Thursday, October 27, 2022

This week in-brief

CD News Staff

Honor Committee discusses convention, plans to celebrate 180 years of Honor system

The Honor Committee met briefly Sunday evening to discuss new developments within the Honor Constitutional Convention as well as plans for a celebration of the 180th anniversary of Honor.

Committee members discussed its Constitutional Convention, which was originally scheduled for Oct. 17, but was delayed after Committee members expressed concerns that the convention was being rushed and that there was not enough representation from graduate students.

Gabrielle Bray, chair of the Committee and fourth-year College student, proposed Nov. 1 or 2 as possible new dates to officially kick off the convention. While the Committee did not make a final decision between the two dates, all 12 Committee members present agreed by a show of hands that one of the two dates would work.

“[The convention] now has more graduate representation and has some representation from the Law school,” Bray said.

In addition to graduate representation, the convention will see delegates from CIOs of every school across the University. All 30 delegate seats have been filled.

Bray then asked the Committee for input on ideas on how to commemorate the 180th anniver sary of the Honor system.

“It’s not only 180 years of Honor, but also 180 years of student self-governance at U.Va., and it might be an opportunity for us to collaborate with other student orgs like Student Council and UJC,” Bray said.

Albemarle County resident arrested and charged in connection with noose hung on Homer Statue

The University Police Department has arrested Albemarle County resident Shane Dennis in connection with the Sept. 7 hate crime and pile of items left at the Homer Statue last weekend. Dennis was taken into custody without incident and was charged with violating state law and served with a No Trespass Order, per a University-wide email sent by University President Jim Ryan Tuesday afternoon.

Community members were first made aware of the hate crime through a community alert sent Sept. 8. Per the alert, an individual hung a noose around the statue’s neck. The University later confirmed that items had been left behind at the scene of the crime, including a note that read “TICK TOCK.”

In connection with this hate crime, Dennis was charged with violating section 18.2-423.2 of the Code of Virginia, which prohibits “displaying a noose on the property of another or a highway or other public place with intent to intimidate.”

Police believe Dennis is also responsible for leaving a pile of items at the base of the statue over the weekend, including two masks, a “civil peace flag,” a Christian cross and a sealed envelope. The envelope was blank and contained a letter indicating that the statue “glorifies pedophilia,” reading that we “are all so blinded by hatred and racial division” that we “refuse to see the truth that is hidden in plain sight.” The letter did not contain any racial or religious references.

UPD to increase presence over Halloween, Family Weekend

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of the Faculty Senate introduced a resolution to censure College and Darden alumnus Bert Ellis’s appointment to the Board of Visitors at its General Body meeting Thursday. If passed, the censure would act as an official statement disapproving of Ellis’s appointment to the Board.

The censure was based on Ellis’ behavior during a visit to Grounds Sept. 11, 2020. Accord ing to Ellis’s personal statement about the visit, he “was prepared to use a small razor blade” to remove a sign that used expletives to critique the University’s history of enslavement and inaccessibility.

Ellis has also drawn criticism for his role in bringing a eugenicist supporter to Grounds and for denying a co-sponsorship with the Gay Student Union in bringing a gay rights activists to the University while a student.

Eric Ramirez-Weaver, chair of the DEI committee and associate professor of art, pre sented the resolution. Ramirez-Weaver said that the DEI Committee agrees with Student Council’s comments about Ellis, even though this is not explicitly stated in the resolution.

“We find that Mr. Ellis is not representing our community with regard to safety, with regard to the very important and explicitly clear points in the mission statement of the University of Virginia to promote a vibrant and unique residential learning environment, marked by the free and collegial exchange of ideas,” Ramirez-Weaver said.

With the upcoming weekend featuring both Halloween festivities, Family Weekend and Saturday’s football game against Miami, the University Police Department and ambassador program plans to expand coverage and increase vigilance to ensure community safety.

With Halloween falling on Monday this year, many students are planning to hold cele brations during the coming weekend.

In an email statement to The Cavalier Daily, University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover said that the University already has preparations in place to accommodate the anticipated number of guests and rise in pedestrian traffic on Grounds.

“The U.Va. Police Department, along with the ambassador program, will have an increased presence on the Lawn and in the surrounding area during Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn,” Glover said. “Patrol staff will also be extra vigilant throughout next weekend with the expected increase of community members on Grounds for Halloween and Family Weekend.”

Per typical protocol, the UPD will also coordinate with local law enforcement, medical teams and emergency managers to ensure safety at the Saturday football game.

Aside from formal policing, Glover also advised students and families to drive slowly around Grounds and to remain on alert.

“We encourage all community members to be extra cautious and aware next weekend and to reach out to UPD or other local authorities if assistance is needed,” Glover said.

DOMENICK FINI THE CAVALIER DAILY

The No Trespass Order issued to Denis prohibits him from entering Grounds in the future.

Faculty Senate proposes resolution to censure Bert Ellis, discusses four proposed amendments to change bylaws

Off-Grounds housing process creates stress for students

As students at the University plan housing for the 2023-24 school year, many are frustrated with the process of securing off-Grounds housing.

Only first-year students are re quired to live on Grounds. Those who choose to live on Grounds for their second year may stay for the remainder of their time at the Uni versity, and upperclassmen students have first priority when reapplying for the same area where they cur rently live. For those who wish to change their housing area, however, preferred locations are not guaran teed to be available.

Many students in their second, third or fourth year elect to live off-Grounds in local apartment complexes or houses. Second-year College student Peyton Russell said that she struggled with finding offGrounds housing after deciding not to continue living in University housing. She found difficulty with how early in the school year students are expected to sign leases, noting that by late October, many of her friends had already secured housing, while she had not.

“I spent a month looking at apartments and trying to find stuff and trying to make it all work and I really felt kind of like I was not gon na be able to make it work and I was really stressed,” Russell said.

Students begin searching for housing early in the school year, usu ally immediately after summer break and through October. During the first few months of the school year, many students utilize platforms like Facebook to seek out available apartments and roommate groups looking for an extra roommate.

Though the process was very stressful, Russell said she feels satis fied with the apartment she ended up in this year.

“I am happy with what it ended up with — I feel like it was kind of luck of the draw, considering the situation I was in when I accepted,” Russell said.

Despite knowing more students and having a better feel for the hous ing landscape after her first year, sec ond-year College student Leslie Kim said this year’s search has proved equally frustrating.

“I honestly feel like I’m more stressed now,” Kim said. “Last year, I made housing plans with other girls from my dorm, but many of them plan to live in sorority houses for third year, so it’s been a bit of a scramble.”

Some upperclassmen choose Greek housing for the relatively cheaper prices and the flexibility to only lease for a semester, as many students elect to travel abroad in

their third year. Most local apart ment complexes rent out for the full year, meaning that students who wish to return home over summer and winter breaks must still pay rent for those months. Some students choose to seek a subletter, who will live in the apartment and pay a por tion of the rent over the months the resident is not in residence.

“I’m planning to study abroad in South Korea for the spring semester of next year, so that’s definitely a fac tor in my decision, since I’ve heard it’s difficult to find a subletter for fall semester in an apartment,” Kim said.

Finding housing for alternative time periods also proves a challenge for visiting researchers. Visiting re searcher André Sarli said finding housing was a very challenging pro cess, as he came to the University in late August when most housing for the current year was no longer avail able.

“The process is a bit chaotic for someone that comes from abroad and doesn’t understand the U.S.

system — for instance, when the se mester starts, most [apartments] are renting for one year, at least,” Sarli said. “For me it was a bit hard to cope with this.”

Another factor which impact ed his housing search was the fact that Sarli came to the University with his family. While some offGrounds housing options — such as townhouses — were family-friendly, they were also often located far away from the University.

“The majority of the offers that I saw were for one person to rent the room. If I was alone, I think I would have found [housing] really much faster, but because I was with my family I needed to dig a bit more,” Sarli said.

Students with families can apply to live in Copeley Hill apartments or Piedmont apartments if they want to live on Grounds. They can also, like Sarli, find housing off-Grounds.

The University has recently an nounced plans to expand this re quirement to include second-year students as a part of the 2030 Plan.

This transition could provide more opportunities for students to live in diverse communities and remove some pressure off of students to find housing off-Grounds.

Russell said that she would find it helpful for the University to re quire students to live on Grounds during second year. For Russell, Uni versity-provided resources were not satisfactory and requiring students to live on-Grounds for their first two years can remove some stress from the process of finding housing.

“I just feel like if they’re not go ing to provide us the housing by re quiring students to live on-Grounds, then they need to provide better re sources,” Russell said.

