Thursday, November 13, 2014

The

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Thursday, November 13, 2014

Vol. 125, Issue 23

Women’s hoops begin new season Friday

Men’s hoops opens 2014-15 season

Cavaliers seek return to postseason for first time since 2012 in fourth season under Boyle Chanhong Luu Associate Editor

The Virginia women’s basketball team opens its 2014-15 campaign this Friday night at John Paul Jones Arena against Ohio State, looking to improve on last season's 14-17 overall and 6-10 ACC record.

The season was the first-ever losing effort in coach Joanne Boyle's 12 years at the collegiate level — none of her teams had ever finished fewer than two games above .500.

Replacing long-time head coach Debbie Ryan in 2011, Boyle brought the Cavaliers to the quarterfinals of the WNIT in her first season. Since then, the Cavaliers have failed to qualify for any postseason tournament besides the ACC Tournament.

In last year’s ACC Tournament, the Cavaliers fell against Georgia Tech in a 7776 second-round matchup. In a game which came down to the wire, Virginia allowed the Yellow Jackets to shoot 47.7 percent from the field. On the season, the Cavaliers allowed

HACKATHON PLANNED TO HONOR CORMIER PAGE 2

No. 9 Virginia eyes repeat of ACC title after claiming first championship since 1976

teams to shoot 43.8 percent — last in the ACC in field goal percentage defense.

As a result, Boyle, in her fourth year as Virginia’s head coach, has decided to change the def e n s e from a 1-2-2 zone to a p a ck - l i ne man-to-man defense, inspired by the successes of the Virginia men’s basketball team.

“I just wanted us as a program starting with a lot of youth to have a lot of accountability, and it’s obviously easier to do it man-to-man,” Boyle said. “I sat down with Tony and his staff in the spring and they spent a lot of

Ryan Taylor

Senior Associate Editor

The No. 9 Virginia men’s basketball team returns to the hardwood Friday for the first time since falling to Michigan State in the NCAA tournament.

Despite reigning as ACC regular season and tournament champions, the Cavaliers enter the 2014-15 campaign as just the fourthhighest ranked team in the ACC. Last year was a historic one for Virginia, capturing the ACC tournament crown for the first time in nearly 40 years. The Cavaliers rode this momentum into March Madness, where they claimed the No. 1 seed in the East Region.

Unfortunately, Virginia ran into the juggernaut that is Michigan State in the Sweet 16 — and was unable to overcome a size disadvantage created by Adreian Payne. The Cavaliers

see W BBALL, page 6

UNIVERSITY PANEL DISCUSSES ISIS PAGE 5

WOMEN’S SOCCER: JOURNEY TO COLLEGE CUP PAGE 8

A LOOK INSIDE THE VA FILM FESTIVAL PAGE 14

saw their magical season come to an end by just one basket against the fourthseeded Spartans.

“With the other ACC teams that are ahead of us, I still feel like we’re underdogs even with the success that we had last year,” sophomore point guard London Perrantes said. “It doesn’t take much for us to stay hungry and I feel like that in itself will help us.”

Though Virginia has lost key components of last year’s dominant squad in Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell, the Cavaliers return a crop of young talent which promises to make the team a strong force once again. Junior trio Justin Anderson, Malcolm Brogdon and Mike Tobey all played significant — if not starters’ — minutes a year ago, and will bring maturity to a relatively young team. Forward Darion Atkins is the lone senior on Virginia’s roster.

“We’re going to have different roles for different people,

see M BBALL, page 6

HEAD-TO-HEAD: IS THE COMM SCHOOL WORTH IT? PAGE 10

N news

The Cavalier Daily

Hackathon to honor Connor Cormier Engineering students, Commerce School class, Dean of Students work to organize event

Kathleen Smith Senior Writer

Corrections In a Nov. 10 issue of The Cavalier Daily, the front page graphic detailing Engineering students’ post-graduation plans inaccurately depicted the proportion of students seeking employment after graduation. The number, as written, is 4 percent.

In the Nov. 10 issue, on page 13, an article titled “Connor Woodle gets new thumbs,” inaccurately described the procedure Woodle received.

His working index fingers were surgically altered to function as thumbs.

2

Several University students are organizing a hackathon to be held Nov. 15-16 in honor of late secondyear Engineering student Connor Cormier, who committed suicide in October.

