September 30, 2013 by The Cavalier Daily

HOUSING ISSUE Monday, September 30, 2013

Vol. 124, Issue 12

LIVING IN ‘HOO’VILLE You have your roommates all lined up for next year — now where will you be living?

Graphic by Dillon Harding

The Cavalier Daily

ON-GROUNDS HOUSING

If you want the security of a University-owned facility that is easy to deal with, on-Grounds housing is the way to go. Everything is taken care of and stress in minimum — no landlords, no utility payments and you’re only paying for the part of the year that you actually attend school. Know that you will have an RA, and the location — often awarded by lottery — is not always ideal.

THE LAWN LOCATION The Lawn, which was the center of Thomas Jefferson’s original design for the University, is the middle of Central Grounds. While “Lawnies,” the term for those who live on the Lawn, can roll out of bed and into the Rotunda, a trip to the Aquatic and Fitness Center, Gilmer Hall or North Grounds requires a bit of a walk.

LAYOUT The Lawn contains 54 individual rooms set between 10 Pavilions, where members of the faculty live. Odd numbered rooms are on West Lawn, while even numbered rooms are on the East side.

COST The lawn cost $5,930 for a single room with a fireplace. $5,780 for a small single room without a fireplace.

PROS Rooms come furnished with a bed, bookshelves, a dresser, a wardrobe and sink, but residents must walk to restrooms.Fourthyear College students Abe Wapner and Cameron Dodge, both Lawn residents, said they valued the Lawn community. “I think the people are some of the most interesting, most friendly, most passionate people I've met at the University,” Wapner said. “Surrounding myself with that environment makes me more motivated, more excited." Apart from the community, Wapner and Dodge said they enjoyed the number of events taking place on the Lawn and the number of people they have met there. "You're going to be a hub of social activity," Wapner added. "I would be doing the community a disservice if I kept my door shut all the time."

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While the lack of air-conditioning and the need to share a bathroom deters some people, Dodge and Wapner said the positives far outweigh the negatives. "Having lived in dorms for three years, this is the largest room I have had so far," Wapner said. As to the lack of a kitchen, "The Corner is closer than it has ever been." Dodge pointed out that other housing arrangements lack air conditioning. "I got my first-year box fan there in the window — it's a throwback," Dodge said. "The ceilings are really high, and that really helps with the heat." Wapner said the application to the Lawn was intense and essay-heavy, while Dodge described it as constricting. "They ask you specific things, and the application doesn't give you much space," Dodge said. "You have to very conscious in what you want to tell about your time and your experience."

Compiled by Joseph Liss

BROWN RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE LOCATION Brown College, one of the University’s residential colleges, is located in Central Grounds, west of the Lawn and next to Newcomb Hall.

LAYOUT

Brown College consists of 144 units that are occupied by about 300 undergraduate students, with each unit comprised of two single bedrooms and a bathroom shared with one to three other residents. Twelve “portals,” the residential buildings that make up the Brown College, are connected by underground tunnels that are accessible by the lower floors of the buildings. Tunnels connect students and lead residents to on-site laundry facilities, study spaces and two lounge areas.

COST Brown costs $6,140 per room for the 2013-2014 academic year.

PROS Brown residents reap the benefits of living in Central Grounds, with almost everything located in close proximity to the residential area. Dorm rooms in Brown are also larger than many in other on-Grounds locations and are air-conditioned. Residents enjoy a friendly, tight-knit community, with close interaction with many of the University faculty through Brown's Faculty Fellows program. Residents also can engage in student self-governance through Brown's Student Governance Board and attend frequent residential college activities including banquets, movie nights and the games.

CONS Brown College is sometimes stereotyped as the artsy, alternative residential college, as the selections process depends on a creative and original application. Applicants are required to answer thought-provoking questions, which are often said to contribute to the perceived stereotype. One recent application question stated, “They say the pen is mightier than the sword. Defeat Genghis Khan.” Also, many residents must cross through another resident’s room to get to the bathroom, which some may find annoying.

Compiled by Emily Hutt

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ON-GROUNDS HOUSING

Monday, September 30, 2013

BICE LOCATION Bice House is on Brandon Avenue, down the street from Student Health and off of Jefferson Park Avenue. Bice has eight floors, one of which is the German Language House. Students can choose between six- and

LAYOUT four-person apartments with single or double rooms. The basement, known as the "Bicement,” offers some common space and occasional free food.

COST The cost is $6,920 for a single room, $5,760 for a room in a two-bedroom apartment and $5,620 for a room in a three bedroom apartment. Rates cover the nine-month academic year.

PROS Students living in Bice receive a kitchenette and a common room, and second-year College student Bryan Cochran, a current Bice resident, said the location is great. "I lived in Gooch last year, so everything is so much closer compared to living [there]," Cochran said. Cochran said the rooms were nice, though he may have gotten lucky in receiving a larger room. Though most of the University’s social scene resides on the other side of Grounds in the 14th Street and Rugby Road areaAdditionally, the building has an interesting smell.

CONS “Each floor has a distinct smell that is always there no matter what," Cochran said.s, Cochran said the walk was not bad. "I really like walking down the Lawn, so I'll do that any chance I can," he said. "If I want to go somewhere on the Corner, I'll just walk down the Lawn." Cons: Cochran added that Bice lacks the sense of community some other living arrangements have. "Outside of the people that I know, it's not a place that you go to meet new friends," he said. "You just have the passing hello when you're on the elevator to keep it from getting too awkward."

Compiled by Joseph Liss

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LAMBETH LOCATION Lambeth Field Apartments are located near Central Grounds on Emmet Street. Also nearby are John Paul Jones Arena, University Hall and the Emmet/Ivy Parking Garage.

LAYOUT Lambeth offers the choice of either four- or six-person apartments all featuring double bedrooms. There are 174 apartments housed in 24 buildings, and each is equipped with airconditioning, a kitchen and furniture. The four-person apartments feature one-and-a-half bathrooms while six-person apartments have two full bathrooms.

COST

Lambeth costs $5,760 for a room in a three-bedroom apartment and $5,620 for one in a two-bedroom apartment.

PROS

A large proportion of Lambeth residents are second-years, so there is a good chance you will be neighbors with friends you made in your first year. But the true gem of Lambeth Field Apartments is Lambeth Field itself. The field is spacious and accommodates a wide variety of interests such as soccer, football, ultimate frisbee and even your short game of golf. The location is also just a short walk away from John Paul Jones Arena and the Olympic sports fields, for those interested in college athletics. A staircase ascending from the top of Lambeth field leads directly to Rugby road, for those interested in Greek life. “To be honest, Lambeth is nice because it has [air-conditioning] that we didn't have last year,” second-year College student Anish Doshi said. “The apartments aren't too far away, and are pretty sweet inside, because they're furnished and clean.”

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“I wish C3 had hot food,” Doshi said, referring to the convenience store located in Lambeth Commons. Residents should not expect something as grand as The Castle or Crossroads when visiting C3 in Lambeth. Train tracks run adjacent to Lambeth, but the train noises are more of a minor annoyance than an actual complaint. all B

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ON-GROUNDS HOUSING

The Cavalier Daily

INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE (IRC) LOCATION

The International Residential College is one of three residential colleges and is located across from Memorial Gymnasium on Emmet Street.

LAYOUT

The IRC houses more than 300 students and consists of four dorm-style buildings — Munford, Gwathmey, Lewis and Hoxton. Munford and Gwathmey are hall-style dorms, and Lewis and Hoxton are suite-style. Each building consists of both single and double rooms.

COST The cost can range from $5,290 to $6,460 for the academic year, depending on dorm size.

PROS

The IRC emphasizes the importance of global diversity and academic development at the University. This mission of international togetherness is evident in the many dorm-wide events, which range from field trips to Monticello to monthly dinners at Alumni Hall. Additionally, since food serves as an appealing site for international learning, the IRC provides their residents with an early morning breakfast Monday through Friday, as well as afternoon tea on Thursdays. Moreover, each building floor boasts a full kitchen with a microwave, refrigerator and oven. You may gain a few pounds from all of the gatherings, but the dorm’s location is just far enough from most class buildings to give you ample opportunities to burn off any excess calories. That said, the IRC is fairly convenient and accessible; you won’t find yourself leaving 30 minutes early to trek to central Grounds every morning. And if walking to class isn’t enough exercise for you, don’t forget that Memorial Gym is right across the street. ail

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These IRC perks are not open to all. Applications are required and consist of short essay explaining applicants’ reasons for wanting to live in the college and their potential contributions to the vibrant international community on display there. Furthermore, applying to the IRC comes with a good deal of uncertainty; roommates are assigned randomly, and the applications typically fail to address roommate compatibility. Regarding physical accommodations, two of the buildings are not air-conditioned — Munford and Gwathmey. Despite its flaws, the IRC boasts an impressive array of opportunities for students in search of intellectual diversity.

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Compiled by Robin Yeh

FAULKNER APARTMENTS LOCATION

Easily reachable by the Northline or Central Grounds Shuttle bus routes, Faulkner is situated next to Klockner Stadium, behind John Paul Jones arena.

LAYOUT Three main buildings — Mitchell, Hench and Younger — surround a gazebo in the center of the complex. It resembles a mini-community for the 153 students who win the lottery and are selected to live there. Faulkner apartments are composed of four single bedrooms, a full-sized kitchen, a large common room and one bathroom — double sinks separate the private shower from the private toilet.

COST

The cost is either $6,290 for a regular four-bedroom apartment or $7,320 for the larger single room.

