Thursday, April 11, 2019

The Cavalier Daily Vol. 129, Issue 26

Thursday, April 11, 2019

EMMA KLEIN, CHRISTINA ANTON & RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY|

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This week in-brief

NEWS

CD News Staff

Pharrell to be keynote speaker for 2019 valedictory exercises Virginia Beach native and award-winning singer Pharrell Williams will be returning to Charlottesville next month as the keynote speaker at the University’s 190th Valedictory Exercises.

Williams will address the graduating Class of 2019 May 17 at 3 p.m. on the Lawn, the day before the Finals Exercises May 18 and 19 in which Dr. B. Cameron Webb, a renowned doctor and lawyer, and School of Nursing Dean Dorrie Fontaine are giving the commencement address. Valediction is free and open to the public, whereas Finals Exercises require a ticket for seating.

Williams, who has won 13 Grammy Awards, performed at Scott Stadium in September 2017 for “A Concert for Charlottes-

ville: An Evening of Music and Unity” in response to the white supremacist attacks in Charlottesville just a month earlier. The free show also included the Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, Ariana Grande, Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton. Williams also co-produced and co-scored the Oscar-nominated film “Hidden Figures,” which was written by best-selling author Margot Lee Shetterly, a 1991 graduate of the McIntire School of Commerce.

Last year, the keynote speaker at the Valedictory Exercises was NFL player and U.Va. alumnus Chris Long and in 2017 was Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.

CD STAFF | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Pharrell Williams performed at the Concert for Charlottesville in Sep. 2017.

Student Council transitions to new administration

GEREMIA DI MARO | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Ellie Brasacchio was officially sworn in as Student Council president Sunday.

Student Council held its annual inauguration ceremony Sunday in the Chapel to swear in officers elected by the student body in February and reflect on the past Student Council term. Third-year College student Ellie Brasacchio was sworn in as Student Council president.

Brasacchio is succeeding fourth-year College student Alex Cintron. Before the newly elected officers were sworn in, Cintron took some time to reflect on his vision for Student Council and how the organization has changed since his first year at the University.

“I wanted Student Council to be bold and to focus on policy, not just programming or something that another CIO [Contracted Independent Organization] could do, but things that people would expect from

government,” Cintron said. “If we have the capacity to do something, we should.”

Cintron added that the Representative Body has been more active this past term than in any other year since he has served on Student Council. Cintron also recounted some of the accomplishments of his administration, including the creation of a Student Police Advisory Board, an initiative to provide free menstrual hygiene products in bathrooms around Grounds and working with student minority groups.

U.Va. Alumni Association hosts biennial Black Alumni Weekend Black Alumni Weekend welcomed alumni, students and families back to Grounds with events beginning April 4 through April 7 at noon. As a biennial celebration dating back to 1985, BAW hosts a variety of educational, career networking and social activities.

Catlin Liverman — director of alumni events for the Alumni Association — commented on the BAW and some of the events hosted.

“We [expected] about 2000 alumni and their friends and families at that event,” Liverman said. “The latter half of the event, the Talent Expo, we invite student organizations to perform. So, X-Tasee Dance Crew, a bunch of the greek groups will be stepping — it’s a real-

ly great opportunity for the students and the alumni to come together and to celebrate.”

Many events were open to students with registration.

Liverman commented that student participation is one of the driving factors behind the timing of the event.

“It’s actually one of the reasons why Black Alumni Weekend is held during the academic year,” Liverman said. “The interaction between the alumni and students is really important. And so it’s traditionally held this first week in April to provide those opportunities.”

ANDREW WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The Alumni Association begins planning BAW about a year in advance.

Department of Art co-hosts symposium on indigenous representation

RILEY WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The symposium consisted of panels from University and global experts.

The McIntire Department of Art — in conjunction with the University’s Institute of Humanities and Global Cultures, the University’s Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation, the Center for the Americas and the Page-Barbour Fund for Interdisciplinary Scholarship — held a symposium on Grounds Friday and Saturday discussing “Decolonizing the Digital Humanities: Indigenous Arts, Histories, and Knowledges From The Material to the Screen.”

Allison Bigelow, an assistant professor of Spanish and a conference co-organizer, said that the wide variety of cultural, geographic and academic perspectives represented throughout the weekend “will have a lot to offer students.”

The keynote speech — entitled “Voices Carry: Reflections on Animacy in Indigenous Collections” — is one that Douglas Fordham, an associate professor of art history and a conference

co-organizer, was especially excited about due to Bruchac’s research on matching indigenous objects back to their respective communities. “[Museums are] starting to digitize and put these online, and yet the indigenous communities who might have or still have a ritual purpose and use for these objects would say to the museum, ‘Okay, now you have digital images, can we have the object back?,’” Fordham said.

Fordham said that this practice raises the question of what impact digital imagery and digital humanities have on indigenous communities and the objects that are deeply integrated into their cultural practices.

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Outgoing Student Council president reflects on initiatives Fourth-year College student Alex Cintron is the first Latinx Student Council president in the University’s history Geremia Di Maro and Katja Cresanti | Senior Writers Before his first meeting with University President Jim Ryan as Student Council president, Alex Cintron said he debated if it was necessary to wear a formal jacket, shirt and tie for the discussion. Instead, to the meeting with Ryan, Cintron opted to wear a Guayabera, a casual four-pocket shirt popular in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

As the first Latinx Student Council president in the University’s history Cintron said that, while he felt uncomfortable in some environments which the position required him to engage with, his perspective empowered him to act differently than previous Student Council presidents.

“This is my form of resisting what has been the normal narrative for Student Council president,” Cintron said.

In an interview with The Cavalier Daily, Cintron, a fourth-year College student and now-former Student Council President, reflected on the achievements and policy objectives of his term in office, which officially ended April 7 with the swearing-in of third-year College student Ellie Brasacchio.

Cintron said it is difficult to fully reflect on the effects of the perspective he brought to the position at the time but added that it informed his leadership style and focus on policy every step of the way.

“It felt very empowering to come in to the position with almost full support of what I felt like was my community,” Cintron said. “It made me more self conscious of like, why am I here? What am I doing? What issues I should push, and how hard should I push them?”

Cintron said outreach and providing support to minority student organizations on Grounds have been a central component of his administration. He added that Student Council has worked closely with the leadership of organizations such as the Black Student Alliance, the Latinx Student Association and the Asian Leadership Council to better understand their needs and concerns.

In October, Student Council supported the Asian Leadership Council’s report on academic reform — titled “We Are Not Invisible” — and the “Our University to Shape” proposal which was released by the Latinx community. The “Our University to Shape” proposal calls on the administration to improve conditions for Latinx students on Grounds through means such as admitting more Hispanic and Latinx students, providing them with the necessary support to thrive and offering translated financial aid documents.

In addition to conversations with

GEREMIA DI MARO | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Alex Cintron, a fourth-year College student and now-former Student Council President, reflected on the achievements and policy objectives of his term in office which officially ended April 7.

University administration regarding the implementation of the proposals, Cintron said he has advocated for the development of Latinx and Asian-American studies major programs at the University. Of the various concerns detailed in the ALC report, the establishment of an American Studies department is proposed as a means for creating diverse academic spaces on Grounds.

Currently, students may pursue an interdisciplinary major through the University’s American Studies program, although formal departmental status would allow students more flexibility and choice in choosing courses related to Latinx or Asian-American Studies.

“It's not enough just to be like, ‘Oh, I want to increase diversity on Grounds.’ Everybody can say that,’” Cintron said. “You need to be able to propose the actual policy things because what communities of color or communities of marginalized background — whether it's low income… women or women of color, and so forth — what they want to hear is what you're going to do to actually help them.”

Cintron added that the liberalization of Student Council’s policy regarding the Student Activities Fee in August has served as a means for increasing funding and support for multicultural student organizations.

The SAF funding policy now allows student groups to use Student Council funds to purchase food for an event

when it contributes to their mission or mission statement. SAF funds are drawn from the Student Activities Fee, a $50 semesterly fee that each student pays to support Student Council’s funding of Contracted Independent Organizations.

“That has been very beneficial for multicultural organizations because showcasing culture and food is part of their mission,” Cintron said. “And that has been able to alleviate financial stress off of them in terms of other funding sources.”

During the last Student Council meeting of his term April 2, Cintron also announced the creation of two ad-hoc presidential committees — the Open Housing Exploration Committee and the Latinx Space Exploratory Committee.

Cintron tasked the open housing committee with taking “any necessary means to collect qualitative and quantitative data in order to provide a recommendation on the question of the viability of gender-neutral housing in first-year dorms at the University.”

Members of the open housing committee will be appointed by Student Council’s Diversity Engagement Committee with additional appointments possible by the Student Council president. The open housing committee is expected to complete its work by the end of the fall 2019 semester.

Housing and Residence Life has offered an open housing option for upperclass students since the 20152016 academic year in which indi-

viduals can request a roommate independent of one’s gender identity.

However, the option is currently only offered at certain upperclassmen apartment complexes and graduate student housing units — including Bice, Copeley, Faulkner, Lambeth and Brandon Avenue residences.

The Latinx space committee has been tasked with collecting qualitative and quantitative data to provide a recommendation to the University with regards to creating a Latinx student space at the University. Members will also be appointed by the Diversity Engagement Committee with additional appointments possible by the Student Council president. The Latinx space committee is expected to release a recommendation by the end of this semester.

Since the release of the Our University to Shape proposal in October, there have been increased calls from members of the Latinx community for the creation of a Latinx space on Grounds to supplement the existing Multicultural Student Center which was established in October 2016 and is located in the basement of Newcomb Hall. There are currently 1,078 Hispanic undergraduate students — a 22 percent increase from 882 students in 2013 and an 85 percent increase from 584 students a decade ago.

Other initiatives Cintron cited from his administration include allowing students to print for free at the Programs and Councils Office in Newcomb Hall between April 15 and

final exams this semester from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Thursday and the University’s ongoing installation and stocking of machines that dispense free pads and tampons in certain women’s restrooms around Grounds. However, a continued source of University funding has yet to be identified if the program is made fully permanent.

This development is the culmination of months of Student Council-run trial projects, which have involved placing free menstrual hygiene products in women’s restrooms in Newcomb Hall, Madison House and libraries around Grounds. The projects were intended to demonstrate demand for this program to the University administration in the hope that Facilities Management would begin to provide funding for the initiative and that the initiative would be made permanent throughout Grounds.

“You need to deliver it to students, you can’t just warm the seat for a year,” Cintron said. “You need to actually act like you ran on something, and then you're going to accomplish those things, and accomplish as much as you can.”

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Students celebrate Virginia’s March Madness victories Both Final Four and national championship celebrations surrounding the University involved minimal crimes and arrest Bridget Starrs | Staff Writer After Virginia’s Final Four victory over Auburn Saturday and national championship win over Texas Tech Monday, the Charlottesville Police Department blocked off vehicular traffic on the Corner, on Elliewood Avenue and 14th Street from University Avenue to Wertland Street.

