Tuesday, April 30, 2019

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The Cavalier Daily

Vol. 129, Issue 29

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

RILEY WALSH & EMMA KLEIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

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This week in-brief

NEWS

CD News Staff

North Korea charged U.S. $2 million for medical treatment of University student Otto Warmbier North Korea charged the U.S. $2 million for the medical treatment of Otto Warmbier and insisted the envoy sent to retrieve the comatose University student from Pyongyang in 2017 sign a pledge that the U.S. would pay before giving permission to leave. The Washington Post reported Thursday that, according to two sources familiar with the situation, State Department envoy Joseph Yun signed the agreement to pay the invoice per instructions from President Donald Trump. The existence of the medical bill charges had not been previously disclosed by officials from either North Korea or the U.S. The bill is said to have remained unpaid in the Treasury Department throughout 2017. The White House reportedly declined to comment on whether it has been resolved since. Trump addressed the matter Friday and announced that the U.S. did not pay the charges. “No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two Million Dollars, not anything else,” Trump tweeted.

“This is not the Obama Administration that paid 1.8 Billion Dollars for four hostages, or gave five terroist hostages plus, who soon went back to battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl!” After a summit meeting between the two leaders in Vietnam this past February, Trump denied that North Korea’s Kim Jong Un was to blame for Warmbier’s death. In December a federal judge ruled that North Korea owed the Warmbier family $501 million in damages for the torture, hostage taking and death of their son. Warmbier was a third-year Commerce student on a tour of the country when he was arrested in North Korea in January 2016. In March 2016, Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years of prison with hard labor for allegedly stealing political signage from his hotel. Warmbier fell into a coma after he was sentenced, the cause of which is still unknown. U.S. officials weren’t made aware of his comatose state until June 2017.

COURTESY KYODO KYODO / REUTERS | X01481

Warmbier died within a week of his return to the U.S. in June 2017.

U.Va. men’s basketball team will not celebrate championship at White House

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Head coach Tony Bennett says the Cavaliers “respectfully decline” a potential visit to the White House.

The Virginia men’s basketball team will not be celebrating its national championship with President Trump at the White House, per a statement from head coach Tony Bennett released Friday. Bennett said the team has “received inquires about a visit to the White House” but will be declining an invitation because several players are preparing to play professional basketball. “With several players either pursuing pro opportunities or moving on from UVa, it would be difficult, if not impossible to get everyone back together,” Bennett wrote. “We would have to respectfully decline an invitation.” The decision to not visit the White House comes the same day as Trump publicly defended his comments in the wake of the deadly Unite the Rally in August 2017, when he said there were “very fine people on both sides.” “I have answered that question, and if you look

at what I said, you will see that question was answered perfectly,” Trump said Friday afternoon. “I was talking about people that went because they felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee, a great [Confederate] general.” Larry Sabato, director of the University's Center for Politics, said on Twitter that the team’s decision to not visit Trump was “diplomatically handled.” “The President's thoughtless comments today on #Charlottesville made this easier, I suspect,” Sabato said. Earlier this month, University alumna Lacey Kohlmoos created an online petition urging the team to forgo an invite to join Trump at the White House. The petition has now accumulated more than 15,000 signatures. Previous men’s basketball champions Villanova and North Carolina also declined to visit Trump at the White House.

Four people arrested at 42nd annual Foxfield Races Four arrests, all for drunk in public, were made at Saturday’s 42nd annual Foxfield Races, according to data from the Albemarle County Police Department. The arrest count marks a decrease from previous years. Additionally, 12 traffic-related summonses were issued at the Albemarle County horse races, which are widely attended by students and community members. At the event, 26 patients were treated on-site for medical issues. It is currently unknown how many of the issues treated on-site were alcohol-related. Two additional patients were transported to the hospital, one for an alcohol-related condition. This year’s data track with a decrease in arrests over recent years. Last year, five arrests were made, including four for drunk in public and one for disorderly conduct. In 2017, five arrests were made. Twenty arrests were made in 2016, seven in 2015, 18

in 2014 and 33 in 2013. Most of the arrests made in those years were alcohol-related. In an email sent Monday, University Dean of Students Allen Groves urged students to act safely at any large-scale events they attend during the last few weeks of the semester, including nd Virginia Beach’s concurrent “Something in the Water” festival. Groves cautioned of a “significant law enforcement presence” on roads leading to and within the grounds of Foxfield, and said officers would focus on deterring and responding to crimes and helping those in need. “I ask you to approach any large-scale event with a clear understanding of the potential risks and a plan on how you will protect yourself and your friends,” Groves said. “In short, I want you to enjoy these remaining few weeks and make many happy memories, but I ask you to do so with an eye to personal safety as well.”

COURTESY DANIELA BERNSTEIN

Twenty-eight medical calls made, including two patients transported to the hospital.


www.cavalierdaily.com • NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

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Panel discusses hate and violence in Charlottesville Together We Remember organized a dialogue promoting “Never Again” for genocide awareness month The non-profit organization Together We Remember held a panel of speakers comprised of Susan Bro, Heather Heyer’s mother, Reverend Patricia Jones Turner from the White Feather Historical Project — a program built around workshops that discuss the history of people of color — Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin from the Congregation Beth Israel in Charlottesville and David Estrin, the founder and CEO of TWR. The diverse group engaged in a dialogue with about 15 attendees on preventing identity-based violence in Charlottesville Thursday in McLeod Hall. TWR was originally founded as a coalition at Duke University in 2013, and in 2017 it was established as a non-profit that holds vigils around the globe. The organization helps promote the “Never Again” movement to promise to educate others about genocide to ensure it never happens again — by commemorating past tragedies and educating the next generation on how to combat hatred and violence. TWR has held vigils at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Baltimore City, and the University of Southern California, where students and attendants made pledges on what and who they must remember to build a better future. Kate Keller — one of the organizers for TWR — also said that their online presence and #TogetherWeRemember on Twitter helped expand the organization’s impact. Most of the vigils, including the one in Charlottesville, are live-streamed on Facebook so it can reach a wider audience. Moreover, Keller said that recently Twitter had donated $100,000 to TWR “to amplify the stories and to try to shift the narrative on social media from one of hate and negativity to one of hope and positivity.” This is the second TWR vigil that has been held in Charlottesville since April 2018. Estrin said these events are held every April during genocide awareness month and that TWR will be hosting over 40 similar events over the course of the month worldwide. The discussion held in Charlottesville occurred almost two years after the white supremacist rallies of Aug. 11 and 12 2017, when a Unite the Right rally turned deadly as white nationalists and counter-protestors clashed in the streets, resulting in the death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer. Estrin mentioned briefly that this year’s dialogue about redefining Charlottesville held special relevance due to the release of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign announcement, which largely focused on the events of Aug. 11 and 12, but Estrin did not say more on this subject. The main point of the event

was to bring people together and create a shared-identity with community members to help residents move forwards. The evening began with a name-reading ceremony of those who had been victims of genocide, mass shootings and lynchings. Afterwards, the panel discussed the “future of Charlottesville’s past” and how the community could take steps to put the idea of “Never Again” into practice and redefine Charlottesville’s story. Turner said that “in order to move forward, we have to look back,” and explained that people had to acknowledge the dark history of Charlottesville, like the demolition of the black neighborhood Vinegar Hill in 1965 when the city of Charlottesville destroyed the homes and businesses of a thriving African American community to use the land for parking lots. “We need to hear the hard things that are said... and accept…[them] as truth,” Turner said. “If we want to change the truth and alter it because we don’t want to hear about it, things are going to remain the same.” This sentiment was echoed by Estrin, who said that the importance of events like this was giving a voice to those who had been silenced by history. “The raw material of awakening is in these stories,” Estrin said. “It’s like this dormant flame that is waiting to be fed more oxygen that then provides more light into our society.” Schmelkin’s redefinition of Charlottesville focused on telling the truth about the events of Aug. 11-12. “The story of Charlottesville is not actually that it’s a liberal college town with lots of progressive values,” she said. “The rally organizers were graduates of the University of Virginia.” However, Schmelkin said the narrative for Aug. 11 and 12 needs to address other aspects besides the role that local Charlottesville residents played in the Unite the Right rally. “I think nationally, people need to acknowledge that a lot of people did come from out of town,” Schmelkin said. “And I think locally and nationally, people need to know the very brave stories of people who stood up that day on Aug. 12 against hate and continue to do so.” Ruth Henderson — a local Charlottesville resident and one of the attendees of the event — openly discussed her experiences with racism when audience members were encouraged to share what their visions for Charlottesville looked like. She discussed how when she

Rachel Smith | Staff Writer

RACHEL SMITH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The panelists included (left to right) David Estrin, Susan Bro, Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin and Reverend Patricia Jones Turner.

