Thursday, September 1, 2016

VOL. 127, ISSUE 5

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

BRONCO’S BIG BEGINNING

see FOOTBALL, page 6-9 ANNIE CARY AND CINDY GUO | THE CAVALIER DAILY

WHAT’S INSIDE SABRE POINT SYSTEM REVAMPED PAGE 2

A LOOK AT ALUMNI MENTORING PAGE 5

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Sabre points system undergoing changes Points to determine basketball seating, carry over between years ALEXIS GRAVELY | ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR In anticipation of a new football season beginning Saturday, the Athletics Department is revamping the Sabre Points Reward system.

Students can earn Sabre Points by attending athletic events on Grounds; the points are used to determine the amount of entries a student has into ticket lotteries. They will now also determine the entry groups for men’s basketball games, while previously entry groups were assigned at random. Now the students with the most points will be assigned to Entry Group 1, and the process will continue until the final entry group is assigned.

As of last Thursday, every home sporting event will now be worth one Sabre Point. Designated events and football games will be worth five points. Previously, students only had the opportunity to earn points at the designated rewards events.

“With these changes come several benefits for students,” Todd Goodale, senior associate athletics director for external affairs, said in an email statement.

Students can earn Sabre Points throughout the entire academic year, and 20 percent of the points earned will be carried over to the next year.

This process will begin at the conclusion of the 2016-17 academic year.

The structure of the new system was decided by the Athletics Department in conjunction with students from the Athletics Affairs committee in Student Council, Dustin Jones, fourth-year Curry student and ’Hoo Crew president, said.

The department conducted a study with these students in order to determine the best way to implement the system.

These new guidelines come as a continuation to some of the changes that were made to the ticketing system last year.

“Basketball used to be the only sport that was on a different ticketing system from every other sport so [the Athletics Department] wanted to get it on the same page,” Jones said. “The system isn’t changing anymore [this year]. It’s just being finalized into what it’s meant to be.”

Ryan Zimmerman, a third-year Batten student and ’Hoo Crew Sabre

Points chairman, said the new structure of the system is also meant to encourage students to increase their support of student athletes. For example, all home football games are worth five points to help increase attendance.

“Football, I believe, is worth more points right now because we’re really making a push with the new coach, Coach Mendenhall, and his new program that he has,” Zimmerman said.

“I do think it’s a good thing now, just to get people excited about the program.”

However, Zimmerman iterated that while students have always been excited about football and basketball, the new rewards system will help some of the “more historically lesser-supported sports” gain more recognition.

“All of our student athletes work extremely hard, and they’re all extremely accomplished,” Zimmerman said. “We really tried to diversify the Sabre Rewards events to include at least one game from every sport this year.”

Both Zimmerman and Jones said so far they’ve heard positive feedback

from the people they’ve talked to.

“I haven’t talked to too many non-’Hoo Crew committee members about it, but from what I’ve heard from the ’Hoo Crew committee and the few students I have talked to, it is a huge benefit to everyone,” Jones said.

Zimmerman echoed some of Jones’s sentiments, citing occurrences when students have approached him and told him that they like the new system because of the way it includes the lesser-known sports.

He said he has also heard that students are excited about having 20 percent of their Sabre Points carry over to the next year, giving upperclassmen an advantage in getting

tickets.

However, Goodale noted this as being one of the potential problems with the new system.

“First-year students will be at a slight disadvantage at the start of the 2017-18 academic year compared to some second-, third- and fourth-year students who will begin with 20 percent of their points from 2016-17,” Goodale said. “However, first-year students will have plenty of opportunities to earn points during the fall semester.”

Zimmerman encouraged students seeking more information to visit the Virginia Athletics website.

LAUREN HORNSBY | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Sabre points will now determine the entry groups for men’s basketball games.

Gameday changes coming to football program Adventures of Cavman to end, new pregame rituals to be instated DAVID SCHUTTE | ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR The University football program is making several changes to its gameday presentation, which fans will be able to experience for the first time Saturday in its home game against the University of Richmond.

Without straying too far from what fans have become accustomed to, Bronco Mendenhall, Virginia football’s new head coach, said in a press conference Monday that the new pregame rituals will better represent the direction the program is currently going.

One of the biggest changes is the elimination of the “Adventures Of Cavman” — animated shorts played

before games, depicting Cavman vanquishing the away team’s mascot.

This series will be replaced with a pregame video that has a more serious tone.

“I hope that what we’ve chosen to do with the video shows now that, again, there are elements that we’re acknowledging what’s been done, but now adding elements that show that we’re moving, hopefully, in a more productive and more successful era of U.Va. football,” Mendenhall said in the press conference.

David Chapman, a fourth-year College student and club rugby player who has been attending games in

MARSHALL BRONFIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Other changes include the elimination of the “Wahoo walk” and free game programs.

his hometown of Charlottesville his whole life, said he is not concerned with the loss of the animation.

“It was always fun, people always liked it, but I don’t think the older kids will care about it too much,” Chapman said. “It was a fun thing, but I’d rather not have the adventures of Cavman and win games than have the Cavman and lose games.”

Emma Fass, a third-year Engineering student who has also been attending games all her life, had an opposite reaction to the news.

“When I was little I only went to the games to watch the cartoon in the beginning. My parents would dress me up in the cheerleading outfit and everything and I would pay attention until the cartoon ended and then would draw or play a game or something,” Fass said.

For Mendenhall, tradition and highlighting an institution through the game of football is important.

While the loss of the adventures of Cavman may be upsetting to some, those in the program have decided to bring back other elements that represent the football team’s history.

Mendenhall was inspired by an image of one of the team’s greatest

moments — an upset of No. 4 Florida State in 2005, when the endzones featured the letters that make up “Virginia” inscribed in diamonds. This logo will be implemented into Scott Stadium for Saturday’s game.

“The diamonds in the end zone to me were captivating — I saw a picture of not an empty seat, UV.Va. beating Florida State. I thought that would be a cool thing as a symbol,” Mendenhall said.

One of the main tenants of Mendenhall’s philosophy involves the principle “earned not given,” which manifests itself in the players’ new field entrance.

Players of different positions will walk onto the field hand in hand in unison, before engaging in a walk up.

The walk up will involve players stepping while chanting “U.Va.,” before touching their hands to the ground and engaging in a full-on sprint.

“When they walk up, they are walking up to perform for the institution. They take the field at a sprint, meaning that they’re lucky they get to play, and they’re lucky they get the chance to do something difficult together,” Mendenhall said in a Virginia Sports TV video. “We’re not going

into it easy, we’re going to charge into it lucky to have the opportunity.”

Although there is purpose and meaning to Mendenall’s decisions, Chapman’s hopes are more singular.

“I don’t care what Bronco does to the presentation as long as we win games. Once you get to any league above a kid’s league, it’s all about winning. He’s trying to change the culture,” Chapman said.

Dylan Sims, the newly named field goal kicker and Arts and Sciences graduate student, said the changes help foster a more winning attitude.

“I think the changes are the best thing that could happen to the program in all honesty. It’s not that you get used to losing but it becomes a habit, and the minute that Bronco came in was like a new start,” Sims said. “He says he’ll never demand stuff from us but he’ll ask more from us than anyone has ever asked, and it’s up to us whether we want to live up to that standard or not.”

Other minor changes include the elimination of the “Wahoo walk,” which involved the players preceding to the field two hours before each game, as well as the inclusion of free game programs.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

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Students want more say in Strategic Investment Fund StudCo voices concerns about lack of student proposal opportunities THOMAS ROADES | SENIOR WRITER Student Council discussed the lack of student involvement in the grant proposal process for the Strategic Investment Fund at its meeting Tuesday.

University Vice President for Finance Melody Bianchetto gave a presentation about the fund and answered members’ questions.

Bianchetto passed out handouts to each member of the council with several slides detailing the purpose of the fund, a timeline showing its development and background information on the sources of the money.

The handout stated that the purpose of the Strategic Investment Fund was to “fund exceptional opportunities,” potentially improve the University’s affordability and excellence, expand research, improve the student experience and further economic development.