The CPD had primary control over police operations on the Corner Saturday and Monday, while the University Police Department had officers at both the McIntire Amphitheatre and the Aquatic & Fitness Center, where the University hosted Final Four viewings.

According to CPD Public Information Officer Tyler Hawn, all police operations surrounding the University were a joint effort between the CPD, UPD and the Virginia State Police, as well as other outside agencies.

“You had large police presence on hand, and that’s just to ensure that stu-

dents and fans, wherever they may be, especially in the Corner area, celebrating safely and responsibly,” Hawn said.

One University student was arrested by UPD officers for public intoxication at 1:42 a.m. Sunday morning on Culbreth road, according to Officer Benjamin Rexrode, community service and crime prevention coordinator for the UPD. No other arrests surrounding the University were made by the UPD, CPD or any other police departments and agencies Saturday and early Sunday.

According to Hawn, the CPD originally planned to keep University Avenue open to vehicular traffic after Saturday’s game. The department maintained the same goal for Monday evening, but had a plan in place to shut the road down if necessary. The CPD closed University Avenue to vehicular traffic again, however, as thousands of students and community members

filled the streets after Virginia’s win.

The CPD has some issues with open fires and drone usage Saturday night, Hawn said. A drone was reported flying in the University Hospital area after the game.

“Especially in the hospital area, drones are not recommended,” Hawn said. “They impact the flight path of Pegasus, which of course has crucial medevac equipment for the U.Va. hospital, so we’re asking that people not fly drones in the area of the U.Va. hospital.”

The Charlottesville Fire Department also responded to open fire reports of fireworks, flares and furniture fires Saturday.

Both the University and Charlottesville Police Departments are finalizing crime data from Monday night. According to Hawn, arrests were minimal and all crimes were low-level incidents.

RILEY WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Several students set couches on fire after Virginia beat Texas Tech in the national championship Monday night.

Students travel to Minneapolis to support men’s basketball The University offered a charter bus to transport students to and from Minnesota Jennifer Brice | Senior Writer After the men’s basketball team’s Elite Eight victory over Purdue March 30, 600 dedicated student fans began preparations to make the trek to Minneapolis, Minn. to support the team in Saturday’s Final Four game. The team proceeded to win Saturday’s game against Auburn, and students who purchased the $40 student ticket for the Final Four game were given free tickets to Monday night’s national championship game against Texas Tech — which the Cavaliers won for the first time in program history.

Standing between the students and the tournament, however, was an 18hour drive to Minneapolis or costly flight tickets while missing at least two days of missed classes.

An email from Virginia Athletics sent April 1 said students would be responsible for their own travel and accommodations, should they choose to purchase a student ticket — which were awarded on a first-come, firstserved basis. According to an email statement from Dean of Students Allen Groves, a survey conducted by the Office of Dean of Students’ Student Engagement staff gauged that of the 600 students who obtained the allotted student section tickets, half of them were interested in the University providing a charter bus as transportation.

“We heard from a number of students and parents asking if UVA might be able to offer one or more charter

buses to carry students to Minneapolis for the Final Four,” Groves said. “We were mindful of the fact some students might not be able to afford an airplane ticket on such short notice.”

Flight tickets to Minneapolis from Charlottesville typically cost around $200 to $500, but this weekend were upwards of $700 round trip. According to a tweet from Groves last Friday, the Seven Society donated $7,777.77 toward the cost of a charter bus to transport students to Minneapolis for Saturday’s Final Four game. Groves told The Cavalier Daily the total cost of a single charter bus for Friday through Tuesday, including accommodations for the driver, came to around $20,000.

Groves said the cost of students’ bus tickets was kept affordable but that not as many students signed up as anticipated, and he added that the remaining cost of the bus was covered by the President’s office and the Student Affairs Division.

“We charged students who chose to ride the bus $150 in order to keep the option affordable, and 35 ultimately signed up and rode it, resulting in a $5,250 contribution by students who paid,” Groves said. “We had expected closer to 50 students, which is the capacity of the bus.”

Some students who made the trip to Minneapolis said they appreciated that the University offered the bus service, but that the opportunity was not

presented until after their travel plans were already finalized. Second-year Architecture student Summer Harding said she was initially hoping the University would offer transportation to assist students but arranged to fly up using the convenience of travel points before the bus was officially offered.

“Unfortunately we didn’t know about it until Thursday afternoon, and a lot of kids had already made plans by that point, because they sent out a survey about interest, but it was a little bit late when they actually got it together to go with that option,” Harding said.

“But I think it was a really affordable and good option for the people who were able to do that.”

First-year College student Kieland Chandler said she almost ruled out going to the game, because as a first-year, she doesn’t have access to a car. Chandler didn’t decide to get a ticket until she found a ride with upperclassmen.

“I got that email about the charter bus, and luckily, I had already worked out my plans, but it’s definitely something I would have considered if I didn’t already have a ride,” Chandler said. “So I thought it was great that they provided that.”

In an email sent to the University community Monday afternoon, Groves announced that the University Provost decided not to alter the academic schedule in light of Mon-

day night’s championship game.

“One of the things that makes UVA special is its uncompromised commitment to excellence in academics and athletics,” Groves wrote in a University-wide email Monday. “There is no better way to support our values and our true student-athletes than to cheer for them on the court, on the field, and on the water, and return to Grounds the next morning ready to contribute in the classroom.”

Students who attended the games had reached out to professors and explained their situation to varying degrees of understanding.

“I’m missing a lot of class which has been hard,” Chandler said. “But I emailed my professors and let them

know I wouldn’t be there, and a lot of them were like, ‘Yeah OK, that’s fine, have a great time, but it’s also not excused.’”

Second-year Engineering student Sam Kim drove to Minneapolis for the games as well and happens to be missing an exam on Tuesday. His professor is allowing him to take the test at a later date but with a ten percent deduction. Kim said that he was willing to make the sacrifice and miss the exams, but he said professors and the University should be more understanding of this situation.

“If students are in Minnesota, give us some grace about our exams, because we’re cheering for our team,” Kim said.

LAUREN MOHAN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

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Examining the low-income student experience on Grounds From clothing to careers: students from low-income backgrounds face a variety of mental health, social challenges when arriving at the Univeersity Ali Sullivan | Senior Writer For some students, springtime at the University means trading Bean Boots and Canada Goose jackets for Lilly Pulitzer sundresses and Ray-Ban sunglasses. But for Ellie Brasacchio, a third-year College student and Student Council president, the sartorial changes that accompany rising temperatures are merely another reminder of the socioeconomic divide at the University. 67 percent of students who attend the University are in the top 20 percent of the federal income bracket, and the median family income of a student at the University sits at $155,500. Meanwhile, 2.8 percent of students come from the bottom 20 percent of the federal income bracket.

“Tangible displays of wealth, like Bean boots, Canada Goose jackets — these kinds of things that we joke about — to low-income students, just show the enormous divide between the regular U.Va. affluent student and the small population of low-income students that we have here,” Brasacchio said.

However, many reminders of the socioeconomic divide aren’t so tangible. According to Curry Dean Robert Pianta, attending an institution of higher education as a low-income student involves a myriad of structural hurdles in academic, social and professional life. This is because of the disadvantages posed by gaps between low and higher income families.

“The gaps in [low-income] experiences relative to the peers in college who come from higher income families or communities are really pronounced,” Pianta said.

First days on Grounds Third-year College students Brandon Thompson and Raven Earnest arrived on Grounds unaware of many of the opportunities available to low-income and first generation students. When they eventually found a sense of place at the University, it was largely self-motivated. Frustrated by the price tag that accompanies membership to many Contracted Independent Organizations and Greek organizations — the latter of which can cost up to $1,790 in dues per semester — Earnest and Thompson resorted to concentrating on academics “because that’s paid for.”

Thompson said he spent his first semester at the University on the brink of transferring but decided to reach out to the Career Center.

To Thompson, the Career Center was a place that might bring him the sense of belonging he had been searching for. “[The Career Center] was like

a neutral environment for me to go to and figure out what I can do to get out of the situation I'm in,” Thompson said. “And that was sort of the catalyst to bring me to the point that I am at today, so it took it definitely took self-initiative.”

Now as the vice chair of communication at the Career Center and a resident advisor in Lambeth, Thompson uses his positions to reach out to other students who might also be at a disadvantage or lack motivation to reach out to University resources such as the Career Center. Thompson also works as the selections co-chair of Hoos First Look — a student-run program initiated in 2018 through which 20 low-income and/or first-generation high school juniors are provided with a three-day visit to the University.

Thompson said his job at the Career Center has provided him with opportunities to engage a range of counselors, alumni and employers. Thompson noted that his employment at the University is unique, and that other employment opportunities on Grounds might lack the same opportunities for widespread engagement.

Recently, student workers in Newcomb Hall have been protesting proposed changes to Newcomb Hall’s employment structure which many believe spur from the Office of the Dean of Students’ budget deficit — changes which they fear threaten their job security. Numerous student workers — many of whom are minority students from low-income backgrounds — rely on that income to help pay the cost of tuition at the University.

Earnest spent the summer of 2018 working as an Orientation Leader — a platform she used to mentor students by communicating concrete advice on how to navigate their first year at the University.

“You have to prepare for all these various situations that student may be coming from, including personal income, which is really cool to sort of see institutional training on that,” Earnest said.

Earnest and Thompson both noted that while these involvements made the University feel like more of a home, the culture of student self-governance at the University — which esteems student independence — inhibits low-income students from finding institutionally-backed resources and support.

“They’re describing a burden as a privilege,” Earnest said. “We’ve always had this burden to push initiatives ourselves.”

Pianta explained that such lack

of explicit guidance in higher education proves particularly stressful for low-income students.

“If what we're dependent upon are the students — who are already kind of stressed and scrambling to try to just keep up and adjust to a very, very different context — to have to go find those resources themselves, I think we've placed yet another burden on them,” Pianta said.

Low-income students are often unable to engage with what Pianta calls the “hidden curriculum” — which, for wealthier students, often involves educational summer camps, professional training opportunities, tutoring and other educational opportunities.

Meanwhile, Pianta noted the “hidden curriculum” for low-income students involves navigating the challenges associated with attending higher-education from a low-income household.

“Over many years, those differences add up tremendously and place the kids from better income families at a distinct advantage when they move into employment opportunities,” Pianta said.

“They've just been kind of schooled in how to engage employers, what are the best work habits, to engage in how to begin to take risks and be somewhat entrepreneurial.”

Financial literacy challenges While many CIOs on Grounds fall short of being accessible to low-income students, Brasacchio and Thompson agree that the financial aid they have received from the University meets their needs. The U.Va. and the University of North Carolina are the only two public schools in the country which meet 100 percent of demonstrated need.

“U.Va. actually gives a lot of financial aid,” Brasacchio said. “AccessUVA is a really great financial aid option, because it's grants not loans, so I don't have to pay it back, which is great.”

