration with a copy of his 2012 memo for reference amidst its legal discussions. Fogel also said Ryan received the memo positively and shared it with the University’s Office of General Counsel. While it is unclear if any legal action is being planned by Aramark, Fogel said the contractor could argue that the University would have no right to impose a minimum wage requirement under the VPPA and previous Attorneys General interpretations of the Act and the Dillon Rule in Virginia as requiring explicit permission from the General Assembly to set wages for contracted employees. According to the memo, the Virginia Supreme Court reaffirmed its adherence to the Dillon Rule early in 2012 when it stated that local governing bodies "have only those powers that are expressly granted, those necessarily or fairly implied from expressly granted powers, and those that are essential and indispensable.” It adds that the legal significance of the phrase “essential and indispensable” is often handled on a case-by-case basis. However, Fogel cited a provision of the VPPA — which states that public bodies have the ability to consider “best value concepts” when procuring goods and nonprofessional services, such as dining employees — as a possible legal basis for allowing the University to contractually require a set minimum wage under the current contract. The Act defines best value as “the overall combination of quality, price, and various elements of required services that in total are optimal relative to a public body's needs.” In the memo, Fogel argues that setting a minimum wage for contracted employees could be considered a “best value concept” due

TYRA KREHBIEL | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The largest employer in Charlottesville with nearly 17,500 full-time, benefits-eligible employees, the University most recently raised its minimum wage from $12.38 to $12.75 per hour in 2017 after calls from students, community members and employees. The

to its potential positive long term effects in the community, such as decreasing employee turnover, increased productivity and overall improvement in service quality as a result. Fogel said the Virginia Attorney General’s Office could also take legal action against the University for imposing such a wage requirement but added that such an action would be unlikely to occur if the administration is seeking legal advice from the office, adding that past instances of localities mandating contractors pay a set minimum wage have been without legal ramifications. For example, the Charlottesville City Council enacted a plan in July to raise the minimum wage for both city employees and those who currently are or will be hired as contracted employees. However, Fogel said the City, along with other Virginia municipalities, have

yet to face any repercussions for the changes. Fogel said it was important to draw a distinction between advisory legal opinions or interpretations made by an attorney general and existing law, adding that such opinions only inform legal rulings that would still have to be handed down by a judge. In the memo, Fogel writes that the Virginia Supreme Court has historically viewed attorneys general opinions as “not binding but entitled to due consideration,” meaning that if the University adopted a policy requiring contractors to pay their employees a set wage, a court could potentially rule in favor of the University if it were so challenged. As such, Fogel said it would be in the University’s interest to pursue the policy, even if it meant losing a complex legal battle. “Even if they conclude that the likelihood of prevailing is small they should do it — it's better to do it and lose than it is not to do it,” Fogel said. “The litigation process is also a public education process and a public relations process, and there are an awful lot of people to support the notion that people work hard to get their $15 minimum wage. So it would put additional pressure on the University … but also put some more pressure on the [General Assembly].” Requesting a legal reinterpretation of past Attorneys General opinions? During meetings in Richmond with Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath) and Jane Dittmar in January, Del. David Toscano’s (D-Charlottesville) chief of staff, Alex Cintron, a fourth-year College student and Student Council president, inquired about the possibility of senators and delegates to issue re-

quests for legal reinterpretation of opinions authored by the attorney general with regards to setting wages for contracted workers at the University. Deeds said he would be willing to approach the office of Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring about a reinterpretation of Kilgore’s 2002 opinion. Deeds added that he was confident in Ryan’s willingness to address a variety of issues based on the initiatives he has spearheaded so far, even more so than previous University President Teresa Sullivan. Dittmar said Toscano and Deeds could potentially cooperate with Student Council by drafting a joint-letter between Student Council and the lawmakers, asking the attorney general to the reconsider legal opinions of the attorneys general from the early 2000s. However, Dittmar added that such requests can often take several months to be processed, if they are even considered. In a recent interview, Cintron said Student Council was in the process of seeking legal counsel to draft the letter when Ryan made his announcement to increase the University’s minimum wage and pursue wage increases for contracted employees. As a result, Cintron — whose term as Student Council president expires April 7 — said Student Council will no longer be pursuing the option of requesting a legal reinterpretation from the attorney general in the coming weeks but will still consider doing so in the future if deemed necessary. Cintron added that he expects to meet with Ryan soon to further discuss the matter.

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Creating a community for the six percent Latinx Peer Mentoring Program helps Latinx students transition to Grounds

LIFE

Carolyn Lane | Feature Writer For second-year College student Frank Valdez, leaving his home in Houston and coming to the University was very difficult. He did not know anyone, did not feel worthy of coming to a top-tier college institution and faced unexpected challenges when a close member of his family passed away during his first semester. He was over 1,200 miles from home, and it was hard for Charlottesville to feel like one — that is, until Valdez became a member of the Latinx Peer Mentoring Program. Through this program, he began to find his place in the University. Less than 18 months later, Valdez sits as one of four members on the Latinx PMP’s executive board, a position that allows him to help other Latinx students transition to their life at the University and find a place within its student body. The Latinx PMP was founded in 1999 by former Assistant Dean Pablo Davis as an organization under the umbrella of Multicultural Student Services, which is currently overseen by Vicki Gist, assistant dean of students and the director of Multicultural Student Services. “The overall purpose of the program is to help new students adjust

to U.Va.,” Gist said in an email to The Cavalier Daily. “PMP helps students meet people and build community, find academic guidance and personal support and learn about resources and get involved in the U.Va. community.” Each summer, the Latinx PMP reaches out via email to both incoming first-years and transfer students who identified as Latinx on their application. The program then works to pair them with current Latinx students at the University who serve as mentors for these new students. Throughout the summer, mentors answers their mentees’ questions, provide advice on what classes to take and professors to seek and generally help them prepare for their life here on Grounds. Second-year College student Hannah Fernandez is a current mentor in the program but remembers how much she loved the program reaching out to her the summer before her first year. “One thing I really love about the peer mentoring program is it starts before your journey even starts here at U.Va.,” Fernandez said. “They reach out to you in the summer … and they talk to you and get you involved in Hispanic-Lat-

inx CIOs on Grounds and anything you might be interested in. I think that’s a great way to reach out to those students and might feel a little scared or lost coming in.” Once these students arrive on Grounds, the functions of the PMP expand as they host their own events during Welcome Week to gauge student interest in the program, after which students decide whether to officially join the program. For those who choose to participate, they are paired with a mentor and divided into “familia” groups. Each familia is led by an executive board member, and the diverse members help to bring the program’s participants together. Today, there are 71 mentor-mentee pairings in the program divided among four familia groups. For each familia, the program aims to have mentors from different years, majors, interests and backgrounds. “We know that not all of the mentees are going to be very outgoing, so putting them in a family that is more diverse and in that small setting, it’s a less intimidating space,” Valdez said. “It makes our community very tight. Coming in I knew a lot of fourth-years

from different majors and I came in undecided so I already had people from different majors that I knew to help me and that I could get advice from.” Beyond the introduction to the University community that these diverse “familia” structures provide, the program also works to plan events for its mentors and mentees to help introduce them to both the various cultures of its members and to Charlottesville itself. Some of these events include “familia” dinners in the style of international potlucks, semi-formals coordinated with the Latinx Student Alliance and an hour of fun at Jump Cville — an event that was held Feb. 28. But the relationship between mentor and mentee expands beyond acquiescing students’ pre-arrival fears and simply attending Latinx events together. PMP mentors also help their mentees feel less alone among the massive University population. “My mentor checks in with me to make sure I’m okay,” third-year Education transfer student Valeria Gutierrez-Cruz said. “We sometimes go out to lunch to talk about school, so it influences my social aspect at U.Va. She actually cares

about me and is always asking me, ‘Is there something I can do for you? Are you okay? How are your classes going?’” Beyond the benefits the program provides to new students, it allows mentors the opportunity to share their experiences and what they’ve learned at the University with their mentees. “You need to understand how other students have dealt with these experiences that you’re going to face,” third-year Batten student Brian Zuluaga said. “For me, that has been very important to actually share that knowledge and sort of to pass it down so students don’t have to struggle through the same experiences that I had to go through.” As an executive member who has had the privilege to fill the role of both a mentor and mentee, the community aspect of PMP is something for which Valdez will always be thankful. “I give a lot of credit to the Peer Mentoring Program for keeping me grounded, giving me a support system, a network, a family of people who care about me, who really want me to strive at this University,” Valdez said.

