Monday, April 10, 2017

MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017

VOL. 127, ISSUE 52

FOOD ISSUE

AMBER LIU AND XHOSA SCOTT | THE CAVALIER DAILY

WHAT’S INSIDE WARMBIER’S PARENTS FEEL BLAMED PAGE 3

LOCAL FOODS IN DINING HALLS PAGE 5

AMERICA’S FARMERS SHOULDN’T BE FORGOTTEN PAGE 10

TOM TOM FOUNDERS FESTIVAL PREVIEW PAGE 12

AN INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACH TO DIET PAGE 15

THE CAVALIER DAILY

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U.Va. composting program aims to expand Student involvement, action aid composting efforts ANNA POLLARD | SENIOR WRITER The University’s compost program, which has been in place since 2008, has expanded over the years and contributes compost for growing food in gardens on Grounds. The program, which is driven by student demand, aims to add more compost bins and locations around Grounds.

Jess Wenger, University environmental projects manager, said in an email to The Cavalier Daily that the composting program began in 2008 as a project led by Engineering student Dan Michaelson and has continued to expand.

“At the time, there were no composting operations within a reasonable drive from U.Va. that were composting food waste. With Dan’s help, U.Va. worked out a small food waste composting pilot program with a local farm that was composting agricultural waste,” Wenger said. “The original program was very small, starting with only pulped food waste from O-Hill Dining hall, which was eventually expanded to pulped waste from Runk and Newcomb.”

The University has since partnered with outside composting companies to manage the food waste and to generate compost.

Jesse Warren, buildings and operations sustainability program

manager, said in an email statement that the University has collaborated with Black Bear Composting, the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority and the McGill waste composting facility.“We provide the information, training, equipment and service for organizations to source separate their organic waste materials,” Eric Walter, chief composting officer at Black Bear Composting, said in an email statement. “We take the materials away on a set schedule to be composted, where after six months, the materials are a finished compost product ready to be used as a natural soil amendment.”

Walter said composting is an important aspect of sustainability because it limits waste that fills landfills and produces greenhouse gases.

“Keeping organics out of landfills reduces greenhouse gases, since organics decomposing in landfills generate methane — a greenhouse gas 20 [times] more potent [than] CO2,” Walter said. “Landfills are the third largest source of methane in the United States.”

The growth of the compost program at the University is due to student involvement and action, through events such as Game Day Challenge where 94 percent of waste was diverted.

CHELSEA BENGSON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Food waste and paper napkins from dining halls are sent to be composted.

Currently, the University sends eight tons of food scraps to compost sites each week from 22 locations around Grounds.

“Over the last year, we composted about 350 tons of food scraps,” Warren said. “Most of U.Va.’s dining locations, including the hospital and Darden, participate in ‘back-ofhouse’ composting.”

Wenger said much of the food waste sent to be composted is actually returned as compost to help grow food in gardens around the University.

“The cool thing about composting is it’s closing the loop,” Wenger said. “Compost is used to grow food, then we’re taking waste food, sending it to make more compost, and then that compost is growing more

food. Compost from Black Bear has been growing food in the Student Garden and the Hereford Garden for several years now.”

Wenger said there is still a barrier in educating students about everyday actions they can take to compost, as many students remain unaware of the program or the specifics of how to compost.

“Unfortunately, there are still many students who aren’t aware we have this great opportunity to reduce waste that is being sent to landfills that takes almost no effort — all you have to do is throw your food scraps, napkins, etc. into a compost bin instead of a trash can,” Wenger said. “If more students used the existing bins for compostable material, we could justify increasing the number of bin

locations on grounds and keep even more waste out of the landfill.”

Warren added that contamination also remains an obstacle for the composting program, which could be remedied with further education about the composting process.

“Contamination remains the biggest challenge, [because] if non-compostable materials are commingled with food scraps, the entire load can be unfit to compost,” Warren said.

“When you are in a location that features composting, carefully sort your compostables and recyclables.”

Aramark Marketing Manager Scott Aebersold said that students can increase their composting by looking for bins and locations around Grounds, such as the Fine Arts Café and West Range Cafe.

“Consistency in communication is important, giving students the knowledge that their trash can be sorted in a way that helps achieve our goals of waste minimization,” Aebersold said in an email to The Cavalier Daily. “This is an outreach effort for signage at point-of-sale, at the trash receptacles and as part of our overall sustainability platform that we execute in theme meals, tabling and other outreach events.”

Afghan Kabob offers on-the-house meal to recent refugees Owner Mirahmad Mirzai immigrated to America in 1983, opened Afghani restaurant in 2009 KARA KREILING | STAFF WRITER When Mirahmad Mirzai told his friends about his plans to open an Afghan restaurant in Charlottesville in 2009, they were skeptical. But as the Muslim community in Charlottesville community has grown, so too has the popularity of Mirzai’s restaurant Afghan Kabob.

Mirzai first immigrated to New York City in 1983. He got his first job two weeks later cleaning a restaurant.

“I started to work on a grill, making hamburgers, and then I became a

pizza man, and I just kept on going, until 1987 I opened my first restaurant myself in the city of New York,” Mirzai said.

He was motivated by his desire to one day open a restaurant, but he said his path was difficult because he was an immigrant.

“When you come as a newcomer in the states you start from below,” Mirzai said.

Mirzai said he wasn’t discouraged by the prospect of having to work his way up and found New York City to

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Afghan Kabob opened in Charlottesville in 2009.

be a great place to get his start.

“New York City was very welcoming to immigrants,” Mirzai said. “And that’s how you start your life.”

Running his first restaurant equipped him with the culinary skill set he would eventually take with him to Charlottesville.

“I hired a chef from Afghanistan who actually was running the place, and I learned from him a lot,” Mirzai said. “Also, I learned home-cooking from my mom — she was a very good cook.”

His favorite dish is his mother’s specialty, the pumpkin curry, which is served at Afghan Kabob.

He decided to leave New York when he wanted to settle down.

Charlottesville, he realized, would be a more fitting location to start a family and raise kids. He first moved to Northern Virginia before settling in Charlottesville. In both places he found there was a lack of authentic Middle Eastern food.

His friends were uncertain he would find success in a location with considerably less diversity than

the liberal bastion he hailed from. A small college town did not seem to be the ideal place for an Afghan restaurant.

“But it’s the reverse. Actually I did very well because people like to have a different taste of food, different flavors,” Mirzai said.

It was the unique flavors that drew people in when they didn’t want the normal pizza or cheeseburgers that they could eat anywhere else, he said.

Afghan Kabob opened in 2009.

Since then, the increasing number of refugees in Charlottesville has provided a continuing flow of new people to the city who are looking for a place to eat authentic Middle Eastern food.

“Now we have a very large Muslim community here, I’d say, but very diverse — from Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere. So this little city is becoming more like northern Virginia now, [with] the diversity,” Mirzai said.

The restaurant works with the International Rescue Committee to provide refugees who have just ar-

rived with their first meal.

“Whenever there’s a newcomer that arrives through IRC, IRC calls me up. Their first meal is on me, whenever they come in,” Mirzai said. “[The IRC] really are helping the new settlers to settle and help them with their housing and all of that.”

Afghan Kabob provides the option of authentic Afghan food to the Muslim community as well as many students from the University. Mirzai estimates 25 to 30 percent of the people who come are students from the University.

“It’s packed here after basketball games, sometimes before basketball games we’re packed,” Mirzai said.

The place is also appealing to some because it has a lot of options for vegetarians. “We do have a large menu for vegetarians, and a lot of people appreciate that,” Mirzai said.

Afghan Kabob offers a 10 percent discount to University students, and often caters for University events.

MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017

www.cavalierdaily.com • NEWS

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Otto Warmbier’s parents feel blamed for son’s detainment Couple says U.S. State Department has been ‘absolutely’ no help HAILEY ROSS | NEWS EDITOR The parents of University student Otto Warmbier say they have felt blamed for their son’s ongoing detainment in North Korea.

In their first major television interview, Fred and Cindy Warmbier told Fox News host Tucker Carlson on April 7 that they have not heard from Otto since he was arrested as he tried to depart the DPRK on Jan. 2, 2016.

Warmbier’s parents said they were first informed of their son’s detainment when they received a call from a “lower-level” contact at the State Department after not hearing from Warmbier for over a day.

“We do the 24-hour wait, and then the State Department calls us and they ask us, ‘does Otto take medicine?’” Fred Warmbier said in the interview. “They don’t say anything about detainment but then of course we bring it up and then they said, ‘well yes, he’s being detained in North Korea.’”

The couple said they had met with then-Secretary of State John Kerry and found him to be “totally exasperated and overwhelmed with North Korea.”

When Carlson asked if the couple felt that Kerry or the State Department provided any help, Fred Warm-

bier said “absolutely not.”

Warmbier’s parents also said they have not had contact with the State Department’s new administration under Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

“No one’s reached out to us,” Fred Warmbier said. “I would have hoped that somebody other than the desk person who we have a relationship with — and she is a good person and they’re all good people — but I would have hoped at this point that somebody would have reached out and maybe given us some reassurances. But that doesn’t happen in our world.”

The parents said in the interview that they felt like the State Department has both blamed and judged them for the imprisonment of their son.

“I am so shocked the first thing after I got the phone call was, ‘Did you read the State Department’s blog on North Korea before you let him go?’’’

Cindy Warmbier said. “They acted like we were ignorant, basically, for letting him go. We feel ignorant.”

Warmbier was arrested Jan. 2, 2016 as he was preparing to leave North Korea following a five-day tour with Young Pioneer Tours. March 16 of this year marked the one-year an-

COURTESY REUTERS

During his trial, Warmbier confessed to stealing a political banner and North Korea’s highest court sentenced him to 15 years of hard labor.

niversary of his sentencing to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly attempting to steal a political banner from the Yanggakdo International Hotel — an act which would be considered an offensive crime in North Korea, where a “cult of personality” surrounds the ruling Kim family.

