Thursday, April 28, 2022

The Cavalier Daily

Vol. 132, Issue 15

PROUD CHANDRAGHOLICA, DOMENICK FINI & TESS GINSBERG | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Thursday, April 28, 2022

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The Cavalier Daily

Letter from the Editor-in-Chief Dear readers, Truth be told, I would be lying if I said this semester was easy.

Through it all, however, independent student journalism persisted. The Cavalier Daily’s staffers captured the upending of the University’s more than 100-yearold Honor system, the chaos of the annual student body election cycle and a return to some sem-

blance of normalcy, despite the lingering effects of the pandemic — and all with the grace and professionalism that makes me proud to be their editor.

Beyond day-to-day coverage, we also managed to revamp our social media pages — allowing us to better connect with you all — and have begun the multi-year process of digitizing our extensive archives, as well as

overhauling and redesigning our newsletters.

This important work will continue this summer and fall, and we would love to hear from you with ideas, questions and feedback. Please feel welcome to reach out via email or social media, and if you’d like to support the work of independent student journalists, consider making a tax deductible donation to The

Cavalier Daily online.

As Final Exercises approaches, I have found myself wondering how we will manage to fill the gap that our beloved members of the Class of 2022 will leave upon graduation. Putting together this print edition with our dedicated team of staffers made me realize that we are more than ready to continue sharing the stories of the University community

members through our platform.

As the Editorial Board writes — “what’s left is to rise to the occasion.” And I know we will.

Sincerely yours,

Eva Surovell, Editor-in-Chief 133rd Term of The Cavalier Daily

NEWS COVID-19: Semester in numbers CD News Staff

Seven-day average positivity rate

17.81% Jan. 18

13.67% April 24

Thursday, April 28, 2022 | 3

NEWS

First-years adjust to Grounds amid masking requirements Students from the class of 2025 leave their first year looking forward to further developing relationships with fellow classmates Caroline Hagood | Staff Writer

LEILA TROXELL | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The current first-year students were the second class to begin their time at the University during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Class of 2025 is nearing the end of their first year of college — as the year wraps up, students spoke about the struggles of adjusting to college workloads amidst changing public health guidelines. First-year students were the second class to begin their time at the University during the COVID-19 pandemic, most having finished their last year and a half of high school in a masked and hybrid learning environment.

Before moving into dorms last August, every student was required to be fully vaccinated. Other restrictions were also in place, such as mask requirements in University buildings such as dining halls, libraries, and classrooms. For first-year students, this meant students had to adjust to both following COVID-19 policies and tackling college-level academics.

First-year Engineering student William Stone found the transition from high school to college difficult due to the difference in workload.

Stone explained how although he knew college is best experienced as a balance of fun and work, he was surprised by the level of studying that confronted him upon his arrival.

“It’s a lot of fun and a lot of work, but the amount of work is more than I was prepared for,” Stone said. “The transition from high school to college is huge and getting used to the work

schedule and how to get your work done takes some time.”

First-year Architecture student Cecilia Brock echoed Stone’s sentiments, noting the drastic change in workload compared to her high school experience.

“My classes have definitely been hard, but I signed up for that when I decided to come here, and I’m definitely having to get used to the workhard, play-hard mentality,” Brock said.

Both Brock and Stone agreed that even though their classes were time consuming, the work they did in them was engaging and tapped into their interests. Stone, for example, enjoyed his Introduction to Engineering course because it helped steer him towards his now-chosen major of systems engineering. Meanwhile, Brock found a balance between art classes in the Architecture school and other departments.

“My favorite class would have to either be my first semester studio class, which was mostly artsy projects, or my Eastern religions class,” Brock said. “It was fun to take a class I would never normally sign up for,and it ended up being so interesting to learn about and took my mind off of my more stressful classes.”

Further comparing experiences in high school versus college, first-year

College student Charlie Danis emphasized differences in classroom relationships. Danis noted how hard it was to make connections with those around him in comparison to the familiarity of high school friends and teachers, attributing the difference to substantially larger college class sizes.

“College was different than I expected because it’s a lot harder to make connections and relationships in classes and with professors,” Danis said. “In high school, it’s more close and personal because you know everyone and you know your teachers well but college is not like that because you don’t regard your teachers as close relationships.”

First-years had to adjust not only to the change in work and classroom dynamics, but also to evolving COVID-19 restrictions. While many students reported having grown used to adhering to public health guidelines as the pandemic surpassed the 18-month mark, others expressed frustration over the impacts of the regulations.

First-year College student Livie Warren felt the mask requirements negatively impacted her fall semester as she adjusted to Grounds and attempted to build a community.

When the year began, the University had an indoor masking requirement for University-owned spaces, includ-

ing office buildings, IM-Rec facilities and venues. While the mandate was lifted March 21, it remained in place in classrooms, U.Va Health facilites and University Transit Services.

“I understand why the University had to have the protocols in place at the beginning of the year, but it was really weird meeting a bunch of new people when you can’t even see their face,” Warren said.

Warren further expressed how appreciative she was when the mask protocols were lifted in March. While the University initially made masks optional everywhere except in classes, University leadership announced that masks would be optional for students and professors in classrooms beginning in late March.

“The protocols were pretty standard at the beginning of the year, but I’m really glad they changed it in March,” Warren said. “I’m especially happy they quickly realized that just wearing masks in class was strange.”

Danis was also eager to see the mask requirement lifted, as he said being able to see classmates and have face-to-face connection made a difference in the comfort of the classroom environment. Danis said he felt the logic behind the restrictions throughout the year was inconsistent and confusing. The University ruled this semester that masks would not

be required in on-Grounds housing due to the high vaccination rate of students, but would be required in all other University buildings.

“I thought the COVID-19 restrictions were weirdly strict but also ambiguous,” Danis said. “In some places wearing a mask and other COVID-19 restrictions didn’t matter at all, like in dorms, but in other places they were very strict on enforcing masks, like in dining halls and the [Aquatic and Fitness Center].”

With mask requirements fully lifted across Grounds and spring enrollment underway, first-years are already looking forward to next fall.

Many students said they are enrolling in more specialized classes as they decide which major they wish to declare.

Stone voiced excitement to move on from required Engineering courses standard for a first-year Engineering student and take classes more narrowly geared toward his systems engineering major.

“I’m especially excited for the Introduction to Systems class,” Stone said.

In addition to taking a more personalized class schedule, first-years reported hopes to use their second-year to join clubs around Grounds, get a job or even try out for intramural and club sports.

Warren is hoping to get involved in an art class next fall, as her schedule and dorm life this year didn’t allow for her to engage in art as a hobby in her free time. Warren is also looking forward to the option to bring a car to Grounds next year and says she would use the car to explore places in Charlottesville that are currently inaccessible to her as a student living in dorms without a car.

Unlike Warren — who has hopes of venturing off-Grounds — Brock plans to get more involved onGrounds in organizations she didn’t get a chance to be a part of this year.

“I want to try and get more involved around campus because I really didn’t do much this year,” Brock said. “I want to try something like A-school Student Council or club soccer, or maybe even get a job because I desperately need one.”

Looking forward, Danis is excited to move out of dorms and settle into an apartment on the Corner. Looking back, Danis had one piece of advice to offer future first years that helped him transition into life at the University.

“First day of the year, open your door wide open and just walk into anyone’s room and introduce yourself if their door is open,” Danis said. “It’s hugely important and it’s how I made my best friends.”

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NEWS

Spring 2022 Semester in Review CD News Staff

Students return to Grounds amid mask mandates

Cain elected president, students vote to change Honor system

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tudents voted to pass the historic Honor referenda, which changes the single sanction for committing an Honor offense from expulsion to a two-semester leave of absence, marking the largest change ever made to the Honor system since its inception in the 1840s. The highest turnout in student elections was for the Honor referendum — 6,010 students or 23.8 percent voted on the measure. Additionally on the ballot was the race for Student Council president, with fourth-year College student Ceci Cain garnering 73.4 percent of the vote.

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ll 18,000 undergraduate students returned to Grounds in late January for fully in-person — though masked — classes.

Masks were also required in all University-owned buildings.

RIX PRAKASH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Following a number of changes to public health guidelines this spring, University administration implemented a mask-optional policy in classrooms late March.

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Greek organizations hold rush largely online

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fter meeting with University administrators and public health experts, Inter-Fraternity and Inter-Sorority Council leadership decided to transition recruitment mostly online. IFC recruitment took place completely virtually. ISC recruitment held house tours online and both preferences and bid day in person. Fraternity and sorority recruitment schedules overlapped with an all-time seven-day average high of 21.57 COVID-19 hospitalizations at U.Va. Health recorded Jan. 24. That average was the highest since the system began collecting data in August 2020, per the University’s COVID-19 tracker.

Multicultural Student Services celebrates second anniversary

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tudents gathered in the Multicultural, Latinx, Interfaith and LGBTQ Centers in mid-Feb. to celebrate the second anniversary of the Multicultural Student Center. The events provided community members with the opportunity to re-engage with the services and safe spaces in the MSC after many events were held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. The MSC opened Fall 2016 as a product of the Multicultural Student Center Initiative. In 2020, it moved from the basement of Newcomb to the second level — the same location it occupies now.

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Virginia basketball misses March Madness

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or the first time in 9 years, Virginia basketball did not move on to the NCAA Tournament after ending their season sixth in the ACC conference with an overall record of 18-12 and 12-8 in ACC play. The blow came following a major 63-43 loss to No.3 seed North Carolina in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. The team then moved on to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), eventually losing to St. Bonaventure in the quarterfinals.

Thursday, April 28, 2022 | 5

NEWS

First Black Alumni Weekend since 2019

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ver 1,200 alumni and guests attended Black Alumni Weekend events both on and offGrounds. After the 2021 BAW was postponed due to public health concerns, this was the first in-person BAW since before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019. Programming began with a series of dinners on Thursday evening and ran through Sunday afternoon, closing with a faithbased service and brunch at Alumni Hall.

