Thursday, September 1, 2022

Thursday, September 1, 2022Vol. 133, Issue 2 The Cavalier DailyKhUyeNDiNh&DOMeNiCKFiNiTheCavalier Daily .

Aged 90, Robertson died of cardiac complications in his home in New York, ac cording to his son Alex. Robertson founded Tiger Management — one of the first hedge funds — in 1980. His innovative investment techniques revolutionized the financial industry. Over sixteen years, his fund’s capital increased from an initial $8 million to $7.2 billion. He ran the company for 20 years before closing the fund in March 2000. At the time of his death, Forbes estimated his net worth to be about $4.8 billion.

“There’s no denying that [Robertson’s] friendship and mentorship and his ability to open doors for members of the McIntire community has had a long lasting impact on our school,” Jenkins said.

Ellis serves as president of the conservative alumni group the Jefferson Council. He also holds executive positions in three Atlanta-based businesses and is a co-owner of White Spot, a restaurant located on the Corner. As a student, Ellis faced controversy for supporting the invitation of William Shockley, a eugenics supporter, to debate “The Correlation Between Race and Intel ligence.” A month later, Ellis refused to co-sponsor an event with the Gay Student Union.

Per a statement made by Ellis himself, he was “prepared to use a small razor blade” to remove part of the sign before two University ambassadors explained this would be considered “malicious damage” and asked him to leave.

“The University has and will continue to promote and protect the rights of com munity members to express their ideas and to challenge ideas with which they disa gree,” Coy said. “We are pleased that the judge has granted the University’s motion in this case.”

8.23 DOMENICK FINI THE CAVALIER DAILY

Court grants University’s motion for summary judgment in Bhattacharya case

Julian Robertson, Jr., the namesake of the McIntire School of Commerce’s Rouss-Robertson Hall, passed away last Tuesday. Robertson was deeply connected to the McIntire School of Commerce, frequently hiring and mentoring Commerce School graduates through his hedge fund Tiger Management.

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University Democrats and the Democratic Party of Virginia call for Ellis’ resignation or removal

University Democrats and the Democratic Party of Virginia released a joint state ment denouncing Governor Glenn Youngkin’s appointment of College and Darden alumnus Bert Ellis to the Board of Visitors Monday evening. The statement charac terizes the appointment as insulting to students and organizations who have worked to make the University and Charlottesville more equitable.

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Robertson was a signatory of the Giving Pledge, which means he formally pledged to donate the majority of his wealth to philanthropic projects.

“As the flagship institution of higher learning in the Commonwealth, Ellis’ ap pointment imperils the reputation and direction of the University,” the statement reads. “The regressive and dangerous positions that Mr. Ellis has taken at the Univer sity should disqualify him from making any long term decisions on behalf of Virginia and the student body.”

After Ellis’ initial appointment, he also drew criticism for an incident in 2020, when Ellis traveled to the University following controversy over signage on Lawn room doors that criticized the University’s history of inaccessibility and enslavement.

This week in-brief CD News Staff

“Simply put, discovery has failed to produce a single piece of evidence indicating that Defendants retaliated against plaintiff because of his protected speech,” the opinion reads. In an email to The Cavalier Daily, University spokesman Brian Coy emphasized that the case is about behavioral issues, not Bhattacharya’s right to free speech. Coy said the University will continue to uphold the First Amendment rights of all members of the community.

Senior U.S. District Judge Norman Moon granted the University’s motion for a summary judgment in the case of Kieran Ravi Bhattacharya v. James B. Murray, Jr., et al., Friday. Former medical student Kieran Bhattacharya was dismissed from the University’s School of Medicine in 2018. Bhattacharya later sued the school, claim ing he was dismissed for asking Beverly Colwell Adams — then-assistant dean of students and associate professor of psychology — several questions about whether microaggressions could only be directed toward members of a marginalized group at a panel event. Moon ruled Bhattacharya was dismissed following a series of behavioral issues rather than for the content of his statements at the panel. In the opinion, Moon said there was no connection between Bhattacharya’s dismissal and an attempt to obstruct his right to freedom of speech.

Nicole Jenkins, dean of the School of Commerce, said Robertson would often visit Grounds and interact with University students face-to-face. Jenkins has observed a lineage of successful McIntire alumni that began with Robertson’s mentoring.

McIntire School of Commerce supporter Julian Robertson, Jr. dies at 90

“Unfortunately, Brewbike will be shutting down operations this semester as the lasting impact of the pandemic has made it impos sible to continue,” Gordon said. In addition to the economic impact of the pandemic, proper ty leases in Charlottesville have increased steadily over the past few years — posing further chal lenges to local leastimpactient,saidinChloeSecond-yearbusinesses.CollegestudentRenkenwasdisappointedtherecentclosures.RenkenshefoundBrewbikeconvenandshenotedtheclosing’sonthestudentworkforce.“Iwouldgo[toBrewbike]attwiceaweeklastyearbe cause it used Flex Dollars, and it was right near my chemistry classes,” Renken said. “Also, a lot of students worked there, so I feel bad. I guess they don’t have a job now, and I wonder where they’re finding work.”

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“I’m hoping that the Grit will be of similar quality as the one off of the Corner,” she said. “That would be amazing for studying — they have lots of different drinks.”Renken echoed these senti ments. She appreciated the fact that a local business is replacing a multinational chain.

Multiple business change-ups have altered the landscape on and around Grounds within the past few months. Pronto — a popu lar pasta spot — and Sammy’s — the cheesesteak restaurant that opened Oct. of last year — both recently closed their Corner lo cations. On-Grounds, the coffee chain Brewbike also closed its doors, and a new Grit location will replace the Starbucks in Nau Hall.Other recent closures on the Corner include Little John’s, The College Inn, Sheetz and The Juice Laundry. Little John’s served cus tomers for 40 years before its closure, and The College Inn was also a fixture on the Corner, hav ing opened in 1953. The former location of Sheetz remains vacant, but The College Inn has since been replaced with Chipotle. Little John’s was re placed with Sammy’s on the Cor ner before its closure this year, and The Juice Laundry’s former Corner location will soon be re placed with vape and tobacco shop Carytown Tobacco.

While the former owner of Sammy’s could not be reached for comment, both Brewbike and Pronto cited the lingering im pacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for their businesses’ closures.Pronto’s former co-owner Daniel Kaufman said the pan demic began to slow business a few months after its Jan. 2020 opening.“When students returned in 2021, business was back, but far from the levels we saw with our initial opening,” Kaufman said. “At this point, we were playing catch up, and by the time we got close to catching up, students were gone for the summer and we began accruing debt again.”

“It’sDaily.clear that U.Va. and Ar amark care a lot about partner ing with local food and beverage brands, and we’re honored to be among those with a physical footprint on Grounds,” FitzHen ry said. “Our hope is that we can continue to have a great partner ship with the U.Va. community and provide a great service for the students, faculty and staff that come to visit us.”

When asked about the recent closures on and around Grounds, Hartch remained optimistic about the possibility of new busi nesses.“I’m sorry to see all of those restaurants close, but hopefully some interesting businesses will take their place,” Hartch said.

Multiple restaurants and cafes around the University have closed since April Elizabeth Rambo | News Writer

“I’d much rather get Grit be cause I think they have better quality coffee,” she said. “Star bucks is a big chain that doesn’t always give you good quality — it tastes different everywhere.”

Both Brewbike and Pronto cited the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for their businesses’ closures.

Despite the challenges faced by other businesses, Grit — the popular Charlottesville coffee shop chain — was able to expand onto Grounds. Dan FitzHenry, Grit’s chief operating officer, stated that he hopes to maintain the strong relationship between the University and local busi nesses in an email to The Cava lier

Despite the closures, students are still looking forward to what the changes will bring to the University. Second-year College student Annabelle Hartch is ex cited about the option for Grit coffee on-Grounds.

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Business changes prompt mixed reactions

In an email to The Cavalier Daily, Aramark Marketing Man ager Sarah Gordon similarly pointed to the pandemic as the primary culprit for Brewbike’s closing. Gordon noted that COVID-19 left closing as the only option for the coffee shop.

“Personally, as a student of color, I’m very frustrated,” Hernandez said. “I feel like the University completely ignored marginalized students’ calls to remove the wall.”

With the University did not releasing a public announcement regarding the wall’s unveiling, Her nandez noted many other students are likely unaware of the recent de velopment.“Ithink that once people start seeing [the Whispering Wall], espe cially with a lot of people in these organizations, we’re probably going to come together to have a serious conversation,” Hernandez said.

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“We will be providing a sign, sim ilar to the recently installed changeagent markers around Grounds, to tell the story and to affirm the Uni versity’s commitment to be a more welcoming and inclusive communi ty.” Suarez said. The group’s recommendation highlights the structure’s role as a focal point of Newcomb laza where students socialize and promote or ganizations.“Itisour hope that the newly configured and repurposed foun tain and bench, with its Whispering Wall stripped of all memorializing inscription, together with the land scaped plaza and surrounding envi ronment on which it stands, will be a place that fosters authentic commu nity, promotes nuanced and complex historical understandings and occa sions debate,” the document reads.

