Monday, October 6, 2014

Monday, October 6, 2014

Vol. 125, Issue 13

HOUSING OPTIONS

Photo Illustration by Jasmine Oo

Lawn

Brown

Bice

Lambeth

IRC

Faulkner

French House

Shea House

Spanish House

Copeley

Hereford

JPA

14th St.

Rugby Photos by Daniel Ahn, Marshall Bronfin and Zoe Toone

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ON-GROUNDS HOUSING

The Cavalier Daily

ON-GROUNDS HOUSING

If you want the security of a University-owned facility that is easy to deal with, on-Grounds housing is the way to go.

Everything is taken care of and stress is minimal — no landlords, no utility payments and you’re only paying for the part of the year that you actually attend classes. But know that you will have an RA, and the location — often awarded by lottery — is not always ideal.

THE LAWN Location Located at the heart of the University, Lawn rooms house 54 fourth-year students, selected for the rooms through a competitive application process. The Lawn is also home to the Rotunda, the University's original library, and serves as a venue for a wide range of student activities.

Walking distance to Central Grounds closest locations to classes and nightlife.

The Lawn is in the center of the University, and is among the

Layout

The rooms are furnished with a twin-size bed, desk, built-in closet, rocking chair and sink. All rooms but one (room 51) have a fireplace.

Cost A single bedroom with fireplace costs $6,170 for the academic year, and a single bedroom with no fireplace costs $6,020.

Pros The Lawn is conveniently located and the community is vibrant. Residents, students and visiting members of the Charlottesville community make for a continually bustling atmosphere.

“The Lawn is an incredible place to live on a personal level," said fourth-year College student Sky Miller, Senior Resident of the Lawn. "It is beautiful, right in the center of the University, social, and convenient. Additionally, the community is one of the most dynamic, motivating, and stimulating groups I have lived with.”

Annual traditions like Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn and Lighting of the Lawn also add to the Lawn's atmosphere.

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Cons Though convenient and prestigious, living in a Lawn room has its downsides. Prospective Lawn residents must undergo a difficult application process to get a spot. This year, 310 people applied for 47 spots, with an average GPA of 3.78. The remaining rooms are endowed or reserved by certain organizations with separate selection processes. Lawn rooms are lacking in privacy and some essential amenities— residents have to walk outside to use the showers and bathrooms.

“It has not been a problem yet, but it might be in the cold winter days,” fourth-year Engineering student Mohammed Shafi said. “I also would like to see air conditionings in the rooms. It gets very hot over here during summertime.”

The current Rotunda construction process has also somewhat decreased the aesthetic benefits of the location.

—compiled by Hanan Yazid

BROWN RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE Location Brown College is located on Monroe Hill in the middle of Central Grounds, nestled in between Newcomb and McCormick roads and a short walk from the Lawn.

Walking distance to Central Grounds

Brown College is at the heart of Central Grounds and is no more than a five minute walk from most classrooms, with the exception of the Arts Grounds and the Architecture School.

Layout

Brown College is made up of 12 buildings — called portals — each of which is connected by underground tunnels. Each portal has three sex-segregated floors. There are four suites on each floor, and each suite contains two single-occupancy rooms. Two or four of the suites are then connected via a communal bathroom. Brown College also has communal kitchen and living spaces, though not in each suite or portal.

Cost A single room at Brown College costs $6,380 per academic year. Brown residents are also required to purchase a meal plan, which includes everyday meals and special monthly banquets.

Pros Brown prides itself on forming a tight-knit community of students.

“The Brown community is really unique — there's nothing else like it at U.Va.,” second-year Engineering student Leah Walter said.

Walter said he appreciates the practicality of being situated on Monroe Hill.

“You really can’t beat the location,” said Walter. “My farthest class is a three-minute walk away.”

Cons

Brown faces problems associated with any aging building.

“Because Brown is on the older side, various building issues are common, such as kitchen floods, bugs and leaks,” Walter said.

Additionally, though its rooms are single-occupancy, residents must walk through their roommates' rooms to access the bathrooms or exit the suite.

—compiled by Jane Winthrop

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ON-GROUNDS HOUSING

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BICE Location Bice is situated at the end of Brandon Avenue, just behind South Lawn, about a block away from the Elson Student Health Center.

Walking distance to Central Grounds Getting to Central Grounds from Bice is only about a fiveto 10-minute walk — at the mercy of the traffic light at the corner of Brandon Avenue and Jefferson Park Avenue. It's also a stair-heavy commute.

Layout Bice offers two- and three-bedroom apartments, and all rooms are doubles. Two-bedroom apartments generally have one bathroom and three-bedroom apartments have two. All apartments have an open living room and full kitchenette.

Cost $5,930 per year.

Pros Bice is close to Central Grounds, the University Health System and the Corner.

“Getting to class is never that bad, even the [Engineering School] doesn’t take that long," secondyear Engineering student Brooke Sutherland said. "It’s a pretty good location, and it’s still easy to go out."

Bice also comes fully furnished, which can be a big cost-saver compared to off-Grounds locations.

The rooms are also all air-conditioned, which offers a nice reprieve from many off-Grounds housing options.

Cons

As it is technically a dorm, Bice has many of the same regulations and codes as first-year dorms, such as a ban on curtains, candles, hot plates and knives longer than three inches.

“There’s still coverage, so you’re still aware that [residential advisors] are there, but it’s not as strict as first-year dorms,” second-year College student Devaansh Bawa said.

All bedrooms are shared, and notoriously small. Some residents complain the rooms also have poor ventilation.

—compiled by Meg Thornberry

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LAMBETH Location

Lambeth Field Apartments are located at Lambeth Field, just off Rugby Road and a 10-15 minute walk to Central Grounds. Bus routes to Lambeth Field include the Northline, the Green Route and the Central Grounds Shuttle.

Layout Lambeth Apartments are air-conditioned, have either 1-and-a-half or two bathrooms

and include a furnished living room. Apartments contain either two or three double-occupancy bedrooms, each furnished with twin-sized beds, desks, chairs, dressers and wardrobes. The kitchen has a stove, a refrigerator and a sink. The complex includes a convenience store, laundry machines and a vending area.

Cost Pros

Both two or three double-occupancy bedrooms cost $5,930.

Because of its relative proximity to Central Grounds and ease of access, Lambeth Field Residences are popular with rising second-year students. The residence requires an application, the requirements of which are not as involved as applications to residential colleges.

“Compared to first-year housing, Lambeth is pretty convenient when it comes to getting to Central Grounds," second-year College student Esther Kareri said. "You’re surrounded by a lot of people from your year, particularly former classmates, which I really enjoyed."

Cons Unlike other types of University dorm residences, the apartment style is not conducive to a cohesive community in the way that many first-year residence halls are.

“Lambeth is lacking a sense of community compared to first-year dorms,” second-year College student Abenazer Amare Eregetie said.

Eregetie said the distance from science classes and libraries is also a drawback to the complex.

—compiled by Danaite Soquar Ma rsh

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ON- GROUNDS HOUSING

The Cavalier Daily

INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE (IRC) Location

The International Residential College's four buildings sit at the corner of Emmet Street and Ivy Road, opening onto Sprigg Lane, which runs between the IRC and Alumni Hall. It is in across the street from the Cavalier Inn and the Snyder Tennis Courts and Memorial Gym.

Walking distance to Central Grounds The IRC is less than a 10-minute walk to Newcomb Hall, with the Lawn and the Amphitheatre just a few minutes farther.

Layout Each of the complex's four buildings has a different layout.

Munford's all-female residents live in hall-style rooms — a mixture of singles and doubles. The second and

third floors are fully residential, each with a lounge and large kitchen. The first floor is comprised of meeting/ study spaces, offices, a laundry room, the Senior Resident’s apartment and a small corridor of four men’s rooms. The building has heating but no air conditioning.

Gwathmey houses about 120 residents of all years, and each sex-separated floor has a mix of singles and

doubles. Each floor has a bathroom and kitchen in the center block, and the first and second floors both have lounges. Laundry room are located in the basement and the building has heating but no air conditioning.

Lewis houses about 60 upperclassmen residents. All three floors are suite style and have a kitchen. All rooms have heating and air conditioning. Some rooms have a private bathroom but most are shared. A laundry room and mailboxes for Lewis and Hoxton are located on the bottom floor.

Hoxton houses about 40 residents, also all upperclassmen. Both floors are suite style and have a kitchen. All rooms have heating and air conditioning. Each floor has residents of both genders.

Cost Doubles cost $5,500. Singles vary by building. Munford and Gwathmey single rooms are $6,170; Lewis and Hoxton single rooms are $6,450. Lewis and Hoxton rooms with private baths are $6,660.

Pros The IRC is certainly well-suited for students who want an international touch to their University experience, as 40

percent of the residents come from abroad. In addition, the IRC is widely known for its free food offerings — including its recurring weekly events The Week That Was on Fridays, and Darjeeling Tea on Thursdays.

“The IRC has been really great, especially when combined with a smaller meal plan since there are so many free food events," third-year Engineering student Kate Highnam said. "The events are also frequently multicultural and provide opportunities for me to try things I never would have tried on my own before. … The location is pretty good, especially when compared to other off-Grounds housing locations, and you get to interact with faculty through a mentor program where they help you with real life, unlike course advisors.”

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Cons

Like all other University-owned housing, the IRC comes with a full roster of residential advisors — not inherently a negative, but when coupled with dorm regulations, such as how many posters you can hang on your walls, it is certainly a more regulated living experience than other offerings. Also, many of the international students who live in the IRC are part of exchange programs, and as such only live at the University for a single semester or year. Some of the new friends you make may only be around for a few months.

“The exchange students leave every semester, which can be a downer for plans to attend events that only happen in the semester they're not here,” Highnam said.

—compiled by Peter Nance

FAULKNER APARTMENTS Location Faulkner is a cluster of apartment buildings located behind John Paul Jones Arena, next to Klöckner Stadium.

Walking distance to Central Grounds

The complex is about a 20-minute walk to most classes — and farther to most nightlife venues. Students are best off biking or taking the Northline or Central Grounds Shuttle.

Layout Each suite includes four bedrooms — including three standard singles, one large single — a bathroom, a living and dining room, and a full kitchen with stove, refrigerator and sink. The apartments come furnished and each includes air conditioning.

Cost Four bedrooms of single occupancy, each costing $6,660.

Pros For fans of quiet and single bedrooms, Faulkner is a perfect option.

“My favorite thing about Faulkner is that it is super secluded and peaceful — and [it] comes with a gazebo," second-year College student Kayla Taylor said. "And the fact that you get your own room doesn't hurt either.”

Though far from Central Grounds, Faulkner's location comes with its own benefits.

“It’s a quiet and beautiful area, we’re a quick minute away from Barracks, we’re so close to a lot of the great sports games — field hockey, soccer, baseball, basketball — and our apartment is really spacious with single bedrooms," second-year College student Hannah Schmidt said.

It also offers more convenient parking options that many other on-Grounds and off-Grounds locations. “[There are] big parking lots," second-year College student Emily Votroubek said. "Lots of parking spaces for people who come on weekends to park."

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Cons The biggest gripe about Faulkner housing is its distance.

“It is far away," Votroubek said. "We depend on the bus system. … If you get out a little too late, you’re kind of stuck since the bus won’t come for a while, and you may be late.”

Votroubek said it takes about eight minutes to get to Grounds via bus.

“I think it's far away more in people's minds than in reality," Schmidt said. "I even walk to Grounds sometimes if it's a pretty day, and that takes only about 20 minutes. Even when I take the bus, I don't see it as a con, because [University Transit Service] is pretty great. There are two bus routes that run by Faulkner, so I'm never waiting very long.”

—compiled by Julia Skorcz

ON-GROUNDS HOUSING

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LA MAISON FRANÇAISE Location La Maison Française is located in the Barringer Mansion, 1404 Jefferson Park Avenue, between the Medical Center and the Elson Student Health Center.

Walking distance to Central Grounds South Lawn and New Cabell.

The house is a five-to-10 minute walk to most classes — notably closest to

Layout The Maison has 17 bedrooms: one triple, eight doubles, and eight singles. This number excludes the rooms reserved for resident staff and the French assistants. Rooms are assigned through lottery, with preference given to fourth-year and returning students. On the first floor, the Maison has a large living-room, a library, a seminar room and a dining room. Each room is air-conditioned, with one or two beds and desks.

Cost Doubles cost $5,930 and single rooms cost $6,660.

Pros La Maison Française provides a unique environment with a close-knit community of French speakers. It

continuously hosts French culture and cuisine-related events, which are typically open to guests.

“Most people here are just passionate about French culture and want to incorporate it into their daily lives,” secondyear College student Catherine Sheehan said.