Additionally, with the discovery of mold in many on-Grounds hous ing complexes, some students voiced concerns that the University should update housing before requiring more students to stay in dorms.

“In general, I support mandatory on-Grounds housing for all first and second years,” Kim said. “But obvi ously they need to fix the mold situ

ation if they’re gonna require people to live on Grounds.”

The University offers an offGrounds housing fair and a website featuring current rental listings.

Sarli utilized this website along with Facebook and Craigslist in his search to find a place to live during his six months at the University. Ac cording to Sarli, Facebook groups were often filled with scammers and bots, however.

“I think [the University’s re source] also gives me a sense of le gitimization, because as I said Face book is full of scams, so I feel like it is more legitimate,” Sarli said.

Although he appreciated the re sources provided by the University, he noted that some of the listings on the off-Grounds housing site were outdated. Sarli said he would sometimes see offers for available housing, but once he contacted the apartment complex, he found they were not available.

AVA PROEHL THE CAVALIER DAILY

Most local apartment complexes rent out for the full year, meaning students who wish to return home over breaks either continue to pay rent or seek out a subletter.

Julianne Saunders | Staff Writer

Incumbent Bob Good to face Democrat Josh Throneburg

Merrill Hart | Senior Associate

Voters in Virginia’s fifth Con gressional district headed to the polls for Nov. 8 midterm elections have the chance to cast their bal lots for either incumbent Repub lican Bob Good or Democrat Josh Throneburg. As the House of Rep resentatives race intensifies, both candidates have emphasized their respective policies — Good’s focus on securing the U.S. border and protecting Second Amendment rights in contrast to Throneburg’s goals to mitigate climate change and support younger generations.

The fifth Congressional dis trict includes Albemarle County, the City of Charlottesville and a number of neighboring southern Virginia counties, a total of 735,766 constituents.

Good has represented the dis trict since 2021, when he won against Democrat and University alumnus Cameron Webb by a close margin of 20,673 votes — around 6 percent. A Democrat has not been elected to represent the district in the House since Tom Perriello’s 2008 win.

Most recently, Good has served on the House Committee on Budget and the Committee on Education and the Workforce. A graduate of Liberty University, Good has char acterized himself as a “biblical and

constitutional conservative.”

“I hope that you realize, as con servatives, that we truly are at war with the future of our country,” Good said at an event hosted by Young Americans for Freedom Uni versity in 2021.

If re-elected, Good’s priorities include enforcing border security, expanding Second Amendment rights and protecting American freedoms.

Good has consistently defended Second Amendment rights, arguing that instead of assault rifle bans, the government should bolster police presence and crack down on crime.

“With the words ‘shall not be infringed,’ the Second Amendment unequivocally protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms,” Good’s website reads. “The Consti tution and Bill of Rights shall not be subjected to the whims of Speak er Pelosi and the radical House Democrats.”

To protect the U.S. border, Good has supported stricter im migration laws, as well as increased funding for border security. He co-sponsored the “No-Tax Break for Sanctuary Cities Act” last February, which seeks to deny tax exempt sta tus for bonds in local governments that have labeled themselves as sanctuary areas for undocumented

immigrants.

Backed by former president Donald Trump two years ago, Good has aligned himself with “MAGA” politics and, during his previous term, voted against verifying Pres ident Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. He also voted against awarding Con gressional Gold Medals to police officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

As a representative of Virgin ia, Good has voiced support for the full elimination of abortions in the state following the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade this summer, and plans to vote for a national 15-week ban — along with Governor Glenn Youngkin — if ree lected.

Good’s campaign team declined to comment.

Throneburg emerged unopposed from the Democratic primaries — his first foray into the political sphere — after three other candi dates withdrew. An ordained min ister and small business owner, he cites his understanding of Repub lican politics as key to uniting the aisle.

“As somebody who has spent kind of half my life on the farm and half my life in cities, half my life with a strong Republican influence and half my life in more Democrat

ic areas … I think it allows me the opportunity to connect with lots of different kinds of people,” Throne burg said.

Confronting climate change is one of Throneburg’s major goals. He views innovations such as so lar fields as solutions to both slow climate change and stimulate the economy, particularly given the amount of open land in VA-05.

“I see climate change not only as a threat to our future, but I see it also as an opportunity for us to really build a stronger and more en during economy,” Throneburg said.

Speaking to the importance of turnout among young voters — who he said will deal with the consequences of climate change for longer than his own generation — Throneburg shared that in ear ly voting between the population aged 18 to 50, the highest participa tion so far has been from those in the 18-to-24-year-old range.

He also spoke to the importance of education, and has announced plans to expand Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Pell Grant el igibility, as well as federal funding for school infrastructure.

“We have really wanted to make it clear that so much of my drive as a candidate is rooted in my kids and in their generation and in your gen

eration, making sure that you have a future that you can actually thrive in,” Throneburg said.

The two candidates face off in their first and only debate this Wednesday at Hampden-Sydney College. Throneburg said he sees the event — which will be streamed on WSET — as a chance to convey his openness to other perspectives.

“To be honest, my opponent has made it very clear that he is not interested in working with Democrats,” Throneburg said. “I’m someone who wants to work with anyone of goodwill that is trying to make a better future. And so I hope that at least one of the things that watchers see [the night of the de bate] is how he and I differ in terms of how we see the other side.”

Absentee and mail-in ballot re quests are due Oct. 28. Early voting began Sept. 24 and continues until Nov. 5. Polls open at 6 a.m. on Elec tion Day and will remain open until 7 p.m.

Fifth district residents can veri fy their registration status through the Virginia Department of Elec tions citizen portal, and voters can locate the nearest polling station through the department’s website.

First Year Council hopes to build community

Caroline Yu | Staff Writer

First-Year Council elections named first-year College stu dents Keoni Vega and Annie Zhao as President and Vice Pres ident of the class, respectively.

The duo’s goals include creating a sense of class community, bridg ing the gap between students and administration and leaving a lasting legacy on the University.

With results announced Oct. 12, Vega and Zhao will be key players in shaping the landscape of the first-year experience. The two will lead First Year Council to represent and organize events for members of the Class of 2026.

The two first-years decided to launch a joint campaign after meeting in class and becoming close friends.

“We’re in it together because we know each other from the first day of school,” Zhao said. “We sat next to each other in Intro to Social Psychology, and

we’ve been friends ever since.”

Vega and Zhao strive to im prove transparency and open dis course. The pair has created an Instagram page for promotional and engagement purposes and welcomes all first-years to uti lize the direct message feature to voice their concerns and ideas.

“The big thing I campaigned on was providing transparency and no empty campaign promis es,” Vega said. “The University of Virginia is a massive institution and especially as a first year, it can be really difficult to get in formation. We plan to do a lot of behind-the-scenes work with President Ryan’s office and the deans to make information more accessible.”

Vega, who plans to study Gov ernment and pursue a minor in Public Policy and Leadership at Batten, ran based on her passion for politics and activism.

“I’ve always been super in volved with student government [throughout] middle school, high school and elementary,” Vega said. “My mom worked at my school, so I was never fazed [or scared] by teachers. So naturally, I always took on that position of working with administration, and I love it.”

Zhao was similarly motivated based on past experience with leadership.

“I went to this interest meet ing, where one of the RAs in my dorm was telling us about the First-Year Council,” Zhao said. “I thought it sounded really fun because I’m a pretty involved person in school activities, and I really like to bond with my class.”

Zhao also credits her back ground with community service for helping her realize her in terest in serving others. She has accrued over 500 hours of service

and currently serves as Miss Ten nessee Teen Volunteer.

First-year College student Gillian Krupicka, first-year Col lege student and supporter of Vega and Zhao, initially came into their orbit over the summer. Once introduced to Zhao and the pair’s campaign, Kripicka said their messaging stood out to her.

“They really stuck out to me because of their dedication,” Krupicka said. “Every single night I would see them chalking the sidewalks, making TikToks, and just trying to get everyone engaged in the election process.”

Vega and Zhao recently an nounced a first-year formal, which is coming up Nov. 18, with the theme to be announced Fri day. The event requires extensive coordination and planning.

“It’s like we’re planning a wed ding in a month,” Vega said. “We have to think about security, ca

tering, decoration and cleaning … but Annie and I are so excited to be putting in the work.”

Vega also referenced the mul titude of programs the Universi ty offers that few students know how to put to use, such as a free New York Times subscription.