Otto confessed to attempting to

steal the political banner during a press conference that took place in late February 2016. In his confession Warmbier said his “hostile act” was committed with the support of the Z Society, an Ohio church and the Central Intelligence Agency.

It is unknown whether Warmbier was coerced into confessing by the

North Korean government.

When Carlson asked if the couple had anything to say to Tillerson or the new State Department administration, Fred Warmbier responded with a plea for help directed towards President Donald Trump.

“I’d like to work with him to bring Otto home, he can make a difference here, he’s a doer,” Fred Warmbier said.

“President Trump, I ask you — bring my son home. You can make a difference here.”

The U.S. has been continuing to call for his release — most recently during a press briefing conducted by acting State Department spokesperson Mark Toner on March 15.

“It’s still a great concern to the United States any time there’s an American citizen who’s held overseas, cut off from his family, we believe unjustly held in this case, and we call on the North Korean authorities to release him,” Toner said. “We believe that the time or the sentence for his alleged crimes — and I emphasize ‘alleged’ — is excessive.”

North Korea has freed American prisoners in the past, most recently Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller, who were released in November 2014.

Out of 360 RA applicants, 92 hired so far Resident advisor program acceptance rate similar to recent years ALEXIS GRAVELY | SENIOR ASSOCIATE Housing and Residence Life has selected the majority of its resident advisor staff for the 2017-18 school year. Of the approximately 360 candidates who applied for first-year and upperclassmen RA positions, 92 have been hired so far.

HRL Assistant Dean of Students Andrew Petters said in an email to The Cavalier Daily that the selection process is not yet complete.

Although the majority of the staff has been hired, Petters said HRL will be making additional offers to candidates in the future.

Although only about 26 percent of applicants were selected for the position, Allie Piacenti, vice chair for RA selection, said in an email statement the process was no more competitive than it has been in previous years.

“The process featured a written application, an individual interview and a group interview like in years prior,” Piacenti said. “No

changes were designed to make the process either more or less competitive, but rather, to ensure candidates were being assessed in the most holistic way possible.”

Of the 92 selected RAs, 52 are women and 40 are men.

As students get older, there are fewer RAs represented for each class. Fifty percent are rising second-years and a little over 40 percent are rising third-years. There are very few rising fourth- and fifth-years who will be in RA positions, with eight students and one student from those class years, respectively.

Petters said they analyzed the demographic data of the newly-selected RAs to compare their demographics to the overall University.

“For example, we have a higher percentage of African American and Hispanic students hired as new RAs than the University percentage of enrolled students, versus a lower percentage of White

students and comparable percentage of Asian students,” Petters said.

African-American students make up 16.3 percent of the RA staff while Hispanic students make up 8.7 percent. Only 6.3 percent of the University’s undergraduate student body identifies as African-American and 6.2 percent is Hispanic.

White RAs makeup 56.5 percent of students hired as compared to the overall University population, of which 59.2 percent of undergraduates are white. Twelve percent of the RA staff are Asian students — similarly, about 13 percent of undergraduates are Asian.

In terms of changes that will affect where RAs are placed, dorm associations will be organized in a slightly different way for the next school year, as the Kent-Dabney and Bonnycastle dorms will be closed for renovations.

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Of the approximately 360 candidates who applied for first-year and upperclassmen RA positions, 92 have been hired so far.

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THE CAVALIER DAILY

NEWS • www.cavalierdaily.com

Court hears Phi Kappa Psi’s motion in Rolling Stone suit National chapter calls subpoena filed by the magazine ‘unduly burdensome,’ ‘irrelevant’ ALEXIS GRAVELY | SENIOR ASSOCIATE Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Richard Moore ruled Wednesday on a motion set forth by the national chapter of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity to quash a subpoena duces tecum filed by Rolling Stone magazine.

The motion is a part of an ongoing $25 million lawsuit filed against Rolling Stone in which the Virginia Alpha Chapter — the official name of the University’s PKP chapter — alleges Rolling Stone’s now-retracted article “A Rape on Campus” defamed the organization’s reputation.

A subpoena duces tecum is a court summons for the production of evidence which orders the recipient to appear in court and produce either documents or other tangible evidence for use during trial.

Rolling Stone’s subpoena sought any documentation from VAC, the PKP national organization and all other chapters of PKP nationwide that related to any sort of misconduct, including hazing, sexual misconduct and alcohol abuse.

The subpoena had 29 separate requests. Moore ruled that 13 of the requests would move forward as written while information gathered by the other 16 needed to pertain only to VAC or sexual misconduct reported at other PKP chapters.

PKP filed the motion to quash for several reasons, primarily because they said the requested information was broad and irrelevant to the case.

“In regards to PKP and the Other Chapters, the information is not relevant to the litigation nor is it likely to lead to admissible evidence,” the motion read. “PKP and the Other Chapters are not parties to this litigation. PKP and the Other Chapters are separate entities from VAC.” PKP argued that, for example, if documentation showed a sexual misconduct incident had occurred in Ames, Iowa, it would not prove the accuracy of an article that alleged a gang-rape incident at the University. PKP’s motion said the VAC is a “separate entity” from the national organization and other chapters, and any harm to its organization and reputation “are to VAC specifically.”

However, Rolling Stone’s opposition to the motion argued VAC’s reputation is not the only one at stake.

“VAC’s reputation and ‘brand’ are inextricably intertwined with and dependent on the reputation and ‘brand’ of the PKP fraternal organization and network as a whole,” the opposition memorandum read. “VAC is not an island that exists independent of its sponsor, partner and parent, PKP.” The memorandum said this connection is evident in PKP’s official manual, which states “the reputation of a ‘national’ fraternity, such as PKP, is developed and affected by the actions of its individual chapters and members.”

Additionally, VAC is commonly

CELINA HU | THE CAVALIER DAILY

identified as PKP in a variety of instances, including on the chapter’s house at the University, on federal tax returns and on the University’s rush map.

The motion also said Rolling Stone’s subpoena was “unduly burdensome,” as it is requesting all relevant information and communications from 99 chapters and eight colonies from the past 11 years.

PKP has collected 92 [megabytes] of documents and thousands of emails from VAC alone and said expanding the search to include the other chapters would be “a monumental undertaking.”

Rolling Stone argued PKP’s claim of the subpoena being “unduly burdensome” is premature, and they have not offered an “estimate of the volume of potentially responsive information” or the “potential cost of review and production” of gathering the documentation.

The memorandum also acknowledged that Rolling Stone has offered to “narrow the scope of the requests” and “limit the volume of material to be searched” in order to make the process less burdensome.

This is Rolling Stone’s third lawsuit as a result of “A Rape on Campus.” In November, a federal jury found the magazine liable of actual malice in its portrayal of former Assoc. Dean Nicole Eramo.

The 10-day jury trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 25.

The Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house is located off Rugby Road.

Garrett introduces bill following pressure at town hall Proposed legislation would require any president-elect to release tax returns prior to entering office SAM HENSON | STAFF WRITER Fifth District Rep. Tom Garrett (R-Va.) introduced legislation on Tuesday which would require future presidents-elect to release their tax returns. This bill is a direct result of Garrett’s town hall held at the University last Friday.

During the town hall, constituents of the Fifth District asked Garrett about his opinion on President Donald Trump’s refusal to fully release his tax returns.

“I don’t care,” Garrett said. “I really don’t.”

In response to his answer, a woman in the audience called out to him, “your constituents care.”

When pressed further, Garrett said there is no requirement for presidents to release their tax returns, but

he would file a bill to make it a requirement.

“I will put together a bill that will require future presidential candidates to release their tax returns as they initially run for office,” Garrett said. “If this is that important to you, we’ll file the bill next week.”

Garrett followed through with his promise and introduced the “President-elect Release of Tax Return Act of 2017.” The language of the bill differs slightly from the language Garrett referenced at the town hall — it requires future President-elects to release their four most recent taxable years before the official count of electoral votes in January.

Andrew Griffin, communications director and deputy chief of staff for

Garrett, said the bill should be bipartisan.

“I think generally speaking if you want to talk about any time there is a leader of the free world coming in … the more transparency the better,” Griffin said. “It doesn’t matter if there is a Republican or a Democrat in the White House, we are in support of that.”

Griffin also said the issue of Trump’s tax returns is a partisan attack, and Garrett is focusing on other issues such as health care.

“I don’t think it is fair that a certain population in the country doesn’t like how the president is now, we are going to go back and change the status quo when it comes to tax returns,” Griffin said. “A lot of this anger seems

to be because of people not liking the current administration.”

David Singerman, the co-organizer of Indivisible Charlottesville, a local group dedicated to resisting the Trump administration, criticized this bill for its specific language regarding the deadline of when the tax returns would be due. “[Garrett] said that he would present a bill that would require future presidential candidates to release tax returns,” Singerman said. “The issue with this bill is that it doesn’t do that.

It requires future president-elects to release their tax returns, but of course, that is after they have been elected, after the votes have been cast. And the problem with candidate Trump was that he did not release his

tax returns.”

Singerman also criticized the bill for only applying to future president-elects and not for Trump.

“Donald Trump was in real estate for many decades where the name of the game is to go into debt,” Singerman said. “So we don’t know who Donald Trump owes money to or who his investors are.”

Griffin said he isn’t very optimistic for the bill’s chances in the future.

Democrats on Capitol Hill have already introduced variations of this bill in recent months with little result.

“To be honest, I don’t think that [the bill] will get a lot of traction,” Griffin said. “We have issues left and right that are way more pressing.”

MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017

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Nurturing sustainability through local food U.Va. Dining, professors, students consider sustainable practices JOSHUA OKADA | STAFF WRITER As the University moves towards more sustainable practices across the board, several faculty and students have started to focus on bringing local foods to Grounds.

University Dining, the University Committee on Sustainability and Greens to Grounds all focus on developing a growing awareness of sustainability and its impact on the greater Charlottesville community and environment.