Whispering Wall inscription removed, fencing withdrawn

Merrill Hart | Senior Associate

The University’s choice to not remove the memorial has drawn criticism from student groups

“The continued presence of this memorial and its physical founda tion serves as a reminder to Black students and students of color that white supremacy is still protected today and the University has a hand in this protection,” the resolution reads.Today, resolution co-author Gaby Hernandez, chair of the rep resentative body and fourth-year College student, reiterated her dis approval of the Board’s decision to have the wall rededicated.

Following the petition by the Minority Rights Coalition, the Board voted to change the official name of the monument and replace the inscription with contrasting bricks.

Following the Board’s vote to have the wall rededicated in June 2021, Student Council responded by passing a resolution denouncing the Board’s decision to alter the wall in stead of removing it.

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The fencing surrounding the Whispering Wall has been removed following the replacement of the bricks containing an inscription to Confederate soldier Frank Hume. The updates have received mixed reactions from students, many of whom originally called for the wall’s fullDesignatedremoval. in 1938 as the Frank Hume Memorial Wall, the structure is named after Confederate soldier and Virginia politician Frank Hume, who had no connection to the Uni versity.Students have informally used the name “Whispering Wall” for years to describe the structure’s ability to carry sound from one side to the other. Located in Newcomb Plaza, the marble memorial also contains a fountain surrounded by a curved bench. The Board first approved a rec ommendation made by the Nam ing and Memorials Committee to change the official name of the monument and replace the inscrip tion with contrasting bricks in June 2021. The Comittee was created in Feb. 2021 after the formation of the Racial Equity Task Force in response to nationwide “Black Lives Matter” protests and the murder of George Floyd.The inscription formerly located on the structure described Hume as a “devoted Virginian who served his native state in the Civil War and Legislative Hall.” Now officially known as the Whispering Wall and with the dedication to Hume re moved, the structure was unveiled to the Thepublic.memorial’s continued pres ence is not supported by all. In 2020, the Minority Rights Coalition called for the University to remove the memorial in a petition that received over 2,000 signatures. The MRC is an alliance of 10 organizations with the common goal of facilitating learning andThecooperation.MRCreferred to the Whis pering Wall and its inscription as a reminder of the University’s racist past because of Hume’s time as a Confederate soldier.

Suarez, chair of the Naming and Memorials Committee and professor of English, led the ef fort to submit a proposal regarding the memorial to University Presi dent Jim Ryan and the Board. Following the unveiling of the wall, Suaraez emphasized the impor tance of contextualizing the memo rial’s role in the University’s history.

Resolution co-author Tichara Robertson, co-chair of the MRC and third-year College student, said the replacement of the inscription with different bricks cannot overcome the weight of the wall’s original pur pose.“A change in the structure does not change why it was built and who it was built for,” Robertson said. “Any attempt to contextualize will fall short because there will always be a direct misunderstanding of the trueMichaelhistory.”

“The Whispering Wall, no mat ter what it has evolved into, is still a Confederate monument,” the pe tition reads. “If the University tru ly wants to atone for its past and ensure that its future is more just, more accepting and more inclusive, the Whispering Wall will be taken down.”After MRC leaders published the petition and sent an open letter to University President Jim Ryan, the Board voted to either remove or re dedicate the wall in Sept. 2020. After this vote, the memorial was vandal ized with painted phrases reading “You can’t silence us” and “BLM” twice in April 2021.

The largest category is institutional funds, which includes the endow ment. The second largest category is tuition — both graduate and undergraduate — and finally state appropriations from the Common wealth.“Ithink what we’re hopeful for is with the Commonwealth sup port, and with our ability to use our other revenue sources, is that we can make meaningful progress on faculty and staff compensation,” DavisRaisingsaid. tuition will be inevita ble in funding the salary increase, the Board noted. The group did emphasize a desire to continue to meet 100 percent of demonstrated financial need so that the financial burden of a tuition increase is not passed along to low-income stu dents.University President Jim Ryan proposed spending more of the en dowment on financial aid to ensure that tuition dollars could be used to primarily fund faculty salaries instead.“Ifyou add up the amount that we’ve raised — and then contribut ed from the endowment — on both the scholarship side and the faculty chair, that’s over a billion dollars at this point, which is great for the future, in terms of being able to at tract talented students and faculty, but also great because this is a way to keep costs down and keep tui tion down,” Ryan said. Overall, Davis emphasized the need to develop a firm plan for fur ther investment in talent. “We are seeing a war on talent,” Davis said. “I cannot underscore [enough], one of the most impor tant things for us in the next one to three years coming out of this pandemic is to invest in the talent, otherwise we will lose them.”

Thursday, September 1, 2022 | 5NEWS

The University currently faces historically high vacancy rates, an issue for which the Board of Visitors proposed various solutions at a recent meeting

A Freedom of Information Act completed by The Cavalier Dai ly revealed that a data set of 3,195 University faculty had a mean sala ry of $136,013 annually, with a me dian salary slightly above $100,000. Nearly 50 percent of all faculty listed make $100,000 or fewer, with roughly 5 percent of profes sors making $60,000 or less. These figures do not include statistics on staff compensation, though the portal will be updated soon with thatFacultyinformation.members fall into either the teaching and research faculty or administrative and professional faculty category. Employees who do not fall into this category are classified as staff — which includes operational and administrative staff, managerial and professional staff and others. In 2013, the Board resolved to ensure that the University would sit in the top 20th percentile of competitors in terms of faculty salary. Today, the University has slipped to around the 29th percen tile, contributing to the loss of tal ent as faculty seek out higher-pay ing positions elsewhere. At the University of Pennsylva nia, Harvard and Columbia, facul ty salaries average around $200,000. Some faculty leaders make sig nificantly more than average — in cluding Craig Kent, executive vice president for health affairs, who makes $1,045,000 a year, and Ian Baucom, executive vice president and provost, who makes $730,000 a year.Deputy University Spokeswom an Bethanie Glover cited a wide array of causes leading to these his toric vacancies, including employ ees retiring after decades of service, job changes, contracts ending and competition for talent. This competition, Glover noted, is now more intense than ever. “U.Va. attracts brilliant faculty, skilled clinicians and patient care leaders and talented staff,” Glover said. “Our workforce is essential to our operation, and competition for employees like those we have at U.Va. has reached new heights both regionally and nationally in a war for Accordingtalent.” to Davis, the histor ical vacancy rates in the academic division hovered around seven or eight percent — this year, the va cancy rates are nearly double those figures.The academic division, Facilities Management and administrative support staff have all been affected by increased faculty vacancy rates.

The University is experienc ing historically high vacancy rates among faculty and staff due to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and limited state fund ing. This issue was discussed ex tensively at the Aug. 23 Board of Visitors meeting, which included a presentation from Chief Operating Officer J.J. Davis on the so-called “war on talent.”

John Bedell

| Senior Writer AVA MACBLANE & ETHAN FINGERHUT THE CAVALIER DAILY

“Right now, we are experiencing the highest vacancy rates in some of our key front-line operational po sitions in the Academic Division,” Glover said. “We are searching to fill numerous Facilities Manage ment positions for skilled trades people and custodial services, as well as positions for administrative support staff, research administra tors and IT [and] technical support staff.”Davis cited COVID-19 as a ma jor cause for the decrease in sala ry relative to competitors — the University had to establish hiring freezes and rescind planned salary increases.Tohelp address the issue, the University raised faculty salaries by 5 percent this July and will contin ue with three years of a five percent annual base compensation increase — a decision authorized by the state. However, the University will only receive $30 million from the state to fund these increases. The rest must come from the Universi ty itself.Currently, the University gener ates revenue to fund faculty salaries through three different methods.

University struggles to retain faculty in ‘war on talent’

exhibit was primarily cu rated by 2018 College alumna and activist Kendall King who was present at the protest Aug. 11 and experienced the violence of the event firsthand. Two pieces of artwork — a paper collage poster created by 2020 College alumna and cura tor Hannah Russell-Hunter and an acrylic painting by 2020 Col lege alumna and activist, Natalie Romero – are on display at the exhibit. The artworks offer a look into how the process of curation and artistry allow individuals to reflect on their experiences.

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According to Jalane Schmidt, associate professor of religious studies and director of the Mem ory Project, the idea for this ex hibit has been in the works for several years. It was first concep tualized by King and other stu dent survivors when they were still studying at the University.

“Activists present that evening embodied their shared principle of ‘no platform for white suprem acy’ with no intention of defend ing the institution,” the billboard reads. “They came to protect fel low students and continue their work against white supremacy.” In addition to honoring stu dent activists, the exhibit also allows visitors to see the con nections between the “Unite the Right” rally of 2017 and events such as the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. AccordingCapitol.to Schmidt, the Charlottesville riots acted as an early indicator that the groups who enacted violence in Char lottesville still play a role in both local and national discourse.