Also included in the handout — and of particular concern to many members of Student Council — was a diagram demonstrating the process by which a proposal for investment is made.

A University community member develops the proposal, which must be endorsed and reviewed by a member of the administration, an evaluation committee and an advisory committee before finally being approved by the Board of Visitors.

Brett Curtis, third-year Curry student and representative body chair, read prepared questions from

council members. Many of the questions expressed concerns about students being underrepresented and unable to propose investment opportunities, or voice their opinions on proposed investments.

Bianchetto assured the group that students would have plenty of options for having their voices heard.

“Students can reach out to me, the Office of Student Affairs, the Dean of Students or other University staff to propose opportunities,” she said.

She added that the fund will not only have financial benefits for the University itself, but also for students.

“Ultimately, this plan will help keep tuition lower,” Bianchetto said, explaining that the fund will cover some expenses that might have otherwise come out of tuition.

After Bianchetto’s presentation, Student Council continued to discuss their thoughts on the fund.

Student Council President Emily Lodge, a fourth-year Batten student, questioned why students are being given little to no involvement in the future investment decisions, citing the University’s tradition of promoting student self-governance and involvement.

Curtis agreed that students should be given a better avenue to express their opinions.

“Perhaps an option where stu-

dents could bring their proposals if they are able to get 1,000 signatures,” he suggested.

Second-year College Representative Eddie Lin added that in addition to student involvement, transparency and informing the student body is important on a major issue like this one.

“Whatever they’re doing now is not enough,” Lin said in reference to the University’s outreach efforts.

Zaakir Tameez, a second-year College student and member of the Legislative Affairs Committee, em-

phasized the importance of pushing for student involvement immediately, before the plans for the fund move forward.

Curtis closed the discussion by reaffirming the council’s commitment to pushing for student involvement in the fund’s decision-making in the coming days.

“We need to make sure we’re doing something to get student involvement relatively quickly, before we lose our opportunity,” Curtis said, eliciting broad agreement from the group.

Along with the discussion of the Strategic Investment Fund, two votes were held on proposed bills.

A vote to appoint second-year College student Andrew Lee as chair of the Rules and Ethics Board passed unanimously, as did a vote to allow the council to make proclamations in order to recognize important University events.

“My immediate thought was to use this ability to appreciate individuals in the University community who have gone unrecognized,” Curtis said of the proclamations bill.

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Student Council heard from the University’s vice president for finance at its most recent meeting.

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NEWS • www.cavalierdaily.com

A changing Corner Businesses add amenities, new establishments move in ANNA POLLARD & MARK FELICE | SENIOR WRITERS Over the course of the summer, several restaurants and business on the Corner expanded services and opened shop — and the area has seen aesthetic changes with a new mural on the side of the Graduate Charlottesville.

The mural — painted by artist David Guinn — debuted on the southwest wall of the hotel in August and includes a quote from “Testimonial,” a poem by U.S. Poet Laureate and English Prof. Rita Dove.

“We’re thrilled Graduate Charlottesville was chosen as the site of this mural,” General Manager Yolunda Harrell said. “It’s a huge honor and another way we can connect with the local community and be the home of something truly unique and inspiring. We appreciate the message of Rita Dove’s ‘Testimonial’ and are excited to see how David Guinn brings it to life.”

The mural is intended to be a

personal piece for the University, as Dove, who has attained numerous honors and much acclaim for her poetry, has taught at the University since 1989. The quote from “Testimonial” featured in the mural reads, “The world called, and I answered.”

Guinn said the mural aims to exude positivity, visually portraying the sentiments of the poem.

"I am excited to be working with the Charlottesville Mural Project, Graduate Charlottesville and Rita Dove to bring this mural to the community,” Guinn said. "In the design I wanted to express the emotion that I felt in Rita Dove's ‘Testimonial’ with its beautiful exuberance and optimism, its enthusiasm for, and wonder at life — this is the spirit that I wanted to communicate to the U.Va. community.”

The mural is the third installment of its kind in the Paint & Poetry Series, supported by the Charlottesville

Mural Project, New City Arts and the Office of the Provost and the Vice Provost for the Arts at the University.

Further up University Ave., Littlejohn’s Deli has added outdoor seating for its diners.

Owner Colleen Strong said customers can enjoy a historic and social view while enjoying their food on the crest of the Corner.

“That particular spot on the Corner sits directly in front of the spot where the original arches to the University and the original cornerstone were, right there, and [diners] can see from that patio space,” Strong said. “Also, coming from the north or south, that sticks out the furthest so you can see it, and it's just a fresh place to sit out there and see your friends walking by.”

Strong said Littlejohn’s collaborated with CVS Pharmacy in the process of permitting and arranging the space.

“I spoke with the owner of the building that CVS is in and management, and we all worked together on this,” Strong said. “They were in 100 percent support of us having a space there because it’s in front of their building as well as adjacent to our doorfront, and we think it adds to the aesthetic of the Corner.”

Additionally, Strong plans on offering new specials for services, food and drinks to her customers.

“I’m considering running a special … [in which] we are going to roll out table service, so anyone who’s sitting out there, spending time, we’ll come out, we’ll bring you food, we’ll take your order for more food, so the customer doesn't have to come back in and wait in line again,” Strong said. “[Also], we want to run some fun specials, some beer specials, some food specials, and really just have some fun with it, especially on big weekends.”

Strong said she is excited about the opportunity the space will provide for the restaurant and has been pleased with the reaction to the space. “[The feedback has] been incredibly positive — it’s been so much fun,” Strong said.

Some of the newcomers to the Corner also include Zip Chicken and Poke Sushi Bowl, both of which are across from long-established Christian’s Pizza and Boylan Heights.

“I’m a huge sushi fan, so I was so excited when I heard it was opening,” Curry graduate student Lindsey Porter said about Poke. “I think it provides a unique option for people looking to eat on the Corner. At first, I was a little overwhelmed by the number of options and combinations, but once I was able to really take a look at the menu, it was really easy to pick a combination of things that I liked! 10 out of 10 — would recommend.”

New 10-story hotel to be built on West Main St. Construction expected to start this fall ANNA HIGGINS | ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR DC-based development firm Carr City Centers announced this week it has secured a $25.8 million loan to build a luxury hotel at 1106 West Main Street, close to the Corner and the University Hospital.

The 10-story building, which will be a Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel, will have 150 guestrooms and suites.

According to the Carr City Centers’ website, the hotel will also feature 3,000 square feet of meeting spaces, a fitness center and a business center. The ground floor will hold a 4,000 square-foot restaurant and there will be three stories of parking for hotel and restaurant guests.

City Council approved the hotel’s construction in January 2015, and plans for a hotel on this particular site dates back to 2009. “[The Board of Architectural Review] began review of this particular hotel in 2014, but previously saw plans for a different hotel proposed on this site in 2009,” May Joy Scala, a preservation and design planner for the city of Charlottesville, said in an email statement.

The hotel’s spot on West Main Street is convenient for accessing the hospital, University and downtown areas.

Brian Haluska, a principal planner for the city, said the hotel will house many hospital patients who travel from far away to access the

health system’s services.

“The hospital is a big driver of hotel stays, people coming in for surgeries or to visit doctors,” Haluska said.

“It’s the only level three trauma center in the region, so people come from hours away in some cases.”

The hotel’s location is likely to lend a hand to its future success. A profitable hotel typically has an average of 40 percent occupancy within a year, but Haluska said the demand for lodging for weekends during different sporting and University events will help the hotel reach its goal.

“If you factor in move-in weekend, the football schedule, even the basketball schedule now over the last few years and graduation weekends, there’s a number of weekends where you’re probably going to be at almost maximum capacity,” he said.

Austin Flajser, the president of Carr City Centers, presented to the City Council in January 2015. The development company decided to choose the spot due to the growth of the West Main Street area and the location’s proximity to Grounds and the hospital.

“It’s at the nexus of the two greatest demand-generators,” Flajser said.

“We feel like we’ve got a plan that really embodies the city’s vision for West Main Street and specifically an active, urban-planned West Main Street.”

Construction on the hotel is set to begin this fall and will last for a lit-

tle over a year. The building process should have minimal effects to traffic around the University and hospital, Scala said.