“Coding in Honor of Connor” builds upon similar events such as Hack Virginia and hack. uva. Dean of Students Allen Groves approached these students, who were already planning a hackathon, with the idea of holding a computer programming competition in memory of Cormier.

"This hackathon is in memory of Connor and will be a celebration of his life,” a description of the event distributed to corporate sponsors read. “The University community has felt the loss of Connor, especially those who knew him personally and were in his class.

This is an opportunity for our community to come together and honor his life!"

Fourth-year College student Rebecca Galt said the event will have

sponsors from both within and outside of the University community — including Engineering Student Council, Student Council, Second Year Council and Capital One. During the event, students will collaborate to develop a computer application which will solve a problem or challenge posed at the be-

dent, said the Hackathon is being put on by a group of students in the Commerce Schools' Project Management class.

“The team planning the event is based in a class in the Commerce School that was already beginning to plan a hackathon when Connor passed,” Ross said in an email. “When

ginning of the 24-hour event. The participants will then be judged by corporate sponsors and the winning teams will receive prizes.

All proceeds from the event will be donated to Computers4Kids, which is an organization that provides home-computer access to low income youths in order to improve their technology and learning skills.

Student Council President Jalen Ross, a fourth-year Engineering stu-

the idea to remember Connor with a hackathon was raised, it was a natural partnership for Student Council and all other sponsors to join the COMM 3200 team to make it happen.”

Second Year Council President Abraham Axler, a College student, said Second Year Council is providing $500 dollars toward the event.

“Connor was beloved member of our class and we greatly appreciate the chance to support this hack-

athon,” he said.

Though the Hackathon is the first event to honor Cormier, Axler said other similar projects are in development.

“The hackathon is the tangible thing that’s happening, but other things are in development,” Axler said. “We want to do the right thing, so it’s taking a little bit of time to get that right thing together.”

Galt said Cormier’s parents have been especially supportive of the hackathon.

“We have been in contact with Connor's parents through the Office of the Dean of Students, and understand that they appreciate the idea of remembering Courtesy HACCK Connor with the kind of coding competition he loved,” Galt said.

Cormier, a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was a second-year computer science major. He participated in the International Collegiate Programming Contest and Hackathons.

Registration for the Hackathon opens at 10 a.m. Nov. 15, and the competition begins at 2 p.m. The event will be held on the third floor of Clemons Library.

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NEWS

Thursday, November 13, 2014

3

Student Council discusses new safety initiatives Body to facilitate newly formed Buddies on Call, Student Watch operations, Gregorio questions Council-based structure

Kayla Eanes Associate Editor

Student Council met Tuesday to discuss student security and two newly-formed organizations aimed at increasing safety, Buddies on Call and Student Watch.

Representative Body Chair Abraham Axler, a second-year College student, said these two organizations will operate under a Student Council committee which oversees safety programs, and that Council will be involved in appointing chairs and leaders to the new programs.

First-year College student Jack Capra, co-chair of Buddies on Call, said the organization has made significant progress in the past month, setting up an executive board and designating a specific area of operation to run between Gooch-Dillard dorms, 14th Street and Grady Avenue.

“The main purpose of the club is to walk people home,” Capra said. “[It’s] sort of a complement to Student Watch.”

Capra said mandatory training — a process Buddies on Call is hoping will incorporate some form of diversity training and self-defense — has yet to occur.

“Training will include bystander intervention training, alcohol and

drug abuse prevention training, a University Police department neighborhood tour, looking into diversity training and self defense,” Capra said.

Second-year College student J.C. Gamble, head operator for Buddies on Call, said the organization will stress to both members and students using their service they are not professionals. Gamble said they will tell users to call 911 if there is a real emergency.

Council members asked Capra what he would change from SafeWalk — a similar, ultimately unsuccessful initiative by Council started in 2012 . Capra said because SafeWalk helpers were paid for their participation, they may not have been motivated by a genuine concern for student safety.

Capra said he hopes that for Buddies on Call, this will not be the case. He also said he felt SafeWalk did not have adequate resources or proper promotion.

“SafeWalk did not advertise themselves very well or have the resources they needed to perform,” Capra said. “[SafeWalk] only ran two walkers and an operator per night.”

Capra also plans to have members who are on call for a given night advertise on social media during their shift as a means of promoting the program.

Student Watch, meanwhile, will run from University Avenue to Grady Avenue and from Rugby Road to 10th Street, said secondyear College student Ben Cosgro, president of the organization.