AccessUVA, a program housed in the Office of the Dean of Students, provides financial aid recipients and first-generation college students with grant-based financial aid and mentorship. The program, launched in 2004, provides institutional support for students through online newsletters, oneon-one meetings, financial literacy programs and other resources for emotional and academic support.

The Office of the Dean of Students did not respond to request for comment.

Scott Miller, director of Student Financial Services, explained that SFS uses a student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid

form — used to determine federal eligibility for financial aid — in combination with their College Scholarship Service Profile, which enumerates expected family contribution. Then, SFS examines sources of aid from federal and Virginia state programs to create a financial aid package. Packages include loans, grants and work study in order to meet 100 percent of need demonstrated in the prior financial assessments.

While this process allows students to graduate with low levels of debt, Thompson and Brasacchio said that difficulties arise when navigating the financial aid process itself. Both students fill out the financial aid forms on their own, which required them to independently develop a high level of financial literacy.

“You're dealing with family, that isn't going to help you ... whether that's literally just because they won’t help you, which is a travesty, or because they want to but they don't have the capability to do it because they don't have the educational background that is required to understand these documents in their full capacity,” Thompson said. “It's an all-around issue for these extreme students that are in massive financial need, and need tens of thousands of dollars to come here and trying to basically do this independently.”

Brasacchio explained that the process has recently become even more difficult for many students, as the office now requires noncustodial parents to submit a CSS Profile for dependent students applying for financial aid. If the noncustodial parent refuses to submit their financial information, students can be denied financial aid.

The subsequent process to appeal the decision can prove distressing for students who have upsetting histories with the noncustodial parent. “[If denied financial aid], then you have to basically tell your life story to financial services to show them that you grew up in a single parent household and the other parent hasn't contributed to anything,” Brasacchio said. “Which has been a very traumatizing for a lot of students having to relive all the experiences of their childhood, that led up to this point where they have to appeal to Student Financial Services.”

According to Pianta, the undue stress that accompanies the financial aid process, along with challenges at home, can take a toll on a student’s mental health and physical health.

Moving Forward Issues of accessibility for low-income and first generation students at the University has risen to particular salience since President Jim Ryan has publicly affirmed his mission to make the University a more welcoming place for first generation and low- and middle-income students. In October 2018, Ryan announced that students from Virginia families earning less than $80,000 a year and have “typical assets” will be able to attend the University tuition-free. Students whose families earn less than $30,000 a year with typical assets will be eligible for free room and board on top of the free tuition.

“That's a great starting initiative,” Thompson said. “You won't find a lot of — especially incoming — presidents with his background and he just went after that first thing, and I really appreciate it …

But it's just like, ‘OK, great. You made the initiative for in state kids. You covered Virginia kids.

What about the rest of us?’”

Moreover, Brasacchio’s successful campaign for Student Council President focused heavily on accessibility and inclusion for this same group of students. Brasacchio explained that these goals mean providing current students with a sense of belonging while creating the groundwork necessary for future low-income and first-generation students to feel the same.

Thompson said he has been pleased with the rising discourse in regard to the inclusivity of low-income and first generation students, but he noted that institutional mentality — particularly at the University, where student self-governance has dominated since the institution’s conception — will take generations to progress.

“It's a really tough task because you're trying to change an entire perspective of a school that was meant for a certain demographic for 150 years,” Thompson said. “We have to somehow make this place a place where we belong, where all those years prior we weren't. So changing that mentality, it takes generations.”

While many challenges accompany attending the University from a low-income background, Brasacchio said that overcoming those hurdles leaves students with valuable knowledge and experiences to bring to the post-graduate world.

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L

LIFE As the final whistle sounded on Monday, students around Grounds poured out of their apartments, out of bars, out of John Paul Jones Arena and rushed towards the intersection of University Avenue and 14th street. Pulled towards each other by magnetic joy, we formed an exultant mob of orange and blue, of sweat and laughter. The raucous throng stretched from White Spot all the way around the Corner to Wertland Street.

People cheered from the Wertland and 14th parking garage balcony. Students climbed on top of cars and danced. Some intrepid fans climbed onto the train bridge and shouted their joy while clinging to the rusted, precarious ledge. I hugged strangers, strangers hugged me.

We bounced off each other, a churning horde of delight.

As I jogged into the street with my friends, I kept saying the same sentence aloud over and over again to myself, to my friends and to any stranger I passed —“We’re national champions. We’re national champions.

We’re national champions!”

When moments like this leave us speechless, sometimes the best we can do is to simply state the facts over and over again. I had to keep saying it. I had to convince myself it was true.

Bit by bit, the mob turned and headed for the Lawn. Music blasted from rooms on both sides of the grass. Hundreds of students celebrated by streaking, laughing and shouting as they made their way down the steps and sprinted off towards the south end of the Lawn. Naked bodies flew through the dusk. Abandoned clothes were left draped all over the steps of the Rotunda. Electric happiness reverberated through the bricks and columns of the University’s historic center.

Queen’s “We Are the Champions” played from one Lawn room.

It’s the cheesiest song in the world, but it couldn’t have been more perfect for that moment.

Sports hold a unique power to spark these waves of collective joy. College provides a unique opportunity to revel in that joy.

Collective terror, then — swish!

— total exultation. A dizzying spectrum of human emotions experienced all together in the space of just a few seconds.

Nothing else I’ve experienced can achieve quite the same effect.

In November, in the wake of a heartbreaking football loss to Virginia Tech, I wrote a column about Virginia sports and los-

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Historic loss gives way to historic joy U.Va. celebrates after winning first NCAA men’s basketball championship Ben Hitchcock | Life Columnist ing — two things that seemed inextricably connected. Our men’s basketball team’s March Madness losses alone comprise an impressive list. Five years ago, we were favored against Michigan State and lost. Four years ago, we were again favored against Michigan State and again lost. Three years ago, Syracuse upset us, and the year after that, we posted just 39 points in a blowout loss against Florida. Then, of course, there was UMBC. I’m a fourth-year.

I’m from Charlottesville. Each of these losses is etched into my brain. But now, they look a little different.

If you wrote this season as a movie, Hollywood executives would dump the script in the garbage. It’s too perfect. The redemption arc is too clean. One year ago, this team suffered the most embarrassing loss in the history of college basketball.

This week, they hoisted the ultimate college basketball trophy.

There’s no question that this season doesn’t happen without last season. The 2019 Cavaliers played with unsurpassed grit and unity and determination.

As usual, Coach Tony Bennett said it best, “If you learn to use it right — the adversity — it will buy you a ticket to a place you couldn't have gone any other way.”

Each win was more magical than the next. Mamadi Diakite’s shot against Purdue. Kyle Guy’s precise free throws under pressure against Auburn. De’Andre Hunter’s last-ditch equalizer against Texas Tech. If you’re lucky, you get to watch one win like that in your life as a sports fan. We got three in nine days.

After the win, after the partying, I sat on the Lawn almost until sunrise. I wanted to feel the grass and dirt on my palms.

I wanted to feel the spring evening on my skin. I wanted to savor that moment of joy. The lights on the Rotunda twinkled in front of me.

Now, I sit writing this column on the afternoon of the day after the game. Nearby music and cheering floats through the orange-and-blue sky. The celebrations haven’t slowed yet. Moments like these happen maybe once in a lifetime — and everyone here is determined to make this moment last as long as possible.

RILEY WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

As the final whistle sounded on Monday, students around Grounds rushed towards the intersection of University Avenue and 14th street.

RILEY WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

University students celebrate the NCAA men’s basketball championship by climbing onto a bridge.

RILEY WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

University students portray joy and glee after the historic win.

www.cavalierdaily.com • LIFE

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019

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Am I O.K. with graduating?

The classic fourth-year question brings me back to first year John Patterson | Life Columnist I’ve been going on these reminiscing binges lately where I flip through old photos, reread old essays, stuff like that. I’m not sure why.

I guess graduation didn’t feel close until now. Maybe if I nestle myself in the earlier memories of my college timeline, the end will once again feel far away? That’s probably part of it.

But mainly I enjoy seeing how much of a clueless cutie first-year John was and how much I’ve grown. Still clueless at times, but don’t I look taller now than in that 2015 Halloween picture?

On my latest bender I dug up the first article I ever wrote for The Cavalier Daily. I knew I wanted to join the paper since before Move-In Day, so it was the first thing I applied to in September. The application for this gig, Life Columnist, asked me to write a sample article. So I scribbled up a piece and gave it a title that described my entire first-year — “Lost in Thought while Lost in Newcomb.”

I talked about the significance of the

first bathroom I used on Grounds — Newcomb first floor, men’s room at the end of the hall, first stall on the left. Where I first left my mark on the University.

I sent in my story, then checked my inbox constantly for a week until I finally got a reply from The Cavalier Daily. I didn’t get in.

Whoops!

I don’t blame the editors for not taking me. My article was awful in the cutest way. To give you an idea, at one point I said “I use that bathroom. As a waypoint. That’s my Point A, that’s where I was born into University life.” I guess I reached the border of how many potty jokes were tolerable and drove right past it.

In this fashion, “two weeks of college old” Baby John, splashes around in mediocrity for a page until he stands up to deliver this: “U.Va. has a lot more places than the Newcomb bathrooms. I look forward to filling the rest of Grounds

with memories. There’s more ahead of me than behind me. More to see than I’ve seen and more to learn than I already know. Grounds will always be Grounds, but I won’t be the same person leaving them as I am now discovering them.”

I shut my laptop and ripped open the Oreos. I don’t remember writing that. But here I am, eight semesters older, and I can tell him he was right.

I’ve changed. The John who wrote that was a 2015 Toyota Prius. Now I’m the 2019 Honda Accord with heated leather seats. He was on the McDonald’s Dollar Menu, I’m on the All Day Breakfast one, baby. Revolutionary. He cried when he first called home from his dorm room, I only teared up reading what he had to say in his rejected Cavalier Daily application.

“Even though Grounds isn’t moving, time is, and there are memories to make in this moment before it flies away!” he wrote. That was the last sentence.

Nevermind, I cried.

I think the guy who wrote that would be proud of me. I did what I came here to do. I filled these Grounds to the brim with memories. This reminds me of an important one I made in the beginning of this semester, when I moved my car in the middle of the night as it snowed. My walk back home turned into a wander, and I found myself alone on Central Grounds. On the blank canvas of snow, I could see my memories play out in the same spots they did years ago, like Anastasia does in that “Once Upon a December” song. You were alive when “Anastasia” came out in 1997, right? Am I getting old?

Anyway, I could see first-year John standing by the Amphitheater trying to figure out which of these buildings was Newcomb again? I saw second-year John get his second kiss in front of Minor Hall. I watched third-year John enjoy the quiet walk to bars. And I saw all three of them

criss-cross each other on their way to class. And there I was too, watching snow fall silently on cement.