In an environment of complete francophile immersion, all the residents converse solely in French.

Cons

There are a limited number of occupants, which is regulated by an application process, with room preference given to returning students. Random allocation for new residents limits choice for new residents.

Residents must have a meal plan. Parking can also be an issue as there is no reserved parking available.

Not all of the residents are studying French at the University, and are at different levels in their knowledge of French, which can also make the immersive experience a hit or miss.

—compiled by Yash Shevde and Kristen Cugini

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SHEA HOUSE

The Cavalier Daily

Location The Shea House is located on 400 Monroe Lane at the intersection of Jefferson Park Avenue and Monroe Lane. It is between the Elson Student Health Center and La Casa Bolivar.

Walking distance to Central Grounds Shea House is a five or 10-minute walk to Grounds.

Layout The Shea House has eight residential blocks for Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Hindi-Urdu, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Persian.

Residential blocks are stratified by floor. The layout of floor is hall style, and rooms are either double or single. Each floor has its own common room, and study rooms are on the second floor. Amenities include central heating, air conditioning, laundry facilities, an in-house kitchen, and an elevator.

Cost Rates for the Shea House are $5,070 a year for double-occupancy rooms and $5,590 a year for single-occupancy rooms.

Pros Shea House provides an immersive international atmosphere and has the broadest range of languages among the international

residences. Language Assistants reside on each floor to help with the language immersion experience, which facilitates linguistic proficiency.

“The location is excellent, and it’s great being around people who share the same enthusiasm about learning different languages and cultures,” second-year College student Sudiksha Jain said.

Other pros include a flexible application process, which is conducted on a rolling basis, a strong system of self-governance within the building, and the opportunity to meet others with similar cultural and language interests.

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Cons The number of single rooms is limited, and specific rooms cannot be requested. Roommate requests are not guaranteed and are restricted to residents of the same language. Parking options are limited, with only six free parking spots available on Monroe Lane, which are on a first-come first-serve basis.

Furthermore, residence in Shea House demands mandatory participation in language and cultural activities, and active commitment is expected.

“You have to eat dinner with your floor Monday through Thursday, plus do one language hour per week,” fourth-year College student Thomas Kurpit said. “I understand the importance of these [cultural] events and why we have to do them, but it can get annoying when you have a heavy workload.”

—compiled by Nancy Lee

LA CASA BOLIVAR Location La Casa Bolivar is located on Jefferson Park Avenue, next to Student Health and the Medical Center.

Walking distance to Central Grounds As with the French and Shea houses, La Casa Bolivar is a five or 10 minute walk to most on-Grounds locations.

Layout Each bedroom within the house is either single- or double-occupancy and is furnished with the requisite number of

extra-long twin beds, wardrobes, desks with carrels and chairs. Rooms have hardwood floors and all are air conditioned. There are also common areas, a kitchen, satellite television and laundry facilities.

Cost Double rooms run $5,930 for the academic year singles cost $6,660.

Pros The experience can improve language skills and expose students to different cultures, creating a community among the

house's residents. The house offers tutoring, cultural dinners, social gatherings, literary and film clubs — many of which are open to any University student.

“My skills have gotten a million times better since living here,” second-year College student Effie Smith said. “We have native speakers who live here as well so they give you tips on slang in the language. You get to see these different aspects of it that you wouldn’t normally.”

Cons The house's residents are determined by a moderately competitive application process, which can make it one of the riskier

on-Grounds housing locations. Also, though it is located close to many University facilities, students with cars may struggle with the residence.

"The recent change in parking policy so that we no longer have space behind the house to park has been a major inconvenience," third-year College student Daniel Justus said.

—compiled by Yash Shevde and Kristen Cugini

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The Cavalier Daily

ON-GROUNDS HOUSING

ON-GROUNDS HOUSING

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COPELEY Location Copeley apartments are situated on North Grounds, by the Law School. They're nestled among the Darden School, the North Grounds Recreation Center and Barracks Road Shopping Center.

Walking distance to Central Grounds

A 25+ minute walk to most classes and nightlife options, Copeley is also located along the Northline bus route.

Layout

Apartments include 1-and-a-half baths, a living room and kitchen with a stove, refrigerator and sink. Single bedrooms are now furnished with full-size beds.

Cost

Two-bedroom apartments with double occupancy cost $5,930. Single-occupancy rooms cost $6,660.

Pros Copeley offers a quiet environment, tucked among graduate school buildings rather than bars

and restaurants.

“Copeley is the perfect place to live," said fourth-year College student Trayc Freeman, who opted to stay in the complex for a second year after transferring to the University last year. "It is not in the boondocks like [University Place] but not in the center of Grounds like Brown. … Not only are the rooms extremely spacious but we are also provided with a full size bed, which is a nice step up from the twin.”

Cons Despite its close proximity to Barracks, Copeley is far removed from the central parts of University life. Walking to Central Grounds — a near-30 minute endeavor — is particularly trying during the colder months.

"The facilities were nice — comparable to Lambeth — but I struggled the whole year to feel a part of the same Grounds as everyone else," said fourth-year Commerce student Jared Morgan, who lived in Copeley his second year. "Missing a bus in the morning meant missing an entire class. Also, if SafeRide was busy, it was really difficult to get home after going out on the weekends."

There is also a weaker sense of community among Copeley residents than other housing options, Morgan said.

"There wasn't a strong sense of community there like there is in first-year dorms, Lambeth, or even a lot of offGrounds apartments and housing areas," Morgan said. "As I understand it, Copeley ... used to be graduate student housing. That sounds much more fitting to me, given the location, and I don't recommend it to fellow undergrads."

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HEREFORD Location Hereford College is located on the south side of Observatory Hill, along with the upperclassmen and transfer dorms Johnson, Malone and Weedon on Hereford Drive, adjacent to Runk Dining Hall and the Gooch-Dillard dorms.

Walking distance to Central Grounds Hereford is about a 20 minute walk to

Newcomb and the Amphitheatre. Buses to Central Grounds stop at Hereford every 10 minutes during peak times.

Layout The two buildings of Hereford — Norris and Whyburn Houses — are

hall style, co-ed and single-sex by floor, housing students of all years. Most of the rooms are singles, though there are some doubles. All rooms are air conditioned and there are lounges on the end of each hall, while a kitchen is located on the ground floor of each building.

Cost A double costs $5,500, while a single costs $5,700. Students are also required to buy a Residential Meal Plan.

Pros

The Hereford community is very active in terms of organizing programs for its residents. Hereford offers one-credit courses taught by faculty fellows, such as Local Foods: From Garden to Table and Shakespeare Stage and Screen.

“I was only in my room when I was asleep, all other times I was with my Herefordian family doing things we loved to do: gardening, hiking, working, singing, cooking, and all the time enjoying our little patch of emerald on the hill,” fourth-year College student Alex Bryant said.

Cons

Even compared to most off-Grounds housing, Hereford is far from Central Grounds, taking almost 30 minutes to walk to the Lawn. Bryant admitted that, though he loves the community, living there certainly involved “having to walk a little further.”

Anyone planning to live in Hereford and also frequent the Corner or Rugby may want to invest in a bike or memorize the bus routes, particularly for the winter months.

—compiled by Peter Nance

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The Cavalier Daily

OFF-GROUNDS HOUSING

If you crave the freedom of truly living on your own, this is the option for you. You hand-pick your location, how much you want to pay, and all the services you deem necessary.

But leases run 12 months, which is only ideal if you want to stay for the summer. And having to pay for utilities requires a lot more discipline than most people are used to.

JEFFERSON PARK AVENUE (JPA) Location

Jefferson Park Avenue stretches from the edge of the Medical Center to Scott Stadium, with several connecting roads and avenues.

Walking distance to Central Grounds JPA housing residences average about a 15-minute walk to Central Grounds. The road includes four University Transit System Outer Loop bus stops. It is also serviced by the Free Trolley.

Pros

Jefferson Park Avenue housing is away from the busy Corner while still being a short walk from most classes at Central Grounds. Because of its location, it is generally not as expensive as other housing options and offers more alternatives to live in a house rather than an apartment.

“I like living on JPA because it’s a house rather than an apartment, and it’s cheap," second-year College student Robbie Katrandjiyski said. "You have your own parking spot and typically don’t have to pay for parking because there’s enough room.”

JPA housing is also a quieter alternative compared to other areas in Charlottesville and the University, second-year College student William Stribling said.

“I didn’t want to be on the 14th Street area because there’s a lot of activity there all of the time, and I feel like I would never get anything done,” Stribling said. “JPA is close to Grounds, so I can still be around activity and then come home and relax.”

Cons

While being close to Central Grounds, JPA is a long walk from the Corner, where many other student housing options and businesses are located.

“It’s a long ways away from the Corner, which makes walks home on the weekends and friends’ apartments inconvenient,” Katrandjiyski said. “I have to make a very conscious effort to see them. I can’t just pop by for a visit due to the location.”

Stribling said there is no straight, convenient walking route from JPA to Central Grounds.

“To get to the area around the Amphitheatre or the Corner, it’s hard to find direct sidewalks from JPA to those areas, making it weirdly roundabout,” Stribling said.

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14TH STREET/ WERTLAND Location Behind the Corner, housing options range northeast along 14th Street and east along Wertland street.

Walking distance to Central Grounds Though locations vary, the average walk to Grounds is 10 minutes — with buildings farther down 14th Street taking closer to 20 minutes.

Pros Located behind the Corner, Wertland Street and 14th Street are strong options for students seeking

proximity to the University's nightlife and food options.

Second-year College student William Henagan said the area offers a strong social atmosphere.

“We were able to sign an early lease with a bunch of different friends, so it’s not just me and the four guys that I live with,” Henagan said. “CBS [Rentals] allowed us to sign the top two apartments, and we also had friends who we knew were going to live beneath us, so we were able to recreate that communal dorm aspect except with some friends that we made first year.”

Leaving the University bubble and pursuing off-Grounds housing also has its share of benefits, second-year College student Olivia McLean.

“It gives you a sense of independence being farther away than dorms,” McLean said. “We have to pay our own bills and find our own food.”

Cons The vibrant social scene isn't all that keeps residents up at nights. McLean said that the trains passing through the area are quite loud, and Henagan said that the area is always noisy.

“It’s a loud area,” Henagan said, “[It’s] hard to study and sleep sometimes. There are always people and things going on in the street.”

The popular area can also come with a price tag.

“The Warehouse is one of the most expensive,” Henagan said. “Wertland Square apartments across the street is also really expensive. It’s not a great place to save on rent.”

—compiled by Kevin Hare aily lier D Cava e h T onfin | Marshall Br

OFF-GROUNDS HOUSING

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RUGBY/GORDON/GRADY Location

The Rugby Road corridor is the heart of much of the University's Greek life, which also spills out to the neighboring roads: Gordon Avenue and Grady Avenue. Many of the residences are houses, which give the area a neighborhood-like feel.

Walking distance to Central Grounds Walking distances varies, but typically ranges between 10-15 minutes.

Pros The main draw of this area is its social atmosphere.

“I have friends living two doors down and more across the street,” said third-year Commerce student Shivin Agarwal, who lives on Gordon Avenue.

Living in a house, rather than an apartment, also offers a place which can accommodate a larger group of friends. Agarwal lives with four roommates.

Third-year College student Patrick Lambert is a member of Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and also lives in his fraternity house on Rugby Road.

“There’s 15 people living in the house," Lambert said. "You’re going to have something in common with all of them.”

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Cons Agarwal said dealing with the age of his house and others can be a chore.

“I’d say the houses are old, just like Charlottesville in general as opposed to other universities and other campuses I’ve been on,” he said. “If you get a house, there are a lot of things you have to work on and fix by yourself.”

Finding an off-Grounds location in this area also requires some of the earliest commitment from potential tenants — who often begin looking for places as early as September for the next academic year.

“I think something that U.Va needs to work on is fixing off-Grounds housing in terms of the timing schedule,” Agarwal said. “The biggest issue for me is having to figure out your housing in September.”

Living in a Greek house can also present its own challenges. Pi Lambda Phi brothers Lambert and second-year Engineering student George Kohlroser said they have difficulty finding a quiet place to study.

“Other people aren’t working when you want to work,” Lambert said. “Most people end up going to the library."

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10

The Cavalier Daily

TOP 10 Annie Mester Life Columnist

1. Roommates

Back when Facebook did that weird thing with the Bumper Sticker app, I read a particularly sparkly one that said, “If you don’t like me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best.” They were probably referring to the trials and tribulations of your one-weeklong seventh grade relationship, but give me some creative liberty here. Read: when you come home drunk and hungry and decide putting water, raw pasta and sliced Kraft American cheese in a bowl is a viable substitute for Easy Mac, you’ll want roommates who won’t hold you back. The perfect roommates will tell you your culinary genius is akin to Bobby Flay, and that your heavy hand with the salt will really add flavor and charisma to your pasta dish as you stand in the kitchen pantsless while wearing your shirt backwards.