COURTESY FRANK VALDEZ

The Latinx PMP held an event at Jump Cville Feb. 28.

www.cavalierdaily.com • LIFE

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

Old Dorms residents paint their walls prior to renovations Students brighten a formerly beige dorm with a splash of color and personal touch Anna Grace Chang | Feature Writer Any University student who has lived in Old Dorms most likely recalls beige and white walls — and not much else. But for a little while, students have been given the opportunity to add some more vibrant colors. Beginning in May, Hancock, Metcalf and Lefevre will be undergoing renovations — but currently they’re undergoing creative transformations. Fourth-year College student Charlie Fisher, the senior resident of Metcalf-Lefevre, has made it possible for first years to paint the halls of these Old Dorms. “In the past, HRL has allowed residents in dorms that were being redone paint the walls, so I started asking if it would be possible, and I received permission from the deans over in HRL to take on this project,” Fisher said. As a result, Fisher estimates about 199 students were involved in the painting. “I was told over and over again that this was a bad idea,” Fisher said. “People told me the residents couldn’t handle the responsibility and would paint inappropriate or hateful things on the walls. The residents of the building proved them all completely wrong.…

There were so many beautiful paintings, and they were overwhelmingly positive.” Walking down the halls of these dorms, colorful murals pop out of the walls, bearing messages such as “Treat People with Kindness” or “Do what you love.” Each resident was given the opportunity to create an original work that was personally meaningful. For instance, first-year College student Hannah Birch painted images of the beach and the Richmond skyline, symbolizing both her own hometown and that of her roommate. “It’s our home away from home, so I tried to make it represent that,” Birch said. Second-year College student and Resident Advisor Sarah Gaedecke was similarly excited about the opportunity to paint the walls, saying that she participated in the creation of two murals on her hall. One of the murals, featuring a multi-colored background and a woman’s silhouette, bears the message, “Black is Beautiful.” Gaedecke expressed gratitude in being able to help create this painting. “A girl, Sarah, on my hall ... ac-

tually came up with the design, and ‘Black is Beautiful’ was really important to her for her to express her identity,” Gaedecke said. “I think it was really special that a bunch of us on this hall got the opportunity to participate in creating it.” Gaedecke also spoke fondly of the experience of painting the walls with her residents. “Us RAs have watched our residents grow and walk away and do their own thing, but it brought everyone back to the dorm, and getting to catch up again and see everyone together and happy — I think it just brought a lot of joy to everyone around,” Gaedecke said. Each hall is characterized by a unique set of paintings representing both the talents and the passions of its residents. The doorframes of the rooms are mosaics of the things that make their inhabitants smile — planets, flowers, sunsets. Although some paintings carried serious or otherwise inspirational messages, residents created some more playful works of art as well. First-year College student Henry Franklin reported that his

SOPHIE ROEHSE | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Students have been given the chance to paint the halls of Old Dorms before renovations begin.

hall and the hall below his contained primarily humorous paintings. In fact, the paintings on his hall were all Spongebob-themed. “It’s just fun to see what everyone was thinking when they painted,” first-year College student Max Thwing said. “Like even if they’re not artistic, everyone had something cool to put on the wall, whether it just be some words like … ‘Hoos your daddy?’ or ‘Go Hoos’… It’s just cool to see what everyone thought of.” In a remarkable demonstration of creativity and camaraderie, these students have taken an unlikely canvas and made it some-

thing beautiful. Although the paintings will unfortunately be lost when the buildings are renovated, students will leave knowing that their artwork is now a part of the University’s history. “We actually have the chance to put something that represents ourselves on the walls, and then when this building eventually goes down, it will have been the last thing people see when they come in to take everything out,” first-year College student Julia Paraiso said.

Maru will get you through the rest of the semester This new restaurant on the Downtown Mall serves deliciously satisfying Korean food Anna Liu | Food Columnist With spring break now over, I know some of you have post-vacation blues and may be less than enthusiastic about having to face another month and a half of school before summer. What you really need to remedy this situation are these — a hot stew with ham, spam, kimchi, ramen and spicy sauce, a bowl of white rice and a soothing cup of green tea. The gourmet food at Maru Korean Restaurant and Bar will help you appreciate your return to Charlottesville and give you the strength to face the rest of the semester –– especially if you’re a foodie. Appeal You will not go wrong with any of the dishes on the menu. For first time Maru patrons, I recommend the Kimchi Rice Arancini for the appetizer. This dish is a compact fried rice ball with kimchi, cheese and is topped with gochujang aioli — a sweet, spicy paste found in most Korean dishes. This dish has a very special taste due to the gochujang aioli

paste, but at the same time, there is a traditional spicy kimchi flavor and gooey, cheesy texture in the fried rice. Your first bite will definitely make you fall in love with Korean cuisine! Another appetizer I recommend is their Maru fries. You might wonder why I would get fries at a Korean restaurant. But it’s more than just that — their fries are tossed with pepper flakes and scallions and topped with homemade gochujang. Maru’s homemade gochujang sauce is what makes their food so unique and delicious. When I first tried the fries, I was amazed by the combination of pepper and gochujang sauce. These crispy fries — with the added spice — make this dish a “must have” at Maru. For entrees and stews, everything on the menu is honestly delectable — you can’t go wrong. I always try a new dish each time I go to Maru, and it just never disappoints me. But there are two distinct entrees all my friends and I particularly like. The first one is called Budae Jjigae —

also called “Korean Army Stew.” As the name suggests, it is basically a hot stew with ham, sausages, ramen noodles and vegetables, and topped with cheese and Kimchi sauce. Budae Jjigae is a hot pot dish people like to have during the winter because it is so warm and comforting. The kimchi in this dish tastes homemade, while the noodles are cooked al dente. I even drink all the spicy broth whenever I have this dish. The second entree I recommend is Tteokbokki — a spicy rice cake made with fish cakes, eggs and vegetables. This dish is very popular in Korean cuisine, and I think Maru makes the most tasty and addictive rice cake in Charlottesville. The chewy rice cakes — with gochujang sauce — has both spicy and sweet flavors which complement each other well. The soft fish cakes in this dish are also the best supplements to go with this dish. You can also ask the waiters to add or reduce the spicy sauce, depending on your spice tolerance.

Affordability Everything in Maru is affordable and reasonable. The average cost per person is between $13 and $18. The appetizers range from $4 to $8. Most entrees are between $11 and $15 depending on what you get. Accessibility I recommend making a reservation beforehand if you plan to go on a weekend night because Maru is always packed. Maru is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays –– except Tuesday when it closes for the day at 3 p.m. During weekends, the restaurant serves guests from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. If you want to get there from the University, you can definitely walk or take a trolley. I would estimate that it is a 25-minute walk from the Rotunda. Atmosphere The open kitchen, uber-hip furniture and Korean music will give you an exotic and fresh atmosphere. The seats and tables are comfortable and

clean. It might not be an ideal place to go for an intimate conversation because sometimes it can be a bit loud. The waiters are very friendly and helpful. They know the dishes well so they can give recommendations and answer any questions you might have. Maru is a perfect restaurant for hanging out with your friends on a Friday night! Everything I’ve mentioned above is really just the tip of the iceberg. Everything at Maru surprises me every time. This is definitely a “musttry” restaurant if you want to indulge in Korean cuisine. Even though this is a new restaurant that opened in 2018, it has been rapidly growing in popularity among residents and students. Delicious and satisfying Korean food is just what you need to stay motivated and energized as the college grind continues.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

LIFE • www.cavalierdaily.com

TOP 10 WAYS TO MAKE

basketball MORE INTERESTING Ashley Botkin | Top 10 Writer

New penalties In basketball, if you foul someone, they get to go to the free throw line and try their luck at gaining some extra points. But where’s the fun in that? Implementing a penalty box would lead to an exciting yet uneven matchup. Or maybe the player that committed the foul would have to wear a blindfold for a minute. I can’t imagine anything funnier than watching some huge, lanky player stumble around on the floor just trying to figure out where the action is while avoiding tripping and making a fool of themselves.

Switch up the outfits

Having each team wear the same colors gets so boring, and orange and blue isn’t the best color combo ever invented. I propose we let the players wear whatever they want, but no two players can wear the same outfit. I’m talking patterned leggings, bright sneakers and short shorts circa 1970. The game would become just as much about the fashion sense of the players as the skills they each possess. Now that’s a bandwagon I can hop on.

Fewer games, higher stakes Sports seasons last way too long. I feel like basketball has been going on for 12 years, at least. I also think the amount of games also leads to lower stakes if there’s a loss. Sure, it hurts a team’s rating, but they can always come back and win all of their other games. Basically, I don’t think the penalty for losing is dire enough. But if we only allow each team five games, the season will quickly turn into a do-or-die extravaganza for the best record. I’m all here for it.

No hands This idea will sound a little crazy at first, but hear me out — the players can’t use their hands. “But how will they score?” you ask. “How will they do anything?” Do not fear, for I have a solution. Have you ever seen those baby carriers that look like backpacks to hold children? Well, those are exactly the answers we’re looking for in the no-hands dilemma. Each adult player wears a baby carrier and gets an elementary school-aged child strapped to their back. Not only will the adults have to learn to run backwards so their backpack kid can dribble, but they’ll have to be mindful of the tiny person now attached to them when running into other players. Is this feasible? No. But is it interesting? You can bet your bottom dollar it is.

The floor is a trampoline. Or a waterbed. Basketball courts are way too easy to walk on if you ask me. I’m also always secondhand cringing when I hear someone fall and slide on the hardwood. So for player safety and optimized fun, we should really give the courts an upgrade. Trampoline parks are really cool, and think about how awesome it’d be to watch Dominique Toussaint or Jack Salt block someone in midair. Or maybe a waterbed floor would be an even better idea. Wrestling for the ball would become much more difficult and much more fun to watch.

1.6.

A new court-jester position The court jester’s position would be simple — distract the teams as much as you can. The jester would be impartial, like the referees, so they could do whatever they wanted to any player. There are no limits to the lengths a court jester could go in order to break concentration or stop a team from scoring. Personally, I think I’d be great at this job. My weapon of choice would of course be the T-shirt cannon.