I get asked a lot how I feel about leaving. I’m okay with it. Even though sometimes I like to revel in my sappy nostalgia and eat a sleeve of Oreos, underneath that I’m still okay with it. Because on Final Exercises when I walk down the steps of the Rotunda — assuming the weather is nice and I pass SPAN 2020 — I’ll know something. The same thing I knew four years ago. There’s more ahead of me than behind me. More to see than I’ve seen, and more to learn than I already know.

Let the sun come up on May 18 and stretch the purple shadows across the Lawn. I’m ready.

Politics Lecturer Syaru Shirley Lin invests in happiness From managing director at Goldman-Sachs to dual professorship — how happiness is sustainable through it all Elise Kim | Feature Writer Not many people can say they hold the record for the youngest female managing director at Goldman-Sachs, graduated cum laude from Harvard College in three years or single-handedly spearheaded Goldman’s investments in technology start-ups through the principal investment area for Asia. That is, except for Syaru Shirley Lin, who has been a professor in the University politics department since the fall of 2012 and an adjunct associate professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. At the University, Lin teaches classes on international economies, specifically in Asia.

Right after college, Lin joined Morgan Stanley, working at least 100 hours a week before moving on to work at Goldman Sachs.

“It was a perfect fit,” Lin said. “I loved my job. There were awful people, there were great people. There were awful clients, and there were great clients, but whatever it was, I loved it. I wanted to go to work, solve the problem ... At 31, they told me I would be the youngest managing director. They started to put me on all the ads — Forbes, Fortune 500.”

Lin moved on to lead various ventures at Goldman Sachs, serving as a founding board member on numerous groups and foundations.

She currently serves on several boards — including the Goldman Sachs Asia Bank — and as a member of the Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation, appointed by the Hong Kong government.

In the academic setting, Lin’s faculty peers and past students spoke about her powerful personality. Sociology Prof. Krishan Kumar — the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Sociology at the University — commends her ability to masterfully incorporate her past experience in private investment with her teachings in the academic setting.

“She keeps a foothold in her previous life, and I think this feeds very helpfully into her academic work,” Kumar said. “She has a kind of knowledge from participation in a non-academic world that most of us don’t have. We read about those things, but she actually lives in them.”

Kelly Abbinanti, Class of 2016 alumna who now works in defense consulting at the Pentagon in tandem to studying at Georgetown University’s security studies program, describes the insights that Lin’s teaching style has impressed upon her and how this applies to how she approaches issues today.

“If you really want to under-

stand an issue — this could be a personal issue, a global issue, a national security issue — you have to look at it and analyze it from all perspectives,” Abbinanti said. “That was … something I saw Prof. Lin do so, like her experience in China, in Hong Kong, in Taiwan, in the U.S. [Altogether] it was something that she used to put this story together that literally pioneered the way that people look at cross-strait relations.”

James Johnson, Class of 2017 alum currently studying public policy at the University of Chicago’s graduate program, noted how, despite Lin’s groundbreaking achievements, she still remains modest and appreciative of her students, expressing curiosity and support for their current endeavors.

“Prof. Lin is one of the kindest, most gracious human beings I’ve met during my time at U.Va.,” Johnson said. “She’s been a great support system in the time frame since and has kept in touch with me and made sure I was on a path that was going to be a good one for me.”

Amidst this ascension in the worlds of private equity, venture capital and academia at the University, a lingering question begged to be answered — was true happiness sustainable throughout all of these

endeavors and accomplishments?

Everything comes at a price — an adage ironically applied to Lin’s experiences and ventures. Despite the burdensome prospects of a working life apart from her family on one hand and conducting solo research through the University of Hong Kong for her doctorate on the other, she still views this tradeoff optimistically.

“What sustained me was looking at bad companies and good companies — that together is what makes me so knowledgeable,” Lin said. “I love that every company I looked at, I knew 50 other of their competitors, so that made me realize that I was an expert — and that really makes it satisfying.”

This knowledge and experience is what catalyzed Lin to the success she has achieved today. She refers to this as the result of constant tradeoffs. On the flip side of attaining her expertise, Lin had to work long hours, traveling for excessively long periods of time in order to investigate state-owned enterprises in mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore to potentially privatize.

Her time spent researching at home in Hong Kong reveals an accompanying trade-off. She recalls the loneliness that she felt in lieu with her doctoral research, unable

to be surrounded by the companies and colleagues with whom she would have otherwise collaborated if she had stayed in the business world.

“The only contact I had with the world was when I was a teacher’s assistant because I was a Ph.D. student, even though I was so much older,” Lin said. “I loved those students because I didn’t really know young or local people. So suddenly, I started to get to know the city where I was living, and I had so much fun.”

Lin said her ability to capitalize on her skills, passions and values in the long run has allowed her to achieve new heights unprecedented by others in the investment and privatization fields.

“I think I do a lot of things that eventually make me an expert — whether it’s in investing or as an expert on China-Taiwan relations — it takes years,” Lin said. “And so in the process, you’re not happy every day, but looking back, I’ve had a very happy set of careers.”

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LIFE • www.cavalierdaily.com

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Betta fish

You may think betta fish are just for little kids with parents who don’t want to take care of a real animal, but they are not to be overlooked.

My first year, I had a beautiful betta named Cheeseburger, and I swear he could recognize my face. Sure, they don’t do much, but sometimes it’s nice to take care of something and have a companion that literally can’t leave you. RIP Cheeseburger. I hope you’re enjoying that big fish bowl in the sky.

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ANGELA CHEN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Pet rock

Pet rocks are great because you EMMA HITCHCOCK | can personalize THE CAVALIER DAILY them, love them or even forget they exist. They require no leash training — just tie a rope around them — or potty training due to the fact that they’re completely insentient. In a way, this makes them the ideal pet. When you really need a companion after totally failing your last test or being ghosted by a really cute Tinder match, your rock will always be there for you.

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Squirrel

I think squirrels are underappreciated animals. Everyone thinks they’re creepy little rodents, but they’ve never done anything to hurt anyone. Also remember in middle school when everyone went crazy over sugar gliders? They were sold in malls and on the internet, and the coolest kids at school all had one. Squirrels are basically the bigger, wilder version! They’re everywhere on Grounds, so you should have no trouble picking out your next furry friend. Just make sure it doesn’t have

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Boston Dynamics robot

Vine really helped Boston Dynamics — an American engineering and robotics company — gain popularity.

There are so many videos of robots being pushed by sticks or slipping on banana peels which are similar to animal videos. Also, the human brain loves to make emotional connections with inanimate objects — just look at the recent Roomba fad — so why not introduce a robot to your home? A robot will be ready for you whenever you need it. Just give it a quick charge and a pat on the head, and it’s ready to go.

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Mold

Mold is wildly easy to grow, and you’d be lying if you said there wasn’t one spot in your apartment where it might be lurking right now. Maybe it’s not your fault there’s mold growing — perhaps your roommate is really unhygienic or some guy in your building broke a sprinkler that caused the entire floor to flood — but there’s no reason you shouldn’t take advantage of it.

Download one of those baby photography apps and document your mold’s growth each day.

Welcome to parenthood!

TOP 10

BEST PETS TO HAVE IN COLLEGE College life can get a little lonely, but a pet can keep you company Ashley Botkin | Top 10 Writer

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Flubber

I had forgotten about the movie “Flubber” until very recently, but somehow my brain accessed it from deep in the recesses of my mind. In the movie, Robin Williams plays a scientist that creates a substance with a mind of its own — flubber. It’s shaped like a little green blob man, and it’s very mischievous. It’s basically like having a new puppy with the added ability to multiply and change shape, so definitely only get this pet if you’re ready for a very hands-on approach.

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THE CAVALIER DAILY

Dust bunnies

Do you have the need to cuddle something immediately? Do you want to hold something that feels vaguely like fur? Try a dust bunny!

They’re everywhere — no matter how thoroughly you clean your apartment. You could even try forming your dust blob into something that looks sort of like a bunny — I recommend using the lint from your dryer to really hold the shape. On second thought, just keep an emergency stuffed animal for tough times like these.

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Empty school supplies

I can’t be the only one that hoards dry pens, empty mechanical pencils or dry printer cartridges. I keep telling myself I’ll get that cartridge refilled at Cavalier Computers, or I’ll pick up some pencil lead at the Bookstore, but we all know that’s never going to happen. If you’re like me and you feel bad throwing things away, show your tools some love and make them your pets.

After all, they did a lot of work for you.

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Rubber ducky

Rubber duckies are great because they come in so many varieties, and they can accompany you just about anywhere — even the bathtub.

They’re small enough to fit in your pocket or your backpack, so they can inconspicuously accompany you to class. Birds aren’t your style? Think again! There are even duckies shaped like dogs.

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ANGELA CHEN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

A cat — specifically my cat

I know we can’t all share my sweet kitty, but at least everyone can appreciate how special he is. He’s gigantic — a whopping 15 pounds — he likes to ride on my shoulders and he’s about to turn 2 years old. Ancho is registered as an emotional support animal at the University, and there really isn’t another cat like him. I recognize that you won’t be able to recreate his perfection if you get your own cat, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t try.

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PUZZLES

www.cavalierdaily.com • PUZZLES

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WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE Dan Goff | Puzzle Master * THE SOLUTION TO THIS PUZZLE CAN BE FOUND IN THE NEXT ISSUE

Across 5 One of the official languages of South Africa 7 Two-word color which denotes vegetables 9 Katy Perry gets sand in this type of shoe 10 In "Game of Thrones," Varys is this 11 Hawks, ospreys, eagles 13 Transparent, pale mineral sometimes used as a gemstone 14 Deceptive, sly 18 The morning after the big win, you might've felt this hyphenated emotion — particularly if four- and 12-down apply to you 21 Along with four-, six- and 12down, this is one way people chose to celebrate after we won the NCAA championships 22 One-wheeled vehicle 23 Cowardly 24 This and 14-across don't really go together Down 1 The art of writing and performing a certain type of sentimental song — or poem, archaically 2 Kyle Guy apparently has one of a rocket on his finger, and another of David and Goliath on his leg 3 Without foundation 4 With "heavily," one way people seem to enjoy celebrating a championship win 6 Though it's unclear why this is a celebratory act, people also apparently do this two-word action to couches 7 Guidelines for an essay 8 With "and," often paired with 15down 12 Depending on how heavily celebrants got into four-down, they might also do this two-word thing the next day 15 With "and," often paired with seven-down 16 Coming off in thin pieces 17 Fill a space 18 A magician usually has some tricks up his or her ___ 19 A horse ___ 20 Rats live on no evil ___

* SOLUTION FROM LAST ISSUE

S P L P A T W E F J U L

I R B N

A D J A C E N T

H G U M I N N G T P O W E R

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

G U I D E D O G T I G E R S

S L T I F A I E R I V V E U E S R A P P S I T A L U L H T O W E A E L A Y Y

Y E

A E L S

www.cavalierdaily.com • SPORTS

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NATIONAL CHAMPS Virginia beats Texas Tech in overtime 85-77 The Cavaliers win it all for the first time ever behind Hunter’s career-high 27 points Zach Zamoff | Sports Editor

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CHRISTINA ANTON, RILEY WALSH & RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

irginia has finally done it.