Student Watch members will walk around this designated area in groups of three and respond to students in need of assistance. Groups will consist of two male students and one female student. The group aims to ensure students are safe even if they do not ask for help directly.

“The problem that we often see is that people say they’re fine [or] sober enough,” Cosgro said.

He said Student Watch representatives will have access to the Charlottesville Police Department throughout the evening, and can consult with police officers to determine the severity of anything they may see.

“On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, when we’ll be out there, Charlottesville Police Department has [officers] assigned to patrol there,” Cosgro said. “We’ll be out there as extra eyes and ears.”

Cosgro said gender was a determining factor in deciding the makeup of the walking groups.

“Two girls and one guy are more likely to be attacked than two guys and one girl,” Cosgro said.

Batten Representative Alex Gre-

Celina Hu | The Cavalier Daily

Members of Student Council met in Lambeth Tuesday to discuss Buddies on Call and Student Watch.

Several members debated the merits of second-year College student Abe Axler’s proposed structure.

gorio, a fourth-year, raised concerns that the program would put more students in danger and suggested alternatives, such as increasing the student activities fee to fund an additional SafeRide van.

“One solution is to contact the University Police Department and see why don’t they send out more patrol cars,” Gregorio said. “If it’s a staffing issue, then they need to hire more people.”

Gregorio said he was not only skeptical of the design of these two organizations, but also of whether they should fall under Council’s jurisdiction.

“There are other options that we

can pursue,” Gregorio said. “Why does this need to be a part of Student Council?”

Axler said this was a way for Council to affirm the body values student safety, and that running these programs independently would impose too much liability on the leaders of these groups.

“If it’s a CIO, Jack [Capra] is going to go to jail,” Axler said. “It’s too much liability for students to assume.”

Axler said the proposed setup establishes Council as an intermediary between the programs and the University, with the University assuming the liability.

University early action applications hit record high Applications reach 16,185, diversity increases, 2013 Admissions Office accepts 51 percent of applicants early Meg Gardner and Grace Erard Senior Writers

The University received 16,185 early action applications this year — the highest volume recorded since 2011, when the option was first added to the application.

Dean of Admissions Greg Roberts said the early action program was first implemented to draw a more diverse group of applicants.

“The reason we moved to early action was because we believed it would attract the most diverse population of students,” Roberts said. “I think it’s the most student-friendly early plan. It allows for students to receive a decision before they have to commit before receiving financial aid.”

Roberts said this model has proved fruitful thus far, with the early action applicant pool becoming increasingly diverse each year. According to a University press release, early applications

from African American, firstgeneration, international and minority student populations have all increased in recent years.

Though the admissions office had anticipated the initiative would increase diversity of applicants, Roberts said they underestimated how popular the option would be overall.

Students often choose to apply early action because they believe it gives them a competitive advantage.

First-year Engineering student John Kretzschmar said he thought applying during the early action window would increase his chances of being offered admission.

“I applied early action because I wanted to get into college earlier and I thought that it would give me a better opportunity to get in,” Kretzschmar said.

But early action applicants are reviewed with the same level of scrutiny as all other applicants, according to a “Notes from Peabody” blog post written by Jeannine Lalonde, a senior assistant

dean of admissions.

“I completely understand this thinking since it is true for some schools,” Lalonde said. “There are plenty encouraging very early submission of applications these days. At U.Va., we have the same review process for the entire application season.”

Roberts concurred, saying the early action applicant pool is actually more competitive than the regular decision pool.

“It’s a stronger pool academically, when one considers testing and performance in the class,” Roberts said. “It’s a significantly stronger pool of students.”

Roberts said aside from trying to gain a competitive advantage, students apply early so they can receive admissions decisions more promptly. “[Early action] benefits the students applying because they can receive an earlier decision which alleviates some anxiety and stress, I would imagine,” Roberts said.

First-year College student Jordan Harris said he agreed with

this sentiment.

“I think it is better to know sooner rather than later,” Harris said.

Applying through the early action program also gives students a longer period to consider enrollment options and make a final decision.

First-year College student Kara Wertz said this factor is what encouraged her to submit an early action application.

“I applied to everywhere I could early action, so I could see my decisions as early as possible and would have as much time to make my decision,” Wertz said.

Just as it is for students, Roberts said the early action admissions option is beneficial for the University. “[Early action] benefits the University because we can build relationships with students earlier when they are admitted in January than students who are admitted in April,” Roberts said.