AVA PROEHL | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Junior Kate Douglass and sophomore Alex Walsh were key to Virginia’s victory, with Douglass sweeping all three of her individual events.

Women’s Swimming and Diving takes home second championship

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irginia’s Women’s Swimming and Diving program became back-to-back NCAA Champions in dominant fashion. The Cavaliers took four of the five overall relays, while also capturing seven individual titles en route to victory with a total of 551.5 points — over a hundred more than the runner-up, Texas, who earned 406.

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4.4 4.9

QSU celebrates 50 years of student activism and history

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ence discussed critical race theory, freedom of speech and rising inflation during a stop on a speaking tour titled “How to Save America from the Woke Left,” hosted by the Young America’s Foundation.

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Trippie Redd performs at John Paul Jones Arena

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niversity Programs Council drew hundreds to JPJ for Trippie Redd and opening act Wayve. While Redd caused frustration for his hourlate arrival, the atmosphere turned uproarious as he performed some of his greatest hits.

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irst established as the Gay Student Union in 1972, the Queer Student Union struggled to find a safe place on Grounds to exist through the 1990s. After moving into Newcomb Hall in 2001, the organization changed its name in 2002 to Queer Student Union to encompass students of all identities and orientations. Members of GSU recounted their experiences as queer students in the 1970s, recalling GSU meetings in the Wesleyan Church and self-closeting in response to latent discrimination — including offensive vandalism of openly queer members’ property and smokebombs and firecrackers thrown into GSU dances. The QSU celebrated the 50th anniversary by hosting Drag Bingo and a Histories of QTBIPOC Excellence event highlighting important LGBTQ+ alumni of color, among others.

Former vice president Pence speaks at the University

Days on the Lawn returns to in-person for first time since 2019

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he University’s Days on the Lawn, an open-house style event for prospective students, swept grounds from April 4 to April 22. Tour groups of enthusiastic prospective students accompanied by equally eager parents caught a glimpse into student life on Grounds. Events ranged from school informational sessions to student activities fairs in Newcomb and a Pavilion social.

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SPORTS

The Cavalier Daily

Why Virginia may have a chance at Arch Manning The number one recruit in the nation visited Virginia Football earlier this month Caroline Connor | Sports Columnist this could be tempting for a young quarterback going through the recruitment process knowing that the program has set up its quarterbacks for success.

Reason 3: The hiring of Tony Elliott as head coach Manning visited Clemson twice while Elliott was the Tigers’ offensive coordinator, meaning that the two probably spent a considerable amount of time together during the visits. It’s possible that Elliott’s exit from Clemson played a role in Manning reportedly dropping Clemson from his list just three months later.

Reason 4: Trend of unexpected commitments

TAYLOR WEIGAND | THE CAVALIER DAILY

While the Cavaliers have not been known for recruiting top talent at the quarterback position, recent changes to the program provide an opening to land Arch Manning.

Earlier this month, news broke across college football media that Arch Manning — the top quarterback prospect in the 2023 class — was visiting Virginia. As the nephew of National Football League legends Peyton and Eli Manning, and the son of Cooper Manning, it’s fair to say that Manning is the biggest-name prospect to ever visit Virginia Football.

As college football fans reacted on social media, news outlets called the development a “surprise visit,” and a “shock.” Manning is currently being chased by football powerhouses like Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Texas.

While it’s true that Virginia is a smaller football school than Manning’s other options, there are some factors in play that could place Virginia firmly in the race for the most sought-after quarterback in the 2023 class.

Reason 1: Family ties By far the most reported explanation for Manning’s visit is his family. His mother graduated from the University, while his older sister is a current student. His aunt — the wife of Peyton Manning — is a University alumna also.

Reason 2: Recent quarterback success It’s easy to dismiss Virginia as a less successful football school in terms of the Power-5 schools, but the Cavaliers have shown their ability to develop NFL quarterbacks in the past few years. In 2016, Virginia completed the transfer of East Carolina quarterback Kurt Benkert to its program. While the team had a slow start – going 2-10 in his first season as a Cavalier – 2017 was a different story. Benkert led the team to their first FBS Bowl game in six years and broke Virginia’s single-game passing record.

While Benkert went undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, he was quickly signed by the Atlanta Falcons and remained on the team until February 2021. He then signed with the Packers during free agency and even made an in-game appearance in a game against the Bears. He is still under contract with the Packers.

Before Benkert graduated, Virginia made sure to solidify his replacement. The team secured the transfer of Bryce Perkins from junior college, or JUCO, program Arizona Western in 2017. Perkins immediately changed the offense and set the school record for total

offense in a season with his versatility as a runner. Perkins also was key in leading Virginia to defeat Virginia Tech for the first time in 15 years. Like Benkert, Perkins went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, signing an undrafted free agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams. He has been under contract since with the team and won Super Bowl LVI in 2022 with the team.

Then there is Brennan Armstrong. The current Virginia quarterback put college football on notice in the 2021 season, finishing fourth in Division I in passing yards despite only playing in 11 games. Armstrong threw for 31 touchdowns and 4,444 yards, along with nine rushing touchdowns and over 250 rushing yards. The hype for Brennan Armstong is so strong that Bleacher Report listed him as a potential 2022 Heisman candidate.

If the Virginia quarterback builds on his performance from last year, it would be surprising not to hear his name called come the 2023 NFL Draft.

Manning would have three successful college quarterbacks before him, two of which have proven to be NFL caliber while the third is expected to be the best out of his two predecessors. A situation like

Travis Hunter, the top prospect for the nation in the Class of 2022, was expected to attend Florida State until Dec. 15, when he shocked the football world by flipping to Jackson State, a much smaller school in the less-popularized FCS. In his explanation, Hunter talked about how he wanted to commit to a Historically Black college and university to build upon a rich football history and look toward the future. The No. 1 recruit is risking a lot with this decision, but it also shows how confident he is in his ability. If he manages to become a top NFL prospect at an FCS school, he will be one of the most talked about players in college football. In other words, there is an appeal to shock with a commitment.

Reason 5: Building a program Continuing off of Hunter’s situation, Jackson State is an upand-coming program being led by Coach Deion Sanders — an NFL Hall of Famer. An appeal to Hunter could have been being able to be part of building a program. If Manning were to commit to the Cavaliers, he would automatically be the face of Virginia football.

His commitment would most likely entice other players to join him at the program, increasing the talent available for Virginia to recruit.

Also, anything less than a national Championship at a football powerhouse school such as Alabama would be considered a disappointment. At Virginia, Manning would be hailed as a hero if he could beat Virginia Tech and make

the program a more formidable force in the ACC. Being the reason for a program’s success could be appealing for a player like Manning.

Reason 6: Likely that his NFL future won’t be significantly affected Manning is one of the rare prospects that would dominate college football no matter where he goes.

His skill set will only make the players around him better and he will be able to show off his NFL readiness even if the team doesn’t have the same success as other programs. First-round quarterback picks come from all over the college football landscape. For example, the expected top quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft is from Liberty, the No. 2 overall pick last year was a quarterback from Brigham Young and Daniel Jones and Mitchell Trubisky were both drafted early in the first round from ACC schools. Lastly, Manning’s popularity and marketability shouldn’t be greatly affected due to the pure weight of his last name in the football world.

Reason 7: Receiver talent While he was out with injury during the 2021 season, the return of rising junior wide receiver Lavel Davis Jr. will be huge for the Virginia offense. The 6-foot-7 receiver was a standout his freshman year and will be a senior by the time Manning would enter the program.

Star rising junior wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks will most likely still be on the offense as well. While rising fifth-year wide receivers Billy Kemp and Keytaon Thompson will most likely move on after this season, Virginia has proven to be able to produce productive, versatile receivers like them year after year. Former wide receivers Joe Reed and Olamide Zaccheaus are both on NFL rosters and were a quarterback’s best friend during the Perkins and Benkert eras. Based on this pattern, Manning should expect talented receivers if he decides on Virginia.

Again, the chances of Manning committing to an ACC school for football are slim. Most of the reasons listed are opportunistic thinking. However, having the No. 1 recruit in the nation visit Virginia serves as a huge vote of confidence towards new head coach Tony Elliott and the program as a whole.

Thursday, April 28, 2022 | 7

SPORTS

How Reece Beekman will get to the next level Coaches have called the Milwaukee native a silent assassin, but in the 2022-23 season Beekman may have to be a little louder Sam Liss | Associate Writer Low-key and generally not prone to confrontation, Virginia men’s basketball sophomore guard Reece Beekman will not stand for any slander on the series finale of his favorite show, Game of Thrones.

“See …. everybody hates it,” Beekman said with an uncharacteristic burst of enthusiasm. “I honestly didn’t think it was that bad … I thought it was solid.”

While the first 72 episodes of Game of Thrones had most audience members clutching their remotes in disbelief, fans complained that the series finale was too simple and a tad predictable. The fact that Beekman is unbothered by an unanimated ending should not be surprising – when the Milwaukee native committed to the University in June of 2019 he signed up to play for a coach that prioritized defense and a fanbase that cheered the loudest for shot clock violations.

In recent years, National Basketball Association scouts have knocked several top men’s basketball players for the conservative playing style they adopted under Bennett’s system.

A site specializing in the NBA draft, nbadraft.net puts together annual profiles of top college basketball prospects. Although they have consistently praised Cavalier products for their consistency and defensive IQ, experts on this site have not minced words on their criticisms of the limited, and somewhat mechanical, role that players — such as former Wahoos De’Andre Hunter and Trey Murphy — took under Coach Tony Bennett’s offense.

Of course, Beekman’s game does not closely resemble that of Hunter nor Murphy — two forwards who have carved out significant roles on NBA teams. A 6-foot-3 point guard, the sophomore has demonstrated a flow to his game uncommon to Bennett’s recruits. Even so, Beekman hears the same noise as Hunter and Murphy. On one hand, the Virginia coaching staff wants Beekman to continue starring in his role within the parameters of Bennett’s system, while some individuals close to Beekman wish the sophomore guard would come out of his comfort zone and show the world just how much talent he possesses.