“Something that’s celebrated in the exhibit too is all the strug gle that went into student activ ism over the years — it wasn’t just these kids on that particular day, during the summer of hate,” Schmidt said. “[These students] see themselves as part of years of [activists] organizing at the Uni versity.”The exhibit also sheds light onto the contentious interac tions between activists and Uni versity administrators including Teresa Sullivan, the University president at the time who dis couraged students from engaging in counter-protests.Avideoondisplay in the ex hibit shows a confrontation be tween students and Sullivan, in which Sullivan claims “we didn’t know they were coming.” The video is coupled with a QR code leading to an exposé which states that Sullivan and University administration were ill-prepared for the violence un leashed on Grounds. According to the exposé, this unprepared ness manifested in University police being unaware of their ability to extinguish open flames, officers employing tactics typ ical for nonviolent protests and held back from the crowd even as rioters surrounded counter pro testers.For Schmidt, this particular video is important because it dis plays how student activists con tinued to stand by their decision to protest even after the riots ended.“Ithink that what will show in this exhibit is the measure of these students and of their mor al fortitude to stand up and to [protest] even when there was a lot of pressure to not stand up.” Schmidt said. “Not only stand ing up against the pressure and then standing up literally against the violent blows of fascist[s] but then afterwards being further marginalized and gaslit by the administration.”Postersthroughout the exhib it provide contextual informa tion relating to the artifacts on display. One expresses activist’s feelings of disappointment in the University’s response which ac cording to the exhibit included claiming that protestors were de fending the Jefferson statue.

“The curators of this exhibit are not only activists, commu nity organizers, and survivors of the Summer of Hate, but also educators, scholars, and artists,” the caption for the two artworks reads. “In revisiting their expe riences, the process of curation to share their story with a broad audience has been healing.”

EVA SUROVELL THE CAVALIER DAILY

The idea came to fruition when Schmidt began to consid er possibilities for honoring the fifth anniversary of the riots. Schmidt reached out to King and the project moved quickly as King collaborated with other alumni activists to create the dis play.In addition to featuring arti facts and stories from the “Unite the Right” rally and counter-pro tests, the exhibit also includes in formation about the long history of student activism at the Uni versity. This history includes the creation of the U.Va. Black Stu dents for Freedom organization in 1969 and May Day, anti-war protests of the 1970s.

“I think it’s important to re flect on it after five years, and to see where our experience, our trauma that happened here fits in with a larger national narrative that’s been shaping up since then, with some of the same actors and some of the same tactics being used,” Schmidt said.

Julianne Saunders Writer

The exhibit features artifacts and stories from student and community activists who were present for Aug. 11 and 12, 2017

Artifacts include possessions of activists who were present in Charlottesville Aug. 11 and 12

The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library is currently featuring an exhibit exploring the community and student activist response to hundreds of white supremacist descending upon the University and Charlottesville in 2017. The new exhibit — which opened Aug. 8 and will remain open through Oct. 29 — is displayed on the first floor of the Special Collections Library and features artifacts and stories collected by students, community members and staff of the Special Collec tionsLibraryLibrary.staff expressed their belief in truth and justice and their solidarity with the Memory Project — an initiative aimed at researching and addressing issues associated with public memory following the “Unite the Right” rally — working towards an eq uitable future in a large board which serves as the exhibit’s in troduction.“Thestudents and faculty whose experience is represented in this exhibition put themselves in harm’s way to resist fascism and white supremacy, which were nakedly and undeniably on dis play in Charlottesville in August of 2017,” Dean of Librarians John Unsworth wrote. “We owe them a debt of Amonggratitude.”theartifacts are the possessions of activists who were present in Charlottesville Aug. 11 and 12. Visitors can scan QR codes which accompany these ar tifacts to read articles, first-hand stories and other documents sur rounding the events of Aug. 11 andThe12.

Exhibit examines response to the ‘Unite the Right’ rally

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Instructions: 1. In a blender or food proces sor, combine the sun-dried to matoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and almonds. 2. Switch your blender or food processor on at the lowest set ting.3. Gradually add in the olive oil and increase speed until you have reached a thick, smooth consistency.Thefinal product is incred ible. The rich, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, combined with the earthy, peppery basil, pack a zesty punch. The tomatoes also add an umami element to the pesto and perfectly complement the heartiness of the garlic and parmesan. Truth be told, after trying this recipe, it’s impossible to go back to the traditional, bas il-only pesto. But the best part about this pesto is that it can be paired with anything. My go-to dinner using sun-dried tomato pesto is an easy pasta salad — perfect for when I need to use up all my produce at the end of the week. I simply cut up cucumbers, bell peppers, baby tomatoes, avocado and mozzarel la cheese, toss them with the pes to, any leftover greens and rotini and add a little olive oil to top it off.Additionally, marinating pro tein — whether it’s chicken, tofu or salmon — with the sun-dried tomato pesto before popping it in an air fryer or oven is a deli cious option. You can enjoy it with rice, quinoa, couscous or other starches of your choice, re sulting in a fast, balanced dinner. I also use the pesto in my lunch es — to elevate sandwiches, eggs and avocado Ultimately,toast.this smooth red pesto will save you time and en ergy this semester — it offers convenience without sacrificing taste. With a fridge stocked with sun-dried tomato pesto, you’ll have endless meal options to choose from all year long.

The Cavalier Daily LIFE Thursday, September 1, 2022 | 7

The perfect sun-kissed pesto Add variety to your weekday dinners with this sun-dried tomato pesto recipe

Incoming transfer students find home through community

“I’m nervous about how to bal ance academics and social life ... academics here are much differ ent than [at] community college,” Avoua said. “I was thinking of doing rugby and doing one other thing, and then I got a bunch of homework and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’ll be able to do clubs,’ so I might join a club or two in the spring once I just learn how to be a student here.”

Prep time: 15 minutes

Through peer mentoring and events, transfer students acclimate to life at the University

During my first Trader Joe’s run of the school year, I haphaz ardly tossed various vegetables, fruits and snacks into my cart, not realizing the importance of preparing my weekday menu in advance. I was accustomed to dining hall dinners and se verely underestimated the plan ning needed to cook appetizing, cost-effective meals seven days a week. After looking through my fridge and freezer for a few minutes — stumped about what to cook — my eyes landed on my saving grace — a container of homemade sun-dried tomato pesto, prepared two weeks earli er. Since the pesto can be stored in the freezer for around a month and thawed out later, it looked as though I just made it. With my random selection of groceries, this red pesto saved me from having to take another trip to the store. It also offered many easy dinner and lunch options, and I quickly realized sun-dried tomato pesto makes the ideal refrigerator staple. It infuses a burst of freshness into meals, re quires no cooking expertise and pairs perfectly with virtually an ything.

Simran Havaldar | Food Writer

Having been through this pro cess before, transfer peer men tors also participate in helping transfer students feel welcome at the University. As a student who transferred from the College of William & Mary her second year, fourth-year Commerce student Mackenzie Mastal spearheads ef forts to organize transfer student programming as the lead transfer peer“Ouradvisor.goal is to make transfers feel like welcome here, and that they belong here,” Mastal said. “[We want to] get them acclimat ed to U.Va. and the Corner and everything — their actual new environment.”Third-year College student Miranda Cannell attributed her satisfaction of being welcomed to the clear communication on behalf of University faculty and transfer peer advisors.

Incoming transfer students are tackling the challenge of ac climating a rigorous university. They’re not only stepping into a new environment, but also trying to catch up with their peers who possess experience and familiari ty with the culture on Grounds.

“One of the things that’s al ways been really important to me is making sure that the trans fer community sees each other,” Dodge said. “I think very often with only 100 transfer students, it feels like a much smaller, much more isolated welcome experi ence, so one of the things that we really tried to do with this par ticular event is making sure that transfer students really make time in the evening to hang out with each Third-yearother.”College student Arjanae Avoua, who transferred from Piedmont Virginia Com munity College this fall, noted the strong bonds of the trans fer community as a whole at the University are helping her to feel at home.“Ifeel like the transfer com munity here is well knit, and also having [events] just for transfer students has been very helpful,” AvouaAvouasaid.went on to describe how her largest concern coming to the University this fall was at tempting to establish a sustaina ble and comfortable lifestyle at the University while she adjusted to her new environment.

“I think there’s a good infra structure of emails and keeping up in being transparent about how difficult it’s going to be and understanding that it’s a lot more preparation than then you might be used to in a previous universi ty,” Cannell said. While acknowledging the benefits of creating community by attending the welcome events, incoming transfer students still expressed feelings of anxiety. Third-year College student Rus sel Thomas also transferred from PVCC and spoke about how he felt swamped by all of the activ ities happening on Grounds dur ing the first week of classes.

“I would definitely say get in volved and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there,” Mastal said. “It can seem kind of daunting. You’re thinking, ‘Oh, everyone al ready has their friend groups and study groups and everything like that. But people here [are] always wanting to make new friends ... just put yourself out there even though it can be scary at first.”

“There’s moments where I can feel a little overwhelmed,” said Thomas. “There are so many things happening and so many events ... things like [clubs] ask ing you to get involved in, and it can feel kind of like I don’t even know what to do.”