Local Produce in Dining Halls Although the University dining halls have always sourced local food, they have been working to grow the program in recent years, leading to items in dining halls increasingly being marketed as “local.” Specifically, University Dining not only seeks to source more fresh, local foods, but also to make sure students are aware of these options.

Foods from local farms in the dining halls are tagged with grower’s profile — which includes where and from whom the produce was sourced — so students can become more responsible consumers and learn where their foods are grown, said Samantha Jameson, the University Dining Hall Sustainability Coordinator, in an email to The Cavalier Daily.

Jameson said locally sourced foods are usually from within a 250 mile radius around Charlottesville.

The types of locally sourced foods within the dining halls differ based on the season. This spring season, the dining halls have offered local strawberries, apples, leeks, beets and greens. Towards the end of the year, they will begin locally sourcing squash, zucchini, tomatoes, corn and peaches.

“Local foods have the added benefit of supporting the local economy, and ensuring the menus are fresh and seasonal,” Jameson. “[Local purchasing] is also a reflection of our commitment to the University’s sustainability goals, and the greater Charlottesville community.”

Third-year College student Monica Kuo said she has noticed Runk Dining Hall hosts events publicizing their use of local foods.

“I think it’s important to get locally grown [foods] because those are fresh and don’t have any, or very few, added preservatives,” Kuo said.

“It also really helps out the local farmers.”

Similarly, third-year Engineering student Jonathan Lee said he’s seen local foods advertised in Newcomb Dining Hall.

“I’d imagine it’s better for the environment given that there is a shorter distance to transport the food,” Lee said. “I’m sure it’s also good for local farmers and for stim-

ulating local economies.”

Students can also find locally sourced food efforts in other places at the University.

“You can find grass-fed Virginia beef at Burrito Theory, and locally-made products from Wonderment Bakeshop & Creamery, Lumi Juice and Commonwealth Joe in retail locations,” Jameson said.

Food Sustainability and Student Involvement Outside of the dining halls and other eateries, students are discussing the local food movement in student organizations and the classroom. University students have been a vital part of the push towards expanding the movement of locally sourced foods. For example, Green Dining is a student group that meets bi-weekly to advise the dining halls on how to move towards more sustainable practices.

Furthermore, Greens to Grounds is a contracted independent organization that provides access to local foods for students.

Chris Schopper, a fourth-year College student and a member of the Greens to Grounds events team, said Greens to Grounds primarily sells boxes of fresh produce to students, but also brings farmers to Grounds and plans educational events. Schopper said the organization acts as the intermediary between the University and local farmers and artisans.

“As college students, you can really become independent consumers,” Schopper said. “We are trying to educate people on how their habits can have a huge impact. This is recognizing that there is a broken system of food production — there can be a lot that can be done to make it more sustainable for the consumer and the environment.”

As both Greens to Grounds and the dining halls strive to improve their individual sustainability practices, several actors around the University are collaborating to improve sustainability at the University.

Assoc. Architecture Prof. Phoebe Crisman serves as the co-chair of the University Committee on Sustainability, which is composed of faculty, staff, Dining representatives and Transportation Services representatives. Crisman is also the director of the Global Studies track in Environments and Sustainability. “[The Committee] look[s] broadly at sustainability across academics, teaching, research operations and the foods that we eat and serve on Grounds,” Crisman said.

She said students can play a major role in the changes of sustainability at campus, and food is on the forefront of the minds of her students because it is something they

have a “direct connection” with.

“Students have the power to bring about changes, and probably the most power. And I think that students are not aware of that,” Crisman said. “You are the ones eating at the dining halls — I don’t eat at the dining halls. You’re the clients. The food providers, they’re kind of working for you.”

One way Crisman works with

on an idea to use some of that land, and how to make it more productive for U.Va., to help incubate lower level farming.”

Besides making the University’s future more sustainable, the projects remind students that sustainability is historically ingrained within the University.

“When you think about Jefferson’s initial image for the university,

COURTESY CHRIS PORTER

Greens to Grounds holds box pick-ups for students every Friday at Mad Bowl.

students on issues of sustainability is by taking on projects with the Morven Kitchen Garden, which is a community supported agriculture program run by students.

“One project that they did is they worked with a beekeeper on some of U.Va. land and the bees didn’t survive because of the excessive pesticides used by [large-scale] soybean farmers nearby,” Crisman said. “These students are working

all of those gardens were kitchen gardens right here at U.Va,” Crisman said. “[My students are] interested in the history of this agrarian academic village, and how we might return to this someday.”

While there are visible changes towards more sustainable practices, there is still limited information about them among the community.

“I think there’s a general sense that people think that they should

eat local,” Schopper said. “I’m not sure, [however], if the average university student recognizes the importance. Our focus is to highlight the importance of eating local and how your food is produced.”

Progressing Sustainability Awareness and Action Though various groups on Grounds are making a conscious effort to source food locally, understandings of why this is important to sustainability and human health are limited.

“Most people think that sustainability is just about environmental sustainability and of resources, and it is about that,” Crisman said. “But sustainability literature talks about the environment, equity — which is the social equity part — economy and policy.”

Sustainability practices, such as sourcing locally produced foods, help raise awareness of how the foods consumed have an impact on the environment and challenge students’ eating habits.

“The lower on the food chain that we eat, the lower amount of resources are used and are impacted,” Crisman said. “If you do a direct comparison of how much water, energy and nitrogen by the production of, say, a pound of meat versus a pound of potato, there’s a huge difference.”

Buying local produce from small farms also yields economic and social benefits, such as a greater sense of community between city business people and rural farmers.

However, the connection between local food and health benefits is unclear.

Though there is a common conception that locally sourced food is healthier than supermarket alternatives, local produce does not directly translate to healthy, pesticide-free vegetables and fruits. However, in most cases, there is an incentive for local foods to be organic and higher quality. “[Local growers] have this whole ethos about agriculture,” Crisman said. “They can’t compete with factory farms, [and hence], they’re growing more specialty products.”

As customers of local farmers, the University is becoming increasingly involved in the greater community movement towards sustainable practices. Furthermore, student involvement continues to play a large role in this shift.

“U.Va. Dining works to expand this effort year over year,” Jameson said. “The most important part of this is the continued support and collaboration with students.”

THE CAVALIER DAILY

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Dine at Now and Zen, now and then A messy yet delectable dining experience JAMIE ALBERT | FEATURE WRITER Restaurant: Now and Zen Location: 202 2nd Street NW, Charlottesville, VA 22902 Type of food: Japanese College is a time when you learn a lot about yourself. You impress yourself with your accomplishments and discover your shortcomings.

During my three years at the University, I have noticed some of my shortcomings surface, like keeping an organized backpack. But I’ve also seen myself face difficult situations head-on and strive to overcome them, such as completing stressful group projects and consuming sushi rolls at Now and Zen. A task undoubtedly as challenging as solving a Rubik’s cube while blindfolded is consuming a sushi roll at Now and Zen. The sushi rolls listed under the “BIG Rolls” section of the menu are about the size of a fist. And don’t be fooled; even though all of the contents are tightly coiled up, the second you take one bite, the entire mas-

terpiece just implodes. What was a polished ball of raw fish, seaweed and diced vegetables just moments earlier becomes a string of mush hanging out of your mouth, gradually plopping onto the plate in front of you.

I call attention to this messiness factor so you know what to expect when choosing where to dine. If you are going on a first date and want to impress the other person with exquisite table manners and cleanliness, I suggest taking a rain check on Now and Zen. But if you’re dining out with anybody who isn’t judgmental, or if table manners just aren’t that much of a priority, drop everything you’re doing right now and go get a meal at Now and Zen. Let me highlight the presentation aspect of meals at Now and Zen. When the server arrives with your plate, you will think that he or she is coming to you with a colorful sculpture of a caterpillar. But then you will slowly begin to make out the small grains of rice, the fleshy texture of the

fish and the black outline of the seaweed. When the plate is set in front of you, you will feel conflicted. Do you dare break apart this beautiful masterpiece for the sake of eating it? Do you selfishly let your hunger prevent you from honoring the artistic genius that went into the construction of this sushi roll?

The reason for which the answer to the two previous questions is “yes” is the unforgettable flavor packed into this sushi. The roll I always order, the New Orleans Roll, consists of tempura shrimp, cream cheese, crab stick, avocado, cucumber, flying fish roe, eel sauce and spicy mayonnaise (I normally hate even mildly spicy food, but this sauce is incredible and will not burn your tongue off at all).

Something about the combination of all of these ingredients just packs the most delicious punch. I can assure you every time I eat this amazing dish, any guilt I had in ruining the dish’s presentation immediately vanishes.

Fear not, haters of sushi and all seafood. Now and Zen has an extensive offering of vegetable dishes, meat dishes and tofu dishes. The Goma Miso Gyoza will leave you satisfied, and does not have a trace of seafood.

And who doesn’t love a refreshing seaweed salad, a warm miso soup or tempura vegetables?

The bottom line is that you should

want to venture out to Now and Zen sometime in the near future. As long as you have a fair amount of time on your hands, since the restaurant does not have the quickest service, you can expect to have an enjoyable experience. Now, roll up your sleeves, get those chopstick-handling skills ready and go treat yourself to a marvelous meal!

COURTESY TRIPADVISOR

A task undoubtedly as challenging as solving a Rubiks’s cube while blindfolded is consuming a sushi roll at Now and Zen.

‘If You’re Reading This’ shines light on mental health Collaborative website seeks to foster tighter bond in U.Va. community LUCY HOPKINS | FEATURE WRITER While almost 18 percent of adults in the United States grapple with some sort of mental illness, it remains a fairly taboo topic of conversation.

In a school with over 15,000 undergraduates — many of whom were in the top of their class in high school — feeling overwhelmed or anxious can be easy and admitting imperfections can be difficult. Third-year College students Ryan Keen and Alexandra Pentel created the website “If You’re Reading This” in the hopes of changing that.