began working, white people would receive higher wages and more promotions than the black people, even though they all did the same work. Henderson said that she was taught about racial inequality at a young age from her father, who told her to keep her head down and not look at white people in the eyes. “I remember a lot — I remember the fear that was instilled in not just my family, but all families,” Henderson said. “Fear was the greatest thing that held us back.” However, she emphasized that in order to foster change, people have to overcome this fear. “Together we must speak up for all wrongdoings,” Henderson said. “Speak up.” The impact of stories and their power to facilitate change was one of the factors that brought media specialist Anne Ernst from Charlottesville High School to the event. “I’m just trying to listen to as many stories as I can and trying to understand how I can help students and young people reconcile and be able to tell their own stories as well and empower them,” Ernst said. For others, redefining Charlottesville and helping the town progress forwards was about finding common humanity with others. Ilker Boz, who just moved to Charlottesville last May, said that he is a member of a Turkish organization that tries to bring people together, which is what brought him to the panel. “People need to get together

with the idea of initiating dialogue between cultures and religions,” Boz said. Attendee and community member Noor Khalidi also said that events such as these serve a role in harnessing change by connecting people and finding common ground between them. “It’s important to me to take part in these types of conversations and see how I can make myself and my experience and my willingness to engage to benefit the community, benefit future generations, benefit our generation, and to make sure that violence and division and polarization are reduced and that we recognize our common humanity,” Khalidi said. Bro’s vision for redefining Charlottesville and its future entails a town filled with people who are able to relate and sympathize with each other. “How often do you look someone in the eye and connect with them on a humankind level?” Bro said. “Just try to be a human being with other human beings … I think if we do that, never again will we be treating people as less than human.” For Schmelkin, “Never Again” was how the community should foster change. “[Never again] is a prayer and a call to action that we would never let this happen again to our people or to any people … never again means shutting [hated] down.” Although Schmelkin envisioned this phrase as a way to enforce pro-

gressive change, Turner seemed less sure on whether the phrase could carry such an impact. “To me, ‘Never Again’ is like I hope, I wish, I dream, because right now, it’s happening,” Turner said. “When we say never again, it’s a prayer. I pray that this never happens again.” Henderson seemed to reflect Turner’s doubt on how people could ensure that atrocities across the globe stop happening altogether. “Where do we start?” Henderson said. “I’m at my wit’s end. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if we’re doing what is needed to be done.” TWR seems like a good place to start enacting change by bringing together diverse panels with community members to talk about both the reality of the past and their visions for the future, but thinking about how a small group of people could overcome centuries of systematic racism and hateful mindsets can seem overwhelming. However, Bro advocated that each individual has the power to make a change if everyone takes it one step at a time. “If we all throw a pebble out there and each one makes a ripple, but if you put enough ripples together, you get a wave, and if you put enough waves together, you get a tsunami,” Bro said. “And we’re looking for a tsunami of change.”


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THE CAVALIER DAILY

NEWS • www.cavalierdaily.com

Faculty hire rates disproportionate to student enrollment While undergraduate enrollment has increased 12.5 percent in the past seven years, faculty enrollment has increased at a lower rate of 7.5 percent Ali Sullivan | Senior Writer For the past several years, first-year enrollment at the University has steadily risen, increasing 12.5 percent between fall 2012 to fall 2018. In fall 2012, 3,397 first-year students arrived on Grounds, while in fall 2018, the University welcomed a first-year class of 3,822 students — the largest first-year class in University history. As undergraduate enrollment numbers have climbed in recent years, the University faculty population has also risen, although at a lower rate of increase than the University’s undergraduate population. Since 2012, the number of faculty in the academic division has grown 7.5 percent — increasing from 2,991 faculty members in fall 2012 to 3,216 in fall 2018. In fall 2013, former President Teresa Sullivan discussed her concerns about the generational turnover of University faculty during a meeting with the Board of Visitors and the Special Committee on Strategic Planning. In an email statement to The Cavalier Daily, Maite Brandt-Pearce, the vice provost of faculty affairs, said the problem of generational turnover among faculty members was endemic in academia at the

time. “In 2012, one of the things that we recognized was that not only did we here at UVA have an aging faculty, but the same phenomena was occurring across the US,” Brandt-Pearce said. “The retirement bubble that we were facing was a problem across higher education. This meant that not only were we going to have to recruit a larger number of faculty, we were going to face increased competition for those faculty.” In order to recruit faculty members in an increasingly competitive market, the University incorporated faculty hiring into The Cornerstone Plan — the current strategic plan for the University created under Sullivan and approved by the Board of Visitors in Nov. 2013. The plan aims to provide a blueprint for the University’s future based of five pillars. One of those pillars seeks to “assemble and support a distinguished faculty” by promoting faculty leadership development, recruiting faculty continuously and hiring faculty from diverse backgrounds. Diversity among faculty members has historically been a contentious issue at the University. During an interview with The

Cavalier Daily in Feb. 2019, President Jim Ryan said that faculty diversity is a key issue at the University. He added that, although there is more work to be done, the efforts of the past administration have worked toward diversification of faculty demographics. According to Institutional Assessment and Studies Universal Data, around 24 percent of the total staff at the University is non-white, which includes employees identified as non-resident aliens. However, the University student body is 43.2 percent non-white — revealing a discrepancy in the ability of the faculty to accurately represent racial diversity within the student body. Efforts to increase diversify University faculty have included investment in research infrastructure and faculty funding through the Strategic Investment Fund and increased interdisciplinary hiring. Board of Visitors Rector Frank M. “Rusty” Conner said in an email statement to The Cavalier daily that the provost’s office had successfully worked to implement the strategies in the Cornerstone Plan. “The Provost Office deserves

a great deal of credit for encouraging cluster hires and cross-disciplinary efforts to attract outstanding faculty,” said Conner. “This has been a very successful strategy where several departments or schools team up to make one or more hires who will have multiple school appointments.” Brandt-Pearce said that the strategic hiring process at the University has evolved in recent years to accommodate new goals and an ever-changing labor market. “We have instituted a faculty hiring process to support our new pan-university institutes by conducting searches by topic rather than strictly by department,” Brandt-Pearce said. “We have developed robust policies for academic general faculty that have been recognized nationwide as outstanding models for attracting and supporting exceptional teaching faculty to enhance the educational mission.” Brandt-Pearce explained that the University seeks status as a competitive employer in part through faculty salaries. According to the American Association of University Professors ranking of faculty salaries, the University ranks number 29 among all U.S.

Student Admissions Rate vs Faculty Hiring Rate 4,000 First Year Undergraduate Enrollment

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TYRA KREHBIEL | THE CAVALIER DAILY

universities in faculty salaries, with an average salary of $81,214 in 2017. In comparison, the average salary at Virginia Tech during the same year was $69,558 and the average salary at William & Mary in 2017 was $71,095. However, discrepancies in salaries do exist, as male professors at the University earn an average salary of $180,470 — $23,559 more than female professors, who are paid $156,911 on average. According to the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost’s Faculty Salary Study Task Force’s 2014 report, which utilized confidential information from regarding tenured and tenure-track faculty in all of the schools except Medicine for 2003, 2007, 2012 and 2013, male faculty members earned 2.7 percent more than their female counterparts. The report also noted that male faculty members constitute a majority of the faculty and have held their positions for longer periods of time — 18.5 years on average versus 12.4 for female faculty members. Although growth in first-year enrollment has outpaced faculty growth since The Cornerstone Plan’s implementation, student to faculty ratios have remained relatively consistent since 2015. According to the University’s Institutional Assessment and Studies data, undergraduate student to faculty ratios were 12.9 in 2015, 12.0 in 2016, 11.8 in 2017 and 12.1 in 2018. This is on par with ratios at other public institutions in Virginia — Virginia Tech reports a 14:1 student to faculty ratio, while William and Mary’s ratio is 11:1. While student-faculty ratios remain relatively unchanged throughout the years, BrandtPearce said the University has seen challenges in staffing certain programs and departments due to their fast-paced growth. For example, the Media Studies department has restricted course enrollment to majors only due to limitations posed by the lack of faculty available to satisfy student demand for courses. “There are programs and departments that have wanted to grow faster than the pipeline of available candidates has supported,” Brandt-Pearce said. “These programs have employed aggressive measures to enhance their offer packages, with substantial success in some domains and less in others.”


www.cavalierdaily.com • SPORTS

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Roundtable: Virginia spring sports Recapping spring seasons and taking a look ahead to the summer

SPORTS

CD Sports Staff With the spring sports’ seasons winding down, the CD Sports staff breaks down title prospects for teams still competing and looks forward to some of the storylines for Virginia athletics this summer.

A

Q|

What spring sports team has the best shot at winning a national title? Alex Maniatis

Zach Zamoff

Section Editor Men’s lacrosse is one of the best teams in the country. With an improved defense, a multidimensional offense and a knack for winning in the clutch — the Cavaliers (12-3, 3-1 ACC) are undefeated in overtime this year, with three wins — this team has a chance to win it all. Virginia’s most recent win in dramatic fashion against North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals shows the Cavaliers’ mettle with the pressure on. Sophomore attackmen Matt Moore and Ian Laviano and junior attackman Michael Kraus comprise perhaps the best attacking trio in the nation, with 107 goals and 64 assists combined this year. Add to that junior midfielder Dox Aitken’s deadly long shot, senior midfielder Ryan Conrad’s hustle and steady leadership and a cohesive defensive unit, and you have a title-contending team.

Q| A

Who is your most valuable player from a spring sport this year? Vignesh Mulay

Alex Maniatis

Senior Associate Junior triple jumper Jordan Scott has successfully made the leap to a worldclass track and field athlete in 2019. Entering the 2018-2019 indoor season, Scott was already the school record holder and 2017 indoor ACC Champion. This year, however, he has performed at a new level. This year, Scott became indoor ACC and NCAA champion, set his own ACC and Virginia record and was named the USTFCCCA Southeast Regional Field Athlete of the Year. After a month of recovery and training for outdoor field, Scott jumped 17.07 meters in his season opener last weekend. The mark smashed his own Virginia record, set the new ACC record by 0.23 meters and places him atop the NCAA. Scott is currently the only NCAA triple jumper to break 17 meters this season. Among the best in the world, Scott is the favorite to sweep the triple jump again in both the ACC and NCAA outdoor championships later this year.

Q| A

Senior Associate The No. 5 Virginia men’s tennis team is back among the best in the collegiate circuit. In the second season under Coach Andres Pedroso, Virginia is playing at a high level, a level expected of a program that won four national championships between 2013 and 2017 and thirteen straight ACC Championships from 2004-16. In the competitive ACC with other top-10 teams in Wake Forest and North Carolina, the Cavaliers managed to reach the final of the ACC Championships and performed well, despite falling to the higher-ranked Demon Deacons in a hard-fought match. A combination of experienced veterans, led by No. 5 junior Carl Soderlund, and young talent, led by No. 82 freshman Brandon Nakashima, has propelled Virginia to success. Virginia men’s tennis is in prime position to take the title at the NCAA Championships this May.