The Cavaliers (35-3) won the first National Championship in school history Monday night, beating Texas Tech (31-7) 85-77 in overtime to win it all.

Two nights after beating Auburn in the closing seconds, and a week after going to the Final Four off an overtime buzzer beater, Virginia came up with yet another miracle to defeat Texas Tech.

Down by three points in regulation with less than 20 seconds to go, the Cavaliers needed a three to tie the game. Sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter had the answer, draining a corner three off a pass from junior guard Ty Jerome to send the game to overtime.

Hunter was outstanding all game. He had a career-high 27 points on 4-5 shooting from three, doing it inside and outside, and played great defense on Texas Tech standout sophomore guard Jarrett Culver, holding him to just 5-22 shooting.

Hunter, who had just 5 first half points, exploded in the second half and overtime.

“De'Andre [Hunter] usually lets it come, and that — I think he grew up in a way in this tournament in the second half of the Auburn game, and definitely — and he was getting his shots, but he just — you saw it in him, and that — when he puts that into it, boy, he's special,” Coach Tony Bennett said.

Hunter made a go-ahead three in overtime to put Virginia up 75-73, and the Cavaliers cruised the rest of the way to victory. They were 12-12 from the line in overtime and iced the game with ease.

The first half was all the game was chalked up to be — a defensive battle.

It was a slow start for both teams offensively with just one field goal combined in the first 5:34.

Junior guard Kyle Guy and Jerome made two baskets to end the scoring drought for Virginia early, bringing the Cavaliers up 7-3, and a smooth pass from Jerome to junior transfer guard Braxton Key ended in a dunk to put Virginia up 9-3.

Texas Tech sophomore guard Davide Moretti answered with a three, the Red Raiders’ first field goal of the game, but Guy responded with a stepback three of his own to put the Cavaliers up 12-6.

Sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter’s assertiveness early was also huge for the Cavaliers. He made two free throws after catching his own putback to put Virginia up 17-7.

Four three-pointers by the Red Raiders, however, tied things up at 19 apiece with 7:34 to play in the half.

The Red Raiders found some momentum. Their defenders were swarming, and the Cavaliers struggled on offense, punctuated by a Guy travel.

They took a 25-21 lead, their biggest of the night, on a shot from senior guard Matt Mooney. Freshman guard Kihei Clark had the answer on the next possession, however, as he buried a three to make it a one-point game with 4:24 to play in the half.

The Cavaliers went into the half on a good note with great ball movement leading to a wide open three from Jerome. It was Virginia up 32-29 going into the break, the Cavaliers’ first lead since the 6:39 mark in the first half.

Virginia started the second half off hot. Guy made a three on the first possession, and a pair of free throws from Hunter put the Cavaliers up 37-29.

The Red Raiders came within four points on a three from senior guard Brandone Francis, but Hunter responded with a three of his own to make it 45-38.

Hunter made another three to make it 50-41 Virginia, sending the Cavaliers into the media timeout with a nine-point lead.

Jerome found Guy on a no-look pass for a three to get Virginia’s lead to ten, 53-43 with 10:22 to go,

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SPORTS • www.cavalierdaily.com

CHRISTINA ANTON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

himself, and he's honest, and he's just got it,” Bennett said of Guy. “He did it again and made big shots, and I've seen that from — you look at him, and he's not the most physical guy, but it's inside.”

Jerome, who had 16 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds in the game, noted the remarkable unity of this Virginia team when reflecting on the win.

“I'm just thinking this is a dream come true, and it's even more than that because you never even imagine you'll be able to spend a year with people you actually love, your teammates and your coaches,” Jerome said. “Not a lot of people get along like we do, so to share this moment with them is unbelievable.”

Coach Tony Bennett has the Cavaliers on top. A year after a historic defeat, Virginia came up with a historic victory Monday night.

“It's a great story,” Bennett said.

“That's probably the best way I can end this. It's a great story.”

Led by Coach Tony Bennett, who was hired to coach at Virginia just over 10 years ago, the 2018-19 Virginia Cavaliers won the National Championship for the first time in program history.

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Hunter was 4-5 from three-point range against Texas Tech, despite shooting just 5-19 from three in his five previous games in the NCAA Tournament.

but two consecutive layups from Moretti made it a six-point game.

The Cavaliers led 59-53 as Jerome called a timeout with 4:47 to go.

But Texas Tech was not going away easily. Mooney drained a corner three to make it 59-56, then a tough lay-in by senior center Norense Odiase and the free throw tied it up at 59 apiece

with 3:28 left.

Junior forward Mamadi Diakite made two big free throws, but Culver tied it up at 61 with two free throws of his own.

Hunter made a tough shot over Culver to make it 63-61, and a Guy lay-in had the Cavaliers’ lead back out to four.

The Red Raiders wouldn’t go

away, however, and a three from Moretti with 1:31 remaining made it a one-point game.

Culver got by Hunter to give the Red Raiders a 66-65 lead with 35 seconds left, their first lead of the half.

Jerome’s attempt to retake the lead rimmed out, and the Cavaliers fouled, sending Odiase to the line. He made both, putting the Red Raiders up three.

Hunter made the game-tying three, and the rest was history. The Cavaliers pulled off yet another miracle in the NCAA Tournament and dominated the last two minutes of overtime to win the first National Championship in school history.

Virginia’s “big three” of Hunter, Guy and Jerome — who all came to Charlottesville in the same recruiting class — led the Cavaliers to victory.

“When they came on the recruiting visit, I remember telling them, look, the foundation has been laid by guys — Joe [Harris] and Malcolm [Brogdon] were here and all the guys who went before,” Bennett said. “We had won some ACC championships, we've been to the Elite Eight. I said, ‘We're asking you to build on that foundation, and even at that house, that's going to be the hardest step. But if you're willing, we'll take a chance.’ That's why I mentioned the Rocky poster, I said I want guys who want a chance at a title fight.”

The “big three” certainly stepped up to Bennett’s challenge Monday night. They combined for 67 of Virginia’s 85 points, and all made the All-Final Four Team along with Mooney and Culver.

Guy was named Most Outstanding Player with a 24-point dis-

play two nights after carrying the Cavaliers to the championship game with his late-game heroics.

“I know he's a young man of faith and he has great confidence in

CHRISTINA ANTON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Most Outstanding Player Kyle Guy rebounded from a slow start in the NCAA Tournament to lead the Cavaliers to two hard-fought victories in Minneapolis.

www.cavalierdaily.com • SPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019

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More than redemption: The Hoos make history Virginia’s national championship means so much more than redeeming last year’s UMBC loss Emma D’Arpino | Associate Writer A year ago, the Virginia men’s basketball team found itself in an unprecedented position as they were the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in NCAA history. As the game winded down, the Cavaliers’ players sat chillingly still on the bench, helplessly watching the making of history. At the final buzzer, players were in tears and the world of college basketball had found a headline that would stick with Virginia for the next year. The UMBC taunts, the doubts about the Cavaliers’ ability to win in the tournament and the endless questions about how anyone could come back from such a loss all followed this team like a shadow.

Virginia cruised to another successful 2018-2019 regular season — the Cavaliers won a share of the ACC regular season title, and had just two losses in ACC play. For the second year in a row, Virginia was dominant in regular season play.

Yet as the postseason approached, the loss to the Retrievers lingered. As the top-seeded Cavaliers were eliminated from the ACC Tournament in the semifinal round against Florida State, some critics believed it would be another early exit for Virginia. As Virginia trailed by double-digits to No. 16 seed Gardner-Webb in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, the critics’ skepticism appeared to be validated. History looked poised to repeat itself.

But unlike last year, Virginia persevered this time around. The Cavaliers dismantled the Runnin’ Bulldogs in the second half, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2016, easing past No. 9 seed Oklahoma. The rest of their tournament was not easy, however — the Cavaliers had to continue to persevere.

“Just keep knocking,” Coach Tony Bennett said. “Sometimes the door gets slammed in your face, but maybe you can get your foot in the door, your shoulder, and if you keep knocking, perhaps you can bust it wide open. And these guys are certainly showing that.”

Against No. 3 seed Purdue, Virginia trailed by three points with five seconds left and needed a miraculous buzzer-beater from junior forward Mamadi Diakite to advance to the program’s first Final Four since 1984. Against No. 5 seed Auburn, Virginia trailed by four points with less than 20 seconds remaining and needed magic from junior guard Kyle Guy to advance to the championship game. Guy sank three free throws with steely composure to send the Cavaliers to their first-ever National Championship game.

On April 8, Virginia completed the ultimate redemption ride as they defeated Texas Tech to win the program’s first ever National Championship title. The players were overjoyed, Coach Bennett finally got to cut down the nets on the biggest stage and a new headline defined this team.

“To be able to hug each other with the confetti going and say we did it is the greatest feeling I’ve ever felt in basketball,” Guy said.

While that in itself is a terrific story, this championship is about more than rewriting the script that has been imposed on Virginia since last year’s NCAA Tournament — this program hasn't just been through the infamous UMBC game.

They’ve also been through the Syracuse Elite Eight game of 2016, where the Cavaliers blew a 15-point second-half lead to a No. 10 seed Orange team. They’ve been through a Sweet Sixteen matchup against Michigan State in 2014, where they lost in an absolute heartbreaker by two points. They’ve been through having one of the best college basketball players of all time, Ralph Sampson, and never picking up an ACC Tournament title or an appearance in the National Championship game.

For Cavalier faithful, Virginia seemed to be the team that came close but couldn’t go all the way.

And for Cavalier critics, every loss seemed to be proof of what was wrong with Virginia’s style and system.

Monday night’s championship game certainly came close to adhering to the program’s past. The

Cavaliers, who had been leading by 10 in the second half, were trailing by three with 22 seconds left on the clock, and a heartbreaker was on the horizon. But with 14 seconds of play left, sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter — who had been quiet in the first half before exploding with a monster second half — drained a three. Just as with the previous two rounds, Virginia wasn’t going away.

Coach Bennett called his team “as resilient and tough-minded as I’ve seen.”

In overtime, the Cavaliers came out and played with a killer confi-

dence. They didn’t appear flustered or fazed by the pressure, going a perfect 12-12 on free throws in the extra five minutes of play. The steady play guided them to a 85-77 win and the national championship that had eluded the program for so long.

“Every time [the team] comes into my office, I’ve got a poster of Rocky on the steps,” Coach Bennett said. “I told them, ‘I just want a chance at a title fight one day.’

That’s all we want and these guys came to fight in this title and we are the champs.”