New points system

The points system of only scoring a basket worth one, two or three points is outdated. Those numbers are so small that they create no desperation, and they don’t allow for special circumstances. But don’t worry, I have some ideas for a revamp. First, if an audience sub scores a basket — see entry number three — that would be worth 10 points. If a player shoots an airball, they lose however many points they were trying for. If each player on the team touches the ball before it goes in the basket, they earn 15 points. If the head coach sinks a shot, seven points are awarded. With these new values, the game could change in the course of one basket and possibly erupt into chaos.

3. . 8

Have non-athletes enter the game

4. . 9

Introduce a “hot potato” element

5. 10.

Whenever people watch sporting events, they somehow become experts in the sport as if they’re retired players or all-star coaches. But truth be told, if any of us tried to go up against even the least-skilled benchwarmer, we would have no chance. So if each team had to sub from the audience, those people could serve as a benchmark for how a mediocre person would play the game. Maybe it would cut down on the amount of hate the players get when they mess up — you and I both know you couldn’t do any better.

There’s nothing quite as exciting as watching the shot clock dwindle closer to zero, but I think we could amp it up even more. It’s not enough that the other team gets the ball, I think the ball should explode — kind of like a game of hot potato plus a showering of confetti. Adding a more dangerous element to the game will increase the pace and possibly lead to some injuries, but I never claimed these ideas would make the game better — only more interesting. that he scored three points higher than you. It will be the worst day of your life.

Let me be the announcer I don’t know if you’ve ever really listened to the sports announcers, but only a fraction of what they say requires any sports knowledge and so much of it is yelling. This is why I’d be great at the job! I have basic sport smarts, but I think my lack of knowledge and loud voice will make my sportscasting even better. I’d comment on outfits, errors and the perfect coach that is Tony Bennett. I can’t promise that you’d learn anything from listening to me, but I’d at least be entertaining.

PAIGE HILLMAN, ANGELA CHEN & JORDAN SCHNEIER | THE CAVALIER DAILY

www.cavalierdaily.com • PUZZLES

WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE Dan Goff | Puzzle Master

PUZZLES

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

Across 7 This sort of event is having its 25th anniversary this week 9 Amerigo Vespucci is most likely the ___ for America 10 Ragged paper 11 What people might do at the site of a tragedy 12 Condition in which you lack red blood cells 14 Scorns 15 Carbonation 16 Affirm 19 The Constitution's begins, "We the People..." 21 You do these to get abs 23 A type of musical composition, and also the name of a sleep aid drug 24 Long, bounding stride 25 This "Repo Man" star ___ Estevez is also a director, and one of the featured contributors to the seven-across event 26 Finch, swallow or lark, to name a few Down 1 Lament 2 Non-lethal type of gun 3 Take something apart to examine it 4 Disney cartoon about schoolkids' favorite part of the day 5 Jason Reynolds and Laurie Halse Anderson, both featured speakers for seven-across, write this type of two-word fiction 6 Type of lily popular as a houseplant 8 Sex drive 13 Pizza cheese 15 My ___ is Dan — archaic term 17 British nobleman 18 Red hats with black tassels 20 Panda snack 22 Despite what the Kindles and Nooks may say, ___ books will never go out of style 24 If you have a low eightdown, you might want some of this

4 8

18 19

CORRECTIONS In the March 7 issue of The Cavalier Daily, the article titled “Addressing Charlottesville’s rising homeless population,” a quote on the financial costs of housing the homeless was misattributed to Jayson Whitehead. It has been updated to correctly attribute the quote to Stephen Hitchcock. In the March 7 issue of The Cavalier Daily, the article titled “Charlottesville band Gold Connections releases new EP,” Correction: it was stated that the album was recorded in Charlotte, NC, when it was actually recorded in Chapel Hill. In the March 7 issue of The Cavalier Daily, the article titled “Living Wage activists rally outside BOV Meeting,” Correction: misstated that Aramark no longer allows staff allotted time during the work day to attend free English as a second language classes and has been changed to reflect that some employees were previously not allowed to attend due to issues with understaffing and that all employees are allowed to attend for at least 30 minutes during the day, unless they are understaffed. The article has also been edited to reflect that employees are not allowed to record their English as a second language classes as part of their work day hours, and many of them are given permission to stay for 30 minutes, as opposed to the full hour.

* SOLUTION FROM LAST ISSUE

L E I N T B I G S O P U A B E C R T Y

U S A K A L M I E C A C O M P L K P L L Y O L I F O N G O F M Y S Y E A P U A N E W S M E Y A N C E M I M E O S O T I N T T T A H W E H H

E C L O G U E G O O D G U Y

A V E S E A E X I T Y A A M E N T U I L F C T U I N E A P N R U S H A I L U L L P O P H E N

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SPORTS

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De’Andre Hunter’s game speaks for itself The All-American small forward has risen from redshirt to superstar Muhammad Amjad | Staff Writer

There are 37.9 seconds left, and then-No. 1 Virginia is trailing Louisville by two points on the road. Then-freshman forward De’Andre Hunter drives down the baseline, passing the first defender with a quick sidestep as another approaches to cut off his drive. They make contact as Hunter attempts to convert the basket, and the whistle blows. For a second, the KFC Yum! Center is silent as Louisville fans hold their breath. Then comes the call. Offensive foul, Louisville ball. The crowd erupts in cheers, and the Cardinals appear to be poised for a huge upset victory. As Louisville is up four points, 6662, with just six seconds remaining, the upset seems inevitable. Then, the improbable happens. Then-sophomore guard Ty Jerome sinks two free throws with a second left to cut Louisville’s lead to two. All the Cardinals have to do is inbound the ball to win. But they aren’t able to do that. Then-senior forward Deng Adel travels on the baseline, giving Virginia one last chance for a prayer. With 0.9 seconds left, the pass comes in from Jerome. There’s just enough time to heave a desperation shot. Hunter, who has been quiet all day, catches the pass and shoots it immediately. The buzzer sounds the moment the ball leaves his hands. The shot appears to be heading for a miss. Then, bank. Swish. Ball game. Virginia 67, Louisville 66. Virginia’s bench swarms Hunter as the Louisville faithful stare in disbelief. Virginia Coach Tony Bennett breaks character and grins with pride for Hunter, who sat out with a redshirt just a year earlier. The legend of De’Andre Hunter was born in this moment — and it was just getting started. Hunter now averages 15.1 points per game and was recently

named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Two years ago, Hunter came in with an anticipated Bennett recruiting class which also featured All-American guard Kyle Guy and highly-touted Iona Prep prospect Jerome. While Guy and Jerome saw significant playing time as freshmen, Hunter was redshirted — a decision that was difficult for him to come to terms with at first. Coming in as a 6-foot-7 forward with long arms and more athleticism than the typical Bennett recruit, he was pegged as a player whose frame and potential could vault Virginia over ACC rivals into multiple tournament runs. The decision to sit him for the year was therefore not easy, but Hunter accepted it, understanding it was best for the team. “[He] was not too happy initially,” associate head coach Jason Williford said. “When he thought it through [he] wanted to do what was best for him and the program.” Although the decision was difficult, it ultimately proved to be crucial for Hunter’s development as a player. “The benefit of that year was getting his body right,” Williford said. “He attacked the weight room and his diet, worked on [his] skill set, shooting … everything really.” There’s no doubt Hunter would have been a starter at many of the myriad schools that recruited him from the Friends’ Central School in Philadelphia, Pa. Despite this, he bought into Bennett’s system, trusting the process rather than transferring. This decision proved to be very rewarding in the end. “Redshirting was hard,” Hunter said. “I learned a lot on and off the court, took in as much from older guys as I could [and] became mentally and physically stronger.”

COURTESY VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

Hunter has been an integral part of Virginia teams that have won two consecutive ACC Championships.

RILEY WALSH | THE CAVAILER DAILY

Hunter is shooting a career-high 53.3 percent from the field this season.

Of course, the presence of more experienced, gritty players like Jack Salt, Isaiah Wilkins and Devon Hall rubbed off on Hunter during his redshirt year and made him the great, selfless and versatile player he is today. “From both Zay and Devon last year, he picked up [their] work ethic and being focused on the now and present,” Williford said. “Specifically from Zay, he learned how to approach the day-to-day grind.” And it shows. During his first year of playing time, Hunter showed flashes of his offensive and defensive versatility. His improved jump shot and combination of length and athleticism made him difficult to stop on offense. On the defensive end, he was often tasked with locking down the opponent’s best player. Even though he didn’t start, Hunter showed just how good he was, winning ACC Sixth Man of the Year honors in his first year playing in a Virginia uniform. The Cavaliers certainly missed Hunter’s ability to provide one-onone offense in their loss in the NCAA Tournament last year while he was sidelined by a wrist injury. In Hunter’s sophomore year, he packed more muscle onto his frame and succeeded Wilkins as the wing anchor of the pack line defense, while also stepping up for the Cavaliers on offense. In a starting role, he’s improved his stats significantly and has exhibited impressive efficiency. He is shooting a career-high 53.3 percent from the field and 45.7 percent from three-point range. Despite his incredible basketball talent, Hunter is not the loudest guy,

on or off the court. Unlike fellow stars Guy and Jerome, both of whom unapologetically wear their competitive spirits on their sleeves, Hunter lets his game speak for itself. He doesn’t have Jerome’s Kobe Bryant-like staredown or Guy’s three-point shooting swagger, but he does have game and is tearing up college basketball this year. Like Virginia legend Malcolm Brogdon, Hunter doesn’t exhibit too much emotion on the court. He rarely shows anger, frustration or even excitement — he’s the ultimate cool customer. While this personality might not typically translate to a leadership role, Hunter — like Brogdon — has found his place as a leader on this team. He has stepped up as a leader this year, and he has met the challenge, despite obstacles. “It’s challenging because [I’m] not talkative — I lead by example,” Hunter said. “Some of the other guys talk more.” During his recruitment, Williford remembers noticing this part of Hunter’s personality. “He did not talk a lot on the phone during recruiting,” Williford said. “We had trouble getting him on the phone! But he’s a lead by example guy … one of the hardest working guys we have.” Along with Hunter, Jerome and Guy are poised for success in March. They’re routinely mentioned as the “big three” for Virginia. Their offensive talent has made the Cavaliers one of the best offensive teams under Bennett. This year, Guy and Hunter were named to the All-ACC first team, and Jerome was named to the All-ACC second team. Hunter is good friends with both