PROS

If you’re looking for seclusion or you don’t want to miss a basketball game, Faulkner is a hidden gem. It boasts spacious living arrangements, easy access to JPJ and other sporting events, and a very short bus ride to Barracks. One lucky student is randomly selected to live in a larger single in the apartment, which does cost about $1,000 more for the year, but the space is well worth the price. Not only do you get all the amenities of on-Grounds housing — free Internet, cable, furniture and on-site laundry — but the complex also houses its own newly renovated study lounge. It’s also a great way to experience the Law School and the Darden School of Business during your undergraduate years. Considering Faulkner is right next door to the North Grounds gym and the Law library, there is almost no need to travel all the way to Central Grounds for anything but classes. And checking out the Virginia soccer, baseball and lacrosse teams could not be easier.

CONS It is considerably farther from Central Grounds than other on-Grounds housing options. You will undoubtedly encounter friends who will refuse to visit you “all the way in Faulkner,” but at least this will help determine who your real friends are. Night owls may have to worry as well — when the buses stop running, getting home will be a long trek.

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ON-GROUNDS HOUSING

Monday, September 30, 2013

LA MAISON FRANÇAISE LOCATION

La Maison Francaise is located on 1404 Jefferson Park Ave., next to Casa Bolivar near the Nursing School.

LAYOUT La Maison Francaise has 17 student bedrooms, with one triple, eight doubles and eight singles. The rooms feature air-conditioning, extra-long twin beds, desks, dressers and carpeted floors. The house also includes a large living room for conversation groups and social functions, a library for student study, a seminar room where French courses are taught, a dining room and laundry facilities. The house, both structurally and decoratively, boasts classic French style.

COST

The costs are $5730 for a classic double, $5900 for a large double and $6310 for a single room. Rates are for the nine-month academic year.

PROS

Applicants have a later commitment date than many other options — the selection committee does not begin reviewing applications until Oct. 24. Students can also apply to live in the house for a single semester. There are also opportunities to become involved in residence student self-governance. Residents of La Maison Francaise have a close bond. “The first thing is this is, in fact, a home,” fourth-year College student Daniel Paylor said. “It really feels like one big family. Coming home and speaking a different language in the halls and at dinners is a very special feeling.” Living in the French House guarantees an increase in language proficiency. Residents can enjoy language programming such as the weekly Pause Café, an informal language discussion that runs on Thursdays, and French Ciné, which is a regular film showing. The language house meal program includes dinners at the house Monday through Thursday.

Compiled by Julia Horowitz

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CONS

No reserved parking is available at La Maison. Alcohol cannot be stored or consumed in or around residence halls, per University policy, even if students are of age. Also, language requirements can sometimes feel limiting. “Even when you’re tired, you’re still required to speak French in the halls — no matter your level of proficiency,” Paylor said. Many residents have grown up speaking French, which can lead to both increased skill yet a larger margin of catch-up to play.

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SHEA HOUSE LOCATION

The Shea House is located on 400 Monroe Lane, across from the Student Health Center and adjacent to Casa Bolivar.

LAYOUT

The Shea House houses 75 students in either single or double air-conditioned rooms on language-specific floors. There are numerous common areas, a dining area, a kitchen, laundry facilities, a satellite TV, a terrace for patio dining and an elevator.

COST

The costs are $5,730 for a double and $6,310 for a single room. Rates are for the nine-month academic year.

PROS

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Shea House has a late commitment date — applications are not due until Nov. 14 — and immersive experiences are not restricted to a single language. Shea House residents can be students of Italian, Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi and Urdu, Japanese, Korean or Persian. Each floor has a language assistant to assist in the immersive process. There are also opportunities for student self-governance. “There is lots of cultural diversity here,” said fourth-year College student Jason Jeon, an exchange student from Korea here to study Japanese. “The language assistant always prepares interesting games or movies. On the Japanese floor, [for example], we play games every Monday. I feel like I’m learning more [culturally] about Japan even though I am here [in the United States].” Located almost directly next to Nau and Gibson Halls, Shea House just recently underwent a $3.5 million renovation. Based on availability, you can apply for a single semester. Dinner is provided Monday through Thursday at the house, and the on-Grounds meal plan includes swipes to the Shea House dining facility for lunch.

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There are activity participation requirements and relatively strict rules. You are required to speak your chosen language in all common areas. Roommate requests are not guaranteed, and you cannot choose your particular room. The number of single rooms is relatively limited and also not guaranteed. The dinner-only meal option can be limiting, especially since no food is provided on weekends.

Compiled by Julia Horowitz

LA CASA BOLIVAR LOCATION

Casa Bolivar is located on 1408 Jefferson Park Ave., between the French House and the Shea House. It is very close to Grounds, located just across the street from Wilson Hall, New Cabell Hall and a block away from Nau Hall.

LAYOUT Casa Bolivar houses 24 students in either single or double air-conditioned rooms. The space includes numerous common areas, a satellite TV, a kitchen and laundry facilities.

COST The costs are $5,730 for a double and $6,310 for a single room for the nine-month academic year.

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Casa Bolivar has a relatively later commitment date — the selection committee does not begin reviewing applications until early November. Casa Bolivar also provides an excellent atmosphere for improving Spanish. “You get to live with a community of people with very similar interests, because of that, you bond with them and of course you get to practice Spanish,” second-year College student Blake Selph said. “We also have many weekly events that are great opportunities to practice Spanish and bond with your housemates and other students — things like conversational [meetings] and poetry readings.”

Compiled by Julia Horowitz

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CONS Dinner is only offered Monday through Friday, and participation in an on-Grounds meal plan is required. Parking is also limited.

ON-GROUNDS HOUSING

The Cavalier Daily

COPELEY APARTMENTS

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Copeley Apartments are nestled in between the Darden School and the Barracks Road shopping center in North Grounds. The Law School, as well as the gym, basketball and handball courts of the North Grounds Recreation Center are also easily accessible, while the Northline buses connect the residences to Central Grounds.

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LAYOUT

Double or single two-room apartments are available to Copeley residents, the former containing extra-long twin beds with singles having the recent addition of full-sized beds. Upon exiting the bedroom, bathrooms are immediately to the left and right — one full and one half. The suites are complete with a kitchen, which boasts a refrigerator, stove, oven and dinner table; and a living room, which includes a sofa, two armchairs, lamps and a few tables.

PROS

Being right next to Barracks is a definite plus for Copeley residents, as they can easily restock their kitchens at Kroger, dine at the Slice pizzeria, or pick up drugs – the prescribed kind – at CVS. The apartments are not embroiled in the sometimes hectic bustle of Central Grounds and feature conveniently close parking spaces. Also, the person-per-bathroom ratio is much better in Copeley than in its hall-style counterparts.

CONS

While away from the noise of Central Grounds, Copeley is also quite a distance from most classes. If lacking personal transportation, residents will have to rely on the Northline bus to get to and from most University activities. Still, despite its sometimes inconvenient location, Copeley offers an underrated alternative to Lambeth and other mainstream living arrangements.

COSTS Apartments with double bedrooms are priced at $5,760 while those consisting of singles cost $7,320 for the academic year.

Compiled by Robert Shimshock

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HEREFORD AREA DORMS LOCATION The Hereford Area is located off of Stadium Road adjacent to Runk Dining Hall and behind the Gooch/Dillard Residence Area. It is comprised of Hereford Residential College, which includes the Norris and Whyburn House, and the separate Johnson, Malone and Weedon Houses, which are reserved for transfer students.

LAYOUT The five houses are hall-style dormitories consisting of single and double rooms. Bathrooms are located on each hall, as are common areas.

PROS Compared to on-Grounds upperclass housing, Hereford is relatively close to central Grounds — the distance to class is roughly the same as Lambeth, but it is much closer than Faulkner and Copeley. For those who still find the walk unmanageable, the Northline has two Hereford stops. Hereford is far enough from the Corner and Emmet street to be considered “secluded,” but is just steps away from the highly touted Runk Dining Hall. There is also an open field to toss a frisbee, play touch football, or even go tanning. For those more interested in their studies, there are a series of comfortable hammocks placed around the buildings. If you are lucky enough to be included in the residential college, you will have access to dinners, field trips and even a series of short courses. Air-conditioning is also a plus.

CONS Hereford is unfortunately located directly next to a first-year living area — the only such on-Grounds upperclass option with this feature — making interactions with disoriented and sometimes obnoxious underclassmen a guarantee. Hereford is also located far from just about anywhere a party might be going on, save first years hanging out in Dillard. Not only that, but it is the only upperclassman residence area in the vicinity, meaning visits with friends become a chore. Prepare for long walks home.

COSTS A single room in Hereford costs $5,330, while a double costs $5,270.

Compiled by Matt Comey

ON-GROUNDS HOUSING

The Cavalier Daily

COPELEY APARTMENTS

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COSTS Apartments with double bedrooms are priced at $5,760 while those consisting of singles cost $7,320 for the academic year.

Compiled by Robert Shimshock

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LAYOUT The five houses are hall-style dormitories consisting of single and double rooms. Bathrooms are located on each hall, as are common areas.

COSTS A single room in Hereford costs $5,330, while a double costs $5,270.

Compiled by Matt Comey

OFF-GROUNDS HOUSING

The Cavalier Daily

RUGBY ROAD

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CONS There are also some not-so-beautiful parts about Rugby. One of these factors is the constant littering of alcoholic beverages, late-night food, cigarettes and other trash along the sidewalks. The partying that goes on down Rugby Road is no secret, and the damage can show. Some of those million-dollar, colonial-style homes? Set foot inside and you might change your mind about showing it off to your parents.

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Rugby is the quintessential hub of the University, some might say. Whether it’s the charm of those huge, colonial houses, or the way the sun shines right on Mad Bowl, there’s no denying that Rugby Road is a beautiful place to call home. If you’re involved in Greek life, living on Rugby makes it easy to find many of your friends right next door, literally. There’s the added convenience of fairly accessible parking behind many houses on Rugby. If you’re interested in a beautiful, social place to live, Rugby can certainly hold its own.