This 2019 title carries so much weight. For supporters, it’s relief and happiness. For the Virginia critics, it’s pushback against the narrative that Virginia can’t win in March. For the players and Bennett, is means overcoming demons and making their dreams come true. For everyone, this moment is Virginia permanently cementing itself in the history of the sport as champions.

CHRISTINA ANTON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Despite trailing in the second half in five of their six NCAA Tournament games, the Cavaliers persevered to win the NCAA Tournament.

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Braxton Key had a game-high 10 rebounds in 29 minutes off the bench.

CHRISTINA ANTON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Ty Jerome had an impressive championship game, puncutuated by a game-high eight assists.

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CANTWELL: Way-too-early predictions for basketball Cavaliers will return a talented roster but face the difficult task of rebuilding team Colin Cantwell | Sports Editor The Virginia men’s basketball team certainly had its most successful season ever this year, winning the first national championship in program history. The Cavaliers will return a talented roster, but Coach Tony Bennett will have a difficult task on his hands replacing key players who have left for the NBA. Though this past season just ended Monday night, it’s never too early to make some predictions about the state of Virginia basketball next year.

De’Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome leave for the draft, but Kyle Guy stays Sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter is a nailed-on lottery pick. The national championship game against Texas Tech was absolutely the last time he’ll ever put on a Virginia jersey. However, junior guard Ty Jerome’s draft stock has always been murkier.

Many mock drafts have Jerome as a late first round pick, and for that reason, I think he will leave for the NBA as well.

Jerome doesn’t have the highest ceiling as an NBA player but has an incredibly high floor.

He can slot in immediately as a bench 3-and-D player on a playoff team like the Golden State Warriors or Boston Celtics. Junior guard Kyle Guy doesn’t project as easily as an NBA player, though, so he’ll be back for his senior season.

At a generous 6-foot-2, Guy is undersized for the shooting guard role he’s been playing for the Cavaliers. Guy would need to be a better ball handler to have a successful NBA career, and another season at Virginia can help him prove that to NBA General Managers.

Casey Morsell will get meaningful minutes from Day 1 Incoming freshman shooting guard Casey Morsell will pick up some of the minutes left behind

by Jerome. Morsell may not start immediately. However, Virginia is already fairly thin on guard depth, with only Jerome, Guy and Clark in the backcourt rotation in the NCAA Tournament.

Sophomore guard Marco Anthony saw a reduction in his minutes per game in his second season with the Cavaliers, which left an opening for Clark this year. I could see Morsell taking a similar trajectory, starting the season as a key bench player and eventually working his way into the starting lineup.

Kadin Shedrick will redshirt Under Bennett, Virginia has utilized the redshirt more than any other top program in the country, and it’s become essentially de rigueur for incoming big men to spend their first season in Charlottesville learning the defense with no game action.

Senior center Jack Salt, junior forward Mamadi Diakite, sopho-

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

After growing by leaps and bounds this year, junior forward Mamadi Diakite will only continue to improve on both sides of the ball next year.

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Kihei Clark started throughout much of the season and in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 6.3 points per game and 4.0 assists per game.

more forward Jay Huff and freshman forward Francesco Badocchi each had a redshirt season.

Incoming freshman center Kadin Shedrick will not be an exception to this rule. According to 247Sports, Shedrick is listed at 6foot-11, 200 pounds. Even Huff is listed at 232. Shedrick is going to need a season to bulk up before facing ACC competition.

Huff doesn’t have a guaranteed spot in the starting five Though he has become a fan favorite for his ability to shoot threes as a seven-footer, Huff still has yet to become a key part of the Virginia rotation. Huff played 18 minutes total in the NCAA Tournament, only four of which came in the Cavaliers’ last three games. Bennett only used six players total against Purdue and seven against Auburn, and Huff remained on the bench.

I could see Caffaro making the jump to the starting lineup. Bennett has compared him favorably to Salt, as well as Boston Celtics center Aron Baynes, who Bennett coached at Washington State.

Caffaro has more offensive polish than Salt with a more traditional big man skillset than Huff.

He could be a major part of next season’s Cavalier team. That said, regardless of whether he starts or

not, Huff will undeniably be an integral piece of Virginia’s team next year.

Diakite will average double figures As one of the breakout stars of the NCAA Tournament for Virginia, Diakite has shown marked improvement on both offense and defense, even finishing as Virginia’s leading scorer with 14 points against Oklahoma.

Though Diakite has been inconsistent as an option on offense, scoring only two points against Auburn, he will be a key scorer for the Cavaliers next season.

Virginia needs Diakite scoring in the paint to free up space for its guards to shoot three-pointers. Hunter’s ability to score inside and on the perimeter has been critical for Virginia the last two seasons, and while Diakite is a more one-dimensional offensive player than Hunter, the Cavalier offense needs an inside scoring threat, and he’s shown that he can provide that.

The Cavaliers will make it to the second weekend of the tournament Virginia is going to have a tough time rebuilding without Hunter and Jerome. However, many of the ACC’s other elite teams are facing similar situa-

tions. Duke’s trio of freshman stars are likely all NBA-bound, UNC loses Coby White, Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson and Florida State has several seniors who will be graduating, as does Virginia Tech, who is also likely losing Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the NBA and has lost Coach Buzz Williams to Texas A&M. The Cavaliers have the talent to be near the top of the ACC standings again next year and will likely be in the top 25 throughout the season. Virginia will expect to reach the second weekend of the tournament, and the Cavaliers should have a topfour seed. Anything can happen in March, and another Final Four run certainly isn’t out of the question, but Virginia will have a hard time replicating this season’s success without Hunter, Jerome and Salt.

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HUMOR For decades, U.Va. students have been wondering why they were rejected from their intended majors despite stellar GPAs, meaningful extracurriculars and a lifetime of previous success. Well rejects, rejoice.

The conspiracy has been uncovered.

Olivia Jade is coming to Charlottesville, and she took your spot in Comm School.

Olivia Jade, in case you haven’t connected to the internet in the last month, rose to fame after her celebrity parents were exposed for paying $500,000 to have her and her younger sister admitted to the University of Southern California as fake members of the women’s rowing team.

Unfortunately, she will no longer be returning to USC. Fortunately, U.Va. has taken this opportunity to add

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CARTOON

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U.Va. welcomes Olivia Jade into the class of 2023 yet another notable alumni to their roster.

“Honestly, I don’t really care about communications or whatever program I’m in now, but I’ve heard a lot of really good things about Trin, and I love basketball!” said Jade.

U.Va. Office of Undergraduate Admissions were thrilled when they heard a celebrity kid was up for grabs.

“When I found out that such a famous person got kicked out of USC, my entire body started shaking! I actually stopped breathing for a minute and blacked out! I was so freaking excited!” one dean of admissions said, who, like most students come exam time, looked as though she had been living off of caffeine, protein bars and their friend’s adderall prescription.

“We know that we couldn’t let this chance slip away from us, so we all put our heads together and came

up with the most prestigious accolade U.Va. has to offer — a B.S. in Commerce.”

Although U.Va. is known for its emphasis on honor, the University announced that in an effort to bring diversity to grounds, they will begin promoting diverse moral character as well. As long as you’re rich and a little bit discreet, you can basically do what you want.

Spots in similar application based majors like Batten, Global Studies and Media Studies were promised to elite applicants as well, including the younger daughter of Lori Loughlin and the kids of that dude on “Shameless.” Since they don’t have the same name recognition, each of their spots will cost a bit more.

“Yeah, they didn’t have quite the same social media clout as Olivia Jade, so those majors were the best we could do.” a representative from

the University’s admissions office said. An inside source revealed that those students’ applications didn’t even include their names. They just typed “$1 million” on every line of the Common Application.

“I was so confused when President Jim Ryan started spouting all these crazy ideas like paying employees a living wage and making college affordable for the middle class, but thanks to the generous bribes paid by these philanthropic future hoos, I’m back to not caring about the school’s finances like before!” thirdyear Chad McBrad said.

Although it’s impossible to know if you yourself were the student who got bumped to make room for the wealthy, take solace in knowing that it’s not your fault. You just don’t have the “diversity of experience, background, and skills” that the Comm school says it’s looking for on its website. Oh, and that it’s ridiculous

NCAA champs Gabby Fuller | Cartoon Editor

that at an already incredibly selective school filled with students who are more than qualified for whatever field they want to enter, U.Va. would rather stay super selective than hire more faculty and prepare students for their career goals. Next year, try starting a YouTube channel. Your SUMMER CLOTHING HAUL and GET READY WITH ME: COACHELLA videos would probably bring in more money than a consulting job anyways.

KATIE MCCRACKEN is Humor Columnist for The Cavalier Daily.

She can be reached at humor@cavalierdaily.com.

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LEAD EDITORIAL

Abolish the Echols Scholars program

OPINION

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The program in its current form creates an unnecessary academic hierarchy based on ambiguous criteria

ounded in 1960, the Echols Scholar program was created “to provide ambitious academic privileges to students while retaining them within the College of Arts & Sciences.” Created as an alternative to a “purely financial merit scholarship, or an entirely new honors college with its own faculty and courses,” this program was designed to provide a select group of students with several academic privileges not shared by other students in the College. Considering the already competitive pool of admitted students — not to mention the complete absence of specific criteria for admission on the Echols Scholar website — it is worrisome how vague the standards for acceptance to the program are. The Echols Scholars program in its current form creates an unnecessary academic hierarchy based on ambiguous criteria, which undermines the University’s mission to encourage intellectual diversity and equality within the student body.

The benefits offered by the Echols Scholars program include complete exemption from area requirements, additional advising

resources, special first-year living accommodations and priority registration for class sign-ups. These perks are in direct opposition to the University’s stated mission to foster intellectual curiosity among its students. The University’s College of Arts & Sciences “[believes] a good liberal arts education must provide students with an extensive base of intellectual content and skills that enables them to explore ideas, evaluate evidence critically, draw reasoned conclusions, and communicate one’s thoughts in a clear, coherent manner.”

The rationale behind exempting Echols Scholars from area requirements is twofold, with the first reason being that “most Echols Scholars have already met many of these requirements through AP or dual-enrollment college credits before enrolling at the University.” However, the logic behind allowing a student who is already exempt from some of their requirements to be exempt from all of them escapes us. For example, just because you placed out of the language requirement doesn’t mean you should be exempt from the Natural Sciences and Mathematics requirement. This is especially

questionable since so many students come into the University having taken courses exempting them from area requirements. If Echols Scholars receive these benefits because they already meet many of the requirements, then any student who has a sufficient number of college credits should be granted the same privileges. Furthermore, selecting scholars based on the number of college credits they have earned disproportionately benefits students from high-income school districts which offer more of these courses and often subsidize the costs of AP tests.