“If You’re Reading This” is a digital collection of letters pertaining to mental illnesses and stress written by and for University students. The letters may include struggles that the author faced, advice they have for those going through a rough time or simply words of affirmation and a promise of support.

“The original idea for the website came about around midterms of the fall semester, but I didn’t start doing the hard building of the site until around finals,” Pentel said. “Originally, I was thinking that I would just email my friends and some organizations ... but when I got to that point I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to need a bigger net to cast,’ which is when I brought in Ryan, who is now my partner in all this.”

Keen’s strategy for recruiting letters has provoked a much stronger response than Pentel’s original one.

“I thought it would be a better strategy to start small, so I started with the people I knew on Grounds who were in certain communities at the University … and I explained the message I wanted them to get across and we started posting those things,” Keen said.

By the time they’d begun reaching out to student leaders at the University, Keen and Pentel had already developed a preferred letter format.

They asked the leaders to submit a letter beginning with the phrase “If you’re reading this,” and then delve into their message.

Now, the site currently boasts a handful of posts from students of all years and fields of study. Any student can submit letters through a link on the site and they can choose to submit anonymously if doing so makes them more comfortable, but even those who chose to submit publicly say that are happy to have done so.

“Every person I’ve talked to has said that writing was an overwhelmingly positive experience, and they have not at all regretted making their stories public in this way,” said Sarah Kenny, a third-year College student and Student Council President.

If you’re reading this....

AMBER LIU | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Kenny authored a post for the site in March.

“I appreciated it that people I respect and work with in the community shared their stories because it really breaks down the image of untouchability,” Kenny said. “I felt a responsibility to help break down that

narrative in the really powerful way that Ryan and Pentel had been doing through this work.”

While “If You’re Reading This” was started for and by University students, it is not yet a CIO. As of right now, it is all paid for out of pocket by Pentel, with the help

of one donation from the 21 Society. So, as attaining CIO status is the next goal for “If You’re Reading This,” Pentel and Keen have big plans for its future.

“Part of our big picture idea is to get onto other campuses,” Pentel said. “I know that there are two other schools already interested in founding chapters, so that’s really exciting and that’ll go along with finding people to pass it down to. This is not something we want to leave at U.Va. We hope to oversee it from maybe a more administrative standpoint for a long time to come.”

Pentel and Keen’s main hope with this project is not just to create a dialogue about mental health, but to create a more authentic and open University community.

“I think that by getting students — especially student leaders — to post on this site, not only do we address … these issues with depression and anxiety ... but we also keep the University from becoming fractured,” Keen said. “By merging the two worlds and humanizing these people by saying, ‘look, they’re students and they struggle with the same issues you do,’ we kind of bring the community closer together.”

MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017

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Baseball sweeps Pittsburgh at home Season’s best pitching weekend propels Virginia to first ACC sweep ALEC DOUGHERTY | SENIOR ASSOCIATE The Virginia baseball team (26-8, 8-7 ACC) earned its first conference sweep this weekend, downing Pittsburgh (14-15, 6-9 ACC) in three straight games. The sweep puts Virginia above .500 in the ACC for the first time this season.

Virginia opened the series against Pittsburgh with one of its most complete performances of the season Friday. The Cavaliers once again got off to a hot start at the plate when sophomore second baseman Andy Weber belted his second homer of the season in his first at bat.

Junior first baseman Pavin Smith — the hottest slugger on the team right now — added an RBI single in the first frame to put Virginia up 2-0.

Power hitting continued to extend Virginia’s lead in the third inning. Junior outfielder Adam Haseley blasted his tenth home run of the season — a solo shot — and graduate catcher Robbie Coman followed with a two-run shot of his own to put the Cavaliers up 5-1. Haseley’s homer extended his hitting streak to 14 games, and he had two hits in the game.

Smith would continue his domi-

nance at the plate with a bases-clearing double in the fifth inning to break the game open. The hit gave Smith an incredible 19 RBIs in the past five games, four of which came Friday.

The Cavaliers’ performance at the plate undoubtedly helped take the edge off junior starter Derek Casey, but the righty still gave another sensational performance on the mound. Casey fired seven innings of one-run ball for Virginia, striking out nine and walking only two while only giving up three hits.

The strong start dropped his ERA to a mere 1.88 on the season.

"I thought Derek Casey was terrific. Certainly he set the tone for us on the mound tonight," Coach Brian O'Connor said. "This has been building up over the last couple of starts … He went out and had great command of all of his pitches and certainly got some big strikeouts.”

Sophomore reliever Grant Donahue came out of the bullpen and pitched two shutout innings to lock up the 12-1 victory for Virginia.

Runs were much harder to come by Saturday for the Cavaliers.

Both teams’ starters were locked

in through the first three innings, not allowing a run. Pittsburgh junior third baseman Nick Banman opened the scoring up with a solo homer off of Virginia freshman starter Noah Murdock, chasing the young righty from the game.

O’Connor explained his decision to take the freshman out so early.

“Noah Murdock did a nice job, and certainly I had a short leash on him, but I didn't like how he was falling behind in the count a little too much,” O’Connor said. “I knew — having a rested Alec Bettinger — that the plan was to go to him at any point in time that I felt we needed to, and he settled things down and allowed us to do offensively what we needed to.”

Another big inning from the Virginia offense, though, would put the team up for good. The Cavaliers put up five runs in the fourth inning, finished by a three-run shot off the bat of junior catcher Caleb Knight.

O’Connor called on senior long reliever Alec Bettinger once again to hold the lead, and as usual, Bettinger did not disappoint. The senior struck out seven in 4.7 innings of relief en route to his fifth win of the

CHELSEA BENGSON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Junior Caleb Knight hit a three-run home run.

season. Junior closer Tommy Doyle came in with two outs in the eighth inning and picked up his eighth save of the season, cementing the 5-2 win and a series victory for Virginia.

The Cavaliers went for the sweep of Pittsburgh Sunday and persevered through a thriller. Virginia

scored sporadically through the game to build up a 4-0 lead, scoring a run each in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings. The fourth run came on a solo shot from Knight, his second of the weekend. Knight also had the defensive play of the game when he threw out a Panthers base runner at second base in the midst of Pittsburgh’s comeback.

Haseley started the game for Virginia and was lights out through six innings, not allowing a run and striking out six. His single mistake was almost very costly, however, as he allowed a three-run homer in the seventh inning to pull Pittsburgh within one. Pittsburgh had runners on first and second with one out in the ninth inning. Doyle stayed poised and closed out the tight match, earning his ninth save of the season in Virginia’s sweep-clinching, 4-3, win.

Virginia earned its victory with a solid weekend of pitching and timely hitting. The Cavaliers will host VCU at Davenport Field in the final game of its homestand Tuesday at 6 p.m. before traveling to Virginia Tech for another conference series at the end of the week.

Men’s lacrosse falls to North Carolina in ACC showdown Virginia falls to 0-3 in ACC play RAHUL SHAH | SPORTS EDITOR The quest for an ACC win will have to wait one more week for No. 14 Virginia. After dismantling Cleveland State last Tuesday and riding a two-game winning streak, the Cavaliers (7-5, 0-3 ACC) headed into Sunday night’s top-25 showdown with No. 20 North Carolina looking to use some newfound momentum as a spark to propel the team to their first ACC win of the season.

Virginia fell short of beating the Tar Heels (6-4, 1-1 ACC), losing, 15-12, in a match that seemed as if Virginia was continuously trying to catch North Carolina on the scoreboard.

Senior defender Tanner Scales talked about how Virginia’s inability to win 50-50 plays played a role in Sunday night’s loss. He also added that the team made too many small mistakes that ended up hurting the team on the field.

“Tonight we were not getting a lot of the 50-50 balls, the little mistakes in the middle of the field that — I certainly made some, a lot of guys made some — those are magnified, and they were tonight, and that ends up being the difference in a game like that,” Scales said.

CALLIE COLLINS | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Freshman Michael Kraus scored two goals.

The Cavaliers got things started in the first quarter, with senior attackman Joe French scoring a goal to put the Cavaliers on the board with a 1-0 lead. However, the Tar Heels responded with three straight goals to take a two-goal lead. Virginia would score again with just under a minute left in the first quarter to make it a

one-goal game heading into the second quarter.

The second quarter was all North Carolina, as they dominated offensively and defensively. North Carolina rattled off six consecutive goals and allowed none, putting them at a comfortable 9-2 lead heading into halftime. Virginia struggled offensively, missing all 11 shots they took.

It didn’t help that two penalties forced them to play two men down for 10 seconds, which resulted in a quick North Carolina goal.

Sophomore midfielder Ryan Conrad talked about how Virginia got out-hustled in the first half, leading to their seven-goal deficit. The Cavaliers were unable to raise their level of play as high as they needed to in the second half to pull out the win.

“We’re normally very good on the ground … We win pretty much every ground ball game, but it just came down to them out-hustling us in the first half, and I think that carried over a little bit more in the second half,” Conrad said. “We got better in the second half, but not as good as we should have been.”

Scales added that Virginia’s defense struggled with communica-

tion in the first half, resulting in nine North Carolina goals.

“Defensively in the first half we probably didn’t communicate as well as we should have,” Scales said.

With Virginia facing a seven-goal deficit out of halftime, the team knew they needed to be more aggressive and score against the North Carolina defense. Both teams would start off the second half with two goals apiece to bring the score to 11-4 with just over nine minutes to go in the third quarter. Then Virginia’s offense and defense seemed to both click, with Virginia playing lights out lacrosse on both sides of the field the rest of the quarter. A 4-0 run resulted in Virginia trimming North Carolina’s lead to put the score at 11-8 heading into the final frame.

Scales talked about the team’s mindset heading into the second half, and how Virginia was determined to make a strong push toward getting back into the match.

“We just were like, ‘you know, alright it’s time to see what we’re made of’ at halftime,” Scales said. “We all just kind of said we’re [going to] go out and play as hard as we can.”