Ingredients: 1 8.5 oz. jar of sun-dried ½1tomatoescupbasilcupgrated Parmesan cheese 3 cloves roughly chopped ¼garliccup chopped almonds ½ cup extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste

Second-year College student Samantha DeMarco expressed some of her fears of alienation from the University community as an incoming transfer student from American University.

While the initial transfer wel come events may have already wrapped up, Mastal advises transfer students to push them selves out of their comfort zone and reach out to the University community around them.

“I feel like coming in as a transfer student — it’s kind of ostracizing in a way. Like, you’re not really a first-year … you’ve done the college thing before,” DeMarcoDeMarcosaid.found some solace through the social events that the University put on such as the transfer student welcome barbecue on Aug. 21. Interacting with other transfer students like herself affirmed that she wasn’t alone in feeling lost and over whelmed at times. “So that’s really nice to have that fear sort of alleviated that you’re not the only one that has these fears, or has these worries and that you have other people who you can rely on who are in the same boat as you,” DeMarco said.Sarah Dodge, assistant di rector for Orientation and New Student Programs, helped put to gether and host the welcome bar becue for new transfer students. Dodge conveyed how events for transfer students are planned in hopes of alleviating some of the social stress that comes with transferring to a new school.

Cecy Juárez & Mario Rosales | Life Editors

Virginia was a top team in the na tion, winning a program-record 10 games to earn a trip to the Flor ida Citrus Bowl. To celebrate the occasion, the mounted Cavalier made a special return and led the team out of the tunnel once more in Orlando, Fla. The entrance was a hit and the Cavalier on horse back returned to Scott Stadium the following year. Riding duties in the 1990s were shared between the polo team and the mounted police of Charlottesville.

Kim Kirschnick has been leading Virginia’s football team onto the field on horseback as the mounted Cavalier for over two decades. When Kirschnick announced he would be stepping down last year, an extensive hunt for his replacement went under way. As it turns out, his successor had been spending her weekdays as the interim dean of students. Julie Caruccio, assistant vice president for research on student experience, decided to throw her hat into the ring when the job was posted by Virginia Athletics. A Charlottesville native, Caruc cio is an alumna and an avid horse rider and owner who was a member of Virginia’s riding team during her time as an undergrad uate in the 1990s. With careful consideration and the blessing of her longtime friend Kirschnick, Caruccio was selected to don the cape.“Once I decided to apply, I was all in on wanting to do it,” Caruc cio said. “It was super exciting to know that I’d have the opportu nity.”She began training with Kirschnick over the summer, and the announcement was made earlier this month. Caruccio is more than aware that she will be carrying forward a fan-favorite, time-honored tradition.

KHUYEN DINH THE CAVALIER DAILY

Julie Caruccio is the new face of Virginia football tradition

For decades, the Cavalier on Horseback has been one of the leading Virginia Football traditions, constantly creating and facilitating crowd excitement.

“I think the mounted Cavalier has been established as an impor tant tradition for U.Va. football,” Class of 1988 alumnus and long time fan Terry Young said. “The crowd generally gets really fired up when they see Sabre and the rider come out of the tunnel and ride across the field.”

Virginia’s newest Cavalier on horseback will continue a legacy of rallying fans at Scott Stadium that spans decades

“I have had lots of folks tell me the mounted Cavalier is one of their favorite parts of football games,” Caruccio said. “I hope I can keep that part of the tradi tionWhilealive.”Kirschnick has served as the mounted Cavalier for the most recent generation of Virgin ia football fans, he was far from the first to saddle up and lead the team onto the field. The tradition can be traced back to the fall of 1947 when Virginia was preparing for a historic homecoming bout against Harvard. University stu dent and Dublin native Francis Bell and another unknown mem ber of the Student Independent Party, a non-fraternal political organization, saddled up for the first time in front of the then record-breaking 24,000 fans and the mounted Cavalier was born. However, the riders’ first appearance didn’t immediate ly catch on. The tradition of the Cavalier on horseback went dormant until 1963 when the Virginia Club Polo team re-es tablished it. Polo team member Doug Luke was among the first to have taken the reins, but various members alternated turns in the role until 1973. In 1974, Scott Stadium under went a facelift which included the implementation of Astroturf to replace the field’s natural grass. The new surface was not suitable for horses to charge out onto and the Cavalier was forced to per form on foot for the next 15 years. Virginia football languished in the basement of the ACC for a decade after retiring the mounted Cavalier act and efforts to engage already frustrated fans with the likes of “The ‘Hoo”— a perplexing fuzzy orange mascot — were fail ing. However, the mid-1980s of fered a fresh start with new coach George Welsh righting the ship. Under Welsh, Virginia finally strung together consecutive win ning seasons for the first time since 1952 and appeared in multi ple notable bowl games. In 1989,

In 2000, with the introduc tion of the Carl Smith Center, Kirschnick made his debut as the mounted Cavalier, taking the field by storm. The 2000s and 2010s were often unkind to Virginia football fans, but Kirschnick’s Cavalier and steed Sabre endured the program’s tumult, reliably en ergizing fans through the good times and the bad.

Jacob Tisdale | Sports Writer

The Cavalier Daily SPORTS 8 | www.cavalierdaily.com

Though all good things must come to an end, fans like Young have embraced the changing of the“Kimguard.Kirschnick was fabulous, but it was inevitable he was going to retire at some point,” Young said. “I think it was extremely important that his replacement be someone who understood the importance of the Cavalier rider and its role in the team entrance. Julie Caruccio is essentially a lifelong Wahoo. She has worked closely with Kim Kirschnick and I have no doubt that she will do a greatCarucciojob.” has found the re sponse from family, friends, and fans to her new position to be gratifying.“It’samusing to me that the splash on this has been way bigger than when I became interim dean of students last year,” Caruccio said. “The best part is I think this might be the first time I’ve done something that actually makes both of my teenage kids proud, which is no easy feat!” Caruccio is the first woman to assume the role on a full-time basis, although a few of the ro tating polo players in the 1990s were women. Her goal is to add to the fans’ anticipation and ex citement, but she also knows that she has the potential to serve as an inspiration.“Ihopethere are lots of little girls that see me and think they could do it too,” Caruccio said. Virginia football fans will have to wait until Saturday to see Caruccio lead the Cavaliers onto the field once more. As the team charges out of the tunnel behind her, Caruccio will simultaneously take part in a decades-old tradi tion while creating something brand new. “I think this is an example of the best way to update a tradi tion,” Caruccio said. “Keep the positive, fun, community-focused elements while ensuring it re flects who and what U.Va. is in its third century.”

“I remember the entrance to the 2019 game against [Florida State] was one of the more recent really exciting entrances,” Young said. “The crowd went crazy when they saw the Cavalier riding out of the tunnel.”

After impressive individual per formances in 2021-22, the Virgin ia cross country and track & field teams are looking to put together high-level team results this season. With several top-tier athletes re turning to the program and talent ed incoming recruiting classes, the Cavaliers may be able to do so.

Track and field set to begin 2022 season

Freshman distance runner Will Anthony represented New Zealand at the U20 World Championships. Freshman distance runner James Donahue finished third in the 1,600 meter at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. At the U20 Outdoor Championships, freshman Justin Rogers won the pole vault. The addition of both new re cruits and transfers should make a strong pairing with existing veteran athletes on the team. The blend of youth and experience will bode well for the Cavaliers for years to come. In addition, new athletes to the program should serve the teams well as they head into competition this season. While the track and field portions of the schedule will not begin until later in the fall, the cross country team will begin competing Saturday at the Spider Alumni Open in Richmond. In the coming months, Virginia will host two meets and travel to Boston, Mass. and Bethlehem, Pa. for com petitions hosted by Boston College and Lehigh University, respectively. Virginia will host this year’s ACC Cross Country Champion ships Oct. 28, where the team will hope to improve on its 10th place women’s finish and seventh place men’s finish last season and qualify for the NCAA Southeast Regional in Louisville, Ky. two weeks later.

Sophomore distance runner Mia Barnett will highlight the women’s side this season after qualifying for the NCAA championships last year.