Kyle Getter, assistant coach and former director of Virginia men’s basketball recruiting and player development, played a part in recruiting Beekman to Virginia and has worked closely with the Milwaukee native since he came to Grounds in the summer of 2020.

“I think Reece is a very unique player and he affects the game in so many ways and a lot of the time it’s without scoring the ball,” Getter said.

“It’s really a unique talent where he

can have that big of an impact without necessarily having the floor.”

While everyone remembers Beekman’s game-winner versus Duke at Cameron Indoor, the sophomore guard largely impacted the game in ways other than scoring in the 202122 season. As the Division I leader in assist-to-turnover ratio — a highly informative statistic on a player’s ability to make quick and decisive decisions — Beekman acted primarily as a facilitator on the offensive end and excelled as a ball-hawking and anticipatory pest on the defensive end, where he led the ACC in steals per game. He was also the first player in a Power Five conference, since UCLA guard Lonzo Ball, to average at least 175 assists, 50 steals and 25 blocks.

A legend in the world of Louisiana basketball, Carlos Sample coached Beekman during his four years at Scotlandville High School in Baton Rouge, La. Watching the Cavaliers this past season, Sample is not surprised by his former player’s impressive statline. At the same time, Sample knows Beekman has not scratched the surface of his offensive potential under Bennett’s system. In Sample’s eyes, Beekman possesses the it-factor — or the set of intangibles that make up a Michael Jordan-esque desire to win at all costs — Bennett simply needs to let go of the reins.

“He’s a very selfless person, and I wanted to light a fire in him [in high school] to let him know that it’s okay to take over,” Sample said. “I still see it in him but I don’t see the Reece just-takeover kid. [It’s] great to be selfless with all that talent, but now we want him to think about himself, because thinking about himself, percentage wise, gives [Virginia] a better chance of winning.”

Although Getter and the rest of Bennett’s coaching staff might disagree with Sample’s observation, both coaches understand what makes Beekman a special player. In fact, Getter and Sample each offered the same moniker to describe the sophomore guard’s game — a “silent assassin.”

Born in Milwaukee, Wis., Beekman has always operated with a degree of silent perceptiveness. Flashing back to 2015, Sample remembers when he first met Beekman and his family after Beekman, along with his older brother Bryce and his mother Julie, had recently made the 1,000mile trek from the temperate midwestern plains to the muggy Louisiana basin.

“He was a little lanky, maybe six foot or five-eleven … quiet, very humble,” Sample said in a southern accent that embellished his old school persona.

In Baton Rouge, where Beekman’s

family settled, Reece entered the eighth grade in an unfamiliar environment, without the support of the family and friends that never left Milwaukee. Looking back on the move over five years later, the Cavalier guard appreciates the speed bumps he ran into at an early age.

“I felt that was a big part of my life,” Beekman said. “It was a good experience for me just moving to a different environment and trying to adapt. It helped me [to] get ready for college life.”

In many ways, his experiences so far as a freshman and sophomore at Virginia have eerily resembled his years as an underclassmen at Scotlandville. Perhaps his strong impressions on Sample and Bennett, both as a person and as a basketball player, contributed to his rapid ascent to the starting lineup on each team.

“I was in awe [when I first saw Reece take the court],” Sample said.

“He had an old school game. He did it all. Like someone that you would watch back in the early 80s.”

While younger than Bennett, Getter — a former assistant coach for over five Division I universities — has had plenty of basketball experience. His words on Beekman reveal how much Bennett and his coaching staff valued the sophomore guard’s extraordinary skill set during the recruiting process.

“As a program, we [first] identified Reece at the Peach Jam in the 16-and-under game,” Getter said. “We saw him a bunch … he has some of the quickest hands that I’ve seen in my 20-year coaching career.”

To the extent Beekman, as a basketball player, impressed his high school and collegiate coaches, his personality equally blew them away.

Sample, for one, recalls a specific conversation with his former player when the Scotlandville coach realized a 14-year-old Reece Beekman possessed “it.”

“I asked [Reece] if he could play ball and he said ‘yes sir’ … it’s something that all kids at that age would say but when I looked at him, I saw this expression on his face,” Sample said. “I told his mom that Bryce was going to go on a [college] football scholarship, but Reece was going to get a [college] basketball scholarship.”

In the end, Sample was spot on.

While Bryce left for Arizona Western the next year to play defensive back — later transferring to Washington State — Reece took the court for Scotlandville as a freshman. As the Milwaukee native acclimated to the ebbs and flows of high school during the day, at night, Reece, a quiet and spindly teenager, flourished as he battled alongside future LSU standout and NBA guard, Javonte Smart.

KHUYEN DINH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Heading towards his third year in the program for the Cavaliers, Beekman’s defensive ability and offensive prowess have come to fruition in past seasons.

Just as those minutes alongside Smart as a freshman proved fundamental for Reece’s growth heading into his 10th grade year at Scotlandville, his experience playing in critical moments down the stretch as a freshman at Virginia set the stage for him to have a productive sophomore year in Bennett’s system.

“You know honestly, my first year I didn’t see myself playing that much just because I was a first-year and the team kind of had a good core,” Beekman said. “[The playing time I received my freshman year] was just a good opportunity and helped me a lot for my second-year to see what I had to work on.”

During Beekman’s sophomore season with the Cavaliers, the Milwaukee native improved his points and assists per game from the previous year despite continuing to play alongside a ball-demanding guard in senior Kihei Clark. The same could be said about his marked improvement from his ninth grade to 10th grade season at Scotlandville where he played with Javonte Smart both years. Nevertheless, with the news that Clark is returning for a fifth season at Virginia, the comparisons between his time in high school and college may cease to be relevant.

After Smart graduated in 2018, Beekman starred for Scotlandville as the lead ball-handler during his 11th grade season, propelling Scotlandville to another state championship and himself to a Division I scholar-

ship to Virginia. Now, approaching his junior season with the Cavaliers, Beekman wants to experience a deep March Madness run and put his name on the radar of NBA scouts. Unlike his third season with Scotlandville, however, in the 2022-23 season with the Cavaliers, the Milwaukee native will continue to share the backcourt with another high-usage guard in Clark and, thus, Beekman’s prospect as the primary ball-handler appears bleak.

Still, Beekman remains calm about his future at Virginia and beyond.

“Yeah I definitely feel like [the NBA] is an option and kind of a goal that I set for myself,” Beekman said.

“If it happens, it happens, and if it don’t, it don’t. I kind of have the opportunity to get there and I want to make the most of it to get there. And so I just know I have to work for that and in the next two years I want to be in that situation.”

While the Cavaliers’ head coach has never had a point guard with the intangibles that Beekman possesses, Bennett has proven that he can elevate recruits to the NBA level if they demonstrate patience with the program. Entering his junior season, Beekman is willing to once again excel as a silent assassin alongside Clark, but Bennett must decide if it is time to encourage the Milwaukee naitve to be a little louder — the Cavaliers’ season and Beekman’s NBA future might depend on it.

8 | www.cavalierdaily.com

The Cavalier Daily

LIFE

Kilwins — the sweetest ending to the semester Soak in the — almost — summer sun while enjoying treats from this dessert shop downtown Simran Havaldar | Food Writer With heightened stress from impending finals, we all need a break. My suggestion — step away from composition notebooks, caffeine and Clemons Library for a few hours, and swing

by Kilwins. Especially if you’re a sugar-crazed student like me, this ice cream and chocolate shop is guaranteed to sweeten your finals season.

In 1947, Don and Katy Kilwin founded Kilwins in Petoskey, Mich. The company eventually

grew to include a Charlottesville location in the Downtown Mall, which offers a warm, welcoming environment, possibly due to the contributions of owners Kip Pastermack and Jessica Postlethweight Pastermack, a local Charlottesville family. On their Facebook page, the Pastermacks illustrate their family-oriented business culture, which helps cultivate Kilwins’ homey atmosphere in Charlottesville.

Although the business start-

ed as a bakery, customers today walk into Kilwins looking to enjoy their smooth, delectable ice cream. This ice cream, made using the company’s traditional recipe, is shipped to franchise locations from Petoskey, Mich.

With my first step into the charming interior, I quite literally became a kid in a candy store, surrounded by candied apples, caramel popcorn, truffles, chocolate-dipped Rice Krispie Treats and pretzels, fudge and

— of course — ice cream. After admiring the endless options and receiving guidance from the friendly staff, I chose to order a scoop of Kilwins Tracks.

Kilwins Tracks, according to an employee, is a popular flavor among customers, and after just a single bite, I could tell why. The ice cream was creamy, rich and, simply put, delicious, combining a vanilla base with miniature peanut butter truffles and gobs of chocolatey fudge. Essentially,

SIMRAN HAVALDAR | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Simply put, the ice cream was rich and delicious, combining a vanilla base with miniature peanut butter truffles and gobs of chocolatey fudge.

it molded Kilwin’s reputable ice cream and candy into one perfect product. Strolling down the Downtown Mall while enjoying my scoop of Kilwins Tracks was the ideal way to destress and enjoy the sunny Friday afternoon.

Although the ice cream was certainly filling on its own, the display of chocolates next to the cash register caught my eye. I simply could not leave without ordering a non-ice cream product. Narrowing down my options was difficult, but I eventually landed on the Mackinac Island fudge, specifically the sea salt caramel and chocolate peanut butter flavors, respectively. Both were incredibly rich, thick and smooth, but the sea salt caramel fudge was by far my favorite. The gooey caramel perfectly contrasted the luscious chocolate, offering the classic combination of salty and sweet.

The chocolate peanut butter fudge, in my opinion, was not as impressive. As a massive fan of any and all nut butters, I was disappointed by the weak chocolate-to-peanut butter ratio.

Kilwins, however, offers a peanut butter fudge, which doesn’t include any chocolate. On my next trip, I intend to order this flavor to satisfy my peanut butter craving.