With the fourth quarter under-

way, Virginia looked to use momentum to continue scoring and shutdown North Carolina at the same time. However, they were unable to put together another big run to pull out a win.

Coach Lars Tiffany gave credit to North Carolina, including senior midfielder Stephen Kelly and goalkeeper Brian Balkam.

“We just ran into a very hot faceoff man, obviously, Kelly … Winning all but one faceoff in the first half,” Tiffany said. “You know, they just maintained possession. And then give Balkam a ton of credit in the goal [for] the number of saves he made in that first half. They were really good in those two specialty areas.”

Virginia will have a quick turnaround, as they get set to face Robert Morris Tuesday night before heading to Durham, N.C. for their regular season finale against Duke Saturday afternoon. The match against Robert Morris will be Virginia’s home finale and is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium.

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THE CAVALIER DAILY

SPORTS • www.cavalierdaily.com

Men’s tennis dismantles Virginia Tech, edges out UNC Cavaliers come back to win against nationally-ranked rival UNC EVAN DAVIS | STAFF WRITER The Virginia men’s tennis team won two big ACC home matches this weekend, first beating Virginia Tech, 7-0, Friday and beating North Carolina Sunday, 4-3.

On an unseasonably chilly Friday afternoon, No. 4 Virginia (20-1, 7-1 ACC) looked strong from start to finish against in-state rival Virginia Tech (9-11, 3-6 ACC). Senior Thai-Son Kwiatkowski led the way for the Cavaliers with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Virginia Tech senior Jai Corbett. Freshman Carl Soderlund got to play in his first match since Feb. 20, and won against Virginia Tech freshman Alexandre Ribeiro in a match featuring two tiebreakers. Virginia won every other singles point in straight sets.

Coach Brian Boland was proud of the way his team battled in spite of the poor weather conditions.

"These were really tough conditions for both teams, but learning how to play in these elements can only help down the road because you never know what sort of adversity you will face," Boland said. "This was certainly difficult to play in, but I am proud of the guys. I thought they came out and focused during the entire match. It was nice to see Carl [Soderlund] back on the court after an almost eight-week layoff.”

Sunday, the Cavaliers faced off against a strong North Carolina team in front of one of the largest crowds all season. No. 11 UNC (19-3, 6-2 ACC) edged out the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead in the

match. In singles play, Kwiatkowski narrowly lost the first set 6-4 before showing signs of frustration and ultimately losing the second set 6-0 to North Carolina senior Ronnie Schneider.

Down 2-0, things didn’t look good for the Cavaliers, and there was very little margin for error in the final five matches. However, junior Collin Altamirano got things going for the team with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over junior Robert Kelly of North Carolina. Virginia pulled off two more singles wins, putting the Cavaliers up 3-2 with two matches left. On court two, junior Alexander Ritschard let an early lead slip away and eventually fell to North Carolina freshman William Blumberg.

With the score deadlocked at 3-3, all eyes were on the court five matchup of Virginia junior Henrik Wiersholm and North Carolina senior Jack Murray. In a microcosm of the entire match between the Cavaliers and the Tar Heels, Murray was down early after losing the first set, but came back and took the second and third sets to win the whole match for the Cavaliers. With the win, Wiersholm is now 14-0 in singles this season. The win also puts North Carolina at two losses in the conference.

Wiersholm was resilient in the win and won points when it mattered most.

“We talk a lot about resiliency, and that’s what epitomized my day, at least,” Wiersholm said. “I started

finding my serve, I started finding what would bother him and when it comes to the big moments, I love

the last match, was very pleased with his performance. “[Wiersholm is] a fun guy to

ASHLEY BETKIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Junior Henrick Wiersholm is now 14-0 in singles play this season.

being there for my team. As soon as I saw that it came down to me, I had no doubt in my mind that I would come through for us.”Boland, who periodically gave advice to Wiersholm in the waning moments of

coach, because he can execute a lot of things that you can ask him to do,” Boland said. “I mean, strategically, he has a lot of versatility and variety in his game. He has a big toolbox, so when you play a match

like this, you want to make sure you can use it … He made some tremendous adjustments, so all credit to him for playing a great match.”

The Cavaliers played North Carolina earlier in the season in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, winning 4-0. Sunday, the Tar Heels came out eager for revenge.

While they did not get the result they wanted, they will certainly be a major factor in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments in several weeks.

Boland acknowledged the opponents’ strengths after the match.

“UNC’s a really great team,” Boland said. “Congratulations to them.

They’re going to be a team that will be a big challenge come down the road in the NCAA Tournament, so we just need to keep getting better and focused and enjoy every minute of this incredible journey together.”

Altamirano played as well as he has all season, and commented on the great rivalry between the two teams.

“I knew going into it we’ve played UNC quite a bit. It’s a fun little rivalry,” Altamirano said. “We know it gets a little personal, but that’s the fun of it.”

Virginia next plays Georgia Tech at home Thursday at 5 p.m. and then has three road matches and one home match to close out the season.

Men’s basketball picks up graduate transfer Nigel Johnson With the departures of Jarred Reuter, Marial Shayok and Darius Thompson following the 2016-17 men’s basketball season, Coach Tony Bennett and the Virginia men’s basketball program had four open scholarships heading into the offseason.

The Cavaliers filled one of those scholarships with the addition of former Rutgers guard Nigel Johnson. Johnson confirmed the news via a tweet and post to Instagram Saturday.

Johnson, a graduate transfer, will be able to step in and play immediately next season.

He will fill a huge need for the Cavaliers, who lost three guards from last season — London Perrantes to graduation, and Shayok and Thompson to transfers.

In addition, he will bring some veteran experience to a group of Virginia guards in which only one scholarship player has more

than one season under his belt.

Johnson, who stands at 6-foot-1 and is 186 pounds, has experience transferring, playing his first two seasons of college basketball at Kansas State before transferring to play for Rutgers.

Virginia will also be getting a skilled scorer. Johnson averaged 11.3 points per game this past season, shooting 37.7 percent from the field and 35 percent from the three-point line. He erupted in Rutgers’ two games in the Big Ten Tournament, scoring 21 points in both games.

Johnson will join guard Marco Anthony as a new addition to Virginia for next season. However, with three scholarships still open, it will be interesting to see how many of them Virginia decides to use.

— compiled by Rahul Shah

COURTESY SCOUT

Former Rutgers guard Nigel Johnson announced this past weekend he will be joining Virginia next season.

MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017 COMMENT OF THE DAY “The problem is that you end up punishing people who had nothing to do with slavery and who hate slavery.”

“TonyXL” in response to Olivier Weiss’ April 5 column: “For reparations, we must reach an understanding before an agreement”

LEAD EDITORIAL

Obtain compensation data from Aramark U.Va. should gather information on what contracted workers are paid

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wo years ago, the University renewed its dining services partnership with Aramark. Under the 20-year contract, Aramark will invest over $20 million in upgrading dining facilities and provide a wider variety of local products.

Aramark will also continue to provide contracted workers to operate the University’s dining halls for the next two decades. Although the University works closely with Aramark, the administration has refused to gather information on contracted workers’ wages. This lack of information prevents the

University from ensuring contracted employees are paid wages comparable to those of direct employees.

The living wage in Charlottesville is $13.72, according to Living Wage at U.Va. This wage is defined as the minimum hourly rate required for a family of four to meet their basic needs. Although this number excludes some family expenses such as retirement and emergency savings, the living wage gives employees the ability to avoid poverty. In the pursuit of a living wage for all workers on Grounds,

the University must know what contracted workers are being paid.

By refusing to gather information about wages paid to contracted workers, the University turns a blind eye to contracted companies’ potentially exploitative compensatory practices. The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees receive fair wages, contracted employees included. To achieve this, the University must first obtain information regarding contracted employees’ wages from companies such as Aramark.

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 Mondays and Thursdays in print and daily online at cavalierdaily.com. It is printed on at least 40 percent recycled paper. 2017 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 Mike Reingold Managing Editor Tim Dodson Executive Editor Carlos Lopez Operations Manager Danielle Dacanay Chief Financial Officer Grant Parker EDITORIAL BOARD Jordan Brooks Jake Lichtenstein Carlos Lopez Mike Reingold Noah Zeidman JUNIOR BOARD Assistant Managing Editors Lillian Gaertner Ben Tobin (SA) Evan Davis (SA) Colette Marcellin (SA) Trent Lefkowitz (SA) Alix Nguyen (SA) Grant Oken

News Editors Anna Higgins Hailey Ross (SA) Alexis Gravely Sports Editors Mariel Messier Rahul Shah (SA) Alec Dougherty (SA) Jake Blank Opinion Editors Brendan Novak Lucy Siegel (SA) Carly Mulvihill Humor Editor Brennan Lee Cartoon Editor Miriam Du Plessis Focus Editor Hannah Hall (SA) Ankita Satpathy Life Editors Julie Bond Gracie Kreth Arts & Entertainment Editors Dan Goff Ben Hitchcock (SA) Sam Henson (SA) Darby Delaney (SA) Thomas Roades Health & Science Editors Jessica Chandrasekhar Kate Lewis

Production Editors Sean Cassar Disha Jain Victoria Giron (SA) Rupa Nallamothu (SA) Mark Felice Graphics Editors Sean Cassar Lucas Halse Amber Liu Photography Editors Richard Dizon Hannah Mussi (SA) Anna Hoover Video Editors Rebecca Malaret Sinta Taylor (SA) Avi Pandey Engineer Manager Leo Dominguez Social Media Managers Ashley Botkin Shaelea Carroll Business Manager Kelly Mays Marketing & Business Managers Nate Bolon Carlos Lopez

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THE CAVALIER DAILY

OPINION • www.cavalierdaily.com

DON’T TAKE FARMERS FOR GRANTED

Americans should consider the valuable services farmers provide before writing them off

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hen one considers the underrated professions in the United States, of the many that come to mind, few are so vital to the American public as that of the family farmer. There are two million farms in the United States and 99 percent of those farms are family run. Additionally, family farms around the world produce three-quarters of the world’s food supply.