Cavalier athletes hope to build on successful appearances in national, international competitions VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

Thursday, September 1, 2022 | 9SPORTS

Senior discus thrower Claudio Romero — the 2022 NCAA out door discuss champion — repre sented his native country Chile at the World Athletics Champion ships. Last season, he set an ACC record in his event and won gold for a second consecutive season. His postseason performances earned him All-ACC and All-American honors, as well as ACC Field Per former of the Year. For throwers like Dabbs and Romero – who are certainly now the veterans of the squad – the upcoming season is an opening to build on already established mile stones. Results throughout the fall season will be indicative of the op portunity for both to excel even further on the national and global stage.Graduate student triple jumper Owayne Owens logged his name in program history as the first ever men’s track and field athlete to be a first team academic All-Ameri can. At the NCAA Indoor Cham pionships in March, Owens earned first team All-American status with an eighth place finish in his event. During the outdoor portion of the season, Owens took silver at the ACC Championships and finished 19th at the NCAA Championships. On the women’s team, sopho more distance runner Mia Barnett finished fourth in the 1,500 meter at the ACC Championships and qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships last spring. She be came just the second women’s ath lete in program history to be named ACC Freshman of the Year, joining Morgane Gay, who won the award in 2009.Junior thrower Maria Deaviz became the sixth Cavalier in wom en’s program history to compete at the NCAA Championships, where she finished fourth and set anoth er program record. She became the first ever Virginia athlete to earn first team All-American honors in the shot Deavizput.swept gold in the shot put at the ACC Championships for both the indoor and outdoor sea sons. Her standout performances in the past year have been yet another indicator of the growing strength of Virginia across all throwing events. The good news for the Cavaliers is that their program is bringing back all these outstanding athletes from last season and welcoming 15 new women and 16 new men to the program. Among the 15 wom en joining the women’s team are freshman distance runner Katie Dorsey — the Delaware 1,600 Meter State Champion — and freshman distance runner Amelia Maughan — the North Carolina 1,600 Meter and 3,200 Meter State Champion. Maughan is widely expected to be a key member of the cross country team.Virginia has also brought in six transfer women’s athletes, includ ing sophomore distance runner Addison Cox, graduate middle distance runner Esther Seeland, and graduate distance runner Re becca Story. Cox — a transfer from New Hampshire — finished 11th at the America East Cross Country Championships last year. Seeland is a transfer from Division III Messiah College, where she won five NCAA championships between indoor and outdoor competitions. She compet ed in the World Championship Tri als in the 800 meter this summer. Story, a distance runner from Stan ford, helped the Cardinals secure a Pac-12 team cross country champi onship in 2020-2021.

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The spring and summer afforded Virginia’s standout athletes chances to compete against the best compe tition in the country and, in some cases, the world. On the men’s team, graduate student javelin thrower Ethan Dabbs, who won silver at the NCAA Outdoor Championships this spring, won the USA Track and Field outdoor javelin title in June and represented the United States at the World Athletics Champion ships in Eugene, Ore.

The men’s recruiting class fea tures transfer senior middle dis tance runner Kenton Bachmann and transfer graduate student sprinter Thomas Corel as well as several distinguished freshmen. Bachmann comes from fellow ACC program Wake Forest, where he earned sec ond team All-ACC honors in the 800 meter indoor championship. Corel is a 400 meter specialist from Wagner University, where his relay teams won gold at the NEC In door and Outdoor Championships.

Governor Glenn Youngkin, start doing

If you’ve been paying attention recently, you know that this paper has had plenty of important news to cover. From the first major change to the Honor code in University history to the fifth anniversary of the “Unite the Right” rally, the students at The Cavalier Daily have been working hard to bring facts to the forefront. Unfortunately, it has become increas ingly evident that Governor Glenn Youngkin is not committed to the same fact-finding mission. Youngkin has proven himself to be an utter ly incompetent leader by failing to genuinely address criticisms we have raised, instead choosing to disparage student journalism by spreading out right falsehoods about our paper. Last week, a reporter asked Young kin about a recent article from our publication highlighting Board of Visitors appointee Bert Ellis’ role in inviting well-known eugenics sup porter William Shockley to speak on Grounds in 1975. In response, Young kin “seemed to suggest that it was unfair to judge the 1970s controversy by today’s standards.” The governor attempted to discredit the news story — which he admitted he had not even read — by deflecting, saying it was published by “the same newspaper that wants to remove Thomas Jeffer son in all regards from the University of Virginia.”

your job THE CAVALIER DAILY FOLLOW US WWW.CAVALIERDAILY.COM@CAVALIERDAILY 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. 2022 The Cavalier Daily Inc. THE CAVALIER DAILY 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 HAVE AN OPINION? 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. QUESTIONS/COMMENTS MANAGING BOARD Editor-in-Chief Eva Surovell Managing Editor Ava MacBlane Executive Editor Jessica Moore Operations Manager Ethan Fingerhut Chief Financial Officer Katrina Yankovich EDITORIAL BOARD Jessica Moore Eva NathanGraceShaleahBryceEvelynSurovellDurossWylesTolliverDureggerOnibudo JUNIOR BOARD Assistant Managing Editors Kate Jensen Ellie Prober (SA) Ella Dailey (SA) Claire DiLorenzo (SA) Nicole Freeman (SA) Alexandra Holmes (SA) Jenna Onetto Assistant Operations Manager Ava Proehl News Editors Lexi (SA)EmmaBakerGallagherMerrillHart Life Editors Cecy (SA)MarioJuárezRosalesAcaciaMcCabe Sports Editors Jude Nanaw Joe von Storch (SA) Ben Anderson Arts & Entertainment Editors Mary (SA)LaurenKurbanovWhitlockKyndalHarrison Health & Science Editors Alexa (SA)(SA)CatherineClarkCossaboomAvaBagherianKatieTreene Podcast Editors Ariana Arenson Grace Fluharty Opinion Editors Evelyn Duross Bryce Wyles (SA) Shaleah Tolliver (SA) Grace Duregger Humor Editors Camila Cohen Suárez (SA) Ellie Wilkie Cartoon Editor Nicole Piatko (SA) Kaileigh Proctor Photo Editors Khuyen (SA)(SA)(SA)DomenickDinhFiniProudChandragholicaTessGinsbergKateMacArthur Design Editors Lexie Gagnon Maya Kalidindi Mix HonorRudolphWood Video Editor Addy Klinger Social Media Managers Nicole (SA)JenniferRyeomTranCovonna Bynum (SA) Ceili Canning Newsletter Editor Lauren O’Neil (SA) Jacob Tisdale Website Manager Rose Eluvathingal Muttikkal Analytics Manager Melinda Wong Translation Editors MJ (SA)XiaohanCorvalanZhangGiulianaRejalaga Finance Manager Charlie Healy Advertising Manager Bella Graber Archivist Grace Franklin DEI Chairs Shaleah Tolliver Yssis Cano-Santiago Want to respond? Submit a letter to the editor to opinion@cavalierdaily.com Want to respond? Submit a letter to the editor to opinion@cavalierdaily.com

It is worth noting Youngkin’s lat ter comment is simply false. While this Editorial Board has recently ar gued that we must continue working to align the symbolism on Grounds with the values the University claims to support, we have never said that attempting to fully erase Jefferson would be a coherent course of action. We certainly recognize that blindly memorializing Jefferson obscures the significant harm he is responsible for, but we also know that he is an inescapable part of our collective his tory. It is evident to us that we must become better at properly contex tualizing his role as the University’s founder. This means fully committing to teaching our history, in all of its complexities, so that we can continue to grow as a community — not plac ing people on pedestals and excusing their shortcomings in light of their contributions.Maybemore troubling, though, is Youngkin’s straw-man response to an important question about the charac ter of the person he appointed to serve on the Board of Visitors. Youngkin has placed himself in a tough position — either he knew about Ellis’ lack of judgment and chose to appoint him anyway, or he had no idea, suggest ing that he does not properly vet his nominees. Nonetheless, neither case permits him to attack students with lies in order to shield himself from the consequences of his own poor deci sion-making. The facts are Ellis chose to platform a eugenicist and Young kin chose to put Ellis on the Board of Visitors. Making us the boogeyman won’t change any of that. Youngkin’s failure to simply answer the reporter’s question and instead divert attention to this Editorial Board underscores the unfortunate truth that he cannot adequately contend with genuine crit icism. Mr. Youngkin, let us be perfect ly clear — we will not be your polit ical scapegoat. Our reporting speaks for itself, and we will not allow your efforts at a smear campaign to go un checked.Relatedly, it is impossible to ignore that Youngkin attempted to dismiss a 1970s controversy involving eugenics by characterizing it as a product of its time. It would behoove the governor to know that eugenics has been scien tifically discredited in the U.S. since the 1930s. Further, if Youngkin had bothered to actually read the article he was so quick to dismiss, he would know that in bringing Shockley to speak, Ellis ignored a wide array of student voices — including that of the Black Student Association and Student Council, both of whom con demned the event. If Ellis didn’t have the moral clarity to see how harmful his actions were then, it seems ex tremely unlikely that he has the judg ment necessary to serve on the Board of Visitors now. It is absurd to suggest that Ellis’ elevation of Shockley was somehow justified by its time period. Simply put, we are tired of Young kin’s lack of leadership and find his politicization of higher education dangerous. If Youngkin were a com petent leader, he would respond to our criticisms with sound reasoning and solid explanations — instead, we get hollow platitudes. Rather than belittling student journalists, maybe the governor should brush up on the history of eugenics. Instead of mulling over a run for the presidency, maybe the governor should spend more time vetting his nominees. Virginians de serve better. Students at the Universi ty deserve better. This Editorial Board demands better. The governor must stop fearmongering and start finding time to actually do his job.

The Cavalier Daily OPINION 10 | www.cavalierdaily.com

THE CAVALIER DAILY EDITO RIAL BOARD is composed of the Ex ecutive Editor, the Editor-in-Chief, the two Opinion Editors, the two Senior Associates and an Opinion Columnist. The board can be reached at eb@cava lierdaily.com.

