Thursday, October 2, 2014

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Thursday, October 2, 2014

Vol. 125, Issue 12

A CULTURE OF COMPETITION

Several popular student groups have acceptance rates lower than 25 percent, first-years focus on few organizations out of 700, Groves says

Police use drones in Hannah Graham Search

Aetna allows students to enroll same-sex partners

Associate Editor

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Literary and Debating Society deCharacterizing Involvement clined to release all of its figures Inspired by a tradition of stufrom their fall 2014 tryout pro- dent engagement but limited by cess. a concentration on specific clubs, “We do not have a member- students fight what third-year ship quota, expected class size, or College student Emma Myers percentage admitted, and releas- called an “uphill battle” to get ining the figures from this fall may volved in popular groups. serve to confuse that message,” fourth-year College student Kate Kingsbury, membership chair of the Jefferson Literary & Debating Society, said in an email.

A list circuIf someone told you they don’t do anything other lated of accepted than go to class, that would come as a shock to members showed you,” Schauer said. the Jefferson Society ultimately accepted 51 applicants this fall.

Myers, who sits on the execuThe University Programs tive board of the International Council and the Virginia No- Relations Organization and is a Tones also declined to release member of the University Guide their acceptance data.

Service, said that for students, But not all organizations competition lends groups a sense are this exclusive. The craze of of legitimacy. competition revolves around a “Your involvement is somerelatively small number of orga- how more valid if you competed nizations — many, if not most, with 10 people for that one spot,” organizations are open to all who Myers said. are interested, including sizable Fourth-year College student groups like Sustained Dialogue Lauren Schauer, who is on the exand the International Relations ecutive board of University DemOrganization. ocrats and is a founding member of the group United for Under-

“

As September comes to a close, most upperclassmen have re-entered the academic mode. First years are continuing to acclimate to a new environment. And organizations, both on Grounds and off, have nearly finished recruiting new members.

Not everyone, however, is now involved in his or her extracurricular activity of choice. With many popular and well-known groups at the University holding application or try-out processes which necessarily restrict membership, securing University involvement can at times appear a function of either luck or privilege.

In discussing the competitiveness of extracurriculars, however, Dean of Students Allen Groves warns of tunnel vision. In an effort to get involved, some students concentrate on the most visible organizations on Grounds, he said.

“Too many young people focus on four to five organizations, when we have 700,” Groves said.

“There are a handful of organizations, that, because they are high profile, students believe they need to be part of if they are going to have the U.Va experience.”

Name recognition and its ac-

companying prestige, then, creates highly-selective application processes to join some of the most well-known student groups.

The University Judiciary Committee, for example, evaluated 144 applicants this fall and took “around 40,” said UJC Chair Timothy Kimble, a fourth-year College student. The UJC application rate, then, was 27 percent.

Similarly, in 2013, the Honor Committee received 281 applications, ultimately accepting 43 students (15 percent), while College Council accepted only 17 of the 120 students who applied to be underclassman representatives (14 percent).

And such competition is not limited to organizations predicated on student self-governance.

Performance groups also boast similarly steep acceptance rates for new members.

Last spring, more than 40 students tried out for the Whethermen, an improv comedy group.

Only one new member was accepted.

A cappella groups the Virginia Belles and the Virginia Gentlemen, which generally have few openings in already small ensembles, had acceptance rates of 2.6 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively, this fall.

Not all groups disclose their acceptance data. The Jefferson

Kaelyn Quinn

PROFILE: Volleyball senior outside hitter Tori Janowski PAGE 8

WHISNANT: Duplicitous politics PAGE 10

graduate Socio-Economic Diversity, echoed a similar sentiment.

“You have to be competitive to be cool,” Schauer said.

Fourth-year College student Katie Somers, co-chair of Housing and Residential Life, said extracurricular involvement is encouraged from the beginning of first year.

“As Resident Advisors and Senior Residents, we encourage our students to get involved in the University from the get-go,” Somers said.

Involvement outside the classroom can become a key part of a University student’s identity.

“People associate being involved with being a part of the U.Va. community,” said third-year College student Grace Muth, a senior support officer for the Honor Committee.

Administratively-promoted values of student self-governance and engagement may work to reinforce this image.

“At an institution that values student self-governance and leadership, student involvement plays a large role in the U.Va. experience,” Interim Director of Student Activities Emily Miles said in an email.

see COMPETITION, page 63 Q&A: Russell Lord opens Fralin exhibit PAGE 15

N news

The Cavalier Daily

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State police link Graham, Harrington cases Forensic evidence connects two similar disappearance cases, both still require further investigation Caelainn Carney Senior Writer

Virginia State Police released a statement Monday confirming a forensic link between secondyear College student Hannah Graham’s recent disappearance and Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington’s death in 2009.

Police say forensic evidence taken from suspect Jesse Matthew in the Graham case match evidence found in connection to the Harrington case.

“For the past five years, the Virginia State Police has been aggressively pursuing the investigation into the disappearance and death of 20-year-old Morgan D. Harrington of Roanoke, Va.,” the statement read. “Last week, the arrest of Jesse L. Matthew Jr., 32, of Charlottesville, Va., provided a significant break in this case with a new forensic link for state police investigators to pursue.”

Police said though this new information is helpful, there still is much to be done in resolving the Harrington case.

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Virginia State Police confirmed a link between the Morgan Harrington case and Hannah Graham, who has been missing since September 13.

On Sunday, October 17, 2009, Harrington disappeared after attending a Metallica concert at John Paul Jones Arena. Harrington had driven to Charlottesville for the event with a friend from James Madison University.

Her friends reportedly were separated from her at 8:45 p.m. on the night of the concert. Independent witness accounts indicate that Harrington was last seen at 9:30 p.m. on the Copeley Road Bridge near Ivy Road hitchhiking for a ride. Her father reported her missing at 12:30 p.m. the next day.

At the time of her disappearance, Dan Harrington, pleaded with the public for help.

"If Morgan's out there and hears us, please come home," he said in Oct. 2009. "And if someone has Morgan, please let her go."

Harrington’s remains were discovered in Jan. 2010 on a local farm, about 10 miles from Grounds, by David Bass, owner of Anchorage Farms in Albemarle County, while doing rounds on his property.

"I was in a remote place on the farm that I rarely need to go to but I was checking fence lines because of the bad storm Sunday night," Bass said in Jan. 2010.

Bass contacted police immediately after the discovery. Both Albemarle County and Virginia State Police launched a thorough investigation of his property where the remains were found.

Gil Harrington, Morgan's mother, said the unresolved case

has made her family frantic.

“It has been seven months since Morgan was abducted, raped, and murdered,” she wrote in a blogpost in May 2010. “Still no resolution! We find some comfort in having recovered her body; knowing is better than not knowing and trying to ‘fill in the blanks.’”

Now, evidence from the Graham investigation may provide a resolution.

The forensic evidence may also provide a break in a 2005 sexual assault committed in Fairfax City.

In June 2012, the FBI released a statement saying that DNA from the 2005 attacker matched that found in the Harrington investigation.

“Today, federal, state, and local law enforcement launched a multimedia campaign that includes two enhanced composite sketches of a suspect in the 2009 murder of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington," the FBI said at the time. "The unknown murder suspect is also connected by DNA to a 2005 sexual assault in Fairfax City, Virginia.”

Despite the benefit this information might lend to the 2005 and 2009 investigations, Virginia State Police said the community must continue to focus on finding Graham. “[Right] now, the public’s focus needs to remain on helping Charlottesville Police locate and bring Hannah Graham home,” they said in the press release Monday.

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NEWS

Thursday, October 2, 2014

3

Police employ drones in Graham search Albemarle County Police employed the use of drone technology Wednesday in their continuing efforts to locate missing second-year College student Hannah Graham.

Officers employed an Unmanned Aerial System, or UAS, equipped with advanced sensors. The UAS belongs to Virginia Tech’s Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, headquartered at the university’s Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science in Blacksburg. This is the first time a UAS was used by Virginia authorities for a search of this kind, and its use required prior approval by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Carter Johnson, a public information officer for the Albemarle County Police Department, said the UAS was used to search areas where all-terrain vehicles and helicopters are

unable to reach due to terrain restrictions or power lines.

“We are grateful that this technology was available to help us find Hannah Graham,” Johnson said in an email. “Our focus is on finding Hannah and we appreciate the support

by VT in allowing us to use their UAS.” Meanwhile, Jim Camblos requested a continuance for his client, Jesse Matthew, in an hearing on the charge of abduction with intent to defile in Charlottesville General District Court. The hearing was originally scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m., but will now be held at a later date.

Matthew will still appear in Albemarle General District Court Thursday at 9 a.m. for a bond hearing on two reckless driving charges.

—compiled by Kelly Kaler

College Council approves Phi Kappa Psi walkway funds Student Council rejects paving proposal, Council to use rollover funds for improvement project Caitlyn Seed Senior Writer

College Council approved funding Monday to pave and redesign the pathway in front of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity house overlooking Mad Bowl.

Proponents of the sidewalk argued that the current pathway is unsafe to walk on, especially at night when students — many intoxicated — use the path to cross from Madison Lane to Rugby Road, and during inclement weather during which the path becomes muddy and slippery.

The project was originally proposed by Student Council, but was rejected by a vote earlier in September. Though the majority of Student Council agreed safety was a concern, many members felt the fraternity should bear financial responsibility for the project, rather than Student Council. Whether the land in front of the Phi Psi Fraternity House belongs to the fraternity is unclear.

“When [Student Council] came to our old President last semester with the project idea, it was under the assumption that it would be fully funded by StudCo,” Phi Psi President Stephen Scipione, a third-year College student, said in an email. “That is why they approached us with the idea, independent of us coming to them.”

The current pathway is a mixture of dirt, gravel, and larger rocks that stick out of the ground, and is in many places not level. It is also prone to pooling large puddles, making the path muddy when it rains or snows.

The issue was brought to light when concerned students posted on SpeakUpUVa, an online forum for concerns to Student Council.

Chris Collins, a fourth-year Engineering student and Building and Grounds Committee representative, brought up the item before Student Council along with Representative Body Chair Abraham Axler, a second-year College student.

“The proposal was for paving that area in brick that would complement the existing architecture and improve the safety of that path,” Collins said.

The proposal was rejected by Student Council after executive review during the budgetary process.

College Council President Daria Winsky, a third-year College student, said the proposal was not sold well in Student Council.

“It all came down to the way it was proposed in the meeting,” she said of the original Student Council proposal. “People started to think it wasn’t a University issue.”