In spite of these statistics, many Americans continue to undervalue farmers. The stereotypical image of a farmer as a “middle-aged, uneducated white men with beer bellies” is lampooned in films and contributes to the lack of respect for the profession. In truth, farmers work long hours, are often well-educated and provide a service to the American public and the world which should not be overlooked.

American farms produce goods and services which should be acknowledged and appreciated. Annually, each American farm feeds an average of 168 people. Given the high quantity of farms around the United States, the gross production by American farmers

provides a significant amount of food to people around the world. However, in spite of this contribution to the tables and pantries of American families,

trary, many farmers are well-educated and universities around the United States offer programs in agricultural science and similar fields to adequately train

American farms produce goods and services that should be acknowledged and appreciated. farmers are looked down upon.

The farm products which remain in the United States are piled onto the shelves of grocery stores and largely split from the family farmers who produce it.

There seems to be an attitude that fruits, vegetables and meats magically appear on the shelves of stores to be consumed by customers, but the work that goes into the production of these goods should not be disregarded.

Furthermore, there is an overwhelming assumption that farmers are uneducated and continue to farm because it is their only option. On the con-

those who produce the nation’s food supplies. To produce quality crops and livestock, farmers must analyze soil quality, understand the precise resources needed to produce maximum output and, in the case of livestock farmers, have a good deal of veterinary knowledge in case of emergencies. Furthermore, farmers work with dangerous, complex equipment, so they must have a large amount of base knowledge of how to operate these machines to avoid injury or death.

The amount of time that is invested into a career in farming should also not be under-

estimated. Crops and animals are not raised in a week and farming requires a time commitment that is far beyond that of a typical occupation. While most American professionals work from nine to five Monday through Friday, many farmers are on call 24-7. Additionally, the patterns of production leave little time for vacation, and in the case of small family-run operations, farmers cannot leave hundreds of livestock to take a weekend at the beach. Modern farmers not only dedicate a majority of their time to their occupations, but they also produce goods in vastly more efficient manners than their counterparts in 1950. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, “Today’s farmers produce 262 percent more food with two percent fewer inputs (labor, seeds, feed, fertilizer, etc.), compared with 1950.” Farmers are producing more than in years past, and are using fewer resources to do so.

For all that they provide to the American public and the world, family farmers should be celebrated, rather than judged.

The two million American farmers produce food to contribute to U.S. and world markets. Without the intelligent men and women who own and staff America’s farms, our economic impact on the world’s food production industry would drastically decrease. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, $133.1 billion worth of American agricultural products were exported around the world in 2015. The United States sells more food and fiber to world markets than we import, creating a positive agricultural trade balance.” American farmers have an extraordinarily positive impact on the nation as a whole and we should not take them for granted.

CARLY MULVIHILL is the Senior Associate Opinion Editor for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at c.mulvihill@cavalierdaily.com.

INCREASED TRANSPARENCY, UNIMPRESSED READERS Finding an interesting angle for a story remains a challenge for Cavalier Daily authors

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his past week The Cavalier Daily has published a number of articles that shed light on some financial matters here at the University. Authors discussed the salaries awarded to university presidents in Virginia and highly paid University officials. Several pieces also discussed newly released documents that reveal possible preferential treatment for the children of major donors during the admissions process. Much of the information in these pieces came through the Freedom of Information Act. This law was passed in 1967 and established the right for citizens to request information from the federal government. Members of the press have frequently used information obtained through FOIA to break stories.

Generally, The Cavalier Daily was able to successfully use the

data and information collected through public records. These articles increased transparency about the University’s internal practices, and shared financial information about the University with students, alumni and community members. However, some of the articles missed the mark in terms of their relevance

tained through FOIA this past week.

The piece which discusses disparities between pay for employees in the Medical School and the Engineering School does not present an argument.

While it may be interesting that these two schools pay employees at vastly different rates, it does

Finding an interesting angle for an article remains a challenge for Cavalier Daily authors and continues to frustrate some readers. to students and faculty. Readers also had a lot to say about the importance, or perhaps unimportance of the information ob-

not warrant an entire article.

Readers are looking for a narrative, and this article unfortunately was unable deliver. As it

stands, this information may be more well suited to an infographic about the varying levels of pay employees receive in different departments. Finding an interesting angle for an article remains a challenge for Cavalier Daily authors and continues to frustrate some readers. Articles should engage readers and encourage an open discussion about a worthwhile topic.

Additionally, few readers seemed to believe that the University’s possible preferential treatment of wealthy students and potential donors was a problem. While The Cavalier Daily was not able to gather documents that proved that donations and connections actually affected acceptance rates, it was still worth discussing. It is certainly common practice for elite institutions of higher education to take legacy status and

family donations into account when making admission decisions. However, the University is a public institution which prides itself on having high moral and ethical standards. This would imply that the University is disinclined to take financial incentives into account when making admission decisions. If nothing else, it is productive for Cavalier Daily staff to strive for increased transparency about the University’s admissions processes.

JACQUELYN KATUIN is the Public Editor for The Cavalier Daily.

She can be reached at publiceditor@cavalierdaily.com or on Twitter at @CDPublicEditor.

MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017

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WEEKLY CROSSWORD SAM EZERSKY | PUZZLE MASTER The Cavalier Daily Crossword Puzzle by Sam Ezersky, Class of 2017

ACROSS

EVENTS Monday 4/10 Engineers Going Global Present: Fire at Sea Film Screening, 7-9pm, Newcomb Theater Tom Tom Founders Festival Presents: Community Picnic, 5-7pm, IX Art Park Tom Tom Founders Festival Presents: Crowdfunded Pitch Night, 7-9pm, IX Art Park Tuesday 4/11 Baseball vs. VCU, 6pm, Davenport Field Men’s Lacrosse vs. Robert Morris, 7pm, Klockner Stadium FYC Presents: First Year Garden Party, 6-9pm, Garden V Cognitive Science Alumni Panel, 6-8pm, Newcomb Hall Professor Michael Hardt Public Lecture on Social Movements, 5-6:30pm, Nau 101 Tom Tom Founders Festival Presents: Our Grounds, Our Canvas, 11am-2pm, Whispering Wall Wednesday 4/12 Softball vs. Liberty, 6pm, The Park Women’s Lacrosse vs. Navy, 7pm, Klockner Stadium Second Year Salsa, 7:30-9:30, The Rotunda TYC Presents: Voices of 2018, 6-8pm, Boylan Heights

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1. Polite way to address a 11 12 lady 5. Sibs and 'rents, collectively 14 15 8. "___ Quixote" 18 11. Hairstyle maintained with a 17 pick 20 21 22 12. Some reproductive cells 13. Quirky rock group with the 24 1980 hit "Whip It" 14. 20-20 or 50-50?

26 27 15. Shrank back in fear 30 31 17. A UVA sorority, informally: 2 wds.

32 33 34 19. Circle around 20. Currency tracked by the 38 39 Nikkei Index 21. Idaho's capital 42 43 23. "Black Beatles" hitmakers 46 45 ___ Sremmurd 24. Vehicle for a snowy day 49 48 25. ___ to the Wise (Boylan Heights chicken burger) 26. Zodiac sign for Easter-born © April 10, 2017 babies, usually: 3 wds.

DOWN 30. Unit of mass 1. ___ Ice (2016-17 N.F.L. 31. Radiance "read" by a M.V.P.'s nickname) psychic 2. Light ___ under (motivate 32. Energy-bearing chemical to move quickly): 2 wds. studied in basic bio 3. "You ___ so much classes: Abbr. trouble...": 2 wds.

33. "Guh-ross!": 2 wds.

4. Web forum overseers, 35. Viewed familiarly 38. Popular breath mint: 2 5. Does without wds.

6. Part of JPA: Abbr.

40. Narrow strips of land 7. Sprays with pepper spray 42. Got lost?

8. Hallucinatory states 44. Element represented by Fe 9. Like a baseball pitch, as on the periodic table opposed to a softball pitch 45. Ran, as colors in the wash 10. Gave silent approval 46. Angsty and melodramatic, 13. Use a shovel slangily 16. Number of Z's in this clue 47. Many a Jack Salt highlight 18. Suffix with convert or 48. Tree with bendy wood combust 49. Polite way to address a 22. Dog collar jingler: 2 wds. gentleman 24. Video game avatar of the 50. Things you can "hunt" for 2000s in this puzzle

8

7

9

10

36

37

13 16 19 23 25 28

29

35 40

41 44 47 50

25. Something made using two cups 26. "A" or "the" 27. Hip-hopper's posse: 2 wds.

28. Cigar box 29. Spanish 101 verb conjugation that's an anagram of "seer" 30. "Great" literary character 33. Technical term for a school of whales 34. Pinnacles 35. Shoulder movement 36. In the midst of 37. One-eyed signals 39. Wee bit 41. Big name in laundry detergent 43. Notable record label for various classic rockers

*THE SOLUTION TO THIS PUZZLE CAN BE FOUND IN THURSDAY’S ISSUE

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Food for your next television binge A definitive ranking of TV cooking shows HENRY HOLLANDSWORTH | STAFF WRITER

The 21st century is the golden age of television. The medium has been pushed to new heights in the last decade and a half, revolutionized by high-art programming from “The Sopranos” to “Breaking Bad.” Often overlooked, however, are the dramatic strides made in what was once considered a less dramatic arena — the kitchen. People’s need for food to fill their bellies is a carnal one, and their desire to be inspired, kept on edge and humored by culinary TV is a beautiful product of the information age. Here is a definitive list of the best cooking shows of the 21st century.

10. “Man v. Food” Meaty everyman Adam Richman travels America to complete menu challenges ranging from bouts of endurance with spicy burritos to gluttony fights with pizza pies the size of small children. Often in these challenges, “food wins,” and Richman vomits out his pride as well as his meal. Nonetheless, the show is raucous fun, leaving audiences cheering for the plight of the human machine against his fuel.