LEAD EDITORIAL Get your facts straight Mr. Youngkin

U. Va. should require a race and ethnic studies course

Just because you struggled and made financial sacrifices to pay off your student loan debt doesn’t mean future generations should

Don’t fall into the trap of student loan relief

Currently, one of the require ments all students must fulfill is “Cultures and Societies of the World.” While this can be fulfilled by taking a class on race, it can also be fulfilled by taking a wide array of classes on everything from Ancient Greek Mytholo gy to the American Revolution. CSW is a broad requirement that can be filled with over 100 differ ent classes and only 26 of those tackle issues facing one of the four groups mentioned in the Cal ifornia bill. CSW is littered with important topics that should be explored in their own right, but not at the expense of missing the opportunity to hold meaningful conversations about race. The 26 classes on race should be used to create a new race and ethnic stud ies Creatingrequirement.anew race and eth nic studies requirement would have an impact both at a local and national level. Researchers at Stanford University found ninth graders who completed an ethnic studies course reaped the benefits of their work for years to come, enjoying higher attendance and graduation rates. Students would learn about allyship and face the issue of race head-on in a setting that allows for meaningful con versation. Moreover, the critical thinking skills developed in the course load of such classes carry into every field of study, not just the liberal arts. It is a no-brainer at the University level. But more than that, it shows a commitment to social change. The University is consistently ranked in the top 25 of colleges in the nation, and cre ating a policy similar to the one in California state schools could have a ripple effect, encouraging other colleges and universities to follow the lead of U.Va. Even if it failed to do that, the University would still be doing important work to educate students. This is the work. The Universi ty is to be commended for remem bering the events of Aug. 11 and 12, 2017. But it is time to prove that President Ryan’s statement was more than just talk. It is time to add a new race and ethnic stud ies requirement for the incoming Class of 2026.

Thursday, September 1, 2022 | 11OPINION

The California state legislature passed a law back in 2020 mandat ing all state universities to require completion of an ethnic studies course to graduate. The bill re quires all students to enroll in a three-credit course focusing on four historically defined racial ized groups — African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Ameri cans, Latinx Americans. Lawmak ers in California had hoped that the bill would set an example for other states and inspire systemic change, but two years later, only two other colleges have instituted similar rules to all undergraduate students — I think the University should make it three. Members of the University community have already taken important steps in this direction, encouraging all first year students to take a guided tour of Grounds with their halls centered around the history of racial violence at the University. Additionally, the History of Enslaved African American Laborers worked tire lessly alongside members of the University Guide Service to cu rate an hour-long program, start ing from enslaved laborers and ending at the events of the “Unite the Right” rally.

JESSICA MOORE is the Executive Editor for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

Just because you sacrificed to attend college does not mean that future genera tions should also be forced to do so.”

Littered with syllabi and treks through the humid Virginia air, the first week of class always brings a renewed optimism to Grounds. However, it has also left me questioning what I want to contribute to or change at the University during my time here. And so I thought back to Presi dent Jim Ryan’s note commemo rating the fifth anniversary of the “Unite the Right’’ rally. He ended a difficult and painful message with a hopeful tone — eager that the memory of the events of Aug. 11 and 12, 2017 will continue “to inspire us to work to make the world a better and more welcom ing place.” After reading Ryan’s email along with a recent lead editorial, I was left thinking what specifically that work should be and the role of education in that work. While the Editorial Board briefly explains the need for a re quired course, I would like to take this opportunity to call for a new required course category for all University students.

pioned by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who, among oth ers, believes that Biden’s loan relief is a “slap in the face” to those who suffered to pay for college. The White House has already exposed the hypocrisy of this statement with a tweet thread targeting Republican lawmakers who took out Paycheck Protection Pro gram loans from earlier in the pan demic and had millions forgiven. But, just because past generations endured extraordinary sacrifices to attend col lege does not mean that is how the system should continue to work. No one should have to work every minute of the day to make ends meet. No one should have to sacrifice their life or take on nearly inevitable mental health disorders with the hope that they can afford college. Not only should there be loan relief to existing debtors — an endeavor limited to retroactively fix ing an existing problem — but colleges should also just be more accessible. There are a number of reasons why a country should want its citizenry to become college educated. Among those reasons is the problem of mis information. A surprise to no one is that half of all Americans encountered misinformation about COVID-19 on line. While many with lower levels of education may be unprepared to dis cern what is reliable information or not, those with higher education are likely taught these skills in college. I give this example to emphasize that the benefits of a widely educated citi zenry are much more widespread than one might believe — a college-educat ed citizenry advantages the country as a whole. I recognize that there is not much students at the University can do to combat expensive tuition rates or im plement tuition relief programs. But one thing we all can do is change the culture. As referenced above, there are a multitude of people who believe that student loan relief is a disservice to those who have already paid off their debts. To University students — as you graduate and begin to pay back loans, if you have them, do not fall into this cynical trap. Just because you sacri ficed to attend college does not mean that future generations should also be forced to do so. Just because college is so expensive right now does not mean that is how it should always be. Do not become disillusioned — college should be accessible to all who seek it.

Having a tour for students to learn about the hidden history of the University is undoubtedly great progress, but, ultimately, is just a one-hour window into what is the most complex issue facing the country at large. Which is why at the end of each tour, guides are quick to point out some of the classes offered at the University which expand on the informa tion that was just covered. But for many students, fitting these classes into their schedule is near impossible. And while it is true that the classes offered on race do fulfill general education require ments, limited class size can often lead to students missing out on the ability to take those classes.

DAN FREED is a ViewPoint Writ er for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com. It is time to add a new race and ethnic studies requirement for the incoming class of 2026.”

The University must continue to make progress in educating their students on race

Biden’s plan to relieve student loan debt applies only to federal student loan borrowers — here is a guide on how to qualify, and here is a link for how to apply for loan forgiveness.

Those whose annual salaries are less than $125,000 or married couples and heads of households whose annual sal aries total less than $250,000 will have up to $10,000 of their federal student debt forgiven. Meanwhile, Pell grant recipients are eligible for up to $20,000 of federal loan forgiveness. Biden’s plan is a good start. He di rects aid to those who need it most, whether because of financial stress accumulated during the pandemic or already existing financial hardship. In regards to the latter, Biden explains that the plan will help those who have college debt yet failed to achieve their degree — for instance, blue-collar workers with student loans who nev er graduated college. I do not deny that aid should be most immediately focused on the multi-racial working class — which the plan will likely do. Yet, as Biden himself seems to know, his plan remains far from a complete solution. Simply put, college needs to be more affordable. As Biden acutely recognizes, the burden of a degree is so extensive that “even if you graduate you may not have access to the mid dle-class life that the college degree once provided.” With tuition rates skyrocketing and graduates worrying about which jobs will enable them to pay back loans, many are starting to question whether college is even worth it anymore. Negative feedback to Biden’s plan only reemphasizes that we need edu cation reform. The primary argument I would like to address is one cham

As a current undergraduate stu dent seeking to obtain a law degree in the near future, I jumped with excite ment when the news alert appeared in my inbox saying President Joe Biden created a new student loan forgiveness plan. The total cost for the institution I currently attend combined with the cost for even the cheapest law schools in my state total several hundred thou sand dollars. As I continued to read the news article, however, I became rather disheartened. Not only do the limitations in Biden’s plan reveal that we need education reform, but they also open the door to discussion on education accessibility in general — now and in the future, we should not punish citizens for seeking out an ed ucation.

WARDAH KAMRAN is a Hu mor Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at hu mor@cavalierdaily.com.

We all have that one friend in our friend group. You know, the “funny one.” And by “funny one,” I mean the one that calls themselves funny but has the humor of Amy Schumer. You know who I’m talk ing about. That one. We all love that friend down to the bone, but when it comes to it, they couldn’t even make Michael Jackson go “hehe.” Their jokes are something like what you would see on a Facebook mom’s profile page. You know what I’m talking about. The jokes that are written in a comic sans font beside a pic ture of one of Gru’s minions, usu ally either Kevin or Dave. Those ones. Ironically hilarious when millennials post them, tragically depressing when your 19-year-old friend knows them all by heart. But to make the whole ordeal so much sweeter, absolutely no one in your friend group has the heart to tell your friend that their jokes make people wanna cry, not laugh. Waa waa, not haa haa. The people they talk to either leave confused or with trauma. But at least they try. You just look at them and you can see the few gears they have in their head turning, and a little bit of steam coming out of their ears. Some times there is a little spark when they’ve thought too hard and have to give up. But most of the time they are at least able to remember a joke someone else told and just retell that again. Ah, yes, I love hearing “deez nuts” jokes at 8 a.m. while everyone is trying to enjoy their breakfast. Nothing boosts the appetite more. And, for some rea son, when they retell one of your jokes, it just ruins it. Like when you dip your French fry in ketchup the first time and it’s all right but then you go in for the double-dip and everybody just ends up not wanting ketchup at all. Yeah, it’s likeHowever,that. there are moments when I cannot seem to stand this friend, and that is when they ac tively claim that they are the fun niest member of the group. Like, excuse me? I’m standing right here. The Witty Wahoo. The President of Jokes, Gym Rye Anne. The Quip Queen. I cannot stand it when people come for my throne. Espe cially people who are still trying to figure out why the chicken crossed the road. How amateur. I taught the chicken to drive. The chicken is crossing the road in her new convertible. Knock knock? Who’s there? It’s the chicken. I even taught her to politely announce herself at somebody’s home. The “funny friend” is out there saying “Hi Hungry, I’m Dad,” while I’m out here saying “Hi Hungary, I’m Austria.” We are not on the same level. Now I know many will find me to be egotistical, but can you really blame me when I am — how do I put this? Ah yes, hilarious. Maybe even hysterical — but I don’t know, that may be a bit too much. No, never mind, it’s never too much. Maybe it is not enough. But, mov ing on. I am the epitome of come dy. I’m so funny that people laugh so hard they cry when they hear my jokes. Okay, maybe there are more tears than actual laughter, but that’s not important. When I do stand-up, people are hollering things along the lines of “Use Uck” and “Rally Brad.” Not quite sure what those things mean, but they sound good to me. Anyway, if there is one thing we know about the “funny” friend, it’s that they will always think they’re funny, no matter what. But don’t worry, real comedians, such as my self, will do absolutely everything in our power to shine through and be the saving grace of the conver sation. You’re welcome in advance.