Student Council and College Council both have a limited yearly budget that comes primarily from

Student Activity Fees, paid by all University students.

“It is hard to prioritize what proposals get that money and which proposals don’t,” Collins said.

After continued communication, Collins brought the issue before College Council, who approved the project Monday.

Though College Council also debated the ownership of the path, they ultimately agreed to fund the project due to the overarching safety concerns.

“It doesn’t matter who walks this path, whether they’re in the College or not,” Winsky said.

“Safety is paramount for every student.”

The agreement to fund that reconstruction of the path has come with a few stipulations.

“They have to make sure there are lights on the path,” Winsky said. “We want to make sure it’s lit all the way through. Ideally, it would be handicap accessible.”

The sidewalk will be constructed by William Lamb of American Masonry. Lamb has agreed to do the project for a reduced cost of $5,600 in return for future showcasing in the Greek community at the University. A project of such size would normally cost between $8,000 and $10,000.

Scipione said the proposal calls for a "5-foot wide, 4-inch thick concrete slab from the pavement

on the Madison side parking lot to the staircase leading down to the Rugby side parking lot. An overlay of Virginia brick pavers, matching the traditional University style masonry around Grounds ... and a reconstruction of the three staircases in front of the Phi Psi house.”

The funding for this project

by College Council will not come from new Student Activity Fees, but from a separate budget derived from rollover funds from previous years.

“A part of our budget is allocat-

ed for long-term projects that will benefit the College and University as a whole,” Winsky said. “This is different than our annual budget.”

College Council is also hoping to see a return on some of the funding. Some members proposed to raise money through the sale of an engraved brick in the new sidewalk.

Winsky said she hopes the project will create a partnership between the community and College Council.

College Council approved funding to pave a walkway in front of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house, above. Student Council had previously rejected the funding request.

Porter Dickie | The Cavalier Daily

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NEWS

The Cavalier Daily

Students can add same-sex spouses to insurance LGBTQ faculty still cannot add spouses to University’s healthcare plan, students, faculty have different applicable state rules, Carter says Jenna Dickerson Associate Editor

The University announced Tuesday that students enrolled in the Aetna Student Health plan are now allowed to add either same- or opposite-sex domestic partners to their plans.

The faculty and staff health insurance plan will not provide the same benefits due to strict state laws, Student Affairs spokesperson Virginia Carter said.

“The student plan and the faculty plan are administered totally differently — they are both through Aetna, but are completely different plans,” Carter said. “Under state law, the ben-

efit of domestic partnership is not available for the staff plan. […T]here are very strict laws when it comes to health care.”

Carter said she assumed the University afforded the benefit to students as soon as it discovered the option was available.

Graduate teaching assistants — whose insurance the University can subsidize — will also benefit from the change.

Because graduate teaching assistants are considered students, they fall under the student health plan.

Fourth-year College student Blake Calhoun, chair of the minority rights coalition, said she believes the new policy is a step in the right direction for the University’s LGBTQ population,

and spoke favorably of the community’s relationship with the administration overall.

“In my nearly four years here, I’ve found U.Va. to be incredibly accepting of LGBTQ students and initiatives; every member of administration that I have interacted with in regards to LGBTQcentric initiatives has been more than willing to assist,” Calhoun said in an email. “U.Va. doesn't get enough credit for being a leader amongst public universities in the realm of LGBTQ student life and scholarship.”

Calhoun said declaring victory is premature, however, so long as faculty and staff are excluded from these same benefits.

“It is imperative that we as students continue to highlight

domestic partner benefits for faculty and staff while also offering the administration what support we can provide,” Calhoun said. “I'm confident that we will continue to do so.”

The University requires all students have health insurance upon entering school. It offers the Aetna Student Health plan to students who either don’t have health insurance or want to consider other policies.

The University does not cover the cost of the health insurance plan, giving students responsibility for paying the premium in full. The annual cost of enrolling a spouse on a student health plan is an additional $3,678.

Carter said the change will make health care accessible to

many who may not have had it before.

“Health insurance is a good thing, and we want to make sure as many people have it as possible,” Carter said.

Carter said the University is unable to estimate the number of students who will take advantage of the change in policy because there no record is kept of the number of students with domestic partners.

Carter did add that she expects more graduate students than undergraduate students to take advantage of the change.

University students are allowed to enroll their spouses through Oct. 20 by paper application available at Elson Student Health Center.

Sarvis discusses Senate candidacy Libertarian unlikely to prove strong competitor in November election, Skelley says

Will Marshall Senior Writer

Libertarian Virginia Senate candidate Robert Sarvis spoke at a Students for Individual Liberty event at Clark Hall Wednesday, outlining his platform in the upcoming midterm election.

The Annandale native broke into the spotlight when he ran as a third-party candidate in last year’s Virginia gubernatorial election, defining his brand of libertarianism as a best of both worlds, striking a balance between what he considers the Republican and Democratic parties’ “best” policies.

Generally speaking, Sarvis said he identifies with the right’s fiscal policies and the left’s social policies.

Sarvis began his political career as a GOP candidate running for state Senate, eventually dropping his Republican affiliation and taking up the Libertarian mantle.

“After I ran in 2012 as a libertarian Republican, I learned that the GOP is not a good vehicle for liberty candidates,” Sarvis said. “They are hypocritical on economic issues and strident on social issues.

I feel like the two-party system is broken. I could have run as an independant, but that’s not leaving behind something that outlasts

Kelsey Grant | The Cavalier Daily

Robert Sarvis, above, used to be a member of the Republican party, but he switched to the Libertarian Party due to ideological differences.

you.”

Sarvis emphasized what he considers the most urgent issues libertarian candidates need to address — the dwelling on the long, costly drug war, which he blames for saddling the nation with excess expenditures in the last 50 years.

“Thanks to the drug war, we have millions in prison — the highest incarceration rate in the world,” Sarvis said. “A third of those are for nonviolent crimes, which, a) costs money, and b) is wasted human potential.”

Other issues topping his list of priorities included reforming certain entitlement programs and deregulating areas where he believes the free market would be a more effective solution.

“Obamacare is a problem — but we’ve also had 100 years of misregulation of the health care system by both major parties,” Sarvis said.

Sarvis finished in third in the 2013 governor’s race with 6.5 percent of the vote, the best showing by a third-party candidate in a southern state in 40 years. His message resonated strongly with the youth vote, clear when he secured 15 percent of under-30 voters.

Sarvis said this is a promising trend for his party.

“Because young people are more open minded and don’t have the party loyalties, they tend to see the value of individual freedom,” Sarvis said. “It’s instinctive for them when they see the power of the internet as a means of expressing oneself and then the government violates your privacy, and on

Kelsey Grant| The Cavalier Daily

Libertarian Senate sandidate Robert Sarvis, above, spoke to students Wednesday evening. Sarvis is hoping upset incumbent Democrat Mark Warner and his challenger Republican Ed Gillespie.

race issues and gay rights issues, they are asking: is this really even an issue?”

Center for Politics spokesperson Geoffrey Skelley said he doubted Sarvis would be able to mount a credible threat to the incumbent Democrat Mark Warner and Republican challenger Ed Gillespie.

“I don’t believe Sarvis has any chance of winning,” Skelley said.

Nevertheless, Skelley praised the Libertarian’s political acumen, his ability to engage the electorate and his attempts to create a viable third party.

“Sarvis did relatively well in a statewide race,” Skelley said. “He’s a natural and can carry the banner

on to the Senate race. So he doesn’t pose a threat, but there is a purpose here in what he’s doing. They are running in a number of House and Senate races nationally — they need that to have a future as a political entity.”

Skelley said Sarvis’ youth appeal would help the Libertarian Party in the years to come.

“Something about young voters in general: they seem to hold liberal positions particularly on social issues, but there are strains of economic libertarianism,” Skelley said.

“They’re not necessarily conservative, but they are more inclined to be liberal on social issues.”

NEWS

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Pediatrics Academy endorses teen IUD use

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American Academy of Pediatrics says device limits user error, more effective than oral birth control

Juliana Radovanovich Senior Writer

The American Academy of Pediatrics published an article Monday endorsing the use of Intrauterine Devices as their preferred method of birth control among teens, moving it ahead of the birth control pill.

IUDs are small, T-shaped devices made of copper, a spermicidal material, or plastic. The plastic version contains hormones. They are considered one of the most effective methods of birth control, with a typical annual failure rate of 0.8 percent for copper and 0.2 for hormonal.

Pediatricians and gynecologists advocate the use of IUDs for teenagers because they leave no room for user error and have a significantly lower failure rate than oral contraceptive pills, given they are much easier for users to forget or take irregularly.

Dr. Christine Peterson, director of the Gynecology Clinic at Student Health, also recommends IUDs.

“For most young women, they are an excellent choice,” Peterson said. “They are not for everyone, but they are highly effective and in general really well tolerated.”

IUDs have also been endorsed by the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians for the past few years. According to their Committee Opinion on Adolescents and Long-Acting Reversible Contraception, published in 2012 and reaffirmed this year, IUDs are safe and do not increase the risk of infertility in adolescents.

Dr. Carrie Sopata, an OB/GYN with the University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said IUDs have been less popular than birth control pills due to concerns about future fertility issues.

However, the statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics said there is no evidence to validate this concern.

“This recommendation endorsed what we’ve known to be true for a long time,” Sopata said.

“Current IUDs that are on the market are very safe for young women who plan to have families in the future, so I hope that we will

see a rise in reliable birth control among that age group.”

In the past, oral contraceptive pills have been overwhelmingly the most common form of birth control prescribed to adolescents, but use of IUDs has increased in recent years, Sopata said.

“The pill has been the most commonly used form of birth control for a long time, but we’re certainly seeing more placement of IUDs and more implants, so those two are definitely on the rise,” she said.

But the endorsement by the American Academy of Pediatrics will not directly cause an increase in IUD usage among the collegeaged population, Peterson said.

“I don’t know how much of an impact that recommendation is going to have on U.Va. students,” Peterson said. “It certainly is going to have an impact on teenagers in high school because they go to see their pediatrician, but by the time they come to U.Va., they’re outside of the pediatric age range.”

There is often a high cost associated with IUDs, but as with most other types of birth control, with

the exception of voluntary sterilization and male contraceptive methods, they are covered under most students’ health insurance plans.

The upfront

cost of examination, insertion and follow-up can run up to $1,000.

In contrast, birth cont r o l pills are purchased and paid for continuously as they are used.