Senior Associate Junior attackman Michael Kraus has been a consistent contributor for the Virginia men’s lacrosse team during his first two seasons. However, the Connecticut native has truly demonstrated this season that he can lead a national contender to success. Statistically, Kraus leads the ACC in points with 4.50 per game and shots with 10.08 per game and is fourth in scoring with 2.58 goals per game and assists with 1.92 per game. Beyond the numbers, Kraus’ energy, leadership and relentless persistence have all contributed to Virginia’s season thus far.

Colin Cantwell

Section Editor Sophomore shortstop Tanner Morris has started every game for the baseball team this season, leading the team with a .347 batting average and five home runs. He’s been joined in the infield by freshman third baseman Zack Gelof and freshman second baseman Nic Kent, who are third and fourth on the team in batting average, respectively, and Kent leads Virginia with 37 RBIs. While Virginia baseball has not been the dominant force it once was, Morris will continue to lead the Cavaliers through at least next season.

With the spring semester and spring sports schedules coming to a close, what is the biggest storyline for Virginia athletics heading into the summer offseasons?

Vignesh Mulay

Senior Associate After a breakout season for Virginia football which saw the program win its first bowl game since 2005, the Cavaliers will be looking to build on the foundation Coach Bronco Mendenhall has built in Charlottesville. Virginia won just two games in Mendenhall’s first season as head coach, but increased that total to six in 2017 and improved even more last season with eight wins. With key players returning like senior quarterback Bryce Perkins and senior cornerback Bryce Hall, Virginia will be looking to take the next step and win the Coastal division.

Colin Cantwell

Section Editor With four of five starters from the national championship game declaring for the NBA Draft, it will be interesting to see how Tony Bennett fills the void that they left behind. Bennett now has extra scholarships at his disposal for a graduate transfer, traditional transfers like former Marquette forwards Sam and Joey Hauser, or another 2019 recruit like recently reclassified guard Johnny Juzang. Virginia lacks depth at the guard positions for next season, and it remains to be seen whether Bennett will bring in another player or two or rely on someone already on the roster to step up and fill those minutes.

Zach Zamoff

Section Editor Bennett is quietly building an NBA pipeline in Charlottesville, Va. Rather than following the one-and-done path, Virginia’s NBA players gain invaluable experience developing under Bennett. The success of Joe Harris — league leader in three-point shooting percentage and NBA three-point shooting contest winner — Malcolm Brogdon — the starting point guard on the team with the best regular season record in the NBA — and Mike Scott — who is playing a key role for the Sixers off the bench — is a testament to the NBA readiness of Bennett’s players. Watching the outcome of the NBA Draft for junior guards Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy and sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter, a projected lottery pick, will be fascinating, in addition to seeing their development as pro players in the NBA Summer League and in their rookie seasons.


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THE CAVALIER DAILY

SPORTS • www.cavalierdaily.com

MULAY: Evaluating Virginia’s 2019 NBA Draft prospects Four Cavaliers have declared for the Draft and hope to pursue NBA careers Vignesh Mulay | Senior Associate

RICHARD DIZON & RILEY WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter, junior guard Kyle Guy, junior forward Mamadi Diakite and junior guard Ty Jerome all declared early for the NBA Draft after Virginia’s national title win.

After a magical run in the 2019 NCAA Tournament that ended with the program’s first national championship, the Virginia men’s basketball team has seen several players declare for the 2019 NBA Draft. Junior guard Ty Jerome and sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter declared April 15, while junior guard Kyle Guy followed suit the next day. Junior forward Mamadi Diakite rounded out the draft news for the Cavaliers when he declared April 17. Let’s take a deeper look at each player and evaluate their NBA potential. De’Andre Hunter Main Selling Points: Defensive versatility and elite physical tools While Hunter has improved several aspects of his game over the last two years, his defensive ability is still his greatest strength. The 2019 NABC Defensive Player of the Year is already an elite multi-positional defender, able to guard players in the post and on the perimeter. With a 6-foot-7, 225-pound frame and a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Hunter has all the physical tools to excel in the NBA. Hunter’s defensive skills seem poised to translate well to the next level and offer instant value to NBA teams. Areas of Concern: Lack of ball-handling and passing skill As good as Hunter is defensively, his offensive capacity is limited due to a lack of playmaking ability. While Hunter has a solid jumper, his passing and ball-handling abilities still leave much to be desired. Accordingly, he struggles to created space for himself or opportunities for his teammates, which limits his value when he has the

ball in his hands. Pro Player Comparison: Forward DeMarre Carroll, Brooklyn Nets Projection: Top-10 lottery pick Hunter was a projected lottery pick before the season even began and his NBA stock has only risen since then. Over the last year, the Philadelphia, Pa., native has emerged as one of the best players in the country. His multi-dimensional value as a do-it-all defender and high-efficiency scorer makes him an attractive prospect. Hunter has all the tools to be a 10-year starter at small forward in the NBA and his high floor will certainly be appealing to teams. Ty Jerome Main Selling Points: Elite playmaking ability Over the last two seasons, Jerome has clearly demonstrated his value as Virginia’s chief playmaker on offense. Jerome is an extremely capable floor general and led the ACC with 5.4 assists per game. His elite handle, touch and vision allow him to make high-level passes and create space for his own shot. Jerome has an extremely high basketball IQ which helps him run plays smoothly and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. Moreover, Jerome shoots well from inside and outside, defends with toughness and has great size for a guard with his 6-foot-5 frame. Areas of Concern: Subpar athleticism and explosiveness As good as Jerome has been with Virginia, his athletic limitations will be his greatest obstacle at the NBA level. On offense, Jerome’s limited lateral quickness inhibits his ability to beat defenders one-on-one and finish

at the rim. Given this limitation, the New York City native tends to settle for floaters and contested jump shots, although he has proven to be adept at making these. On defense, Jerome struggles to keep up with more explosive guards and that weakness will be problematic in the NBA. Pro Player Comparison: Guard Greivis Vasquez, Brooklyn Nets Projection: Late first round selection Jerome has arguably improved his draft stock the most out of all the Cavaliers, going from a relative unknown to a legitimate NBA prospect. Jerome has all the potential to be a staple in the NBA. Most NBA analysts and experts predict that Jerome will be selected late in the first round or early in the second. However, considering his ideal size and high basketball IQ, it's unlikely teams will let Jerome fall out of the first round, regardless of the gaps in his athleticism. Kyle Guy Main Selling Points: High-volume three-point shooting Guy is best known for his threepoint shooting, averaging 42.6 percent from beyond the arc this past season, while taking 7.4 threes per game. With a lightning-quick release and smooth shooting mechanics, Guy has the ability to sink tough shots over and over again. Guy excels at hitting shots off of screens and handoffs, as his off-ball movement is already elite. Outside of his technical prowess, Guy’s shooting is aided by limitless confidence. Regardless of the situation, Guy trusts his shot and ability, never hesitant to take advantage of a scoring opportunity. Areas of Concern: Poor athleticism and size

As good a shooter Guy is, his lack of NBA-ready physical tools could prevent him from being a valuable contributor at the next level. Standing at just 6-foot-2 with athletic limitations, Guy could be both a defensive and offensive liability in the NBA. The Indianapolis, Ind., native may struggle to score in the lane on offense and keep up with bigger, faster guards on defense. Pro Player Comparison: Shooting guard JJ Redick, Philadelphia 76ers Projection: Second round prospect In expert mock drafts, Guy has been picked as high as the middle of the second round to as low as not drafted at all. However, his combination of elite shooting range and strong intangibles makes Guy not only an NBA-caliber player but a lethal scorer who can contribute immediately given the right situation. Many players like Guy — such as JJ Redick — have been able to carve out a role for themselves in the NBA, so there’s certainly precedent for a player like him excelling in the league. Mamadi Diakite Main Selling Points: Strong interior defender Diakite has taken great strides this year alone in becoming a more polished and well-rounded prospect. The forward embraced the role of enforcer in the paint for the Cavaliers in 2019 with his shot blocking and rebounding ability. Diakite has taken advantage of the length of his 6-foot-9 frame and his explosiveness to consistently alter shots. The Guinean can meet driving players at the rim, block shots from behind and defend players one-on-one in the low post.

Areas of Concern: Underdeveloped offensive skill set As greatly as Diakite has improved this season, it’s difficult to imagine him being a reliable scorer at the next level at this moment. With the NBA increasingly valuing versatility on offense, Diakite’s lack of a diverse and advanced skill set will initially put him at a disadvantage. That said, he has already demonstrated his ability to grow immensely as a player, so he may be able to overcome these flaws in his game. Pro Player Comparison: Power forward Cheick Diallo, New Orleans Pelicans Projection: Undrafted As of now, Diakite hasn’t been picked in many mock drafts. Admittedly, this may be due to the fact that few expected Diakite to declare for the Draft. Regardless, Diakite is still viewed as a raw player and needs some time to improve his game. Additionally, Diakite has yet to truly fill out his frame — this is a concern because NBA big men will likely be able to overpower him, making the transition to the next level even more difficult. It is extremely exciting and a real testament to the quality of the Virginia men’s basketball program to see so many Cavaliers enter the draft and pursue NBA careers. The 2019 NBA Draft will take place Thursday, June 20, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.


www.cavalierdaily.com • SPORTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2019

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Women’s basketball will look very different next season Cavaliers bring in five recruits, plus others return from ineligibility and injury Colin Cantwell | Sports Editor The Virginia women’s basketball team struggled with depth this past season, their first under Coach Tina Thompson, finishing the ACC Tournament with only seven players healthy and eligible to play. However, the Cavaliers will look very different in the 2019-2020 season with a much deeper roster that will be more capable of leading the team back to the NCAA Tournament. Virginia has five incoming freshmen in their 2019 recruiting class, plus two players returning from serious injuries and a transfer, sophomore forward Dani Lawson, who will be eligible to play after sitting out a season. The Cavaliers, however, will have to replace two outgoing transfers, guards Brianna Tinsley and Erica Martinsen, and senior forward Moné Jones, who is graduating in May.