While early action may reduce anxiety for some students, those who would feel rushed to

meet the Nov. 1 deadline are encouraged to wait and apply regular decision.

Lalonde, in a September blog post, advised students to apply early action only if they are in a strong place academically and do not need to rely on additional senior year grades.

“If you think you had an amazing junior year and your application is rock solid without the first semester of senior year on your transcript, consider applying early,” Lalonde said. “If you had a little stumble early on in your junior year (which sometimes happens when you step up the number of advanced classes in your schedule), maybe you should apply under Regular Decision, when we'll have some senior grades to consider (my expectation is that you rebounded in a big way).”

Roberts said he was not sure which percentage of this year’s early action applicant pool would be offered admission. Last year, 51 percent were accepted.

4

The Cavalier Daily

JLARC releases final college report, notes high cost

NEWS

Virginia legislature supports Committee calls for public school efficiency gains, considers auxiliary spending cuts

Caelainn Carney Senior Writer

The Virginia Joint Legislative and Audit Review Committee released its final report on the costs of higher education in Virginia on Monday. The report analyzed the institutions’ graduation rates and sources of revenue, among other areas of interest, for fiscal

years 2002 through 2012.

Along with the College of William & Mary and Virginia Tech, the University ranks among the top 20 schools nationally for graduation rates. But according to the report, that success has come at a high cost.

“The state’s public institutions are also, on average, among the nation’s most expensive for students,” the report reads. “In FY

Courtesy Richmond Times Dispatch

The Virginia Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee released its final higher education report Monday.

2012, Virginia had the fifth highest net cost in the country. The average net cost of attendance for all in-state students attending Virginia’s public four-year institutions far exceeds the southeast regional and national averages.”

The report noted that while spending has increased statewide at Virginia’s public institutions, most of the spending has been on non-academic expenses.

“Total institutional operating spending per student increased 24 percent, accounting for inflation, between FY 2002 and FY 2012,” it said. “Auxiliary enterprises accounted for 56 percent of the total increase in inflationadjusted, per student spending.”

Auxiliary expenses include varsity athletics, student residences and dining facilities, and recreational facilities.

A University press release Monday said these expenses lead to “increased student engagement, leadership development and graduation and retention rates.”

Virginia’s public universities have had to rely more on tuition revenue as state funding has decreased.

“The increase in net tuition

revenue varied substantially across institutions, but on average, the additional tuition revenue has exceeded the declines in state operating funding over the long term,” the committee report said. “Since FY 1998, net tuition revenue increased $4,177 per student, exceeding the $2,831 decline in state funding per student.”

In the press release, University President Teresa Sullivan said the University is committed to streamlining its operations "without sacrificing academic quality."

"Improving the efficient and effective use of all resources is a top priority of U.Va., and we remain committed to continue targeting greater efficiencies while maintaining a high standard of academic excellence,” she said.

The JLARC report notes 16 recommendations to improve efficiency at higher education institutions statewide. Among these are mandatory training for Board of Visitors members on financial matters, capping the amount of tuition revenue spent on athletics and setting a statewide measure of capital prioritization.

University spokesperson Anthony de Bruyn said the Univer-

sity’s Organizational Excellence initiative, established in the summer of 2013, has similar goals as those outlined in the JLARC report.

“It seeks opportunities to enhance the University's stewardship of all its resources — from financial to facilities to technological to human resources — and align its processes, technology and people to support institutional priorities,” de Bruyn said in an email.

The press release also said officials were concerned that the recommendations would limit the autonomy of the state’s higher education institutions as granted to them in the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act of 2005.

Patrick Hogan, University vice president and chief operating officer said state institutions have used the autonomy they received under the 2005 act to achieve greater operational efficiency.

“We hope that the General Assembly and governor maintain their commitment to allowing institutions to continue to operate under the terms outlined within the act,” Hogan said.

Medical Center to expand emergency department Sullivan says current space not sufficient, expansion to be funded through Medical Center’s operating revenue

Mairead Crotty Senior Writer

The Medical Center initiated a new plan to expand its emergency department, which the Board of Visitors will discuss Thursday at the Medical Center Operating Committee meeting. The expansion would be funded by the Medical Center’s operating revenue.

The Health System, which began formal discussions about the expansion in the summer of 2013, is proposing physical expansions to the emergency department, including a second story for perioperative services, along with expanding the number of beds available.