Following the passage of the Affordable Care Act, plans have changed to comply with new standards mandating the coverage of all forms of birth control, though some of these changes will not be put into place for a few more years.

“A business that has had a particular plan for many years is

grandfathered in, and some of them don’t yet have to cover contraception,” Peterson said. “But, that’s going to change as of 2016.”

All insurance plans will cover all forms of FDA-approved birth control, other than those exempted by the Supreme Court for religious reasons.

The publication of the article by the American Academy of Pediatrics condoning adolescent use of IUDs is expected to spark interest in long-term methods of birth control. Peterson encouraged stud e n t s interested or curious about IUDs or birth control to visit Student Health.

“If anybody has any questions or concerns about birth control, or would like to start a method or talk about starting a method, we are totally happy to see you at Student Health,” Peterson said.

Students start “Save the Next Girl” chapter CIO to mirror, change Virginia Tech organization chapter, seeks formal Student Council approval

Anna Higgins Senior Writer

University students start Help Save the Next Girl chapter to raise awareness for missing persons

By Anna Higgins Students hope to soon officially launch a University chap-

ter of Help Save the Next Girl, a national organization founded by Gil and Dan Harrington to raise awareness for missing persons and violence against women.

They founded the organization in memory of their daughter, Morgan Harrington, a Virginia Tech student who was abducted and killed in Charlottesville in 2009.

Courtesy Gil Harrington

Third-year Continuing and Professional Studies student Landon Wilkins and second-year Nursing student Heather Kesler began the new organization on Grounds with support from Gil, above, and Dan Harrington.

Third-year Continuing and Professional Studies student Landon Wilkins and secondyear Nursing student Heather Kesler spearheaded the effort for HSTNG in light of the recent disappearance of second-year College student Hannah Graham.

Wilkins said the interest was also sparked by other recent missing persons cases in Charlottesville and surrounding areas, including women who were never reported as missing.

“There was a girl missing the same day as Hannah Graham,” Wilkins said. “There are also the issues from 2012 of Dashad ‘Sage’ Smith, a transgender African American woman who went missing from the Charlottesville Amtrak station.”

Wilkins and Kesler are working to gain CIO status for HSTNG at the University. Student Council must vote on the chapter’s approval.

Wilkins and Kesler have already created plans to carry out the goals of the organization.

“We’ll have a few fundraising events and raise awareness for missing persons cases — just events to keep their names and faces out there,” Kesler said.

“We’ll also have educational programs to help women protect

themselves and let men know what they can do to help make the community a safer place.”

Ian Heflin, a director for the national organization, said these events differ between various chapters, and the University's chapter might well be different than the original chapter at Virginia Tech.

“We hold community events to raise awareness, and participate with law enforcement to promote their 'Rape, Aggression, Defense' courses,” Heflin said. “We hope that through education we can reduce the number of people who are passive bystanders and help save lives.”

Virginia Tech’s chapter of the organization sponsors Take Back the Night, in addition to seminars at local schools in coordination with the Virginia Tech police force. Chapter President Erica Grant, a junior at Virginia Tech, said these events are necessary to fulfill the vision of the organization.

“Every year, we chalk the bridge where Morgan Harrington was last seen with quotes and drawings of girls who are not forgotten,” Grant said. “People’s lives are at stake when you do nothing.

Action is imperative.”

The organization has spread

across high school and college campuses nationwide. Grant said there is stronger defense against abduction when multiple schools in an area develop their own chapters and means of awareness.

“It is especially important that U.Va. open a chapter with the recent abduction of Hannah Graham,” Grant said. “This is the time to take action. Don’t just sit around and wait for this to happen again.”

The University chapter sent its application to Student Council Sunday. Until the chapter receives CIO approval, Wilkins said students can become involved through other means.

“Students can help by donating to the Charlottesville police department things like food, water and emotional encouragement,” Wilkins said. “ They can also help by joining other sexual assault groups on grounds, like One in Four.”

Students must be proactive to help the cause, Grant said.

“Personal safety is of the utmost importance, but there is a flipside to all of this,” she said.

“Everyone should be protective of the people around them. You should always be aware of your surroundings.”

F

focus Continued from page 1 Myers said this spirit of involvement is something the student body should take pride in.

“Being told to take ownership of your school … to engage in your community is a beautiful thing,” Myers said.

Consequences of competition But the narrative of student involvement at the University, while at times empowering, can at times overwhelm students, pressuring them to feel involved while making uninvolved students an anomaly.

“If someone told you they don’t do anything other than go to class, that would come as a shock to you,” Schauer said.

Oftentimes, pressure does not end when a student joins a club, with even involved students saying they sometimes feel they do not feel adequately committed.

“Even if you have no more hours in the day to commit to something, you still feel like you should be doing more,” Muth said. “It’s never enough.”

In an effort to play the part of the involved University student, students look to certain organizations as a means to focus extracurricular involvement. In such a narrow and competitive context, however, some students may fall through the cracks.

“I think a lot of people get overlooked,” said fourth-year Architecture student Henry Brazer, a Resident Advisor and Trustees committee member.

Resident advisors often witness the first round of extracurricular rejection firsthand. With many first-year students boasting strong high school résumés, this rejection can come as both a shock and jarring disappointment.

“The only really tough part about the club/organization application process is seeing your resident go through any kind of rejection,” Somers said. “As a RA it is your role to make that a learning moment for your resident.”

Groves recognized rejection can trigger a host of negative emotions.

“I think some young people feel defeated, or that they have failed when they don’t get some of the opportunities,” Groves said.

To some extent, competition is inevitable. No matter how many students apply, organizations have finite resources, and can only offer a certain number of spots — a phenomenon not exclusive to the

The Cavalier Daily

6

COMPETITION Self-governance plays a strong role University.

“Though it’s prevalent at U.Va. ... this happens at other schools,” Brazer said.

Nor is competition a foreign concept to many students, who come from competitive high school environments and expect competition in their future careers, Brazer said. Groves said aspects of competition are healthy and promote student engagement.

“At the end of the day, selectivity isn’t bad,” Groves said. “It’s OK for clubs to be selective, so long as they do so in a non-discriminatory manner.”

A University culture Though it exists other places, competition has taken an especially strong hold at the University, Myers said. “[Competition is] exacerbated by certain traditions and a culture that is distinct to U.Va.,” Myers said.

The University also attracts a competitive crop of students, Groves said.

“Because of self-governance and the way in which we position the University over the years, I think that we do attract young people that are focused, driven and competitive,” Groves said.

“And I mean competitive in a healthy way.”

Some facets of a competitive atmosphere are promoted over time, however.

“There is mentality every club has to have an application,” Schauer said. “I’ve been in meetings where we said, ‘We want a lot of people to join, but we have to have an application.’ We never really have a good reason. We just think it is something clubs do.”

Linking an organization’s exclusivity to its legitimacy may have lasting repercussions — encouraging students to pursue activities without genuine interest.

“My first year, part of what I was thinking was, ‘Let’s get into the most exclusive club I can,” Muth said. Amid the uncertainty of first year, adrift in a sea of strangers, it becomes a way to “validate yourself,” she said.

Groves said he thinks some people may initially join certain groups out of a desire to appear successful.

“It’s great to go out for those organizations if that is really where your interest lies, but I fear a lot of people go out for them because they believe it’s an important box to check while they’re here,” Groves said.

First-years do not come to these notions on their own. Intense competition and limited acceptance to these clubs create the impression of what Brazer called an “elite group.”

“It makes it seem like U.Va. is

controlled by a small percentage of people,” Brazer said.

Moving Forward “You could argue [competition] is negative, you could argue it’s positive,” Muth said. “I think the issue has a little bit of both to it. There is no absolute here…

[The issue] needs to be talked about — not in a way of accusing the culture, but in a way that opens the dialogue.”

Promoting a culture of genuine involvement would counteract competition, Brazer said.

“Do what you really want to do,” Brazer said. “Not what you think you should do or what everybody else is doing.”

Schauer noted, additionally, that involvement with big-name organizations does not necessarily imply a desire to be exclusive.

“There are people in the big organizations who truly care about their missions,” Schauer said.

Groves said students should better define success outside involvement in a small subsection of groups, and advertising to firstyear students should promote a broader array of groups. Groves called RAs and Orientation Leaders “critical players” in this effort.

“There are so many different

paths [to success] … and I think we need to make that more visible to students,” Groves said.

All statistics were voluntarily Club

provided by the relevant organization or publicly-available lists.

# of Applicants* # Accepted*

Acceptance Rate*

The Whethermen

40+

1

<2.5%

The Virginia Belles

156

4

2.6%

The Virginia Gentlemen

70

3

4.3%

University** Guide Service

225

28

12.4%

College Council

120

17

14.2%

Honor Committee

281

43

15.3%

Ted X

107

18

16.8%

Student Council

231

65

28.1%

80

26

32.5%

The Cavalier Daily***

136

55

40.4%

Inter-Sorority Council

994

697

70.1%

Alpha Phi Omega

*Data provided by each organization and from dates ranging from Fall 2013-Fall 2014 **Based on the average of several semesters ***For six sections which require applications to join Anne Owen | The Cavalier Daily

S

sports Grant Gossage Staff Writer

There is something special — perhaps even spiritual — about the focused energy and brisk weather which together shapes football under the lights. In this floodlit environment, either in the bleachers or on the gridiron, excitement seems to far surpass that of the typical afternoon game.

So this Saturday evening, when

Porter Dickie | The Cavalier Daily

Senior guard Conner Davis anchors a Virginia O-line that has only allowed 4.0 sacks this year.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

7

Virginia faces Pitt in ACC Clash Football team seeks 2-0 conference record, fourth overall victory against visiting Panthers in Saturday night game the Virginia football team (3-2, 1-0 ACC) takes on Pittsburgh (3-2, 1-0 ACC), Scott Stadium will be the place to be.

“This game will be great — a night game, Saturday — so I have a feeling a lot of fans will come out, [and] a lot of students,” senior offensive lineman Conner Davis said.

“Like high school — playing underneath the lights and all that. ACC game. I mean, it’s everything you’d want in a game.”

In the words of senior middle linebacker and captain Henry Coley, the Cavaliers are “licking their chops.” Following a third-quarter coast to victory over non-conference opponent Kent State, Virginia recognizes that a win Saturday versus an ACC coastal division foe would be an even bigger step in the right direction.

“We have dreams and we have aspirations that [an] ACC championship is very plausible — like, it’s not something that’s just a dream,” Coley said.