A New Dining Experience

Kaileigh Proctor | Cartoonist

CARTOONThe‘Funny’Friend

HUMOR The Cavalier Daily12 | www.cavalierdaily.com

Psychiatric Medicine Prof. Bruce Greyson leads research on the characteristics of near-death experiences, as well as patterns that can be found among them. Greyson’s interest in neardeath experiences began after he observed contradictions between findings of near-death experienc es as a physician and what he had known to be true about the ma terial world as a child. This con tradiction influenced Greyson’s studies of NDEs, which occur in approximately 10 to 20 percent of people who come close to death, or about 5 percent of the world population.“Ourgoals are to gain a better understanding of the features, mechanisms and aftereffects of NDEs, to explore their implica tions for our models of the mind and the brain and to apply this knowledge to help experiencers, their significant others and our society deal more realistically with the transition from life to death,” Greyson said in an email to The Cavalier Daily. In a recent article, DOPS ex amined the fear of death and oth er death attitudes in the context of near-death experiences. Marieta Pehlivanova, assistant professor of psychiatry and neu robehavioral sciences, explained that the DOPS was interested in this research to further identify what makes near-death experi encers lose their fear of death in order to devise strategies to re duce fear of death among people who have not had a near-death experience.DOPSaimed to evaluate pro posed intermediaries that could explain the relationship between NDEs and a reduced fear of death including positive emotions, an out-of-body experience, a bright light or spiritual beings. Many NDE features such as positive emotions directly corre lated with a reduced fear of death in the study, but were not statis tically significant enough. At the same time, some features such as the experience of light negative ly correlated with death anxiety, but also were not statistically significant.

Carly Stender | Staff Writer The Cavalier Daily Thursday, September 1, 2022 | 13 LEXIE GAGNON THE CAVALIER DAILY

“It was surprising to find that having an out-of-body experi ence during one’s NDE was not associated with reduced fear of death after the NDE. We expect ed to see such an effect because experiencing oneself as separate from one’s body may suggest that one’s consciousness can exist even if the body is compromised or dead, and thus physical death is not to be feared,” Pehlivanova said.The reduced fear of death is one of various potential changes that a person may undergo after a near-death experience. In 2000, Greyson found that near-death experiencers develop dissociative symptoms before and/or after having their NDE. These dissoci ation states involve a disturbance of the sense of self through the loss of the coordination between one’s self, body and the environ ment.“Experiencers almost always lose their fear of death and dy ing, become more spiritual in the sense of feeling more compassion for others and more connected to other people, to the natural world and to the divine,” Grey sonHence,said. most near-death expe riencers develop a more altruistic attitude. Greyson has witnessed career military members or po licemen who have experienced NDEs change careers to avoid the violence that comes with their jobs. Often, near-death ex periencers go into medical care, social work or other professions with an emphasis on helping oth ers. Despite the death and oth er attitude changes that some near-death experiencers develop, there is still a prevalent anxiety surrounding death in the general population. Current interven tions to reduce these anxieties have modest results. However, the findings noted in the DOPS’s research can be used to design treatments aimed at reducing the fear of death in vulnerable populations, such as terminally ill patients. Guided programmes such as virtual reality, imagery or meditations could reduce fear of death by simulating specific NDE features.“Only when we expand mod els of mind to accommodate ex traordinary experiences such as NDEs will we progress our un derstanding of consciousness and its relation to brain,” Greyson wrote.

HEALTH & SCIENCE

With a never-ending fascina tion around the concept of death, near-death experiences provide perplexity. At the University, the Division of Perceptual Studies tackles the mystery of extraor dinary human capacities such as near-death experiences by evalu ating empirical evidence. A near-death experience oc curs under intense physiologi cal conditions, such as a lack of brain activity, deep general anes thesia, cardiac arrest or trauma and can be a peaceful or fright ening event. Common features of near-death experiences include a painless and comfortable feeling, a sensation of leaving the body or being drawn into a tunnel or darkness, a sense of peace, a re view of significant past events or a preview of future events.

The DOPS also reported that a sense of disembodiment is not associated with a change in death attitudes. This is a finding that contradicts several studies such as one that found that 67 percent of near-death experiencers had decreased or completely elimi nated the fear of death after their out-of-body experience.

U.Va. investigates the possibilities between life and death about reduced fear of death

Of note, the DOPS found that having a life review or encoun tering mystical beings are the strongest determinants of a re duced fear of death in near-death experiencers. Pehlivanova men tioned how these encounters can involve an emotional component that creates a positive association with death that may help facili tate the reduced fear of death af ter an NDE.

The Division of Perceptual Studies uncovers truths

Aside from talent, testing an auditionee’s personality is almost as important. If a group likes a particular auditionee, they may invite them to a social callback as well as a singing callback. The social callback is designed to help the auditionees get to know the group’s dynamic and to hopefully alleviate some of the stress of the audition process by making a few new friends. The singing callback takes the audition to the next level, where auditionees are typically asked to learn part of an a capella arrange ment and sing it with the group, along with preparing solo songs. While the talent of the audition ees gets them past the first round, blending with existing members, both musically and socially, is what gets auditionees into the group.Current members of groups know first-hand how stressful this audition process can become, and they try their best to alleviate some of that pressure by making sure au ditionees feel welcome throughout the process. Hoos in Treble, one of the University’s all-treble a cap pella groups, even set up a waiting room next to their audition room this year where auditionees could drink tea with some of the “Hittas” — current members of the group. “I feel like the audition process can be very, very intimidating for most people,” said Deborah Yu, president of Hoos in Treble and fourth-year Education and Batten student. “I know I was very intim idated my first year. So we really wanted people to feel comfortable and to get to know us before they head into the audition room…And after [the audition], we try to just make sure you felt good about it before you leave.”

Fall auditions for all fourteen groups brought out students hoping to join this tight-knit community Emily Pitts | Staff Writer

Despite the differences among the groups, many members came to a consensus on the top piece of advice for their incoming au ditionees — audition for as many groups as possible. “There are so many [groups] here at U.Va., and they’re all amaz ing,” said Harold. “So I guess just cast your net wide and have fun.” With another round of audi tions in the books, one thing is certain — the a cappella scene at the University is thriving, and the groups hope the new members they choose will continue their tradition of excellence in both mu sic and camaraderie.

Dean Barton, third-year Col lege Student and current music director, knew he wanted to au dition for the group before even coming to Grounds.

This year’s fall auditions brought out many eager prospective members from all classes.

U.Va. a cappella community expands with auditions

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KHUYEN DINH THE CAVALIER DAILY

“We typically have audition ees come in, they sing scales up and down and then they do pitch recalls,” said Liza Harold, fourthyear Engineering student and vice-president of Harmonious Hoos. “We play a few notes for them and they just sing it back to us … then they sing the solos they prepared, and if they can beat box, we ask them to beat box.”

Each year, fall a cappella audi tions bring clusters of singers to the Lawn. Some are current mem bers of one of the University’s 14 a cappella groups, eager for talented new recruits. Others are hopeful yet nervous auditionees, making their way around to audition for as many groups as possible. For former choir members, theater kids or just people who love to sing, the a cappella com munity is the place to be. Each group creates and performs their own arrangements made only for voices — no instruments.

This year brought back the traditional pre-pandemic audi tion process, after having slightly modified auditions last year and completely online auditions the year before. After filling out an audition form and waiting outside in the summer heat, the audition ee steps into a group’s Lawn room, greeted by three or four smiling faces, air conditioning and a pi ano. Though each group may car ry out the initial audition slightly differently, the basic structure re mains the same.