Jerome and Guy and loves the idea of a “big three.” “‘Big three’ is really cool,” Hunter said. “Kyle, Ty and I talked about being the best players on the team in the future when we first got here as first-years.” Hunter has received a lot of national attention this year for his play. Besides being on the All-ACC first team and being the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Hunter was named on a shortlist for the Julius Erving Award, given to the best small forward in college basketball. He is also being pegged as a lottery pick in many NBA mock drafts. But he keeps all the noise in perspective. “I try not to think about [the attention] as much and try to stay away from basketball when I’m off the court,” Hunter said. “I actually joke around a lot, which people don’t expect from my presence on the court.” Williford agreed, crediting his ability to deal with the attention to the day-to-day grind mentality he learned from Wilkins. “He’s oblivious to a lot of that, and family helps,” Williford said. “He’s focused on the present [and] not overly consumed with glamor and hype.” As March rolls around, the spotlight will be on Hunter, the “big three” and the rest of the Cavaliers. Regardless of what happens, Hunter will lead by example, play the game he loves at a high level and put Virginia in position to win it all.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

SPORTS • www.cavalierdaily.com

A beginner’s guide to March Madness Answering some frequently asked questions before tournament time Colin Cantwell | Sports Editor It’s March and your friends want you to fill out a March Madness bracket. You have no idea what you’re doing. Sure, you were in the student section cheering on the Cavaliers a couple of times first year, and you even sat at Boylan for four hours with your friends to save a table for the Duke game. However, there are so many schools in the tournament you’ve never even heard of — Wofford? Fairleigh Dickinson — and some you couldn’t point out on a map, like Prairie View A&M and Gardner-Webb. You want a winning bracket this year, and I’m here to help. When does the tournament start? The first game tips off Thursday at 12:15 between 10th-seeded Minnesota and 7th-seeded Louisville, and there will be games all weekend. According to Fortune, the average American worker spends six hours watching March Madness at work, so expect to see some of your classmates glued to their laptops watching basketball in class for the next couple weeks. How do I watch?

Every game is on one of four networks — CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. Unless you’re a huge fan of Impractical Jokers, even the most hardcore basketball fans forget truTV exists until March, so don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of it. You can also watch games online or in the March Madness Live app. How many teams are there? It’s complicated. Technically, there are 68. Eight teams compete in four play-in games Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio, to advance to the actual bracketed field of 64 teams. The 64 teams are divided into four regions of 16 teams each, seeded 1-16 by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. The different rounds have names, right? Yes, besides the first and second rounds and the national championship game. The last 16 teams left are known as the Sweet 16, the last eight are the Elite Eight and the final four teams remaining are, understandably, called the Final Four. How good is Virginia this year? Pretty good. The Cavaliers have earned a 1 seed for the second straight season and were ranked

number one nationally for most of the year. However, Duke is the top overall seed in the tournament and beat Virginia both times the two teams played this year. You wouldn’t be crazy to pick Virginia to win it all this year, but the Cavaliers have never reached the Final Four under Coach Tony Bennett. Who does Virginia play first? Virginia opens NCAA Tournament play against Big South Conference champions Gardner-Webb, making their first March Madness appearance ever after beating defending champion Radford in the conference title game. Senior guard David Efianayi led the Bulldogs in scoring with 18.4 points per game. How likely is Virginia to make the Final Four? Barring a major upset, Virginia’s toughest test is going to come against second-seeded Tennessee in the Elite Eight. The Volunteers are led by athletic forwards junior Grant Williams and senior Admiral Schofield and junior point guard Jordan Bone, who could create matchup problems for Virginia defensively. If Virginia can get past Tennessee, the Cavaliers will be a

deserving Final Four team. Who’s most likely to win the national championship this year? All of the 1 seeds, Duke, Gonzaga, Virginia and North Carolina, and 2 seeds, Michigan State, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky, this year have national championship potential. None of these teams is a terrible pick for the title, but the best teams in the nation this year come from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Duke has the top three high school recruits from this past season playing together. Freshmen Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish are all going to be top-five NBA draft picks in a couple months. Barrett was the ACC’s leading scorer in the regular season, and Williamson is the consensus best player in college basketball, though he missed several games to injury during the regular season. North Carolina is led by forwards senior Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson and freshman guard Coby White and looks poised to make a Final Four run. The Tar Heels also won two games over Duke this year while Williamson

was out. What teams are most likely to pull off an upset? Murray State sophomore point guard Ja Morant is a likely top-five NBA draft pick after this season, and he could have a big game to lead the 12th-seeded Racers past 5th-seeded Marquette. Belmont has a play-in game to win first, but the Bruins are a team capable of beating sixth-seeded Maryland in the first round. They have the second-best scoring offense in the country, and senior guard Dylan Windler shoots 43 percent from three-point range. Seventh-seeded Wofford are a feel-good story, coming out of the mid-major Southern Conference to crack the top 25 nationally by the end of the regular season, but Seton Hall has faced tougher opposition all season in the Big East Conference and came two points away from winning the conference title against Villanova Saturday.

Fill out your own March Madness Bracket DUKE NORTH DAKOTA ST. VCU

VIRGINIA

OLE MISS

GARDNER-WEBB

UCF

OKLAHOMA

MISSISSIPPI STATE

WISCONSIN

LIBERTY VIRGINIA TECH

SAINT LOUIS MARYLAND

BELMONT LSU

YALE

MINNESOTA MICHIGAN STATE

BRADLEY

LOUISVILLE

GONZAGA F.DICKINSON

East

South

13 6

OREGON KANSAS STATE UC IRVINE VILLANOVA SAINT MARY’S PURDUE OLD DOMINION CINCINNATI IOWA TENNESSEE COLGATE NORTH CAROLINA IONA

SYRACUSE

UTAH STATE

BAYLOR

WASHINGTON

MARQUETTE

Champions

AUBURN

MURRAY STATE FLORIDA STATE

NEW MEXICO ST. KANSAS

VERMONT

NORTHEASTERN

BUFFALO

West

Midwest

IOWA STATE

OHIO STATE

N. KENTUCKY NEVADA

FLORIDA

ASU/SJU TEXAS TECH

MICHIGAN

MONTANA

GRAPHIC BY NIKITA SIVAKUMAR

HOUSTON GEORGIA STATE WOFFORD SETON HALL KENTUCKY ABIL CHRISTIAN

www.cavalierdaily.com • SPORTS

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

Tony Bennett is an elite developer of talent The Virginia coach has developed lightly-recruited players into stalwarts for a winning program Akhil Rekulapelli | Associate Writer Almost 10 years ago, Tony Bennett dialed up Craig Littlepage, former Virginia athletic director, to turn down Virginia’s offer and continue coaching at Washington State. Yet, according to the Daily Press, Bennett’s wife, Laurel, encouraged him to take more time in making his decision — time that has led to four ACC regular season championships, two ACC Tournament championships, four ACC Coach of the Year awards, two Henry Iba Awards, an AP National Coach of the Year award and seven NCAA Tournament appearances. When looking at his numerous personal and team accolades, the common college basketball fan may attribute Bennett’s success to the quality of his recruits — as is often the case for household name coaches like Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, Kansas’s Bill Self and Kentucky’s John Calipari. Year after year, these coaches recruit five-star talent, bringing in the likes of freshman phenom forward Zion Williamson, 2014 number one overall pick Andrew Wiggins and NBA wonder Anthony Davis, respectively. Bennett, on the other hand, has never recruited a five-star player to Virginia. Players that are now nationally recognized, like sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter and junior guard Ty Jerome, were four-star recruits, and senior center Jack Salt and freshman guard Kihei Clark were

COURTESY VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

Bennett has never brought a five-star recruit to Charlottesville but has shaped less-heralded players into NBA talent.

three-star recruits. Looking back further, 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon had his best offers from Notre Dame and Virginia, and 2019 NBA ThreePoint Contest champion Joe Har-

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Bennett’s ability to develop talent should put him in consideration as one of the best coaches in college basketball.