Vega and Zhao will not be the only people representing the class. The general body of First Year Council will be made up of around 50 members who under go an application process. Mem bers will be organized into five committees. The chairs of these committees will be joined by a treasurer, secretary and newslet ter director to form the Execu tive Board.

First Year Council will meet weekly on Sundays for the fall semester, and transitions to bi weekly meetings in the spring.

The upcoming midterm election will determine representation for VA-05

Keoni Vega and Annie Zhao share a vision of unifying the Class of 2026 and championing transparency

Virginia football’s most memorable night games

William Smythe | Staff Writer

While no night games have graced Scott Stadium yet this fall, a track record of program-altering wins lies in Charlottesville. The Cav aliers have stalled dynasties, spoiled national championship hopes and re stored glory to the Virginia football program all in late night games.

No. 24 Virginia vs. No. 2 Florida State, Nov. 2, 1995

It would be out-of-this-world to not consider this game as one of the all-time greats in the history of Vir ginia football. Albeit before my life time, I remember the immortalized clip of the stop by safety Anthony Poindexter on Warrick Dunn, star Florida State running back, to save Virginia in the last seconds — propel ling the team to a 33-28 victory over the No. 2 ranked team in the country. Keep in mind that the Cavaliers were no slouches themselves, having come into the contest carrying a No. 24 na tional ranking and a 6-3 record. The Seminoles, however, had more than

established themselves as an ACC powerhouse. With legendary coach Bobby Bowden at the helm, Flori da State had won three consecutive ACC titles and all of its 29 confer ence games since it first joined the ACC in 1992 in addition to being two years off of a national champi onship victory.

In a full-capacity Scott Stadi um on an early November night, the Cavaliers seized the moment by capturing what is arguably the most impactful win in school history.

Running back Tiki Barber — a fu ture NFL star — made a statement on national television by account ing for an astounding 311 yards from scrimmage. The hype surrounding the Seminoles’ Dunn may have driv en Tiki Barber on to even greater heights. Moreover, the Virginia de fense limited a Seminole offense that had scored over 70 points in three of its first seven games in 1995. The combination of Poindexter and Tiki Barber’s twin brother — defensive back Ronde Barber — would be

enough to keep Florida State at bay in what would be the first top-five win in Virginia football history.

Virginia vs. No. 4 Florida State, Oct. 15, 2005

Lo and behold, Virginia did the impossible against the Seminoles once more. The Cavaliers had come off of back-to-back losses in ACC play in 2005, yet set their sights on the mighty Florida State in Char lottesville. Quarterback Marques Hagans stunned the No. 4 Seminoles by carrying the unranked Cavaliers to victory, 26-21. Hagans — at this point, the wide receivers coach at Virginia — gave Bowden’s team fits throughout. The similarities between the 2005 and 1995 wins are uncan ny. Hagans and the aforementioned Tiki Barber decimated the Florida State defenses they faced, while the defense came up when it mattered most.

Moreover, this would be the sec ond top-five win in the history of

Virginia football — déjà vu against the Seminoles. It may be fitting to conclude that Virginia is the true Achilles’ heel for the Seminoles, who, despite their combination of elite talent and national prestige — have often fallen to the dragon slayer at Scott Stadium.

Virginia vs. No. 16 Miami, Oct. 13, 2018

If you enjoy high-powered offens es, the 2018 slugfest between Miami and Virginia would not suit your taste. The Hurricanes — who entered the contest averaging 41.5 points per game — were the unstoppable force who met an immovable object in the Cavalier defense. Both quarterbacks featured by Miami threw at least one interception, while Virginia gun slinger Bryce Perkins tossed for 92 yards and three picks of his own even in victory. Each team thus turned to their rushing units for some sort of spark. Virginia, however, outmaneu vered the Hurricanes through a re

lentless rushing attack of Perkins and running back Jordan Ellis — having finished the game with one touch down and 86 rushing yards.

An old-fashioned gameplan gave the Cavaliers the edge under the lights at Scott Stadium. Cavalier fans stormed the field after their team’s victory, thus celebrating a 4-2 start to the season and a potential bid for the ACC Coastal title. Similar to Florida State, Miami’s position as an ACC juggernaut gave Virgin ia good reason to celebrate against a top-25 opponent. Wins against these sorts of teams did not come often for a middle-to-lower tier ACC pro gram. However, the first year of the Perkins’ era — resulting in an 8-5 re cord — was largely successful thanks to the win against Miami and a Belk Bowl shutout of SEC foe South Car olina.

Virginia vs. No. 15 North Carolina, Oct. 31, 2020

Literally the epitome of a Hal loween game, the offensive clash between the Tar Heels and the Cava liers resulted in a high-scoring affair in Scott Stadium. North Carolina — ranked No. 15 at the time and boast ing five future NFL draft picks on the offensive side — had only lost on the road to Florida State prior to its visit to Charlottesville. Nonetheless, Virginia rode its rushing attack — a rare occasion in senior quarterback Brennan Armstrong’s tenure — to 210 yards and outpaced the equal ly-successful Tar Heel offense. This would not be a game characterized by defensive play. Virginia yielded 443 yards and four passing touch downs to star quarterback Sam Howell, yet four of Armstrong’s own passing touchdowns gave the Cava liers the slight edge.

Despite COVID-19’s severe im pact on attendance in the 2020 sea son — only 1,000 fans were admit ted into this contest — a palpable buzz lingered over Virginia’s win in the South’s Oldest Rivalry. Virginia triumphed over what was a serious Heisman candidate in Howell while holding future NFL running backs Michael Carter and Javonte Williams to 118 yards combined on the ground. More importantly, Virginia carried a meager 1-4 record into their contest against the Tar Heels. The Cavaliers then put together a streak of four consecutive wins up until the painful loss at Virginia Tech, one which put a damper on what would have been an impressive season turnaround.

STEVE FINNIE THE CAVALIER DAILY

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Sharaara Dance Group prepares for a competitive season

Randolph Brownell | Senior Writer

The University has many active and passionate dance teams, with Sharaara Dance Group being one of them. A South Asian team comprised of female and non-binary University students, the Sharaara Dance Group performs with spirit and precision to honor traditional styles from the In dian subcontinent. While the group has experience and multiple acco lades, they are once again preparing for the challenge of representing the University on a national scale in the world of Bollywood fusion dance this year.

Though highly focused on compe tition, the group also prides itself on being a welcoming space for cultural expression. Shri Ramanujan, team captain and third-year Engineering

student, said the group brings togeth er multiple different styles into their dancing.

“Hip hop, for example, is one of the major [styles] that we pull a lot of inspiration from to mix with Bol lywood and seeing all the styles from around the world come together is really cool,” Ramanujan said.

Recently, the team has brought on new dancers to begin preparing for competition. As the captains put it, the selection process for dancers is based primarily on “good vibes” — above all else, a dancer has to show genuine enthusiasm.

For Pragnya Pandrate, fourth-year Engineering student and team cap tain, her experience with the group’s welcoming nature has shaped her de

sire to help lead other dancers.

“I had never danced before I came to college, so it’s really not about how well you’re able to pick up choreo or how clean you do all the moves, it’s just more about your willingness to learn, your ability to take feedback and implementing that because a lot of it is a really big learning curve,” Pandrate said.

While dancers may come into the team with little experience, the group is highly motivated to perform to the best of their ability. On average, the team practices for a full nine hours each week, while dancers balance their passion with the demands of schoolwork. It can be a lot to handle for the captains.

“We run practice, of course, which

is Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, and then we have our own meetings outside of that,” Pandrate said, “It’s a lot of logistics stuff, and also dance stuff. It keeps us pretty busy.”

All of this work is in service of representing the University and the team’s passion in competitions across the nation, with this year’s team hoping to place in bid competitions in the the Desi Dance Network and Bollywood America dance circuits. The team’s success in these areas will determine if the captains’ goals can be met, especially after the pandem ic was a reset for some of their hard work.

“You need to get into [bid compe titions] and place to go to nationals, and that’s our goal for this year,” Ra

manujan said.

The bar is set high, but the cap tains also highlighted the importance of dancing for the sake of the art. To them, the experience of coming to gether and sharing a love of culture is where the team finds its strength.

Fourth-year College student and team captain Vindhya Srikanth said she has a desire to expand the team’s network and continue cultivating a love for Bollywood fusion.

“If you watch any Bollywood mu sic video, all of the dances are just carried by so much joy and that’s the reason why I dance,” Srikanth said, “I think that’s the most important part.

If that gets lost, I feel like the dance gets lost as well.”

Spectrum Theatre brings a Broadway classic to Grounds

Delaney Hammond | Staff Writer

to snag a role and find success. The show’s dazzling musical numbers and emotional monologues make it a fa vorite among musical theater lovers.