The team got off to a less-thanstellar start last weekend against the Golden Flashes. On defense, the Cavaliers gave up a seasonhigh 10 points in the first quarter — though they did force three interceptions, including a 69-yard pick six by junior cornerback Maurice Canady. On the offensive side of the ball, Virginia could hardly

get anything going in the first half, only putting up 14 points while giving up two turnovers. Heading into the break, the Cavaliers only held a four-point lead against a Kent State team which lost 66-0 in its previous outing.

When the Virginia players came out of half time, though, they looked like a completely different squad. Each of the Cavaliers’ first four drives in the second half ended in scores — a field goal and three touchdowns — while the Golden Flashes were held to a single field goal, and that coming with fewer than six minutes left in the game against Virginia’s backup unit. The final score stood at 45-13 in favor of the Cavaliers.

Now, Virginia looks to build on this strong second half against Kent State while avoiding a repeat of last year’s performance against Pitt. On the road on Sept. 28, 2013, the Cavaliers managed just 188 total yards of offense in a 14-3 loss against the Panthers. Members of the Virginia squad have said they are putting all emphasis and focus on this season’s meeting without worrying about what happened last year.

“Our focus is on this year’s Pitt team and this year’s Virginia team,” coach Mike London said. “We played them on the road at their place. Now they’re coming here.

They have a very good offense.

They like to ground control.”

Pittsburgh sophomore quarterback Chad Voytik relies heavily on two skill-position players and potential future NFL draft picks: sophomore running back James Conner and sophomore wide receiver Tyler Boyd. Conner, according to coach London, is a “big back” and an “outstanding runner” and has certainly compiled the statistics to warrant such compliments. He is second in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing yards, 791, and touchdowns, 9, and leads the FBS in total carries, 135.

Virginia must also contend with Boyd, who is, in a single word, “dynamic.”

“He’s a special player,” London said. “Particularly, the entire defense is going to have to be alert to where he is because he just doesn’t run long routes — he runs short intermediate routes, he runs crossing routes.”

Boyd, ranked the No. 3 receiver in the 2017 class on CBS Sports NFL Draft Preview, has hauled in 27 passes for 365 yards and four touchdowns this season. He’s shown a good knack for catching the football, whatever the situation: in coverage, in space, with one hand, with two hands, overthrown or underthrown. London and his players understand that limiting the effectiveness of both Boyd and

Conner is one factor critical to Cavalier success Saturday night.

Virginia will try to counter the Pitt offense with its much-improved defense — which has forced more turnovers this season at 18 than any other FBS program. Few teams have been as good at stopping the run as the Cavaliers, who have allowed just 86.6 rushing yards per game. The Virginia secondary also gained a boost as senior cornerback Demetrious Nicholson returned to the lineup last weekend after an extended injury.

When the Cavaliers have the ball, they will look to their big-bodied receiving corps, which has broken onto the scene in recent weeks.

Junior wide receiver Canaan Severin leads the way with 20 receptions for 225 yards and two touchdowns.

At 240.6 yards per game this year, Virginia is averaging almost 30 more passing yards each contest compared to last season, and finally has some serious downfield threats.

“Our receivers are making big plays — we’re starting to get that identity on offense, we’re putting up big yardage back-to-back games, so we’re gaining confidence not just as individuals but as a unit,” Davis said. “And that’s what you’ve got to have.”

Kickoff between the Cavaliers and Panthers is set for 7:30 p.m.

Saturday at Scott Stadium.

Cavs look to bounce back against Irish

Coming off tough first loss against No. 2 Florida State, women’s soccer hits road again against No. 14 Notre Dame Jacob Hochberger Associate Editor

After a challenging road trip in which the fourth-ranked Virginia women’s soccer team lost its first game of the season, the Cavaliers hit the road once again this weekend to take on another difficult opponent: the No. 14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Virginia (10-1-0, 2-1-0 ACC) experienced a long period of success to begin the year, starting 10-0-0 and outlasting all other teams to remain the final unbeaten/untied team in the nation.

The Cavaliers go into Sunday’s matchup against Notre Dame (73-1, 2-1-0 ACC), however, coming off a hard-fought 1-0 loss to then-fifth-ranked Florida State which dropped the Cavaliers one spot and brought the Seminoles to second in the nation.

“I think it’s definitely disappointment to lose a game like that,” senior midfielder Danielle Colaprico said. “But it’s just moti-

vation for us to come out and get the next one and learn from that and maybe a little bit of a wakeup call, and realize that not every game is going to be handed to us, and that we have to come out and play for a full 90 minutes.”

Through 11 games, Virginia boasts the seventh-highest scoring offense in the nation, tallying 3.72 goals per game while allowing just .455 goals, good for 15th in the country. These are reassuring statistics for the Cavaliers, who are headed for their second-straight matchup against a ranked team — a game which will certainly push the team to perform at its best.

“I’m really glad we’re playing ND — such a tough opponent — after this loss, because I think it’s going to make us perform even better,” junior forward Makenzy Doniak said. “I think playing a good team makes you want to play your best, because it adds credibility to your team if you win.”

As if playing two ranked ACC opponents in a week was not

enough of a challenge for a Virginia team with an already taxing travel schedule, complete with trips to Michigan and Alabama, the Cavaliers were stranded in the Charlotte airport for nine hours on their way back from Tallahassee, arriving home nearly 14 hours after they departed Monday morning.

“I think it’s definitely tiring, and we’re not happy about it — but it’s just another obstacle we have to get through,” Colaprico said.

“We’re coming out [this week] and we’re going to work hard and put that behind us and get ready for this weekend.”

Though travel problems can set a team back, this particular roadblock may end up being a positive for a Virginia team which added nine new players this season.

“It was a really tough day, but we all went through it together, so I think it brought us a little closer,” Doniak said.

As the Cavaliers prepare for Sunday’s game, the focus among

the upperclassmen leaders and the coaching staff is on improving their own play rather than harping on the opposition’s style.

“We don’t have any control over Florida State’s tactics or Notre Dame’s tactics,” coach Steve Swanson said. “So we have to be able to control … what we can do as a team, and that’s what we’re focusing on this week — and how can we get our performance better for 90 minutes on both sides of the ball.”

Though the Cavaliers may be focusing on their own play, it will be tough for them to avoid game planning for Notre Dame’s modern-day Rudy, 5-foot-9-inch sophomore goalkeeper Kaela Little, who is second in the ACC in shutouts and was named the ACC women’s soccer player of the week last week after extraordinary play during a two-game road trip, in which the Irish shut out Virginia Tech — a team which came in with a 38-3 aggregate goal advantage — and Wake Forest, who had

Xiaoqi Li | The Cavalier Daily

Through 11 games, senior midfielder Danielle Colaprico leads the team with seven assists.

played UCLA close just a week earlier.

And for fans of the Cavaliers, a game against Notre Dame should conjure up memories of last season’s epic, rain-soaked Thursday night game which went into double overtime — when then-junior midfielder Morgan Brian knocked in a golden goal in the 101st minute to give Virginia its 13th win of the season.

Kickoff for the second-ever regular season ACC matchup between the two historic programs is at 1 p.m. Sunday at Alumni Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.

8

SPORTS

The Cavalier Daily

The story of Tori

In her final season, volleyball senior Tori Janowski closes in on Virginia history Chanhong Luu Associate Editor

Senior outside hitter Tori Janowski has a chance to leave the University one of the school’s best volleyball players in the past decade — but her aim isn’t to climb the ranks with impressive statistics.

It’s to lead the Cavaliers to their first NCAA tournament appearance in more than 10 years.

“My goal is to definitely make it to the NCAA tournament this year,” Janowski said. “That’s been my goal coming in as a freshman, and we’ve never reached it. This is now or never for me, so I would really love to get it this year, and I think this year we have a better chance than any year to get into the tournament, so I want to do it for sure.”

In 1999 — the last time the Cavaliers made the NCAA tournament — Janowski was only seven years old. Even then, though, volleyball was a major part of her life.

“My dad played professionally in Poland, and volleyball has just always been there,” Janowski said.

“I would go to my dad's rec games when I was younger. Then, he let me play with him a little. He coached all of my teams, and I fell in love with it. There was never a question of whether or not I would play vol-

leyball.”

Sure in her desire to play at the collegiate level, Janowski was then faced with the task of choosing a school.

“I never wanted to come to U.Va. until I came on a visit my junior year,” she said. “When I came, I fell in love with it. This was the place I needed to be. I think the choice was definitely both academic and athletic.”

Janowski came into Virginia as one of the best players in the country, named an All-American by Prep Volleyball as a junior and senior and the Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year for volleyball in 2011.

As a freshman, she played in all but four games of the 30-game season, starting in half. In the 26 matches played, Janowski was able to reach double-digit kills nine times. That year, the Cavaliers went 10-20, and wouldn’t improve their record until Janowski’s junior season.

Janowski became a full-time starter as a dual setter and hitter during her sophomore year, where the team went 8-23 in current coach Dennis Hohenshelt’s first season. In

the middle of the season, Janowski became the team’s full-time set-

that season.

During Janowski’s junior year, the team had its first winning season since 2008, totaling 18 wins and 14 losses, and Janowski had her best season as an outside hitter.

She led the team in service aces and kills, recording double-digit kills in all but two of the 32 matches she started. She hit a total of 462 kills, the eighth-most in a single season in school history. At year’s end, she was named to the All-ACC Third Team after averaging 3.61 kills wper set — fifth best in the conference.

After starting the season 6-0, the Cavaliers are currently 9-6 but undefeated in the ACC. Janowski currently leads the team in service aces and kills.

“I definitely think this season is my favorite so far,” Janowski said. “We have a lot of potential this season and Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily all of us are working hard to reach up to that potential.

I’m also really excited to see ter. As a dual player, she set career- what this season has in store. I love highs in the number of assists, digs the people that I’m playing with. I and kills in a game, also becoming love being in the gym with them evthe first Cavalier since 2000 to hit a ery day.” triple-double, which she did twice Janowski is currently 12th on

Virginia's all-time kills list with 1,023 kills after posting two doubledigit kills games last weekend. In 2014, she is averaging 3.16 kills per set, and is on-track to crack the top 10 before the season is finished.

“I’ve never really thought about the records,” Janowski said. “Just having good hitting percentage and having high number of kills is definitely going to help my team, so that’s really all I’m focusing on.”

Janowski's coaches said they are impressed with the way she has performed and improved on and off the court in her time at Virginia.