2. Location

The on-Grounds to offGrounds move may be best described as “One small step for man, one giant leap for all money out of your wallet and into the cash register at Bodo’s.” But, just like deciding to avoid studying and relying on Elzinga’s Dutch Knockout, any decision regarding location will have its ups and downs (note: don’t rely on the Dutch Knockout).

If you live in Lambeth, you’re closer to Rugby Road but will probably have to rely on the buses to get to class. Toto, I don’t think we’re in Old Dorms anymore. If you live on the Corner, you’ll never have to pretend to enjoy In The Nood again, but you’ll inevitably spend a lot longer in Clemons than you

Things to consider when choosing where to live

want to because you’re too cold/ lazy to a home so far away. If you live on JPA, you’ll save money being able to use Plus Dollars at the South Lawn Starbucks but will probably have to constantly remind people you don’t live at JPJ. And if you live at The Flats at West Village, tell them to stop emailing me.

and make sure to speak with your roommates about when/where/ who will have access to said spaces.

The closest I came to a competitive sport last year was parking my car in very illegal places and hoping I wouldn’t get towed. I never did, so you can say I won the first annual World Series of Illegal Parking.

3. Price

Another largely unacknowledged aspect to consider in signing a lease is how long you are actually agreeing to rent said house/apartment/dorm for. A sport equally as thrilling and frustrating as Illegal Parking is Aggressive Subletting, characterized by many frantic posts in every University listserv and/or Facebook group you can possibly think of, demanding that someone live in your “AMAZING house on 14th street with an INCREDIBLE location and negotiable price and couches included and my roommates are great and I really do not want to be paying for an empty house with money that could be better spent on things like late night dumplings and PLEASE please take this spot it’s such a good deal.” A word of advice: spare yourself the trouble and try to find/ negotiate for a 10-month lease.

Before you sign a lease, it’s important to consider what’s actually included in the rent check you’ll pay each month. Is there access to laundry? Amenities? Garbage disposal? Cable? Internet? Will someone open the door for you and not give you any sass when you lock your keys in the apartment? Will someone be on call to actually respond to concerns about your leaky ceiling? Is there an agreement not to have your apartment shown to prospective renters at 8 a.m. on a Saturday when you have no pants on and can’t look at the daylight without wanting to vomit?

How about not being charged $100 for a “dark spot” on the carpet that is clearly just the imprint of a chair that had been sitting in your room the whole year on a carpet you just had professionally cleaned?

4. Parking

You don’t know desperation until you spend entirely too long eating free samples at Trader Joe’s and realize you’re about to come home with an armful of groceries, with five minutes to get to the Chemistry Building and nowhere to legally park your car. When it comes to parking, Charlottesville is the worst. You can (and will) get a parking ticket just for breathing in the wrong place. Make sure some form of parking is included in your lease if you plan on having a car,

5. Length of stay

6. Amenities

As stated above, there are certain things that may or may not be included in your rent price. Amenities (water, electricity) are a couple of these variable things. It’s all fun and games until you turn your heater up one degree and have to pay 12 million more dollars that month just because the iced coffee you were drinking made you cold. Also, it is imperative you set aside at least three hours to enlist a friendly computer science student to help you configure your

WiFi. Last year, my roommates and I argued with the Internet company on the phone for so long we considered flying to wherever this guy was and practicing some strategically-placed kickboxing moves. Also, hopefully those brave enough to major in computer science will also be able to help you with your calculus homework.

7. Rental company

Note that all Law students are only pre-law and not real lawyers, so they won’t be able to help you when you inevitably have trouble with an inconsiderate landlord.

You may end up spending some time and effort crafting passive aggressive emails to your landlord on a weekly basis. Sometimes I consider moving back into old dorms.

At least then I won't be subjected to surprise construction in my parking spot on four separate occasions resulting in my having to park three miles away from my apartment, being late to class and losing half a letter grade. With no apology from the company that is a TV channel which is definitely not called NBC. Still #bitter.

8. Size

In the game of housing, size matters. The size of your living room can be the difference between having the pregame of the year and THE pregame of the year.

Between attempting to do an online pilates video in the privacy of your home and forcing yourself to go to the gym and then running into 12 people you didn’t want to see. A bedroom with a few extra square feet could be the difference between a full-sized bed and a twin. A bigger closet? The difference between being able to bring all three hula skirts you’ll never wear and just two.

9. Cleanliness

It’s common knowledge that the stairwells in any apartment complex will be wrought with pizza boxes probably thrown there circa 2003. There will probably be blood/vomit/bodily fluid stains outside your apartment door, and inexplicable cracks in your walls.

I can smell Wertland Square from a mile away. But there is a difference between apartments which are totally disgusting and those just damaged from the wear and tear of your average University student. Always take a tour of the apartment you’re going to live in, and maybe even force the current occupants to hire a professional SWAT team to exterminate anything left over after their departure.

10. Neighbors

Last year, I was #blessed with the privilege of living below four girls who walked as if they had lead in their shoes. They loved to do exercise videos which involved jumping, and they spent huge amounts of time screaming at their boyfriends on the phone. Walls are thin and people suck, so it’s important not to overlook who will potentially live near you when you choose a location. Oftentimes this is out of your control, but signing a lease to live in a split-level house below the lacrosse team will most likely not entail a serene atmosphere from the hours of 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. GrandMarc will always be akin to a hotel house party, and The Pointe always seems to have surprise fire alarms. Basically, if you want peace and quiet, move into the bottom floor of Clemons.

How well do you know your “Neighbors”?

QUESTION In the movie “Neighbors,” Zac Efron belongs to the Delta Psi Beta fraternity.

Which University fraternity goes by a nickname for this same organization?

QUESTION In “Neighbors,” Efron’s fraternity moves its house into a residential community. University fraternities have been established in numerous places on- and off-Grounds, including ­— at one point ­— on the Lawn. Which fraternity was founded in a room on the West Range?

Know the answers? Email them to k.steuber@cavalierdaily.com for your chance to win free Universal swag from the movie “Neighbors.” *Sponsored by Universal

Monday, October 6, 2014

11

All in the family: Organizations pass down lease agreements Clubs, teams, greek organizations hand down properties year to year through landlords; locations work well for group member interests, schedules Clara Carlson and Diana Yen Senior Writers

In the flurry of lease-signing season, many University students seek out a modest apartment to share with friends. But many others pool together funds to live in house, handed down informally from members of their respective organizations around Grounds — be they Greek organizations, sports teams or any manner of student groups.

Current tenants typically have an agreement with the landlords to fill the houses for the next year themselves, keeping the the house in their organization's “family”.

“They don’t put the house on the market, … the landlord or the company relies on the tenants to fill the house for the next year,” said fourth-year College student Katie Thompson, who lives in a house handed down through members of the First Year Players, a student musical theater organization.

Thompson, the group's producer, said there are at least six houses currently associated with her organization.

“It’s a really tight-knit community, and we all live together,” she said. “Honestly, a large majority of FYPers live with all other FYPers. So it’s just part of our tradition to live together.”

Fourth-year College student Nazzareno Spurio, who lives in the Club Frisbee house, said this process makes the housing search much easier.

“The main benefit is security,”

Spurio said. “[Having to decide on housing so early] makes finding a place to live difficult, so having a house that is passed down is great. Leasing afresh requires a lot more effort of scouting out potential places and roommates.”

If the house is not filled by members of the organization, it will simply change hands as the landlord seeks out new tenants.

“This is the second year we've had our house,” Spurio said. “Oddly enough, it was the old football house — so quite a change in ownership.”

Graduate Education Matthew Schilling lived in the Crew house — meant only for members of the men’s club rowing team — for the majority of his time as a University undergraduate.

“I think it was a good move for me and older guys to move in [to the house],” Schilling said. “It wasn’t unusual for me to be hanging out one afternoon and having a teammate pop in and say 'Hi,' and I think that’s a cool advantage.”

He said independence, a close community, and similar schedules are just some of the benefits of living in a group house.

“A lot of people are up late cramming or something, while [the crew guys] go to bed at 10 or 11 to get up for practice at 5 or 6,” Schilling said. “It’s nice to live with guys with the same schedule.”

Schilling said the crew team has had its current house for about 30 years.

Third-year College student Frank Song said he has had a sim-

Sign here: Understanding your lease Transition from on-Grounds to off-Grounds housing spurs mistakes, surprises, problems for many students Eric Barbour and Samantha Josey-Borden News Writers

Dozens of concerns go into a student's housing decision — finding the perfect roommates, the right rent rate, and a location that's close to class without sacrificing access to nightlife.

But to make these decisions a reality, students are also faced with signing what for many of them is their first long-term, binding contract: the lease.

Though off-Grounds housing gives students the opportunity to

choose among a wide variety of floor plans, the requirements built into leases often go unnoticed.

Vicki Hawes, assistant director of off-Grounds housing, said students should take the time to become familiar with their leases, even if it can be hard to understand at times.

“A majority of the time, students are in a rush to sign the lease due to the limited amount of time they have for their favorite options,” Hawes said. “However, they must become familiar with their landlord’s requirements which [the off-Grounds Housing Office] advocates be done with a direct conversation. It’s good to look

ilar experience in the Academical Village People House, home to many members of the AVP a cappella group. “[Something that] is very different about living at the AVP house is the open-door policy,” Song said. “People will just pop in to see if anyone is home or just to say 'Hi.' … I like living in such an alive environment.”

The house is also good for increasing the group's presence in the University community, Song added.

“It’s also good publicity,” he said. “People always pass by are like ‘oh, thats the AVP house.’”

These houses are also often recognized by students as the home for their respective organizations' parties and pre-games.

“It does get dirty very quickly because of all the people who come by for pre-games and parties and stuff,” Song said. “The AVP house has a reputation for being dirty, but we’re trying to change that.”

Third-year Commerce student Alex Spears, who lives in a house rented by members of the Hullabahoos, another a cappella group, said the experience is not as hectic as he expected when he moved from on-Grounds housing.

“I would say that it’s surprisingly less rowdy,” Spears said.

“It’s definitely a lot more convenient for going out or going to get food.”

But sometimes, living in a public space comes with a downside.

“There’s just something about

the [house],” Spears said. “People like to bust holes in our walls. I just want to make a PSA: to whoever is doing that, please stop.”

Rowdy party-goers aside, Spears said having a house offers lends his group an important sense of community.

“After finishing rehearsal at like 10:15 at night, we can just go chill in my room,” Spears said.

“It’s nice if we just want to have conversations. ... It’s cool to get an inside view of the house. I don’t know if I would want to be president if I didn’t live there and see all the inner workings.”

Because the houses typically cannot house all members of an organization, groups typically have a system in place for deciding who can claim a room.

Schilling said that for the Crew house, upperclassmen typi-

cally choose rooms based on seniority.

“The big thing is bringing in guys who will stay on the team,” he said.

Spurio said Club Frisbee uses a similar seniority system.

“Getting a spot in the house was first come first serve,” he said.

“From there, rooms were selected by seniority, which is run by the captains.”

Over the years, organization houses have become an important part of the University experience.

“Having all these different houses gives ... U.Va. a bit of flavor,” Song said. “You can walk down the street and it’s like ‘oh, that’s the AVP house; oh, that’s the Row House; oh, that’s the Ski House.’”

The Crew house (above) has been with the men’s club rowing team for about 30 years, said Education graduate student Matthew Schilling, who lived in the house.

at the handbook or document landlords give you, but the language can be convoluted and unclear to tenants.”

Hawes said students sometimes are unaware of what their rent will actually cover, and sometimes end up having to pay more than they initially expected. While on-Grounds housing includes all utilities and internet connection, off-Grounds options typically do not.

“Students are often unaware of what the cost of utilities will actually be and what utilities they have to pay, which can be a large increase from what they pay alone in rent,” Hawes said.

In addition to arranging utilities, the tenants of off-Grounds housing are responsible for notifying landlords of any issue — including damage to the property and utility failure — which may occur throughout their stay at the location. If these problems are not brought to the landlord's attention, tenants can face the consequences in a deduction from their security deposits.

The Off-Grounds Housing Of-

fice website advises tenants to “always notify the landlord about any problems either in-person or over the telephone.” The website recommends these problems be formally outlined in a letter to keep a record.

Lester Wilson III, attorney at Student Legal Services, warned of some of the legal complications which come with signing a lease. Specifically, he recommended all students sign the lease at the same time.

“Make sure that you all sign at the same time,” Wilson said. “I often have students come to me that signed a lease to hold it for other students only to find out that the others have fallen through and they are stuck with the lease.”