Danait Haddish, director of “A Chorus Line,” producer of Spectrum and third-year College student, felt this show was the perfect fit for the group.

“I knew a lot of people really loved it,” Haddish said. “Then I looked into it, and I just thought the story was really beautiful … Everyone has an individual story and moment, and it’s universal but also so personal to each character.”

A defining feature of “A Chorus Line” is its focus on ensemble mem bers — the often overlooked actors who take on the unnamed roles in mu sicals. Caroline Simmons, cast mem ber and fourth-year College student, notes this as one of her favorite aspects of the show.

very rewarding.

“Every person in the room is so hell-bent on making it a great show,” Hall said. “Not to the point where we’re stressing each other out … It’s still such a supportive environment.”

Spectrum has been a vital part of the University’s performing arts scene since its founding in 2004.

Being run by students allows Spec trum to maintain a sense of equal standing among its members. Had dish praises this aspect of Spectrum because it removes the power dynamic between cast member and director.

“We’re all on the same playing field,” Haddish said. “It definitely feels a lot more open to collaboration.”

organization is “dedicated to produc ing influential theater that stimulates conversation about important issues.”

The group strives to center the stories of marginalized groups — something the theater world desperately needs, Hall said.

“There’s a certain point in theater where people don’t feel like they can fit in, especially queer, trans, Black, or Indigenous people of color,” Hall said.

“[Spectrum] is all about pulling away from that and doing shows that make you challenge your position in the world.”

Spectrum Theater not only serves as an organization that puts on shows.

As the University continues to nav igate its first full year without masks since the beginning of the pandemic, performing arts groups on Grounds are working hard to dazzle return ing audiences. One of these groups, Spectrum Theatre, is gearing up for its production of “A Chorus Line” this November.

In its 16th year of operation,

Spectrum Theatre is an independ ent, student-run theater organization that puts on a show each semester. This year, they’ve taken on an excit ing but daunting task — delivering a crowd-pleasing performance of a Broadway classic.

“A Chorus Line” first opened on Broadway in 1975. It follows the lives of dancers on Broadway as they strive

“There’s so much dancing in musi cal theater,” Simmons said. “But very rarely, I feel like, do you get a look at what it’s like to be a dancer in musical theater.”

Like with any production, the cast has dedicated many hours to rehears ing for the show. The cast meets five days a week, with each day focusing on a specific song or section. Despite the immense time commitment, Mary Hall, cast member and second-year College student, said each rehearsal is

Hall also expressed her apprecia tion for this close working relation ship. She mentioned that this environ ment differed greatly from the one in her high school, where cast members were given very little freedom to inter pret their characters.

“Specifically with Spectrum, you get so much of a say … on how your character is doing XYZ, and costumes and stuff like that,” Hall said. “It’s very cool to have that different experience where you get to work with the direc tor to combine their directorial vision and your vision to make [the show] the best you possibly can.”

In addition to collaboration, Spec trum also encourages diversity in its work. According to its website, the

It is also a place where like-minded people can build a community. In this way, a show like “A Chorus Line” — one where a diverse set of performers are brought together by their mutual love of theater — is perfect for Spec trum.

“[The characters] have very differ ent stories and very different things to say about those stories, but they’re all special,” Simmons said. “And the cho rus line wouldn’t be the same without each and every one of them.”

Spectrum Theatre’s “A Chorus Line” will perform on Thursday, Nov. 3, Friday, Nov. 4 and Sunday, Nov. 6 in the Student Activities Building.

The team captainhe group’s rehearsal process and dedication to the music that brings them together

ALBERT

Virginia Film Festival returns to Charlottesville

The program includes over 100 films and will run from Nov. 2 through Nov. 6

Jamie Jeong | Senior Writer

After two years of limitations due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Virginia Film Festival is once again returning to Charlottesville to celebrate its 35th anniversa ry and provide local movie-goers a glimpse into what is currently happening in the world of cinema.

Running from Nov. 2 through Nov. 6, the program will feature over 100 screenings — ranging from international films to documen taries to movies garnering award buzz — as well as a stellar roster of speakers.

Amongst the myriad of films being shown this year is “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” the highly-anticipated sequel to the Oscar-nominated and wildly popular whodunnit “Knives Out.”

Other notable hot titles include “Women Talking” and “Empire of Light,” as well as the animated family flick “My Father’s Dragon.”

In addition to the touted produc tions from recognizable names working in the film industry today, the Festival also highlights exciting

projects from new and emerging filmmakers.

Jody Kielbasa, VAFF director and vice provost for the arts, said the search for contemporary and new films to screen at the Festival each year begins in January at the Sundance Festival.

“We identify artists that we are particularly interested in honoring because of the scope of their career over the years,” Kielbasa said. “We also look for films that are relevant in this year’s festival season that are likely to be looked at as Oscar or Golden Globe contenders, or is a specific film that we just feel res onates strongly within the Univer sity and Charlottesville communi ties because of the subject matter.”

Beyond the screening experi ence, VAFF also brings compelling conversations around its films and insight into the filmmaking in dustry through its selected guest speakers. This year’s remarkable and acclaimed lineup includes Em my-nominated actor Jonathan Ma jors, “This Is Us” star Chrissy Metz

and two-time Tony Award winner Judith Ivey.

Screenwriters Dustin Lance Black and Meg LeFauve will also be present. Black is an avid LGBTQ+ activist and Oscar winner for his documentary “Milk,” and LeFauve is a Golden Globe winning writer for Pixar’s “Inside Out.”

The 2020 program was com pletely virtual and the 2021 pro gram was limited in its screening and guest speaker opportunities, so this year marks a return to the full unique experience the Festival has to offer — all screenings and guest speakers will be in-person. Kielbasa and VAFF senior pro grammer Ilya Tovbis said they’re excited to be able to showcase more films and talents.

“I think one of the ways the audience will experience a big dif ference this year is in the caliber and quality and quantity of ma jor guests,” Tovbis said. “That just simply wasn’t possible during the height of the pandemic. We’ve been able to travel in some really

incredible artists from throughout the world, as well as our own back yard.”

In addition to discourse and Q&As for their respective films, invited guests also participate in panels in which they share insights gained from their distinctive ex periences as filmmakers. This year, topics of discussion for panels in clude the screenwriting process, the power of media and storytell ing in Sesame Street — presented by Sesame Street Workshop Presi dent Sherrie Westin — and finding success in the film business.

Perhaps the most defining fea ture of VAFF, however, is its diver sity — a quality of the selections for the program that is very ap parent and deliberate, with Tovbis calling diversity “the DNA of the festival.” The program’s Series and Themes sidebar highlights various subject matters for which films are selected for, including Black Ex cellence, LGBTQ+ Focus, Interna tional Oscar Contenders and En vironmental Film Series amongst

others.

“Balancing a series of stories from different communities — from halfway around the world or our own backyard, political tales, social tales, tales of racial justice — all of that links together in our Series and Themes,” Tovbis said.

“The festival is much too large and enriched to have a single theme or series, so instead we have quite a number of them.”

For students, many tickets for the screenings and events are free through the arts department. Tickets for all events went on sale at noon Oct. 18th, and more infor mation about the program can be found on the VAFF website.

“My hope has always been that the festival opens up minds to oth er cultures and other experiences and other stories — that people find similarities in their own lives and at the same time, recognize the differences and become more com fortable with those differences as well,” Kielbasa said.

uncovers Taylor Swift’s vulnerable moments

Amelia Preble | Staff Writer

Taylor Swift’s albums have long been known as distinct, in dividual pieces, each signifying a dramatic shift from the previous.

Following up the minimalist, folk and alternative-inspired “folklore” and “evermore,” Swift once again did what she does best — evolved.

Maintaining the contemplative themes found in her most recent work while harkening back to her famous pop sound, “Midnights” is Swift’s next step forward.

In both its style and subject matter, the album’s opener “Laven der Haze” sets the tone for the rest of the album. The song addresses themes current to her more recent albums — love, and holding onto it under public scrutiny — whilst re viving the iconic synth-pop sounds of “1989” with a mature new feel.

The second track “Maroon” continues this dreamlike sound, but brings a new melancholic tone and introduces some of the album’s darker themes. Swift’s vocal skill, specifically her ability to convey emotion vocally, shines through on this song.