One drawback to this shop is the high prices, especially compared to Chaps, another popular ice cream location on the Downtown Mall. For instance, two scoops of ice cream cost around $8 from Kilwins but only $5.30 from Chaps. However, the higher prices are a trade-off for the shorter wait-times. Unlike Chaps, Kilwins offers convenience and speed, making them ideal for a quick outing during a chaotic finals season.

Overall, I highly recommend grabbing a group of friends for a Kilwins run before the semester ends. Open from noon to 8 p.m.

Monday to Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, this shop has a great atmosphere and even better desserts. Even if you’re not in the mood for ice cream, there are plenty of other options to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Thursday, April 28, 2022 | 9

LIFE

Finding fulfillment outside of typical summer internships Students enjoy recent warm weather and gear up for a summer filled with traveling, independence and exploring Charlottesville Jia Williams | Life Writer With the end of the semester just around the corner, students around Grounds are taking advantage of the warming weather by spending more time outdoors.

Whether they’re playing spikeball or frisbee on the Lawn, grabbing lunch at the Amphitheater food trucks or taking a study break at tables outside of halls, many are looking toward the light at the end of the tunnel — summer.

For some students, summer is spent gaining professional experience at internships or jobs across the country. For others, it’s a much needed break from the stress of academic coursework and extracurricular commitments, as these students seek alternatives to the common internship experience.

First-year College student Kyra Smith is one such student who is looking forward to a unique blend of academic work and vacation time through her study abroad program in Siena, Italy this coming summer.

“I’m looking forward to all of it, definitely the food,” Smith said. “I’ve never been to Europe or really traveled that much at all, so I feel like that would be a very new experience for me. I’m from Northern Virginia, so this will be the first time I’m going somewhere where I don’t know anyone, so I think I’ll grow a lot and obviously I’m ecstatic just to go and be in Italy.”

For students like Smith, summer can be a time to gain new experiences that weren’t available in high school. Smith elaborated on the differences between the college summer experience and the high school summer experience. Namely, how she perceives college students as more productivity oriented as compared to high school.

“I also think in college, people think of summer as more of an opportunity,” Smith said.

“They’re like, ‘what can I do during this time to either meet my goals or work, or have an internship, or just do something I’ve always wanted to do?’, whereas in high school they think of it as a break where they can lay around for three months and enjoy it.”

Other students will be spending their summers in Charlottesville, such as third-year Education student Evalyn Kim. Kim feels a tangible difference in her relationship to her hometown after spending almost three years away from it.

“I lived in my hometown my whole life, so Warwick was all I knew before coming to U.Va.,”

SIMRAN ARORA | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Summer is a much needed break from the stress of academic coursework and extracurricular commitments, as these students seek alternatives to the common internship experience.

Kim said. “I was pretty content with it, but there wasn’t that much to do, and I knew that then, but now coming back to it, it’s a whole other place. I love seeing my family and my friends, but it definitely feels different because I feel more like a visitor.”

Kim’s experiences at the University so far have enabled her to feel more connected to Charlottesville and the people who reside in it. This connection is so strong that she has come to consider Charlottesville as a place where she finds the most meaning and fulfillment. She looks forward to experiencing more.

“I would think of Charlottesville more as home now, especially having been here over the summer last year as well. I’ve really liked exploring it so far and am definitely looking forward to finding more cool places this summer,” Kim said.

Being in Charlottesville is a chance to be independent and structure life around events other than coursework. Kim says the absence of classes provides students more time to have fun and enjoy themselves while pursuing experiences that align with their career aspirations.

“I’m excited to be doing things that are really relevant to what I want to be doing in the future, but also having the freedom to do what I want to do with my time,” Kim said.

Schoolwork can pose a barrier to students’ freedom of extracurricular or leisure activities that can provide comfort and enjoyment. Kim is personally excited to celebrate this freedom.

“It’s always really nice to not be doing school work, and it’s a time to just enjoy yourself,” Kim said. “I think there’s a freedom in that your schedule can be whatever you want it to be, and it doesn’t have to be focused around when your classes are or assignments you have due.”

Kim will be spending the rest of the summer volunteering and working around the greater Charlottesville area as she prepares to begin her master’s program in the School of Education and Human Development in the coming fall. She’ll also be going on trips to visit family and friends that are difficult to see during the academic year using the newfound free time.

“I’m also planning on going to visit my brother in Austin,” Kim

said. “He moved there in February, so my parents and I are going to visit him and see Austin because none of us have ever been before. I’m also hoping to visit one of my best friends from high school who goes to the College of Charleston, so I might try to see her. I’m also planning on going home for a little.”

Aside from traveling, warm weather also gives the opportunity to partake in more outdoor activities. Julio Buelna, a second-year College student returning from a gap year, says he has spent much of his time this year at his job at Outdoor Adventure through the University’s IM-Rec Center and plans to continue engaging in outdoor activities this summer. “[Outdoor Adventure] is a job, but it’s also something I enjoy doing. Also [located] outdoors is a cave not too far from here that I’m planning to explore again,” Buelna said.

Whether it’s spending more time outdoors or studying abroad, summer allows students to take a step back and enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures.

Buelna described his love for taking advantage of his free time as

well as the evening’s coolness to relax and engage in some of his favorite hobbies.

“I really enjoy swimming … but also I like how relaxing the nights are during the summer,” Buelna said. “The days are really hot and then the night comes and then I can go outside and just relax. It’s warm, just like a cool breeze and beautiful weather …

I’m probably going to skateboard a little bit during the summer as well.”

No matter what students choose to spend their summer doing, summer provides a welcome break from academic stress prior to the fall semester.

“I definitely see [summer] as a break,” Smith said. “It’s nice because whether or not you’re working, have an internship or doing something like that, it’s different from what you do for the majority of the year. Even if you’re busy, it’s still a break from what you normally do before everything resets and is brand new when you go back again. So I think it’s a nice transition time.”

10 | www.cavalierdaily.com

LIFE

Top 10 ways to avoid procrastinating for finals It’s already that time of the year again…

1. Spread out your studying

Picture this — you’re in Clemons Library the night before a big exam, and you are trying to cram a semester’s worth of knowledge in your brain while you listen to the hustle and bustle of your peers trying to do the same exact thing.

In order to avoid this dire situation, split up your workload early on so that you have everything spread out over a period of several weeks. I would personally suggest breaking down what you need to do for each class, making a subsequent checklist and spending a little time every day doing one or two things on that checklist. That way, you have more time later on to study!

2. Make a to-do list

Finals might be the most overwhelming time of the year, so instead of stressing yourself out with everything that needs to be completed, make an attainable and achievable list of what needs to get done before that looming exam or seemingly insurmountable paper. To avoid procrastinating your to-do list, you can give yourself specific deadlines. That way, you won’t lose track of what you need to get done and when you need it done. For example, you can tell yourself that you have to finish writing a third of your final paper a set number of days before it is due. Once you prioritize certain tasks by setting specific dates in your calendar, you’ll find yourself being able to relax or even set yourself up for a more productive week by getting ahead. Even crossing one thing off your to-do list helps ease some anxiety that is stemming from the impending dread of finals.

Katrina Samaan | Top 10 Writer

5. Go for a walk

This might not seem like the most productive activity to do before finals week, but I find that going on a walk alone and just thinking about what you need to get done is a good way to get some peace of mind before a scary week. Having the time to be alone is a good means of reflection and a good way to figure out what you need in preparation for the end of the school year. It’s a busy time of the year and I find that during the next couple weeks, it will be difficult to find any alone time! It’s important to have alone time that’s not simply studying, and taking a walk is a sure way to get your body moving and the chance for your mind to reset.

you make throughout the day

6. Set your alarm for a reasonable hour on the weekends

3. Set up office hours

Student resources like office hours are not just there to help you understand a homework problem or a test question. If there’s an upcoming final for a class, why not meet with your professor to discuss what you can do to prepare for the exam or how you can go about studying for it. I’ve always been a little nervous to meet with a professor one-on-one, but I’ve found that talking to them about your study habits or how you can improve them can give you some insight on the best possible way to prepare for a final. If you’re nervous to have a one-on-one meeting with your professor or teaching assistant, I would suggest going with a friend or coming with a pre-written set of questions.

4. Set up a plan with your friends

The best thing about finals week? You’re not going through it alone! Your friends and your peers are most likely also stressed about their upcoming tests, so why not get together and plan out your week — whether that be group studying, doing something fun together to relieve the tension or even planning a post-final de-stress session. I personally find that getting a post-final dinner with some of my friends is a great way to celebrate the end of an exam and destress before you have to focus on your other upcoming finals that same week.

One great way to avoid procrastination and get to work is to set a specific time for yourself to work. This is achieved by something called the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method that aims to provide its user with maximum focus and efficiency. For every given assignment throughout the day, you budget your time into short increments and take breaks periodically. For example, you would work for 25 minutes and then take a five minute break — each 25-minute work period is called a “pomodoro,” and the more pomodoros you complete, the longer the breaks you can take! I personally have tried this method and found that it not only gives you the motivation to study, but is an efficient way to help you get things done in a timely manner.

9. Reduce the number of decisions

LEILIA TROXELL | THE CAVALIER DAILY

LEILIA TROXELL | THE CAVALIER DAILY

8. Use the Pomodoro Technique

Every decision you make has a consequence — from the moment you wake up and ask yourself, “What should I wear today?” to the time you decide to sleep.

All of those miniscule decisions take up more time than you might think. If you approach each new day without having given any thought to what you want it to look like ahead of time, you might end up wasting a large portion of your energy deciding what to do — and what not to do. For example, if you spend 20 minutes deciding where you want to study for finals, you are wasting time actually studying for finals. I would suggest making a mental plan the day before a study day of where you want to study, where you will eat or even how long you need to study for. Reducing the number of decisions you need to make during finals week will boost your effectiveness and prevent you from procrastinating.

Waking up early on the weekend is probably the last thing you want to do. Your body needs rest, especially if you had a long night. But sleeping until 2 p.m. on a Saturday might lead to doing nothing all day, and you will most likely end up facing the terrifying monster that preys on all University students — Sunday Scaries. Setting your alarm at a reasonable time allows you to get some good rest and simultaneously start your work at an earlier time. It is a relief to wake up and still have enough time to take things slow. Aiming to be awake by 10 a.m. might not sound like your perfect weekend morning, but even those few extra hours of getting yourself together will help you out in the long run!