“Preliminary plans would expand the emergency department to as many as 80 beds, including an eight-bed psychiatric unit and a clinical decision-making unit to help determine whether patients can be safely discharged,” Medical Center spokesperson Eric Swensen said.

The Medical Center's emergency response facility is a Level One Trauma Center, providing services to both adults and chil-

dren. It serves as a tertiary referral center for Central Virginia, Southwest Virginia and West Virginia.

The single-floor emergency department has not been expanded since it opened along with the University Hospital in 1989. It currently has 43 beds available, which must serve a large influx of patients — 58,544 patients have visited the emergency department in 2014.

“They do a fabulous job, but the space is — to say suboptimal would be generous,” University President Teresa Sullivan said.

“They need a lot more space than what they have right now.”

The department is comprised of four different service divisions, including a Chest Pain Center for cardiovascular conditions, Express Care for minor emergencies, a Pediatric Emergency Department and a Women’s Center for Emergency Care to provide gynecological and obstetrical treatment.

The Health System is also considering building additional “interventional rooms” which could be used as operating or procedural rooms. Any interventional rooms would be built in addition

Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

The Medical Center initiated a plan to expand its current emergency department, which will be reviewed by the Board of Visitors Thursday.

to the proposed expansion of the emergency department.

“This expansion is needed to ensure the best possible experience for our patients when they come to the emergency depart-

ment,” Swensen said. “For many patients, their first encounter with the Health System is through the emergency department.”

The proposal asks the Board for conceptual approval to go

ahead with the expansion. The Board will then discuss the details of the expansion, determining how big the expansion should be and what should specifically be included.

F

focus

Thursday, November 13, 2014

5

ISIS: a global issue through a local lens

Anna Higgins Senior Writer

University panel participants urged students to get involved, use social media, donate clothes ests are in grabbing oil installations, kidnapping and selling people, hostage-taking and slave-trading.”

Nicholson said ISIS is solidifying its control over conquered areas by directly attacking families at the root of society.

“Family is the basic unit of society, therefore the unit of society that dictatorships attack,” Nicholson said. “If ISIL continues, we’ll see millions of people in the region flee.”

To do this, ISIS has specifically targeted women and girls.

“If you can attack the family and break them apart — especially women and girls who horrific things are done to, and then are

A collaborative effort between the University, charity organizations and research groups brought a swath of engaged professors, politicians and aid workers to Grounds last month for a panel to discuss the Islamic State, the violence the organization perpetrates against women and various strategies the international community can employ to alleviate the challenges victims face.

The conference — hosted jointly by the AMAR International Charitable Organization, the University’s Morven Project, Presidential Precinct and the Women’s Center on Oct. 27 — came to the University because of its recent ties to the AMAR organization, spearheaded by Law Prof. Deena Hurwitz.

Morven Project Director Stewart Gamage said the University is the ideal location to launch this type of collaborative dialogue. Those who came were tasked with a single question.

Lebanon “What can a university in America do to be useful?” Gamage said at the conference. “That’s kind of the first thought we had — how can the University of Virginia contribute to the dialogue?”

What is ISIS? The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, commonly referred to as ISIS or ISIL, is an extremist Islamic denomination which operates under the goal of uniting the Sunni areas of Iraq and Syria under Sharia law.

Beginning as an arm of al-Qaeda in 2006, ISIS added a Syrian rebel force, the al-Nusra Front, in April 2013. This force stemmed largely from discontent with the Assad regime in Syria.

“ISIS came out of the policies dealing with the Syrian revolution, refusing to really to help them establish the democracy they were looking for,” Hurwitz said at the panel.

ISIS began to seize towns in Iraq and Syria after al-Qaeda abandoned ties with the group in February. ISIS enforced Sharia law in seized towns, meaning its edicts covered both the religious and the secular. Initially, the group amassed funding through extortion and robbery.

“Essentially, ISIL is working on the bigger picture of total domination,” said Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne, the president of AMAR, during the panel.

To achieve this, ISIS has carried out multiple public executions, dispossessions and crucifixions of American and British journalists and aid workers. ISIS has also expanded its control and means of sourcing income by seizing a Syrian oil field last July and participating in human trafficking networks.

“ISIL is, at the moment, preoccupied in gaining funds,” Nicholson said. “So its inter-

sponses and thinking about advocacy and action. It’s a really great way to do a conference, especially at a university where there’s so much discussion and there’s so much practice.”