ris was a three-star recruit out of Chelan, Wash., a mountain town of 4,000 people. So the question remains, how has Bennett replicated this success without big-name recruits? The answer is player development. What often differentiates Bennett from coaches like Krzyzewski, Self and Calipari, and arguably makes him a more impressive coach, is his ability to find those “diamond in the rough” players and develop them together into a great basketball team. Take the 2013-14 Cavaliers — Bennett’s entrance into the college basketball spotlight — for example. Virginia came into the season ranked 24th but quickly dropped from the rankings after losing to No. 14 VCU. However, once ACC play started, the rest was history, as the Cavaliers went a spectacular 16-2 in conference and entered the tournament ranked sixth in the nation. What happened next is forever engraved in the memories of Virginia fans, as Virginia — led by three-star recruit Joe Harris and four-star recruits Malcolm Brogdon and Justin Anderson — defeated No. 7 Duke in the ACC Championship game, a team with 10 top-100 recruits. From there, Harris, Brogdon and Anderson have all found

places on NBA teams, with Harris and Brogdon starting for the Nets and Bucks, respectively. Harris is one of the most lethal three-point shooters in the NBA, defeating three-point magician Stephen Curry in the NBA Three-Point Contest and shooting 46.3 percent from the three-point arc. Brogdon has served as a sort of Swiss army knife for the Bucks, shooting 92.8 percent from the free-throw line and over 50 percent from the field while averaging almost 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. This is to the credit of Bennett’s all-encompassing coaching style that emphasizes offensive and defensive efficiency — teaching players to play the game in its entirety rather than only serve the team in a few particular ways even as a starter. Brogdon and Harris were never known just for their lights-out shooting and court vision but also their relentless defense and workhorse tendencies. The same scenario was true last year, through ACC play and the ACC Tournament, as Virginia, with four top-100 recruits, went 17-1 in the ACC and won the ACC Tournament, defeating teams like Duke and North Carolina, who combined for 15 top-100 recruits. Players like Devon Hall, who was a three-star recruit com-

ing into Virginia, and Jerome, a lightly recruited four-star recruit, burst out onto the national scene. Hall, in particular, quickly developed over his four years as a guard with excellent court vision and passing abilities, eventually being drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2018 NBA Draft. This year Jerome has similarly caught the eye of prospects with his pinpoint passing and ability to finish on the glass, and if he decides to declare, could be a late first-round pick. Krzyzewski, Self and Calipari year after year have winning programs that contain NBA talent through and through. Bennett, on the other hand, has created a winning program in Charlottesville that doesn’t just contain NBA talent, but develops it. While Coach K, Self and Calipari recruit future NBA stars and are often considered the best in the business because of their ability to recruit, Bennett should equally be in the conversation for the best coach in college basketball for his remarkable ability to consistently win with lower-rated recruits that are molded into NBA talent.

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SPORTS • www.cavalierdaily.com

No. 1 seed Virginia’s road to the Final Four Breaking down the South region Zach Zamoff | Sports Editor It’s finally here. A year after a historic loss to No. 16 seed UMBC, Virginia is back for redemption in the NCAA Tournament. On Selection Sunday, the Cavaliers were named a No. 1 seed for the second consecutive year, and they head the South region. The South regional semifinals and finals will be played in Louisville, Ky., but to get to the Sweet Sixteen, the Cavaliers will start off play in Columbia, S.C., where the road to their first Final Four appearance since 1984 starts. First weekend matchups: Virginia starts off play Friday at 3:10 p.m. against Gardner-Webb. Although they are a No. 16 seed, the Bulldogs will be no easy matchup for the Cavaliers. Led by senior guard David Efianayi, freshman guard Jose Perez and senior forward DJ Laster — who shoots 45.1 percent from three and had 32 points in the Bulldogs’ conference championship game against Radford — Gardner-Webb has a small team that can shoot three-pointers well. The Bulldogs are 12th in the nation in three-point shooting percentage with 39.1 percent. They also have wins against two ACC teams — Georgia Tech and Wake Forest — proving they can win against conference opponents. If the Cavaliers beat the Bulldogs, they will face the winner of Oklahoma and Ole Miss. Both teams had average seasons in conference play but have some strong wins in their resume and will not be easy outs. Ole Miss has beaten No. 5 seed and SEC Tournament Champion Auburn twice and has beaten No. 5 seed Mississippi State. The Rebels have a great backcourt led by junior point guard Breein Tyree, who is shooting 38.5 per-

cent from three. Virginia will need all perimeter defenders on deck to beat Ole Miss. Oklahoma poses a different challenge to Virginia, with good threepoint shooting and a top-100 defense. Senior guard Christian James leads a balanced attack for the Sooners, who have beaten No. 4 seed Kansas. The Cavaliers will need to contest threepoint shooters and establish a good rhythm in their sets offensively to get past Oklahoma. Other contenders in the South: While the South doesn’t have traditional “blue bloods,” there are several other notable contenders that could become hurdles in Virginia’s road to the Final Four. In the Sweet Sixteen, assuming they advance that far, the Cavaliers could face No. 4 seed Kansas State or No. 5 seed Wisconsin. Both teams will challenge Virginia in playing a similar brand of basketball to the Cavaliers. Virginia is first in the nation in points per game allowed with 54.6 points per game, and Kansas State and Wisconsin are also in the top ten nationally with 59.1 points per game and 61.2 points per game allowed, respectively. Just like the matchup between the Badgers and Cavaliers earlier this year indicates — the final score was just 53-46 Virginia — a Sweet Sixteen game between Virginia and either of these teams would be a battle of attrition with both teams attempting to slow down pace of play and play fundamental basketball. Significantly, Kansas State has been hampered by injury recently, with starting senior forward Dean Wade possibly out for tournament play with a foot injury. The Wildcats played without Wade in the Big 12 Tournament and lost to Iowa State in the semifinals.

They will need him healthy to be able to make a big run in March. Out of all the players on Kansas State and Wisconsin, Wisconsin senior forward Ethan Happ should give the Cavaliers the most problems. When the Cavaliers and Badgers played in November, Happ single-handedly kept Wisconsin in the game with a game-high 22 points and 15 rebounds. Before they get to Virginia, however, Wisconsin will have to defeat an upstart Oregon team — winners of the Pac-12 Tournament — led by junior guard Payton Pritchard and a strong defense. Virginia would not see the other contenders in the South until the Elite Eight. Villanova, last year’s national champion, has outstanding tournament experience and could make a run. The Wildcats are led by returning seniors Eric Paschall and Phil Booth, gritty scorers who have two national championship rings each. Paschall and Booth led Villanova to its third consecutive Big East Tournament title last weekend. The Wildcats were done no favors by their seeding, however, and have a tough road to repeat. Their first round opponent, Saint Mary’s, is fresh off a comprehensive win over No. 1 seed Gonzaga, and they will also likely have to get past No. 3 seed Purdue and No. 2 seed Tennessee. Villanova has a championship culture, a great coach in Jay Wright and two great players in Booth and Paschall, but it doesn’t have a lot of depth past that. Tennessee and Purdue are the two other main contenders in the South region. Tennessee has had some great wins this year, including against No. 1 seed

Gonzaga and No. 2 seed Kentucky. They are led by Grant Williams, junior forward and SEC Player of the Year, and senior guard Admiral Schofield, two great interior scorers who the Cavaliers will have to contain defensively. Both Williams and Schofield are relatively undersized big men, meaning sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter and junior guard Braxton Key could be tasked with defending them if Virginia’s traditional big men can’t guard them. No. 7 seed Cincinnati, winners of the American Conference Tournament, could pose a dangerous challenge to Tennessee if they advance to the round of 32. The Bearcats’ swarming defense and guard play could challenge the Volunteers. No. 3 seed Purdue is the last team that could be a real obstacle in the Cavaliers’ road to the Final Four. Like Virginia, Purdue relies on the three-pointer for offense, and plays clean, fundamental basketball. Junior guard Carsen Edwards is a great scorer, averaging 23 points per game, and leads the Boilermakers’ potent offense. Edwards has had a sore back recently, however, and has shot just 17-66 from the field over the last three games, including just 21.2 percent from threepoint range. Purdue will need him at his best to make a run in the tournament, and first round opponent Old Dominion will be no slouch. The Cinderella: While there is no clear Cinderella team in the South, Old Dominion is a team that could surprise. Old Dominion won the Conference USA Tournament for the first time in school history, and while the Monarchs have been inconsistent, they are hot and have proved they have what it takes against

strong teams. Old Dominion beat Syracuse at the Carrier Dome and took down VCU earlier in the year. The Monarchs are anchored by a strong defense and good guard play, with senior guards B.J. Stith and Ahmad Caver leading their attack. They are a very resilient bunch and came back from double-digit deficits to beat both Syracuse and VCU. All of these factors make them a good candidate to break out in March. Old Dominion has a big connection to the Virginia basketball program. Stith originally committed to Virginia, but transferred to Old Dominion after his freshman season. His dad, Bryant Stith, is Virginia’s all-time leading scorer with 2,516 career points. Bryant Stith is now an assistant coach at Old Dominion under Coach Jeff Jones, who also played at Virginia and coached Bryant Stith. Thus, there will be many Cavaliers fans rooting for the Monarchs to upset the Boilermakers and make a run deep into March. The road to the Final Four: It won’t be easy for Virginia to make it to the Final Four — the last real hurdle for Coach Tony Bennett in his turnaround of the Cavaliers. The road is long and will be laden with difficult matchups. That said, the Cavaliers have proven they can win against all kinds of teams this year and have the talent, experience and star power to make a long run. The other main contenders in the South play the same brand of fundamental, defensive-minded basketball that Virginia prides itself on. This is a good draw for the Cavaliers. If they can dictate the pace and establish offensive rhythm, the sky’s the limit for Virginia in March.