7. Delete social media

I don’t know about you but checking Instagram and Snapchat makes up about half of the time I spend doing work or studying. Whatever it is that distracts you the most — delete it. The time that you spend looking through Ye’s Twitter fight with Pete Davidson could be the hour you spend figuring out how molecules containing carbon interact. Getting rid of social media platforms, even if just for a specific amount of time during the day, will give you more time to focus and less time distracted. Once you finish a final, reward yourself by downloading the social media apps again. If you don’t have social media, consider putting your phone on do not disturb, or even work mode, to avoid the stream of text messages coming your way.

LEILIA TROXELL | THE CAVALIER DAILY

10. Just do it

At the end of the day, it all comes down to taking action. You can do all the strategizing, planning and hypothesizing, but if you don’t take action, nothing is going to happen. You can’t procrastinate your way to success, and the only way to get through finals is to take a breath and dive in head first. Coming from someone who tends to fall on the procrastination spectrum, I found that the times I put my mind to getting things done are the times I was the least stressed and performed my best. Think about it this way — a few more weeks and you could be on a beach somewhere getting your tan on!

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Thursday, April 28 2022 | 11

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OPINION

The Cavalier Daily

LEAD EDITORIAL

A note of congratulations The Editorial Board praises the hard work and resilience of University students To say that this semester has been eventful is an understatement. During student elections in March, University students voted to change the guilty Honor sanction from expulsion to a two-semester suspension and elected fourth-year College student Ceci Cain as Student Council president. The Queer Student Union celebrated its 50th anniversary, while many of the University community’s favorite events — like the Organization of African Students’ Africa Day — made remarkable in-person comebacks.

In-person Days on the Lawn brought admitted high schoolers to Grounds for the first time since 2019, and Trippie Redd brought students together for a concert at John Paul Jones Arena. This semester, there was finally a hint of normalcy and an inspiring dose of history in the air — and maybe a little pollen too.

Two years ago, we — as either high schoolers or college students

— were finishing up our first semesters during the COVID-19 pandemic. The in-person events listed above and the endless others affected by the pandemic quickly became things we lost that year.

More specfically, they became yet another box on our computer screen, as so-called Zoom University began for students across the globe. COVID-19 has affected all University students differently, but for those reading and writing this article, we can at least say that we are still here. COVID-19 is not in the past, but there’s a sense for many of us that now we can say this — we made it.

The hurdles students had to jump this semester did not make this journey easier. Greek organizations — but especially fraternities — have continually violated public health guidelines. Students have witnessed ineffective leadership in the Honor Committee.

Shifting policies around mask mandates have left many students

and faculty confused and some even feeling unsafe in classroom settings. Yet, in a semester defined by debate that tested the limits of student self-governance, we are disappointed to remember instances in which Virginia state policy makers pushed legislation based on myths surrounding critical race theory and made decisions without consulting those whom those very decisions would affect. We would be remiss not to acknowledge all these challenges, especially as they leave students frustrated and confused. Whether it be fraternities jeopardizing the health of the student body or Honor refusing to do its elected job, this semester has had its share of unique bumps in the road.

But today, we want to make one thing clear — we are proud of students for making it to the end of this semester. It is never a small feat to complete another challenging academic term, especially when academics are accompanied

by shifting public health situations and University operations.

To graduating students in particular — you made it to the end of your undergraduate career despite a pandemic that took so much away from you. Whether having to step away from the communities you joined early in your academic journey or returning to Grounds feeling like a first year who’s really a fourth year, you’re about to receive your diploma in May. With in-person Final Exercises returning, you’ll cascade the Lawn in your gowns and accomplishments. Do not let anybody take away the pride you should feel next month. You are incredible for making it here — undeniably incredible.

The University community faced a myriad of challenges over the past few years, and this last semester in particular. Repeated conflict has undoubtedly taken a toll on students on Grounds through burnout and crisis fa-

tigue. This summer, we encourage all of you to prioritize your mental and physical health — you deserve it. Remember, however, that this coming fall there will still be work to be done. From putting an end to the exploitation of unpaid student leaders to increasing the buy-in to student self-governance, to pushing for a rehabilitative Honor system and to taking down the racist symbols around Grounds — we have a lot of work to do. With the graduation of the Class of 2022 and lessening of pandemic restrictions, this summer provides a unique opportunity for younger students to make this University their own. What’s left is to rise to the occasion.

THE CAVALIER DAILY EDITORIAL BOARD is composed of the Executive Editor, the Editor-in-Chief, the two Opinion Editors, their Senior Associate and an Opinion Columnist. The board can be reached at eb@cavalierdaily.com.

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The opinions expressed in The Cavalier Daily are not necessarily those of the students, faculty, staff or administration of the University of Virginia. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the editorial board. Cartoons and columns represent the views of the authors. The managing board of The Cavalier Daily has sole authority over and responsibility for all content.

No part of The Cavalier Daily or The Cavalier Daily online edition may be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the editor-in-chief.

The Cavalier Daily is published Thursdays in print and daily online at cavalierdaily. com. It is printed on at least 40 percent recycled paper. 2022 The Cavalier Daily Inc.

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

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Thursday, April 28, 2022 | 13

OPINION

A tribute to the radical The radical has proven that embracing change, not fearing it, is the best way forward The sphere of consensus in our society grows smaller and smaller by the day. We have reached a moment in time that is both a standstill of progress and an unending barrage of attacks and counterstrikes. Nothing is sacred — least of all facts. When even the truth is muddied, it can be so easy to lower our eyes to the ground and resign ourselves to this new world. Most people shake their heads and lament what has changed — all while refusing to do anything about it.

There are calls for a return to normalcy, when dissent was supposedly nonexistent and all people lived in harmony. The status quo cries out for a past when life was seemingly picturesque and conflict-free. More often than not, the burden falls on the dreaded radical — those who advocate for social revolution on the behalf of the voiceless and marginalized. The majority — mainstream politics, which speaks in favor of preservation of the current social order — has, time and time again, blamed polarization on the few who would dare speak against the way things used to be.

Many claim that the radical — which has become a filthy word in some circles — wants society to shift away from the past. The radical

wants to pull us away from reason and into senseless chaos. The radical is loud and abrasive. The radical is a threat to our collective values. Some would have you believe that the radical — and by extension, any form of change — is the source of all of our problems. They cite violence as proof that we should accept the convenient familiarity of the status quo, even when this status quo brings with it

peace that comes with submission.

“Think of the children!” they will say, arguing that social disruption begets societal degradation. Yes, there is safety in conformity, in the same way that there is comfort in being told what to do. But we do not live in peaceful times. When poor people in a rich country starve, when children lose their parents to institutionalized brutality or are raised by families

ic outputs — this deserves outrage.

Radicalism is just one of many ways of expressing that righteous anger.

A common retort to radicals is that they should quit complaining and be grateful for the strides that have been made. Things have gotten better — certainly. It would be foolish to deny that conditions have improved, that the standard of living has risen dramatically. But it does

When we refuse to recognize the dignity of a fellow human being in the interest of corporate machines and economic outputs — this deserves outrage.” widespread inequality. For them, it is better to return to a time with known flaws, than towards an uncertain future.

But the past is a word that loses all meaning in the wrong hands.

And what past do those who call for preservation refer to? Conflict is ingrained in our country, stemming back to its very founding. To believe that there was once a time when people thought as one, when disagreements never took place, is to believe in a myth.

Those who oppose change will claim to stand for peace — a kind of

who cannot provide for their needs and wants and dreams — how is this peace? Can we truly say that this is the peace we want to live in?

There can be no peace when oppression runs rampant and lies are labeled “alternative facts.” The violence may not be visible, but it is there nonetheless. This intangible threat is arguably a worse form of oppression — one that lurks in the shadows, inflicted by those who will claim no such injustice exists. When we refuse to recognize the dignity of a fellow human being in the interest of corporate machines and econom-

not follow that we should now rest on our laurels, uncritical of all the work that remains to be done. The beauty of progressivism is that there is a constant push to be better. Even when its goals are unrealistic or even infeasible, radical movements have the power to sway the masses and encourage gradual change, making ideas that promote greater welfare appear more reasonable within public discourse. We saw it with the women’s suffrage movement, the American civil rights movement and more.

Extremism in any form — on either side of the political spectrum

— is an unpredictable thing. By supporting the radical, I am not condoning violence, nor acts of terrorism or insurgency. But when the radical burns bras, when she hangs provocative signs, when she gathers at pageants and rallies, people are eager to silence her. They insist that the only way to preserve an orderly society is to perpetuate the same mode of mistreatment that has existed for generations. This is not a viable solution.

Why should oppression be tolerated?

Why are these sacrifices deemed acceptable?

Complacency is easy. We all fall victim to it in one way or another. I myself am far from an active radical, and I do not pretend that I am not complicit to the injustices we live with every day. The radical is not perfect, but he has the courage to do what is hard — to look upon society with open eyes and say that there is something amiss, something he can help to fix.

The lie is this — that change is to be feared, a danger to everything we hold dear. And the truth — that even when it seems hopeless, that is all the more reason to try.

SAMANTHA CYNN is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

Construction on Grounds doesn’t have to be disruptive The University should do more to compensate students who live on Grounds for the negative effects of construction By now, we’ve all interacted with on Grounds construction in some shape or form. Whether it be taking the long way to get to Clem or walking past the barriers on McCormick Road, construction is almost everywhere you look on Grounds. Yet, despite attempts by the University to make construction undisruptive, like putting up signs and warnings, the reality is anything but. The construction on Grounds is disruptive and unfair to many students — but there are things the University can do to mitigate the distress caused by construction projects.