University students also offered insight, which Gamage said worked to create robust discussion.

“I was really thrilled with having students participate,” Gamage said. “I think the issues and the suggestions were really concrete and very specific, and some were actually new.”

Students and other conference attendees first discussed where humanitarian groups and governments should direct their atten-

At the conference, Nicholson noted she was set to address the British Parliament on ISIS and the efforts the British government could take.

“She wants to bring up the points that we made,” Gamage said. “That’s kind of exactly what we were hoping.”

In her address to Parliament Oct. 30, Nicholson updated the House of Lords on AMAR’s progress and encouraged further British assistance.

“I believe that this is something that Britain, with our slender hard power but very strong soft power, can rightly pursue at this point,” Nicholson said in her address.

A push for student activism Sharon Davie, director of the University Women’s Center, emphasized Turkey the importance of student engagement, as the consequences of ISIS Mosul Sinjar are ongoing. The younger generation Raqqa eventually must confront and solve the long-term problems, she said.

“Another thing with the conference that we were hoping is that the next steps will be taken by students, Qaim Syria Iran by younger people,” Davie said. “It was really important to have students be part of this — that was I think, from Damascus Falluja Rutba the get-go, really key.”

Baghdad Another long-term goal of the conference was to change public perspectives of Islam. Hurwitz emphasized Jordan Iraq that ISIS is an extremist denomination of Islam and its beliefs are not in line Saudi Arabia with mainstream Muslim ideals.

“It’s very important to many Muslims, including clerics and imams and Under Full Control by ISIS scholars of Islamic law, that there be Threatened by ISIS Kuwait an understanding that Islamic law is ISIS Not Present or Sparsely Populated meant to be interpreted for the times,” Hurwitz said.

With a deeper understanding Anne Owen | The Cavalier Daily comes an increased call to action, seen as defiled by their family and shunned tion.

Nicholson said. as a possibility — then you’ve really ripped “People don’t really know what to do,” “I would just love students from this Uniapart the essence of what it takes to make up Nicholson said. “I see this as a hearts and versity helping,” she said. “Blog, Facebook, a community,” Gamage said. minds issue, that we have to target the center anything.”

Haleh Esfandiari, director of the Middle of it — the motivation.”

Davie said students can also contribute East program at the Woodrow Wilson InThe panel discussed immediate action through gathering clothes — but she to unternational Center for Scholars, said that that non-governmental organizations and derscored the value and ease of social media though Western intervention in the Middle governments could take. Esfandiari said as a tool to raise awareness.

East is controversial, it may be necessary. The these methods include establishing homes “Having a clothes drive would really help, Iraqi and Syrian forces cannot sufficiently act and shelters for displaced women and pro- [or] helping an NGO,” Davie said. “Really, it’s without assistance, he said. viding health and mental care for those af- people who are interested being able to use “No civil society organization in Iraq or fected. social media to give a version of what is hapSyria can do this on its own,” Esfandiari said.

“As ISIS is defeated and pushed out of pening there that is quite different from what towns and cities, we need to work with local we’re hearing.”

The University's role societies and organizations,” Esfandiari said.

Hurwitz said students should travel and For a conflict boiling over thousands of The conference also addressed the last- learn to truly understand how these global miles away, currently being addressed at the ing consequences of ISIS’s actions. Esfandiari problems arise. highest levels of government, the role of the said long-term solutions include establishing “Get out of your comfort zone, go places University community is not immediately rehabilitation centers, providing legal sup- where you’ll encounter people who don’t obvious — but Hurwitz said the panel under- port and changing the public perspective think like you, people whose lives are difscored the important place discussion holds on abused women through the use of local ferent and people whose social class is comin international conflict. media. pletely different from yours,” Hurwitz said.

“When I started asking questions about “We need to work with local civil society “Go see what it’s like in a country that has a the objectives we were trying to reach, I organizations [to] find ways to help re-inte- lot of poverty, go see how people thrive in thought this was really good,” Hurwitz said. gration … [and] provide these women with their own ways, ... and go understand what’s “The fact that they have this focus on re- homes, counseling and jobs,” Esfandiari said. the conflict.”

Marshall Bronfin | The Cavalier Daily

S

sports Continued from page 1 time [discussing the pack-line].

By no means have we perfected it. We have some shortcomings, and we don't have all the length that we need, but I feel like the girls are working hard and have really bought into it."