He added said there often stipulations in a lease which could be prove intrusive to tenants. Landlords will sometimes want to improve or renovate a space — and some seek to do so while the tenants are still living in it.

For example, the owner of GrandMarc Apartments on 15th street has the right of entry “at any time without notice in the event of an emergency

Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

and at all reasonable times, with reasonable advance notice to you, even without your consent, to inspect remodel, repair, maintain and protect the Apartment and your Bedroom as we see fit, in our sole discretion,” as stated in the leasing contract. Similar provisions can be found in many offGrounds leasing contracts.

However, tenants also have a series of rights in a rental agreement — and important protections if the landlord is not repairing or maintaining the rental property.

“Tenants are given a number of rights under the Landlord Tenant Act,” Wilson said. “They can terminate the lease if the landlord does not fix issues with the the premises that affect the tenant's health or safety.”

Tenants also have the option of calling the City of Charlottesville to inspect the property if it is unsafe.

The City will then cite the landlord for code violations, and mandate they fix the issue.

More information and advice about leasing can be found on Student Legal Services' website.

12

HOUSING

The Cavalier Daily

Living on the Lawn Public nature of historical Lawn rooms gives residents joy, responsibility

Drew Friedman Feature Writer

With no air conditioning, limited space, and an outdoor jaunt necessary to access bathrooms and showers, life in one of Thomas Jefferson’s 54 original Lawn rooms is light on amenities. But the life of a "Lawnie" — rooted in historical grandeur and a vibrant social atmosphere — is central to what makes these rooms some of the most sought-after real estate at the University.

Because visitors are constantly sightseeing and bottlenecking into Lawn rooms, residents often play the role of unofficial tour guides for the University.

“Your friends, visitors and tourists will always be coming by and stopping in,” Batten graduate student Kurt Lockhart said. “Your room is a place where you can hang out and take a break during the day; tourists can stop in and enjoy it. You don’t really have your own personal space sometimes, so there’s definitely that challenge of managing your life in the public eye.”

The Lawn's public status gives residents a sense of responsibility.

“Everyone who lives here under-

stands that you have a duty to be a host and a tour guide for people at U.Va.,” Lockhart said. “You have a duty to the visitors and to the organizations at U.Va. to really be someone who’s welcoming and hospitable.”

With all the hubbub, it can sometimes be a struggle to find time alone. But Lawn residents like fourth-year Commerce student Alex Sneider welcome the atmosphere with open arms.

“Because of the nature of the Lawn being such an open and public space that it is, I knew that [even though I was living alone] it would be a very public thing,” Sneider said. “You don’t have privacy, which isn’t necessarily a problem. I’ve loved it, just the fact that I can come back from class and there are always people in my room

and my friends are always hanging out here.”

Even still, with the constant bustling of people on the Lawn, residents value the rare times they find the landmark void of people.

“Sometimes I’ll wake up at 7:30 and come out here and have a coffee and newspaper and there’s absolutely nobody out here,” Sneider said.

“That’s something that you really don’t experience anywhere else. It’s

ty Guide Service, University students did not find the rooms desirable until the administration introduced an application for the rooms in the 1960s. Now, Lawn residents go through a competitive application process — last year, 310 applicants applied for the rooms — and are selected by a diverse committee of students to ensure residents represent all facets of the University community.

“I think that a lot of people feel that Lawnies have a certain formula or a certain GPA, but I feel like I have messed up a lot and I became a stronger person [because of it],” fourth-year College student Sandra Menendez said. “A big façade that U.Va. has is that everyone is perfect all the time and everyone has these great grades, but my experience at college wasn’t like that. I still struggle even though I am on the Lawn. We’re Photo by Marshall Bronfin | Illustration by Sean Cassar just like everybody else.” given me a really different appreciaMost Lawn residents have tion for the space and it’s probably achieved some form of leadership my favorite part thus far.” at the University. But living on the According to the probationary Lawn gives students a final opporpacket for members of the Universi- tunity to foster new and unexpected

relationships.

“Everyone is just very nice and excited to get to know one another because we all come from different parts of the University,” Sneider said.

“It’s been really neat to expand your friend circle and meet people you might not have otherwise had the opportunity to meet. It’s accentuated by the fact that everyone is really friendly.”

This year is unlike any other for Lawn residents, however, as ongoing construction projects obscure the view of the Rotunda and offer, at times, an earlier-than-desirable wake up call for residents.

“It’s really unfortunate that [the construction is] during the year that we’re here on the Lawn,” Lockhart said. “I especially feel bad for my friends who live in the rooms closer to the construction because they definitely have to deal with the noise.

It’s not ideal to have the construction going on, but I know it’s necessary.”

But residents, Menendez said, are taking the construction in stride — and the payoff of surrounding yourself with such a passionate segment of the University community makes the experience worthwhile.

“You’re surrounded by 54 other people who adore U.Va. and that has such a power to it,” Menendez said. “It’s really wonderful to be surrounded by all those people who have given so much and care so deeply for this University — so that, I think, has been really beneficial to me and has constantly expanded me. It feels like [even though] I am a fourth year, it’s a new beginning.”

HOUSING

Monday, October 6, 2014

13

Peer advisors offer housing answers for transfers Transfer students form unique community on, off Grounds Jessica Crystal Feature Writer

Upon accepting their offer of admission to the University, transfer students’ first challenge often starts with finding housing.

Housing and Residence Life at the University offers information to incoming transfers about both on-Grounds and off-Grounds options, but they often encourage onGrounds housing to ease the transition process.

Fourth-year College student Kyle Rayo went through the housing application process when he transferred and was assigned to Hereford College, an on-Grounds apartment complex.

“In Hereford I got lucky because my whole hall was [inhabited by] transfers,” Rayo said.

Not all transfer students take Rayo's route of living on-Grounds, however — including second-year College student Kelly Falvey, who opted to live in GrandMarc apartments on 15th Street when she transferred to the University.

“My dad wanted me to live in on-Grounds for my first semester at a new school,” Falvey said. “But people told me most kids live off campus after first year.”

The decision has been a mixed bag, Falvey said, but ultimately one she is happy with.

“I’m missing out a little on being in an environment of transfers [and] finding people with more in common with you, so [living off-Grounds] is hard at the beginning,” Falvey said. “But I love living off-Grounds. I feel more integrated into the social scene.”

Not all transfer students feel they make the right call, however.

“I totally would have done [housing] differently,” said secondyear College student James Banks, who currently lives in Hereford.

“I would have decided to live offGrounds.”

To make better informed housing decisions, many in-state transfer students use friends from their hometowns as a resource.

“The most helpful resources were my friends from high school who already went here," secondyear College student Catherine Blake said. "One was living in a Lambeth apartment and someone dropped out so I got the spot. I can’t imagine coming from out of state.”

In addition to receiving his housing assignment, Rayo — like all other transfers — was assigned a Transfer Student Peer Advisor, or TSPA, to help him in his transition.

Daniel Ahn | The Cavalier Daily

Housing and Residence Life encourages transfer students to live in communities on Grounds like Hereford, though some transfers live off Grounds.

He became a TSPA himself after second year.

“Right when you transfer you can feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, but it’s nice to know you have someone there to get you acclimated,” Rayo said.

As a TSPA, Rayo echoed the sentiment that in-state students often have an easier time connecting with students to secure housing.

“Being from Northern Virginia helps," he said. "[There are] kids

from other high schools you can connect to. [I sympathize] with kids from out of state. [You have to] nudge [them] a little bit because they’re the ones who could have the most trouble adjusting.”

The University's tendency to consolidate transfer students into close quarters is a mixed bag, Rayo said. In addition to Universitysponsored transfer student activities, ranging from movie viewings to a transfer student dinner, Rayo

said there is work to be done to make on-Grounds housing options for transfer students more attractive.

“Hereford is a gift and a curse because it is single rooms [and] people can get content with closing doors, [which can] limit the community vibe,” Rayo said. “The University needs to connect transfer housing more in general and create more of a community.”

The Cavalier Daily

N

Students sleepout for homeless Jewish Social Justice Council hosts ninth annual event to raise money, awarness

Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

Students set up tents (above) to sleep in the Amphitheatre Sunday, and will sleep there again Monday. The fundraiser is held in conjunction with the Jewish festival of Sukkot.

Associate Editor

About 20 students participated Sunday in the first of two nights of the annual Sleepout for the Homeless in the Amphitheatre.

The event is sponsored by the Jewish Social Justice Council — a subgroup of Hillel, the studentled Jewish group at the University.

The sleepout, now in its ninth year, is a two-night, three-day event which raises money and brings awareness to homelessness in Charlottesville. articipants sleep outside either in tents or a Sukkah, a hut con-

structed for temporary housing.

Third-year Engineering student Callum Weinberg, JSJC chair and the organizer of this year's event, said about 50 or 60 percent of the sleepout participants were Jewish, but that outreach efforts were widespread.

P“A lot of it is friend connection, but also Facebook, Twitter, email, our website, chalking and flyering,” he said. “We also used HooVision. We really tried to branch out in terms of different avenues of publicity.”

Only current students are allowed to sleep out for the event, but Callum said there are multiple opportunities available for com-

munity members to participate.

The sleepout features various speakers and events during the day, with discussion centered on additional ways students can help in the fight against homelessness.

“Community members are invited to find out more about homelessness and work that these organizations do at 6 p.m. on Sunday and 4 p.m. on Tuesday,” Weinberg said. “Each grant recipient is giving a speech at that time.

We have full calendar of events for Monday and Tuesday.”student Haley Swartz has participated in the sleepout for the past two years. In addition to efforts by the JSJC to solicit donations from local businesses, she said participants are asked to reach out to family and friends for individual sponsorships.

Fourth-year College “For the last few years we’ve done a raffle where we’ve gotten local businesses to donate goods or money,” she said. “We also get a lot of individual donations. We send emails to family and people around the community, because you really never know who is affected by homelessness.”

All funds go directly to two local homeless organizations. In the past eight years, the organization has raised more than $27,000 to support homeless organizations in Charlottesville.This year’s joint grant recipients are People

and Congregations Engaged in so many people have to deal with Ministry and Families in Crisis. homelessness on a daily basis.”

PACEM is a grassroots organizaThe sleepout is held near the tion which coordinates shelter time of the Jewish festival of Sukoptions for the homeless in the kot, which commemorates the 40 Charlottesville area during winter years Israelites spent wandering months. Families in Crisis, which in the desert following their exois federally-funded grant associ- dus from Egypt. During this time, ated with Project Hope, works to it was commonplace for the Israpromote the success of homeless elites to entertain guests in Sukyouth in school. “[The event will result in] funds raised for local organizations that fight homelessness, specifically PAThese individuals need help getting back on their CEM and Families in Crisis,” feet, and getting back their normal lives.

Callum said.

“Awareness will be raised as well.

We hope to educate and inform students about kahs, like the one set up now in homelessness in part by bringing the Amphitheatre. in speakers from the these orga“These individuals need help nizations.” getting back on their feet, and Swartz said participants can getting back their normal lives,” still go to class during the day and Weinberg said. “Organizations stop at their homes when needed. that support the homeless com“Part of the risk is understand- munities help them in different ing what the homeless people feel ways. Sometimes involves comand trying to identify with them,” plicated problems, like providing she said. “You’ll wake up at 6 a.m. housing solutions, but often it's and everything gets busy again. just providing a meal, or a warm But the tents stay for three days. place to sleep during the winter Part of what we [do] is sleep- months.” ing out, but it’s mostly about the awareness aspect — the fact that

“

news

Kathleen Smith

14

Student Council launches new safe walking initiative Buddies on Call will meet and walk with students in unsafe situtions, fourth-year Kuai says resources needed for SafeRide first Ashlee MacDonald Senior Writer

To help students who do not feel safe walking home by themselves, first-year College student Jack Capra has enlisted the support of Student Council and Associate Dean of Students Marsh Pattie to create Buddies on Call.

The goal of the project, which Council formally established during its Tuesday meeting, is to establish a service wherein students can call in and request two student volunteers come to walk them home.

Capra and second-year College student Abraham Axler, chair of Council's representative body, are co-chairs of a committee created specially by Council to launch the initiative.

Axler said volunteers with the program will need to be on alert for intoxicated people,

unsafe situations and instances when intervention is necessary. “[The volunteers need] to be accountable for their shift and motivated to help people,” Axler said. “Everyone is a bystander and one of our foremost goals is to build a culture where everyone knows how to be an active bystander."

Council will have a meeting next week with a number of administrators to determine possible liability issues in launching the program.

Second-year College student Renee Colligan said there is a need for improved safety at the University.

“There are times when SafeRide isn't available yet and I wish it was,” Colligan said.