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Rugby is the center of the University’s number-one-party-school-winning fraternity and sorrority life. But students looking to study can find the Rotunda, Alderman Library and Fine Arts Library nearby. Food is next door on the Corner.

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Monday, September 30, 2013

Community contractors seek U.Va. business

news

University small business, minority-owned company contracting lags behind Radford, JMU, ODU, other universities

Women and Minority Owned Business Contract Spending Fiscal Year 2012 Minority

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Percent of contractual spending on Minority and Women owned businesses

10% Graphic by Peter Simonsen

Michael Drash

Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Protests by the Living Wage Campaign in the past several years have placed a new spotlight on the University’s use of contracted workers, a group made up of mostly low-income employees. Ridge Schuyler, who helped to author a report titled the Orange Dot Project focusing on poverty in Charlottesville, sees the University’s contracting operations as an opportunity to fight poverty. The 2011 report proposed the creation of a “hub” to connect the needs of the University to the services provided by area businesses, aiming to foster self-sufficiency among low-income contract workers. Two years later, the University and community leaders have made only partial progress toward this goal. Schuyler, the Director of the Charlottesville Works initiative, a group attempting to implement the Dot Project’s findings, said that since the report was published, the University has been “very receptive” and “is willing to listen.” “I see the fact that the University of Virginia purchases $650

million [worth of goods and services] … I look at that as an opportunity,” Schuyler said. “An opportunity, not an obligation … To the extent that I work for the community, we recognize that the University has to get value for the money that they spend.” To take advantage of that opportunity, Charlottesville companies must better understand the University’s purchasing habits, Schuyler said. “The next stage is to better understand the market,” Schuyler said. Then, the community needs to produce it “realistically, affordably [and] with quality.” Toan Nguyen, the chief executive officer of C’ville Central, said in an email that it was challenging for small businesses to land contracts with organizations as big as the University. C’ville Central, a corporation founded this year, attempts to help give small, minority-owned businesses the ability to compete for large contracts, serving as the type of hub Schulyler described in his report. “The problem is more on the small businesses side,” Nguyen said. “They don't have the manpower to deal with a large institution with the bidding and col-

lecting process. C'ville Central [exists] to solve this problem, acting as the hub between the large companies and the small businesses. We take care of the marketing, sales and accounting for the small businesses.” The University already has a large base of small business vendors. Following an executive order in 2006 by then-Gov. Tim Kaine, all government departments, colleges and universities were strongly encouraged to spend 40 percent of their budget by working with small businesses, defined as those with 250 or fewer employees and $10 million or less in annual revenue. Last year, the University spent 33 percent of its discretionary spending with small businesses. At the state level, the University has received recognition for its efforts in reaching out to minorityowned businesses, earning several awards in the last five years. Ida McPherson, Director of the Department of Minority Business Enterprises, said the University and the department have a “great relationship” and work together to

see CONTRACTS, page 103

McAuliffe, Cuccinelli debate VA college newspapers Democrat discusses women’s issues; Republican highlights attorney general experience Lital Firestone

Cavallier Daily Staff Writer

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and former Democratic

National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe met for a Virginia gubernatorial election debate Wednesday in Fairfax County. Each candidate continued a recent trend of negative campaigning, personally attacking the other’s views on health care, women’s issues and gun rights. McAuliffe, the Democratic candidate, sought to portray Cuccinelli, the Republican nominee, as a militant social conservative. Cuccinelli said McAuliffe was inexperienced and not connected to Virginia and its politics. According to the poll aggregator site Real Clear Politics Average, prior to the debate McAuliffe led Cuccinelli 43.1 percent to 38.9 percent, largely thanks to his success with women voters. “Recent polls have had McAu-

liffe up by as much as 24 points among women, which is why he has a lead in this race,” Center for Politics spokesperson Geoffrey Skelley said. McAuliffe continued to attack Cuccinelli on women’s issues during the debate. “Forty-seven attorney generals signed a letter [urging Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act],” McAuliffe said. “Violence against women [is] not controversial. [Cuccinelli] is one of three who refused to sign it ... [He] bullied the board of health to shut down several women’s health centers.” Cuccinelli responded with examples of the work he has done to protect women. “We run multiple domestic violence programs in the Attorney General’s office,” he said. “And we started from scratch fighting human trafficking.” University Democrats President Madeline DuCharme, a third-year College student, said she supported McAuliffe’s com-

mitment to protecting women’s rights. “[McAuliffe] showed that Cuccinelli has an extreme ideological agenda that would only move Virginia backward,” DuCharme said in an email. Given the recent tragedy of the Navy Yard Shooting, the moderator asked candidates about their priorities for Virginia gun laws. “When we drop our children off at school, we want to know that our communities are safe,” McAuliffe said. “How many people have to be killed until we have to wake up and have sensible gun ownership?” McAuliffe supports universal background checks for gun purchases. He said, in his experience, they only take a few minutes. Cuccinelli opposes those checks as an infringement on Second Amendment rights.

see DEBATE, page 10

win alcohol ad rights

Federal Appeals Court overturns part of ABC regulation, ends Cavalier Daily’s seven-year legal battle with state Gaelyn Foster

Cavallier Daily Staff Writer

After a seven-year legal battle, an appellate court ruled Wednesday in favor of The Cavalier Daily and Virginia Tech’s Collegiate Times, allowing the two publications to publish advertisements for alcoholic beverages in college newspapers. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Wednesday overturned a previous regulation by the Virginia ABC, which prohibited university newspapers in the state from printing advertisements for alcoholic beverages. The publications began to pursue a case in 2005, arguing the regulation infringed upon the newspapers’ first amendment rights, and officially filed a complaint with

the help of the American Civil Liberties Union in 2006. “We were contacted by the Collegiate Times in 2005, and they told us about this regulation,” said Rebecca Glenberg, legal director of the ACLU of Virginia. “We took a look at it and agreed that it was unconstitutional, and we wrote a letter to ABC and did not get a satisfactory response from them. So we filed a suit in 2006 on behalf of the Collegiate Times and The Cavalier Daily.” The ACLU supported the case of the University paper due to its opinion regarding the press’s role within the school and the overall community, Glenberg said. “We think that college student newspapers play an important role in covering issues that are of

see ALCOHOL, page 10

NEWS

The Cavalier Daily

CONTRACTS Large University demands complicate small-business deals Continued from page 9 increase the number of contracts awarded to these types of businesses. “[The University is] much a leader and supporter of the SWaM [Small, women and minority business] program,” McPherson said.

But minority owned-businesses receive a smaller percentage of the University’s contracts in dollar value than George Mason University, Radford University, James Madison University, Old Dominion University, Radford, Virginia Commonwealth University and William & Mary. Conversely, the University falls behind only ODU

and Virginia Military Institute in the percentage of contracts going to women-owned businesses and behind JMU, ODU, Radford and VCU in contracts going to small businesses. Statistics were not available for Virginia Tech. Additionally, GMU, Radford and VCU won 2012 achievement awards from the Virginia

Department of Minority Business Enterprise for minority-owned, women-owned and small business contracting. The University was not on that list. McPherson said the size of the budget and institutional needs are to blame for the University’s below-average minority-owned and small business contractor

spending. Smaller institutions, like Radford, are able to spend much of their budget with smaller businesses because the needs are smaller. According to McPherson, among universities with comparable spending, the University is above average. The University declined to comment for this article.

DEBATE Candidates discuss gay marriage, trade personal attacks Continued from page 9 When discussing gun tragedies, Cuccinelli focused on mental illness, pointing to the work he has done with people suffering from mental illness throughout the years. After that discussion, McAuliffe then brought the debate back to health care and the Affordable Care Act, which he had emphasized earlier in the debate. “Without the Medicaid expansion money, there’s not a penny for any new investment in mental health,”

McAuliffe said. As a part of the Affordable Care Act Virginia has the choice to expand its Medicaid program, providing insurance for lowincome individuals and families. Republicans are concerned with the cost of expansion. Cuccinelli, however, said it would be more beneficial to improve the current Medicaid system for the people already enrolled. “A 40 percent expansion in Medicaid will not help these poor families,” he said. “We are trying desperately to keep the doctors and nurses in our program.”

The debate again derailed into the candidates trading barbed insults, with McAuliffe criticizing Cuccinelli’s record on same-sex marriage, in what Cuccinelli said was an “offensively false” attack.“[Cuccinelli] called homosexuals soulless and self-destructive human beings,” McAuliffe said. “The idea that we could send our men and women across the globe [for military service], and they come back and don’t have the same rights and opportunities, is quite wrong.” Cuccinelli, who believes mar-

ALCOHOL Papers eye revenue Continued from page 9 particular relevance to a University community,” Glenberg said. “And that unique voice is diminished when college newspapers are not allowed to pursue the same streams of revenue that other newspapers are allowed to pursue.” Though no other university publications in the state of Virginia are protected by this ruling, it could technically apply to any school’s newspaper in which more than half of the readership is of legal drinking age, Glenberg said. The court recorded 60 percent of the Collegiate Times readership is 21 years or older, as are 64 percent of The Cavalier Daily’s readers. Before Wednesday’s ruling, the two University publications were at a disadvantage to other local newspapers, which had the option of gaining advertising revenue through business with alcohol producers. The college papers were prohibited from published any advertisements involving wine, beer or mixed drinks, unless it was within the context of a restaurant ad. The phrase “happy hour” was deemed taboo and subject to censorship. “It was just very unfair and it seemed very apparent that it was a violation of the paper’s first amendment rights,” said Mike Slaven, a College graduate of 2007 and editorin-chief of The Cavalier Daily at the

time of the initial lawsuit. “It was just very clear to us that the Virginia ABC didn’t have any real grounds to have a regulation like that.” Slaven said when he traveled to Richmond one December morning of 2006 to present a deposition of the case, he happened upon a copy of the C-ville Weekly in Alderman Library. On the back cover of the publication, he saw a full-page color ad for beer. “It was completely ridiculous that the Virginia ABC would argue that they could achieve anything good by preventing us from advertising for alcohol, when students are exposed to those kind of advertisements in other places all the time,” Slaven said. “It was damaging our rights and it was also damaging the bottom line of the paper, which is an aspect that cannot be ignored either.” When the case first began in 2006, the Cavalier Daily estimated a 5 to 8 percent raise in advertising revenue if the paper were able to run advertisements of alcohol. Though seven years later those numbers are uncertain, the business team and editors of the Cavalier Daily expect an improvement in commercial revenue from the court ruling. “Any additional source of revenue, particularly given the decline in print revenue, is something we need to look into,” said current Editor-inChief Kaz Komolafe, a fourth-year College student.