“Construction usually impacts the adjacent streets — in this case W Main and 11th Street, which is narrow,” Scala said.

The 11th Street access to Main Street may be slow for a few weeks at the beginning of construction, but will still allow pedestrian and vehicle access for the hospital and its workers. Although automotive access will be more limited for a couple of weeks as the construction begins, emergency vehicles accessing the hospital through 11th Street rather than typical access points will still be able to use the road.

“One of the important things that we stressed to [the builders] in the pre-construction meeting was, this needs to stay open for pedestrians, and there needs to be automotive access through here,” Haluska said.

“In the unlikely event that something happens to one of the other access ways, we do want ambulances, if they have to get through here, that they can, and [the builders are] committed to doing that.”

According to a recent report from the Virginia Tourism Corporation, the demand for more hotels in Charlottesville increased 10.2 percent since 2015. Haluska said there has been a higher demand in lodging and more requests to build hotels in the

city of Charlottesville within recent years.

“We’re a popular tourist location, a popular wedding location in the fall, so there’s a number of things that

I think drive people to visit the area and the demand for hotel rooms in general,” Haluska said. “That’s why we’re seeing a big boom in that.”

COURTESY CARR CITY CENTERS

The 10-story Marriott hotel will be located on West Main Street.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

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Virginia Alumni Mentoring at a glance Program sees success in its pilot years, but some students want more MARK FELICE | ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR Two years ago, the Career Center kickstarted the brand new Virginia Alumni Mentoring program, also known as VAM. The goal of the program was to connect students, primarily undergraduates, to University alumni working in different career areas.

Now finished with its two-year pilot, the program is starting recruitment for the fall semester, which includes a online signup form due on Sept. 15. In the program’s first official year, the Career Center expects to expand the mentoring network to develop more relationships between alumni and students.

Development of the program The program was designed as a key part of University President Teresa Sullivan’s 2012-13 Cornerstone Plan and aims to connect students with veterans of the career in which they are interested. “[The program’s] mission is to support students in their career exploration through the perspectives and guidance of alumni who have walked their walk,” Kimberly Link, associate director of the Internship Center, said. “It’s also aligned with the University’s strategic directions and focus on alumni engagement as well, so VAM has really come at it in both ways. It’s the perfect marriage between those two strategies.”

The development of VAM also helps provide more hands-on advising, a goal discussed in the Cornerstone Plan.

“Another place to make the connection is in the total advising part of the Cornerstone Plan that President Sullivan talks about,” Everette Fortner, associate vice president of career and professional development, said.

VAM was originally started by the College Foundation in 2013, when the Board of Visitors wanted to develop a program that would solely focus on making connections between students and alumni. “[VAM] bubbled up from the College of Arts and Sciences Foundation, so several years ago they piloted a very small, eight to 12 student mentor program with the board members,” Fortner said. “[The BOV] loved it, but it was very labor intensive and they did all the matches, and so they came to [the Career Center] and said that we’ve got to do mentoring and this is the place to start.”

Career Services, along with then-Student Council President Henry Reynolds, took the small pilot program and started thinking about how it could reformulated into a large-scale mentoring

system.

“Henry Reynolds came to us and we started to talk about how we could partner on this and we talked about piloting with 20 or so students, but we wanted to make a bigger impact with that, so we said we would take it on,” Fortner said. “We piloted it for two years [and] found a software out of Stanford that we could use for the program while the Alumni Association reached out to alumni, and it slowly mushroomed from there.”

Pros of the program The program begins with students filling out information in order to match them to a mentor who is a good fit for them depending on their desired field.

“Career Services had a algorithm that was a great system where it would match students by putting information about their interest, job opportunities, etc. and through that you can get through the website to meet the alumni in the network,” Adib Choudhury, third-year Commerce student and College Council vice president, said.

Although the program is not designed to guarantee student employment, many students receive an internship after meeting their alumni mentor.

“I usually say that 80 percent of jobs are found through networking and they never get posted,” Fortner said. “We’re trying to teach that skill of networking and mentoring, so that you may actually find these jobs that never get posted. More than half a dozen or a dozen students can say this turned into an internship. We explicitly say it’s not designed for that, because we don’t want to put that pressure on the [alumni] or students, but it has turned into that.”

For other students, the program is more than just a foot in the door for a possible job opportunity, as they have had the opportunity to develop a lasting relationship with their mentor.

“I was interested in management consulting, and I eventually found an alumni who was an consultant in energy consumption and we totally hit it off,” Choudhury said. “I have been talking to him for about two years now and we have still kept in touch. He has been able to look at my resume as well as give me advice about U.Va. He will literally take an hour out of his work day to help me and see how I am doing.”

With these ideas in mind, the program has grown since its arrival two years ago, and the Ca-

reer Center is expecting more numbers this year than during the pilot.

“In our first couple of days, there were 530 students who had already pre-registered for VAM as of last week,” Link said. “Before the season started, we had connected with approximately 800 students in the two-year pilot and we had engaged about 1,400 alumni mentors in the two-year pilot. So, this year, we are starting with about 530 and growing without the people from the major registration deadline that is ahead of us.”

Cons of the program While the program has been a useful experience for some students, others have not received the same benefits.

“To say that my experience with the program was abysmal probably wouldn't be an overstatement,” third-year College student Zach Danz said in an email statement.

Danz said there was no one in the program close to his field of

interest, and attempts to connect him with a mentor were fruitless.

“So [the head of the program] reached out to the Engineering School to see if anyone over there could help, but after following up with her over the phone a few times, no fruit came of it,” Danz said. “So, VAM left me mentor-less. And that was super frustrating.”

The program has many mentors in commerce-related fields, but students pursuing a career in liberal arts are less likely to be matched with a mentor through the VAM system.

“I notice this trend in a lot of U.Va.'s resources: there are tons of resources for students of commerce, economics and engineering, yet many of the more artistic or soft-science disciplines are neglected,” Danz said.

When asked about this issue, Career Services said they do recognize it as a problem and are trying to work on getting more alumni involved from sectors of the job market that may be un-

derrepresented.

“As we see the demand, we go to the alumni base and sometimes it's hard to find a veterinarian that will participate and so that's where we have to go to Jason Life in the Alumni Association who knows so many alumni,” Fortner said. “When we have a specific student need, we go to him and ask, ‘Who would you call?’ and he will reach out to that person.”

In addition to those special cases, the center is also trying to expand its horizons through its new career communities, which offers students “specific, tailored industry resources and programs,” according to the Career Center’s website.

“We are strategically growing the [VAM] program with career communities in mind, so the creative arts and media design community is a big partner in us cultivating new alumni relationships and we are doing that across all six other career communities,” Link said.

Number of students and mentors who participated in the Virginia Alumni Mentoring Program during its pilot years (2014-15) 1500 1200 900 600 300 0

Students in the pilot years

Mentors in the pilot years

Students registered so far this year *

*Registration closes Sept. 15 ANNIE CARY | THE CAVALIER DAILY

THE CAVALIER DAILY

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Mendenhall era begins Saturday New-look Cavaliers gear up for season opener against Richmond GRANT GOSSAGE | SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR Virginia football fans have long awaited the first Saturday of September, and rightly so, as head coach Bronco Mendenhall’s new, streamlined product will finally be on full display against Richmond in his team’s opener at Scott Stadium.

But in the stands, those wiredup wearers of orange and blue better temper their expectations early on, because instilling a winning culture usually takes time.

“We're not going to launch right to the top of the ACC or the polls in game one,” Mendenhall said. “We've hardly practiced how to come out of the tunnel for heaven's sakes. … The preparation we put in so far will emerge at some point, but I don't know when.”

Mendenhall may still be learning the area and the history of these Virginia-Richmond installments on the gridiron, but he does have a good sense of the Spider program.

During what would be his 11th and final season as head coach at Brigham Young University, Mendenhall got to know Richmond head coach Danny Rocco, as the two served on the Board of the American Football Coaches Association and serve in that same capacity this year.