Tinsley, who is transferring to James Madison, started 27 games for Virginia this past season, averaging 7.6 points per game, while Martinsen, who is transferring to San Diego, came off the bench to average 4.7 points per game. Since the Cavaliers now have some holes in the backcourt, their recruiting class is guardheavy. Virginia’s top recruit is four-star guard Carole Miller, who is the 21st-ranked guard in her class according to ESPN and 82nd-ranked prospect overall. Miller is joined in the Class of 2019 by guards Kylie Kornegay-Lucas, Yanni Hendley and Dylan Horton, as well as threestar forward Meg Jefferson. In addition to the recruits, redshirt freshman guard Amandine Toi will likely finally make her Virginia debut in her third

year in Charlottesville after two successive seasons with season-ending knee injuries before the season even began. Virginia now has a bit of a logjam at the guard positions, and many of the incoming freshmen will have a hard time getting minutes. Jefferson, a 6-foot-1 forward from Australia, is particularly critical because of how thin the Cavaliers were in the frontcourt this season. With junior center Felicia Aiyeotan out injured much of the year, Virginia was left with only junior forwards Lisa Jablonowski and Shakyna Payne and Jones to fill two spots. However, the return of Aiyeotan should mitigate this problem quite a bit. Aiyeotan, who is tied for the tallest player in Division I women’s basketball at 6-foot-9, grabbed 6.9 rebounds per game

and blocked 2.09 shots per game shots in her last fully healthy season in 2017-2018. The amount of work she does on defense gives Thompson some flexibility in deploying smaller lineups with Aiyeotan as the only big. In addition, Lawson, who transferred from Purdue and was not granted a hardship waiver to play immediately, should make an impact for the Cavaliers right away. At Purdue, Lawson appeared in only five games her freshman year before having knee surgery but was the 22nd-ranked player at her position in the Class of 2017 by ESPN. Virginia’s leading rebounder this past season was junior guard and forward Jocelyn Willoughby, who averaged 8.2 per game. Last year, Willoughby played primarily as a wing with two of Jablonowski, Jones and Payne on the

floor with her, but during the ACC Tournament, Thompson experimented with playing three guards and Willoughby at power forward. The Cavaliers sometimes struggled with putting points on the board last season, but they looked a lot faster with these smaller lineups, which offered Virginia more scoring options. Expect to see more of them in 2019-2020 and with them a more exciting Cavalier team. The Cavaliers were depleted in 2018-2019 and simply unable to compete in the ACC, but with so much more talent on the floor next season, Virginia has what it takes to make it back to the NCAA Tournament.

COURTESY VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

Junior center Felicia Aiyeotan will return to the Cavaliers from an injury that cost her much of the 2018-2019 season.


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SPORTS • www.cavalierdaily.com

Men’s lacrosse to face Notre Dame in ACC Championship Cavaliers hope to win first conference tournament title since 2010 Vignesh Mulay | Senior Associate

COURTESY VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

Virginia will need a well-rounded performance Saturday to knock off Notre Dame.

In a rematch of the 2018 ACC Tournament final, the Virginia men’s lacrosse team is set to face Notre Dame Saturday at Klöckner Stadium at 2 p.m. as the programs battle for the ACC Tournament title. After having their eight-game winning streak snapped in early April, the top-seeded Cavaliers (12-3, 3-1 ACC) have now won three consecutive games including a pair of dominant victories to close out the regular season and a thrilling comeback win in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. Against North Carolina last weekend, Virginia erased a four-goal deficit and ended the game on a 6-1 run to advance to its second straight ACC final. While third-seeded Notre Dame (8-5, 2-2 ACC) has not been the most consistent team in the conference, the defending champions seem to be getting hot at exactly the right moment. The Fighting Irish enter the final after back-to-back 12-10 wins first against North Carolina in their regular season finale and then against Duke last Saturday. Both teams have a lot on the line this weekend as Virginia hopes to avenge its 17-7 loss last year in the final, while Notre Dame hopes to successfully de-

fend its title for the first time in program history. Players to watch Virginia junior attackman Michael Kraus A top-five player in the ACC in virtually every offensive statistical category, Kraus is the central driving force of the Virginia attack. The Connecticut native is one of the most dynamic, do-itall attackmen in the country. He creates goalscoring opportunities for his teammates, scores with lethal finishing and even causes turnovers with his aggressive riding. Kraus’ play is pivotal for the Cavaliers. In Virginia’s two losses this season with Kraus on the field, the Tewaaraton Trophy nominee scored just a single goal. Against Duke, the Kraus-less Cavaliers recorded their lowest goal total of the season. In other words, Virginia has never lost this season when Kraus scores multiple times. Clearly, his importance to the team is enormous, and he’ll have to be firing on all cylinders for Virginia to win Saturday. Virginia sophomore attackman Matt Moore Moore has arguably been Virginia’s most underrated player this year. While he doesn’t make flashy plays like Kraus, set pro-

gram records like junior midfielder Dox Aitken or score as often as sophomore attackman Ian Laviano, Moore’s contribution to the team is just as important. The Pennsylvania native is one of the best playmakers in the country. After transitioning from the midfield to the attack, Moore’s versatility is what makes him such a dangerous threat, as he is a terrific passer and scorer. Moore leads the team in total points and assists and is second in goals scored. With his six-assist performance against North Carolina last week, Moore demonstrated once again that he can contribute to a team in a variety of ways. If Moore plays at a high level Saturday, he will provide some instant offense for the home team. Keys to the game Win the faceoff battle The Fighting Irish lead the ACC with an impressive 59.1 faceoff win percentage. Strong faceoff play allows Notre Dame to limit its opponents’ scoring opportunities while creating more for themselves. Specifically, Notre Dame junior midfielder Charles Leonard has been in incredible form for the Fighting Irish. The All-ACC faceoff specialist wins 59.7 percent of his faceoffs and is coming off a dom-

inant performance against Duke, where he won 17-26 faceoffs. Fortunately for the Cavaliers, Virginia freshman midfielder Petey LaSalla has also been prolific at the X this season. LaSalla is one of only two players in the ACC with a faceoff win percentage greater than 60 percent and has consistently improved over the course of the season. The battle between Leonard and LaSalla will be one of the most interesting head-to-head matchups in the game. Strong goalkeeping While Notre Dame’s offense isn’t exactly prolific, the Fighting Irish are actually the most clinical team in the ACC, scoring on nearly a third of their shots. Although Notre Dame is last in the conference in both shots and goals per game, the team can be clearly lethal when it does have a goalscoring opportunity. For Virginia to counter Notre Dame’s highly accurate shooting, sophomore goalkeeper Alex Rode and freshman goalkeeper Patrick Burkinshaw will have to step up. Both goalies rank in the top six in the ACC with categories like save percentage, saves per game and goals against average — Virginia is the only team with two players in any of these categories.

If Virginia can successfully keep the majority of junior midfielder Bryan Costabile and company’s shots out of the net, the Cavaliers will have a great chance to win the game. The bottom line Both teams have clear strengths that they will try to exploit. Notre Dame will try to dominate possession and take open shots, while Virginia will try to force turnovers and push the pace in transition. For each team, the performance of a few key players will be pivotal. The Fighting Irish will rely on Leonard and Costabile to continue playing some of the best players in the ACC at their respective positions. On the other hand, the Cavaliers will lean on the quartet of Kraus, Aitken, Moore and Laviano, as they’ve done all season long. Virginia has a tendency to play close games, and the ACC final should be no different. Expect a thrilling and intense ACC showdown Saturday as Notre Dame travels to Charlottesville to play Virginia in the final of the 2019 ACC Championship. Faceoff is set for 2 p.m.


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LIFE The representation of Central Americans has never been abundant at the University, but last October, third-year College student Johanna Moncada Sosa sought to change that. At that time, news coverage of migrant caravans traveling from several Central American countries to the United States became the focus of media attention. Aerial shots of the migrants were broadcasted on nearly every major news network, and journalists were sent to cover the travelers as they made their way to the U.S. A number of politicians vilified the migrants, and some said the migrants were a danger to Americans because they were traveling with “unknown Middle Easterners.” It all quickly reached a breaking point for Sosa, who had seen enough of this unfavorable portrayal of Central Americans. As a result, Sosa joined with several other Central American students to form Central Americans for Empowerment at the University. CAFE focuses on ensuring that Central American voices and concerns — those from one of the seven countries that lie between Mexico and Colombia — are properly represented at the University. “The whole goal is to center Central American voices within this greater discourse that I keep talking about, and not only that but trying to bring in things that aren’t talked about whatsoever, even in academia,” Sosa

www.cavalierdaily.com • LIFE

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Breaking down Central American stereotypes Central Americans for Empowerment at U.Va. utilizes film series to educate students Carolyn Lane | Feature Writer said. “[We want to] bring overlooked voices together and actually bring awareness to what is going on.” Within CAFE’s first weeks, long before they achieved CIO status in April, the group joined with DREAMers on Grounds and the Latinx Student Alliance to bring awareness to the migrant crisis. After this event, CAFE’s involvement on Grounds expanded. In the last six months, they have hosted an open mic night to discuss borders, voiced their opposition to conservative commentator Anna Paulina’s visit to Grounds and educated students about the harmful effects of voluntourism. It is through initiatives like these that Sosa hopes to make the University feel more comfortable for Central American students. “We try to be really close-knit and create that sense of community that is often found within family households within Central America — it’s a pillar of the culture pretty much — and so making sure that at any event that CAFE has, whether it’s co-sponsored by another organization or not, is welcoming,” Sosa said. “It’s our mission to always ensure that it’s a safe space for people, that they feel comfortable asking questions, making comments [and] sharing stories.” This past month, CAFE exhibited their commitment to educating the University on Central American