riage should remain “based on one man and one woman,” said he will continue to defend the laws of Virginia, which include a provision against gay marriage. “[McAuliffe] seems to think he gets to decide which parts of the Virginia Constitution you get to defend as the governor,” Cuccinelli said. College Republicans Chair Elizabeth Minneman, a third-year College student, said the gay marriage debate should not be a primary factor in Virginia voters’ Election-Day decision. “Gay marriage is not an issue that the governor’s office would

deal with — it’s up to the Virginian people,” Minneman said. To get voters’ attention and to inspire a major shift in the current polling numbers, Skelley said Cuccinelli would need McAuliffe to make a detrimental political misstep. “Overall, you might say McAuliffe won [the debate] by not suffering a major loss because he did nothing to risk his lead in the polls,” Skelley said. The final debate for the gubernatorial race is scheduled for Oct. 24 on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg.

Monday, Septermber 30, 2013

Virginia falls to Pittsburgh, 14-3

sports

Offensive shortcomings, costly turnovers doom Cavaliers as Panthers earn win in team’s first ACC matchup Saturday; U.Va. falls to 2-2 this season Playing outside its home stadium for the first time this season, the Virginia football team looked out of its element Saturday. Turnovers gave Pittsburgh early breathing room and an anemic offensive attack kept the Cavaliers out of striking distance as they fell 14-3. The Virginia (2-2, 0-1 ACC) defense came out strong early, forcing Pittsburgh (3-1, 2-1 ACC) to punt on its first two drives. But junior wide receiver Dominique Terrell mishandled the second punt to give the Panthers field position in the red zone. Pittsburgh capitalized as freshman running back James Conner punched it in from six yards out to take a 7-0 lead. On the subsequent drive, sophomore quarterback David Watford fumbled a low snap and the Panthers fell on the ball to regain possession at Virginia’s 18-yard line. Two plays later, senior quarterback Tom Savage found senior wide receiver Devin Street for a 15-yard touchdown to go ahead 14-0. Watford struggled to lead any sort of offensive charge for Virginia, completing just 15-of-37 passes for 123 yards. Cavalier receivers dropped several catchable passes while the team’s running backs combined for just 65 yards on the ground after amassing 357 rushing yards last week. Virginia’s defense held Pittsburgh scoreless for the final three quarters in an impressive perfor-

Courtesy Bobby Mizia, Visual Editor| The Pitt News

Sophomore quarterback David Watford is stripped by Pittsburgh sophomore defensive lineman Aaron Donald. Watford threw for 123 yards on 15-of-37 passing.

mance. Junior cornerback Demetrious Nicholson and junior safety Anthony Harris each had an interception, and the Cavaliers forced a third turnover on a third-quarter fumble. Pittsburgh finished with just 8 rushing yards and 199 yards on offense. The offense began showing some life late in the third quarter, but could not sustain the momentum. Watford found sophomore wide receiver Adrian Gamble on a 16-yard pass and Terrell ran 21 yards on a reverse to set up a 32-yard field goal by sophomore place kicker Ian Frye with 1:23 left in the third quarter. The teams traded punts to start the fourth quarter, but the Virginia offense found a rhythm in its second drive of the period. With eight minutes remaining in the game, Watford led a 77-yard drive to Pittsburgh’s 11-yard line. After three unsuccessful attempts to cross the goal line, Virginia kept the offense on the field for a 4th-and-2 on the Panther’s 3-yard line. With the game on the line, Watford overthrew junior tight end Jake McGee in the back of the end zone to turn the ball over with just over three minutes remaining. Pittsburgh ran the clock out on the subsequent drive to seal the 14-3 win. Virginia next returns to Charlottesville for a matchup next Saturday against Ball State. —compiled by Michael Eilbacher

The good, the bad and the Virginia football Though a 14-3 conference loss it. to Pittsburgh is nothing to write The rest of the Cavalier defense home about, a few points — not performed admirably as well. all bad, surprisThough the unit gave up ingly — stood out in a few long plays here and Virginia’s first ACC there, it managed to hold meeting with Pitt. the ACC’s leading passer The Good coming into the game to Let’s kick off this 13-of-31 passing for 191 article on a positive yards. Junior cornerback note. Much like VirDemetrious Nicholson ginia football, I like and junior safety Anthoto build up my audiny Harris each pulled in ence before tearing highlight-reel intercepit down. tions, and made some ZACK BARTEE Simply put, the fans wonder why they SPORTS COLUMNIST defense continued weren’t playing receiver to ball out Saturas well. Harris also forced day. Without the offense gifting a fumble that was recovered by Pitt the ball twice in its own red senior defensive end Jake Snyder, zone, the defense could have fea- which kept Virginia’s hopes on life sibly pitched a shutout. Clearly the support in the third quarter. team’s strongpoint, the Cavaliers One absurd number says all defense will need to continue to you need about how the Virginia thrive throughout conference play rush defense performed: eight. — because if the first few games Pittsburgh ran for just 8 yards on have been any indication of what 35 carries for an average of 0.2 is still to come, the offense can’t be yards per attempt. The Cavaliers counted on. had 13 tackles for losses — includI’m not sure if freshman defen- ing seven sacks — amounting to sive end Max Valles was nervous 78 lost yards for a Panther offense heading into his first collegiate that had entered the contest averstart. What I do know is that the aging 40 points per game. true freshman didn’t show any Junior punter Alec Vozenilek fear, registering five tackles and deserves a special mention, as two-and-a-half sacks, and spend- well, as his services were in high ing a majority of his day wreak- demand Saturday afternoon. ing general havoc on the Panther Vozenilek booted nine punts for backfield. If there was ever a guy 419 yards, including a career-best to fit well with defensive coordina- 77-yard punt, the fourth longest tor Jon Tenuta’s aggressive, blitz- in Virginia history. It was reminishappy scheme, Valles is probably cent of his banner day against No.

2 Oregon, when his performance earned him the unofficial, crowdappointed MVP honors in the 49-0 loss. The Bad It’s that all-too-familiar time of year again for Cavalier fans: a chorus of doubters are already calling upon the administration to ax coach Mike London and offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild, among other demands. The Fire Steve Fairchild twitter feed @UVAOCStinks came into existence during the second half, sending its first tweet at 3:38 p.m. While I do think the play-calling needs to improve, I’m not sure firing Fairchild four games into the season is the most rational choice. I’d like to see a little more imagination on offense rather than the run-run-short pass-punt combination that’s been a staple of Virginia’s offense this year. Still, as long as Fairchild doesn’t start rotating quarterbacks, he’s okay in my book. At quarterback, coaches and players have indicated for weeks that we would see a new David Watford, one that would begin to run more and show the dynamic playmaking ability that they spent the entire offseason hyping. Watford finally responded with his feet, taking a designed run on the team’s first drive for eight yards and then almost breaking loose for a touchdown on a scramble in the second quarter — before unintentionally stepping out of bounds.

Watford finally justified why his teammates frequently call him one of the fastest guys on the team. I almost put the offense in “The Ugly” section of this article, because oh man, was it ugly. But they did not do quite enough to earn the honor. Watford was 15-of-37 for 123 yards, although it’s hard to pin his abysmal completion percentage on the quarterback alone. Saturday’s game must have been a statistician’s nightmare, trying to decide which passes counted as drops and which ones as incompletions. Many of Watford’s passes were late or off-target, but the number of times receivers and tight ends got their hands on the ball and didn’t come down with it was exasperating. Then there was the rushing attack. A team that often refers to its power-running style as its offensive identity finished with just 65 yards on the ground. The number of Pitt helmets flying around each Virginia ball carrier indicates that this offense may be a bit too predictable. The Panthers frequently stacked the box against the run, and the fact that the offensive line was frequently manhandled didn’t help matters. The Ugly The real culprit in the Cavaliers’ loss wasn’t the anemic offensive production that almost put me to sleep in the middle of the game — a bold assertion, I know. No, I firmly believe that Virginia could’ve won the game in spite of

its lackluster offense if it wasn’t for the repeated mental errors that will likely cause the entire coaching staff to go bald by season’s end from tearing its collective hair out — those that aren’t bald already, anyway. Everybody has bad games, but boy did junior receiver Dominique Terrell have a really bad game. I’m not sure if he forgot his head at the team hotel or simply lost it when he collided with teammate freshman cornerback Tim Harris on the first punt return of the game — in which he came dangerously close to touching the punt. Then there was the game-altering, inexplicable mental error. The Panther’s second punt bounced off his leg as he followed it aimlessly down the field. It was surrounded by multiple Panthers, who covered the live ball and set up their offense inside the redzone and for the team’s first touchdown. But Terrell was not the only culprit of mental lapses — Virginia had five fumbles Saturday. The offense also handed Pitt the ball inside the red zone on a fumbled shotgun exchange between Watford and sophomore center Ross Burbank. Burbank’s second poor snap led to a drive-ending nearfumble, and he was later replaced by redshirt freshman Jackson Matteo. It remains to be seen how this game will impact their “open competition” heading into a matchup against Ball State Saturday in Charlottesville.