“Micah Iverson was on season 18 of The Voice, and he was also in the Virginia Gentlemen,” Barton said. “I saw him on The Voice and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s what I want to do.’”Atthis year’s auditions, Barton is hoping to find people who are passionate about the group, which he considers family. “Just someone that really enjoys singing, can hold a pitch and is just generally excited to be a part of a cappella at U.Va.,” Barton said. Fortunately, this year’s fall auditions brought out many ea ger prospective members from all classes. Most new auditionees know the notable reputation of the University’s a cappella com munity, and, like auditionee and first-year College student Nata lia Leaf, they see auditioning for a cappella as a way to continue a love of “I’veperforming.alwayswanted to be in an a cappella group,” Leaf said. “I love to sing and perform, and I’ve heard a lot of good things about the a cappella scene here.” With so many groups in the a cappella community, every singer can find the place they feel they belong. Though many groups on Grounds focus traditionally on Western pop, others bring differ ent styles to the table. Fourth-year College student Medha Prakash is the President of Ektaal, the University’s only South Asian-American fusion a cappella group.“Ithink what makes Ektaal re ally special is just the diversity of genres that we hit,” Prakash said. “All of our members have such diverse stories … and they bring their music taste and contribute to our group, which is absolutely phenomenal.”

At the University, a cappella groups originated in 1953 with the Virginia Gentlemen, an all-tenor and bass group that remains very prominent on Grounds today, still with a high caliber of musical tal ent and classic orange-and-blue striped bow ties.

Backseat Driver talks “Free Bird,” musical influences and the complicated process of writing original songs Staff Writer

In the last decade, streaming ser vices have become some of the most dominant forces governing audience consumption of entertainment. From comedy television shows to horror movies and everything in between, corporations like HBO Max, Netflix and Hulu are constantly produc ing content or staking their claim in works that have already been aired. But recent news about streaming services has been worrying. Warner Bros. Discovery –– the media con glomerate that owns HBO Max ––lost $3.4 billion dollars in its first-ev er quarter as a combined company, which ran from April 1 to June 30. Though making profits through pro duction and in its studios, Warner Bros. Discovery is currently not mak ing money through streaming. Of course, losses in the entertain ment industry are a given. Not every single movie or show is going to win audiences over, regardless of celebrity affiliation or crowd-pleasing dialogue. However, a titan like Warner Bros. Discovery failing so intensely is shock ing to see, considering how popular streaming services have become over the Ityears.seems that attempts to pen ny-pinch at every turn are to blame. David Zaslav, chief executive officer and president of Warner Bros. Dis covery, has openly admitted that fo cusing on “financial opportunities” was a big priority for the company in a memo to his staffers. In a myriad of cost-cutting decisions, he has shutdown CNN+, is making moves to im plement one streaming platform for the whole company and most recently has okayed the scrapping of content on HBO FollowingMax. the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery+ earlier this year, HBO Max shelved 20 orig inals and 36 titles overall from their library to save dough, including 200 episodes of Sesame Street and recent favorites like “Infinity Train” and “Summer Camp Island.”

“In general, the film industry sees what they create as numbers in a spreadsheet,” Berengaut said. “This somewhat new environment’s worst problem is that there is no longer any incentive to be original or inventive. There is only the incentive to generate income for the company stakeholders.” Educators in the field have also noticed how profit hungry streaming services have become.

Only one of many streaming plat forms out there, Warner Bros. Dis covery may simply be operating as a business would in their situation, try ing to stay afloat after a major change in organizational structure. But –– as evidenced in their high losses this year –– taking highly-rated content away from viewers and creatives seems to have been the wrong answer. Although Zaslav’s memo mentions creating a “collaborative culture” that operates as one team, his decisions to disregard the hard work that creatives have put in stands as rather contradic tory to his desire for cohesiveness. Cer tainly, creators do not feel the level of trust that Zaslav is aiming for, as both Berengaut and Dennis pointed out. Still, according to Berengaut, the way that Warner Bros. Discovery and other streaming services are conduct ing their businesses should not have an effect on how art is produced and re ceived by others. Viewers and creators have the real power in film media, he believes.

Arts & Entertainment Editor

AVA PROEHL THE CAVALIER DAILY

The members of Backseat Driver are currently working on a threesong demo of original songs that will be released on Spotify. Robinson believes that the band has “a lot of promise,” and all members agree they want to continue to play together for the time to come.

To the dismay of audiences and creatives alike, Warner Bros. Discov ery has been unafraid to throw films and shows away without much warn ing. Now, original, illustrative media on their platform will be sent to the depths of the internet where they may only be found through pirating, many Twitter users say. Creators, like Owen Dennis of “Infinity Train,” felt left in the dust following the company’s de cision and “had no idea [the chop] was coming,” he writes in a Substack post. Student filmmakers and creators are taking notice of how tense the en vironment is becoming in the cinema sphere, fearful of what this could mean for their beloved artform in the future. One of them is Max Berengaut, a fourth-year College student and presi dent of the Virginia Filmmakers/Film makers Society.

“We had the same four people in two separate bands, but they had two different styles,” Robinson said. “We eventually just decided to just form one band and stick with the name backseat driver and to have com bined influences.”

“Our goal right now is to get something out there. I would like to do the whole thing, get the record deal, do the tour … we’re kind of all in,” Ellis said.

The Kids Are Alright: Backseat Driver

Warner Bros. Discovery is leaving creatives out to dry Cutting costs at any expense has made the company and the film industry a shadow of its former self

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“There [are] so many bands here,” Ellis said. “It creates almost a level of competition where we’re constantly pushing each other to be better.” The band members’ incredibly different musical interests keeps Backseat Driver floating outside of genre categorization. Robinson loves “everything from 60s, 70s clas sic rock,” while Ellis cites The Pixies and Weezer as important influences on his music.

The members of Backseat Driv er look forward to a future of lively gigs and increasingly large audiences — even after they stop playing “Free Bird.”

Lauren Dalban |

As they relax on the Lawn on a particularly sunny day in Charlottes ville, three members of the University band Backseat Driver sat down with The Cavalier Daily to do a deep-dive into their experiences as long-time players in the Charlottesville music scene.Backseat Driver has a long and complicated history. Andrew Rob inson, lead singer and guitarist and fourth-year Commerce student, and Ladson Ellis, singer and rhythm guitarist and Class of 2022 alumnus, were members of multiple different bands before settling on their cur rent one. John Leo Luecke, bassist and fourth-year College student, was the last member to join.

“[The Pixies] don’t focus so much on making everything perfect and altogether,” Ellis said. “It’s just more like what works.” Luecke enjoys classic artists like Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Wonder, as well as newer musicians like Steve Lacy and Frank Ocean because “their songwriting styles are so unique and revolutionary.” Ellis and Robinson write the ma jority of the band’s original songs. According to Ellis, Robinson’s spe cialty is “complicated chord struc tures — the more music theory kind of things,” while Ellis is more influ enced by the fast-paced nature of punk music. He also asserts that the best songs come out when they work together, and they are often helped by Luecke and Wellman during jam sessions.“Ithink the best writing we get is when Andrew comes to me with something and then I change it up and we edit it together,” Ellis said. As of now, Backseat Driver has half a dozen original songs in their back pocket. One of the band’s fa vorite songs is called “Alone Tonight.” “It’s about jealousy and freaking out and following down circular horrible thinking in your head,” Ellis said. “It’s like when you’re with a girl at a bar and she’s talking to another guy and just racing insane thoughts of jealousy is the point of the song.” In terms of their covers, the mem bers of Backseat Driver enjoy putting their own spin on more classic rock songs. Robinson cites their cover of the Beatles’ song “While my Guitar Gently Weeps” as an example of this. “I love that song the way we do it because it’s so much better than the original,” Robinson said. “It’s like a hard rock song almost.” Although the band would some times prefer to exclusively play their original songs, they received some advice from local band AFTM on the importance of covering crowd favorites.“We’ve been playing ‘Free Bird’ since we started,” Ellis said. “One of the guys from AFTM was talking to me after the set and he said to me, ‘There are bands that play “Free Bird,” and there are bands that don’t play “Free Bird.” But you have to play ‘Free Bird’ until you get to the point where you can stop playing ‘Free Bird.’’”

The band is also composed of two other members, Peter Wellman and Jonathan Danis, drummer and key boardist respectively, who were una vailable for an interview. Due to their long-term involve ment in a number of different Uni versity bands, Ellis and Robinson are very knowledgeable of the Char lottesville music scene. They believe it has been an important contributor to their band’s success.

Mary Kurbanov

To the dismay of audiences and creatives alike, Warner Bros. Discovery has been unafraid to throw films and shows away without much warning.

Thursday, September 1, 2022 | 15ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“It is all about the bottom-line and what makes business sense,” Matt Marshall, professor of Media Studies, said. “It is a shell game.” However, Marshall does point out that creators and audiences should not lose faith in where the film industry is going.“With more platforms there are more opportunities for writers, actors and filmmakers,” Marshall said. “The downside is there is a lot more content to sift through. There will be a lot of canceled shows but a better chance that an unseen gem can get through.”

“The only solution I can see is to prove with our own brains that there is still something worthwhile in art left in the world,” Berengaut said. “We need to create stuff that’s irrepressible, wonderful, new, genius, secular — and most importantly — human.”

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