“I’m very excited about what Tori has grown into as a volleyball player,” Hohenshelt said. “She has worked hard to become a better all-around player and to help the team in any way possible. For her to reach a 1,000 kills is a great achievement, and I hope she continues her impressive play as we progress into ACC play.”Off the court, Janowski, an English major who is looking into jobs in marketing and management, is thinking about plans after graduation — which she said may or may not involve volleyball.

“Professional volleyball’s definitely a possibility,” Janowski said. “I would love to live abroad for a year, but I’m also looking into grad school opportunities, so I don’t know what’s next for me.”

Volleyball preps for conference battles with Duke, Louisville After sweeping both ACC contests last weekend, Cavaliers face defending conference champion Blue Devils, conference newcomer Cardinals Chanhong Luu Associate Editor

The Virginia volleyball team will look to remain unbeaten in the ACC this weekend as it welcomes Duke and Louisville to Memorial Gym. The Cavaliers (9-6, 2-0) got back on the winning track last weekend against Clemson and Wake Forest after losing six of seven games in the previous two weeks. Virginia had its best offensive performance of the season against Wake Forest, recording a .383 hitting percentage.

“This weekend we passed really well, and I think that was a big part of why we did so well — when we’re in system, it’s hard to stop us,” sophomore outside hitter Jasmine Burton said. “All of the hitters, we were on our game, putting balls away and doing everything that coach asked us. If we continue to swing high and pass well, I think we’ll do well against Duke and Louisville.”

Four of the six Cavalier hitters who played last weekend were able to record double-digit kills in either the Clemson or Wake Forest game.

Burton and senior outside hitter Tori Janowski were able to do it in both

games.

“Getting our offense to flow together is definitely something that we’ve been working on, so it’s good for it to finally show up in a game,” Janowski said. “We can always improve, but I’m very pleased with what’s been happening.”

Senior middle hitter Morgan Blair hit .600 and .545 against the Tigers and Demon Deacons, respectively, hitting 13 total kills on 21 attempts.

She was also involved in 11 blocks in the two games. Junior middle hitter Natalie Bausback also contributed with nine blocks during the weekend.

“Blocking to me is the hardest skill in this game,” coach Dennis Hohenshelt said. “Sometimes, the stats show you have a great blocking night and sometimes the stats will tell you, you didn’t have a great blocking night, but I think it’s really important to go back and look at ‘Did we close the wall down, were we in good position, did we at least funnel players through our diggers?’”

The Cavaliers will look to maintain their passing, hitting and blocking against two teams which made the NCAA Tournament last year.

No. 25 Duke (10-3, 2-0 ACC) is the reigning ACC champion, and

thus earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament last year, when they lost in the second round.

The Blue Devils return 11 letterwinners and five starters from last

Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

Sophomore Jasmine Burton posted 15 kills and eight blocks against Clemson and Wake Forest.

season’s team, including the reigning ACC Player of the Year, junior outside hitter Emily Sklar. Sklar was named to the Preseason All-ACC Team alongside teammates senior setter Maggie Deichmeister and senior outside hit-

ter Jeme Obeime. Duke coach Jolene Nagel, the reigning ACC Coach of the Year, also returns for her 16th season with the team.

Duke has historically been one of the ACC’s best teams, with 18 tournament appearances in program history.

“They have five attackers that are really good,” Hohenshelt said. “They just make plays. You watch them and you go, ‘How does that happen?’ and then you watch it again and you go, ‘Oh, that’s how it happened.’ I think for sure they’re the best team we’ve played at this time, and we have to be good from start to finish.”

With five returning starters, Duke has continued to play well this season.

They currently lead the ACC in total assists, kills and digs, but are last in the league in blocks. Sklar was named ACC Player of the Week for her efforts in the Blue Devils’ ACC openers against Georgia Tech and Miami last weekend.

Unlike Duke, Louisville (9-5, 1-1 ACC) is a newcomer to the league, playing its first-ever ACC conference games last weekend against Boston College and Georgia Tech after spending nine years in the Big East and American Athletic Conference. The Cardinals lost against Boston College,

but bounced back with a win against Georgia Tech.

Earlier this year, Cardinals sophomore outside hitter Janelle Jenkins and junior setter Katie George were named to the Preseason All-ACC Team. Freshman middle blocker Maggie DeJong was named ACC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 1.

“Louisville is good,” Hohenshelt said. “They’ve beaten Minnesota at Minnesota, which is a tough place to play. They’ve had a tough preseason: they’ve played a lot of tough teams, and they’ve got a lot of talented kids.

They’re going to be a force to reckon with in this league and it’s going to be two tough matches. Duke’s tough, Louisville’s tough and we’re going to have to be ready to play both days.”

The Cavaliers are 5-0 at home this season, and will look to use home court advantage to continue their two-game winning streak.

“It’s going to be fun,” Hohenshelt said. “It’s two good teams. It’s good volleyball for people to come out and see. Hopefully, we get people Saturday at 5 before the football game who want to see a good volleyball game.”

The Duke game will begin at 7 p.m. Friday. The Louisville game will open at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

O

9

LEAD EDITORIAL

A matter of choice

opinion

Universities should not ban smoking on their campuses

Comment of the day Thank you, Mr. Williams for the heartfelt reminder that the words ‘victim’ and ‘responsible’ do not belong in the same conversation ever.”

“Dawn Locklair” responding to the Keith Williams Sept. 30 column, “Free from blame.”

A matter of choiceAccording to the New York Times, the University System of Georgia has enacted a smoking ban which will apply to all the campuses of their 31 public colleges and universities. The university system’s Vice Chancellor of Human Resources Marion Fedrick said of the ban, “It goes back to health and productivity. We’re not at all saying that they can’t smoke.

They just can’t smoke on our campuses.”

Colleges should of course be concerned about their students’ health, but they should do so by providing health services and resources. For a school to create policies which impose or prohibit certain habits like smoking is to assert too much authority to decide what personal practices students should and should not be doing. Saying students can smoke, just not on the campus, discounts the inconvenience students who do smoke

would experience if they want to continue smoking, especially if they live in on-campus housing.

Even if the ban is not advertised as such, it still serves to discourage an unhealthy habit.

Some may argue that smoking bans on campuses are meant to preserve the health of non-smokers, not to influence the habits of people who do smoke. Second-hand smoke is a nuisance and a potential health risk with increased exposure. But prohibiting smoking in buildings, including dorms, is sufficient to reduce this nuisance and health risk without being overly intrusive upon student practices.

There are also several other pollutants on college campuses which students could be exposed to in similar quantities as second-hand smoke, such as exhaust from cars and buses, but these cannot realistically be banned.

Fedrick’s “productivity” argu-

ment is even more ambiguous than the health argument. Presumably, the implication is that students would be more productive if they are rid of the nuisance caused by smokers. This justification, however, creates a problem that does not exist. The only time a student’s productivity may be disrupted by a smoker is if the student was studying outdoors.

Schools that opt to go smoke free may also risk alienating prospective students who smoke and who think the ban would be too much of an inconvenience for them. In attempting to preserve student “health and productivity” universities can end up coming off as paternalistic. Providing information and resources for smokers who want to quit would be a helpful and health-conscious university policy, but students should ultimately be allowed to make their own decisions.

The politics of paint hinese artist and activist Ai significance, as artists such as Ai Weiwei has been in the news Weiwei challenge and expose their for two reasons in the past week. governments.

First, his installation, @Large, In the past twenty-four hours opened on Alcatraz since I began writing Island in the San Franthis column, Ai Wei cisco Bay. Second, he Wei has posted ten has spoken out in suppictures on Instagram, port of pro-democracy and by the time you demonstrations in are reading this, he Hong Kong. These two will have posted many instances are charactermore. In this short istic of Ai’s ascendance period of time, Ai’s from artist to activist.

100,000 plus followers They provide support have been greeted with for the idea that art and images of a moonlit cat, MARY RUSSO free expression, in their an array of crab claws, Opinion Columnist various forms (ranging and different angles of from elaborate installaAi’s studio in Beijing, tions to Instagram posts), can be a wedged between images of their powerful form of political action. friends’ Starbucks drinks and variIn the 1960s, artists such as Andy ous other images.

Warhol began to move away from Simultaneously, visitors to Alcathe high-low distinction that had traz Island have instagrammed Ai’s kept art in a separate realm from so- @Large installation, employing the ciety for so long. Since then, many use of hashtags such as #aiweiwegreat figures of the post-modern ialcatraz. The installation opened era have continued to blur the line on the September 27, situated in the between art and everyday objects former maximum-security prison and experiences, using installations, and present-day national park. One multimedia, and performance art to hundred and seventy-six portraits continue this new tradition of chal- (made of Legos) are splayed across lenging the past and embracing new the floor, displaying the faces of mediums. In more recent decades, political activists and prisoners, art has taken on a higher political both those revered by the public

and more unknown figures. The elevated, inaccessible and aesthetic exhibit includes an opportunity for above all else. The two Berlin Wall visitors to write postcards to the liv- panels in front of the Special Coling among the featured individuals. lections library at the University, Unfortunately, Ai will never see the displayed thousands of miles from exhibition himself. His passport was their original place of origin, are seized by the Chinese authorities proof that this distinction is no lonwhen he was arrested and incarcer- ger valid. Art cannot be appropriated in 2011, and he is not free to ated for political gain, because it is leave the country.

Some may look at Ai’s newest exhibit, and his art in general, as an empty gesture rather than a meaningful political action. Ai’s Instagram account provides Today, the ideas and meanings behind what evidence to the contrary. On each of Ai’s artists display are far more important than recent photos, though their assemblage. they are uncaptioned and sometimes peculiar, there is a multitude of comments about recent pro-de- inherently political. mocracy demonstrations in Hong The spirit of Ai Weiwei’s work, Kong. Ai is an artist, but above all and the work of other artists/activhe has become a champion of free ists around the world define our expression for the entire world. This current moment in history. In the includes the freedom to Instagram present day, artists and cultural figa cat as well as freedom to question ures have the ability to heavily imand challenge our governments, pact global conversation. However, and to yearn for true democracy. they obtain this power through inThe argument that art should be dividuals who inspire and contribarrogated for political gain is remi- ute to these movements, even if niscent of old conceptions of art as only through a simple Instagram or

“

C

Artists like Ali Weiwei demonstrate the power of art when used as a tool of political change Facebook post. This fact is evident in Beijing’s decision to shut down Instagram in Mainland China following the outbreak of protests in Hong Kong, because the government recognizes the potential for collective action spreading through the nation.

Today, the ideas and meanings behind what artists display are far more important than their assemblage. In the age of Instagram, 3-D printers, and political upheaval, art has taken on a new form, and yet it remains a powerful tool for political change.