issues at their Cine Cafeina event. Cine Cafeina was a film series held to bring attention to Central America and Central American issues through their depiction in modern media. The movie series was held from March 22 to April 19 with a showing planned for each Friday. Originally meant to be a five-film series, the April 12 movie screening had to be canceled after scheduling conflicts prevented CAFE executive members from being present to moderate. Sosa estimated that 6 to 20 people attended each showing. CAFE worked to represent a multitude of countries and also sought to defy stereotypical representations of Central America, which often puts forward the idea that the cultures of all seven countries are the same. Ensuring this complex representation of Central America was very important to Andrea Ybarra, second-year College student and CAFE financial chair. “With CAFE being created because there was no other representation of Central Americans, I think now we have to think and actively step up about representation,” Ybarra said. “I don’t want to do the countries that everyone’s heard about … we want to show special focus and special intersectionality so looking into movies that focus on the indigenous people in the area and not just focus on mestizo-centric ideals about Central America.”

As a result of this commitment, the film series included the movies “El Norte,” “Resistencia: The Fight for the Aguan Valley,” “Banana Land” and “La Camioneta.” Ybarra and Sosa felt attendees were most impacted by the latter two. The documentary “Banana Land” centered upon the exploitation of Central Americans living near areas where bananas are grown for commercial purposes and how that industry has led to poisonings, upheavals and violence in the region. Sosa explained that when the attendees were discussing the film after its conclusion, some students were beginning to rethink purchasing bananas because of the realities they were made aware of. The documentary “La Camioneta” focused on a much more light-hearted topic than that of “Banana Land.” The film centered on a small group of Guatemalans who traveled to the United States to take decommissioned school buses back to their homes. They would repair and repaint the buses to be used as transportation for the Guatemalan people. Astrid Escobar, first-year College student and CAFE research chair, did not participate in the organizing of the film series, so she had the chance to go to the screening of “La Camioneta” as an attendee. She said she loved to see her cultural roots depicted on screen.

“In the documentary, you could see how when people got a new bus [they] would pray and thank God, and it’s something that is very specific to being Central American,” Escobar said. “For me to be able to relate to that and to share with others was a really neat experience.” By drawing attention to the issues addressed in the film and showcasing Central American cultures, the movie series helped CAFE to fulfill part of its mission. “We’re already seeing our purpose and our mission as an organization coming out within these events,” Sosa said. “Literally as we were having these discussions [and] people are just like, ‘I didn’t know that and now I do,’ so by the time that we concluded the conversation and they’re on their way out, they know something more than what they did coming in.” CAFE is already considering plans to host a similar event next year — whether through another multi-week series of movies or monthly film screenings. “It can be seen to give us a way to show people on Grounds that there’s so much more than what people may think when people may think of who immigrants are and who Central Americans are,” Escobar said. “That's what the movie series did for us.”

Sultan Kebab is overhyped Mediterranean food While Sultan Kebab Shop is a convenient option, it was not incredibly impressive Maggie Trundle | Food Columnist Charlottesville has many options for ethnic restaurants if you are trying to branch out from the usual American cuisine. After seeing it many times outside of the Downtown Mall, I decided to finally stop at Sultan Kebab to satisfy my pita bread and grilled chicken cravings. Located on 2nd St. Southeast, Sultan Kebab is a perfect location for any activity downtown. However, while there were aspects I enjoyed, I don’t think Sultan Kebab stands far above any of the other Mediterranean favorites in the Charlottesville area, and I had an underwhelming culinary experience there overall. Atmosphere One of the first things I noticed about Sultan Kebab was the cheery exterior of the restaurant. Sitting on the corner of the street, Sultan Kebab is a pastel blue building that immediately catches the eye. Despite how bright and colorful the outside of the building was, I wasn’t as impressed with the

decor inside. I went to lunch at noon on a Friday during a busy day downtown, but the restaurant felt too big and spacious for the small number of people there. However, there were many large windows, allowing for plentiful natural sunlight while you eat. Maybe I went at the wrong time of the day, but for noon on a busy Friday, the restaurant felt relatively empty. The seating in the restaurant is somewhat formal, with average-sized tables scattered around the room. Accessibility Although Sultan Kebab is not too far from the University, it will most likely require driving in order to reach. I would estimate a roughly 30-minute walk from Old Dorms. I would recommend a short Uber ride or taking advantage of the free Charlottesville trolley. In terms of parking, they do not have their own parking lot. Water Street Garage and other outdoor pay-

by-the-hour parking is nearby, but this is most likely a hassle for a quick lunch. Luckily though, the Water Street garage rarely fills up, so while it may be a bit of an inconvenience on your wallet, finding parking should rarely be an issue. Sultan Kebab is also wheelchair accessible. Affordability Everything on the menu was very affordable. The sandwiches and platters were all around $12, and the appetizers were roughly $5 to $8. Going with one other person, my visit to Sultan Kebab came out to a total of $36.40 for two appetizers and two platters. Overall, Sultan Kebab definitely does not break the bank. Appeal Now to the most important part — the food. The first appetizer I tried at Sultan Kebab was the Yogurtlu Kizartma, which consists of fried eggplant, potatoes and green peppers served with garlic yogurt sauce and homemade pita bread. Recommended

to us by the server, this appetizer was not anything extraordinary. While the sauce was good for dipping pita bread in, I don’t think that the blend of olive oil, yogurt sauce and vegetables went together very well. Secondly, I felt that their pita bread was too loaflike, dense and dry. I am a huge fan of pita bread, and I think it goes perfectly with Mediterranean dishes, so the dry bread was underwhelming. The next appetizer we ordered — also recommended by the server — was Lahmacun. This dish was described as a “thin and crispy pizza with ground beef, vegetables and herbs.” This was hands down my favorite dish at Sultan Kebab. The crispy, thin pizza was rich, savory and delicious to dip in olive oil. I found the consistency and texture of this pizza much more appetizing than the pita bread. I ordered the Chicken Shish Kebab Platter for my main course — skewered pieces of marinated chicken breast, grilled and served with rice,

salad, hummus and homemade pita bread. Again, with the same pita bread as before, I thought that it was dry, dense and did not live up to the thin consistency that pita bread tends to be. Nothing about the platter was bad, but nothing was great. The chicken was well-cooked but bland. I also felt there was not enough hummus to complement the dish. The salad was very simple, and the dressing was a vinagrette of some sort that again, did not impress me very much — it essentially seemed like lettuce leaves drenched in olive oil. Don’t get me wrong — this meal was by no means bad. However, I think there are better restaurants for both the price and flavor. While I believe everyone should expand their culinary horizons, I would not recommend Sultan Kebab as the place to do so.


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Top 10 things I won’t miss this summer Let’s turn those deadlines into tanlines Ben Rosenthal | Top 10 Writer

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Deadlines, deadlines and more deadlines

The biggest plus about summer break is that there is no more need to carry around a day planner — unless you’re a hobbyist. Everywhere I turn at the University, there is another deadline lurking around the corner. Every time I cross one item off my to-do list, two more pop up in its place. Papers, projects and presentations multiply faster than one can stop them. Luckily, summer break is a sweet reprise from the agenda lifestyle at the University. The only project on my agenda is a full-body tan, and the deadline isn’t until August.

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Sleeping five feet away from another human being

My roommate — whose name I will keep anonymous after finding out that he actually reads these articles — is a lovely gentleman. He is kind, generous and funny. But all of that is invalidated by the fact that he snores. Truth be told, he doesn’t even snore that loudly. It’s more of a heavy breathing. But I am a very light sleeper, and as a result, I am very thankful to leave the dormitory world behind for the summer. I’m sure my roommate is too, but he doesn’t write for The Cavalier Daily, so he can’t vent about my flaws.

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Waiting in line to take a shower

I have, overall, enjoyed living in a suite-style dorm these past two semesters. Gooch-Dillard is not just a deeply-isolated, staircase-abundant dormitory — it is a lifestyle. That said, whichever architect decided that one shower was enough for six boys is more inept than the architect that decided not to install an elevator anywhere in the vicinity. You know what? I bet it was the same guy. Not cool.

Being harassed by tablers every time I step outside How much do I hate tablers? I wrote an entire article on how to avoid them, which was then rejected because someone had already written an article on this. Because everybody hates tablers. Listen, I know it’s something people have to do. I’m in a club, I had to do it once, and I know it’s no fun being on that side of table either. But regardless, I’m looking forward to being able to grab a coffee in the morning without being sold tickets to an improv show.

Being rained on every other day

Is it just me or is Charlottesville the rainiest locality in all of the nation? I live only two hours away from the University, so there really shouldn’t be much of a climate difference. But compared to Charlottesville, my hometown is the Sahara. The weather must hate us — it’s like the clouds are Tech fans.

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Eating food purely for sustenance

I mention the food a lot in my articles, and by now you might be wondering how bad the dining halls at the University are. The honest truth? There is occasionally something that knocks it out of the park. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are mixing crack into those mashed potatoes. But, 99 percent of the time, the food is best-described as aggressively passable. I’ve learned to eat for sustenance, not for pleasure. At the same time, I’ve gained 15 pounds since September. I think somebody has been feeding me in my sleep.