SPORTS

The Cavalier Daily

Women’s soccer edges Maryland, remains unbeaten

Top-ranked team beats Terrapins 1-0 as sophomore forward Brittany Ratcliffe scores game-winning tally with seconds remaining in first half Michael Eilbacher Senior Associate Editor

The Virginia women’s soccer team has played its fair share of high-stakes games so far this season, but Sunday may have brought added pressure. Returning to Charlottesville for the first time since reaching the No. 1 national ranking, the Cavaliers entered their game against No. 22 Maryland with the challenge of living up to the hype in front of their home fans. Accustomed to high-scoring affairs, the Cavaliers (11-0-0, 5-0-0 ACC) were held to just one goal against the Terrapins (6-5-0, 2-3-0 ACC), but their defense proved impenetrable as they held on for a 1-0 win, extending their season-opening winning streak to 11 games. “We know with this No. 1 ranking that we have this target on our backs, so we know everyone is going to give us their best effort,” senior defender Morgan Stith said. “Coming out today and getting that goal, even if it was one goal or five goals, just getting that win was good for us today.” Virginia was on the attack from the get-go, but the Maryland defense proved difficult to crack. The Cavaliers had 10 shots in the first half to the Terrapins’ five, but they struggled to keep the ball on target, forcing Maryland sophomore goalkeeper Rachelle Beanlands to make just three saves. “We just weren’t as sharp as we normally have been in and around the attacking third,” coach Steve Swanson said. “I thought it could be a little bit of fatigue. Maryland has some good athletes back there, so they defended very hard. Our quality of service into the box wasn’t great.” Maryland went on the counter attack several times as senior forward Hayley Brock got two shots off late in the first half, but Cavalier freshman keeper Morgan Stearns kept the Terrapins off the board with her three saves. In each of the Cavaliers’ last three games, they had been forced to rally from deficits — including a thrilling 3-2 comeback win against Duke Thursday — so the players were very conscious of preventing an early goal. “We really got to stop going down a few goals,” sophomore forward Brittany Ratcliffe said. “It’s really scary. It was good to actually be leading for once.”

The game seemed destined to go into halftime scoreless after a shot from senior forward Amber Fry was stopped by Beanlands with less than two minutes remaining, but the Cavaliers finally mounted a successful attack. Junior midfielder Morgan Brian found Ratcliffe, who took the pass and beat two defenders as she cut across the box. Falling over, Ratcliffe let loose on a left-footed shot from 12 yards out and found the back of the net. The score came with just 17 seconds left in the half and gave Virginia a jolt heading into the break. “Great run by Brittany — I thought she made all the right decisions on the play,” Swanson said. “I thought she looked very unpredictable, and she looked [freshman forward] Morgan Reuther off and cut in. Then she looked like she was going to shoot and then she cut again, and then she shot it. Great goal.” The score sent the Cavaliers into the break with momentum, and they carried it throughout the second half, holding Maryland at bay and off the scoreboard. The Terrapins had just four shots after the break and none forced Stearns to make a save. With the defense firing on all cylinders, Maryland was unable to find an equalizer. “It was a little bit difficult for us to figure out their game plan in the first half,” Stith said. “But I think once we came into halftime and figured out what was going on, we were able to get the ball wide and get the ball forward. I think we executed our game plan well.” Virginia had not played at Klöckner Stadium in 17 days, and the team’s return brought a huge crowd. The official attendance of 2,540 shattered the team’s previous record of 2,011. “This is a great soccer community, I’ve said that again and again and again,” Swanson said. “I’m glad that they’re having a bond with the team. I’ve had a bond with the team for years, but it’s nice to see others get a bond with the team, because I think they’re a special group.” Ratcliffe said that she has noticed a marked difference in attendance between home and road games. “When we go away to games, there aren’t a lot of fans there,” Ratcliffe said. “We come here and play at Klöckner and we have like the whole city here.” The Cavaliers will have a week off before continuing their three-game homestand with a matchup against Clemson next Sunday.

Kelsey Grant | The Cavalier Daily

Sophomore forward Brittany Ratcliffe scored her seventh goal of the season off the bench for Virginia to propel the Cavaliers to victory. Ratcliffe set the all-time program record for most goals as a substitute with the score.

The Cavalier Daily

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BY EMILIO ESTEBAN

The Cavalier Daily

LEAD EDITORIAL

opinion

Home improvement Upper-class on-Grounds housing deserves more attention from Housing & Residence Life

The first “pillar” of the University’s strategic plan is to “extend and strengthen the University’s distinctive residential culture.” To accomplish this goal, the University will have to devote more time and money to on-Grounds upper-class housing. It’s not hard to see why first-year housing attracts the lion’s share of attention from the school. For one, first-year housing plays a big part in courting students. Prospective students take dorm tours and ask themselves if they can imagine living in the buildings they see. We doubt that many prospective students reject or accept a school’s admissions offer on the basis of housing alone. But a glimpse of a dormitory can influence a student’s decision in a less calculated way. An unappealing dorm can give the impression of an unappealing school. A luxurious dorm — such as the newest of the University’s first-year residence halls on Alderman — suggests a luxurious school. Second, first-year students require more from their living situations than upperclassmen. They need friends, first of all. Many first-year students, especially outof-state ones, come in not knowing many of their peers. A robust residential community is key for students who are adapting to the rhythms of college life because living in the same dorm allows people to

Comment of the day “I’ve really enjoyed the series. Best stuff I’ve seen on the recruiting class.” “chiefwahoo” responding to Daniel Weltz’s Sept. 25 article “Part 3: Faith, Family, Football.”

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meet and learn from each other in an unstructured manner. First-year students are also more vulnerable, in many ways, than upperclassmen. Adjusting to college can be very difficult. Fancy first-year dorms can ease this transition. Thus, one motivation behind luxurious first-year dorms is to promote happiness. While a living space that offers amenities such as air conditioning, private study rooms, lounges, open green spaces and so on — as the University’s newest dorms do — can’t guarantee happiness, it can dazzle students who might otherwise dwell on anxieties about fitting in and growing up. Given that first-year students and upperclassmen do not need or desire the same kind, or even quality, of residential experience, it is not surprising that firstyear housing attracts more construction projects, funding and attention than upperclass housing. But the disparity between how much energy the University invests in first-year housing and how much energy it invests in upper-class housing is undesirably large. Most of the upper-class on-Grounds communities at the University have either a barrier to entry (e.g. knowledge of a foreign language) or some special focus. Excluding language houses, residential colleges such as Brown College and the IRC, and trans-

fer communities such as Johnson, Malone and Weedon, the University has just four upper-class residence areas: Bice, Copeley, Faulkner and Lambeth. Two of these areas — Copeley and Faulkner — are sufficiently far from Central Grounds that their residents might protest the University’s upperclass housing “frequently asked questions” page, which lists location as the first reason why students should live on Grounds. The on-Grounds communities that are united by a common interest — such as the language houses — are better positioned both geographically and socially to succeed. But for people who don’t speak a language and aren’t interested in Brown, Hereford or the IRC, options are few and — literally — far between. So students disperse after first year. About half remain on Grounds second year, and that proportion continues to decline when students move into their third and fourth years. The University’s student population is increasing. It is unclear whether this increase in population will require the construction of an additional upper-class dorm. As University officials evaluate whether the school needs another upperclass dorm, they should consider the effects of increased numbers of students seeking off-Grounds housing in Charlottesville. A flood of University students

renting off-Grounds apartments and houses risks driving housing prices up and squeezing Charlottesville residents’ wallets — or possibly squeezing them out of housing near the University altogether. A new on-Grounds upper-class residence area would be a worthwhile development. A recently re-energized push for an on-Grounds Sustainability House points to a way to accomplish two goals at once if the University makes it an upperclass community. Such an initiative, however, will only partially fix the upper-class housing woes, because it is unlikely that an environmentally conscious community would be able to house a large number of students. A new residence area might not be the answer — though an appealing solution, it would be expensive: and where would we put it? — but it is something that Housing & Residence Life should seriously consider planning for. Directing attention toward upper-class housing will also help us keep pace with our peers. Schools with more vibrant upper-class residential atmospheres include some of our most direct competitors. Duke, for example, requires students to live on campus for their first three years. If we wish to strengthen the University’s residential culture, we must devote attention not only to first years but also to upperclassmen.

THE CAVALIER DAILY CAVALIER DAILY STAFF Editor-in-chief Kaz Komolafe, @kazkomolafe Managing Editor Caroline Houck, @carolinehouck Executive Editor Charlie Tyson, @charlietyson1 Operations Manager Meghan Luff, @meghanluff Chief Financial Officer Kiki Bandlow Assistant Managing Editors Matthew Comey, @matthewcomey Andrew Elliott, @andrewc_elliott News Editors Emily Hutt, @emily_hutt Kelly Kaler, @kelly_kaler (S.A.) Joe Liss, @joemliss Sports Editors Fritz Metzinger, @fritzmetzinger Daniel Weltz, @danielweltz3 (S.A.) Zack Bartee, @zackbartee (S.A.) Michael Eilbacher, @mikeeilbacher Opinion Editors Katherine Ripley, @katherineripley Denise Taylor, @deni_tay47 (S.A.) Alex Yohanda Focus Editor Grace Hollis Life Editors Valerie Clemens, @valerietpp

Julia Horowitz, @juliakhorowitz Arts & Entertainment Editors Katie Cole, @katiepcole Conor Sheehey, @mcsheehey13 Health & Science Editor Kamala Ganesh Production Editors Mary Beth Desrosiers, @duhrowsure Rebecca Lim, @rebecca_lim Sylvia Oe, @sylviaoe16 Photography Editors Dillon Harding Jenna Truong, @jennajt21 (S.A.) Marshall Bronfin, @mbronfin Graphics Editors Stephen Rowe Peter Simonsen, @peetabread Multimedia Editor Claire Wang Social Media Manager Greg Lewis, @grglewis Ads Manager Ryan Miller Marketing Manager Anna Xie, @annameliorate (S.A.) Allison Xu Business Manager Matt Ammentorp, @chitownbeardown Claire Fenichel, @clairefeni Financial Controller Tzu-Ting Liao

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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.