Axler said the program is necessary because there are

gaps in what SafeRide can offer students, adding that the service lacks a personal

“There’s a real lapse with SafeRide,” Axler said. “There’s a big chunk of time when students may have gone out but want to go home but SafeRide isn’t available.”

A system similar to Buddies on Call, called Safe Walk, was discontinued

by Council several years ago because students did not utilize the program, Pattie said.

Axler said the new initiative is better positioned for success.

“There’s been a real shift in cultural awareness [so] people are far more willing to use a service like this,” Axler said.

But not all students agree o a Ch Ann such a program is necessary. y s rte Cou “I don’t see the point when there’s SafeRide already,” said touch which he hopes Bud- fourth-year College student dies on Call can provide.

Chesea Nwap.

Fourth-year Commerce student Alvin Kuai said students who want to ensure the safety of others should volunteer with the SafeRide program to reform it.

“Students with cars could volunteer to do what Safe Ride does basically; that way you wouldn't have to wait so long to get SafeRide,” Kuai said. “I feel like driving makes more sense than walking.”

Nwapa said she would not feel comfortable walking home with a student she had not met before.

Colligan said she would feel comfortable as long as the students are officially a part of Buddies on Call.

“We are very excited about the idea and believe it represents a great example of student selfgovernance and students taking care of one another,” Pattie said.

NEWS

Monday, October 6, 2014

15

University crime stats show 47 instances of sexual misconduct Annual Clery Act mandated report documents 2013 police reports, burglaries make up largest share of incidents at 59, down one from 2012 Austin Goode Senior Writer

The University Police Department released its Annual Security Report Monday. The release shows there were no reports of murder, non-negligent manslaughter, robbery or arson on or around Grounds in the 2011-13 reporting period.

Police received reports of rape, sexual assault or forcible fondling 47 times in 2013. Twenty-seven of these reports were made on Grounds, 11 were on non-campus property and nine on public prop-

erty.

The report is part of the University's compliance with the Clery Act of 1990, which requires all colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to keep and disclose information about crime on and near their respective campuses.

“The University Police Department believes that the Charlottesville-Albemarle-University area is a safe community, but it’s important to remember that crime does happen,” University Police Department Lt. Melissa Fielding said.

A major component of the

University Police report is a data table showing the statistics of reported crime over the period 2011-13. The table shows the presence of crime, including violent crimes such as rape and aggravated assault, on Grounds and in the surrounding area.

Burglary makes up the largest portion of reported crime, with 59 reports in 2013, all of which were on Grounds save one reported on non-campus property. This represents a slight decrease from the 60 reports of burglary in 2012.

In light of the disappearance of second-year College student Hannah Graham, many students have

become concerned with security on Grounds.

Second-year College student Isabella VanKesteren said the incident has not made crime more prevalent, just more openly discussed.

“I feel like it is important to always be aware of the risks, and unfortunately this case has just brought [crime] into the forefront of our minds,” VanKesteren said.

Fielding said students can work with law enforcement to make community safer.

“There are three factors in every crime: the victim, the suspect and the opportunity,” Fielding

said. “Of those three factors, we can most impact opportunity by implementing safety strategies.”

Fielding said students, if they feel unsafe at any point, can call SafeRide, use the University Transit System or pick up a blue-light telephone located throughout Grounds.

The full Annual Crime Report is available here. This report includes crime statistics, outlines University policy on different issues of crime, such as sexual assault, and shares resources on how to avoid and prevent dangerous situations.

StudCo pushes mobile apps for safety Safety and Wellness Chair Rachel Murphy says University will develop comprehensive app application.

Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

Safety apps like Circle of 6 (above) helps students notify emergency contacts when facing dangerous or risky situations.

Katie Grimesey and Tim Petraco News Writers

In light of the recent disappearance of second-year College student Hannah Graham and several sexual assaults on and around Grounds, Student Council is promoting six mobile apps for student safety: Circle of 6, Kitestring, Tag - You're It, Hollaback, One Love My Plan, and First Aid

by Red Cross.

Third-year College student Rachel Murphy, Council's Safety and Wellness Committee cochair, said her committee began researching safety apps after learning that Virginia Commonwealth University was using the app “Live Faith.” “[VCU] experience[s] a significant amount of crime, just by virtue of the fact that it’s in downtown Richmond,” Murphy said. “So I thought that if this was something VCU could use and be happy with, that was definitely a testament to the capability that

apps have.”

Murphy said the six apps will serve as “placeholders” until the University makes a partnership with a safety app which is more “comprehensive.”

“The six apps we are promoting are ones that don’t involve students being connected to a larger network,” Murphy said. “The apps … that have a picturing function, or a ‘text the police’ function require [University Police] to be a partner with that application.”

University Police do currently use a program called "TipSoft," which has desktop and mobile interfaces which allow users to anonymously submit crime tips to the police. In a September interview, Murphy said she hoped the University would adopt a partnership with LiveSafe, an application used by Virginia Tech, which she said is more comprehensive and user-friendly than TipSoft.

Below are the six apps Council is promoting before the University is able to establish a relationship with a more comprehensive

Tag - You’re It was created by Pinchit, Incorporated. The app allows users to share their locations with any of their close friends, without advertising their location to everyone else using the app.

“Tags” are completely private and at the discretion of the user.

Tag allows users to create friend lists of people, making it easier to send your location to multiple friends at once.

Along with merely saying the location of the initial sender, Tag allows users to snap a picture or a quick video of their location to send to friends, making it even easier to recognize where someone is. The “tag” can also include the sender’s location on a map below the picture.

One Love My Plan was created by Mongoose Projects, and is tailored to identifying and tracking relationship and intimate partner violence.

The app is designed for college-age women and their friends to relay personal accounts of partner violence. The app provides users with information on different types of partner violence as well as places where they can find additional information and support.

The app features a live chat function where users have 24hour access to trained One Love My Plan advocates.

Circle of 6, created by human rights start-up Tech 4 Good is designed to allow users to quickly contact friends when they're in uncomfortable or dangerous situations. Users program the app with the contact information of six people they would like to be able to easily notify through four different actions.

One action gathers a user's GPS information and prepares an SMS message to send to the contacts which asks to be picked up at that location. Other actions ask for a distraction, ask for relationship advice, and display emergency phone numbers.

A customizable version of the application, Circle of 6 U, allows universities to tailor the application for their students.

First Aid by Red Cross is an interactive application for the iPhone, Android and Kindle Fire platforms designed to guide a user through everyday first aid situations with step-by-step instructions. Content is preloaded so no Internet connection is required to get immediate safety information.

The application makes it easy to contact EMS at any time and includes information for emergency situations like hurricanes and blackouts. Simple videos provide descriptions of actions to take in given scenarios.

This resource is useful in helping students to best take care of themselves and their friends

when it comes to basic first aid.

Kitestring is a “safecall service” that checks up on users when they are in a potentially uncomfortable situation (i.e. walking at night, on a blind date, etc.) tell kitestring where they are going and the expected duration of the trip. When the time amount the user has given Kitestring is up, the app will send a check-in text to the user, which users simply reply to. If the user hasn’t replied to the app in the estimated time of arrival, the app will alert the set emergency contacts something could be wrong. Users can notify Kitestring if they are running late.

UsersUsers without smartphones can sign up for Kitestring online, and use the service the same way a smartphone would be able to.

Hollaback is designed to promote bystander intervention against forms of street harassment. Users can report incidents of street harassment in real-time.

Users who witness or are the victim of street harassment can open the app, and then enter an account of what they saw and a picture of where the incident happened.

The app aims to increase government awareness of specific incidents of street harassment and encourage bystander education and intervention.

16

NEWS

The Cavalier Daily

Society for Awakening Souls hosts Hugs for Hannah on Lawn SAS President Harrison Helm says event aims to build community of support when words don’t suffice Reade Pickert Senior Writer

This past Friday, University student group the Society for Awakening Souls along with Second Year Council sponsored a mental wellness event called “Hugs for Hannah” in wake of the disappearance of secondyear College student Hannah Graham.

SAS President Harrison Helm, a third-year College student, and SAS Financial Officer Emily Heymann, a fourth-year Architecture student, organized the event to support students in the University community.

About 30 students joined the support group on the Lawn.

Attendees hugged and wrote thank you notes to the police officers, search groups and volunteers in the ongoing investigation into Graham's disappearance. The event was followed by

refreshments and discussion at Finch boutique on the Corner.

SAS has weekly meetings where members participate in various styles and techniques of meditation as well as spiritual discussion.

“We discuss how the meditation was, and the conversation naturally progresses from there,” Heymann said.

The club has sponsored multiple other free hug events in the past.

“We were talking about how it’s upsetting to everyone,” Heymann said of Graham's disappearance. “How do we cultivate love and hope? We thought, what better way than through hugs?”

Heymann said the free hug events are effective in difficult times, when words are often hard to find.

“A hug is a very active and universal action that speaks for itself,” Heymann said. “What we need right now is coming to-

gether in love.”

Helm emphasized how the presence of other students will help the University community in a time like this. Helm said she hopes for a “peaceful and happy resolution to this pretty bleak situation.”

Celina Hu | The Cavalier Daily

Student joined on the Lawn Friday afternoon to support each other in wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance.

Grahams appeal for more tips As search efforts continue into fourth week, VDEM utilizes new tactics Kelly Kaler

Assistant Managing Editor

More than 100 searchers logged more than 2,400 hours this weekend in the ongoing search for missing second-year College student Hannah Graham. The search, conducted by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, spanned an eight-mile radius surrounding the Downtown Mall — Graham’s last known location before he disappearance early in the morning Sept. 13.

Woolpert Inc., a West-Virginia based aerial mapping and photography company, donated the use of a plane equipped with high definition imagery equipment for searches Saturday and Sunday.

VDEM Public Affairs Director Dawn Eischen said weekend efforts covered 70 percent of the proposed search area, with teams continuing this week to cover the remaining 30 percent.

VDEM spokesperson David Watson said the department has no plans to wrap up the search until Graham is found.

“They will continue to look until they find her and as long as they have leads,” Watson said.

Watson said the nature of the search has changed since the community search conducted two weeks ago. Whereas efforts immediately following Graham’s disappearance were focused on finding a missing person, search teams are now focused on finding evidence, Watson said.

Specially trained search officials are using canines to search outdoor areas.

“It’s not the measures you would use for a kid who has run off, or an elderly person,” Watson said.

Watson said there are no plans to institute another community search at this time due to the sensitive nature of the investigation.

“They are looking for things they weren’t looking for in the community search,” he said. “Folks might unknowingly disturb evidence.”

Graham’s parents addressed to the public this weekend pleading anyone with information to come forward. Sue Graham read from a prepared statement — the first time she has spoken publicly since her daughter's disappearance.

“An individual has been charged with the abduction of our beloved daughter Hannah," Sue Graham said. "However, despite extensive search efforts, no trace of Hannah has been found since she disappeared in the early hours of Saturday, September 13, now more than three weeks ago.”

Graham thanked professional search teams and community members for their assistance in the ongoing effort to find Hannah. Through tears, she appealed to individuals with knowledge of her daughter’s location.

“Somebody listening to me today either knows where Hannah is, or knows someone who has that information," she said. "We appeal to you to come forward and tell us where Hannah can be found.

Please, please, please help end this nightmare for all of us. Please help us to bring Hannah home.”

S

sports Matthew Morris Senior Associate Editor

Driving in the fourth quarter with his team down 24-13, Pittsburgh redshirt sophomore quarterback Chad Voytik eluded the Cavalier pass rush and passed to senior running back Isaac Bennett 17 yards downfield to complete a critical first down.

The reception brought the Panthers (3-3, 1-1 ACC) to the Virginia (4-2, 2-0 ACC) 31-yard line, prime positioning to turn their 10 unanswered points since halftime into 17.

Then, the Cavaliers pushed back.

Senior strong safety Anthony Harris blitzed Voytik on first down, bringing him down for an 11-yard loss. After junior defensive end Mike Moore and sophomore outside linebacker Max Valles teamed up bring down Voytik as he scrambled on second-and-21, Pittsburgh was back at the Virginia 44.

The consecutive sacks encapsulated Virginia’s second-half effort against Pittsburgh under the lights Saturday night at Scott Stadium.

Though the Cavaliers did not score a point after the break and ceded 16 to the Panthers, Virginia toughed out a 24-19 victory before 43,307 fans on one of the chilliest nights this fall season.

“We were resilient," coach Mike London said. "We made plays in the end when we had to do so. Again —

Monday, October 6, 2014

17

Cavaliers run past Pittsburgh, 24-19

Senior Parks tallies 48-yard touchdown run, career-high 169 rushing yards, Valles scores first career touchdown with the effort — your hat goes off to players that make those types of plays.”