According to Mendenhall, it hadn’t struck him that Rocco’s team would collide with his in the

first game of the 2016 seasons until well after his hiring, when he reconnected with Rocco poolside in Arizona at the Fiesta Frolic event for college coaches. Since then, Mendenhall has become an admirer of the way Rocco runs things.

“It's been fun to learn about [Rocco’s] career, then also watch his team play, because I think they are well-taught,” Mendenhall said.

“I don't think they win by accident. I think he's recruited well. I think he's coached well. I think his strategies are sound.”

Dating back to 2012, Rocco has posted a superb 33-18 record while at Richmond. The Spiders are coming off one of their strongest seasons in program history, in which they reached 10 wins — for the first time since making the FCS playoffs in 2009, under Mike London — and advanced to the playoff semifinals.

Overlooking their lower-division opponent’s talent would be a foolish move by the Cavaliers — just ask that ’07 Michigan bunch, or the football historian Mendenhall.

“We're really not acknowledging FBS or FCS,” Mendenhall said.

“I think [Richmond] is a football team that is really well-coached, and they know how to win. … Certainly a team that we have to take really seriously with the amount of unknowns we currently have.”

Thanks to a special ceremony

last Saturday in the locker room that saw each of Mendenhall’s qualified players earn his symbolic identity on the field, the Cavaliers now proudly boast their numbers.

But other question marks remain.

One of those unknowns is how this revamped Cavalier offense, with its no-huddle tempo and spread design, will execute under real game pressure.

Exposed in the preseason and practice to Mendenhall’s chaotic game-like situations and unpredictable drills, which he likes to call “the fog of war,” a capable Virginia offense occasionally lost its focus and committed careless mistakes.

Junior transfer Kurt Benkert evidently has all the tools — the arm strength, the accuracy, the decision-making and the scramble ability — required of a modern quarterback to drive his offense down the field and convert in the redzone.

Benkert benefits from plenty of weapons surrounding him, including a dynamic tailback in senior Taquan “Smoke” Mizzell and a strong, sure-handed wideout in junior Doni Dowling. Again though, the execution level Mendenhall expects out of his offense isn’t there yet, at least consistently.

“Going against our defense over the spring and over this fall camp, it's been like ups and downs,” Mizzell said. “When we’re clicking,

we’re really clicking … I feel like we've got playmakers all over the field.”

Most wouldn’t put senior center Jackson Matteo in the playmaker category. Ball carriers in the open field overshadow him, as he goes about his subtle, yet imperative, business of detecting blitzes, orchestrating snap counts and protecting his quarterback.

Yet when asked about their 6-foot-5, 290-pound co-captain, Cavalier teammates label Matteo both as a catalyst for the entire offense and a leader through adversity.

“We had a scrimmage, and they held Jackson out, [and] the whole offense was out of sync,” junior linebacker Micah Kiser said. “They couldn’t get snap counts right. It was rough. But when he’s in there, he’s the glue. He gets them running.”

On the other side of the ball for Virginia, Kiser is that steady voice — the unit’s driving force. The co-captain, who was named on the Butkus Award Watch List and is arguably the team’s most pro-ready player, will be in the middle directing a new 3-4 defense.

“Man, Kiser can really play,” Matteo said. “When he just lets it loose, he’s hard to stop. It’s been fun to watch him mature as a player, just over the past couple years. … Because like I said, when he

RYAN O’CONNOR | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The Cavaliers enter the Bronco Mendenhall era poised for a strong season, boasting new uniforms, offensive schemes and a transfer quarterback.

starts playing, when he really lets it loose, coach Mendenhall lets ’em go.”

Mendenhall will assist defensive coordinator Nick Howell in calling the shots Saturday. He will also pace the home sidelines, stopping at each position group when there’s a teaching moment or a strategic change to be made.

When his unit is on the field, rest assured it will be fast-paced and angry with incredible athletes like junior defensive end Andrew Brown, senior nose tackle Donte Wilkins, junior safety Quin Blanding and Kiser slashing through the turf, shedding blockers and hitting hard.

Mendenhall won’t need to motivate his players. After all, Virginia ticketholders aren’t the only ones who wanted the first Saturday of September to roll around.

"We want to show the fans just how much hard work has really gone into what we've been doing, and that we're trying to flip the culture here,” Kiser said. “That's probably the biggest word — culture — from the entrance, to what we wear, to how we play.”

Witness the start of a new era.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Scott Stadium.

MARSHALL BRONFIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

www.cavalierdaily.com • SPORTS

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DON’T CRY FOR CAVMAN

A

MARSHALL BRONFIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Though Cavman will continue to ride into Scott Stadium before games, his animated representation in “The Adventures of Cavman” will no longer be a part of Virginia football Saturdays.

s per decree of the Bronco Mendenhall administration, “The Adventures of Cavman” is dead.

Beginning in 2001, “The Adventures of Cavman,” a short animated video clip of Cavman defeating the opponent’s mascot, aired before the football team took the field at every home game. With humor and a healthy dose of school pride, these vignettes proved to be a major hit with all ages in the crowd and became a staple of Saturdays at Scott Stadium. In removing these videos, Mendenhall has made one of his first controversial moves as a head coach.

Here’s my unpopular opinion of the week regarding “The Adventures of Cavman” — good riddance.

In my opinion, these pregame videos served as a microcosm for everything that has been wrong with Virginia football throughout most of this decade.

In the Mike London era, the team played the game in far too loose of a manner. Time after time, Virginia would either lose close games or get blown out by their opponents. The only time a Cavalier won was on the jumbotron, not on the football field.

The fact that Cavman always triumphed his opponent continuously gave audiences the impression that Virginia could win games. Unfortunately, the video represents the all-too- common Virginia football theme of falling short of expectations.

Armed with athletic specimen at the running back and receiving positions, the Virginia offense put up a respectable 25 points per game in 2015. However, even with a presumably great defense which featured then-sophomore star free safety Quin Blanding, Virginia allowed its opponents to score around 32 points per game — which ultimately led the team to a 4-8 finish last season.

Virginia’s lack of success throughout much of the twenty-first century has come from a strict lack of mental toughness.

Instead of staying focused on the game and improving, the players, under London’s poor leadership, could not muster what it took to become a successful team. While “The Adventures of Cavman” elicited cheers before games started, it was about the only thing about which the Cavalier faithful could be happy.

By eliminating the animated videos, Mendenhall is making his message loud and clear: it’s time for the Virginia program to take care of business on the turf rather than rely on Cavman in the pixels.

From the moment he was hired as head coach, Menden-

hall has hinted that he means business with his team. In training camp, he required his players to wear black until he determined that they had earned the right to wear their numbers and the Cavalier orange and blue.

Getting rid of the animated Cavman isn’t the only game day change Mendenhall is implementing in an effort to change the culture surrounding football. The Wahoo Walk, when players would walk down Engineer’s Way to Scott Stadium in front of adoring fans two hours prior to kickoff, is gone.

Now, before entering the field, the players will walk out holding hands to represent their unity. After taking three steps forward — for each letter of “U. Va.” — a group of players will yell “Hoos!” and sprint on the field as their teammates follow them.

For everyone who is worried about the actual Cavman, he will still be part of the pregame tradition as well. Like the rest of the team, he will come out onto the field sprinting with his horse. According to Mendenhall, this will represent the pace with which the Cavaliers intend to play the game.

In his 11 seasons at Brigham Young University, Mendenhall never missed a bowl game.

Meanwhile, in that same time period, the Virginia football squad has only been to three such postseason games. In eliminating “The Adventures of Cavman,” Mendenhall is emphasizing the serious nature of the task at hand and reinforcing the notion that the only way his team can achieve success is through their own effort.

For now, people may be heartbroken without their former animated icon. Hopefully, though, the football team’s play can make up for the loss of the beloved pregame ritual.

BEN TOBIN is a weekly Sports columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at bjt5ed@ virginia.edu or on Twitter at @ TobinBen

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THE CAVALIER DAILY

SPORTS • www.cavalierdaily.com

PRESSURE THE QB Richmond junior quarterback Kyle Lauletta is comfortable in the pocket.

He can deliver accurate throws and keep the chains moving there. Up front, the three down linemen for Virginia will have to attack gaps and close down space around the quarterback. A batted down pass or sack early on would make Lauletta think twice.