OPINION

Monday, September 30, 2013

Unstacking the cards The Cavalier Daily does not contain bias in its news writing Public Editor

In my column two weeks ago, “Working both ways,” I wrote about comments I’d read on a handful of stories on The Cavalier Daily website. In the ensuing time, some comment threads have exploded on a couple of pieces. Most of these are opinion columns, including the managing board’s lead editorials. I expect it will come as no surprise that the columns and articles that generate the most commentary and the most passion in those comments are, at least for some, political in nature. Many of the comments on the Sept. 23 lead editorial, “The virtues of not protesting,” assailed the piece and, indeed, the managing board, for “…liberal bias…” for not being “…a balanced news source…” and “…the way that the authors' identity is hidden behind the anonymous "by: Managing Board…” Bias in news reporting organizations is certainly something to be aware of and to consider as one reads.

This piece, though, is an opinion column. It does not need to be balanced, as it is the consensus view of the managing board of the paper. The managing board needs to be accurate in its assertions and point to compelling evidence where necessary. It need not, though, maintain an aloof, distant manner when expressing an opinion. Readers can and should disagree with the managing board and other opinion writers, but calling out bias in an opinion column is missing the point. As to anonymity, there is none. The managing board is identified in the masthead of every print edition and on the Contact page accessible from every page of the website. There are certainly times where I think the opinion writers, including the managing board, can and should do a more careful job of providing evidence to support their points, but the fact of having an opinion is not a problem in these cases. Bias in news writing is an entirely different concern. I have also read comments online and received a couple of very

thoughtful emails on the subject of bias in news writing in the past week from readers including one who noted that he has been reading the paper consistently for four years. He expressed concern about a shift in attitude toward a “more partisan bent.” One example he cited was a Sept. 16 article about a panel that discussed laws affecting samesex marriage in Virginia. My emailer’s concern was that the article failed to note specifically that all three people on the panel were in agreement about the issue. The Women, Gender and Sexuality program, the University’s LGBTQ Center and the Law School put on the panel. I don’t think this is a problem of bias in news reporting. Off the top of my head, before a news writer would be able to legitimately write about the makeup of the panel she would have to know who was invited, who declined and perhaps why. Not every news piece is going to be an investigative report and news writers should not attempt to write about what didn’t happen at an event. Reporting what did happen is the

charge of a good news writer. It’s also worth noting that on this same issue, in a previous article, “Virginia faculty advocate for LGBT partner state benefits,” an online commenter with the username “UVA professor” found it “curious” that an earlier meeting that discussed the issue wasn’t included in this article. The commenter was also curious that no one from the University was on record saying anything in the article. This highlights a couple of

“

Christopher Broom

If a reader doesn’t like what happened that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem with the reporting.

things that I think are important. In this specific instance at least, the commenter either didn’t read the entire piece or missed that an email from University spokesperson McGregor McCance is quoted at length in the article.

Second, and far more importantly, disagreeing with what is being reported about is not the same as there being bias in the reporting. As I noted above, news writers must write about what happens. If a reader doesn’t like what happened that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a problem with the reporting. I haven’t seen what I think constitutes bias in the news writing in The Cavalier Daily. I urge you to continue to contact me and make comments where you think it may occur in the news writing. Staying unbiased and aloof requires consistent effort. News writers do have beliefs about the world; they simply try to keep those out of their reporting. Pointing out where there have been legitimate mistakes is important.

Christopher Broom is The Cavalier Daily’s public editor. He can be reached at publiceditor@ cavalierdaily.com or on Twitter @ CDPublicEditor.

No cutting corners Students at the University must help fight the homelessness problem Opinion Columnist

in CharlottesvilleAnyone who regularly walks by the Corner has at one point or another encountered the homeless men and women sitting beneath the railroad tracks or outside stores. The problem of homelessness is very real here in Charlottesville and while it may seem hopeless, there are ways in which we can help. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell announced back in June a 16 percent drop in overall homelessness statewide, yet the city of Charlottesville is still struggling with homelessness. This problem needs to be solved. However, it cannot be solved if students continue to avoid it. Many students ignore the homeless population here. I’ve witnessed students purposely avoid

eye contact with the men and women begging on the Corner. I have even seen students go so far as to cut through the back of the Corner to avoid the section under the railroad tracks where many of the homeless people are. I understand that it can be saddening to see people in dirty clothes sitting on the sidewalk, and I understand how bad we feel as privileged students to not always have money on us to give to them. But is avoiding eye contact really going to help? These men and women are people just like us; they have real feelings, and though you may not be able to give them the dollar they are asking you for, just giving them a smile or acknowledging them is free and will be kinder than ignoring them altogether. Other ways students can help out are by contributing to charities

SAVE

and programs that fight homelessness. Just last week the University hosted an event called Sleepout for the Homeless, which is a fundraiser to fight homelessness in

“

Meredith Berger

I’ve witnessed students purposely avoid eye contact with the men and women begging on the Corner.

Charlottesville. For two nights, participants slept outside in tents in the Amphitheater and received sponsorships from their friends and families, all of which went directly to a local homelessness organization. This event has been at

the University for eight years now and has cumulatively raised more than $25,000 to support organizations that provide services for the homeless population of the Charlottesville area. This year, the organization was The Crossings, which is a community for homeless and low-income people, and a regional solution to homelessness. The city of Charlottesville itself is making some progress toward diminishing the number of those living on the streets. For example, a new program called People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry, or PACEM, is applying a concept called "rapid rehousing.” While The Crossings offers support services to the residents to improve their health and incomes, PACEM helps residents pay their security deposits and rent, and has received $30,000 in funding from the state to do so. These programs

have been successful thus far, and many people now have their own homes, but we can add to the effort. Donating to charities like The Crossings is a great way to help out the extremely poverty-stricken members of the Charlottesville community. We can also help by spreading awareness about homelessness and discovering opportunities to help the homeless in our community. We, as students, can make a difference in the community and it is time we work proactively to find solutions to the problem of homelessness here in Charlottesville.

Meredith Berger is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. Her columns run Mondays.

TREES

L life

The Cavalier Daily

Toro’s takes the town Modern taqueria hopes to add youthful vibe to Corner eateries Margaret Mason Feature Writer

Who doesn’t like tacos? JR Hadley, owner of the new Corner eatery Toro’s Tacos would say the answer is a resounding “no one.” Located at 1327 W. Main St., at the former Baja Bean Co. location, Toro’s aims to bring modern Mexican food to the collegiate masses. Though the restaurant has only been open for three weeks, Hadley — who is also the restaurant’s manager — is an experienced entrepreneur on the Corner. Along with Toro’s, he also co-owns Boylan Heights. A Charlottesville native, Hadley hopes his past expertise and new ideas will combine to make his most recent venture a success. Modeled off the Charleston restaurant “Taco Boy,” Toro’s will focus its culinary efforts on crafting simple tacos and innovative drinks. “I thought it was a super unique con-

cept — authentic tacos, but done in a very cool and hip way,” Hadley said. “It’s simple — kind of how they do it in California and Mexico.” The place differs from a typical cantina, lacking the requisite cheap vinyl table covers, sticky chairs and blasting mariachi music. Instead, Toro’s Tacos features effortlessly cool Aztec-style décor, with both modern booths and popular music. Upon entrance, the space feels open and lively — the perfect balance of casual and sit-down restaurant style. Toro’s also guarantees exclusively fresh ingredients, purchased from local vendors on West Main Street. Tacos start with homemade corn or flour tortillas and are skillfully prepared fresh — each for about $4. Meat options include slowbraised brisket, slow-roasted pork and classic chicken. The appetizers list includes fresh guacamole, salsa and warm queso dip. All in all, the menu satisfies any and all Mexican cravings. “If you’re not trying to break the bank

and you want something really good and really good for you, come here,” Hadley said. Naturally, with its prime Corner location, the restaurant is looking to cater mostly to students. With a youthful vibe and simple menu, Toro’s hopes to become a local hotspot sooner rather than later. The freshly-squeezed, all-natural margaritas could help with that. “The pulse of Toro’s Tacos will definitely be set by the students,” Hadley said. “The students are in our backyard, so we want this to be a student-driven clientele [while still catering] to the whole city.” Although the Corner’s competitive business environment is no secret, Hadley also describes a mutual desire for prosperity on the Corner as a whole. “We’re all in it, trying to get the Corner back to where it used to be,” Hadley said. “Everything should be at the Corner — this is the heartbeat of the Charlottesville network.”

Margaret Mason | The Cavalier Daily

Toro’s Tacos come to the Corner New taqueria leaves much to be desired, still ranks an improvement on Baja Restaurants on The Corner come and go like dust in the wind. The Backyard, Rita’s Ice Cream, Big Dawgz and, most recently, Baja Bean have fallen to the wayside just in the past several years. If you want to open a restaurant on the Corner, you better be ready to bring the heat. Into this competitive atmosphere steps Toro’s Tacos, which has replaced Baja Bean and boasts house-made margaritas, tacos, quesadillas and a host of appetizers. Though some dishes leave more to be desired, others — such as the braised brisket taco — truly shine. At first glance, Baja Bean’s dated interior has met a much-needed update. The bar has been decorated with a massive Texas longhorn on the mantle, neon green lighting and a new countertop.