With their second straight win and fourth in five games, the Cavaliers head into a bye week tied with Georgia Tech atop the seven-team Coastal Division, a league senior middle linebacker Henry Coley said earlier this week is there for the taking by whomever is ready to seize it.

Pittsburgh sophomore running back James Conner rumbled for nine yards on the Panthers’ first play from scrimmage and chugged for 11 more in the next two. The six-foottwo, 250-pound Conner entered the game second in the nation in rushing touchdowns and total rushing yards.

Conner, though, who posted 83 yards on 21 carries, could not keep up with Virginia senior Kevin Parks.

Parks cut inside for 12 yards on his first carry of the game and threw a shifty spin move at the Panther defense to pick up nine yards on his third. The senior running back racked up a career-high 169 yards on 29 rushes for the game, including a 48-yard touchdown to spot Virginia a 10-3 lead early in the second quarter.

“This game was one of those games that he was making himself known,” London said. “He was a dominant force out there for us out there today, and I’m happy for him to have a career day.”

Parks said he fed off the Panthers’ meat-and-potatoes approach to the business of the gridiron. Pittsburgh came into Saturday eighth nationally in total defense, yielding a mere 265.2 yards per game. Parks ate up more than half that figure in the first half

alone, when he racked up 115 yards on 16 rushes. On his touchdown run, he hit his hole and built up a head of steam in the open field.

“It was a very physical game, and that’s what I’m about — these tough games, grind-it-out games,” Parks said. “I feel like that’s my game and that’s my style, so it was very fun tonight for me.”

Parks was not the only Cavalier to play inspired football, however. On a night when Scott Stadium positively buzzed and students flooded the student section and the Hill, Virginia and offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild got creative.

Late in the second quarter, sophomore quarterback Matt Johns rushed three yards to the Pittsburgh 32-yard line. On the next play, he slung a horizontal pass to senior receiver Miles Gooch, who fired a 28-yard strike to senior tight end Zachary Swanson to move Virginia to the Panther four.

Prior to the flea flicker, Gooch, a converted quarterback, had not thrown a pass in a game since his senior year at Towers High School in Decatur, Georgia.

Johns complimented Gooch on his spiral, but Gooch was not sure about his pass as he let it fly.

“To be honest with you, I was so happy that it was a completion,” Gooch said. “As soon as I let it go, I’m like, ‘Oh, please get there, please.’ And Zach made the catch.”

The play set-up Johns’ three-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Khalek Shepherd for a 17-3 Virginia advantage.

Just 68 seconds later, Valles stepped in front of a Voytik pass in-

tended for Conner and took it back 35 yards for his first touchdown in a Cavalier uniform.

“It’s been a while since I had the ball and [was] running with it, so I made sure I had it high and tight so I didn’t fumble,” Valles said.

After the break, Pittsburgh issued its retort.

Panthers redshirt sophomore receiver Dontez Ford blocked a punt by senior co-captain Alec Vozenilek to give Pittsburgh possession at the Virginia 31 with 12:50 to play in the third quarter.

The Panthers made the most of their field position five plays later, when redshirt senior receiver Manasseh Garner beat normally lockdown junior cornerback Maurice Canady down the right sideline and hauled in a 17-yard touchdown reception.

After freshman cornerback Pat Amara picked off Johns, the Panthers looked to put another seven points on the board. Virginia, however, came up with a goal-line stand, snuffing out Conner rush attempts on first and second down and holding Pittsburgh to a field goal.

The Panthers scored once more with 1:20 left in the game on Voytik’s pass to junior tight end J.B. Holtz in the back of the end zone, a play that cut the Cavalier lead to 24-19. But their two-point conversion failed, as did their bid to regain possession via onside kick.

The Cavaliers are off this weekend and return to action Oct. 18 against Duke in Durham, North Carolina.

The game’s start time has not been announced.

Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

Senior running back Kevin Parks raced out to a career-high 169 rushing yards Saturday against Pittsburgh. Parks also broke a 3-3 tie early in the second quarter with a 48-yard touchdown run.

Shine on Senior Associate EditorThere is punt. Everyone on the nearly-filled nothing quite like a nighttime football hill loved it. game. Anticipation has more time to Though we can argue about who build. More fans file into the night’s Polaris was stadiums to be a part of — cases could surely be the madness. And the made for sophomore players? Well, the stars quarterback Matt Johns, shine brightest at night. who played his first ACC All of these things football game as a startwere true Saturday er, or even sophomore when Virginia took on outside linebacker Max Pittsburgh in its first — Valles, who led the viand potentially only — cious defensive attack by night game of the year. scoring a touchdown — Students began to jump it is clear that the title of RYAN TAYLOR on board the white out Sirius belongs to senior Senior Associate Editor train, Yik Yak had more tailback Kevin Parks. football related posts (Note for those of you than “OMG I love this school” posts who didn’t take Prof. Ed Murphy’s for the first time maybe ever, and at- ASTR 1210 class: Polaris is the North tendance broke 40,000 for the first Star, but Sirius is far and away the time since opening day, while student brightest star in the Earth’s sky. Sorry attendance surpassed 7,000. for making you learn something in And boy did the stars shine. the sports section, but I felt clarificaVirginia came out swinging tion was likely needed for the metaagainst the Panthers, immediately phor to have the impact I wanted. asserting its dominance. The offense Back to athletic stuff now.) was fluid and the defense flew to Virginia entered the game with the ball, forcing punt after punt after sophomore quarterback Greyson

Lambert and Johns leading the team in rushing, despite having a senior 1,000-yard back in the backfield. It was clear from the opening whistle Parks had had enough of being doubted. His first carry was a tough run for a first down right up the middle — and that trend continued all night long.

The five-foot-eight, 200-pound senior every bit outperformed his Pittsburgh counterpart sophomore James Conner, who stands six-foottwo and weighs a slight 250 pounds.

Conner boasted an impressive stat line coming into Scott Stadium, averaging nearly 160 yards per game through his first five, but left Charlottesville with his Panther tail tucked between his legs, having added just 83 yards to his season total.

Parks, on the other hand, absolutely smashed not just his season average, but his career high. The Salisbury, North Carolina, native finished his evening with a modest 169 yards on the ground on just 29 carries. It was an absolutely stellar performance.

A stellar performance, by the way,

which should have surprised no one.

Parks has been playing at an extremely high level since he arrived in Charlottesville in 2010. After redshirting his first year, he has missed just one game for the Cavaliers. In four years, all Parks has done is make the offense better than it could possibly be without him.

In 2011, Parks broke the program’s record for most touchdowns by a freshman in a single season — he scored nine, a mark that still stands today. He also led Virginia on the ground against Auburn in the Chickfil-A Bowl, the program’s last bowl appearance.

The following season, Parks lead Virginia in rushing with 734 yards and five touchdowns. His 74-yard performance at Duke also pushed him past the 1,000 yard mark for his career, making him just the 41st player in Virginia history to accomplish the feat.

It only got better for No. 25, as 2013 saw just how special of a player Parks can be. Though the team as a whole performed at a very low

level, going 2-10, Parks had a recordsetting season. He rushed for 1,031 yards in the Cavaliers’ 12 games — the first Virginia player to do so since 2004. His year was good enough to finish second in the ACC in rushing yards per game with 85.9 and eighth all-time for Virginia with 2,474 career rushing yards.

Through six games this season, Parks has 443 yards and three touchdowns. Some simple math (I know, I’m sorry) will show he is a bit off the pace to break 1,000 yards again — but I wouldn’t bet against him. The senior tends to get better as games and the season wears on, so it is more than possible he will break off a few more hundred-yard games to reach that benchmark.

Regardless of what happens the rest of the year, everyone at the University needs to appreciate what Kevin Parks has done during his time here. Saturday was far more the norm than it was an anomaly.

Sometimes all it takes are lights to illuminate the things which shine brightest.

18

SPORTS

The Cavalier Daily

Cavs fall to Duke, rebound versus Louisville Errors deflate Friday effort against Duke, team takes four-set Sunday victory, Burton, Janowski lead Virginia in kills

Chanhong Luu Associate Editor

The Virginia volleyball team split two home games against ACC rivals, Duke and Louisville, this weekend.

In the Friday night game, Virginia (10-7, 3-1 ACC) lost against No. 25 Duke (12-3, 4-0 ACC) in three sets, 23-25, 1825, 18-25.

Virginia started off the game with two straight points in the first set and led 10-9 before Duke tied the game and then took the lead, 11-10. The game continued to be tightly contested until Virginia hit two straight errors to hand the first set to the Blue Devils.

“We did some really good things, but we just weren’t able to close,” sophomore outside hitter Jasmine Burton said.

Virginia looked strong from the beginning, hitting every ball in sight for a total of 45 kill attempts in the set. But Duke was able to counter with 23 digs and 40 kill attempts. The Cavaliers also had four service errors in the game and eight total to give the Blue Devils free points. The team attempted several blocks from the get-go, but only ended up with five in the match.

“We played pretty well in the first set,” coach Dennis Hohenshelt said. “We got to 19 with them and we gave up some easy points.”

The second set was more of a one-sided affair, as the Blue Devils hit .344 in comparison to the Cavaliers’ .139. Once again, the Blue Devils were able to outdig the Cavaliers, 17-9. The Blue Devils also got their blocking game going, hitting four blocks in comparison to Virginia’s two.

“Our offense isn’t the prob-

lem right now,” Hohenshelt said.

“Our problem is, ‘Can we block and dig balls and serve the way we’re supposed to serve?’ When we do those things, good things happen to us.”

In the third set, the Cavaliers were never able to snag the lead as Duke won seven straight points to close out the match. The Cavaliers had just nine kills, nine assists and eight digs, compared to Duke’s 16 kills, 16 assists and 15 digs. The Blue Devils also hit a solid .414, while the Cavaliers hit .172.

“In the critical moments at the end of the game, we didn’t make the easy plays and we didn’t execute like we should have,” junior setter Lauren Fuller said. “Otherwise, I think we would’ve had a much better chance of winning.”

Senior outside hitter Jeme Obeime led Duke with 13 kills.

Sophomore middle blocker Jordan Tucker added 12 kills on 18 attempts for a .667 hitting percentage.

Both senior outside hitter Tori Janowski and Burton hit 10 kills to lead the Cavaliers.

“Everyone remembers that first game, but in the third game we’re at 19-18 and we gave up five-straight points,” Hohenshelt said. “That’s two games where we’re in it with them. We just have to keep the pressure on right now. We just made some hitting errors at the end, which we can’t do. We played pretty well in stretches of that match.

We’ll use some of those stretches to build off and get better at.”

The Cavaliers returned to Memorial Gym Saturday, where they bested Louisville in four sets, 25-23, 11-25, 25-18, 25-22.

“We knew Louisville wanted to do certain things and they were very patterned in what

they did, where Duke was really balanced,” Hohenshelt said.

“When we get a team like that, that we know that they’re pretty patterned, we got to be good at executing what we did, and I think [that] made a big difference.”

The Cavaliers were able to dig much better to start the Louisville game. They hit 20 digs in the first set and a total of 57 in the match, while the offense was able to hit .425 against Louisville’s .243.

In the first set, the Cavaliers hit seven more kills and five more assists than the Cardinals. But Louisville was able to win the service game in the first set — hitting three service aces — while Virginia hit four service errors and 12 in total.

In the second set, Louisville hit .611 and at one point in the game scored 14-straight points, as the Cavaliers struggled to get anything going on offense or defense. Louisville hit 11 kills on 18 attempts with no errors. In contrast, the Cavaliers had six kills on 20 attempts with six errors. Louisville also outserved and outblocked the Cavaliers in the set.

“It was pretty simple,” Hohenshelt said. “We couldn’t pass. When that happens, you’re not going to do much. If you don’t pass in this league, you’re not going to be able to play and you’re going to lose those games.”

Louisville’s offense regressed in the third set as the Cardinals hit a paltry .050. The Cavaliers hit .167, but were able to win the set with two service aces, zero service errors, 19 digs and five blocks.

“Our passing broke down in the second set, but we didn’t let that affect the next game,” Bur-

Sophomore outside hitter Jasmine Burton led the Cavaliers with 10 kills against Duke and 17 kills against Louisville.

Lauren Hornsby | The Cavalier Daily

ton said. “We told each other to remember how that felt and not let that happened again.”

Virginia was able to clinch the match by hitting .405 in the fourth set with 18 kills.

The Cavaliers also added three blocks in the set to bring their total to 10 in the game.

“That’s kind of the first time this season when we all rallied together,” Fuller said. “It wasn’t pretty, but we got it done.”

Louisville finished with 11 blocks, but the Cavaliers were able to outhit and outdig the Cardinals in the match.