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Sharing my skin tone with Casper the Friendly Ghost

In the olden days, being pale was seen as highly desirable, as it meant you were wealthy enough not to have to work in the fields. Now, it means exactly the opposite. In 2019, work has migrated from the field to the second floor of Clemons Library, a pit of despair where the sun doesn't shine and “Avengers: Endgame” spoilers line the walls. I look to the summer where I will finally be reunited with the feeling of sunshine on my skin.

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Struggling to come up with things to complain about

This was the hardest top 10 I’ve had to write all year. Sure, this time of year feels like a lot. Sure, our dining halls sometimes serve us raw chicken. But at the same time, for every ten things I won’t miss about this place, there are a hundred more that I will. In summary? Be thankful, be happy and stay studying.

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Having to carry around a keycard

This may seem like such a small nitpick because my student ID fits in my wallet. It doesn’t even register as an inconvenience. But there is something perversely frightening about just how powerful this tiny piece of plastic is. It controls my life. If I happen to leave it in my room or drop it in the dining hall or it gets snatched up by one of the oversized squirrels that haunt these hallowed Grounds, my life is essentially over. It’s a stressor.

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The word “finals”

It is crunch time, boys and girls. By the time this article breaks the internet, we will be entrenched in finals season. Our libraries will become our homes, our textbooks will become our friends and our friends will become our distractions. While finals may seem daunting, I like to think of them as our summer tax. We get almost four months of pure bliss, and all we have to pay is our sanity. What a deal!

PAIGE HILLMAN AND TYRA KREHBIEL | THE CAVALIER DAILY


www.cavalierdaily.com • OPINION

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LEAD EDITORIAL

Support free printing on Grounds

OPINION

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It is essential that the University move toward making printing free for all students

tudent Council’s free printing initiative started earlier this month on April 15. The printers are located in the Programs and Councils Office in Newcomb Hall and are available from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. until May 10. This initiative is promising because it not only makes printing services more accessible during finals season, but it also demonstrates progress toward one of the stated goals of Ellie Brasacchio, Student Council president and third-year College student. However, more needs to be done to ensure that everyone can access printing services at all points during the year. Therefore, we urge the University to make printing services permanently free for all students. Printing in black and white, at four libraries on Grounds, currently costs $.08 per copy and $.60 per copy for color. And while this may seem like a relatively small amount, these costs can add up during a student’s four years at the University. With the

many expenses students already have to grapple with, printing is an unnecessary additional cost that they have to factor into their budgets. In order to print at many locations on Grounds, students have to pay using their Cavalier Advantage accounts on their ID cards. And while first-years use these cards to pay for laundry in dorms, it is not uncommon for upperclassmen to never use this feature again — especially since it costs $2 to upload money onto them and there is a $27 minimum, if you are unable to pay at a kiosk. Oftentimes, students neglect to check their balance, which can become a huge issue when students have to print an assignment quickly and do not have enough funds on their cards. This means if they don’t have a friend in the vicinity who can lend them a helping hand, then they may face serious repercussions. Something as tiny as lacking a few cents to print the last page of an essay should put a stu-

dent’s grade in jeopardy. While instituting free printing would be hugely beneficial for students, it is also realistic. Many other colleges, such as the University of South Florida and Boston College, have instituted free printing in some form. The University should follow their lead and create a similar program to make printing far more accessible to the student body. Currently, free printing is available at certain times in a few places around Grounds, such as the Office of African American Affairs and the Multicultural Student Center. And while these centers should be lauded for their efforts to make printing more accessible to disadvantaged communities, printing should be free in all libraries at the University. There are several ways the University could institute free printing around Grounds. However, we believe emulating the University of South Florida and allowing students a certain

amount of free printing per day would be the best path forward. Creating a per semester allowance program like several other colleges could be beneficial, but by pursuing that policy the University runs the risk of students running out of funds early in the semester. Therefore, a certain amount of daily free printing should be allotted to each student. This could be paid for by raising the student activity fee slightly or by trimming administrative costs, which have grown exponentially at colleges around the country in recent years. Unlimited free printing would be unrealistic, as that would incentivize students to print unnecessarily, but ensuring a certain amount of printing is free is only fair considering the cost of tuition. Implementing free printing would be incredibly beneficial for all students in improving their educational experience. While Student Council should be praised for its efforts thus far

to ensure students have access to some degree of free printing, it is far too limited in scope. For the future, we urge the Council to continue to advocate for free printing year-round. Cost already represents a barrier for many students around Grounds — it is time to take printing out of that equation.

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

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

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AGAINST THE CENSUS CITIZENSHIP QUESTION The practical issues surrounding the expected drop in Census responses are meaningful beyond the political realm

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n the United States, the census determines congressional representation, informs distributions of federal grants by the federal government and the states. It also helps businesses plan expansions, expenditures, advertising and new products. It is not only a political tool — it also a widely used for financial and social purposes. Its efficacy, however, is already partially compromised by the survey and statistical techniques used by the Census Bureau. Adding Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross’ proposed citizenship question to the 2020 Decennial Census runs the risk of further reducing the usefulness of the data. The treasure trove of data collected and released by the Census Bureau is important to both small-business owners and mega-corporations. After all, smart businesses market to and serve illegal immigrants just as they might serve citizens and legal immigrants. Data collection, like Amazon’s Web Services and Facebook advertising, have become increasingly valuable to the U.S. economy. The Census fills a role similar to those private operations but on a far wider — and therefore far more useful — scale. Producing accurate information as the Census does is essential to producing freer,

more competitive markets. The loss in headcount, estimated to approach 6.5 million people by the Bureau’s internal calculation, would likely further exacerbate market information asymmetries. Furthermore, the political and philosophical implications of the question are also worth investigating. Based on the Bureau’s estimation of reduction in census responses, urban areas may lose representa-

of the 14th Amendment did provide for representation to “be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens [who have had their right to vote abridged] shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state.” Clearly, there is a mechanism and a constitutional requirement to factor in the voting population, as opposed to the general population, in congressional

er in the late 1800s and early 1900s than in 2010. According to the Department of Justice, citizenship data is “critical” in the enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. The voting rights of minorities were undoubtedly less of a concern in the 19th century, but for every administration since 1950 — the last year in which a citizenship question was asked — adding the question back to the census for the sake of the Voting Rights Act

To add the question would be to ignore good sense and needlessly complicate the workings of the federal government.

tion to more rural areas. From some people’s points of views, including my own, this may be for the better. However, it is unclear whether the Founding Fathers intended for representation to be solely based on the voting citizenry. Of course, under

the Three-Fifths Compromise slaves who obviously could not vote were partially counted for the purpose of representation, showing little consideration by the Founders for voter-based apportionment. On the other hand, the framers

representation. However, context does matter in situations as different as suppressed voters and illegal immigrants. I counsel caution on taking measures that would damage the economy, inaccurately distribute federal funds and are based on dubious precedents. It appears clear that throughout the history of the census, asking about citizenship was not controversial in census-taking and by extension congressional reapportionment. Historically, the foreign-born percentage of the population was high-

was not a priority. Overall, the federal government ought to leave good enough alone, especially on the fairly mundane Decennial Census. Turning the regular and generally non-controversial process into an ideologically divided Supreme Court case is irresponsible and distracts from the real business of governing. The practical issues surrounding the expected drop in responses are meaningful beyond the political realm. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calculates the census

would cost at least $27.5 million more as a result of the addition. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials believes the inaccuracies associated with the question will hinder public health initiatives. Privacy advocates like myself should believe that each additional question on the census is another encroachment on privacy that is an even larger threat than Big Data. Misallocation of federal funds will have reverberating effects on national economic growth. Areas such as southern California or northern Virginia with many illegal immigrants will receive less federal funding but are still large sources of GDP gains. Dollars spent in those areas would likely drive development further than dollars spent in many already well-developed, high citizen-concentration areas. The case to not add the question is expansive and supported by conservatives and liberals alike. To add the question would be to ignore good sense and needlessly complicate the workings of the federal government. BILGE BATSUKH is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

OPPOSE WOODRIFF’S CHARLOTTESVILLE VISION The University’s biggest benefactor is attempting to remake Charlottesville in his image

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n the days before the University formally revealed its $120 million School of Data Science, Jim Ryan promised an announcement that would transform the way the University could serve the “commonwealth, nation and world.” While I don’t intend to relitigate the particular wastefulness of this donation, something covered in a separate article, there was a notable absence in who would be impacted — Charlottesville. In fact, the consequences of the donor’s presence in Charlottesville is glossed over in this particular news. However, drawing from a recent article, and other actions, the presence of billionaire hedge-fund manager Jaffray Woodriff in Charlottesville should worry the community immensely. Woodriff isn’t shy about his intentions to turn Charlottesville into a tech hub. His donation to the University is something he’s been explicit about being a ploy to get more tech entrepreneurs recruited into one of his other ventures, a office building in downtown Charlottesville called CODE or the Center of Developing Entrepreneurs. This opportunistic use of money tracks with his previous donations, such as

a $12 million donation for a squash facility, a sport he has a personal interest in. Given that he generally invests a massive amount of money into things that also benefit him, it’s hard to look at his projects as anything but an attempt to rebuild Charlottesville in his own vision. This vision has already meant the destruction of local institutions such

students to Charlottesville entrepreneurs would be a dramatic transformation of the City. Already Charlottesville faces a housing crisis that threatens to further displace working-class communities. Woodriff wants to reproduce a Charlottesville full of a variety of Jaffray Woodriffs, a goal that has been described aptly as a threat. One only has to look

community, where only wealthy homeowners can live here. That would mean not just the destruction of community centers in the city but also a increase in displacement that pushed more and more people into Albemarle County. It’s not hard to see how Charlottesville could become a dystopian city of wealthy residents where all the working-class