COURTESY VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

Virginia will start NCAA Tournament play against Gardner-Webb Friday afternoon.

www.cavalierdaily.com • OPINION

LEAD EDITORIAL

Reduce restrictions on college-aged athletes

OPINION

The current regulations on young athletes are unfairly restrictive and must be changed

ith the start of the March Madness tournament, the perennial national interest in college basketball has again piqued. Every year, the tournament brings a spirited mixture of upsets, buzzer-beaters and Cinderella stories, all the while fans make foolhardy attempts to predict how all the madness will shape up. While these festivities are good-hearted in nature, it is important to critically examine how student-athletes — the most indispensable part of the tournament — are treated. More specifically, we believe it is time for the NCAA and NBA to relax unfair restrictions on athletes’ ability to earn money. In particular, the NCAA rules on amateurism must be changed. However, we do not believe that the popular view that allowing schools to pay student-athletes is the best way to go about remedying this problem. Permitting monetary compensation to student-athletes would present multiple problems for college athletics. First, it would make college leagues even more top-heavy. As Cody McDavis, a

law student and former Division I college basketball player, put it, “A handful of big sports programs would pay top dollar for a select few athletes, while almost every other college would get caught up in a bidding war it couldn’t afford.” Furthermore, paying players would likely result in large earnings disparities. Instead of providing assistance to athletes in need, the bulk of the earnings would probably end up in the hands of a few very talented athletes that make their schools the most money — and have the most power to force schools to bid up. The consequence of this would, of course, be that average athletes would receive little. But it’s not just that earnings would be concentrated on the best athletes. They would also be heavily allocated to a few sports that are the most lucrative for schools, such as football and basketball. Athletes in other sports are likely to be left in the dust, despite the fact that they work as hard as and face many of the same challenges of football and basketball players. In particular, female athletes will doubtlessly be systematically underpaid for

their work. All of these concerns are in addition to worries about how paying athletes will impact the integrity of the game that allows for the jovial environment in which college athletics — and especially March Madness — reside. Instead, we believe that amateurism rules restricting the players’ ability to profit off of their name, picture or reputation must be eliminated. It stunts athletes’ ability to make money, but does not prevent many of the problems that not paying them does. Allowing players to do advertisements will not lead to a recruiting arms race because the schools will not be involved at all. Moreover, it will not hurt the integrity of the game. Student-athletes will still be amateurs in that they will not be paid for their ability to play a sport but rather for the public image that they cultivate. Allowing students to profit from advertisements will therefore incentivize them to create and maintain a good reputation, which could only have a positive impact on the game. In addition to athletes being allowed to profit off of their name and image, they should be permit-

ted to join the NBA immediately upon graduating high school. Currently, the NBA requires that athletes spend at least one year out of high school before entering the Draft, and many of these players decide to spend that year in college, which is also known as the “one and done”. This means that if a particular athlete wants to play for the top basketball league in the country, he may have to submit to a whole year’s worth of unpaid work and an inability to profit off of his public image. Arguments that this is necessary to prepare athletes for the NBA don’t hold water — many great players and former players joined the league straight out of high school, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard. Nor would allowing high schoolers to go straight to the NBA undermine college athletics. According to NCAA statistics, only 1.2 percent of men’s college basketball players play in the NBA and even fewer high school players would make it to the NBA. This restriction is thus an unnecessary restraint on the freedom of athletes to choose to work for a salary instead

of being an amateur. Ultimately, student athletes should seek a college education not because they are forced to or because they are incentivized by a university-sponsored salary, but because they want to grow academically. It is not the role of an educational institution to compensate student-athletes, but it is only fair to allow these athletes to share in the profits that universities are reaping from their talents. Moreover, if an athlete decides that they would rather earn money playing sports professionally they should be allowed to do so instead of wasting their time only going to college for a year, when some have no intention of graduating. Relaxing these restrictions on athletes’ behavior would lead to fairer treatment of players without hurting the nature of college athletics as it now stands. 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@cavalierdaily.com.

THE CAVALIER DAILY THE CAVALIER DAILY The Cavalier Daily is a financially and editorially independent news organization staffed and managed entirely by students of the University of Virginia. The opinions expressed in The Cavalier Daily are not necessarily those of the students, faculty, staff or administration of the University of Virginia. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the editorial board. Cartoons and columns represent the views of the authors. The managing board of The Cavalier Daily has sole authority over and responsibility for all content. No part of The Cavalier Daily or The Cavalier Daily online edition may be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the editor-in-chief. The Cavalier Daily is published Thursdays in print and daily online at cavalierdaily. com. It is printed on at least 40 percent recycled paper. 2016 The Cavalier Daily Inc.

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

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MANAGING BOARD Editor-in-Chief Gracie Kreth Managing Editor Abby Clukey Executive Editor Jacob Asch Operations Manager Aisha Singh Chief Financial Officer Sonia Gupta EDITORIAL BOARD Jacob Asch Gracie Kreth Audrey Fahlberg Gavin Scott Hailey Yowell JUNIOR BOARD Assistant Managing Editors Aaron Rose Ashley Botkin (SA) Alec Husted (SA) Abby Sacks (SA) Arsema Asefaw (SA) Emma Bradford (SA) Caroline Daniel

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ARAMARK IS STILL A PROBLEM Despite President Ryan’s promises about negotiating a living wage for contracted workers, admin. should continue to examine the issues with subcontracting

arlier this month, President Jim Ryan’s released a statement promising that University administration would implement a $15 minimum wage for both university workers and contracted employees starting on Jan. 1, 2020. The statement followed a report that came from Ryan’s community working group, which he created to improve the relationship between the University and larger Charlottesville community. In the report, the working group released results to a survey that showed living wages to be the issue of top priority amongst Charlottesville workers and residents. In response, not only did Ryan propose a minimum wage of $15 per hour for University employees, but he also assured contracted workers that he and his team would find a way to pay them a similar wage, despite current legal barriers. Many have celebrated Ryan’s decision to implement a living wage for University workers, but there is still no clear plan for raising the wages of contracted employees. Currently, the starting wage for contracted employees is $10.65 per hour, which is less than the University’s base wage of $12.38 per

hour and far lower than $15. While the University office of Human Resources office has claimed that this new base wage will not increase student tuition, there could be negative outcome for students from an increase in the wages of contracted employees. The University is of one of about 40 percent of colleges that contract companies to run their dining halls and currently contracts with Aramark for these services. These companies are

United States, and its CEO’s “per hour wage is about 1,700 times that of some of his employees.” Despite its large profits and highly-paid executives, Aramark still fails to provide a living wage to its employees. Furthermore, the financial success of Aramark calls to account the company’s priorities. Audits and university contracts with Aramak reveal that the money students pay to purchase a meal plan is not always accurately reflected by the

On average, universities charge around $4,500 for a three-meal-a-day meal plan per academic year. This breaks down to about $18.75 per day. While these increases have made meal plans exceedingly expensive, dining worker wages and food quality have remained subpar. There have even been complaints from dining hall chefs at Yale University about the declining quality of food that Aramark provides. But getting rid of Aramark will not

Students must remember that the living wage issue has not yet been solved and continue to support contracted workers at the University. in charge of both pricing their food and paying employees. As both the price of meal plans and Aramark’s profits increase, the University must question whether Aramark should have a continued contractual existence on Grounds. In 2016, Aramark reported revenues of $14.4 billion. Additionally, a Huffington Post article even named Aramark as one of the ten companies that pays its workers the least in the

costs associated with employees’ salaries or the food that students are being served. Instead, this revenue often funds contracting deals between Aramark and the institutions in which the corporation provides certain services. Many universities require that subcontractors price meals fairly in their contracts, but the price of meal plans for students is still on the rise. In fact, over the past 10 years, college meal plans have increased about 50 percent.

be easy. In fact, in 2014 the University renewed its contract with Aramark for another 20 years. Within this 20 year time period, Aramark has agreed to provide the University with escrow funds that will amount to $70 million in total. Additionally, the University is one of many colleges, such as University of Tennessee and Texas A&M, that has made partnerships with dining contractors in order to help pay for improvements around their campus-

es. If U.Va. puts its contract with Aramark in jeopardy, it could lose these funds. In fact, the University may even have to pay a pro rata portion of the funds back to Aramark. Due to the financial ties to Aramark, it is seemingly unlikely that Ryan will be able to take real action in support of a living wage for contracted workers. Students must remember that the living wage issue has not yet been solved and continue to support contracted workers at the University. The Living Wage Campaign at U.Va. was previously the longest-running unsuccessful wage campaign at a collegiate institution, but the perseverance of the activists and supporters finally did make a difference for many wage-earning workers. In order for this movement to carry on, students must continue to fight for progress at the University.