9. “Unwrapped” This program shows — in clean, satisfying cinematography — every step in the production process of popular candies and snacks. It’s essentially the “How It’s Made” of con-

fection — from huge vats of sugary goop in a hue not naturally-occurring come oodles of Jolly Ranchers or Twinkies. A revival series, “Unwrapped 2.0,” even followed in 2015.

8. “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” It’s no secret that Guy Fieri is actually one of the most powerful men on the planet. His flagship hit takes the viewer on a radical yet wholesome highway ride in and out of homey eateries across the country.

Fieri’s frosted tips seem to wiggle with joy at each new taco, chili dog or bacon double cheeseburger, and there’s not much quite like watching his satisfaction after each bite.

7. “Guy’s Grocery Games” Another iteration of Fieri’s charismatic genius is this competitive game show taking place in none other than Flavortown Market. Contestants are given certain challenges, such as only utilizing frozen foods in their dishes and gathering ingredients from only one aisle of the store.

They battle over three rounds for Fieri’s approval, and — less importantly — $20,000.

6. “Chef’s Table” This Netflix exclusive is an anthology of episodes featuring the most brilliant chefs on the planet.

The food featured is often luxuriously experimental in nature — one chef forages for all of his ingredients in the tundra before crafting a plate,

and another practices “molecular gastronomy,” a discipline which, according to Molecular Recipes, “blends physics and chemistry to transform the tastes and textures of food.”

5. “Good Eats” Though it ceased running in 2012, this show may have been the most informative Food Network program of all time. Host Alton Brown devotes entire episodes to the history, science and practice behind common foodstuffs such as turkey or omelettes, and prepares a classical dish based on each topic. “Good Eats” tickles the brain as well as the appetite.

4. “Cutthroat Kitchen” Also hosted by the great Alton Brown is “Cutthroat Kitchen,” somewhat of a dark horse on this list because of its relative novelty. Nonetheless it is one of the most inventive cooking game shows on television.

What sets it apart is the concept of giving each of four contestants $25,000 at the beginning of the game as opposed to the end. As the episode progresses, chefs can spend as little or as much as they like to hinder their opponents or aid themselves. It becomes apparent very quickly that some people are in it for the money, and some people are in it for an unmitigated love of food.

3. “MasterChef / MasterChef Jr.”

COURTESY FOOD NETWORK

“Chopped” ranks second amongst the greatest cooking shows of recent times.

“MasterChef” is the crown jewel of famed chef Gordon Ramsay’s entertainment empire. This high-stakes strategic cooking battle has been airing for seven seasons, with a new one starting May 31. It’s worth noting “MasterChef Jr.” — the pint-sized counterpart to “MasterChef” — is not only a surprising showcase of young chefs but a source of great humor, as Ramsay drills into the young, pure souls of the stressed children.

2. “Chopped” Few television programs rival the excitement of “Chopped.” The foreboding chopping block awaits the contestants after each round, which their appetizers, main courses and desserts, are each judged on taste, creativity and presentation.

“Chopped” wouldn’t be so high on the list if it weren’t for the chops of talented host Ted Allen and the

warmth of recurring judges like Alex Guarnaschelli, Aarón Sánchez and Scott Conant.

1. “Iron Chef America” This is undoubtedly the best cooking show ever. No other program is set on so grand a scale, with some of the best chefs in the country facing off in a grand hour-long cooking marathon. The program is hosted in the spectacular Kitchen Stadium, and requires not only the hosting of Alton Brown and the Chairman, but floor reporters to get up-close action shots of sweaty men and women flipping and chopping every food imaginable. First airing in 2005, “Iron Chef America” is the prototypical cooking game show — the gold standard for every show that has come after.

Tom Tom presents selection of can’t-miss events Local artwork, eclectic music, insightful discussions abound ABBY CLUKEY | STAFF WRITER Thomas Jefferson’s birthday is this Thursday, meaning it’s time for Charlottesville’s annual Tom Tom Founders Festival. Each April, the Tom Tom Foundation organizes a week to celebrate creative expression, emphasizing local artists, musicians and entrepreneurs. Charlottesville’s downtown is transformed through live concerts, innovative art displays and engaging discussions and presentations highlighting ways the community can further foster local art and business.

Here are five can’t-miss events at the Tom Tom Founders Festival this year.

Block Parties, April 14-16 The centerpiece of the festival in recent years has been Tom Tom’s block parties — concerts Friday through Sunday in Lee Park showcase live bands of varying music genres.

Concerts will run 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday, 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Notable acts include a Saturday sunset concert by The Mantras and Spiritual

Rez — a progressive rock band and a reggae-fusion group — and a Sunday performance by the University’s own Kendall Street Company. The block parties are a great opportunity to experience a mixture of classic and offbeat musical talent.

Art Attack, April 15 On Saturday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., Lee Park will be transformed

into an outdoor studio when members of the Charlottesville community come out to create works of art in the open air. No professional experience is required — artists of all levels of expertise are welcome. Artists must bring their own supplies, check in at the start of the event and be respectful of their surroundings.

This event highlights the importance

COURTESY OF TOM TOM FOUNDERS FESTIVAL

Charlottesville’s annual Tom Tom Founders Festival showcases local art, innovation and culture.

of local artistic individuality, with the goal of adding a new dimension to the creative process by setting it in the midst everyday life.

Artisanal Tom Tom, April 15-16 More than 60 craft vendors will be displaying and selling their works of art in Lee Park this weekend. Handcrafted furniture, homemade food, sustainable clothing, jewelry and other personal creations will be available for purchase. Artisanal Tom Tom provides the perfect platform for local artists to present their skillfully crafted products and the opportunity for members of the Charlottesville community to support the local art scene. The market will be open 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Writer in Residence, April 15 Roye Okupe, co-founder of YouNeek Studios, will give a talk about his experience as a writer, artist and entrepreneur. His graphic novel, “E.X.O. The Legend of Wale Williams

Part 1,” features a cast of superhero characters in a futuristic Nigeria.

Okupe will delve into his creative process and discuss his journey as an author. Learn more about Okupe and his artistic vision at this event, held at 4 p.m. Saturday at Telegraph Art & Comics.

Porchella, April 16 The Tom Tom Festival will wrap up Sunday evening with Porchella, a string of acoustic concerts on the porches of several Belmont neighborhood homes. Diverse styles of music will be represented, ranging from bluegrass to jazz to psychedelic funk rock. Porchella’s casual and intimate setting makes it a fitting end to a festival celebrating local artists and the importance of community involvement. Porchella promises a night of eclectic jams and a sense of neighborly camaraderie.

MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017

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Benefits of vegetarian, vegan diets Plant-based diets provide healthy, sustainable alternative RUHEE SHAH | SENIOR WRITER According to a 2012 Gallup Poll, five percent of Americans self-identified as vegetarian and another two percent as vegan.

While people may choose vegetarianism or veganism for a number of reasons, a study of vegetarianism by the National Institutes of Health revealed that people often choose the lifestyle for religious or ethical reasons, environmental concerns and the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

According to Melanie Brede, registered dietician in the Office of Health Promotion at Elson Student Health, there are a variety of health benefits associated with a well-balanced vegetarian or vegan diet, including reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, the NIH states that vegetarian and vegan diets can lower the risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and certain cancers.

“For example, a diet rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium and low in sodium is associated with healthy blood pressure,” Brede said. “Food sources of these nutrients include fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and low-fat dairy products. Additionally, it is helpful for cholesterol management to minimize saturated and trans fats and replace them with unsaturated fats. Replacing butter with olive oil, avocados and nuts is one way to do this.”

However, Brede said a poorly-balanced vegetarian diet may be lacking in protein, calcium, vitamin B-12, vitamin D and iron. Vitamin B-12 is found only in animal products, so vegans are advised to take a supplement. Iron-deficiency anemia can also be a problem among vegetarians, since iron is more easily absorbed from meat products than plant products.

“Vegetarians, especially females, would do well to have a

medical check-up that includes checking iron status,” Brede said.

“Iron-deficiency anemia causes fatigue and can be most effectively corrected with supplements. However, iron supplements are not recommended unless deficient, because excess iron is toxic.”

In addition to being a healthy lifestyle choice, vegetarianism and

transportation resources to meet the high demands of humans' dietary patterns — which, as demand increases and the environment consistently becomes depleted, is unsustainable, no question,” Park said. “Cows produce 100 kilometers of methane each year, which is the equivalent to a car burning 235 gallons of gas. With that fact

1,847 gallons of water per pound of meat.

Environmental costs of meat production can extend beyond direct production costs as well.

Runoff from animal agriculture productions can cause E. coli contamination of food and resulting E. coli outbreaks.

“The runoff, much of which is

feces from animals, as well as antibiotics given to them to sustain them in the abusive, putrid environments they subsist in, seeps into our drinking water, crops and overall environment — which makes humans sick and damages ecosystems,” Park said.

While plant-based foods may seem like the more sustainable option, soybeans — the source of the major vegetarian protein tofu — have a relatively high water footprint compared to other plants, according to The Water Footprint Network.

However, the environmental costs of such a high-impact plant product are still less than those associated with meat products, Park said. Animals’ carbon dioxide emissions and the additional environmental costs of growing animal feed contribute to the almost universally higher costs of raising animals as compared to growing plants.

“Practicing veganism is about more than our tastebuds,” Park said. “When you choose to eat plants, you're choosing to protect the planet's water, air, soil, animals and your health.”

COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Vegetarian and vegan lifestyles offer environmental and health benefits, though poorly-balanced diets may lead to dangerous vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

veganism are also popular because of environmental benefits, which include a lower carbon and water footprint.

According to Reilly Park, member of animal rights CIO Animal Justice Advocates and fourth-year College student, choosing a plantbased diet is one of the most significant influences individuals can have on the environment.

“Animal agriculture requires a massive amount of water, feed and

in mind, imagine how much less of a negative impact choosing plants over animals has on the environment with each meal.”