The stairs rock an effortlessly sadilla came in at a whopping cool Spanish-style tiling that $14. Though expensive for a adds a lot to the Texas-dive- quesadilla, the combination bar-meets-Mexiof Monterey Jack, can-taqueria vibe. Cheddar, Queso Dinner started Fresco and pork with salsa, chips was enough to and queso. The entice me to take salsa was a fresh the leap. Also, the pico de gallo with quesadilla came chopped tomato, with a side of rice, white onion, chilblack beans and ies, lime and cilangrilled street corn tro. Every bite was that did not come chunky and rewith the tacos. TYLER GURNEY freshing, making The quesadilla LIFE COLUMNIST the $1.50 price tag was loaded with easily justifiable. juicy pork and had The queso was a great southwestbit underwhelming, as it was ern flavor. The street corn, a heavy, warm rather than hot, grilled corn on the cob with and lacked an overall depth Mexican seasonings, was of flavor outside of the Mon- grilled well with a nice level terey Jack. of sweetness. Unfortunately, Entrees included the pork the black beans left somequesadilla and the braised thing to be desired, and the brisket tacos. The pork que- rice lacked seasoning. A little

lime, salt and fresh cilantro would have gone a long way. The braised brisket tacos were the highlight of the evening. Coming in orders of two and three, for $9 and $13 respectively, the braised brisket was absolutely succulent. Topped on a fresh corn tortilla with candied bacon and a chipotle slaw, the brisket melted in your mouth, with the chipotle slaw adding a nice level of heat. A largely disappointing aspect of the Toro’s Tacos, however, was the structure of the taco menu. You cannot order just one of their eight specialty tacos. Orders come in sets of two or three, and tacos cannot be mixed and matched. If you want a chicken taco and a brisket taco, you are out of luck unless you have a dining companion willing to share. Tacos priced

individually would make the whole experience significantly nicer. Though Toro’s Tacos has some work to do, it has the potential to establish itself as the Corner destination for Mexican-inspired cuisine. The food is of higher quality than Two Guys Tacos and El Jaripeo. Additionally, Toro’s has the best margarita in walking distance of the University, as well as the best atmosphere of all local Mexican restaurants. With a few tweaks Toro’s could become a great Corner taqueria. But even as a shadow of what it could be, Toro’s proves in its infancy to be a great improvement from Baja Bean. Tyler’s column runs biweekly Thursdays. He can be reached at t.gurney@cavalierdaily.com.

LIFE

Monday, September 30, 2013

Improv groups “Amuse” audiences The Whethermen, Amuse Bouche, LaPetite Teet provide students humor throughout history

Samantha Needham Feature Writer

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be funny to be in an improv group. The University’s two improv groups, The Whethermen and Amuse Bouche, hold auditions with other criteria in mind. “There’s no prescribed person that you’re looking for because there are no hard and fast rules of comedy — the funny just kind of happens,” said Ida Knox, a fourth-year College student and Amuse Bouche member. What the groups do value in performers are confidence, stage presence, cooperativeness and receptiveness to suggestions. “The best you look is when you make someone else look funny; the humor in improv comes from relationship and conflict,” said Sam Miller, a fourth-year College student and Whethermen member.

The Whethermen, the University’s oldest improv comedy troupe, started in 1997 as an offshoot of Shakespeare on the Lawn. They held their first public show at Espresso Corner, where Boylan Heights now stands, and became a contracted independent organization by 1998. The name originated with the group’s uncertainty “whether” anyone would show up for rehearsals or performances, Miller said. A tradition of the group is the “Brand Name” T-shirts, which are “technically a surprise, but everyone knows it’s coming,” Miller said. “It’s based on your improv style and personality,” he said. “It’s kind of like a jersey and it hangs proudly in my closet next to my RG3 jersey.” The group practices four hours a week and holds two sizeable shows and one set of auditions each semester. They

also hold smaller performances at fraternity and sorority rush events, a cappella performance intermissions, family weekend and run icebreakers for groups such as Student Council or Peer Health Educators. Amuse Bouche, the second improv group to start on Grounds, began 10 years ago with a group of students interested in performing long-form improv comedy. The history behind its name is a semi-metaphorical reference to the uncertainty of improv. “Amuse bouche” is a French phrase for an appetizer the chef sends out that you didn’t request. “It’s not necessarily something you picked, but kind of just whatever happens,” Knox said. The group also rehearses four hours a week, but holds three shows each semester, in addition to events such as opening for hypnotist Tom DeLuca last

LOVE CONNECTION Eric and Ava

ERIC

Courtesy Eric

Year: Third year School: College of Arts and Sciences Major: Physics U.Va. involvement: Rugby team, tutoring Hometown: Alexandria, Va. Ideal date (physical attributes): Nice looking! Ideal date (personality): Intelligent, good sense of humor Ideal date (activity): Dinner Deal breakers? [None], as long as

Alex Stock

Cavalier Daily Love Guru

ERIC AND AVA MET ON FRIDAY AT 7 P.M. AND WENT TO CROZET PIZZA ON THE CORNER.

Ava: I did not think that I was go-

ing to get chosen because I made my survey very strange. I was wondering what weirdo they picked out for me.

you're not rude. Describe a typical weekend: Homework, hanging out with friends Hobbies: I always like listening to music. I'll watch movies. I enjoy watching and playing sports. What makes you a good catch? It’s okay to brag! I'm tall, sweet and intelligent. What makes you a less-than-perfect catch? I'm kind of goofy sometimes. What is your spirit animal? Tiger What's your favorite pick-up line? “Hi, my name is Eric!" Describe yourself in one sentence: I am tall and handsome and have a wide variety of knowledge. Do you like horror movies? No. There are some movies that are horror movies that are good, but I don't like horror movies in general. Have you ever (or would you ever) travel around another country alone? I think so. Would it be fun for you to chuck it all and go live on a sailboat? Yes. I would love that.

Eric: I didn't really know how to

feel about [the date. Maybe that] it could be fun. I guess I was nervous.

Ava: Eric was sitting on the [Rotunda] steps by himself, so I figured he was my date. Eric is very tall, which is good. He seemed nice. He was friendly.

Eric: Basically, my expectations

were just to meet a girl and go have dinner and talk. We kind of saw

year and performing at Pancakes for Parkinson’s and other charity events. The rules of improv are simple: accept whatever someone says as a fact, never say no and supplement what someone says with another idea — the “yes, and…” response — said Whethermen President Art Kulatti, a third-year College student. “It’s like reading a really good book — if it’s done right,” Kulatti said. “It has so many facets and characters; you create this world in 30 minutes and focus on a few aspects, but bring about themes that are relevant to every situation and every person.” Along with The Whethermen and Amuse Bouche, sketch comedy group La Petite Teet provides similar humor to the University community. “The founders of La Petite Teet saw an opportunity to create sketch comedy in a school where there wasn’t as much interest,” third-year College stu-

dent Denise Taylor said. In contrast to improv, sketch comedy is written beforehand, then practiced and performed. “We are kind of like Saturday Night Live, while improv is completely made up on the spot,” Taylor said. The group looks for performers with great stage presence, as well as clever and consistent writers to create sketches. La Petite Teet contains members from both of the University improv groups and serves as a separate comedy outlet. “There can sometimes be tension between two improv groups, but La Petite Teet has been awesome because it’s a good medium,” Knox said. Both improv groups travel to the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival during the spring semester, and recently participated in a workshop through Student Council with the Upright Citizen’s Brigade, an improv group from New York City.

Nothing beats a platonic date with a hint of awkwardness.

AVA

Year: Second year School: College of Arts and Sciences Major: Undecided, but possibly Foreign Affairs or Sociology — or both! U.Va. involvement: Salsa club, University Democrats, Crafting for Conservation, Hoos for Refugee Women Hometown: Williamsburg, Va. Ideal date (physical attributes): Tall, skinny, muscular, and I like dem brunette boys… Ideal date (personality): Hilarious, kind, interesting, sarcastic. Also, it would be a plus if they weren’t a figment of my imagination or a fictional character. Ideal date (activity): A long walk on the beach, followed by dinner by candlelight. Then we’d cuddle, chat, eat some more and watch “Sherlock.”

each other from a distance and awkwardly asked each other if the other was here for Love Connection. I thought she was attractive and she seemed like a nice girl, so I was excited.

Ava: He just suggested Crozet Piz-

za. I've been to the one in Crozet but I haven't been to the one on the Corner yet, so I was happy to go.

Eric: [During dinner, I realized], she wasn’t really was my type.

Deal breakers? No sense of humor, or rude. Describe a typical weekend: Sleeping in, surfing Reddit and Pinterest, going out with friends, Netflix, world domination. Hobbies: Music, movies, dancing, procrastinating, creeping on people with my roommates, doing weird accents, being a “badass mothertrucker.” What makes you a good catch? It’s okay to brag! I’m laid back and very silly. Plus my momma says I’m special! What makes you a less-than-perfect catch? I can be pretty socially awkward and shy at times. What is your spirit animal? The majestic sloth. What's your favorite pick-up line? “Aw shift! Look at the asymptote on that mother function!” or, “I’d like to put my basilisk into your Chamber of Secrets.” Describe yourself in one sentence:

Ava: I usually go for guys I can

joke around with and tease. There wasn't much of that going on.

Eric: We talked about our dogs

and about what we do around Grounds. I thought it was a good conversation. It was pretty balanced. It was not awkward.

Ava: Once we got past the normal get-to-know-you questions, it got kind of awkward. I was trying to

Courtesy Ava

The enigma that is me cannot be contained by a mere sentence! Do you like horror movies? Yes, but I can’t watch them by myself. TOO SCARY. Have you ever (or would you ever) travel around another country alone? I haven’t yet! But yes, definitely. Would it be fun for you to chuck it all and go live on a sailboat? Absolutely!

ask him about his favorite movie, and he really didn't have one, so we were kind of staring at each other thinking, "Okay, what happens now?"