GROUND AND POUND

LIMIT SILLY PENALTIES

Throughout the London era, ill-advised, thoughtless penalties plagued the Cavaliers in close games. Mendenhall and staff have stressed the importance of discipline in determining a contest’s outcome. Virginia is playing a more physical, speedy brand of football. The Cavaliers can’t have mental slip-ups that allow Richmond to keep the score close.

Following the Spring Football Festival, offensive coordinator Robert Anae addressed the media about the crowded Virginia backfield. Anae praised his running back corps of Smoke Mizzell, Albert Reid, Daniel Hamm and Jordan Ellis, deeming it the most impressive group to that point.

Little has changed. Virginia’s deep backfield can establish a potent ground game Saturday.

3 KEYS TO CAVALIER VICTORY

If the Cavaliers can execute in these three facets of the game, they will be able to start off the Mendenhall era on a positive note with a win over Richmond.

Major Players Here’s a look at the players who will be making plays all over the field during Saturday’s season opener. How well each of them plays could determine the outcome of the in-state matchup.

Kurt Benkert (QB) The junior quarterback hasn’t been with Virginia long, but he’s already made his presence felt. With a football mind, a big arm, and the ability to extend plays, the transfer from East Carolina will start at signal caller for a new-look Cavaliers offense. His knee is healthy, and he’s ready to go.

Taquan Mizzell (RB) He goes by ‘Smoke.’ Mizzell is a dynamic athlete, able to catch passes out of the backfield and take handoffs in a blur to the house. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae will get No. 4 the football in a variety of ways. Named to the Bilentnikoff Award Watch List in the preseason, Mizzell has the chance for a breakout senior season.

PAUL BURKE, LAUREN HORNSBY | THE CAVALIER DAILY COURTESY VIRGINA ATHLETICS

Micah Kiser (LB) A member of the 2015 All-ACC First Team, Kiser led the conference with 117 tackles last season and finished 17th in the nation. Embracing the new coaches and their demands, Kiser has improved his fitness and technique. He should be in conversation again as one of the ACC’s best defenders.

David Jones (S) Jones led the FCS with nine interceptions last season — four of those coming in the same game against Albany to tie an NCAA record. The redshirt senior safety will have his work cut out for him Saturday against a Virginia offense that won’t be afraid to air the ball out.

Kyle Lauletta (QB) Richmond’s redshirt junior quarterback from Exton, Penn. is regarded as an elite offensive player in the FCS. Lauletta finished the 2015 season ranked third in the country in passing yards at 3,598.

How the captain fairs in the face of Virginia’s aggressive 3-4 defense will be a big factor Saturday.

Omar Howard (LB) A native of Midlothian, Va., Howard led the Spiders with 136 tackles last year en route to earning All-CAA First Team honors. Like Kiser for the Cavaliers, the redshirt senior is a leader in the middle of the Richmond defense, elected by his teammates to serve as captain in 2016.

U

R F O MORGAN HALE | THE CAVALIER DAILY

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

U.Va Players to Watch

www.cavalierdaily.com • SPORTS

Completion Percentage

2015 Team Leaders Total Yardage

Average Yards per Carry

Tackles

Tackles for Loss

Receptions

Touchdowns

Matt Johns

Passing

61%

2810

--

--

--

--

20

Taquan Mizzell

Rushing

--

671

4.1

--

--

--

4

Receiving

--

721

--

--

--

75

4

Albert Reid Olamide Zaccheaus

Rushing Receiving

---

360 216

5.5 --

---

---

-21

3 1

Micah Kiser

Defense

--

--

--

117

13

--

--

Quin Blanding

Defense

--

--

--

115

1

--

--

Completion Percentage

Total Yardage

Average Yards per Carry

Tackles

Tackles for Loss

Receptions

Touchdowns

Richmond Players to Watch

9

Kyle Laulettas

Passing

62%

3598

--

--

--

--

19

David Broadus

Rushing

--

207

5.0

--

--

--

4

Gordon Collins Brian Brown Porter Abell Omar Howard

Rushing Receiving Receiving Defense

-----

153 1450 193 --

5.7 ----

---136

---5.5

-76 14 --

2 6 2 --

David Jones

Defense

--

--

--

97

3

--

-MORGAN HALE | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Sports Editors’ Gameday Predictions Matchup

Jacob

Robert

Grant

Mariel

Richmond at Virginia

Virginia

Virginia

Virginia

Virginia

Charlotte at (20) Louisville

Louisville

Louisville

Louisville

Louisville

Wake Forest

Wake Forest

Wake Forest

Wake Forest

William & Mary at NC State

NC State

NC State

NC State

NC State

Colgate at Syracuse

Syracuse

Syracuse

Syracuse

Syracuse

Georgia Tech vs. Boston College (Dublin, Ire.)

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech

Liberty at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech

Villanova at Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

Georgia

UNC

Georgia

Georgia

North Carolina Central at Duke

Duke

Duke

Duke

Duke

Florida A&M at Miami

Miami

Miami

Miami

Miami

(2) Clemson at Auburn

Clemson

Clemson

Auburn

Clemson

(11) Mississippi vs. (4) Florida State (Orlando, Fla.)

Mississippi

Florida State

Florida State

Florida State

LSU

LSU

LSU

Wisconsin

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Alabama

Tulane at Wake Forest

(19) Georgia vs. (23) North Carolina (Atlanta, Ga.)

(6) LSU vs. Wisconsin (Green Bay, Wisc.)

(1) Alabama vs. (15) USC (Arlington, Texas)

MORGAN HALE | THE CAVALIER DAILY

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THE CAVALIER DAILY

SPORTS • www.cavalierdaily.com

Women’s soccer prepares for first test pre-ACC play No. 3 Cavaliers host Oklahoma and Pepperdine in season’s first tests HUNTER OSTAD | ASSOCIATE EDITOR

PAUL BURKE | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Senior goalkeeper Morgan Stearns and the No. 3 Cavaliers face their first big tests of the season as they host Oklahoma and Pepperdine.

The third-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (4-0-0) may be truly tested for the first time this season this weekend, as the team will play host to two quality opponents.

Virginia will play host to Oklahoma (3-1-1) Friday and, to close out the weekend, to No. 25 Pepperdine (3-1-0) Sunday.

The team has looked very strong thus far, dominating possession and recording four straight shutouts against lesser competition. Oklahoma and Pepperdine represent a step up in competition for the Cavaliers, but the team is excited about the challenge.

“They are going to be a good test for us,” senior goalkeeper Morgan Stearns said. “They’re probably a little more organized and athletic than teams we’ve played so far. So it’ll good for us to get a tune-up before ACC play.”

The Cavaliers need a tune up because the team has yet to be really challenged. The team has outshot its opponents by staggering margins, and Stearns has yet to truly be called into action.

“I’ll give all credit to our defense, not just the back four,” Stearns said. “I think our team has worked a lot on team defense every practice. I think our organization and our ability to press has been the reason we haven’t faced too many shots yet.”

Although nearly perfect thus far, the team is not yet where they want to be going forward.

This is a team that can compete for a national title, as it has nearly every year this millennium, so everything needs to be refined.

As the team is not in ACC play yet, and thus has not faced the type of elite competition the conference is known for, it is difficult to precisely gauge the team’s skill level, and the Cavaliers must continue improving as the competition heats up.

“We are going to continue working on our defensive organization,” Stearns said. “Before ACC play we want to work on our transition play … how we transform defense to offense to create a more organized attack”

One aspect to watch for is the influx of young talent, who can add a new dimension to the team’s play. However, these players have a lot to learn from their more senior teammates who have years of experience and have played on some of the biggest stages in college soccer.

“The young players have been amazing and have really bought into the ideals of our program,” Stearns said. “The biggest thing is to keep going, trust in the system and follow the senior leadership.”

Looking forward, the Cavaliers appear to have a fine balance of youth and experience. Buying into coach Steve Swanson’s system and the team culture will be critical to developing much needed team chemistry, but Stearns said she is not worried about the adjustment.