I live in the International Residential College, and construction has been happening nonstop since I moved into the IRC in January. For a while, construction stayed on the south side of Ivy Road, closest to the Ivy/Emmet garage, but it has since crept over to include the north side of the road as the Emmet/Ivy Corridor project started construction on the north bank on April 4. If I were to throw a rock out my window, I could hit a piece of construction equipment without even aiming. While plenty of construction is certainly to be expected at a university of this size, the Uni-

versity has planned it in such a way that negatively impacts student life.

In my experience, loud work starts at 8 a.m. every morning, so I am awakened by the sound of heavy equipment, tree removal and excavation. This means that I am up and awake even if I don’t have class

make Grounds more challenging to navigate for students with disabilities or injuries, with the blocking of sidewalks and pathways.

There is no sign that construction will be stopping anytime soon. In an email sent out to IRC residents, we were notified that the Emmet/Ivy

but projects closer to dorms require a more sensitive approach by the University as those projects can interfere with sleeping and studying.

While construction is important to improving the University, it must not come at the expense of student life. The easiest remedy to these

In my experience, loud work starts at 8 a.m. every morning, so I am awakened by the sound of heavy equipment, tree removal and excavation.”

in the morning. The work continues until 7 p.m., which makes it hard to attend online office hours or study in my room during most of the day.

The noise is so distracting that it’s difficult to concentrate. The construction also makes the University less physically accessible as a whole, with construction causing several accessibility issues, like equipment blocking access to buildings on Grounds.

These accessibility issues ultimately make buildings on Grounds less safe, as access to both entrances and exits would be dangerous in an emergency situation. Accessibility issues also

Corridor would take five months to complete. This means that construction will continue until after the start of classes next semester. Even during final exams, the construction and disruption will continue. The University only negotiated quiet days between May 4-6, so noise will be present even as students living in the IRC try to study for their exams.

The University should be more mindful of construction projects near dorms in the future. Long projects like the Alderman Library are inevitably going to take years and are noticeable by almost every student,

problems caused by the construction would be to schedule projects near dorms over the summer, when occupancy is at its lowest. However, with projects taking months and sometimes years to complete, that might not always be possible. If the University cannot schedule construction projects near dorms over the summer, when the on Grounds population is at its lowest, then it should possibly consider giving a partial refund or discounting room and board for students living near these construction projects. It is unfair to charge the same price for those who live near on-

Grounds constructions as those who live disturbance-free. A partial refund or prorated discount will make pricing more equitable and compensate for some of the stress caused by construction happening so close to dorms. In addition, the University could also shorten the times that construction is allowed. For instance, only allowing construction from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. would significantly reduce the disruptions that students experience in the morning and allow for better sleep and uninterrupted studying.

Something must be done about the construction on Grounds — it disrupts student life and accessibility. The University cannot disturb the routines of students and make their dorms less comfortable with loud construction without offering any mitigation plans. There are several potential solutions to this problem and the University needs to implement them. The University has the resources but it just needs to utilize those resources to reduce disruption.

RILEY LORGUS is a Viewpoint Writer for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

14 | www.cavalierdaily.com

HUMOR

The Cavalier Daily

Gone in a Flash There is a photograph in my camera roll. It displays a scene of myself, my twin brother and one of my cousins taking a selfie in front of a frequently played game board. We are smiling, as the latter member had recently arrived to visit from her campus.

Earlier that day, in my last class, I had received a slip of paper from the school saying that we would have two weeks off. The person who sat next to me with a name I conveniently cannot remember leaned towards me and said something to the tune of “Must be nice to get two weeks off from class before your birthday, huh?”

I probably laughed and replied “Yep.” What an utter fool I was, unknowing of the absolute virtual mess slowly approaching. And now you might be wondering why on absolute Earth I would start this article describing a random photograph in my phone. Like,

who gives a crap, right? Wrong.

There is something particularly special about this photo, the date that it was taken — March 13, 2020. Bam! Throwback, right?

Over 700 days later, I am just halfway through university with absolutely no clue how I got here in the first place. Did I travel in time? Did a wormhole open above Grounds and drop me and the class of 2024 into our dorm rooms? The spiraling mess of 2020 and the years that followed it have whizzed by so quickly that my head can barely compute the memories. Four semesters have passed by, and quite frankly, I do not remember much of it all.

But this semester was different, in a sort of way. While in-person classes have been back since last semester, masks have been dropping during this one. Anxiety, while still a factor in peoples’ lives, is lowered. And while

COVID-19 continues to spit out new variants, the saliva testing center has closed. Many refer to this phenomenon as a return to normalcy.

So, this semester was unlike those prior during the pandemic — as time has passed, this semester has marked a more prevalent return to some level of normalcy. I would argue that things will never be as they were before, but that is a whole other can of worms to open. Classes commenced in-person, the mask mandate was removed and crowds of people returned for Days on the Lawn. But there is a similarity, I would argue, between this semester and the three that came before it. And I am not talking about anyone who holds a Zoom meeting still saying “I really suck at using this,” even after using it for ages on ages. No, I am talking about time. I honestly can not get

my head around its passage anymore. Weeks have passed during this semester, and yet I feel as if no time has passed at all. Perhaps a few of you would agree with me that time has truly now become a construct. Please, allow me to elaborate.

We know that in general, time moves forward. This is a fact.

As a STEM major, I can verify this with an error of 5 percent.

Yet, in a way, I still feel like I’m sitting on the floor of my home with my brother and cousin playing a board game over two years ago. No longer can I track time by normal means. Events, deadlines and trends have become my marker. There were phases of quarantine in the very beginning, as if life was one humongous Marvel Universe series. I am both ashamed and prideful to admit I baked a lot of bread, up until the trend passed by and I latched

CARTOON Just Bee Cool Caroline Abel | Cartoonist

onto binging TV shows with a feverish passion.

However, in the deep abyss of my mind, I know that time has genuinely passed and it is entirely impossible that I manifested on Grounds in January, and that everything that happened in between now simply whooshed by faster than the speed of light.

Things happened, I am sure they did, and yet it is as if nothing happened at all.

So I ask this single question. It is a very important question. Are we living in a paradox, or has the construct of time itself become obsolete? I am not sure I have the answer. Maybe this is all in my head.

CAMILA COHEN SUÁREZ is the Humor Editor for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at humor@cavalierdaily.com

The Cavalier Daily

PUZZLES

Thursday, April 28, 2022 | 15

WEEKLY PUZZLE Kyndal Harrison | Puzzle Master

Across

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

1. A draw 4. God of war 8. Referee of the Diamond 9. The best kind of pencil 11. Dumbo’s got big ones 12. She can be dirty, according to MJ 14. Government name of the ‘queen of pop’ 15. Clam is best in it 18. Inglorious director 21. It gets you up 22. Military nobility 25. Without this, no gain 26. East of Cuba 27. Largest continent 28. Blue Hero-Villain

Down

2. It’s this, my dear Watson 3. The better Brontë novel 5. The director of Wyoming’s movie landmark 6. Wyoming’s movie landmark 7. Inglorious Director 10. 90 miles from Cuba 12. Past art finished 13. A shocking fish 16. A Bridgerton hottie 17. Lil John Song 19. To finish off 20. It runs when you cry 21. We want to be this when we are young 23. Pleasant scent, usually 24. Baby’s second word

Join The Cavalier Daily in celebrating the Class of 2022!

Friends and family can now purchase ads for their graduate in our upcoming 2022 Graudation Issue. Scan the QR code for more details and purchasing information.

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The Cavalier Daily

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Hoos Originals: a playlist of student musicians Nine original songs written, performed and released by the Classes of ‘22-’25 Tanner Rowe | Staff Writer

From bachelor’s degrees to record deals, the endeavors of the University’s vibrant and talented community continue to shape the climate of the world, whether it be through academics or music.

Here is a playlist of nine original songs written, performed and released by the Classes of 2022 through 2025.

“Japanese Soda” by One South Lark Third-year College student and guitarist Grayson Worley, along with four of his childhood friends, formed One South Lark down in their hometown of New Orleans. Although the bandmates now attend different schools throughout the East Coast, One South Lark has managed to amass over 3 million streams on Spotify due to the traction of songs like “404” and “Japanese Soda.” Worley recently reunited with his bandmates to bring the indie surfrock sound to Rugby Road at the Spring Quad Party April 9.

“Ballers & Senators” by Mick Mazin “Ballers & Senators” is the opening track of “mickstape,” the debut album of fourth-year College student Eddie Micklovic. Rapping under the pen name Mick Mazin, Micklovic flows over soulful beats and delivers lines about the duality of the college lifestyle, from parties to priorities.

“The lyrics in this song primarily focus on my development as both a human and an artist throughout college,” Micklovic said. “It starts with me being ‘Nervous my purpose is more than just music’ — a fear I’ve had my entire life. It ends with me proclaiming that in five years ‘I’ll be goated like Ye,’ demonstrating the confidence I’ve developed in myself as an artist since I’ve come to U.Va..”

“Switch Lanes” by Wayve Fourth-year College student Wayne Barnes — also known as Wayve or 4C Wayve — brings melodic rap to Charlottesville, carrying with him influences from Juice WRLD and Roddy Rich.

Barnes, who recently opened for Trippie Redd at UPC’s Springfest concert, has garnered 800 thousand streams on Spotify. “Switch Lanes,” with over half a million streams, is the standout track from Barnes’ debut album, “Self Discovered.”

“Clumsy Romance” by Luke Richard Powers Second-year College student Luke Powers is a singer, songwriter and acoustic guitarist with a taste for country and folk icons like John Denver and James Taylor. Powers’ most recent single “Clumsy Romance” precedes the release of his second EP, “As I Am,” out May 13. Powers’ influences come through in the form of sweet guitar slides, twangy vocals and heartfelt lyricism.

“Knowing that while I am very put-together, capable, and social in most settings, I can be rather clumsy when I start to really fall for someone,” Powers said about the song’s inspiration. “To be perfectly honest, this song was about that hope of finding someone okay with that.”

Powers reflects the theme of clumsiness by using a 6/8 time signature, giving the track a less structural, lagging waltz feel.