Furthermore, Park said animals account for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, greater than the percentage associated with transportation.

In addition to carbon footprint, meat production also has a large water footprint. According to Park, beef production requires

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Bee species classified as endangered Bumblebee faces risk of extinction due to environmental factors, human impacts KPAKPANDO ANYANWU | STAFF WRITER The U.S. Department of the Interior has recently classified the rusty patched bumblebee, Bombus affinis, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Following an increase in disease and pesticide usage, sightings of the rusty patched bumblebee have significantly declined since the late 1990s.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website, the rusty patched bumblebee was once a common insect in 28 states. Based on current estimates, however, only 0.1 percent of the species still exists in its historical range of the Midwestern and Northeastern U.S.Environmental Sciences research prof. T'ai Roulston identifies the disease Nosema bombi as a primary reason for the dis-

appearance of the rusty patched bumblebee.

“There is a particular fungal disease that is very common among the bumblebee species that are declining. Of all the species that have been declining, [the rusty patched bumblebee] has been declining the farthest,” Roulston said. “It used to be very common all through the Midwest [and] through the East Coast of the U.S. ... It’s pretty much done all through the East Coast.”

Roulston said there are disease factors which tend to influence certain species more than others, usually because of differential susceptibility to disease. He said this is the case with the rusty patched bumblebee and N. bombi.

N. bombi is an obligate intra-

cellular parasite that infects bumblebee species at a substantial rate, according to the Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. For example, the disease has been shown to reduce the longevity of worker bees.

Beyond disease, biology prof.

Laura Galloway identified a combination of natural and manmade factors as major contributors to bee population declines.

“The natural factors would be diseases … Also pesticides that people spray — widely used in agriculture — also are aimed at insects. [They] have [had] inadvertent effects on the bee population,” Galloway said.

As pollinators, bees enable plants to produce seeds and generally regulate agricultural production. Continuous stresses that

bees experience therefore reduce plant longevity and production.

The rusty patched bumblebee is the first continental bee species to be listed under the ESA. Regulations of the ESA are designed to prevent further species declines, which could result in extinction.

Historically, the legislation has improved population sizes of a variety of species, such as the American Bald Eagle.

Human actions can also facilitate improvements in bee health.

“Planting — particularly in the fall — a fall-blooming plant or a very long summer-blooming plant, those are the most advantageous because [bees] can continue to go back to that plant every day for weeks,” Martha Kiene, vice president of the Virginia State

Beekeepers Association, said.

“Something like butterfly bushes is a great plant [promoting pollination].”

Kiene suggests avoiding pesticides altogether, or at least applying them only in the evening, when pollinators have returned to their nests or hives. If applied at night, the pesticide can be absorbed before pollinators arrive the next morning.

Listing the rusty patched bumblebee under the ESA may help facilitate population regrowth for this important pollinator.

“It has a good track record when species are listed under the ESA. Very often, the population size goes up, the number goes up and it is a really effective piece of legislation,” Galloway said.

MS drug receives FDA approval Ocrevus approved to treat primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis MADISON HECHT | STAFF WRITER The Food and Drug Administration on April 4 approved the first drug to treat primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis, offering a promising treatment option to patients who previously had few options in coping with the unpredictable, disabling disease.

The drug, ocrelizumab, under brand name Ocrevus, targets specific types of B lymphocytes, a type of immune cell. While B lymphocytes represent a pivotal part of the immune system, they can malfunction and attack myelinated neurons, triggering MS. Ocrevus aims to reduce the frequency of these attacks.

“I think that Ocrevus will become a major player in the MS therapeutic arena,” said David Jones, neurologist at the James Q. Miller Multiple Sclerosis Clinic and asst. prof. of neurology. “I think it has very strong efficacy. The safety profile as we understand it now looks very good.”

MS is a complex inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. While the cause of the disease remains unknown, there are a variety of immunologic and environmental factors thought to increase risk. Over 200 genetic loci were identified in increasing the risk of the disease. Since the disease is most common in Northern Europeans, individuals with lower levels of vitamin D are thought to have particularly serious symptoms.

“There is a geographic com-

ponent to the disease as it seems to affect those further away from the equator more than those close to it,” said Peggy Scott, nurse care coordinator for the James Q. Miller Multiple Sclerosis Clinic.

There are four types of MS — clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), primary progressive MS (PPMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS). CIS refers to the first episode of neurologic symptoms caused by inflammation and demyelination of the central nervous

system. Eighty-five percent of MS patients are first diagnosed with RRMS — in which there is a neurologic symptom lasting for at least 24 hours before improving.

After about 15 years, patients with RRMS transition to SPMS — their condition worsens gradually over time. PPMS, however, is characterized by worsening neurologic function from the onset of symptoms, without early relapses or remissions. Prior to Ocrevus, the only FDA approved medications for MS only treated RRMS.

COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Ocrevus has become the first drug to receive FDA approval for the treatment of primary progressive Multiple Sclerosis, an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system.

There are several disease-modifying therapies available to treat RRMS. However, because the cause of MS remains unknown, drugs can only aim to reduce future symptoms of the disease and delay disability.

“You can imagine that it would lead to somewhat of a challenge with MS patients, when the doctor may be saying ‘I want to prevent you from getting worse’ and the patient says, ‘I want to feel better today,’” Jones said. “Without understanding, patients may be disappointed in the drug and the care they are receiving, and sometimes may stop taking the medication, which may then lead to worsening.”

The FDA approved Ocrevus to treat both PPMS — the first drug for this type of MS — and RRMS. In fact, Ocrevus showed the most notable results in patients with RRMS, as the disease progression appeared to stop with no major side effects. In patients with PPMS, Ocrevus slowed — but did not stop — patients’ decline.

Apart from DMTs, managing other MS symptoms is also vital in helping individuals adapt to their disease and remain functional for as long as possible.

“A big issue is the silent symptoms of MS including fatigue, depression, cognitive impairment and pain,” Jones said. “People with MS are often told they look so good, yet do not feel so good and may strug-

gle to meet the demands life puts on them.”

Jones said research for treating silent symptoms has been inadequate, and many doctors turn to ‘off-label’ use of medications or non-medication-based treatments such as healthy living and exercise.

Jones aims to keep MS patients from being defined by their disease.

“I want them to be people who just happen to have MS but are doing the things that they want to do,” Jones said. “Sometimes for MS patients, MS becomes the center of their universe, and then they really get into a vicious cycle that can be hard to break.”

Ocrevus costs less than many other DMTs on the market. It is administered intravenously twice a year and is viewed as relatively safe, revealing no serious side effects thus far. Ocrevus has only been studied and approved for adults, yet it may be an option for children with the disease in the future.

“As these newer drugs become available and are studied in the context of pediatric MS, more choices will thereby become available to our younger patients — but the first step towards this is always FDA approval in adult patients first,” said James Nicholas Brenton, pediatric neurologist in the Pediatric Neurology and Epilepsy Clinic and asst. prof. of medicine.

MONDAY, APRIL 10, 3017

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15

Bringing an individualized approach to diet Evolving trends in dietary guidelines, moving from pyramid to plate visual RUPA NALLAMOTHU | STAFF WRITER The food pyramid, a product of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, represents the optimal number of servings per day from each of the major food groups. The government uses the food pyramid to communicate healthy eating guidelines to families, children and adults.

The U.S. Departments of Health and Agriculture collaborate to produce the guidelines, which have changed over the past few years.

“Within USDA, the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion is the lead agency that manages the process with support from the Agricultural Research Service,” professor of medicine Anna Maria Siega-Riz said.

In 2011, MyPlate replaced the original food pyramid structure with a diagram of a plate separated by food group. MyPlate currently serves as the the basis for federal food and nutrition policy, with the new diagram enabling guidelines to focus on each consumer individually.

The change from the food pyramid to MyPlate marked a shift from a nutritional diet to a personal approach. Instead of referring solely to serving sizes, appropriate proportions of each food group are outlined in relation to that of the other groups.

Food groups represented in MyPlate include grains, fruits, vegetables, protein and dairy.

For women 19 to 30 years old, the diagram recommends two cups of fruit, six ounces of grains, two and a half cups of vegetables, five and a half ounces of protein and three cups of dairy products daily. The dietary recommendations for men in this age group are similar, requiring only an additional

COURTESY USDA

Food plate diagram replaces the food pyramid and offers a more individualized approach to dietary recommendations.

ounce of protein and grains and an additional half cup of vegetables.

The guidelines specify that the grains group should be further divided into whole grains and refined grains. Based on the diagram, refined grains intake should be limited to half that of

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whole grains. Furthermore, the consumption of saturated fats should be limited to less than 10 percent of total daily caloric intake Disagreements between consumers or industries and the government often arise relating to the guidelines’ endorsement of certain foods. In 2015,

when the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee almost did not endorse red meat as part of the healthy diet, the meat industry came into conflict with the DGAC. “There was a strong political backlash from the meat industry [in 2015], led by the North American Meat Institute,

which also strongly opposed the DGAC recommendation to take environmental sustainability into consideration when making dietary recommendations. Ultimately these sustainability provisions were not included in the final Guidelines,” Politics Prof.

Paul Freedman said.

The DGAC puts out healthy eating recommendations with the intent of helping individuals achieve and maintain a healthy weight, decreasing the prevalence of diseases and promoting an increased level of health for everyone two years and older.

“The food pyramid was the government’s translation of the Dietary Guidelines into actionable consumer messages that [are] crucial to help individuals, families and communities achieve healthy eating patterns,” Siega-Riz said.

The primary purpose of food diagrams is to prevent disease.

Specifically, the guidelines seek to prevent diet-related chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and obesity.

The guidelines are reevaluated every five years. Since the guidelines are based on nutritional science and surveys of the population, the DGAC publishes reports based on their research findings and justifying the information within MyPlate.

Currently, guidelines focus on eating patterns due to recent research suggesting most Americans do not consume a diet reflecting the DGAC’s recommendations.

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