It’s more a matter of when, not if, they will fully integrate into the team.

“If they keep having fun and doing what our coaches are telling them, they will continue to succeed,” Stearns said.

Men’s soccer gears up for matchup with Xavier No. 12 Cavaliers look to build early season momentum before ACC play NOAH KIM | STAFF WRITER Fresh off of their first game of the season, the No. 12 Virginia men’s soccer team will face Xavier in its second-consecutive home match this Friday night at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers (1-0, 0-0 ACC) enter Friday’s matchup after a 2-1 home win against thenNo. 21 Coastal Carolina.

Despite giving up a one-goal lead early on, the Cavaliers rebounded with two consecutive goals. Senior midfielder Paddy Foss and sophomore forward Edward Opoku netted one goal apiece, and Opoku’s ended up being the game winner.

“We played really well and didn’t get broken down against Coastal,” junior goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell said. “I think for us it’s about just building on that and doing more of the little things right.”

The Cavaliers will look to use their win over the Chanticleers to propel themselves into strong early season form. When it comes to a team like Xavier, Va. will enter the matchup with a similar mentality, but a slightly different game plan.

“I think they’re a little different,” coach George Gelnovatch

said. “They’re probably less physical, but equally dangerous, maybe in a little bit of a different way. So we’ll just have to prepare a little bit differently, that’s all,” And prepare they have. Virginia finished the offseason with three straight wins over Longwood, Liberty and Georgetown. Over the three games, the Cavaliers scored nine goals while only allowing two. Virginia also recorded two shutouts.

After such a strong preseason performance, morale among the Virginia players is high.

“For me personally, this is the best I’ve felt, I think, at this stage of the year,” Caldwell said. “Preseason went really, really well, and we carried that form into the first week. I think we have every right to be very positive and optimistic going into the rest of the season.”

The Cavaliers will get their next test against a talented Xavier team which features the likes of senior forward Jalen Brown and junior defender Cory Brown. Last year’s Xavier team finished 12-6-1, eventually losing to Georgetown in the Big East conference semi-finals.

The Cavaliers will look to deal the Musketeers their second loss in three games. So far, Xavier has recorded a 3-1 win against Evansville and a 2-0 loss against the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Although Virginia does not expect to lose, Gelnovatch did not seem phased about the potential to start the season 1-1 rather than 2-0.

“I think there’s a difference — I don’t know if it’s a big difference,” Gelnovatch said. “We don’t want to lose and we don’t expect to lose, but a loss is not going to derail us.

Let’s put it that way.”

After a heralded 2014 season in which the Cavaliers won their seventh national championship, the 2015 season was strong, but saw Virginia lose some of its form down the stretch, eventually bowing out to Maryland in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Despite having a young team — over half of the roster is made up by true freshmen or sophomores — the Cavaliers will rely heavily on their experience in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments.

Following their matchup against Xavier, Virginia will leave Charlottesville for a two-game road trip with games against James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. and ACC rival

21st-ranked Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C. Kickoff for Virginia’s match against Xavier is set for 7:30 p.m. at Klöckner Stadium.

HANNAH MUSSI | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Sophomore forward Edward Opoku looks to make it two straight games with a goal when the Cavaliers host Xavier on Friday night.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 COMMENT OF THE DAY

11

“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg cited the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in her dissent and said his legacy and the nation’s commitment to justice had been ‘disserved by today’s decision.’ Fortunately the states are doing the right thing now but it must be acted upon by November’s election.” “legalmaven” in response to Lucy Siegel’s Aug. 29 article, “Restore the Voting Rights Act.”

LEAD EDITORIAL

By the numbers The editorial board recounts some notable numbers from the start of the school year

4,000: The estimated number of people 2.3 billion: The number of dollars the 2: The number of medals swimmer Leah in attendance at this year’s Block Party

6,000: The estimated number of people in attendance at last year’s Block Party

19: The number of summonses issued by police at the festivities

2: The number of arrests the same night

University has been accused of keeping in a “slush fund”

Smith won at the Olympics, netting one bronze and one gold

4-8: The University football team’s record 394 million: The number of dollars in 2015

the University’s Medical Center renovation project will cost

3.25 million: The number of dollars in 13,000: The number of felons for whom Bronco Mendenhall’s salary

Gov. Terry McAuliffe restored voting rights

18: The number of athletes the University sent to the summer Olympics

2: The number of counts of child pornography possession with which Associate Prof.

Walter Francis Korte Jr. was charged

THE CAVALIER DAILY THE CAVALIER DAILY The Cavalier Daily is a financially and editorially independent news organization staffed and managed entirely by students of the University of Virginia.

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

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

The Cavalier Daily is published Mondays and Thursdays in print and daily online at cavalierdaily.com. It is printed on at least 40 percent recycled paper. 2016 The Cavalier Daily Inc.

HAVE AN OPINION? The Cavalier Daily welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns. Writers must provide full name, telephone number and University affiliation, if appropriate.

Letters should not exceed 250 words in length and columns should not exceed 700.

The Cavalier Daily does not guarantee publication of submissions and may edit all material for content and grammar. Submit to opinion@cavalierdaily.com or P.O. Box 400703, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4703

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS To better serve readers, The Cavalier Daily has a public editor to respond to questions and concerns regarding its practices. The public editor writes a column published every week on the opinion pages based on reader feedback and his independent observations. He also welcomes queries pertaining to journalism and the newspaper industry in general. The public editor is available at publiceditor@ cavalierdaily.com.

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MANAGING BOARD Editor-in-Chief Dani Bernstein Managing Editor Kayla Eanes Executive Editor Nazar Aljassar Operations Manager Jasmine Oo Chief Financial Officer Lianne Provenzano EDITORIAL BOARD Dani Bernstein Nazar Aljassar Ella Shoup Gray Whisnant Carlos Lopez JUNIOR BOARD Assistant Managing Editors Jane Diamond Michael Reingold (SA) Evan Davis (SA) Lillian Gaertner (SA) Trent Lefkowitz (SA) Ben Tobin (SA) Carrie West

News Editors Tim Dodson Hannah Hall (SA) Hailey Ross Sports Editors Robert Elder Jacob Hochberger (SA) Grant Gossage (SA) Mariel Messier Opinion Editors Gray Whisnant Hasan Khan (SA) Matt Winesett Humor Editors (SA) Nancy-Wren Bradshaw Focus Editor Allie Jensen Life Editors Kristin Murtha Margaret Mason Arts & Entertainment Editors Candace Carter Noah Zeidman (SA) Sam Henson (SA) Ben Hitchcock (SA) Flo Overfelt

Health and Science Editor Meg Thornberry Production Editors Sean Cassar Charlotte Bemiss Danielle Dacanay Graphics Editors Cindy Guo Kriti Sehgal Kate Motsko Photography Editors Celina Hu Lauren Hornsby Video Editor Courtney Stith Online Manager Leo Dominguez Social Media Managers Malory Smith Miska Chehata Ads Manager Kelly Mays Marketing & Business Managers Grant Parker Andrew Lee

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OPINION • www.cavalierdaily.com

WE NEED TRANSPARENCY FOR FINAL EXAMS Professors need to be more proactive giving students feedback on crucial assessments

E

nding the semester on an academic high note is the goal of many University students.

However, the transparency that stems from teachers returning assignments throughout the semester often takes a complete nosedive during finals. At the end of a semester, University professors should be as transparent as possible with grades, allowing not only students to function as a necessary check on potential mistakes but also giving them the opportunity to learn from the most important assignments of the class.

Ever taken a final exam and never seen the grade — just your final grade? For many teachers, however, this practice has become widespread and somehow acceptable. I’ve had a class for instance where the central element of the course was a final policy paper. We spent weeks formulating our topics, completing mini-assignments and finally turning in our papers.

But when the time came to see how I did on the crown jewel of

the class — not to mention the final exam — there was nothing.

Just a final grade. Absolutely no procedure was in place for students to review their work or learn new lessons for the future.

students’ grades.

Teachers are not conspiring to undermine students’ earned academic standing, but when an essential part of the check and balance system in the stu-

It’s not grade-grubbing for students to ask for intrinsic standards of accountability.