“brian tafazoli dies and goes to wendy’s” by Brian Tafazoli Brian Tafazoli, third-year College student and member of the Cavalier Marching Band’s drumline, is a whiz on the guitar. Tafazoli’s musical background and affinity for math rock artists like Chon contribute to layered melodies and complex rhythms running through “brian tafazoli dies and goes to wendy’s.”

“The song follows the story of growing from trauma,” Tafazoli said, recalling his battle with post traumatic stress disorder as a result of recurring pneumothorax during high school. With over twenty time signature changes, the song’s meandering trajectory reflects perseverance throughout a non-linear healing process.

“Musically, this is the most fun I’ve ever had making a song, and I feel like that’s easy to hear,” Tafazoli said. “There’s so much detail in the song that the amateur mixing unfortunately buries, but the process of making this song showed me that I want to make music for the rest of my life.”

“What Kind of Man” by Farrah Hanna “What Kind of Man,” produced by third-year College Student Elie Bashkow, is an emotive indie anthem released by singer and songwriter Farrah Hanna, third-year College student. Hanna released her third single, titled “Growing Up/ Apart” April 22.

“Just What I Need” by Marti Caroline Hullman, a fourth-year in the College, evokes gritty vocals and spacey guitar chords on “Just What I Need,” the first single released under her indie-rock project titled Marti.

The song was re-released last year as a part of Hullman’s self-titled EP, a cosmic fusion of edginess and emotionality produced by fourth-year Commerce student Nate Cantu.

“Queen of Cups” by Ceterus Ceterus, consisting of three University alumni and third-year Engineering student Daichi Monma, became a popular indie-rock band within the University’s house show scene from 2019-2020. Despite Ceterus’ hiatus following the graduation of its bandmates, the band lives on through their published music and the existence of Sycamore Jade, a five-piece spin-off band formed by three former Ceterus members.

“Queen of Cups” is a highlight among Ceterus’ diverse discography, featuring catchy guitar riffs and a youthful chorus that reads, “For now let’s chase the feeling / Raise your glass up to the ceiling / While the Queen of Cups is reeling / And I just can’t seem to get through to you.”

“Try” by Midge After surrendering her spot as the frontwoman for a D.C.-based indie band to attend the University, first-year College student Megan Clancy now writes, records and produces original music from her bedroom under the moniker of Midge.

Clancy showcases her velvety vocals and guitar skills on “Try,” one of the most notable tracks of her indie EP “Karaoke.”

Scan to access playlist

Thursday, April 28, 2022 | 17

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

4C Wayve looks back at his time at the University How Wayne Barnes became 4C Wayve and his trip down memory lane Leon Arceo | Staff Writer A native of Richmond, fourthyear College student Wayne Barnes embarked on a long and impressive journey beginning with only a curiosity for the strings of the violin in the sixth grade. Through friendships and mentors, Barnes’ love for music would evolve to him creating his own.

His quick grasp on music production would set a well-known fan base on Grounds and accomplish unimaginable accolades, such as opening for Trippie Redd at John Paul Jones arena.

With the help of his cousin at the age of sixteen, Barnes — better known as 4C Wayve — would set aside his violin and find the potential of his voice, creating a beat and writing a song in a single day. Encouragement from his cousin set the foundation for Wayve publicly releasing songs. Despite his love for recording music, his intentions of attending post-secondary school were clear and obvious.

“I knew I wasn’t gonna go straight to university,” Wayve said. “We couldn’t really afford for [my mother] to pay. Our agreement was that I take two years of community college and then I could go for two years of university. The loans that I take out for university will be mine. And the money that I take out for community college, she’ll pay for.”

After graduating from high school, Wayve attended John Tyler Community College. He hammered away the necessary requirements to transfer, and by the fall of 2019 he was enrolled at the University. Similar to many undergraduates, his arrival in uncharted territory was difficult at first. He found his footing through the help of student organizations on Grounds, performing at the Black Ball hosted by the Black Student Alliance and A Taste of the East hosted by the Ethiopian Eritrean Student Association.

However, his spotlight would be cut short when a national emergency was declared regarding the COVID-19 disease.

After the pandemic hit, Wayve was forced to become a part-time student in order to take care of his family while his mother worked as a travel nurse. The temporary shift to being a part-time student would extend his time at the University. Luckily, during the pandemic, he formed friendships — all University students — that he still cherishes today. As he returned to being a full-time student, he never abandoned his circle of friends — a circle that even joins him on stage as he performs.

“They support me or show me love,” Wayve said. “All of them are on track to become lawyers, on track to become doctors, business people. I like surrounding myself with those people.

It motivates me to become a better version of myself.”

COURTESY WAYVE

Driven by manifestation and hard work, Wayve was able to make his aspiration become reality during his time at the University.

One of the biggest sources of motivation for Wayve is his childhood best friend, Chumpy, who sadly passed away while in middle school. Wayve admired how the energy of Chumpy gravitated toward all his classmates and especially teammates, as he excelled in sports.

Wayve chose his stage name to begin with 4C — “For Chumpy” — paying homage to his departed friend, who wore the number four on his jerseys. While keeping the memory of his friend alive through his stage name, Wayve went on to create new friendships with University faculty and students to further develop his music career.

Despite not releasing any songs together, one University student Wayve has worked with is third-year College student Elie Bashkow.

“My thing as a producer is I want to work with people who I really like as people,” Bashkow said. “One of my favorite parts of working with Wayne is that it’s always a really healthy, positive environment for everyone to be in — people feel safe taking creative risks.”

The common dilemma of pursuing both worlds — attempting to be a fulltime student and artist — is always

present for Wayve and Bashkow. Being a student artist often “takes away the ability to get a full college experience,” according to Bashkow. Since enrolling at the University, however, Wayve has had his eyes set on the same goal — getting his degree. For the Richmond native, it is not a matter of prioritizing one of the identities but maintaining a harmony between the two.

Associate Anthropology Prof. Lise Dobrin and Asst. Music Prof. A.D. Carson are two figures that encouraged both artistic and academic pursuits. Fortunately, during the interview with The Cavalier Daily, Wayve saw Dobrin, telling her the significance she had on his academics. He spoke of the compelling experience he had in her class that would lead to him changing his major from biology to anthropology. The conversation concluded with a warm comment by Wayve — “thank you for being you.”

Wayve also spoke highly of Carson, a mentor for the artist from the deep conversations over music and advice on his career. The two have done various independent studies, with Carson even providing guidance on the production of the Wayve’s 2020 album “Self Discovered.”

“Anytime I have a conversation

with this man he makes me smarter,” Wayve said. “He’s been through the ropes and he has so much wisdom.

He’s a walking book. He’s probably one of the smartest people I’ve ever met in my entire life.”

Wayve is “grateful” for the resources and assistance at the University, returning the favor by providing musical entertainment to students at numerous events. The most recent of his endeavors was organized by the University Programs Council. Five University rappers presented a freestyle on the UPC’s Instagram, creating a XXL Freshman Class — a reference to the hip-hop magazine that annually showcases up and coming artists.

After receiving the most votes on social media, Wayve opened for an artist with multiple Billboard Hot 100 songs, Trippie Redd.

“It was the biggest experience as an artist I’ve had up to date,” Wayve said.

“I feel like that was God giving me a taste of what’s to come for me. It was literally just a blessing to have that opportunity and I feel like I made the most of it.”

As graduation approaches for Wayve, it is a “bittersweet” realization that wont take full effect until he leaves the University for good. Stu-

dents will head off, making a name for themselves in the professional workforce, while the melodic rapper has already made his presence known on Grounds. Although Wayve does not despise working a white-collar job, he much prefers pursuing a career of focusing on his main love — music.

“If I don’t have to work for someone for the rest of my life and do what I love to do, which is music, then that’s what I want to do,” Wayve said.

While he hopes to get a chance to work in the big league cities — Atlanta, Los Angeles or New York City — Wayve is still grateful for his time in Charlottesville. Annual performances with EESA, BSA, and local events made him a crowd favorite. His engagement with established professors and popularity with underclassmen marked an impression on the University. Driven by manifestation and hard work, Wayve was able to make his aspiration become reality during his time at the University.

“If I’m gonna say one thing, it’s just thank you U.Va. for welcoming me with open arms,” Wayve said. “Continue to push that type of energy going forward for the new students and the new generations that are following after us.”

18 | www.cavalierdaily.com

HEALTH & SCIENCE

The Cavalier Daily

U.Va. faculty and students resist stigma of mental illness University experts and students discuss how to move past the ubiquitous and multifaceted stigma of mental illness Claire Huchthausen | Staff Writer In Virginia, 317,000 adults are estimated to have a mental illness that causes serious functional impairment. Mental illness affects so many lives, yet it is rarely discussed — today, professors and students at the University are making an effort to break the stigma.

Stigma is defined as a mark of shame or discredit. As a result of stigmatization, people’s experiences are disbelieved or hidden.

Mental illnesses are subject to far more stigma than other kinds of illness — a phenomenon that Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences Prof. Jennifer Payne has seen firsthand both personally and professionally.

“There’s a lot of stigma that psychiatric illnesses aren’t real,” Payne said. “And then on the flip side of that, there’s a lot of stigma that if someone has a psychiatric illness, they’re not a normal person, or they’re something to not be talked about or hidden away.”

When Payne’s daughter was 15 years old, she became very ill with a schizoaffective disorder.

“It was very horrifying to watch my sweet daughter turn into this person that I almost didn’t know,” Payne said.

Her daughter was hospitalized at Johns Hopkins, where Payne worked at the time. Payne recalled that her psychiatric

colleagues told her she was “so brave” to hospitalize her daughter where she worked — in other words, to expose the fact that she has a daughter with a major psychiatric illness. The implication is that they would not have called her brave if they did not perceive mental illness as shameful in some way.

Around the same time, Payne’s family friend developed a brain tumor and was also hospitalized.

“I kept thinking, nobody’s saying … that he’s brave to have brought her and to expose that she has a brain tumor,” Payne said. “And serious psychiatric illness is very much the equivalent of having a brain tumor.