In 1963 John F. Kennedy said, “I am a Berliner” during a speech in West Berlin and spoke about “the elementary rights of free men.”

This week, Ai Weiwei echoed this sentiment, tweeting, “I am a HongKonger.” As the ideologies of the current day are confronted, even those of us in Charlottesville are Hong-Kongers, connected to the issues of the time as a global community through art, social media, and activism.

Mary’s columns run Thursdays.

She can be reached at m.russo@cavalierdaily.com.

10

OPINION

The Cavalier Daily

Duplicitous politics Neoliberalism turns its back on the fundamental principles of the progressive movement recent years, neoliberal ideology has increasingly revealed its limits while illustrating the necessity someone tell you some of grounding any kind variation of the followof progressive vision in ing: “I don’t think I rethe lived experiences ally fit perfectly with of the disadvantaged either political party, and marginalized. because I’m pretty soNowhere have the cially liberal but also contradictions of neofiscally conservative.” liberalism been more It doesn’t take long to apparent than in the realize this is probably unfolding of Amerithe dominant ideolca’s most recent war ogy of the University. in Iraq. Despite first GRAY WHISNANT The administration gaining the national Opinion Columnist spares no expense for spotlight by decrythe McIntire School of ing a “dumb war” that Commerce as it molds was a “cynical attempt” future chief executives while si- to distract the American people multaneously establishing a per- from crises like a “drop in the manent Board of Visitors Com- median income,” Barack Obama mittee on Diversity and Inclusion, has launched the third large-scale and most student leadership is bombing campaign in twenty years silent on the working conditions in the same country without any of University employees while semblance of an exit strategy or intensely condemning the use of defined scope to the military’s misbigoted or insensitive language on sion. While there has been some Beta Bridge. While we should be largely feckless chin-stroking from grateful for the real gains in social Democrats about mission creep, inclusion and rhetorical commit- an overwhelming Senate majority ments to equality we’ve seen, a “so- of 78-22 fell in line to vote in favor cially liberal and fiscally conserva- of intervening in the Syrian Civil tive” — or neoliberal — worldview War by arming the “moderate” opoften veers too close to upper-class position forces while refusing to identity politics and is indifferent vote at all on the broader anti-ISIS to issues of war and poverty. In campaign.

The silence of the mainstream Criticizing social attitudes like left on these military operations Bolling’s is necessary, but it will do stands in sharp contrast to the little to improve the lives of womoutrage over sexist comments en in either the United States or made by a Fox News host about fe- the Middle East unless it is linked male fighter pilots involved in the with action to back up the rhetobombing campaign. When “The ric.

Five” anchor Eric Bolling disgustThe same coupling of rhetorical ingly referred to UAE pilot Miriam and social commitment to equalAl Mansouri as bringing “boobs ity with a rejection of progressive on the ground” to the anti-ISIS action on war and the economy mission, the outcry was deafening. manifests in Hillary Clinton’s Prominent liberal blogs like Talk- nascent presidential campaign. ing Points Memo, comedians like Jon Stewart, media critics at The Washington Post, and the liberal Twitterverse all united to conWhile we should be grateful for the real gains in demn Bolling for social inclusion and rhetorical commitments to his retrograde attitudes. While equality we’ve seen, a “socially liberal and fiscally informally moniconservative” — or neoliberal — worldview often toring our pubveers too close to upper-class identity politics and is lic discourse for indifferent to issues of war and poverty. crass language certainly puts liberals in the right, the vociferous nature of that While she has offered a few platicriticism rings hollow when there tudes generally praising the idea of are likely to be female military expanding opportunity for wompersonnel and civilian casualties en, Clinton has mostly focused on victim to the increased military making foreign policy statements push Obama and the Democratic so militaristic that the neoconParty have enabled in the region. servative outlet The Weekly Stan-

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pend enough time talking S to University students about politics and you will inevitably hear

dard saw fit to republish many of her statements as a guest editorial.

Something that similarly would be anathema to progressives is the fact that many influential Republican investment bankers on Wall Street either privately support or are quite comfortable with a potential Hillary Clinton presidency.

As Clinton traveled to Iowa to seek the blessing of the retiring influential progressive Senator Tom Harkin, Harkin warned progressives to be wary of any candidate who though seemingly socially liberal in rhetoric is actually “far to the right.”

As I wrote a few weeks ago, there are in fact signs of hope that on the local level Democrats may be turning away from neoliberalism. That hope for change, however, should be accompanied by calling out the “socially liberal fiscal conservatism” when it fails to adequately address our current challenges or turns a blind eye to the people who need change the most.

Gray’s columns run Wednesdays.

He can be reached at g.whisnant@ cavalierdaily.com.

Just a gift

Men paying for dates is a kind gesture and should not be decried by feminists Viewpoint Writer

Over the years, the United States and many other countries have developed certain social traditions for dating.

In old-fashioned but still very prominent traditions, men held doors, made the first call, drove the woman and paid for dinner.

However, women do not play the same naïve, helpless role in society now that they did in the past. A lot of these actions are now seen as “anti-feminist,” as women do not want to be perceived as passive and dependent, but strong, robust people with the same capabilities are men. In short, women today are finally beginning to be recognized as independent members of the workforce who are very capable of doing each of these things themselves. From 1960 to 2011 in the United States, the proportion of households in which the mother earned all or most of the income roughly quadrupled ,

changing from 10 to 40 percent of all households. Despite that, men are still expected to pay for all dates as they were in earlier years. This begs the question: is it considered anti-feminist for men to pay for dates?

For clarification purposes,

So after considering whether or not men should pay for dates, I do not think it is an issue of feminism. In modern society, men do not pay for dates because the woman cannot. Men pay for dates as an act of kindness or a practice of tradition. Women could easily do the same if it was important to them to do so.

It cannot be as simple as male versus female in dating scenarios After considering whether or not men should pay within the LGfor dates, I do not think it is an issue of feminism. BTQ community. How then, In modern society, men do not pay for dates should lesbian because the woman cannot. Men pay for dates as or gay couples choose who pays an act of kindness or a practice of tradition. for dinner? As stated by Stefeminism does not mean that ven Petrow — aka Mr. Manners women want to be superior to — “In the gay community, you men. Feminism does not en- don’t have that tradition to fall courage hating men. By defini- back on.” Words such as “gentletion, feminism is the belief that men” and “lady” simply do not men and women should have apply. Petrow goes on to say that equal rights and opportunities. “The one who gets to the door

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Lauren Horne

first, please open up the door for yourself and the person who’s behind you.” He says the same principle should be applied to dating: the person who invites is the person that pays.

If the man that pays for a date makes a woman feel like a bad feminist, the problem is the man, not the fact that he is paying.

Men should not make a woman feel inferior, make snarky comments, or tease a woman after he has made the decision to pay.

Not only is this bad taste, but it’s a quick way to ensure that he will not get a second date. Some rather simple ways for women to avoid feeling this way would be to always offer to pay or in a relationship, to pay for half of the dates, cover the tip or alternate who pays for dates.

Where feminism does come into play, however, is when considering the question of what the woman “owes” the man in return. My answer to that: nothing. A woman does not owe a man anything because he paid for dinner. In a 1985 study pub-

lished in Psychology of Women Quarterly, the results showed that subjects had a blurred definition of sexual assault. “Rape was rated as more justifiable,” if the man had paid for dinner than if he had not, said the authors who had administered the test. Although this was thirty years ago, these results are nothing short of disturbing. And in 2010, yet another study found that more men than women thought that sex should be expected when a man pays for dinner. Importantly, though, women cannot expect men alone to change their views on women, but should also change their views of themselves.

Paying for dates should be thought of as a gift or kind gesture that does not have to be reciprocated in any way. Who is paying for a date is not a male versus female issue. Men and women both need to take the initiative and see that a man paying for a date is not a loaded gesture and should not be viewed as such.

OPINION

Thursday,October 2, 2014

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Safeguarding neutrality Net neutrality is necessary to preserve equal access to Internet resources in higher education how the Federal Communications Commission will choose to reformulate its Internet policies. Earlier Facebook during said research, col- this year, the agency received widelege students make use spread criticism after of an open Internet on a the release of a prelimiconsistent basis. Equalnary proposal which ity of access to varied would have made it sources of information possible for companies is the defining characto make deals with ISPs teristic of the open Infor “paid prioritization” ternet. That principle of of their content, placequal access, however, ing them in an Internet suffered a serious defeat “fast lane.” The public at the start of this year has certainly made its when the U.S. Court sentiments known, subCONOR KELLY of Appeals for the D.C. mitting more than 3.7 Opinion Columnist Circuit struck down key million comments by parts of net neutrality, the close of the FCC’s the broad term used to refer to fed- period for public comment on its eral policies that prohibit broadband proposal. In response, the FCC has companies (e.g, Verizon and Com- begun holding a series of “opencast) from giving favored treatment internet roundtables” which are into any online content. Without a tended to include dialogue on the neutral Internet, customers of com- enforcement of “Open Internet” panies that are willing to pay a high rules, as part of an ongoing discusprice for Internet “fast lanes,” such as sion about the formation of new InNetflix and Google, would receive ternet policies. preferential access, whereas startup If anything can be gained from companies unable to shoulder the reports on these discussions, howexpenses of high-speed content ever, it is the fact that the FCC seems would struggle. More importantly rather unsure of itself. In the immefor the realm of higher education, diate wake of the public comment the loss of the open Internet would period, no substantive choices have present a series of challenges to the been made and the agency is still in fundamental mission of colleges and a fact-gathering mode. By taking an universities everywhere. extended amount of time, the FCC Currently, the central issue is may make the proper choice, yet it

also might talk itself into a weaker mercial suppliers, academic content set of regulations despite its ex- will be downgraded to an inferior pressed support for net neutrality. position. Inevitably, this pattern will If the FCC does not enforce strict affect low-income students who regulations aimed at preserving net cannot afford to pay for premium neutrality, the realm of higher edu- internet access. Indeed, even if the cation stands to suffer. Indeed, the University were to subsidize the cost potential loss of net neutrality en- of faster internet speeds, whether dangers the core mission of colleges for the entire student body or solely and universities. As a prominent for those who need financial aid, institution of higher education, the the potential cost to the University University depends on equal access to online information in order to encourage research and stimulate collaboration between various scholars. More importantly for the realm of higher education, The University the loss of the open Internet would present a also is a key proseries of challenges to the fundamental mission of vider of various educational and colleges and universities everywhere. civic resources to the public, both within Charlottesville and beyond. would be staggering.