But the next track highlights an issue present at several points

throughout the album — it seems as if Swift was too focused on maintaining a purely pop style, resulting in songs that feel themat ically and sonically disconnected. The album’s third track and lead single “Anti-Hero” offers some of the boldest individual lines, with standout lyrics like “When my depression works the graveyard shift / all of the people I’ve ghosted stand there in the room,” yet lacks a sense of cohesion from one line or couplet to the next. The song’s meaning is further obscured by its confusing upbeat tempo and over done production.

The highly anticipated “Snow On The Beach (feat. Lana Del Rey)” has a peaceful melody and strong lyrics. However, despite her men tion in the track’s title, Del Rey is given disappointingly little time on the track. By featuring Del Rey for only backup vocals and a couple stray lines, Swift teases what could have been an incredible collabora tion but, continuing the trend of many of her other female features — like “Breathe (feat. Colbie Cail lat)” and “no body, no crime (feat. HAIM)” — fails to offer it.

“You’re On Your Own, Kid” is a high point on the album and a triumph of Swift’s renowned lyr icism. In this raw and intimate narrative, Swift introspects on her continual reliance on others. Line after line, Swift delves further into some of her most significant re grets and learned lessons — “I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this / I hosted parties and starved my body / like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss”.

“Bejeweled,” by contrast, is the album’s lowest point. The previ ous cohesive sound and quality of the album is derailed — the production is overdone, the stray “nice” following each chorus feels misplaced, and the song’s subject matter distracts from the genuine and personal themes found on the album thus far.

“Labyrinth” is one of Swift’s finest vocal performances. The simpler beat allows her delicate vocals to shine through, finding a moment of tranquility in between some of the album’s more heavily produced and less serious songs. Its straightforward lyrics encapsulate the mood of the song perfectly, as

Swift reminds herself to “breathe in, breathe through, breathe out.”

The final two songs tie togeth er the whole album by clarifying the major theme of “Midnights” — love. In “Mastermind”, Swift con fesses the calculated formulation of her relationship only to break down the underlying reasons for her actions — “No one wanted to play with me as a little kid / so I’ve been scheming like a criminal ever since / to make them love me and make it seem effortless.”

This song is the perfect blend of the most prominent themes and sounds from the album, ending it on a bittersweet note that perfect ly encapsulates the album’s overall message — an acknowledgement of flaws and insecurities, but an appreciation for what they have offered Swift.

But a review of “Midnights” would not be complete without mentioning the shock that Swift gave fans when, just three hours af ter the album’s initial release, she added seven more tracks in a spe cial “Midnights (3am Edition).”

Although not every song com pares to the original album, the

extended version includes some of the most compelling songs on the entire album. “Bigger Than The Whole Sky” is one of the most emotional songs on all of “Mid nights,” with Swift stripping down the production to highlight pure vocals and a wistful melody.

In “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” Swift expands on the retrospective themes seen through out the album, creating what is possibly the most impactful song on the album and certainly the greatest addition from the “3am Edition.” With passionate vocals and vicious lyrics — “Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts / Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first” — this song releases the rage lying behind Swift’s regret, a shift from the more muted sadness found on many previous songs.

“Midnights” is an exploration and celebration of Swift’s most personal moments. Despite a few stumbles and weaker points throughout, Swift showcases some of her best lyricism yet and a newly developed sound in this stunning addition to her ever-growing dis cography.

ON THE DOWNTOWN

OPINION

We are less than two weeks away from Election Day — 35 Senate seats and all 435 House of Representatives seats are up for election, potentially affecting the current House majority.

Residents should be cognizant of re cent changes to congressional bound aries in the Commonwealth. Rep. Bob Good and challenger Democrat Josh Throneburg are competing for the District 5 seat, which contains local ities stretching from Charlottesville to the North Carolina border. After reviewing both candidates’ platforms and policies, The Cavalier Daily’s Edi torial Board endorses Josh Throneburg for Congress.

Good has had two years to support his constituents, and he has failed. His legislative history speaks for it self — Good has sponsored legislation prohibiting abortions, funding a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and loosening restrictions on gun silencers. He also squabbled with Rep. Abigail Spanberger to defend Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s transgender policy, falsely claiming that Democrats believe in

“grooming and encouraging gender confusion of elementary and middle school students.” Good enshrines a stereotype against queer and transgen der people, neglecting the fact that a leading cause of suicide among LG BTQ+ youth is the transphobia and homophobia of bigots. Youngkin’s pol icy — and Good’s defense of it — is a direct attack on Virginia’s transgender community. Good has not just failed to represent Virginia — he actively works against our best interests.

At the bare minimum, Virginians deserve someone who defends democ racy. Good is in bad company with over a hundred Republican represent atives who deny the 2020 presidential election results. He also voted against legislation recognizing those who pro tected lawmakers during the Capitol insurrection. He has not spent a single day in office contributing to the gen eral welfare of democracy, much less District 5. Now is the time for Virgin ians to vocalize their disapproval by voting to unseat him.

Throneburg is the right choice for

by someone great, not Good

District 5 because he plans to work for each and every community member. Firstly, Throneburg has vowed to ad dress the climate emergency our na tion is facing. If elected, Throneburg will commit himself to transitioning the district to renewable energy sourc es, implementing a progressive cor porate tax on carbon emissions and creating a network of green jobs to support this transition. Additionally, Throneburg wants to ensure District 5’s vast rural and agricultural commu nities are not overlooked. Throneburg has promised to address the underin vestment in these areas by developing programs to rebuild rural schools, expanding broadband internet and providing grants to rehabilitate homes and infrastructure. Throneburg has also made obtaining access to afforda ble, quality healthcare one of his top priorities once he enters office. In Charlottesville, rural patients current ly are at a disadvantage in receiving adequate healthcare — having higher mortality rates than their urban coun terparts — which has been exacer

bated by COVID-19. To combat this, Throneburg will cap drug costs and expand funding for the Community Health Center Fund — which will give more support to satellite medical ser vices that are more widely available to rural communities. Throneburg’s com mitment to fixing the issues pertinent to District 5 is evident — and it is the reason he deserves our vote.

Where Good has actively denied the human rights of marginalized groups in Virginia, Throneburg has pledged to fight for them. He has promised to protect LGBTQ+ rights by passing the Equality Act codifying gender identity protections and hopes to pass the Safe Schools Improvement Act, which would require states re ceiving Title IV funds to prevent and respond to bullying and harassment. Throneburg will also fight for a wom an’s right to choose abortion. While abortion is currently legal in Virginia, that does not ensure its longevity. In office, Throneburg has vowed to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, codifying the protections of Roe v.

Wade into law and expanding funding for community-based organizations helping maternal health. Throneburg is clearly the best choice to ensure hu man right are protected in Congress.

Early voting has already begun in Virginia and will continue until Nov. 5. For those who are away from home and are registered to vote elsewhere, absentee ballots can be requested up until Oct. 28, and must be postmarked and returned by Election Day on Nov.

8. For more information on the elec tion including college student infor mation and same day voter registra tion, visit Virginia’s election website.

Much is at stake this election cycle, and we have the opportunity to do something about it. Let’s not let it go to waste. District 5 must be represent ed by someone great — not Good

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

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Although temporarily blocked in court, the application for federal stu dent loan debt relief is now available.

Individual borrowers who earned un der $125,000 or families — including their college-attending dependents — who earned under $250,000 in 2020 or 2021 are eligible for relief. For eligible borrowers, the federal government will relieve up to $10,000 for those who are not recipients of a Pell Grant and $20,000 for those who are. This relief — which President Joe Biden campaigned on — will help millions of Americans. But student loan forgive ness cannot stop at the federal level.

Private borrowers should also be aided as Biden and future administrations expand debt relief, which I firmly be lieve they should. Students who have no choice but to take out private loans should not be neglected as they pursue their education.

First and foremost, $10,000 or $20,000 will not entirely dissolve the debt of most federal borrowers. The average federal student loan debt bal ance is over $37,000 per borrower, and Biden’s debt relief only puts a notch in that hefty amount. The costs of college have even caused one-third of federal borrowers to drop out of school before

Provide debt relief to borrowers too

The University should also dedicate itself to expanding free tuition to more students

receiving their degree but are still left with the burden of paying back loans.

The federal government caps bor rowing amounts for both undergrad uate and graduate students. Like many students, I have exhausted my federal options and taken out private loans with harsh interest rates. Whereas fed eral rates do not exceed 7.54 percent, private loan interest rates can reach as high as 12.99 percent. Biden’s debt

In-state undergraduates in the University’s College of Arts and Sciences pay up to $21,064 in tuition and fees. The University estimates over $18,000 in additional costs for most students. These include housing, food, school supplies and other per sonal expenses, but tuition alone ex ceeds the federal loan borrowing limit. Even with financial aid, far too many students are falling tens of thousands

sectors — not going to college is not an option for those who struggle to afford college but pursue these fields.