VICTORIA MCKELVEY is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com. **

AUDIT AND STREAMLINE ATHLETICS SPENDING Amidst national scandals, athletic spending must be curbed to unburden the student body

he Board of Visitors approved yet another major tuition hike in December, amounting to a roughly 3 percent increase for undergraduate students and up to 4.9 percent for graduate students. This increase is particularly concerning when you consider the University’s quantifiable history of questionable financial decisions, such as their massively overzealous $160 million needed for Alderman’s renovations — which is equivalent to annual in-state tuition for nearly 5,000 students. Because of this palpable fiscal irresponsibility, it is important for the student body to constantly scrutinize where exactly our tuition dollars are going. Nowhere is this more necessary than in the University athletics department, a non-essential sector that spends over $100 million annually and often fails to turn a net operating profit. While in-depth financial breakdowns of University Athletics’ spending and revenue streams are not available to the public, some rudimentary data is released by the National Collegiate Athletic Association each year. What stood out to me in the most recent data was the nearly $14 million in student fees that fund sports at the University,

which comprises more than 2 percent of total net undergraduate tuition and fees. This would be somewhat understandable if athletics turned a profit and provided some financial benefit to the school, but instead they reported a loss of nearly $8 million for the 2017 fiscal year. So in essence, a significant amount

than a drain on the University’s resources in their current states. While information regarding specific spending on each sport is not distributed to the public, it is clear that many sports teams are spending a lot more than they are earning — and perhaps a lot more than they need. Thus, I propose that funding

cilities which have begun to prioritize luxury rather than utility and simply cannot be justified given the lack of corresponding cash inflows for most sports. Moreover, the vast majority of men’s sports would be affected as well, so it is clear that gender is not of importance in this financial proposition.

In essence, a significant amount of our tuition dollars are funding peripheral programs that actually lose money for the school overall, which makes no sense to me. of our tuition dollars are funding peripheral programs that actually lose money for the school overall, which makes no sense to me. The root cause of this problem has to do with the fact that very few collegiate sports actually bring in substantial revenues. While football and men’s basketball generate massive returns, a study conducted at the University of Central Florida found that other collegiate sports eat up the majority of this profit due to their lack of financial success. Thus, income from football and basketball programs — supplemented by hefty student fees — essentially subsidize all other sports, which serve as little more

for individual collegiate sports be made relatively proportional to the revenues that they bring in, which would help to curtail this annual net operating loss. I recognize that such a proposal could be interpreted as an attack on Title IX and women’s sports, but this is not the case. Scholarships and essential spending for maintaining equity in areas such as coaching would be kept consistent, but extraneous spending and overhead charges — which together make up over 40 percent of the department’s cash outflows — could be targeted for cuts and streamlining. An example of this would be extravagant athletic fa-

On the topic of scholarships, though it is worth mentioning the recent national scandal in which more than 50 individuals were charged with large-scale bribery to facilitate college admissions, often under the guise of athletic recruiting. While the University was not one of the institutions mentioned in the report, I think it would be worthwhile to investigate and audit our athletic recruiting processes to ensure that tuition-funded academic scholarships are only awarded to those that need and deserve them. It is absolutely sickening to imagine that these scholarships could be going to wealthy, grossly unqualified individuals.

As is proclaimed in the University’s statement of purpose, “The University of Virginia is a public institution of higher learning guided by a founding vision of discovery, innovation and development.” We must always remember that the central focus and modus operandi of this establishment is to promote education and that athletics serve only to complement this mission. Unfortunately, in recent years, the financially distended athletics department has become something of a vestigial institution. However, through streamlining and budget cuts, the entity can be reinvigorated without negatively impacting the student body. We as a populace often find ourselves speaking out against tuition hikes, but rarely offer areas that the University could focus on to curb their budget. The athletics department is one such area, and a full-scale financial audit is crucial to ensure its long term sustainability.

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

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HUMOR To say that I was emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually damaged after last year’s Round of 64 heartbreak to University of Maryland Baltimore College would be an understatement. Out of the barrage of texts that I received — mostly from “friends” excited to tell me that my college basketball team of choice was garbage — the one conversation that I think summarizes my feelings best came from my dad. After talking me through his emotions after his beloved Florida Gators were absolutely clobbered by the powerhouse Nebraska football team for the national championship in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl, the

CARTOON

Don’t let me down, Hoos only response I could muster was, “whatever.” I couldn’t care less about his national championship woes. We didn’t even come close to that game. What went wrong? I thought I had embraced the pace! Well, a lot of things went wrong. Losing emerging lottery pick DeAndre Hunter before the tournament didn’t help, and combine that with a poor shooting night and a game in which UMBC went literally unconscious from deep, you’re going to have a recipe for disaster. I spent the summer mending my heart after the loss. Sure, hats off to Villanova for putting together a great run, but that was supposed to be US. I didn’t know if I could trust the Hoos after what had happened. Could I love a college basketball

team again? Leading up to the season, I heard murmurs about the team, but I tried to ignore them out of fear. “The offense is so much better,” they said. “Jack Salt now looks like an absolute tank with a neck beard.” “Braxton Key might be eligible.” Despite all the good news, I couldn’t get my hopes up. How could I? But once the year started, I realized how wrong I was to be cautious. This team is truly filthy. Last year’s team was a once in a lifetime unit, but it would be foolish to admit that they didn’t have flaws. A 30th ranked offense in terms of adjusted offensive efficiency isn’t stellar, but compare that to this year’s team, who can flat-out score in a multitude of ways. How does a number two

ranked offense in adjusted offensive efficiency sound, coupled with a number two ranked defense in adjusted defensive efficiency? THAT’S FILTHY. Plus, I haven’t even gone into the positive impact that Mamadi’s blonde hair has brought to the team. Look Tony — I’m addressing you now, Mr. Bennett — I’m tired of people saying you can’t win in March. I get that there’s somewhat of a track record there, but if there was ever a team that has all the tools to win the natty, it’s this group of guys. So go take what’s yours, my dude. I’m tired of hearing this played-out narrative about Virginia basketball. We’re bad for the sport! We’re the most boring team to watch in the country! We only win because of a sys-

tem, not talent! It’s time to write a new narrative. It’s time to give this team every bit of support that we’ve got. Go pack a bar, host a watch party or, heck, even buy a ticket to a game for this year’s tournament. This might be the best shot we have for a long time to finally make the whole country embrace the pace, whether they like it or not. My heart has mended from last year. I don’t want it to get broken again, but I don’t think it will. Let’s get it, Hoos. Don’t let me down.

BENJAMIN MILLER is the Humor Editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at b.miller@cavalierdaily.com.

ESPN covering U.Va. basketball Gabby Fuller | Cartoon Editor

A& E ARTS AND

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Battle of the Bennetts: Two icons, one name March Madness is upon us, but which Tony Bennett deserves the most praise?

ENTERTAINMENT As basketball fans eagerly await the Cavalier’s first game in the NCAA Tournament this Friday, the Arts and Entertainment editors found themselves in a mild tiff — who was superior, legendary American singer Tony Bennett, or heralded, handsome Virginia Basketball coach Tony Bennett? We decided to duke it out the only way we know how — politely exchanging our thoughts and publishing them so the University, Charlottesville, the world and the gods could be the judge. Read our discourse below. Kate Granruth: The first five Google Search autofill suggestions that appear when the name “Tony Bennett” is typed into the search bar are all related to the head coach of the U.Va. Basketball team. From the simple “Tony Bennett U.Va.” search to the more intrusive “Tony Bennett salary” and “Tony Bennett U.Va. wife,” the searches indicate that the general public is gripped by getting closer to the elusive, decorated head coach of the Cavaliers men’s basketball team. But something is missing from these searches — rather, someone is missing. That someone is iconic musician and legendary recording artist Tony Bennett, whose decades of contributions to the worlds of art and music — not to mention his near-infinite awards and accolades — make him the superior Tony Bennett. Robin Schwartzkopf: I hear you on the suggestions — it’s true that many people in the world, basketball fans and casual viewers alike, are turning to Google at this point in history to discover facts about the elusive coach of Virginia basketball. But what you failed to

Robin Schwartzkopf & Kate Granruth | Arts and Entertainment Editors mention are the results of a simple name search — hit ‘enter’ on your keyboard, and the first thing you see are articles about the legendary jazz singer, not the beautiful former Charlotte Hornet. This leads to one of my central points in favor of TB the coach, and that is timeliness. In the year of our lord 2019, jazzy Bennett is old news. Literally old, he’s 92. Tony is relevant here and now. He’s wearing suits without ties this season, and people are intrigued. There’s no way thousands of people are wondering what kind of sandwich old TB is eating or whatever when young, honorable TB is fresh off his fourth win as ACC Coach of the Year. KG: O.K., but the fact that he’s old is exactly why he’s so impressive. He’s 92, and he’s still touring — he’s literally on tour right now. Tony Bennett earned his first number one album on the Billboard 200 in 2011 when he was 85 years old. Then, he did it again on his album with Lady Gaga in 2014. Will basketball Bennett be winning ACC Coach of the Year at 85? Or climbing up ladders to cut down the championship net when he’s 92? I don’t think so. Sure, he’s relevant now, and perhaps an icon in his own right, but Tony Bennett as a performer is practically invincible. Plus, four coaching wins is great, but 18 Grammy wins and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is better. And if we’re talking timelessness, Bennett has been performing since he was ten years old, when he sang at the opening of the Triborough Bridge in New York in 1936, a now legendary feature of the New York City skyline. Speaking of legendary features, let’s compare Tony and Tony in

terms of encounters with fellow icons. Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett have been inseparable since the release of their jazz album “Cheek to Cheek” in 2014. In the music video for their cover of “The Lady is a Tramp,” Lady Gaga kisses him on the cheek. Do you think basketball Bennett has been in the presence of the game-changing, history-making Lady Gaga? Plus, Amy Winehouse’s final recording ever before her untimely passing in 2011 was with Tony Bennett, as she was featured on his “Duets II” album. The list of musical icons Bennett’s worked with goes on, but I’ll wrap up by saying that Tony Bennett attended and performed at the re-election and inauguration of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi earlier in the year. The first and only woman Speaker — and the first Speaker to reclaim the gavel — are longtime friends. Can the Cavalier coach say the same? RS: You can’t tell me “Cheek to Cheek” is legendary because of the man behind it. No disrespect to Bennett, but Gaga can elevate anyone she’s with — see “A Star is Born” and Bradley Cooper’s mumblecore Sam Elliott impression for more evidence. At least Cooper can shred. As far as collabs, Tony the coach has something better — true mentorship and relationships established with the players he’s coached. From student athletes who have