The presence of billionaire hedge-fund manager Jaffray Woodriff in Charlottesville should worry the community immensely. as the downtown ice rink, a music venue known for rap and metal concerts, as well as Escafe, a community space for Charlottesville’s LGBTQ community. This shouldn’t be surprising. Because billionaire’s extreme wealth gives them the power to flout local democracy, oftentimes the actions they take alter communities purely for profit. Woodriff replacing important community spaces is just a preface to even broader, more devastating remodeling. The impact of Woodriff’s goal to build a pipeline of the University’s

at how other cities have fared after massive tech “booms” to see what Woodriff’s vision would mean. The crucial question that has to be asked when these booms happen is “who’s benefiting?” Already many Charlottesville residents are rent burdened, meaning they pay between 30 percent to 50 percent of their income towards rent. A so-called tech boom would only benefit the wealthiest residents, or those who own homes. If Woodriff gets his vision of Charlottesville, it could become essentially a gated

and poor workers live on the outer edge in Albemarle and only come into the city to do work for the wealthy residents. This is not a future that we should accept. It’s crucial now to be pushing for an increased effort from the city and the University to keep housing affordable. Already groups like the Charlottesville Low-Income Housing Coalition have fought for and won greater investment from the city for affordable housing. Additionally, candidates for city council like Michael Payne have been on

the frontlines organizing affordable housing and have important ideas for long term sustainability of the City. There are even actions that the Hinton Avenue United Methodist Church in Belmont has taken to push for rezoning to allow more housing. These all show that residents have the power to push for housing policy in Charlottesville that works for working-class people. The University is also liable for the housing crisis and should be pushed to be part of the solution. For decades, the lack of student housing has contributed to displacement of Charlottesville residents, allowing luxury apartment buildings to pop up without any care for the people of Charlottesville. Considering that U.Va. is accepting the donation for a school meant to be a pipeline for Woodriff, it would be unacceptable for the University to not take considerable financial actions to stem the costs of gentrification in Charlottesville. JAKE WARTEL is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily. com.


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HUMOR Everyone at college knows a little bit of money can go a long way. No one would really ever turn down free money, especially in today’s economy. Like many of my peers, I was trying to find anything I could get. ScholarshipOwl popped into my browser and said all I had to do was put in my information and its algorithm would find scholarships that I could apply to. Sounded easy. Soon enough, essays about what the University meant to me, or how I would solve the dying problem as a 21st century young adult or a 500page essay on who would win in a fight between Tony the Tiger and the Trix Rabbit for the Kellogg

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CARTOON

www.cavalierdaily.com • HUMOR/CARTOON

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Scholarships nobody wants Fund of America were appearing in my inbox. Eventually, I ran out of scholarships and my fingers cramped. I had to do more, there had to be more! How did I even go through all the “scholarships” asking for my social security number and “promising” to put me in a raffle? My trembling hands moved the mouse to click on the “widen criteria”button. I was desperate to find something! A new list of opportunities filled my screen. I filled out two before I realized how odd they really were. I reread the title to the one in front of me, “Fugly Scholarship for the Beautifully Impaired.” That was kind of weird to have a scholarship for. I finished up and returned to the list. It dawned on me how all the others followed a similar pattern. “The Bad Body Odor Scholarship

(maybe I do need to shower more than once a week), “1000 Dollars for Foolish Dunces” (a thousand dollars wasn’t bad but I’m not that dumb) and “A Scholarship for that Person Everyone Doesn’t Really Like But No One Will Ever Say Anything About It To and Also the Person Has a Stupid Haircut” (Ok now that’s just mean). These were getting really specific now. I clicked on the “Lame Scholarship” and read the description, “Congratulations! This scholarship is offered to only the 500 most uncool people in the country. Write an essay of no more than 500 words about how you managed to do that!” I scrolled through, looking for something that wasn’t targeting the insecurities deep inside me. The “Confidence Scholarship” didn’t sound too bad. I began

reading it. “This scholarship is offered to the people with the most confidence. Wearing that shirt with those pants? You’d have to be REALLY confidant to look so stup-“ I exited out. Something had to be out there to solve my bruised ego. There was a link to other scholarships I apparently didn’t meet the criteria for. I tried selecting some like the “Intelligence Scholarship,” but it kept giving me a pop-up and blocking me from applying saying, “Our apologies, but your IQ has to be above room temperature to apply to this scholarship.” Defeated, I returned to the scholarships that only people like me could get. Frowning, I scrolled through, filling out three scholarships from before. Was the money really worth it if it meant I had a stu-

pid haircut? There was no way I could win, no way at all! I pressed submit on all three of them and 5 minutes later I got three emails all saying the same thing: “Congratulations!”

MATTHEW SEETO is a Humor Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at humor@ cavalierdaily.com.

Why studying for finals is so hard Gabby Fuller | Cartoon Editor


THE CAVALIER DAILY

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WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE Dan Goff | Puzzle Master

PUZZLES

* THE SOLUTION TO THIS PUZZLE CAN BE FOUND IN THE NEXT ISSUE Across 7 Used article accepted as payment for another article of the same type — could be books, video games, cars, etc.

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8 Informal word for nonsense 10 Wight, Man, Dogs, are all examples of this type of landmass

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12 "Make sure you've ___ your is and crossed your ts" 14 Mechanical models of the solar system

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15 22-across, six-down and 21-down are all examples of this twoword thing — it's also a survey the University keeps emailing me about

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18 Two-word type of transportation which is often used on mountains

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20 Blade cover 22 Three-word task for graduating students, and most likely their 15-across

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23 Genghis, Kublai, etc. 25 Spade or small shovel 26 Two-word kitchen device named for the food it's used to help prepare

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Down 1 Painting done on a wall or ceiling 2 The name of U2's lead guitarist — it's ridiculous, if you need a hint

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3 Have a flawed first impression, say 4 Used on a can lid 5 Fancy word for "bloom" 6 Your 15-across might involve taking ___ 9 Unarmed combat derived from jujitsu 13 Dilapidated 15 Salma Hayek is a famous example 16 The Mustard Seed is a famous example of one of Jesus's 17 As well, in addition 19 Persuade by flattery or joking 21 Your 15-across likely involves some of this — and, if you're in a study abroad program, it also involves six-down 23 A sweater, or a brow 24 According to Freud, there's a "super" version of it

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www.cavalierdaily.com • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

A& E ARTS AND

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Daniel Caesar headlines UPC’s Springfest The Canadian R&B and soul singer-songwriter was warm and captivating in Mem Gym Friday night

ENTERTAINMENT

Max Russ | Staff Writer

LUCY HOPKINS | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Daniel Caesar performed at Memorial Gymnasium on Friday as part of the University Program Council’s Springfest.

After last year’s performance by Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals for the University Programs Council’s Springfest, it’s safe to say that students were anticipating a concert of the same caliber. Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and R&B artist Daniel Caesar headlined this year’s Springfest Friday night, bringing his wonderfully soulful music to Grounds. Though inclement weather forced the UPC to hold the concert inside Memorial Gymnasium instead of the Amphitheater, the atmosphere of the show remained unchanged, and students were serenaded by Caesar’s amazing musical talent. Ashton Simmons — who performs under the stage name Daniel Caesar — is a prominent figure in today’s R&B scene, but he has only recently become wellknown. Over the course of the last few years, Caesar has built a large online following and has collaborated with several up-

and-coming artists such as Kali Uchis, H.E.R. and BadBadNotGood. The singer put out his first EP in 2014, and his debut album “Freudian” was released in August 2017. Upon release, “Freudian” landed at No. 1 on the iTunes charts. Even though he is a relatively new artist, he has already received great critical acclaim for his work and was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2018 — Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance for single “Get You.” While he didn’t win that year, Caesar took home a Grammy in 2019 in the Best R&B Performance category for his feature on the song “Best Part” with H.E.R. With raw talent and a distinctive sound, Daniel Caesar uses his music to write a melodic story rooted in his authentic self. The small space in Mem Gym allowed for an intimate feel throughout the entire concert, which was quite well-aligned

with the inviting mood of Caesar’s music. As soon as Caesar and his band stepped foot on the stage, a roar of applause and cheers ensued. He promptly kicked off the show with some great tunes, most of which were from “Freudian.” Caesar’s sound is rhythmic and soulful with a combination of traditional R&B, but his lyrics also carry powerful messages about love, heartbreak and romance. Caesar’s band consists of a keyboardist, a drummer, a guitarist and a bassist, all of whom seemed quite enthusiastic about the show. It was clear that the group enjoyed playing in front of a younger audience who could more easily relate to the 23-year-old singer’s lyrics. One of the biggest highlights of the performance was the acoustic hit “Best Part,” which allowed Caesar to break down and give the audience a taste of his style with simply a guitar and his voice. Caesar began to strum

the guitar introduction, and the whole crowd started singing the first verse. In many ways, it seemed like Caesar was playing the role of choir director, speaking the first words of the next line to continue guiding his enthusiastic audience. The entire show was certainly an indication of the dedication of Caesar’s fanbase, who knew virtually all the words to every song, even dating back to his earlier works. This unexpected chorus played a large role in establishing the atmosphere of the performance and definitely made the show more fun for long-time fans. While it was great to see so many members of the audience join in sync to Caesar’s lyrics, it downplayed his own role as a vocalist, and it would have been nicer to hear more of him actually singing. In some cases, Caesar’s voice was already drowned by the instruments of his band, and the combination of the band

and the crowd seemed to mask his raw talent as a vocalist. For a newer fan who wanted to experience his music or others who may have come to hear him live for the first time, it may have been difficult to appreciate his musical ability. Nonetheless, Caesar’s performance on Friday was an effective and enjoyable conclusion to the UPC’s Springfest. Though the atmosphere of the show was quite different than one of his typical performances — largely due in part to it being a free show held in a school gymnasium — the artist still held his own, and audience members got a great show. With his soothing voice and resonant lyricism as well as his warming stage presence, Caesar’s soulful Springfest performance proves that he is a sincerely promising talent.