Burton led the Cavaliers with 17 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Haley Kole and Janowski added 12 kills. Junior

defensive specialist Manon Fuller and sophomore libero Karlie Suber led the team with 13 digs, and Lauren Fuller also added 12 digs and 48 assists.

“This week, I finally got myself together,” Burton said. “I was finally doing the things we did in practice and taking it to the game.”

The Cardinals were lead by sophomore outside hitter Maya McClendon, who hit 17 kills.

Fellow sophomore outside hitter Janelle Jenkins added 10 kills for the Cardinals.

The Cavaliers return to the road next weekend to play North Carolina Friday at 6 p.m. and Virginia Tech Sunday at 1 p.m.

No. 19 men’s soccer cruises past ACC-foe Pittsburgh, 3-0

Sam Bergeron | The Cavalier Daily

Junior midfielder Todd Wharton recorded his first goal of the season in the 44th minute Saturday against Pittsburgh to give Virginia a 1-0 lead in the contest.

The No. 19 Virginia men’s soccer team defeated ACC rival Pittsburgh Saturday, 3-0. The Cavaliers (6-3-1, 2-1-1 ACC) have now outscored the Panthers (3-4-1, 0-3-1 ACC) 13-0 in the programs’ only four matches. The win vaulted Virginia into a tie with No. 1 Notre Dame atop the ACC Coastal Division.

The Cavaliers began scoring just before halftime, as junior midfielder Todd Wharton tallied his first goal of the season in the 44th minute. The Cavaliers extended their lead to two goals in the 59th

minute when junior forward Darius Madison — Tuesday night’s hero after scoring both Cavalier goals in their come-from-behind win against James Madison — netted his third score of the season.

Sophomore forward Nicko Corriveau sealed the Virginia win with his second goal of the season in the 86th minute. Junior midfielder Scott Thomsen assisted both Wharton and Corriveau’s goals.

The Cavaliers’ three goals — their highest output of the season — came after notching a season-

high 19 shots, including a 12-2 edge against the Panthers in the second half. Senior goalkeeper Calle Brown recorded two saves that night.

Virginia will continue its brutal stretch Tuesday night as the squad travels to Fairfax, Virginia to face No. 20 George Mason. Opening kickoff against the Patriots — who dropped their first match of the season against Virginia Commonwealth Saturday — is scheduled for 7 p.m.

—compiled by Robert Elder

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Monday, October 6, 2014

19

20

SPORTS

The Cavalier Daily

No. 4 Cavs best Irish, Ratcliffe scores final-minute game-winner

The fourth-ranked Virginia women’s soccer team broke back.

After being knocked from the top of the ACC standings following a crushing loss to Florida State last weekend, the Cavaliers (11-1-0, 3-1-0 ACC) hit the road once again to take on yet another ranked ACC foe, 14th-ranked Notre Dame (74-1, 2-2-0 ACC), Sunday in South Bend, Indiana.

The matchup was just the second ACC regular season meeting between the two squads, but early foundations of an historic rivalry are in the works. Last season’s rain-drenched matchup sent shockwaves through Division I women’s college soccer, as the Cavaliers took down the fifth-ranked Fighting Irish on a golden goal in double overtime by star midfielder Morgan Brian.

The Cavaliers thoroughly dominated this year’s matchup in front of 1,167 fans, as they outshot the Irish 19-6, but couldn’t find the back of the net during the first 45 minutes. After just eight minutes of play following the break, however, Brian stole a pass, made a move

in the box and fired in her fourth goal of the season to put Virginia up 1-0.

Just as the Cavaliers looked to be wrapping up another challenging, trying win, Notre Dame junior midfielder and United States U-20 women’s national team member Cari Roccaro settled a loose ball about 30 yards away and rocketed a shot inside the far post for an 84th-minute equalizer.

As the two teams looked to simply close regulation tied, Virginia made one final push. Off a pass from sophomore forward Morgan Reuther, junior forward Makenzy Doniak took a shot that was blocked by Notre Dame sophomore goalkeeper Kaela Little. The rebound fell right to the Cavaliers’ charging junior forward Brittany Ratcliffe, who put away her sixth goal of the season with just 20 seconds left in the game to give Virginia its 11th win of the season.

The Cavaliers will return home to face Boston College at Klöckner Stadium Thursday at 7 p.m.

—compiled by Jacob Hochberger

Lauren Hornsby| The Cavalier Daily

Junior forward Brittany Ratcliffe scored off of a rebounded shot with 20 seconds remaining to break a 1-1 tie with No. 14 Notre Dame.

Monday, October 6, 2014

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21

LEAD EDITORIAL

Without a home

opinion

Charlottesville should offer more affordable permanent housing to the homeless

Comment of the day Why is Alternative Investment Fund not on here? The acceptance rate was like 15%. Classic poorly researched cav daily article.

“Classic,” responding to Kaelyn Quinn’s Oct. 2 article, “The competition effect.”

On Sunday, about 20 students participated in the annual Sleepout for the Homeless, sponsored by the Jewish Social Justice Council. Data collected last year estimated about 195 people were living in shelters in Charlottesville, and about 230 children in the city and surrounding area were identified as homeless.

People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry, or PACEM, helps about 220 homeless people find temporary shelter every winter. Organizations dedicated to this kind of work can make a big difference in the lives of homeless people, especially during times when the weather is particularly threatening to their wellbeing. However, solving the problem of homelessness requires more longterm solutions. Housing in shelters is only a temporary one.

Permanent housing is necessary to combat the very real risk of dying on the streets. Most chronically homeless people — those homeless for more than a year — have some kind of mental or physical illness.

This is why homelessness can actually cost taxpayers money, since

many of the homeless end up spending nights in the emergency room, as their lack of shelter exacerbates their health problems. And because a night in the emergency room often costs as much as full month’s rent, it is less expensive to give these homeless people permanent housing than to leave them on the street, according to Becky Kanis (interviewed on 60 Minutes). Kanis works for a group called Community Solutions, which created the 100,000 Homes Campaign.

The 100,000 Homes Campaign has already reached its goal of putting 100,000 chronically homeless people in permanent housing. The philosophy of this program is that chronically homeless people need to be given housing first, before they are required to undergo a series of programs, which could entail job training or drug rehabilitation. Prioritizing housing is an effective way of restoring overall health and well being. Homeless people at greatest risk of dying on the street are in urgent need of shelter, which should not be delayed unnecessarily by additional

levels of bureaucracy.

Charlottesville could offer permanent housing to homeless people by working with landlords who are willing to accept low rent for some of their units, and seeking subsidies from the federal government to supplement whatever amount of income the homeless are able to contribute.

In Nashville, where these strategies were employed, no new construction or additional taxes were necessary to house those who are at greatest risk.

Even housing the entirety of the chronically homeless population in Charlottesville would be a modest investment in comparison to the reward. If having permanent housing will improve health, the homeless who are given apartments would be more likely to get back to work, and will eventually not need their rents subsidized. Getting the homeless into permanent housing would also address the problems of panhandling and loitering, which many Charlottesville residents say disturbs them.

Casa Alma is one example of an affordable housing resource in Charlottesville; it is a small privately run

program which offers housing to families for up to two years — much longer than most shelters allow people to stay. Families are only charged half of what they initially think they can afford for rent, and are expected to contribute to the work that goes on in the small community — like gardening and tending to farm animals — while they stay. The landlords, who are also residents, have found that there is far too much demand in the community than they can accommodate for.

This kind of affordable housing community model could be utilized on a slightly larger scale to reach as many homeless people in the city as possible. Charlottesville could create and offer affordable housing in exchange for giving something back to the community. This could be helping to clean the city streets, or maintaining the landscape of public parks.

There are ways to make homeless people valued members of the community rather than burdens to it.

When we start to think of this issue as a matter of collective community teamwork, change will happen.

Increased engagement The Cavalier Daily is beholden to their readers to publish meaningful and comprehensive content Public Editor

Jacqueline Akunda, on behalf of the African Studies Initiative at the University, wrote one piece that caught my eye in the past week about an email sent to the University community from the Medical Center via the Office of the President in regard to a patient at the Medical Center who had tested negative for Ebola. Akunda raises several topics that I would like to see explored more in the pages of The Cavalier Daily: homogenization of different parts of the world, othering of those different from us and the domination of the Western viewpoint in discussions. Commentary on recent news items would be a great thing for the editors of The Cavalier Daily to seek out. In this particular case, Akunda’s concerns are that the email was carelessly worded and demonstrated that the University administration is disengaged and unaware. Akunda may well be correct that the University administration is all of those things about

issues having to do with Africa.

This email, though, had at least one other significant consideration involved that trumped the rest: patient privacy and confidentiality.

When releasing information to the public about an individual patient there must be a balance between

identified. The irony that this construction of privacy is a Western one is not lost on me.

There are times when I read The Cavalier Daily (and, to be fair, every other newspaper, too) and I find myself cocking my head to the side and thinking “wait, what?” That happened a couple of times with the lead editorials this past week. It happened on September 30 when the lead editorial was about Commentary on recent news items would be a what the managing board think great thing for the editors of the Cavalier Daily to are good things the seek out.

University is doing to try to address sexual assault, geninforming the public and protect- der violence and student safety in ing the patient’s right to privacy the aftermath of Hannah Graham’s and to have their medical informa- disappearance and at least 3 retion kept confidential. The email ported sexual assaults the previous gave the least amount of informa- weekend. Students, who rallied the tion necessary to inform the pub- previous Friday, are described as lic in response to public queries. being “overcome with fear and anMore specific information would ger” and having “taken up arms.” have increased the likelihood that Using such phrasing is at best carethe person in question could be less in that it is literally untrue and

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Christopher Broom

at worst more inflammatory than it needs to be in context.

It happened again on October 2 when I read the lead editorial calling on colleges and universities not to ban smoking on campus.

In this case the argument seems something like a decade behind, but what struck me was how thoroughly student-centered it was.

There was concern about infringing on student practices (that is, smoking), consideration of limits on student productivity and a declaration that students should be allowed to make their own decisions.

In a vacuum those are good things to debate and fine to conclude even if I would take issue with each part of the argument. The framing of the argument itself was flawed, though, because the University is also a place of work for thousands of people both faculty and staff and there is no consideration of them in the editorial. Further, the quotation about a smoking ban used as a launching point for the edit was from the Vice Chancellor of Human Resources for the University System of Georgia, someone who manages employees, not students.

The productivity concerns a human resources professional has are about workers. The piece might have been very different if the concerns and perspectives of people other than only students were considered.

A couple of brief notes: I noted several corrections appended to online articles in the last week or so noting alterations from “a previous version of this article.”

This is a great way to show readers when changes have been made and I hope to see a lot more notes like that when any substantive change is made. I still have no idea what the differences are between a “Viewpoint Writer” and someone who writes a regular opinion column. Are there different standards or rules for the columns depending on whether the end result is an opinion or a viewpoint?

Christopher Broom is the public editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at publiceditor@ cavalierdaily.com, or on Twitter at @cdpubliceditor

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OPINION

The Cavalier Daily

The politics of paint Artists like Ai Weiwei demonstrate the power of art when used as a tool of political change artists such as Ai Weiwei challenge and expose their governments.

In the past twenty-four hours week. First, his installation, @Large, since I began writing this column, Ai opened on Alcatraz IsWei Wei has posted ten land in the San Francispictures on Instagram, co Bay. Second, he has and by the time you are spoken out in support of reading this, he will have pro-democracy demonposted many more. In strations in Hong Kong. this short period of time, These two instances are Ai’s 100,000 plus followcharacteristic of Ai’s asers have been greeted cendance from artist to with images of a moonactivist. They provide lit cat, an array of crab support for the idea that claws, and different anart and free expression, gles of Ai’s studio in BeiMary Russo in their various forms jing, wedged between Opinion Columnist (ranging from elaborate images of their friends’ installations to InstaStarbucks drinks and gram posts), can be a powerful form various other images. of political action.

Simultaneously, visitors to AlcaIn the 1960s, artists such as Andy traz Island have instagrammed Ai’s Warhol began to move away from the @Large installation, employing the high-low distinction that had kept use of hashtags such as #aiweiweialart in a separate realm from society catraz. The installation opened on for so long. Since then, many great the September 27, situated in the forfigures of the post-modern era have mer maximum-security prison and continued to blur the line between present-day national park. One hunart and everyday objects and experi- dred and seventy-six portraits (made ences, using installations, multime- of Legos) are splayed across the floor, dia, and performance art to continue displaying the faces of political acthis new tradition of challenging the tivists and prisoners, both those past and embracing new mediums. revered by the public and more unIn more recent decades, art has taken known figures. The exhibit includes on a higher political significance, as an opportunity for visitors to write

postcards to the living among the elevated, inaccessible and aesthetic featured individuals. Unfortunately, above all else. The two Berlin Wall Ai will never see the exhibition him- panels in front of the Special Collecself. His passport was seized by the tions library at the University, disChinese authorities when he was ar- played thousands of miles from their rested and incarcerated in 2011, and original place of origin, are proof that he is not free to leave the country.