Additionally, “the Faculty Senate strongly believed that Scholars should be given the freedom to pursue their academic interests without first having to satisfy certain preliminaries.” But considering all students who are admitted to the University are incredibly high-achieving in terms of academics, it is unclear what is so exceptional about these few students that merits their exemption from a liberal arts education. Even if the Echols Scholars are academically superior to their peers, it is unclear why they are given the opportunity to circumvent courses that will challenge them. If anything,

they should have higher standards, not lower ones. This issue is exacerbated by the fact that Echols Scholars are given earlier course sign-up times, which not only gives them an unfair advantage, but also limits the ability of their peers to pursue their interests by filling up the most popular classes before anyone else has the chance to.

Echols Scholars are also given the privilege of living in Balz-Dobie their first year in an effort to insulate these students in a “common living environment.” The proclaimed purpose of this additional privilege stems from the program founders’ apparent realization that “daily interaction among avid learners would facilitate the development of a sense of community, engage novel thinking and ideas, provide support via peer advising.” Rather than create a special learning environment, however, this privilege ends up forging social stratifications at the beginning of college by labeling some students as intellectually superior to their peers. Balz-Dobie has also been criticized for its appalling lack of racial and socioeconomic diversity, where it has failed to accurately represent the demographics of the

rest of the student body. One of the greatest benefits of the typical firstyear living experience is that it allows students to meet diverse groups of people. As it stands, however, the Echols Scholars program creates an ivory tower that insulates a select group of students from their peers.

As long as students meet the University’s academic standards upon admittance, there is no reason why a select group of students should have so many more privileges than their peers. One of the greatest benefits of the liberal arts education is that it gives students a blank slate from high school where they are able to discover themselves intellectually and interact with one another on a level playing field. This level playing field cannot exist if we continue the Echols Scholars program in its current form. Therefore, we urge the College to abolish the program.

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

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THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019

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PUT ROAD COSTS ON THOSE WHO USE THEM A toll would better address the source of the problems on I-81

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he Virginia Legislature approved Gov. Ralph Northam’s amendments to a bill concerning improvements to be made to I-81 and revenue streams for those improvements last week.

Originally, the bill funded necessary improvements along the 325-mile stretch of Virginia interstate by implementing a toll on long-distance travel. However, the revised version of the bill shifts the burden of costs to a 2.1 percent fuel tax along I-81, which will raise the cost of gasoline by about seven cents a gallon. The Virginia legislature’s shift to a fuel-tax to fund the improvements is an example of infrastructure policy that pushes the cost of improvements onto those who were not responsible for the degradation of that infrastructure in the first place.

I-81 in Virginia was constructed between 1957 and 1987 and has become massively more congested since that time. As a small sample of the rise in congestion, a VDOT report identified that between 1978 and 2008, the average annual daily traffic figure for a northbound section of the interstate past Wytheville has increased from 7,100 to 37,000, a 421 percent increase. As a

longtime resident of the northern Shenandoah Valley area served by I-81, such data only confirms my personal conviction that the situation along I-81 is worsening. Bipartisan support for an infrastructure improvement bill for I-81 stems from the horrifying results of such congestion — 2,000 crashes on average a year, with six deaths just in Frederick County in 2017 from such crashes.

ments via tolls would primarily have affected those traveling long distances, as toll plazas would only be set up every 50 miles or so, with some one-way long distance travel uncharged, exemptions for local commuters, and opportunities for locals to buy yearly passes. Additionally, the tolls would have been phased out as soon as enough money was raised to fund the necessary improvements.This policy was the

of 15 gallons of gas by over a dollar for consumers. While this change might seem small, the popularity of gas points rewards systems, such as those offered by grocery stores like Martin’s, demonstrate just how valuable consumers feel gas price savings are. Additionally, many local consumers of gasoline don’t often drive on I-81 and certainly don’t make the frequent long trips that most contribute to congestion. As a

By succumbing to the pressures of the trucking companies, Virginia legislators are unfairly shifting the burdens of cost to locals who should not shoulder it.

Additionally, I-81 carries a significant amount of Virginia’s truck traffic, accounting for 42 percent of the truck traffic in the state as $312 billion of goods are transported along it. Large truck crashes are among the most severe crashes on I-81 and can leave stretches of the highway closed for six or more hours. This is not only a serious inconvenience to both local and out-of-state travelers, but it is also incredibly dangerous. The original plan to raise money for improve-

correct way to fund these improvements because the fees would only have affected those who are using the highway in the ways that are most contributing to the problems it faces.

However, the policy that has been adopted, after the opposition of trucking companies to the toll proposal, is a fuel tax that will affect many locals who have little to nothing to do with the problems of congestion facing the I-81 corridor.

The fuel tax will increase the price

local living near I-81, I rarely drive on it, but I fill my car up with gas near the interstate routinely. Under the implemented policy, I, like many others, will pay every time we go to the pump for improvements to infrastructure we are not using. By using taxation to fund the changes, many people who aren’t actually the source of the problems are stuck with footing the bill for improvements. By succumbing to the pressures of the trucking companies, Virginia legislators are un-

fairly shifting the burdens of cost to locals who should not shoulder it.

The toll proposal used initially was fairer because it assessed the burden of payment onto primarily the truck companies, which most contribute to the congestion and need for improvements. While, as its opponents identified, the tolls would raise operating costs for these companies, this increased cost would be temporary and would come with the end benefit of a major interstate better equipped to handle their traffic and even increased commercial traffic in the future. Issues of how to balance the needs of consumers and businesses while raising money for highway improvements are important. Bipartisan causes across the United States, such as New York City’s recent congestion pricing initiative, demonstrate progress is possible.

Looking at the circumstances of the I-81 improvements, the Virginia legislature did not provide proper consideration to local consumers.

KATHERINE VITI is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily.

She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

KEEP FOCUS ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM The recently passed First Step Act is only a small step in the right direction

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t seemed impossible for the Koch Brothers and the American Civil Liberties Union to champion a common bill. It seemed even more unlikely that congressional Republicans and Democrats could cooperate for a common cause. Nevertheless, in December 2018, Congress passed the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform bill, by the shockingly-bipartisan 87 votes in the Senate and 360 in the House.

The bill has several admirable provisions. It eases inmates’ ability to earn sentence reductions for good behavior, provides more work training opportunities and invests in re-entry programs for released prisoners. Judges can be more lenient in mandatory minimum sentencing in the case of nonviolent drug crimes.

Importantly, longstanding disparities between crack and powder cocaine sentencing — a moral failure that has predominantly affected black communities — has been reduced. With the new provisions, nearly 4,000 inmates were slated for early release immediately after the bill’s passage.

Many have rightfully lauded the achievements made by the First Step Act. But despite the bill’s important strides in ameliorating America’s

shameful criminal justice system, the First Step Act needs significant strengthening. Its bipartisan sheen risks obfuscating the glaring injustices left unaddressed by the legislation.

First, the First Step Act only applies to federal prisons, though state prisons and local jails house 90 percent of the U.S. prison population.

to reduce recidivism rates, decriminalizing low-level drug offences, prioritizing rehabilitation for minor crimes — our country’s incarceration crisis will continue largely unabated.

Second, the law ignores the pervasive use of private prisons in the United States. In for-profit prisons, inmates are subjected to atrocious

the disenfranchisement of former felons, remains at large. Over six million Americans are currently disenfranchised due to a former felony conviction — compared to one in 56 non-black voters, one in 13 Black Americans cannot vote. Only strong federal action can ensure this constitutional right for formerly incarcer-

We must ensure pressure is put on candidates — including presidential, state and local — to continue the fight for federal criminal justice reform.

Since states and localities have wide latitude in determining carceral policy, massive reforms must take place within individual states and localities to see large-scale in the American criminal justice system.The statistics are dire — U.S. incarceration rates have increased by 700 percent since 1970 despite crime rates dropping, African-American males face incarceration at six times the rate of white males, and the carceral state has perpetuated generations of poverty.

Without reforms at the state and local level — incentivizing prosecutors

conditions. Private prison company GEO Group spent $1.2 million lobbying for the act and poses to profit from its passage. Without an increased federal crackdown on the private prison industry — a move former Attorney General Jeff Sessions emphatically declined to pursue when he reversed an Obama-era ban on private prisons — the private prison industry stands to gain from the First Step Act. Obama-era bans on private prisons must be reinstated.

Third, the most severe democratic causality of mass incarceration,

ated individuals. Even when states like Florida have used constitutional amendments to restore voting rights, opponents — in Florida’s case, the GOP-controlled state legislature — instituted policies to complicate former inmates’ path to enfranchisement. Robust federal provisions to secure and protect former felons’ right to vote are nowhere to be found in the First Step Act. Thankfully, as Washington Post columnist Katrina vanden Heuvel has noted, Democratic presidential candidates have rallied to the issue of

criminal justice reform, making them prominent focal points in their campaigns. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) has proposed legalizing marijuana at the federal level and raising funds available for public defenders. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has overtly called the criminal justice system “racist” and called for reform and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has advocated using federal power to eliminate cash bail. Such attention to criminal justice reform bodes well for keeping the issue on the top of voters’ minds.

Still, we must ensure pressure is put on candidates — presidential, state and local — to continue the fight for federal criminal justice reform, lest interest wane in the wake of the bipartisan polish of the First Step Act. Without enough attention, the moral calamity of the American criminal justice system will continue unaddressed.

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

A& E ARTS AND

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Pop culture parallels: Winning the natty Even scripted moments cannot top the glory of Monday night’s victory Robin Schwartzkopf | Arts and Entertainment Editor

RILEY WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Students celebrated the men’s basketball national championship on the Corner from Monday night until Tuesday morning.

On Monday night, U.Va. won its first national basketball championship in school history.

Few feelings could top the excitement, pride and love coursing through Charlottesville as students took to the streets to celebrate the long-awaited victory. In fact, I’m not sure any moments — even ones that are scripted — can compare to Monday night’s joy.

And to prove that fact, I’ve compiled a list of contenders — some the most jubilant, powerful, iconic moments in film, television and music history — which all, alas, fall short.

The first 14 seconds of “Clouds” by One Direction In 2014, the kings of my heart released “FOUR,” their fourth studio album since forming the boyband on the X-Factor in 2010. After three offerings jampacked with bops — both hype and tender — they really outdid themselves with the 12th track, “Clouds.” Specifically, the boys go all out in the first 14 seconds of the song, which is basically just them yelling “WOAHHHHHHH” in harmony at top volume.

It’s the most triumphant way to start a track — a kick in the face in between two other bangers, and supremely underrated in One Direction canon. But this

infectious, guttural, harmonious screech is nothing — nothing — compared to the screams of thousands of students sprinting and dancing down 14th street to join the gathering crowd. Sorry, 1D. O Captain My Captain, “Dead Poets Society” The 1989 film “Dead Poets Society” focuses on a group of students at a private academy who are taught the importance of thinking freely, seizing the day and pursuing their passions by their English teacher, John Keating (Robin Williams). Tony Bennett is honestly such a Mr. Keating. Humility, passion, unity, servanthood and thankfulness?