I call on the Biden administration to extend its debt relief efforts to pri vate borrowers to help those of us re lying just as much on private loans as federal ones. Private loans represent 7.3 percent of all student loan debt. Although the $1.28 billion private loan total — far less than the federal

relief plan does not help private bor rowers who have to borrow beyond their federal caps in order to pay for school. Existent private loan regula tion focuses primarily on preventing scams, deception and discrimination.

Private lenders are mostly free to set their own terms without federal regu lation keeping interest rates low. The federal government should recognize this and make a concerted effort to help the people having to borrow from these lenders.

of dollars into debt to receive a college education. The University has given free tuition to students from fami lies making less than $80,000 a year, but this still fails to help middle class families making just over that number and having to foot that $18,000 tuition bill. For students from such families paying for school on their own, federal borrowing limits, private interest rates and high tuition costs are crushing. A college degree is a prerequisite to well-paying employment in many job

student loan balance of $1.62 trillion — may seem small in comparison, it is on top of the tens of thousands individual private borrowers are already taking out federally. Every extra dollar in a private loan is painful when interest rates are high. That lesser number is more manageable for the government to address, and it must. Private bor rowers have to fall even further into debt to receive higher education, and the federal government must reduce the financial fallouts of our schooling.

Additionally, I believe the Uni versity should increase the $80,000 threshold for free tuition to aid more middle-class families. Currently, the University has no sympathy for stu dents paying for school on their own but receiving aid based on their par ents’ income. But it could help us by raising that threshold to eliminate tuition costs for more students. Given Biden’s campaign goal of making pub lic college and university tuition free for families earning less than $125,000, I believe the University should ded icate itself to the same mission. This will not only make the University more accessible to more middle-class students but will also lessen the bur den of loans for students who must currently borrow from private lenders. Two years into Biden’s term, however, I also call on the Biden administration to act rapidly to meet his campaign goal of free tuition. If achieved, this goal will proactively reduce the need for debt relief in the first place and help more middle class families attend college.

BRYCE WYLES is an Opinion Edi tor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

Rescind the 108 College credit requirement

The new requirement is a needless obstacle to graduation

It has been one year since the University implemented a 108 Col lege credit requirement for College students. Beginning with the Class of 2025, this policy increased the number of College credits that stu dents in the College are required to earn for graduation from 102 to 108 out of the required 120 credits total across all schools. Students still must meet all previous general education and major requirements under this increase. In-College cred its are classes that are housed in the College and do not include most classes offered by the other six un dergraduate schools at the Univer sity, such as the McIntire School of Commerce and the School of Engi neering and Applied Science. There are, however, a few specific class exceptions. This increase should be revoked given the various academic challenges and barriers this imposes on students.

During new student orienta tion, University students are told constantly to explore their interests by taking a variety of classes. They are often told they can take classes throughout the University’s six un dergraduate schools. It is hypocrit ical that the University preaches these ideas of academic exploration, while enforcing a policy that limits

students’ exploration in undergrad uate course offerings. This policy only contributes to how the Univer sity’s academic structure discour ages passion-based learning. Com bined with the overwhelmingly unhelpful student advising system, many students are left misguided and unaware of this credit require ment.

Many students were not noti fied of this requirement until they

academic exploration and highlights the ongoing failure of academic ad vising at the University.

Many schools outside the Col lege offer a variety of minors to College students, such as public policy and leadership, real estate, entrepreneurship and architecture. Classes taken in other schools to complete these minors do not count toward the 108 College credit re quirement. The only exception to

other classes taken within these schools to explore and prepare for the completion of these majors can be a big risk. Commerce has three prerequisites offered only outside the College, while Batten has one. However, many students take more than the minimum to strengthen their application and prepare for the major. Should these students be accepted, they are no longer bound to the requirement. But this is not

The University preaches these ideas of academic exploration while hypocritically enforc ing a credit policy that limits students’ exploration in undergraduate course offerings.”

had already neared the cap this fall, when the College sent an email to second-year students who had tak en two or more classes outside the College. The email stated they may need to take more than 120 credits to graduate and thus may have no room for further classes outside the College. Students on track to fulfill all general education and major re quirements may not have the option to take other elective courses of in terest outside the College. This di rectly contradicts the promotion of

this requirement is for the Urban and Environmental Planning minor. This being the only exception points to a fundamental lack of logic in the College credit requirement. This policy will likely make it infeasible or unnecessarily difficult for many students to complete minors out side the College.

This policy particularly dis advantages students planning to major in Batten and Commerce who are not accepted to their pre ferred programs. Prerequisites and

a guarantee, as only 58 percent of applicants were admitted to Bat ten and 61 percent to Commerce last year. Unaccepted students dur ing this next admission cycle must choose a different major, possibly having to take more than 120 credits to graduate. Under this policy, some students may not meet the credit re quirement to graduate in four years.

Additionally, the requirement has the potential to produce gradu ates less prepared to enter a career, as it limits students from taking

classes related to their major. A for eign relations major is incentivized to take a computer science class over a national security policy class. A biology major is incentivized to take a music class over a biological engineering class. While these class es are extremely important subjects, they may not be as relevant to cer tain student’s career aspirations. The University’s wide range of schools can be a great asset for students to strengthen their majors with the knowledge they need to have a more successful career. As such, the Col lege credit requirement limits this by disincentivizing students from taking classes applicable to their ca reer goals.

The increase from requiring 102 to 108 in-College credits should be revoked before these negative im pacts are solidified in the Class of 2025. The College credit require ment policy as a whole should also be reviewed for these needless det rimental effects. There is still time to prevent the severity of many of these consequences, but action from University administration needs to be taken quickly.

JACOB RIZZIO is a Viewpoint Writ er for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

Even with financial aid, far too many students are falling tens of thousands of dollars into debt to receive a college education.”

HUMOR

Costume help for the indecisive and procrastinatory

If you are reading this, I as sume that means you and I are alike. Come Halloween, we share a common turmoil over the desire to have a perfect costume but simul taneously take no actionable steps to make that into a reality. Quite frankly, we’ve really managed to drop the ball. As I write this, I am plagued by the decision of what to wear for Halloween. There are three nights — if you are doing the av erage Thursday to Saturday stint. Three nights of three perfect cos tumes that each capture everything I want to be or could be. Three nights of three different characters who are not juggling the bearing weight of collegiate life — lucky for them. And then, three mornings of waking up reeling from the exces sive amount of sugar in BeatBox es and praying the embarrassing memories don’t sneak up on you throughout the day.

For this weekend I could be

the Joker, fitted with a sick purple jacket and deranged makeup, a Ki era-Knightley-esque pirate, liberat ed by my oceanic travels or even a grandma. The possibilities are end less, and I am a simple woman who is no match for the excitement of so many options. Each day, I come up with a new half idea and nev er explore it, handing it over to a premature death. It is like one of those home “renovation” projects that homeowners start and never finish, thus leaving their kitchen walls half-covered in cheap marble wallpaper from Amazon. I guess what I am trying to say is that all of my costume ideas are piss-stained walls half-covered in wallpaper. I need help. But, I’m writing this to help you.

Now, I am in a much better posi tion than you. As I write this, I have over a week. But you? By the time this article is out, Halloween will be but a few days away, and you will

be on the precipice of Halloweek end, waiting until the day of or the day before to choose your fit for the night. That’s a bit silly of you. Just a wee bit reckless. Yet, there is not a reason to worry — I’m here. My ad vice is like a sip from the Fountain of Youth, the song of birds in the morning and all of the other things that are beautiful, other-worldly and sublime. Just open your mind up to the gift of my word.

First, get in your damn car. Get on the bus. Hop on a Veo if you are feeling a bit showy — I’ve been there. Or, better yet, prepare your self for a nice long walk down Em met Street, in which you will get to see the wondrous views of construc tion, John Paul Jones Arena and Taco Bell. Next, go to a Halloween store. If you are looking for some thing close, go to The Party Starts Here. You want something with a few more options? Go to Spirit Halloween at Fashion Square Mall.

There, you will find a mall whose status as a mall should be reevalu ated, and you will have the option for exquisite fine dining at the Red Robin. Load up on some scorpion gourmet burgers and give the cock roaches a hello for me.