Some may look at Ai’s newest exhibit, and his art in general, as an empty gesture rather than a meaningful poAs the ideologies of the current day are litical action. Ai’s Instagram account confronted, even those of us in Charlottesville are provides evidence Hong-Kongers, connected to the issues of the time to the contrary. On each of Ai’s recent as a global community through art, social media, photos, though they and activism. are uncaptioned and sometimes peculiar, there is a multitude of comments this distinction is no longer valid. Art about recent pro-democracy dem- cannot be appropriated for political onstrations in Hong Kong. Ai is an gain, because it is inherently political. artist, but above all he has become The spirit of Ai Weiwei’s work, a champion of free expression for and the work of other artists/activists the entire world. This includes the around the world define our current freedom to Instagram a cat as well as moment in history. In the present freedom to question and challenge day, artists and cultural figures have our governments, and to yearn for the ability to heavily impact global true democracy. conversation. However, they obThe argument that art should be tain this power through individuals arrogated for political gain is remi- who inspire and contribute to these niscent of old conceptions of art as movements, even if only through a

“

hinese artist and activist C Ai Weiwei has been in the news for two reasons in the past

simple Instagram or 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 Russo is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. Her columns run Thursdays.

Having the last Yak Yik Yak is antithetical to the ideals of the Community of Trust Viewpoint Writer

It’s no secret that the University has been undergoing what seems to be a crisis of community. The graduation ceremonies are getting split into multiple sessions. Enrollment is skyrocketing, inciting worries that the University’s culture will dilute in the tide of so many new students.

Even symbolically the University is losing itself: the Rotunda — that grand monument to Thomas Jefferson’s vision — is shuttered.

The remedy to this crisis of community, of course, is to put a greater emphasis on introducing new students to the traditions and values of the University. To some extent, the community-organizing abilities of the internet will be crucial in sustaining and strengthening sense of community. However, Yik Yak — that popular web application that allows students to anonymously post messages to a public feed — is not one of the tools to be used, however community-oriented the application may seem. Yik Yak is both a small cause and an effect of this community breakdown. And, although the application seems to be conducive to a sense of community,

it does not bring us together, but in its own anonymous posting. rather takes us apart by undermin- Anonymity, while surely having ing our sense of mutual trust. its uses in reporting crimes, giving Yik Yak does not fit into our sensitive quotes to reporters, sendCommunity of Trust, that “unique ing flirtatious love notes and stagspirit of compassion and intercon- ing governmental coups, is not fit nectedness” that defines our school. for the Community of Trust when Implicit in the name of the Community of Trust is the idea that, in addition to not lying, cheating or stealing, University students should trust each When jokes, quips and opinions can’t be assigned other wholeheartto an author, every University student assumes edly and should marshal themauthorship. selves never to deceive another. The poorly-scrawled message in a bath- it consists of advertising most perroom stall is a breach of this Com- sonal opinions. Anything the Unimunity of Trust not only because versity student writes or says she of its property destruction, but also should be proud to attach her name because its anonymity is a form of to, just as the secret society leaves deception — lying by omission — their calling card in their wake. This that deceives by implying that any is what we call self-accountability: person could have written it. The owning up to your own opinions anonymous scrawler is in fact slan- for your sake and for the sake of dering the greater University com- others. But the stream of nameless munity by omitting his name and consciousness that flows from Yik so attributing the words to the com- Yak, being attributable to no one, is munity at large. paradoxically attributable to everyYik Yak commits the same sin one, subverting the Community of

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Brennan Edel

Trust. Even the most banal opinion on Yik Yak, such as “I hate calculus,” is partially implicit in this breach of trust, because it mischaracterizes the student body. The inflammatory and bigoted yak, on the other hand, shames all of us, and its anonymity keeps us from culling the writer from the student body.

Because of the anonymity of Yik Yak, the constitution of the University community is somewhat blurred. When jokes, quips and opinions can’t be assigned to an author, every University student assumes authorship. Through this, all of our collective individualities are a little obscured and twisted. I then see the man over there not as he is, but as the possibility of who he is.

He could have written that clever Yak last night. He could have written that self-deprecating, hilarious Yak this morning. He could have written that cruel and malicious Yak I just read. He could be writing a Yak right now making fun of me.

He probably isn’t, but anonymity on the scale of Yik Yak interferes with identity on every level because each of us shares responsibility for about one 15000th of every Yak. We take one 15,000th of every joke and one 15,000th of every instance of bullying. Thus, Yik Yak makes all of

us clowns and tyrants. Interactions among students should be unrestrained by such burdens. I should be able to trust that you are who you appear to be. And even if complete trustworthiness is an unachievable, fairy tale ideal, it’s one we should be making attempts to reach.

The point is: Yik Yak is interfering on some level with each student’s reputation, regardless of whether or not the individual even knows what Yik Yak is. When there is an unfettered, anonymous public data stream representing the University, every person’s identity has an added layer of ambiguity. Everyone draws a little closer to the mean. In the Community of Trust, we should all relish each other’s differences of opinion and individual senses of humor. We should be forthcoming about who we are as people, students and friends, because a community is all the stronger for how sharply defined each of its members is. We shouldn’t be sacked with the prejudices of a few. The individual citizen is the foundation of the country; the individual hoo is the foundation of the University. So I say, let’s shed our cloaks of anonymity. Let each man and woman go out into the light of day. Let’s yak our last Yak.

OPINION

Monday, October 6, 2014

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The international experience The University should be more inclusive of international students Viewpoint Writer

I still remember the moment I got off the plane at Dulles Airport.

I was totally exhausted. After walking through customs with two huge bags of luggage, I was finally able to take a rest on the UVaExpress.

Being 7000 miles from home, and surrounded by many other international students who seemed to be just as tired as I was, I suddenly felt a sense of unity with them, while simultaneously feeling a sense of loneliness.

Going to the University can be both exciting and challenging for international students. Ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the number two public university in the United States, the University is a distinguished institution with excellent faculty, academic support and a worldwide reputation. However, what discourages many international applicants from coming to the University is the fact that, compared with other top institutions, the University is better known for its liberal arts department than its practical sciences department, and the liberal arts are not very popular among international students and/ or their parents. As a result, there is a relatively small percentage of

international students on Grounds.

It is understandably frustrating when international students realize that the majority of the students at the University come from “NOVA,” Washington, D.C. or Virginia Beach.

Although many international students come with a strong interest in learning about American

studying or living in America. Even more mysterious are the Greek system, party culture and football.

Getting involved on Grounds and achieving academic success can also be challenging. Many clubs and organizations are relatively selective, and many classes are difficult and demanding. International students can be even more deeply frustrated when they realize that their language proficiency is the single most significant factor that restricts their ability to get involved and to excel in class, in[International] students have greatly contributed stead of their time commitments or to the diversity of the University and bring natural abilities.

However, these valuable insights into the robust academic challenges, signifidiscussion on Grounds. cant as they are, can also be transformed culture, cultural disorientation can into opportunities for international still be more difficult than anyone students to immerse themselves without such experience could pos- into and experience American culsibly imagine. Some of the slightest ture. The number of international details in daily life, such as tipping, students in the University is relaordering food and calling a taxi are tively small, compared to universitotally different from those in their ties like the University of Califorhome countries. Getting along with nia, Berkeley. However, this helps hallmates and roommates, which to prevent the forming of cultural is also a great concern for Ameri- bubble. As a result, international can first-years, could be a complete students will have to exit their commystery for some international fort zone, try to get to know people students who lack prior experience from other backgrounds, and thus

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Sasha Wan

cultivate their soft skills, while still being supported by a strong peer network of peers. The University will also benefit from the active interaction between international and American students, which would be conducive to inter-cultural understanding on Grounds. As an institution known for its liberal arts departments, the University also provides favorable conditions for international students to cultivate their interest in humanity subjects, explore their intellectual curiosity and participate in diverse activities.

This transformation, nevertheless, cannot be accomplished without the joint effort of the University and all students. As an international educational institution with amazing resources for helping international students to orient and adapt to life on Grounds, the University still needs to put more effort into promoting these resources to international students who might suffer from sense of isolation, depression or pressure, but might be hesitant to reach out due to the cultural influence of their own countries.

More importantly, it is crucial to raise awareness among American students at the University about the challenges international students face. Not only would a strengthened mutual understanding and support from peers help international students in their transitional phase, it

would also benefit local students by increasing their interaction with people from different international backgrounds, preventing cultural stereotyping and promoting awareness and knowledge of global affairs.

According to a report released in July by the Student and Exchange Visitor System, a program within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, currently over 900,000 F (academic) & M (vocational) students study in the United States, and they contributed about $24 million to the U.S. economy in the 20122013 academic year. At the University, according to the admission office, approximately 5 percent of students are from foreign countries.

These international students have greatly contributed to the diversity of the University and bring valuable insights into the robust academic discussion on Grounds. When international students simultaneously face difficulties and challenges, it is necessary for the University to provide more accessible resources, to promote students’ awareness and understanding of international students, thus assisting international students with their efforts to fight against the frustration. The effort of the University will help make international students feel more welcomed and integrated into the community, so that they will truly feel proud for being Wahoos.

Living locally ne month ago, I penned a tion allows students to order boxes column titled “The merits of of assorted fruits, vegetables and GMOs” in which I sought to dispel other items each week. In addition the notion that “naturally” grown to its role in supplying the Univerfood crops are supesity with a wide array of rior to those that are nutritious foods not ofgenetically modified. fered at the dining halls, I stressed that there is Greens to Grounds prono difference between vides several social and altering a food crop environmental benefits through artificial selecthat will make our comtion and artificial mutamunity better. tion to achieve a desired Buying local builds biological result. our community. The Despite the views I American farmer is Nazar Aljassar expressed in the article, slowly waning: less than Opinion Coumnist I’m a believer in buying 1 percent of people livlocal. Genetically modiing in the United States fied foods may be safe and efficient, presently claims farming as an occubut the social and environmental pation. Charlottesville is surrounded benefits of purchasing locally grown by picturesque meadows and pleasorganic foods far exceed those of ant pastures owned by families. purchasing genetically modified Local orchards and vineyards are foods produced outside of Charlot- popular attractions within our treatesville. sured agricultural landscape. When This semester, second-year Col- you buy local, you support the value lege students Claire Councill and of that land, keeping family-farming Will Henagan established Greens economically feasible and less likely to Grounds, a registered non-profit to be commercially developed. with 501(c)(3) status that serves as a Greens to Grounds is an organizaliaison between University students tion that should be commended for and local farmers. The organiza- helping to preserve the bucolic beau-

ty of our community. lottesville outside of the University The money we spend on local bubble. Students are often criticized food remains in the Charlottesville for a lack of involvement in the economy. Farmers reinvest your surrounding Charlottesville area. dollar in local goods and services, Much of our disengagement with creating jobs and circulating wealth Charlottesville can be attributed to among local providers. The simple the layout of our University: it can decision to incorporate a box of lo- be difficult to involve yourself in cally grown produce in your weekly Charlottesville when Grounds is so grocery budget will go a long way in removed from the rest of the city. promoting the economic health of our town.

Furthermore, buying local is good for the environment.

Local food requires little packaging and transportation, lowBy enabling students to purchase food from ering our carbon local farmers, Greens to Grounds tackles student footprint.

Buying aloofness with a nonprofit model that directly local promotes sustainable agriculture benefits our community. and genetic variation.

Large commercial farms grow crops in monoculture By enabling students to purchase environments to maximize efficien- food from local farmers, Greens to cy, threatening the genetic diversity Grounds tackles student aloofness of our food crops. with a nonprofit model that directly Greens to Grounds provides benefits our community. students with a unique opportunity Currently, Greens to Grounds is to leave a positive impact on Char- reaching out to University students

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O

Students should make an effort to purchase locally grown food who wish to volunteer with the organization. “We see Greens to Grounds as a learning platform where students can innovate using a real project to try to effectuate change on a primarily micro scale and eventually a macro scale,” said Councill.

Greens to Grounds is an example of healthy student activism that extends beyond awareness and creates practicable solutions to agricultural issues in our community. “When you choose to buy food from local farms using sustainable and ethical production practices you cast ‘dollar votes’ for an alternative to the industrial system,” said Henagan.

Charlottesville does a lot for our University and for us. By volunteering for Greens to Grounds or by putting a weekly box of locally grown food on your shopping list, you can give back by strengthening our community economically and socially while promoting agricultural sustainability.

Nazar’s columns run Fridays. He can be reached at n.aljassar@cavalierdaily.com.

24

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