Without strong enforcement of the Since educational and nonprinciples of net neutrality, students profit websites are more likely to and faculty alike will inevitably have be consigned to a slow lane in a to pay fees to receive prioritized non-neutral Internet, students attransmission of the University’s con- tempting to access library services tent and services. If the University and other academic resources could and other institutions are not able to face numerous hindrances. Forprovide online educational content profit competitors who can afford to as well as other content of general pay the fees for better access could interest to the public at a pace and conceivably edge out free and open quality equivalent to that of com- source web tools, as well as wikis

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rom frantically conducting F research on a paper due in twelve hours to habitually checking

and other collaborative sites, that enable educators to share content. The higher education system has grown dependent on online resources to such a degree that any threat to net neutrality will devastate the principle of equality of access on which institutions of learning are founded.

The prospect of a tiered Internet sets a risky precedent for education, in that the content and tools that students and faculty use may be subject to corporate interests. Such a system would severely threaten the ideal of education as a public good.

The implications of paid prioritization will undoubtedly affect the Internet’s ability to positively influence the quality and accessibility of education. The Association of American Universities (of which the University is a member) has already made its views known by submitting comments to the FCC to encourage the adoption of strong rules enforcing net neutrality. Hopefully, in the weeks ahead, the FCC will hear the voice of the public. Without unequivocal rules aimed at preserving net neutrality, the intellectual freedom of the educational community is at stake.

Conor’s columns run Tuesdays.

He can be reached at c.kelly@cavalierdaily.com.

Careless implications The community-wide email concerning a potential Ebola patient at the University Medical center perpetuated harmful stereotypes Guest Viewpoint

A few weeks ago, many of you received an email from the Office of the President concerning the arrival of a patient to the Medical Center.

It stated: “A person who had recently traveled from Africa arrived at the U.Va. Medical Center this weekend with symptoms that could be consistent with many illnesses. A preliminary test was negative for Ebola; however, we continue to monitor the patient and conduct additional testing.”

That email was careless on the part of the original sender and on the part of the President’s office, which chose to forward it to the entire University community. Its intent is a display of a disengaged, disregarding administrative body’s lack of awareness and reflects poorly on our University.

The first issue with the email is the sender’s choice to homogenize an entire continent to create relevance in a situation that would have otherwise not warranted a community-wide email. I’m sure

many of you in our community asked, “Which of the 54 countries in ‘Africa’ had this person traveled to?” If not because you understand the implications of characterizing an entire continent in such a problematic way, you asked this because you have been watching the news

“haves” and “have-nots,” developed and undeveloped, and many other binaries circulating in Western discourse. “Othering,” common in both Western binaries and academic studies, underlies the email’s execution. How often do those of us in our community who recognize the problematic use of colonizing words have to call attention to our peers’ disregard for precise language? This generalizing speech is, in the words of Chimamanda Ngozi The email demonstrates the Western viewpoint Adichie, an exercise in “flattening the exof hegemony that still looks at the world perience” of an entire as “haves” and “have-nots,” developed group of people.

Having no conand undeveloped, and many other binaries text as to where this circulating in Western discourse. person traveled, the email mentions the and know Ebola is currently in hot button disease of the moment Western Africa — a fact irrelevant that is (as we are to assume) ravagto the issue at hand if this person ing all of “Africa” — Ebola. If you had traveled back from, say, South want to scare people, please send Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania or a vague email about a person who Morocco. The email demonstrates traveled to an unspecified location the Western viewpoint of hege- in Africa and make sure to tell us mony that still looks at the world as all the diseases they could have, and

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Jacqueline Akunda

that you’re testing to make sure it is not Ebola. This is another example of the aforementioned “flattening of experiences.” Medical professionals involved point out that the symptoms are consistent with many illnesses. Yet, the email carelessly uses the word Ebola. It was intended to cause alarm and draw attention to our community. The Center for Disease Control clearly specifies where the outbreak is. To send such an alarmist email before tests are run solely based on the fact that the patient had traveled to “Africa” and was showing symptoms of an illness is reckless. The email was so broad that it may well have said a sick overseas traveler had arrived at the medical center.

This situation demonstrates worrying carelessness. We assume the intent of this email was to mitigate fear or even to inform. If the aim had been to mitigate fear then it is irresponsible to play along with a prejudice that attaches reactionary sentiments, like fear and pity, to what should have been a routine hospital visit. Perhaps this was not a routine visit for the person in question — and hopefully he or she is

well today — but in terms of what the email conveyed, for a hospital, the arrival of a patient with “symptoms consistent with many illnesses” does not warrant an email to the University community. If its intent had been to inform, then reporting with precise language and location would have been the responsible thing to do.

This email falls into a narrative we are tired of hearing much too often. Call it our generation, but I’m bored. This is neither the first nor the last time our school has and will fall into this trap. We need an active agent who understands the nuances of the position of the traditional “Other,” and who chooses not to continue to take part in this active “Othering” and the role it plays in perpetuating false and misguided stereotypes. It is our responsibility as an academic institution to be better.

Jacqueline Akunda has written this column on behalf of the African Studies Initiative, for which she serves on the Executive Board

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The Cavalier Daily

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graphics MOSTLY HARMLESS BY PETER SIMONSEN

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Thursday, October 2, 2014

13

A&E Bon Café Open Mic Night proves uniting, enriching experience arts & entertainment

Bon’s monthly event encourages community relationships through artistic expression Mary Donnelly

Courtesy Downloa

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Staff Writer

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Just one block from the Downtown Mall, by the train tracks off South Street West, lies a small gem: Bon Café, a colorful holein-the-wall that functions as café, bar, art marketplace and small concert venue.

Bon's website says the venue aims to promote “the creativity of the human spirit” within the Charlottesville community — and from its weekly art marketplace, drum workshops and classes on meditation and yoga, it succeeds in doing just that. One of Bon's more entertaining events, however, is the monthly Open Mic Night held on the last Thursday of every month. With its small, yet dedicated turnout, the monthly showcase offers a talented array of participants the chance to share original music, writing, comedy

and art.

September’s Open Mic Night featured performances by several local musicians, as well as writers from the area. Some University students even joined in as singers and poets.

The barista behind the counter transformed into a killer singersongwriter — with smooth vocals, nimble chord work, and a socially conscious message, his performance rivaled the music of Jason Mraz.

The gentle power of one woman’s melodious voice captured the audience’s attention and refused to let it go, and the performances

by University students proved able to earn the praise of more than just their friends in the audience.

The stage is open to anyone wishing to perform — and several participants signed up to perform as the show was underway, inspired by earlier performances.

While watching the perfor-

mances, visitors are encouraged to try the café's menu — boasting a “healthy alternative to the traditional café” which sources from local farmers, producers and distributors. The cafe is vegan-friendly and offers natural desserts — including vegan milkshakes and nuts and fruit soaked in natural coconut oil.

The night began with interactions among strangers, but closed with loud applause, boisterous conversation, and supportive exchanges among performers and audience members alike — a testament to the welcoming atmosphere that Bon strives, and succeeds, to promote.

Courtesy

Download

Clipart

Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival feeds body, mind

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18th annual VegFest offers lecture, workshops, organic foods Stephanie Hendarta Staff Writer

Back for a successful 18th year, the Charlottesville Vegetarian Festival arrived with two simple goals: to spread the word about the benefits of plant-based diets and to teach the community ways to reconcile a modern lifestyle with the health of our planet. With its mouthwatering foods and interactive outdoor booths, this year’s festival exceeded expectations.

Lee Park, a quiet sanctuary one block from the Downtown Mall, was transformed into a bustling market for all things eco-friendly last Saturday. Families and students alike frequented the numerous booths at the park, including Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness, Wildlife Virginia and the Vegetarian Resource Group.

Elsa Spencer, a Charlottesville resident who volunteered to run the Vegetarian Resource Group booth, said she has been a participating vendor at the Charlottes-

ville Vegetarian Festival for almost 10 years.

“We’re a resource group, so the whole point is to provide information to people ... not so much to sell things," she said. "We’re more about answering questions like, ‘My teenager is a vegan and I’m worried about [his] iron levels.' I enjoy meeting people who come through who are genuinely interested in learning about veganism, vegetarianism or [who want to] become one but they encounter a stumbling block.”

Spencer and other VegFest participants handed out educational materials — some related to vegetarian diets and others related to the environment and animal rights.

“The purpose of [the festival] itself ... is to promote [a] plantbased lifestyle,” Fesitval Assistant Coordinator Eric Murphy said. “[But] the environmental and animal justice movements are definitely tightly linked to vegetarianism because being a vegetarian is not only healthier for the body if it

is a fitting diet for the individual.

It is also easier on the environment.”

Guest speakers held talks on plant-based athletic diets and genetically modified foods, in addition to lighter subjects, such as cooking demonstrations.

First-year Engineering student Nirali Jantrania dropped by the Charlottesville Vegetarian Market to hear Lorrie Delehanty, a laboratory manager at the Medical School, discuss genetically modified food.

In her talk, Delehanty discussed the history of GMOs, their rising popularity in the past 25 years and their positive and negative attributes.

“I was really happy [with the lecture] because it was … unbiased," Jantrania said. "It was a lot more informative than I expected.

A lot of the time, GMO lectures are really emotional. People [try] to fear-monger. [Delehanty covered] a lot more about the science behind it.”

After enjoying the educational

offerings of the festival, many VegFest visitors wandered into the food section to enjoy a wide selection of vegetarian meals. This year’s featured vendors included Royal Indian Restaurant, Pantheon Ice Pops and Soul Ice. All the food sold at the festival was either organic, plant-based or low-calo-

rie and high in nutrients.

“Hopefully we can grow ... even more in the coming years,” Murphy said. “We have been trying harder to get the word out this year, but we’ll try harder next year.

We’re hopeful that we may even outgrow [Lee Park] in the future.”

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Cavalier Daily

A Vacationer’s dream James Cassar

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Electronic-loving indie pop band stops in at The Southern

Vacationer — the dreamy, island-minded indie brainchild of Kenny Vasoli and group Body Language — has been steadily climbing the ladder to success after the release of their 2012 full-length “Gone” and this summer’s sunny “Relief.” Creating a hybrid genre they brand as “nu-hula,” the band brought their peace of mind to The Southern to dazzle up a dreary Monday. A&E caught up with Vacationer’s vocalist and bassist, Kenny Vasoli, to talk more about the band’s live and studio ambitions.