Next, and the final, simple step, is to buy your gosh darn costume. Now, I cannot tell you what or who to be. That is for you and you only to decide. If I cannot pick my own costume, then I sure as hell cannot help you pick yours. But, I will give you some options to explore. Be a movie character, princess, color, joke, superhero, politician, food — anything, really. Or, instead of choosing, just close your eyes, have a friend give you a little spin and pick the first thing your grubby lit tle hands touch. Whatever method you choose, hurry up. The pickings will certainly be slim, as the best op tions have been taken by those with more forethought. But, I assure you,

CARTOON

Hoo’s Your Character

Sarah Elder | Cartoonist

there will still be something for you to choose from. Your options might just be limited to cat ears, fairy wings or devil horns. It’s okay. We’ve all been there. Just snatch that costume up, join the long line of those with the same last-minute costume dilemma, check it out and there you go. Problem solved.

Although this advice is minimal and does not really give you much to go on, it is all I have in me. I have given you all that I am capable of, my entire heart and soul. Now, go on and enjoy the overcrowded bars, revel in your poorly thought out costume, drink to your heart’s con tent and soak in every bit of pleas ure you can get from this weekend. Halloween weekend is the back bone of the college experience — don’t forget that.

SELIA MARKLEY is a Humor Col umnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at humor@cavalierdaily.com

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Composting efforts advance sustainability initiatives

U.Va. Sustainability’s zero waste program has increased its commitment to composting and continues to ramp up efforts to raise awareness on what waste can be composted and provide more composting bins on grounds.

Composting is one method of reducing waste by breaking down organic matter into a fertilizer that can be added to enrich the soil. It can strengthen eroded soil by allowing for soil infiltration while reducing the surface flow of water.

Compostable items include all food and plant items, such as fruit and vegetable remains, eggshells and household plant remains, as well as uncoated paper that is not otherwise recyclable, including pizza boxes. Certified composta ble products such as corn-based cutlery are also compostable. Fur ther information on composting rules is available on the City of Charlottesville website.

“We say if it grows, it goes — so that includes, obviously, all types of food and paper since it was made from trees and that can be composted,” Black Bear Composting owner Eric Walter said. “Sometimes, people think of paper food packaging, but unless it specifically says that it’s com postable, it’s lined with plastic and [can’t] be composted.”

According to Walter, some stu dents might partake in “wish-cy cling,” which involves discarding non-compostable items in the compost bin with the hope that they will be composted.

One solution to reduce wish-cycling at the University is to raise awareness on which products can be composted and which cannot. Aayusha Khanal, U.Va. Sustainability volunteer and third-year College student, said standardizing food contain ers and utensils to be composta ble across the University will help clarify student confusion about what can be composted.

“If [all disposables] from food vendors were compostable, then students would feel a lot more comfortable composting,” Khanal said.

With the composting process happening locally, the rewards of composting are returned to the community — the University, res taurants and local residents who compost with Black Bear Com posting get compost returned to them once a year to fertilize their

soil. Just last week, compost was dropped off at the Hereford Col lege student garden. One of the main benefits of using compost in gardens and farms is that it re duces the need for chemical fer tilizers, making food cleaner and more natural.

The University’s zero-waste program puts these ideas into practice. One of the main goals of the program is to implement compost bins throughout the University. Bin locations include Newcomb, Observatory Hill Din ing Hall, West Range Café and Hereford. This year, a pilot pro gram to install compost bins near the amphitheater food trucks was made permanent. Their lo cation in a high-traffic area gives students a convenient option to compost their food waste.

Second-year College student Nazifa Rahman said she thinks while composting bins are offered near dorm buildings, they are not convenient enough to ensure that all students have a compost bin in

or near their specific building.

“I think at U.Va., we can defi nitely do a better job at telling students to actively compost, and having that designated location to compost and recycle would be beneficial,” Rahman said. “So go ing forward in the future, maybe we could do a weekly go-through of a room and find stuff and even recycle, and that kind of activity would be beneficial.”

Khanal said while the Uni versity has made strides in im plementing compost bins, it has yet to accurately quantify the amount of compost being collect ed. Khanal also said she feels it has not spread enough awareness on exactly which products and food waste can be composted, and that lack of awareness leads to the potential for students to compost incorrectly.

As more composting bins are added throughout Grounds, it becomes increasingly impor tant to have clear statistics on the pounds of compost collected

from these sites to allow the Uni versity to quantify the impact of these changes.

Data obtained from Black Bear Composting shows that the compost collected from the Uni versity increased from 215 to 320 tons between 2020 and 2021. This year, the University seems to be on track of beating the amount of compost collected in 2021, with 185 tons collected through June 30.

However, one goal of the U.Va. Sustainability’s zero waste pro gram that has yet to be actual ized is quantifying the amount of compost that University students produce.

“We solely measure how many bags of compost we collect, which isn’t the most accurate form,” Khanal said. “It’s a bit difficult because we are relying on student volunteers and there are a limited number of them.”

There are a variety of ways for off-Grounds Charlottesville residents to compost. Black Bear

Composting offers monthly sub scriptions for $22.25, which in cludes weekly home compost pickup. Black Bear will also pro vide subscribers with finished compost at least once a year for personal use in home gardens. There are currently over 1,000 subscribers to this service.

Two free Charlottesville com posting locations are the McIn tire Recycling Center and the City Market, which runs from April to October. Taking advan tage of these programs can be an important step towards reducing your personal carbon footprint.

“If compost goes to the gar bage, it can actually cause harm because in the landfill, things that can break down — biode gradable materials like food and yard waste — will actually create methane, which is a greenhouse gas that’s 20 times worse than CO2,” Walter said.

Neha Vazarkar | Staff Writer

HENRY MOUNTCASTLE | THE CAVALIER DAILY

U.Va. Sustainability’s zero waste program seeks to rectify “wish-cycling” by providing designated compost bins around Grounds.

Top 10 fall must-haves — from clothes to transit apps

As fall settles in, here are the essentials to have a cozy, warm and festive season on Grounds

Fatima Abdalla | Top 10 Writer

1. Pumpkin spice — everything

Fall is nothing if not pumpkin spice lattes and pastries which I greatly enjoy. Maybe pumpkin muffin-flavored Little Bites were always around and I’m clueless, but I got extremely excited when I saw them at Wegmans the other day. The cinnamon flavors are so cozy with the very sudden weather change we’re experiencing, so I’ll leave you with this — give pumpkin spice a chance this season, stay warm and try new things.

Beanies over bucket hats

I’ve only recently got into wearing hats again and I am obsessed. It feels odd wearing a cap when it’s cold and cloudy outside. Thus, I must wear beanies. They are cute, comfortable and immaculate for the weather. Beanies are affordable and will keep your head warm as the temperature drops in the fall.

6.

Yes, the Transloc app. I know you probably have it, but have you actually used it or given up like most of us did at first? It’s completely okay if you gave up and now you walk everywhere. Walking is fantastic, but walking in the cold is not as fantastic — take the bus. It is cold outside and it will only get colder. Learn how to use Transloc to the best of your abili ties because it will save you on cold, rainy days.

First-years, I have a solution — a clothes rack

It’s officially cold enough to bring those winter clothes on Grounds and inside your wardrobe. If you are a firstyear, then you already know your dorm closet cannot store both your summer and winter clothes. You may think you have to compromise, but I’m here to tell you  — you don’t. I personally recommend getting a clothing rack. Put your coats and sweaters on it for easy accessibility when you walk out the door and voila — you no longer need to compromise.

Bring the oversized sweatshirts out

This is the moment for baggy sweatshirts to shine. They’re easy to throw on and you won’t feel hot when you do. You can style them in so many different ways. I usually feel chilly when I wear just a sweatshirt out side, so I wear layers. A shirt underneath — like a turtleneck or a collared shirt — is a great look and will keep you warm. I’m all about warmth and being cozy when going to class.

4. Get the neutral fall look

Are you the type of person to dress according to the season? Is your entire closet already filled with or ange, brown, burgundy and just everything fall? If not, I suggest you get just a few pieces. Fall is my fa vorite season so I will always be prepared with those fall-inspired color palettes. Currently, my favorite tops are a brown sweatshirt from Boohoo and an or angish-brown button-up. It feels so cozy.

7.

Stylish boots

I don’t own cowboy boots, but I think I should get a pair. Will I actually go through with it? Absolutely not. Nothing against western boots but everyone’s style is different. If you’re like me and looking for a different style of boots, my go-tos are midi, knee high and snow boots. Boots are stylish and will keep you warm during the upcoming chilly months.