Eric: I don't think we really had

much in common, but it wasn’t a huge problem.

Ava: He was a physics major, so he see LOVE CONNECTION, page 193

The Cavalier Daily

H&S

Health & Science

Photo courtesy wikipedia commons Photo illustration Sloan Christopher

Tylenol overconsumption proves fatal

Acetaminophen study documents liver toxicity cases, causes manufacturers to change dosages; alcohol, pain-killer combination harms individuals Allie Hardesty Staff Writer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 150 Americans die every year from ingesting too much acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol. Despite its reputation as a safe, over-the-counter medication, an increasing number of liver toxicity cases have caused serious concern in health care workers and consumers. “If you are taking [Tylenol] for long periods of time you run into problems like liver failure and transplants,” said Matt Staples, a PharmD who works for the University Medical Center’s outpatient pharmacy and Elson Student Health.

Staples said pharmacies try to reconcile a patient’s prescriptions for more serious pain-killers — like Vicodin — with over-thecounter medications to make sure a person is not getting more than the recommended amount of acetaminophen per day. “Often you’ll have three or four medications in one drug, but if it doesn’t have Tylenol written in the title, people may not realize there is acetaminophen in it,” he said. “Not everyone knows to keep an eye out for ingredients on the back of the box. Take Vicodin for example — it’s acetaminophen and oxycodone. When people don’t check the labels and take both Vicodin and Tylenol, they are doubling up.”In the fall of 2011, to address rising concerns about the safety

of Tylenol, Johnson & Johnson lowered the maximum daily dose from 4,000 mg to 3,000. For Tylenol Extra Strength, this decision dropped the maximum number of pills per day from eight to six. They also added a new cap to their bottles reading ‘Contains Acetaminophen, Always Read the Label’. One remaining problem is the excessive number of products Tylenol has available to consumers, all with different dosage amounts. While Tylenol Extra Strength contains 650 mg of acetaminophen, Tylenol 8-hour Muscle Aches and Pains contains 500, and the Sinus and Allergy variety contains 325. “A lot of people can’t necessarily figure out how much they are taking with extra strength prod-

ucts, or they will take more than 2 tablets, more than four times a day,” said Staples. “It comes down to being able to add it all up properly. There is a large population that are illiterate, they are ashamed of not being able to read, and they don’t always look for the help they need.” Alcohol consumption can also create problems for those taking acetaminophen. Tylenol is metabolized by the liver and broken down into substances that are excreted in the urine — when more Tylenol is consumed than the liver can metabolize, these substances become toxic. Because the liver processes both Tylenol and alcohol, the two can interact causing increased liver damage. “The liver processes alcohol, so when you are drinking and taking

Tylenol, you are giving your liver double whammy,” Staples said. But Staples also suggested that interactions between alcohol and acetaminophen are more problematic when habits are chronic. In other words, taking the recommended dose of Tylenol and going out to drink that night is not going to lead a person to experience toxicity symptoms and liver problems. People run into problems when they regularly consume several alcoholic drinks a day and take large doses of Tylenol. Although the FDA requires alcohol warnings on products like Tylenol, consumers should be aware that taking Tylenol while consuming three or more alcoholic drinks per day puts them at an increased risk of damage.

Home care workers gain rights Labor Department announces 2 million home caregivers to receive legal protections Yash Maniar Staff Writer

In a monumental change for licensed healthcare professionals who deliver services to disabled and senior citizens, the Department of Labor announced this week that starting in 2015 they will require minimum wages and overtime protections be extended to home-based “direct care” workers. Why does this change matter? The nearly 2 million U.S. home care workers assist adults, disabled people and seniors who are either recovering after a hospital stay or need extra support living at home. Until now, home care workers have been listed under the “companionship exemption” of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1974. This exemption meant employers did not have to pay companion workers — everything from babysitters to home care workers — a minimum wage or offer them overtime pay.

Though the national average for home-based caregivers is already above the national minimum wage, the extension of these protections will have a huge impact on the industry and the disabled community — particularly for oft-marginalized workers within the industry. The home care workforce, which has grown tremendously in recent years, its comprised of 90 percent women and 50 percent minority workers, according to data from the Department of Labor. In addition to providing better wages for these workers, the law also ensures the rights of many senior citizens and people with disabilities to avoid moving into institutionalized care. This change is a promising shift for home care workers across the nation, but here at the University these workers already have it better than most. Nationally, the median pay for home care workers is $9.70 per hour. But home care workers at the U.Va. Continuum Home Health Care, the University Health Sys-

tem’s own home health agency, are Medical Center employees where the minimum wage is $11.30 per hour, according to public information officer Eric Swensen. University home health workers are also already are paid time-and-ahalf for overtime, Swensen said, which is the national standard that will soon be adopted for all home care workers. Minimum wage and overtime pay are fundamental rights of all workers, and have already been provided to most U.S. employees. The initial proposal to remove home care workers from the companionship exemption, which the for-profit home care industry has been lobbying strongly against, was announced in December 2011. The extension of these legal protections will improve the lives of large swaths of that 2 millionperson workforce, however, and because the changes will not be implemented for 15 months, families using home care workers and state Medicaid programs have time to adjust.

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Monday, September 30, 2013

Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

focus

Virginia’s fight against hazing continues The Cavalier Daily revisits last semester’s alcohol-related hospital visits, hazing allegations with emails obtained via Freedom of Information Act Anna Perina Senior Writer

In light of last week’s National Hazing Prevention Week, The Cavalier Daily returned to the email exchanges of relevant administrators during those months. The following information has been obtained from emails secured through the Freedom of Information Act.In response to a specific rush incident at Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) that resulted in the hospitalization of a student with a .45 BAC, FIJI subsequently underwent an Inter-Fraternity Council Judicial Trial and was placed on social probation for five weeks. Three individual members involved in the incident received specific sanctions, including suspension and loss of leadership positions in the fraternity. In late March, Associate Dean of Students Nicole Eramo received an anonymous email from a pledge that read: “I am writing to anonymously report about the hazing that has been occurring during the pledging process. It has become very, very bad.”

Then-IFC president Andy Colberg sent an email to members of the IFC community warning the fraternity community of a possible crack down by the University on fraternity activities due to rushrelated hospitalizations. “If we do not take responsibility and change our process, the University has made it abundantly clear that they will take over the rest of rush or cancel it, and they will reconsider the standing of the Inter-Fraternity system at U.Va.,” Colberg said in a Jan. 25 email. “Unfortunately, we are too big not to fail.” The remainder of the 2013 male rush process was consequently different from past years. No hard liquor was allowed at any fraternity events, including Bid Day. Each fraternity was required to have a minimum of six sober brothers at all events, and IFC representatives were permitted to randomly monitor rush events to ensure compliance.University hazing policies came under spotlight last spring when the Office of the Dean of Students issued new rush and pledging policies in response to several hazing allega-

tions and a January night during which 10 University students were hospitalized for alcohol-related incidents. On April 4, University Dean of Students Allen Groves sent out a letter to all IFC chapter presidents requesting that the fraternities initiate their new members by 6 p.m. on April 6, effectively shortening the semester-long pledge period to nine weeks. Grove’s letter came after two hazing investigations involving the Chi Phi and Kappa Alpha chapters, as well as multiple other reports of hazing. Though the IFC did not make the decision to shorten the newmember period to nine weeks, IFC president Jake Pittman accepted Groves’ decision. “At the end of the day I think a lot of people understand the reason why it happened … there needed to be a precedent shown for stopping this kind of behavior at the university,” he said in May. “The IFC completely endorses the administration’s action to prevent future hazing.” Some chapters expressed concern that Groves’ decision unnecessarily sanctioned a “blanket

punishment” to all chapters, even those adhering to the IFC rules and regulations. “Instead, what the school should be doing is treating each individual fraternity separately,” said a member of the IFC community who requested anonymity. “They should investigate each claim of hazing or rush violation or party violations and punish those fraternities individually, because what that does is that makes those fraternities into an example and everyone else complies after they see what happens.” That same student pointed to the Greek community’s higher than average GPAs and philanthropic activism. “I think by treating us as one whole body they’re ma k ing it into an us against them issue, which we don’t want,” he said. “We

LOVE CONNECTION Night continues, sparks do not Continued from page 17 talked about that a lot. I don't really know anything about science in general.

enough for two people.

Eric: [After the date] we went to get coffee [at Starbucks].

Ava: He kept asking me about my

flirting going on. I'd say there was more of a friend vibe.

plans for later that evening. He seemed really intent on hanging out with me later. After we went Starbucks, we went back to [a social gathering] at my dorm in Bice.

Ava: Like I said, he talked a lot

Eric: I had to bail, because I [had to

Eric: There was not really any

about science; I just smiled and nodded. It was hard to think about things to talk about we both had in common. I'm already awkward

go] to let my roommate back in.

Ava: We exchanged numbers and he texted me, "Do you want to

meet up after?" and I said, "Sure!" We ended up meeting up later when I went out with some of my suitemates. I guess it kind of ended after I went home with my friends.

Eric: I think [I would see her again] as a friend.

Ava: We might meet up again as

friends, but that's about it. I don't think [there was a romantic connection].

Eric: I'd rate the date a 7. Ava: I would rate the date a 7 out of

10. He was a really sweet guy, but I feel like we didn't have much in common or had much to talk about. We were both kind of awkward with each other.

want the school to look at more of the good we do. The student also clarified that what he felt was often misunderstood about the pledging phase, and why some fraternity brothers were disappointed with the shortened new-member period. “A lot of pledging is tradition, and it is what your specific chapter has done for 100 or 150 years,” he said. In correspondence with the leaders of IFC last semester, Groves cited the need to continue “substantive discussions” about hazing in the fall. But in regards to the future of these policies, the Office of the Dean of Students declined to comment.