Courtesy The Head and Heart

Courtesy Nuvo.net

Arts & Entertainment: Vacationer's music is pretty much all over the map — sun-kissed indie-pop with tribal fusion and, at times, inklings of electronica.

What caused this blend to come about?

Kenny Vasoli: I've loved electronic for many years but I had no idea how to produce it. I teamed up with Matt and Grant from Body Language to show me the ways. I was in search of a more chilled-out project that I could sing with a relaxed voice. We wrote our first songs in summertime, which seems to endlessly inform our sound. The influence of exotica came on the heels of the warm climate.

A&E: I know you started off your musical career in the pop-punk band The Starting Line, but have been involved in a variety of projects and styles since. What does this diversity bring to the table?

KV: I think I have a multifaceted perspective on music while trusting my melodic instincts. I know what sounds good to me. The context keeps changing for me. My influences always shift and I'm never afraid to honor and explore them.

A&E: How has this diversity in musical backgrounds translated to a Vacationer live show?

KV: I think it comes in handy with the confidence factor. I've logged many hours performing on-stage, and I'm thankful I can be comfortable up there now.

A&E: Your new record, "Relief," dropped this summer.

Where do you see your band now compared to the promising outfit which released "Gone" in two years ago?

KV: More people are discovering us now. That's the most I can ask for. I'm glad people enjoy us, and we continue to find our audience who operate on a common vibe.

A&E: You've played Charlottesville in the past.

What keeps you coming back to the area?

KV: The south is almost always a pleasant experience. Virginia is southern without being too far from us in Pennsylvania. We'll keep coming there as long as people keep asking us back.

A&E: What does the future spell for Vacationer's music and larger goals?

KV: I want to play nice theaters and keep developing the live show into even more of an environment in addition to the performance. I want to take escapism to new levels with our music.

The anatomy of The Head and the Heart Seattle-based band encourages audience “chorus” at nTelos Pavilion

Jacqueline Justice Senior Writer

The slight fall breeze and last few rays of summer sunshine marked the mood Friday evening at the nTelos Wireless Pavilion, as students and community members filled the seats and laid out blankets on the grass for a night of feel-good music from The Head and the Heart.

The group opened its set with “Shake,” the first release from their most recent studio album, “Let’s Be Still.”

“You know what I need tonight?” lead singer Jonathan Russell asked the crowd. “I need you to be my choir.”

The harmonies from the crowd came close to paralleling the harmonious melodies of the band on stage singing their second single, “Another Story” off of their latest album.

The crowd was a mixture of diehard fans — in the front few rows, singing along to every song — and casual listeners swaying to the music on the grassy lawn.

Everyone joined in singing “Lost in My Mind,” reaching the line “There are stars/ up above,” fit-

tingly under the clear, and unclouded night where the stars were beginning to make an appearance.

The band requested audience members hold up phones or lighters for the song “Let’s Be Still” in an effort to resemble the fireflies fluttering around Virginia summers. A somber vibe filled the crowd with the repeated line, “Just for a moment let’s be still,” as if the entire crowd simultaneously inhaled a breath of fresh air and laid their heads back to enjoy the song.

The peak of the performance came as soon as The Head and the Heart struck the opening chords to “Rivers and Roads,” the song which gained them so much fame in their first album.

“A year from now we'll all be gone/All our friends will move away/And they're goin' to better places/But our friends will be gone away,” the band sang.

The line was sure to resonate in the crowd of early 20-somethings. No voice went unheard when the crowd harmonized on the last lines, singing “rivers and roads/oh rivers and roads/rivers ‘til I reach you.”

The band left the stage with

the lights still dimmed. When the crowd chanted for them to come back on, Russell responded by singing a lullaby, written just a few days prior in his hotel room.

“You know that feeling when you meet somebody and you just kinda stare blankly at them and know if there’s any way in hell they could know what’s going on in your mind, they’d be yours?” the lead singer asked. The woman he wrote the song for was not in attendance, but others in the crowd booed her absence and applauded the bold lyrics.

Lightening the mood, the band played “Summertime,” singing “Summertime/ I’ll make you mine,” just as the chilly breeze began to settle in.

The set ended with “Down in The Valley,” inciting much cheer from the crowd and everyone singing along.

“So I wish I was a slave to an age-old trade/ Lord have mercy on my rough and rowdy ways,” the crowd sang together to the closing drumbeats.

The next time The Head and the Heart returns to Charlottesville, it’s sure to be a sold out show.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Thursday, October 2, 2014

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Behind a new lens with Russell Lord Esteemed photography curator gives lecture to kick off Fralin exhibit

Tamar Ziff Staff Writer

In a moving and poignant exhibit, Russell Lord — curator at the New Orleans Museum of Art — brings a different artistic angle to the Fralin Museum of Art as he curates “Gordon Parks: The Making of an Argument,” an exhibit open until Dec. 21.

The exhibit includes both published and unpublished photographs taken by famed African-American photographer Gordon Parks, who worked to depict gang violence in late 1940s Harlem.

Parks is best known for his documentary photography of Leonard Red Jackson, the 17year old leader of Harlem gang The Midtowners, which was first published in a photoessay in LIFE magazine in 1948.

Arts & Entertainment: How would you classify photography?

Russell Lord: “Photography” is such a complicated word. I try to avoid making broad statements about it. Is photography art? I think it really depends on the photograph — from photo to photo, the story can be different. I might describe this … more narrowly than some of my colleagues, because I would limit it to things that were selfconsciously made as art, were intended as works of art and were presented in fine art contexts.

A&E: Do you think Gordon Parks saw what he was doing as art or documentary?

RL: That’s an interesting question, because he made a little bit of everything in his career.

I think that he saw these [photographs] as straddling the line — what he probably would have said is that they’re artful documents. However, I would say that he, at this point, is really leaning towards documentary.

A&E: What initially piqued your interest in Gordon Parks?

Why him?

RL: It began with a circumstantial discovery. When I arrived in New Orleans a few years ago, I realized that our collection was weak in terms of representing African-American photography, which I feel is a responsibil-

ity we need to take seriously. I’d known of Parks before, and had actually met him a long time ago.

I wanted to dig deeply into the making of [his] essay. [In making this exhibit], I wanted this to be a model for what other people could do with Gordon Parks or even other LIFE photographers.

We have a responsibility to tell a diverse set of stories with photography in New Orleans. I was interested in this story because it’s one of a few really great ones dealing with black identity in America.

A&E: Let’s go specifically into the photo essay itself.

Why do you think the gang trusted Parks?

Assuming there was a common understanding between artist and subject, what is allowed in photography in terms of the violation or entrance into private life?

RL: They trusted him because he was very careful in building the trust.

He did not take a single photograph for the first two weeks. At a certain point, RJ said, “Hey, Mr. Parks, are you going to use that thing you’re carrying around?” Gordon was a charming man, even at this time he was photographing in Midtown for an article on fur fashion … he went from shooting models in one of the richest parts of the city to the poorest of the poor in Harlem, and he got along with both swimmingly. That was his power as a photographer: he cultivated an incredible amount of access wherever he went, whether with Ingrid Bergman or a poor kid in the slums of Brazil.

He also really was on the side of the gang — he was a fan of humanity, and he loved the people he got to know. It never seemed

disingenuous to the people, because it wasn’t.

A&E: Do you think he felt his assignment was legitimate?

Or did he see it as a gimmick in place by LIFE magazine to show criminal African-American culture?

RL: No, he thought it was a good opportunity. He proposed the story to them, which is a really important part — this is

a really interesting story. He walks into the building of LIFE magazine, and somehow makes his way to [Life editor] Wilson Hicks’ office, which is uncommon. And Hicks looks at his pictures, surprised he made his way past all of the desk clerks. He then says, “You have some very powerful images — did you have a story in mind?”

A&E: Was Parks more outstanding in LIFE as a fashion or a documentary photographer?

RL: Both. He really forged his identity as a documentary

photographer — he would go on to have another story on a Harlem family, one about the Black Panther movement, one about a young boy in Brazil living in poverty. Those were the things he became known for — those stories always say, “Words and images by Gordon Parks.”

The fashion pictures are credited at the beginning of the magazine in small print. He didn’t care to have much ownership over those things — [the photo essays] were the projects that were closest to his heart.

A&E: As you mentioned previously, the photographs were not flattering to Red Jackson. They didn’t really reveal him as a whole person, but rather just a gang member — as you told us, after the essay was published, he said, “Damn, Mr. Parks, you made a criminal out of me.” Do you think that Parks’ race may have affected readers’ views of his photographs as true to life?

RL: In the end, the fact the photos were overwhelmingly about violence and despair does a couple of things: it makes it an isCourtesy Russell Lord sue that the reader can ignore, whether they are black or white or racist or not. What the pictures do is that they frame Red Jackson as both a victim and a perpetrator of crime. Because of that, it engages him in an endless circle of activity that we cannot do anything about. Unlike some of the most successful social essays in news media, there is no call to arms, no, “This person is worth saving, because…” There is no resolution to the issue.

Most people dismissed it anyway, but it was easier to dismiss as the product of a black person

[chronicling other black people].

A&E: Do you think that Gordon Parks as a photographer believed that photographs could be a medium for social change?

RL: Yes. I think he actually says just that in his autobiography. I would almost argue that they can’t — a lot of my research is predicated on the argument that photographs really are mute.

A&E: Do you think that, specifically in the case of Gordon Parks, due to a lengthy process

by LIFE editors of cropping and choosing certain photographs, that the story he intended to tell was somehow misrepresented by LIFE? RL: In this case, the story was distorted. He managed to get a decent amount of it in the text, but this photo essay was a unique case within his career.

Later on, he did manage to tell the stories he wanted to, because he was so successful at merging context with photography. In this case, it was not the story he wanted it to be.

A&E: What is your favorite Gordon Parks photo?

RL: One of the ones I think is more powerful is the portrait of Red Jackson looking out the window, beginning the photo essay.

It is Red’s most famous photograph — and Parks got it the first time, he only took the shot once.

It goes to show how deep their relationship had become. They were clearly working together to make that picture, even though it looks off the cuff and unposed.

I see the humanistic relationship between the two, and I see Parks thinking and worrying about him in that photo.

A&E: At its core, what purpose do you think photography serves in our society?

RL: Photography makes us think about ourselves. It can teach us a lot about the way the world works, but only if we examine it critically. The fact that Gordon Parks’ LIFE essay turned out the way that it did — those pictures had a profound influence on a lot of people, and we must ask why, and was it for the right reasons. Examining photography can tell us a lot about the motives, aspirations and dreams of humanity.

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