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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • www.cavalierdaily.com

THE CAVALIER DAILY

‘Edwin Drood’ is more mirthful than mysterious Spring production from First Year Players features meta-narratives, audience interaction — and of course, Ishy Dan Goff | Senior Writer

COURTESY CATHERINE MELLEY AND EMILY PERKINS

The cast of First Year Player’s production of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” poses after a performance in the Student Activities Building.

On June 9, 1870, Charles Dickens was halfway through his 15th novel when he “committed the one ungenerous act of his entire career — he died.” That novel was “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” The titular mystery concerns Drood himself, a young orphan whose disappearance in the novel may have something to do with his opium-addicted uncle John Jasper. It’s hard to say — the story is half-finished, so the mystery is unsolved. The most readers can do is speculate. However, the novel — although it’s Dickens’ last — is only the first incarnation of the story. Like every other of his major books, “Drood” has been adapted many times over — most notably in a staged version of the mystery. In this rendering, audience members wield considerable power in deciding Drood’s destiny. It’s a madcap, over-thetop musical which nevertheless contains plenty of the original, Dickensian spirit. It’s also the First Year Players’ chosen spring production, which ran April 25 through 28 at the Student Activities Building. The beloved CIO brought their own madcap, overthe-top personality to the show, proving it to be a perfect fit. Anyone who has read Dickens knows that his books fea-

ture enormous, motley casts of characters distinguishable only by their distinctive quirks, and “Drood” is no different. Whether it’s the “good woman of ill repute” Princess Puffer (played by Engineering student Caroline Roden) and her notorious opium den, which Drood’s diabolical druggie uncle Jasper (College student Micah Rucci) frequents, enigmatic foreigners Helena and Neville Landless (College students Aubrey Hill and Nick Martinez), or Bazzard (College student Heath Yancey), a fame-hungry waiter lurking in the shadows of the story, the plot is populated by bizarre and memorable personalities. Once Act II begins, the morality of these characters falls under closer scrutiny as the question of who murdered the apparently dead Drood — played by cross-dressing College student Karen Zipor — becomes central to the story. The convoluted cast is even more tangled by the fact that “Drood” exists as a meta-narrative — that is to say, each student plays a British actor, who in turn plays a part in the Dickens story. Jasper is also Mr. Clive Paget, the Princess is actually Miss Angela Prysock and so on. Moderating the story to help the likely baffled audience keep track is the

“Chairman,” Mr. William Cartwright (Engineering student Kyle Goodson). If the plot sounds difficult to keep track of, don’t worry — keeping track isn’t really the point. Before the mystery gets started, the Chairman encouraged the audience to be “as vulgar and uncivilized as legally possible,” suggesting that his castmates would be doing the same. And true to his word, every scene of the musical was drenched in slapstick, sex or some combination of the two. The story took a backseat to the ridiculous antics onstage, which also kept the audience engaged for the impressive three-hour runtime. “Drood’s” inherent absurdity didn’t ruin the opportunity for dramatic performance — although, admittedly, such performances verged on the melodramatic. As Jasper, Rucci was laughably extreme as the supposed villain, but his handling of the role occasionally slipped into the serious, acknowledging that his character’s mania stems from the very real problem of addiction. Rosa Bud, or Miss Deirdre Peregrine (College student Caitlin Woodford) also brilliantly wavered between humorous and harrowing in her role as Drood’s

betrothed and the object of Jasper’s creepy affections. Woodford’s theatrical chops were on full display in the musical, as she sang an operatic solo in one scene and danced impressive ballet in another. Even such excellent acting — and it should be noted that the current crop of FYP performers are some of the most talented in years — might not alone be sufficient to keep audiences hooked for such a long production. The second act’s structure, then — in which viewers got to vote on the identity of the murderer and the disguised Detective Datchery, along with choosing which two characters would end up as lovers — was a stroke of brilliance on the part of the show’s creators. Audience members who might have slumped in their seats during intermission perked up again, eager to raise a certain number of fingers to vote for Drood’s killer or to indicate by applause which characters they thought should become romantically involved. The elements which set every FYP production apart were present at “Drood.” A disparaging comment was made about the “humble theater” space of the SAB — although, with Victorian-style maroon and gold set design, the concrete box looked

considerably spruced-up. The students of the excellent band, who provided live accompaniment for the many musical numbers, were referenced directly in a few scenes. And of course, FYP’s beloved mascot — Ishy, or Ishmael, the duck — was slipped not-so-casually into a dinner party scene to massive applause from those audience members in the know. “Drood” provides no clear moral at the end of its shorter Act II — in fact, its chooseyour-own-adventure style actively campaigns against a greater meaning. It’s questionable whether Dickens, ever a master of sentimentality, would be amused or annoyed by this rowdy interpretation of his unfinished mystery. But just as the creators of the show were not presumably concerned with pleasing the story’s long-dead, original author, so did the members of FYP seem much more invested in entertaining their audiences at the SAB. Once again, they have succeeded, creating a show that’s “damned confusing,” as the Chairman complained at one point, but that’s also undeniably fun.


H&S HEALTH & SCIENCE

www.cavalierdaily.com • HEALTH & SCIENCE

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Neuroscience exhibit shows beauty of the brain The display showcases undergraduate and graduate neuroscience research with fluorescent photographs of lab samples Cecily Wolfe | Staff Writer

This year marks the 15th class from the College of Arts and Sciences that will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in neuroscience from the University, and students within the major put together a neuroscience art exhibit showcasing fluorescent images from students’ research. The idea began when Sakar Budhathoki, third-year College student and neuroscience major, attended an art show at Milli Coffee Roasters this past summer and was inspired by the modern and contrasting set of works. A research course taken during the fall semester further fueled his imagination as he encountered a similar array of abstract and diverse photographs accompanying various research papers. “I was captivated by how vibrant the images were,” Budhathoki said. “I just thought we should showcase them in some way.” Budhathoki shared his thoughts with some of his classmates, and Isabelle Witteveen, third-year College student and neuroscience major, decided that she wanted to help start this project. The two then approached faculty advisors, the Echols Council and the College and received funding for the exhibit. The hope was to start a different

kind of art show, one that combined scientific advancements with creative expression and accentuated the beauty of undergraduate and graduate students’ time and efforts in neuroscience labs. “I think people have this misconception that all scientists are nerds,” Witteveen said. “But we are actually well-rounded people who really appreciate both art and nature.” Located in the Mural Room of Clark Hall, the exhibit consisted of photographs taken from a variety of neuroscience labs around Grounds. From cross-sections of a mouse retina from the Xiaorong Liu Lab to the nascent zebrafish spinal cord from the Sarah Kucenas Lab, the assorted subjects reflected the wide range of neuroscience studies conducted at the University. Other images illustrated neuron development, communication and specialization from the Deppmann Lab, Connelly and Erisir Labs and Guler Lab, respectively. Others depicted the pathways by which sensation and cognition occur in the brain from the Winckler Lab, Computational Memory Lab and Jung-Bum Shin Lab. In a combination of practical scientific techniques and artistic flair, the display boasted a color

pallet reminiscent of vintage neon signs. These brilliant hues originate from a protein found in many aquatic organisms, most notably in some jellyfish species. Known as green fluorescent protein, the molecule binds to other proteins of interest in subject tissues. When a sample is exposed to certain types of ultraviolet and visible light, GFP and its multicolored derivatives emit bright shades that span the rainbow, highlighting particular areas for study. “Some people might think that this kind of research is gory or boring,” Budhathoki said. “It makes it all worthwhile though when you put your subject material under the microscope with these proteins and see it fluoresce.” Despite its multifaceted collection of photographs, the display represented only a small snapshot of neuroscience research at the University. Over 70 different neuroscience labs are listed under research faculty on the neuroscience undergraduate major webpage alone, each studying a different aspect of the brain and nervous system with a focus on development, modulation, disease or impairment. According to Jay Hirsh, director of the undergraduate

program in neuroscience and professor of biology, research is heavily emphasized in the major. Participation in a neuroscience lab is a prerequisite for this interdisciplinary program, which prioritizes involving majors in neuroscience graduate program laboratories as one of its three main objectives. Students can also apply for the Distinguished Majors Program, which requires they conduct independent research and write a thesis under the guidance of a faculty mentor. “We hope that they will become sufficiently interested that research will become a part of their life,” Hirsh said. “We also think that independent research is important because students get to develop at least part of a project they can own, and it involves initiative, creative thinking and taking risks.” Witteveen affirmed that lab work has grown to play a significant role in her academic experience and in helping direct her future aspirations. While she intended to be a pre-med student, after setting foot in a lab for the first time, she changed her mind. Over her time at the University, Witteveen has grown to appreciate the environment in labs and, in particular, the community fostered by the small neuroscience

major. “The major is very research-focused and collaborative,” Witteveen. “I think that, in other programs, it can be somewhat cutthroat, but here the professors really work together and want to help each other and support the students.” In an effort to encourage students to become involved in neuroscience projects, Hirsh recommended that they find multiple labs that might interest them, reach out to corresponding professors via email and offer a brief overview of their academic record, reasons for inquiring about the lab and any relevant experience. In addition, Hirsh said that faculty then aim to reinforce students’ work in the lab with knowledge gained in the classroom. “Research experience should be synergistic with coursework,” Hirsh said. “Students will appreciate it and do much better in courses for having research experience, and we can also help them realize that what we are teaching them about is real, not just hypothetical.”

VYSHNAVI PENDALA | THE CAVALIER DAILY

In a combination of practical scientific techniques and artistic flair, the display boasts a color palette reminiscent of vintage neon signs.


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