The goal of final assignments or exams should not just be about the process of preparing and crafting a grade-acceptable conclusion. That misses the most important part. Rather, students should have the ability to learn from their mistakes. Even if teachers don’t believe their class should have to red-pen a final paper or exam, that’s fine. However, a base level of transparency necessitates a clear reporting of

dent-teacher contract breaks down, some students can fall victim to undeserved outcomes.

Just think about the contrast between how a midterm drastically differs from a final (and in some cases is in fact equivalently weighted). The typical midterm for a class in the College is often hand or electronically returned to the student with a clearly defined final grade. Usually, the syllabus describes pro-

cedures for how grade corrections should be conducted. Not only do students receive clear demonstration of how they did, but crucially they have access to the work giving them the opportunity to improve their future performance.

However, final exams at the University are a completely different story. Hand-returned exams are infrequent and getting access to them is habitually undefined and incredibly difficult.

Hectic student exam schedules and teacher or TA unavailability add chaos to a broken system with little to no accountability.

Moreover, the learning mechanism so heavily emphasized during the midterm period is completely lost in the wind. The lack of checks to safeguard against exploitations — in this case, students being able to review a final exam or paper — does not imply they are purposefully done, but rather helps ensure that they are minimized.

It’s not grade-grubbing for students to ask for intrinsic

standards of accountability.

Many teachers do indeed go above and beyond this threshold. Often, however, some teachers can fall victim to subpar levels of transparency. Whether adding predetermined times for students to come view exams or at the very least ensuring all assignment and exam grades are posted on Collab, there are concrete steps to improve this solution. I strongly encourage teachers and students to clarify or change these policies in the classroom now. In a few months, it’ll spare everyone from unnecessary frustration.

BEN YAHNIAN is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily.

He can be reached at b.yahnian@ cavalierdaily.com.

UNDERSTANDING GARY JOHNSON AND THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY The candidate’s ideology does not withstand scrutiny

UnderstandingBoth the Libertarian Party platform and Gary Johnson’s words reveal a plain reality: The Libertarian movement is, at its core, a ploy to divert Americans from the realities of democracy and capitalism, staging its conception of freedom through a combination of falsehood and social convenience.

In the “Civil Liberties” section of its website, the Johnson campaign writes, “people, not politicians, should make choices in their personal lives. Responsible adults should be free to marry whom they want, arm themselves if they want and lead their personal lives as they see fit — as long as they aren’t harming anyone else in doing so.”

This statement represents the crux of Libertarian thinking — that a proper civil society is one in which citizens have the capacity to make all personal choices for themselves. The federal government, according to Johnson, naturally restricts individual freedoms and should therefore be limited in its capacity to do so. His wording, in fact, is remarkably similar to J.S. Mill’s, who wrote, “As soon as any part of a person’s conduct affects prejudicially the interests of others, society has jurisdiction over it… But there is no room for entertaining any such question when a person’s conduct affects the interests of no persons besides himself… In all such cases, there

should be perfect freedom, legal and social, to do the action and stand the consequences.”

Both Mill and Johnson portray

cial equality without government regulation. This fact is inherent to capitalism itself; in our society, hard work and accumulation

Free markets do not promote social equality without government regulation.

government as an intruder on personal freedom and happiness.

Johnson, however, takes this idea even further, arguing that government impedes social welfare by bounding the invisible hand of free market economics. In the realm of education, for instance, he posits the U.S. Department of Education should be abolished, because “the key to restoring education excellence in the U.S. lies in innovation, freedom, and flexibility that Washington, D.C. cannot provide.” While Johnson makes a strong point that educational content should be flexible across state lines, he misses the objective of the Department of Education (and of many federal agencies) entirely: to promote equal access across the nation.

There is a problem with Johnson’s unwavering dedication to the classical idea of freedom.

Free markets do not promote so-

of capital correspond to more favorable life experiences and vice versa. Few can make strong arguments against this societal paradigm. However, social stratification can — and must — be limited on both ends of our socioeconomic spectrum; the condition of our nation’s poor must be held to a certain standard, and the opulence of our upper classes must be roped in to limit political oligarchy. We know that regulation (to some extent) is necessary, because we have repeatedly witnessed the greed and inhumanity of our nation’s financial elite in the face of a deregulated economy. Thus, we all have a degree of faith in government-limited capitalism to restrain the exploitive powers of the wealthy. Without a federal government to ensure this relative equality, businesses have no reason to treat workers or consumers by democratically-defined

standards.

Regulation is also necessary in individuals’ personal lives. If we accept that choices transpire within the larger context of individuals’ environments, then we can regard personal decisions as atoms that comprise our socioeconomic organism. Social hierarchy and culture are direct results of these choices, and, in a capitalist society, the pressure enacted by these phenomena is fundamentally oppressive toward low-income individuals — regardless of whether it falls under the standard definition of “harm.”

This paradox associated with free choice is often labelled the tragedy of the commons, in which “each man is locked into a system that compels him to increase his [capital] without limit — in a world that is limited.” The tragedy, here, is that free citizens do not act for the benefit of their communities, because they are naturally inclined to take more than they need. In my eyes, the federal government exists to limit our capacity to do so. Nietzsche argued a similar point when he wrote, “we may compare [modern societal culture] to a victor dripping with blood, who, in his triumphal procession, drags the vanquished along, chained to his carriage as slaves.”

Furthermore, I can imagine the field day prosecutors would have if Johnson’s civil liberties

proposals were taken to their natural conclusion; no individual would be safe from being indicted under the auspices of “harm,” which would likely lead to a bloated criminal justice system even larger than the one we have now.

For these reasons, I believe Johnson’s proposals are paradoxical. His position presents itself as tolerant of all classes of people, but, in truth, it only tolerates those who already have unfettered freedom to make personal decisions. When individuals (or corporations) face no consequences for their actions, they are naturally inclined to exploit the basic human instincts of greed and opportunism, and in a capitalist society, these choices have devastating impacts on the disadvantaged sector of a population. Gary Johnson is hiding his intolerance under a campaign of fantasies. This is why I’m inclined to respect the Republican Party more; at least William F. Buckley was honest when he famously stated, “Freedom breeds inequality.”

RYAN GORMAN is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily.

He can be reached at r.gorman@ cavalierdaily.com.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

www.cavalierdaily.com • OPINION

13

THE RACIST EPIDEMIC OF CYBERBULLYING Online hate speech is targeted at those who don’t fit in

L

ast week, actress and comedian Leslie Jones faced a brutal cyber attack in which hackers took over her website and posted racist imagery, pictures of Jones’s driver’s license, passport and nude photos. The site went dark shortly after the attack.

The culprits behind the hack are still unknown, though the incident is now under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.

The hacking of her website is only the latest addition to the flood of hatred and threats Jones has received online. Just a few weeks ago she took a brief hiatus from Twitter after receiving countless hateful tweets full of racist and sexually explicit material.

The vicious campaign against Jones was led by right-wing blogger Milo Yiannopoulos who bombarded his 388,000 followers with cruel tweets about Jones’s intelligence, character and physical appearance. The hate directed toward Jones by Yiannopoulos and others was so great it began to trend on Twitter.

The controversy sparked discussions about cyberbullying, freedom of speech versus hate speech and what role social media platforms

ought to play in regulating content.

Executives at Twitter initially hesitated to shut down Yiannopoulos’s account out of respect for free speech.

Eventually, though, they permanent-

Twitter and on her website points to an issue larger than online harassment. With regard to why Jones has been such a target, one professor who has long studied cyberbullying

Jones is ruling the world of comedy right now, and she happens to be doing it while being black and female — a success story America’s bigots cannot stand. ly banned the blogger from Twitter, citing rules that “prohibit inciting or engaging in the targeted abuse or harassment of others.” Some Twitter users were upset by the decision, either because they felt it limited users’ freedom of speech or because they were frustrated that Jones’s attackers were kicked off the site while plenty of lesser-known Twitter users face online harassment every day.