8. Hot chocolate for the win

Now, I know hot chocolate is supposed to be a winter thing, but it’s so cold outside already and it’s only Oc tober. Hot chocolate on cold mornings is everything. I’ve never been a coffee girl so my go-to warm drink is hot chocolate. I associate hot chocolate with rainy days spent indoors with family or friends. When the weather is gloomy, I stay in and get snug with hot chocolate.

Invest in an electric kettle or coffee maker

This item goes along well with my previous point. In order to make hot chocolate, you need something to make it with. I personally have an electric kettle be cause ramen cravings hit differently when you’re in college. Electric kettles are great to quickly boil a pot of water to enjoy a variety of drinks and meals. The best part about fall starting — other than whipping out stylish sweaters — is sipping on hot beverages while the temperature dips outside.

10.

The fleece jacket is way better in my opinion

The teddy fleece jackets are so cute and are a fall es sential. They come in distinct styles that cater to a va riety of preferences. You can make it casual or dress it up with knee-high boots. I say this is essential because you can throw it on top of a t-shirt and head to class without worrying if you’ll be cold or if you look like you just woke up.

It is time we learned how to use the Transloc app

MIX RUDOLPH THE CAVALIER DAILY

MIX RUDOLPH THE CAVALIER DAILY

MIX RUDOLPH THE CAVALIER DAILY

Sparking curiosity and passion through mentorship

College Mentors for Kids engages with local elementary students to build meaningful relationships and stimulate intellectual development

Mario Rosales & Cecy Juárez | Life Editors

From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Mon days and Thursdays, University students involved in College Men tors for Kids’ University of Virginia Chapter meet with young students from local Clark Elementary School and Mary C. Greer Elementary School. During these meetings, mentors engage with elementary students through bonding activities to stimulate their curiosity and ig nite their passions.

CMK chapters partner with lo cal elementary schools and rely on school administrators to invite the students they think would benefit most from a mentor. In alignment with their belief that all kids de serve to have access to enriching afterschool programming, CMK of fers its program free of cost to par ticipating students.

University student volunteers are then paired with elementary students into buddy pairs. The pairs foster relationships through a va riety of activities that CMK plans over the course of an academic year. These activities are not meant to provide kids with tutoring in ac ademic fields, though. Instead, as Andrew Carey, second-year Engi neering student and general man ager at CMK, emphasized, the club’s primary goal is to spark curiosity and excitement for learning and open doors to opportunities.

“The whole takeaway each ac tivity day is to have the kids leave with something that they learned whether they were familiar with [it or not],” Carey said. “If we talk about a [new] topic, and now they’re more interested or if it’s their first time doing an activity or learning about something, then we hope that [they remain] interested going into the future.”

These activities range from chemistry experiments and envi ronmental education to lemonade stands and cultural events. All are designed with the purpose of cul tivating new interests and further developing current ones.

Colin Dockter, president of CMK and second-year College stu dent, said even simple and fun ac tivities — such as making slime — provide an underlying foundation for educational interests.

“When [we’re] making slime, the little buddies are putting togeth er all [of it],” Dockter said. They’re mixing all the chemicals, and you have the mentor there who has a role of supporting them, measuring stuff out, explaining perhaps the impact of science [and] science re lated careers. The kids can have fun with a little bit of education.”

Besides the exposure to different fields of study and areas of interest the mentorship provides, the little

buddies also learn about college. For many of them, college is not some thing that they are inherently famil iar with.

Frances Baldridge, engagements manager for CMK and second-year College student, said the mentors provide insight into what life at a college could look like. As a coun selor, Baldridge attempts to build a meaningful relationship with her little buddy.

“We show them the importance of education and what education can do,” Baldridge said. “We act as a support system for them, so we really value [both mentors and men tees] showing up every week to kind of give them an older figure in their lives.”

Pairing University students with local elementary kids offers a unique opportunity for people who wouldn’t have otherwise interacted to bond together. Thus, on the oth er side of the same coin, mentors at CMK also gain exposure to some thing they may not be so familiar with — the broader Charlottesville community.

Grounds and its surround ing areas are very much a part of Charlottesville, but Baldridge said that sometimes it feels as though students are more cut off from the greater Charlottesville community.

“Now, I feel like we don’t real

SHANE WAN THE CAVALIER DAILY CMK chapters partner with local elementary schools and rely on school administrators to invite the students they think would benefit the most from a mentor.

ly see like elementary school kids and stuff anymore,” Baldridge said. “We’re kind of in this constrained environment of all college kids. But it’s good to remember the com munity around us. We don’t really get to explore Charlottesville as a whole. [CMK is] kind of showing what’s just beyond our Grounds.”

At the end of the day, CMK of fers a fresh change from the usual University student routine that stu dents experience every day. Emily Loy, CMK mentor and second-year Education student, has the same little buddy as she did last year. As

Passiflora: a Baja-Mediterranean

Nicole Ryeom | Food Writer

Coming into fourth year, I made a list of things I wanted to do before graduating from the University. Argu ably, the most important component of that list was the subsection that in cluded a checklist of restaurants I had to try before leaving Charlottesville. I’ve been slowly checking restaurants off my list, but high up on that list that I had yet to try was Passiflora, located at 422 E. Main Street on the Downtown Mall.

Replacing the former location of the Commonwealth Skybar and Res taurant in fall 2020, Passiflora features a Baja-Mediterranean inspired menu. Passiflora is Latin for “passion flow er,” and the interior of the restaurant clearly matches that definition of a fresh and vibrant flower.

When I walked into the restaurant, I was impressed by the cozy, beachy atmosphere of the interior. The warm mood lighting gave off a calming vibe,

and the nature-inspired mural on one of the walls made the restaurant feel like it was tucked away in its own sep arate corner of the Downtown Mall.

I dined with a group of five, in cluding three of my friends and my friend’s mom, who was visiting for the weekend. My friend deemed Passiflo ra as one of the must-try restaurants in Charlottesville, so we walked in around 6 p.m. on a Saturday night, and were seated within 10 minutes without a reservation.

Once we were seated, we were greeted with tortilla chips and salsa. We decided to supplement our com plimentary appetizers with guaca mole, queso dip and street corn. The guacamole was tangy and delicious, breaking up the creamy cheesiness of the queso dip. The street corn was equally as appetizing, coated with cotija cheese, garlic aioli and Tajin.

Given the restaurant’s well-known

tropical rum and tequila cocktails, we decided to try some of the drinks, settling on the Margarita Royal. In contrast to the Margarita Classic, the Margarita Royal included dry curacao and orange, adding a bit of a citrus kick to the drink. The drinks were strong but delicious, garnished with an orange peel.

While it was difficult to pick whether to order tacos or fajitas as my main entrees, I ultimately decided on the fajitas, preferring the sauteed peppers and onions to the less deckedout tacos. I like to try to order things that I am less inclined to cook myself at home, so although I had the choice between chicken, steak, shrimp or mushroom, I decided to order the steak fajitas.

The fajitas were a popular choice amongst the group, with two of my friends ordering the steak fajitas as well. The other two entrees we select

ed among the choices of fajitas, enchi ladas, tuna tostada and ribeye were the chicken fajitas and the steak tacos.

Served on a cast iron fajita skil let on top of a wood tray, the steak, sauteed peppers and onions were still steaming when they were placed in front of me. The fajitas were served with pico de gallo, sour cream, shred ded cheese and tortillas.

The steak was tender and juicy, and the sauteed vegetables were a nice addition to the dish — I assembled my fajitas with a layer of sour cream, topped with the steak and vegetables and layered with a healthy serving of shredded cheese.

I thoroughly enjoyed my faji tas, and the portion sizes were large enough such that I had some lefto vers to take home with me to enjoy the next day. Admittedly, I am a huge leftover girl, so I thought the next day fajitas were just as good as fresh off

a result, she has been able to relish in the experience of not only inter acting with her little buddy once a week, but also watching him devel op, which is ultimately the goal of CMK — to inspire growth, confi dence and brighter futures.

“It [is] just so rewarding,” Loy said. “I can see the changes that he’s made with himself. He seems so much more confident and … I’ve seen him be a lot more social with the other kids in the program. So [it’s] been really exciting to see [the] shift in his enthusiasm and excite ment.”

the skillet.

My friend’s mom enjoyed the restaurant as well, inquiring with the manager as to whether it would be possible to make a reservation at Passiflora for graduation weekend. The manager kindly passed along his email, stating that he would be hap py to host her family for graduation weekend.

Overall, my visit to Passiflora was worth it. I enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant just as much as the food and drinks. I will definitely be returning again to try out their ta cos and some of their other signature cocktails.

Be sure to check out Passiflora during your next visit to the Down town Mall — it is open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.