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gone on to play in the NBA — Malcolm Brogdon, Justin Anderson, Joe Harris — to players who just love the game and the man himself. “[Bennett] always tells us to keep digging,” junior forward Mamadi Diakite said in an interview with The Cavalier Daily. “Keep working hard. Even if it doesn’t work, keep sticking to what you know how to do, and one day, your time will come.” You may be right that Tony Bennett, five-pillar prophet and coach extraordinaire, likely will not win a Grammy Lifetime Achieve-

ment Award. But his reputation as a coach may well last longer than Bennett the singer’s legendary status in his field. His commitment to humility, passion, unity, servanthood and thankfulness are values he passes to his players and to fans of the game. Tony Bennett the singer has the Grammy gold, but Tony Bennett the coach has something better — a community built on respect and honor, on the court and off it. Plus, he was in a Brixx pizza mailer that my roommates and I proudly display in our home. So there’s that.

March Madness pregame playlist

The Arts and Entertainment Staff has curated the perfect playlist to pump up any sports fan before the big game Arts and Entertainment Staff Picture this — it’s the buildup before the Cavaliers take to the court, about to pursue a championship title. The TV is on, the snacks set out, but the only sound in the room is nervous mumbling, prayers and hushed mentions of last year’s March Madness and The-GameThat-Shall-Not-Be-Named. What does a Wahoo have to do to get some positive vibes going? Put on an awesome confidence boosting playlist, that’s what! The fans will be all smiles as they rock out to these ten confidence-building tunes

that’d make anyone ready to cheer on the orange and blue. “Elevate” by D.J. Khalil feat. Denzel Curry, YBN Cordae, Swavay, Trevor Rich Lyric most relevant to the Hoos: You better choose a side, you gotta choose a side / You gotta pick / You better do what's right or you gonna lose the fight “Good Times, Bad Times” by Led Zeppelin Lyric most relevant to the Hoos: Good Times, bad times / You know I’ve had my share

“Lost Ones” by Ms. Lauryn Hill Lyric most relevant to the Hoos: Who you gon' scrimmage, like you the champion? / You might win some but you just lost one “We Run This” by Missy Elliot Lyric most relevant to the Hoos: Down south, represent ya coast / Yeah we run it, and yeah we run it / Y’all don’t want it ‘cause my coast run it “Champions” by Kanye West, Gucci Mane, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Yo Gotti, Quavo and Desiigner

Lyric most relevant to the Hoos: Championship team, but we can’t cut the net “Get Up 10” by Cardi B Lyric most relevant to the Hoos: I came here to ball, is you nuts? “7 rings” by Ariana Grande Lyric most relevant to the Hoos: Been through some bad s—t, I should be a sad b—h / Who woulda thought it'd turn me to a savage? “Toxic” by Britney Spears Lyric most relevant to the Hoos: Too high / can’t come down “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz

Lyric most relevant to the Hoos: Get out the way me and my crew, crew, crew, crew “Paper Planes” by M.I.A. Lyric most relevant to the Hoos: Everyone's a winner now we're making that fame / Bonafide hustler making my name

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019

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Mumford & Sons delights Charlottesville The British bluegrass quartet stopped by Charlottesville on their “Delta” tour to spread some friendly vibes at JPJ Joe DiConsiglio | Senior Writer Everyone has had that experience of being around someone that just lights up a room. It’s really the perfect Seinfeld character. They don’t have that much to say, but everything that comes out of their mouth is timed so perfectly that the wittiness and snark of whatever the heck they’re saying leaves a smile on the listener’s face. It’s like that person who yells out “Free Bird!” after every song the band at Coupe’s plays. It’s horribly played out but always pretty darn funny. Marcus Mumford is that guy — just in front of 15,000 people. His familiar jabs and conversations with the audience on Saturday night turned John Paul Jones Arena into a savvy London Pub accompanied by a couple guys with instruments and drinks. Mumford wasted no time in showing the audience how he owned the small rectangular stage, plotted down in the middle of the floor and surrounded by people. Opening with the radio-hit “Guiding Light” while walking back and forth across the stage, Mumford & Sons was able to combine the arena-rock guitar riffs of the tune with fast strumming banjos and a blazing violin to present the homey concert vibe that made them so popular a decade ago. Mumford was quick to address the elephant in the room for all Wahoo fans, “We were gonna have the ACC Championship on the screen up here,” Mumford said. “Guess that one didn’t turn out too well for you.” The collective sighs were turned into laughs when Mumford made up for it, saying, “F—k Duke though am I right?” This joyful banter continued all night, primarily carried out by Mumford and keyboardist Ben Lovett, who both seemed honest when expressing their gratitude for being in Charlottesville. Mumford, whose brother apparently lived in Charlottesville for five years, said, “We don’t really care much for college sports in England. But if I had a team it’d be U.Va.” As for what people actually paid to see that night, Mumford & Sons’ music was just as expected. Their classic, playful sing-along songs like “Little Lion Man,” “The Cave” and “Lover of the Light,” were mixed with new tracks from their 2018 album “Delta.” The album received variegated criticism as it was their attempt to return to the folk bluegrass that they’d escaped from on “Wilder Mind.” Their newest release unfortunately does not carry the same weight that “Babel” and “Sigh No More” do, and despite the radio success of single “Guiding Light,” doesn’t have the same capacity to entrance arena and festival crowds like the more experimental “Wilder Mind.” Though still good in their own way, new tracks like “Holland

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On Saturday night, Mumford & Sons played a mix of folk, bluegras, rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, country and even electronica for the crowd at John Paul Jones Arena.

Road,” “Beloved” and “Woman,” were bathroom break songs in between the more known tunes. Mumford & Sons is one of those bands that you’ll scroll through on Spotify and think, “Wait a minute, I know all these songs.” As the quartet kept running through their discography, it became obvious just how loveable these guys are. Mumford took advantage of the comfortable stage by circling completely around it within the crowd. While playing “Ditmas” about halfway through the show, Mumford ditched the stage completely and sprinted into the bleachers. It was quite a remarkable sight — one that made fans realize what incredible shape he must be in. As he kept going through the rafters of JPJ and up to the upper section of the 300 level, the screens above showed him passing by stranded fans in gallery with no idea what they were missing. Up in the nosebleeds, a spotlight shown down as Mumford jumped on top of seats and sang with folks who got plenty more than they bargained for. Rounding out the first half were a few new songs that left the generally older, bearded and flannel wearing concertgoers scratching their heads. When playing through “Delta” in order, “Picture You” goes directly into “Darkness Visible” — the least Mumford song of all. They kept this composition up for their live performance. “Darkness Visible” has a very heady electronic rhythm to it — Mumford used an FX Board and Pedal to jam out to it. There are no lyrics, instead a recording of late novelist William Styron’s depression journal plays. As the lights went out, the band strummed along while a

video of Styron hauntingly took over the arena and creeped out a few audience members in the process. Coming out for an encore, the band huddled around one microphone to preform and unplugged version of “Timshel” and “Cold Arms.” For once, Mumford asked for complete quiet, an impossible task in a library, let alone a concert house. Utilizing their unique stage production, bright spotlights sunk down from the ceiling and circled around the quartet. The band continued this setup for the most powerful moment of the show, a rendition of the Johnny Cash version of “Hurt.” A combination of low lighting, deep keys, soulful acoustic rhythm and Mumford’s familiar voice fit comfortably with the themes of most Mumford & Son’s songs. It wouldn’t have been complete without their own varia-

tion on the song, so Mumford and guitarist Winston Marshall robustly traded off acoustic and electric jams, lights zooming up beneath their feet and friendly pyrotechnics exploding above them. There’s no way to describe their show other than friendly. “Awake My Soul” and “I Will Wait” completed the show, both of which speak about the need for companionship and trust, and it seemed that Mumford & Sons needed this too. This has been their most successful tour so far and their first to consistently sell out American arenas. Through this, however, they have moved away from their roots. “Delta” was their attempt to get back to these roots, and though it didn’t completely satisfy nostalgia, the backlash from “Delta”’s release regarding their inconsistencies within their sound

should not be trusted simply because their live persona is so experimental. And don’t they have a right to be that way? There are no folk bands from the United Kingdom that are on their level — there are hardly any folk bands from the UK in the first place. They’ve proved their ability to do something no one else does, and now they’ve gone beyond what anyone thought they could do. On Saturday night, they played folk, bluegrass, rock 'n' roll, jazz, country and even some electronica. More than anything, they play music that makes its listener feel good — and isn’t that what live shows are all about?

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