[But] even psychiatric colleagues thought I was brave to hospitalize [my daughter] at work. I thought, boy, this stigma is seeping everywhere.”

The stigma of mental illness isolates those who are suffering, breaks relationships and makes it difficult for them to get jobs and access help.

Third-year College student Anna Brule is a philosophy major and history minor who plans to go to law school. She struggles with depression and has experienced the way that mental illness is often discredited during her time at the University.

“Especially when it comes

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to depression, the way [mental illness] is talked about is, just pick yourself up,” Brule said. “I’ve had to miss classes, both during COVID and this year because of depressive episodes … It feels like a huge personal shortcoming to miss classes because of something like depression, but if I woke up feeling really sick, I wouldn’t feel like I’m being lazy.”

Brule has also experienced the perceived shame of mental illness in the way people avoid talking about it. “[Mental illness] is an impediment to success, and nobody wants to show those parts of themselves, especially in a competitive environment like U.Va.,” Brule said. “If you’re going to therapy, you don’t say that you’re going to therapy. You say, I have an appointment. [You say] I need to take my medication, [you don’t say] I need to take my antidepressants. If someone breaks their leg, that’s not the way we talk about it at all.”

Payne is trying to fight this aspect of mental illness stigma in her research by supporting the experience of depression with biological evidence.

She has discovered a biomarker determined from blood samples — two genes whose expression changed in response to hormonal change — that can predict whether a pregnant woman will become depressed after giving birth.

Payne chose to focus on postpartum depression because it is relatively feasible to make conclusions about whether a person will get sick with the condition.

Researchers can measure genetic markers before the onset of the illness — during pregnancy — to compare to the postpartum time period itself, which differentiates it from types of clinical depression that originate more spontaneously. In particular, about onethird to one-half of women with pre-existing mood disorders will be diagnosed.

Payne began collecting blood samples in 2007, first published her findings in 2013 and is currently working on grants to fund studies trying to prevent the onset of depression in women with the biomarkers. Her team is also working with a company to begin the process of making this test available to the public.

“I’m really excited about it be-

cause it offers, for the first time, a test for a psychiatric disorder,” Payne said. “People are going to take that seriously. If there’s a test, then it’s got to be real. And it really decreases stigma from that perspective.”

On the other hand, professionals disagree about whether testing is an appropriate strategy to address mental illness stigma. Asst. Sociology Prof.

David Skubby, who teaches a class called Sociology of Mental Illness, was concerned that tests might exacerbate the other side of mental health stigma — the perceived shamefulness of not being a “normal” person.

“The finding is that once people know that your issue is genetically related, that tends to bring out more negative opinions of people,” Skubby said. “What they think is … your aberrant thoughts are critical to who you are, and therefore you should be avoided. The scientific findings of genetics has had, I think, the opposite effect of acceptance.”

Studies have shown that mental illness stigma is worsened when the illness is explained with a genetic framing, especially with illnesses like schizophrenia.

Brule, however, agreed that a test would be helpful to those suffering from depression.

“It would be validating to have something physical that you can point to,” Brule said.

All mental illnesses are not treated equally. Skubby emphasized that illnesses such as eating disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are especially stigmatized.

First-year College student Ploi Sripoom, from Thailand, is majoring in economics and minoring in Global Studies in Education. She said she feels more comfortable talking about depression and anxiety attacks at the University than she did at her high school in Thailand. However, she added that mental illnesses like schizophrenia, anorexia nervosa and bipolar disorder are “definitely not” as frequently discussed as depression or anxiety.

Skubby said that people tend to have more understanding for those with anxiety or depression, because everyone experiences the stresses and losses of life on some level. He said we must work hardest against the stigmatization of people whose illness

cannot be explained by circumstances — such as those suffering from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

To address these stigmas, Payne recommends frequent conversations. In addition to bringing the topic up to her friends and colleagues, she openly talked with her daughter about her illness as she engaged in treatment and began to improve.

“We both agreed that we were not going to hide this,” Payne said. “This is not something to be swept off into a closet. … Let’s talk about it and talk about it normally. Everybody that I work with knows I have a daughter with schizoaffective disorder, not because I’m announcing it but because it comes up in a reasonable conversation.”

Moving forward, Brule said we need to learn to talk about mental illness with all types of people. “[Talking normally about mental illness] is almost an activist action,” Brule said. “Because that is where we should be headed. But doing it is not going to be received normally by a lot of people. I think when it’s brought up, it’s going to be rough socially.”

Skubby said that bringing serious mental illness into normal conversation would be a positive step forward if it emphasizes our common humanity.

“Put the human first rather than the disease first,” Skubby said. “We’re talking about people, and they’re in their lives, and they are whole, important individuals. No less important than anybody else, no less human than anybody else. We say that first.”

In the wake of the pandemic, far more people are developing mental illness or relapsing. Many healthcare workers have developed PTSD. Payne and many of her colleagues across the U.S. believe that there is a correlation between an increase in people developing serious psychiatric illness and having COVID-19.

“There’s a real increase in mental health needs,” Payne said.

“If we’re not going to talk about it now, we’re never going to talk about it.”

Thursday, April 28, 2022 | 19

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Repair Lab, students collaborate on climate project University students enrolled in a climate crisis history course provide historical context of climate gentrification in Norfolk and other Virginia areas Jacob Woodford | Staff Writer In collaboration with the University’s Repair Lab — which seeks to understand the relationship between climate change and racial injustice — students enrolled in HIST 4501 “The Climate Crisis” this spring semester have been searching the archives of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library for historical data on the rising housing prices in Norfolk and using this information to connect historical trends in the increase in real estate prices.

The University’s Repair Lab has been conducting research over the last year pertaining to the effects of climate change on housing prices in Norfolk and the surrounding areas. Researchers have obtained this information through a combination of field research and historical analysis.

The goal of this project is to use the expertise of their members to research and teach the causes and consequences of environmental injustice.

At the start of the semester, Justin McBrien, history lecturer and post-doctoral research associate, had the desire to find a research project for his HIST 4501 class to work on. With his previous experience in environmental history and his connections to people in the field, McBrien decided to collaborate with the lab, seeing this as an opportunity for his students to be able to engage with the material outside of the classroom.

The lab focuses on understanding climate gentrification. The lab operates through collaboration between various disciplines, including students and faculty involved in history, political science and environmental science.

Climate gentrification is an issue where wealthy individuals in areas more at risk from climate disasters — such as flooding — relocate to low-income neighborhoods to avoid these disasters, and it is often experienced in the coastal areas of the U.S. Through this relocation, the housing prices increase in the area with an influx of residents and force some of the previous inhabitants out of their homes. According to McBrien, even the anticipation of the impacts of climate change can drive this gentrification.

“One, there’s the problem of unequal impacts of climate risks, but there’s also the response — the idea of adaptation, resilience, even like the production of new green spaces, these kinds of responses,” McBrien said. “In an attempt to

MAYA KALIDINDI | THE CAVALIER DAILY

anticipate the impacts of climate change, [the responses] can themselves drive gentrification and displacement. So what appears to be a great solution to dealing with the incoming impacts of climate change ends up creating a new form of gentrification.”

In Virginia, the effects of climate gentrification are predominantly seen in Norfolk, which is in close proximity to both the Chesapeake Bay and the Elizabeth River. The Norfolk area experiences around 170 days of high tide flooding per year — a number that is projected to rise over the years to come, per a technical report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

McBrien’s project is still early in its process, with the present focus on collection and archiving of historical and current data.

While larger conclusions cannot be drawn regarding the complete effects of climate change on the Norfolk area at this stage of the project, some instances of inequality have been measured and can be used to further explore how the impacts of climate change relate to the increased aggression of gentrification in other areas.

One of these instances of inequality is the increase in real estate prices in Liberty City — a predominantly Black and Latinx neighborhood in Miami that has been gentrified due to its increased elevation in comparison to the rest of the city.

Gaby Vargas, third-year College student and intern for the University’s Environmental Justice Policy Clinic, emphasized that financial inequality plagues Norfolk residents during floods.

Residents’ opinions will be incorporated in focus groups during the research portion of this project.

“Flooding is a really big problem that [the Repair Lab] wants to focus on — specifically flooding within Black neighborhoods, where a lot of the solutions offered to residents of color aren’t necessarily feasible,” Vargas said.

“For flooding insurance, I believe that your house has to flood multiple times in order to qualify for it.”

As McBrien observed while teaching this class, many students enjoy examining historical data — such as land deeds and other documents — in a manner that influences the world outside of the

classroom in their collaboration with the Repair Lab. “I think what the most important thing that students are taking away from this is that this is holistically integrated into all of these other issues,” McBrien said. “The point of talking about the climate crisis was to show that this crisis is embedded in the practices of our lifestyle and how we address this in our life on a daily basis.”

Climate change is an issue that requires holistic approaches in order to make accurate assumptions that help inform decision making and prepare for climate disasters, McBrien said. The work done in collaboration with the University’s Repair Lab has allowed students to experience this interdisciplinary approach for themselves.

“It’s very much seeing what you can learn in the classroom and applying it to a genuine, real world issue that actually has tangible effects on people,” Vargas said.

“It’s very easy to sit back and say climate change is bad and all of that, but this really puts into perspective the amount of issues that you wouldn’t have necessarily considered otherwise, especially from an environmental justice perspec-

tive.”

From the positive student reception that he has received, McBrien plans on attempting to inspire further student engagement with similar projects in the future.

“My hope is that this is the beginning of something that will turn into something long term — that we can use this as an entry point into beginning to engage in these issues at a more pedagogical level at this university,” McBrien said. “Next year, I’ll be teaching in the first-year engagements program, and I’m hoping to have them also be involved in doing work with the [Repair] Lab as a means not just to develop student engagement, but to actually help drive these projects.”

McBrien hopes that his class will have more tangible data in mid-May, after they have concluded their historical research. He also hopes to explore the Norfolk archives with his students over the summer, where more information pertaining to the rising real estate prices in the Norfolk area is available.

20 | www.cavalierdaily.com

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