While it is important to talk about how we regulate free speech on the web, what happened to Jones on

explained, “Cyber aggressors target people who are different because they want to reinforce norms of heterosexuality, gender, race, etc.” Between her roles in the “Ghostbusters” reboot and on Saturday Night Live, Jones is ruling the world of comedy right now, and she happens to be doing it while being black and female — a success story America’s bigots cannot stand. Jones’s struggle is one symptom of an ongoing problem in the United States: the urge to respond to that which makes us uncomfort-

able by tearing it down or hiding it out of sight. If this attitude sounds familiar, that might be because one of our major presidential candidates has suggested deporting every Muslim in America and building a wall on the Mexican border.

What happened to Jones is an issue of online hacking and Twitter regulations, but it is also a result of the hate mongering that has become an everyday occurrence in this country. Any American who does not fit every single norm — race, gender, sexuality and so on — is at risk for the same treatment. As the Internet has become a valuable tool for people of every background to have a voice, it has also become a tool for those who would rather silence those voices. Consider Anita Sarkeesian, the web designer whose push for more female representation in video games spurred a flood of online hate, including death and rape threats.

And the hatred is not limited to the big names we see in the news. In response to what happened to Leslie Jones, many Twitter users came forward to say that kind of harassment is commonplace. According to one

user, “Black people (especially black women) on Twitter have been the target of racist abuse on Twitter for at least the last six years.”

As social media and other online interactions grow and take on a larger role in everyday life, the implications of what happens in our online world become more important. We cannot write off online hate speech as a few cruel tweets to be ignored. They are an indication of a larger problem.

Even if you have never used Twitter — even if you have never heard of Leslie Jones — her cyberbullying is your problem and mine, too. Educate yourself on her story and on the thousands of stories of racism, sexism and general discrimination that take place in the cyber world every day.

Jones is but the latest of example of how ours is not a country where it is safe to be different, not even in a virtual sphere. And that should scare you.

NORA WALLS is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at h.walls@cavalierdaily. com.

LET JOHNSON AND STEIN DEBATE

The undesirability of two major party candidates should open a space for third parties

T

his election year has been everything short of ordinary.

Most glaringly, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the respective nominees from the Democratic and Republican parties, have involved themselves in scandals which have seriously called into question both individuals’ trustworthiness and character. Consequently, a majority of the country views both candidates unfavorably — 53 percent for Clinton and 60 percent for Trump. Nevertheless, both will take the stage at Hofstra University on Sept. 26th and square off in the first general election presidential debate; considering the weaknesses of both, it is unlikely many viewers will be left satisfied.

This is precisely why the Commission on Presidential Debates should make it easier for third party candidates Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party and Jill Stein of the Green Party to publicly make their own cases heard.

The Commission on Presidential Debates is a nonpartisan organization responsible for organizing and executing presidential debates.

Thus, they decided that in order for

a third party candidate to be eligible to participate in the event, he must obtain an average of 15 percent of the vote in national polls. Yet since American politics has long

sisted of candidates whose poll numbers were negligible at the time of their performance. For instance, many Americans might have forgotten that the Democratic primary

Johnson and Stein differ from the other Democratic challengers because they represent part of the portion of the electorate who feels alienated and frustrated with the major party nominees. been dominated by the two major parties, very rarely do third party candidates get a chance to see the debate stage, as this high threshold discourages potential would-be third party candidates from trying.

Currently, Johnson holds about 8 percent of the vote, while Stein has only a meager 3 percent.

Yet, this should not detract from their ability to debate against Clinton and Trump. Sure, their respective followings might be far below those of the major party candidates, but the primary debates have con-

was a fight between five candidates, not just Clinton and Bernie Sanders, and that all five took the stage at the first Democratic debate because the polling criteria at that debate was lower.

While the other three, Martin O’Malley, Lincoln Chafee and Jim Webb all spoke for substantially less time than Clinton and Sanders did, their sheer participation likely meant a lot for their (albeit few) supporters because they were able to see their candidates assert their views and ideas on a national

level. Even though those three left the race following the first primary, the Democratic National Committee did the right thing by allowing them to compete beforehand.

Johnson and Stein differ from the other Democratic challengers because they represent part of the portion of the electorate who feels alienated and frustrated with the major party nominees. Together, Johnson and Stein represent a real slice of the U.S. population who seek an alternative to the current Trump-Clinton dilemma. Thus, to prohibit both individuals from participating in the debates merely because they do not meet an arbitrary 15 percent threshold is a disservice to the majority of Americans who view Clinton and Trump unfavorably.

Further, excluding Johnson and Stein merely because they do not meet that threshold is undemocratic at its core because it puts a limit on the amount of free exchange of ideas in our society. The Commission on Presidential Debates might not have had explicitly anti-democratic motives when they created their 15 percent threshold, yet hav-

ing a non-elected committee establish a threshold at all inhibits our ability to have a say in politics.

The worst that could happen should Johnson and Stein compete in the upcoming debates is that a result similar to the first Democratic debate would ensue, where only Clinton and Sanders did the talking. Perhaps most questions would be addressed to Clinton and Trump, but Johnson and Stein would certainly have their chance to get their shots in, which is crucial given the uncharacteristic election we have experienced this year. It is unfortunate we are in a situation where a majority of Americans view the next president unfavorably, even before he or she has stepped foot in the Oval Office. Nevertheless, this is a reality, and we ought to have the ability to seek alternative viewpoints and leaders in whatever way we can.

JESSE BERMAN is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at j.berman@cavalierdaily.com.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

WEEKLY CROSSWORD SOLUTION SAM EZERSKY | PUZZLE MASTER

EVENTS Thursday 9/1 Student Council Interest Meeting, 7-8pm, Maury 209 UPC Presents: Open Mic Night, 10pm-2am, OpenGrounds Friday 9/2 Women’s Soccer vs. Oklahoma, 5pm, Klockner Stadium Field Hockey vs. Rutgers, 5pm, University Hall Turf Field Men’s Soccer vs. Xavier, 7:30pm, Klockner Stadium UPC Presents: Dancing Under the Stars, 8-11pm, Amphitheater UPC Presents: Shake and Bake, 10pm-2am, Newcomb Game Room Saturday 9/3 Football vs. Richmond, 3pm, Scott Stadium UPC Presents: Outdoor Screening of Zootopia, 8:30pm, Amphitheater Sunday 9/4 Field Hockey vs. Delaware, 1pm, University Hall Turf Field Women’s Soccer vs. Pepperdine, 2pm, Klockner Stadium

*NEXT WEEK’S PUZZLE CAN BE FOUND IN MONDAY’S ISSUE

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

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Arts Grounds Day draws students into art Numerous arts opportunities showcased at community event ANNA MORGAN | SENIOR WRITER Charlottesville is a hub for the arts — and paired with the University, the possibilities for artistic expression are extensive. Arts Grounds Day is an event that recognizes and celebrates the many arts opportunities within the community.

An open house of the arts buildings preceded an arts activities fair. Visitors approached tables set up with academic, extracurricular and volunteer opportunities

from the Visual and Performing Arts and Architecture Departments, as well as other academic programs and the outside community. The evening included musical performances and a short video presentation from the Kluge-Ruhe Culture Couture. The event culminated in a screening of “Moonrise Kingdom.”

Now in its second year, the event has gained much attention from students. Free stickers, post-

ers and one-on-one conversations with professors were just some of the benefits of attending this fun and energetic event. Students had ample opportunities to talk to people representing academic departments, the Career Center and organizations such as the Virginia Film Festival, the Virginia Festival of the Book and the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection.

Free items may have been an incentive to draw in more students,

but they also provided unique advertising and increased awareness about arts opportunities. A poster might be all it takes to encourage more people to visit the Kluge-Ruhe. Volunteer opportunities with the Virginia Film Festival and Virginia Festival of the Book and job opportunities in the Fine Arts Library may have gone unnoticed were it not for the publicity of Arts Grounds Day. The event certainly offered

unique insight into various possibilities surrounding the arts. No matter how involved one is, there is always something new to explore. In a part of Grounds that is walmost unknown for many students, theatrical productions occur, artists perfect projects at all hours of the night and future architects innovate. Arts Grounds is a place worth exploring.

MARSHALL BRONFIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

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