I would stand on a desk all day to show my devotion to the man who brought this program and the University a decade of those values, who led a school to its first national championship ever and did it all — this year at least — without wearing a tie, which is a straight up flex. The man has the heart, he’s got the smarts and he did it for all of us. Cut to me ugly-crying on the lawn at 4 a.m.

The part at the end of “Return of the King” where Eowyn says “I am no man” and freaking stabs the Witch-king of Angmar This iconic moment of what could be the best film trilogy of

all time — checking in with rules analyst Gene Steratore, it totally is — comes when Eowyn, a woman, joins the cavalry of Rohan to aid Gondor in their fight against the forces of Sauron. There was this prophecy, because isn’t there always a prophecy, that no mortal man could kill this big baddie. Of course, Eowyn is no man, which she proclaims before stabbing him in his weird ghost face. I remember how stoked nine-yearold me was seeing this moment for the first time. My eyes got so wide, like oh s—t, lady power.

Winning the natty felt like that.

But turned up to an eleven.

Cardi B flirting with Chrissy Teigen and Rihanna on “She Bad” This was a big thing because I just had a hard time imagining this much power in one room when I first heard Cardi B suggest this teamup. On the 11th track of her Grammy-winning album “Invasion of Privacy,” Cardi raps “I need Chrissy Teigen / Know a bad b—h when I see one / Tell Rih-Rih I need a threesome.”

Like where would this threesome be? Probably at the Met Gala now that I think of it. But that’s besides the point — the mere thought of this trio being together is so wild — borderline unbe-

lievable. But the power has a similar vibe to our team, if you can believe it. It’s about being better than the sum of your parts, working as a collective instead of individual actors. That perfection of teamwork and brotherhood made the dream a reality.

When Sam Neill and Laura Dern see the brachiosaurus in “Jurassic Park” for the first time and the theme swells God, what a scene. Paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neill), paleobotanist Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) and chaos theorist Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) are touring the park for the first time, not sure what to expect.

Their jeep pulls up in a valley and Grant bolts up in shock, ripping off his hat and sunglasses, unable to believe his eyes. Sattler is staring at a leaf but also gawks in disbelief when Grant turns her head towards what the audience discovers is a brachiosaurus lumbering beside the car. The dinosaur roars, the John Williams theme swells. The sense of wonder this scene instills has never met a worthy opponent — until Monday night.

Ramsay Bolton getting his face chewed off by his own dogs in “Game of Thrones” “Game of Thrones” has a tra-

dition of having some of the most hateable characters in television history. For much of the first four seasons, Joffrey Baratheon occupied this role as the cruel child-king who sentenced Sean Bean to yet another on-screen death. But he may have met his match in Ramsey Bolton, who did all manner of gruesome and horrible things in later seasons until meeting his own, fitting end in the penultimate episode of season six. It’s gross as hell, but so satisfying that the beast will never be heard from again.

In our reality, Ramsay Bolton is represented by the idea that our style of play is boring and doesn’t work in March. Both of those tired, whiny statements are now pronounced officially dead.

Hoos don’t lose, xoxo, pack line defense.

Kid Cudi dancing to “Electric Feel” at Coachella I mean… the euphoria. It’s what we all felt, it was the energy of the massive crowds at JPJ and outside Boylan and on the lawn until the early morning. It was the sheet-banners strung in front of houses lining 14th Street and the raucous chants at the end of the Good Ole Song. Nothing else compares.

H&S HEALTH & SCIENCE

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Harmonies for Healing brightens hospital life Madison House program allows volunteer musicians to play for patients during long hospital stays Lucie Rutherford | Staff Writer

When fourth-year College student Grant Frazier decided to combine his passions of music and medicine, he began working with Madison House to bring music into the hospital setting.

This idea led to the creation of Harmonies for Healing, a program which sends three student musicians to the University’s Transitional Care Hospital each day with hopes of improving the lives of both patients and medical staff.

The 10-person unit ranges from first- to fourth-years, including violinists, guitarists, singers and other instrumentalists. By performing in the hallways of different hospital wings, the volunteers’ music reverberates throughout the wing for everyone to hear.

“We just try to bring a healing and warming atmosphere to the hospital … and what better way to do that than to bring [music] into a hospital setting to give to the patients,” Frazier said.

“You're also having an incredible impact on the nurses and doctors and all of the staff because they're also able to hear all of the music.”

Like most programs in their beginning stages, Frazier recalls constant recruitment of volunteers leading into

last year’s pilot testing. Due to the restriction of a maximum 10-person unit, the audition process is a competitive one.

Auditioners are first asked to play a selection of songs tailored to a hospital setting, followed by a set of questions which show their interest in volunteering. Frazier also asks a series of “what-if scenarios,” which target how qualified the auditioner is in the program’s specific setting. According to Frazier, the challenge is finding the right kind of musician.

“A lot of [musicians] play live shows with audiences in front of them, and everyone expects to have this incredible feedback, but when you're playing in a hospital setting you shouldn't expect anything in return,” Frazier said.

“It’s really just the opportunity, and almost a responsibility, to share your gift with those who are in really dire circumstances."

Merritt Gibson, second-year College student and singer songwriter — who has also produced an album in Nashville, Tenn. — has been a part of the program since September. Because she performs original songs, singing at the Transitional Care Hospital has been more than just a way to give back.

“Usually the patients are the first ones to hear my new songs because it's just things I've been working on … so it's fun to be able to test out my new songs with them and see the reactions I get,” Gibson said.

For both Frazier and Gibson, the reactions and personal interactions they experience with patients and medical staff have been some of the most memorable moments in the program. One such moment for Frazier occurred last year, when he was playing outside the room of a patient who had been hospitalized for 40 days. The mother of the patient approached Frazier, asking him to step inside the room to play for her daughter one-on-one.

"As soon as I started singing, her face brightened up, and there was just this life that was brought back into her, and she was happy again,” Frazier said.

“When I finished, the mom said that's the happiest she had been the entire time she’d been in the hospital.”

According to Hospital Volunteer Program Coordinator LaDelle Gay two to three musicians from the Charlottesville community would play for patients each week prior to the start of Harmonies for Healing. Through the work of Frazier and the other vol-

LUCIE RUTHERFORD | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Grant Frazier performs in hallway of the Transitional Care Hospital.

unteers, that number has now been increased to two to three musicians a day.

“The patients, their families and guests, as well our staff, all benefit each time a musician shares their talents by playing in our hallways,” Gay said. “The cheer they provide lingers long after the musician moves on down the hall.”

After the program’s success in its pilot testing last year, Harmonies for Healing has since gained popularity amongst students. From last year to this year, audition numbers for the 10-person unit shot up from 13 to 40 students, sparking expansion plans for

the coming years.

Beginning this summer, the program will expand into the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center as well as the pediatric unit at the University’s main hospital. The expansion means that there will soon be 30-40 musicians volunteering at one of the three locations each day.

“The music is very healing and really nice psychologically for the patients to hear some live music as opposed to just the beeping and the noise in the hospital,” Gibson said.

Virginia Translational Health Institute awarded $23 million NIH gives five-year grant to convert medical research into treatment options and healthcare Cecily Wolfe | Senior Writer This past March, the integrated Translational Health Research Institute of Virginia, a joint initiative undertaken by the University and other institutions, received a $23 million dollar grant for translational and clinical research across Virginia. This award intends to further exploration and education in the field of translational medicine, which consists of the work done to put foundational biological concepts and clinical trials into practice as feasible medical solutions.

Both the Translational Health Research Institute of Virginia, which is the University’s own program, and iTHRIV promote collaborative clinical and translational research by connecting scientists, private and public organizations, schools and health departments. These institutions use data analytics to enable sharing and integrating data across disciplines. In doing so, they facilitate the development, funding and execution of clinical trials, all in an effort to improve healthcare for the Commonwealth.

“The novelty of iTHRIV is using data in new ways to help improve the health and well-being of people from very different backgrounds and in very different locations across the Commonwealth,” said THRIV Program Director

Sandra Burks.

THRIV formed in January 2017, and for six months, THRIV Directors Karen C. Johnston, M.D. and Donald Brown, Ph.D. — who is also the founding director of the Data Science Institute — devoted time to building the program’s foundation on Grounds. The University then formed iTHRIV with Inova Health System, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Carilion Clinic to support translational research across the state. iTHRIV also works with the University’s Licensing and Ventures Group and the Center for Open Science, a non-profit in Charlottesville. “iTHRIV brings together different institutions that have different expertise, different kinds of patient populations — it brings all of those people in together, and it gives them a forum or venue that is a protected and collaborative space for people to come together to, ” Burks said.

The $23 million Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences provides federal aid to a variety of institutions across the nation. The five-year grant recipients act as central sources of medical data, streamlined processes, re-

search tools and training for current and up-and-coming translational medicine scientists, who apply clinical research to improving human health, who apply clinical research to improving human health.

Prior to applying for a CTSA, the University and its partners were tasked with demonstrating their dedication to and innovation in translational endeavors. Burks explained that as a part of this process the University designated three primary areas of focus — integration and informatics, community collaboration and education.

Burks emphasized maintaining and strengthening ties with the greater community and effectively meeting their medical needs. She cited one of THRIV’s past projects, during which the Virginia Department of Health approached THRIV and asked for help in efficiently allocating limited monetary resources to combat obesity. In response, researchers collected data on BMI and created a heat map of the state, pinpointing regions where obesity was most prevalent.

“We feel a great sense of responsibility with our community partners to help improve their access to care and their access to research and [to work] with

them to address some of those health problems,” Burks said.

Collectively, iTHRIV plans to help provide accessible and personalized healthcare throughout Virginia. According to Johnston, approximately 60 percent of the state’s population receives or could receive care from one of the four partners in the program. Therefore, Johnson believes they must connect with the community to learn what is important to them.

“One of the other big goals is we want to figure out a way to really understand what our community is thinking and wanting out of research,” Johnston said. “We want to do that across the state. That takes time and investment and learning and listening from people, so that will probably take us the entire duration of the grant.”

Along with engaging those within the University and the Charlottesville community, iTHRIV aims to connect researchers in Virginia through a database known as the iTHRIV Commons.

Currently in the developmental stages, iTHRIV Commons will, according to Johnston, be a platform for sharing information, datasets, data algorithms, metadata and the like. In addition,

iTHRIV Commons will serve as a database for scientists to comb through curated information about other research taking place at any of the partner institutions.

“Our hope is that we will be able to access information about where the expertise is, so that if someone comes to us and says, ‘I’m looking for a partner with expertise in this,’ we want to be able to help them identify a group of people who might have that expertise,” Johnston said. “...The intent is that in this hugely collaborative environment, we can maximize the resources we have and improve research outcomes because we’re maximizing our resources.”

Over the course of the grant, iTHRIV will expand its efforts to encourage interdisciplinary research in translational medicine. The goal, Burks and Johnston said, is to train to the next generation in the ways in which to incorporate data science experts and solutions into their work. As part of that, they hope to create lasting physical and digital venues for collaboration amongst clinical and translational researchers and community partners.

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