Despite the Cavaliers' disappointing season, the team had several bright spots — including an upset against No. 6 Maryland at John Paul Jones arena, where the Cavaliers were 10-9 on the season. Then-senior guard Lexie Gerson was named to the ACC All-Defensive team after leading the team in steals with 82 on the year, ranking second in the conference and 22nd in the country.

She finished her career ranked fifth on the Cavaliers’ all-time steals list.

Junior guard Faith Randolph also received ACC honors last season, having been named the

The Cavalier Daily

W BBALL Team faces Ohio State to start schedule ACC Sixth Player of the Year after leading all non-starters in the ACC in points. Randolph was third on the team in scoring, behind then-junior center Sarah Imovbioh and then-senior guard Ataira Franklin, who also led the team in blocks. Then-senior guard Kelsey Wolfe topped the team in assists with 88, with Franklin trailing right behind her at 85.

Gerson, Franklin and Wolfe have since graduated — leaving Randolph as one of only four upperclassmen on the team and finally giving her the chance to start. But Randolph said she does not see much difference between her role as a bench player and as a starter.

“Every year a player always gets a new role,” Randolph said.

“I don’t think much has changed just because I’m starting. I’m still going to bring energy, encourage my teammates and just play hard — offensively and defensively.”

Imovbioh, last year’s team leader in rebounds, will help Randolph lead the Cavaliers on the court.

“I love playing with Faith,” Imovbioh said. “She really works

hard. She’s a great leader on this team because she tries to lead by example. The younger players see her work ethic and just want to follow her and be like her. I’m just excited for the season and to play with Faith and the rest of my teammates.”

One of those younger players is freshman guard Mikayla Venson, who was named to the Virginia High School League National District First Team AllDistrict Team.

“She’s a true point guard,” Boyle said. “She’s trying to learn how to be a general out there and run the team. She’s got a good basketball IQ, but she’s got to learn like all freshmen do. A lot of that is game management — when to push and when not to push. She can shoot the ball.

She’s a good passer. She’s got a mid-range game to her. She can push tempo. I wouldn’t say she has a major weakness in her game. I think it’s just tightening things up and learning the pace of the game at the college level.”

Venson and her fellow freshmen — forwards Lauren Moses and Jae’Lisa Allen and freshman

guard Aliyah Huland El — made up one of the top 15 recruiting classes in the nation, ranked No. 12 according to ESPN. In addition to managing the game at the college level, the freshmen will also have to get used to the unfamiliarity of the pack-line defense and continue fighting when things get rough.

“It really comes down to a defense that’s really detailedoriented, and some of it is really unconventional to what kids have learned growing up,” Boyle said. “Just staying with it is going to be key for us, and not just scrapping it just because it’s not working in the first five or six months.”

While the Cavaliers focus on improving the pack-line defense, options for the offensive side remain open.

“I want to pick and choose,” Boyle said. “When the time is there, I want to take it. I don’t want to slow the ball down, but I don’t want to be running on every possession, so I feel like we have two good offenses — motion-typed things that just move the ball on both sides of

the floor, and they give us different looks.”

The Cavaliers are hoping these factors will combine to lead the team back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010 — Debbie Ryan’s penultimate season.

Virginia’s first opponent of the new season is Ohio State, who also failed to qualify for a postseason tournament last year after a semifinal loss in the Big Ten tournament, finishing the season 17-18 (5-11 Big Ten). The Buckeyes last reached postseason play after the 201112 season, falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Florida. The team's top returning player is junior guard Ameryst Alston, who led the team in assists and steals while scoring at least 10 points in all but two games. Ohio State, however, will be without redshirt freshman guard Kianna Holland and freshman forward Chelsea Mitchell, both of whom will miss the 2014-15 season with torn ACLs. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday at John Paul Jones Arena.

M BBALL Squad maintains defensive focus after leading nation in 2013-14 Continued from page 1 and people are going to have to step up,” Perrantes said. “We have a lot of leadership, a lot of experience with the older guys this year. We have a lot of pieces that are going to step up to take Joe and Akil’s spot.”

Perrantes is an equally important returning starter, coming off a year as one of the most talented freshmen in the country. The Los Angeles native averaged nearly 30 minutes a game last year and — while he was not a huge point-scorer — perfectly ran the efficient Virginia offense, ranking sixth nationally in assist-toturnover ratio. “[London] had a good off-

6

season in terms of developing his physical abilities,” coach Tony Bennett said. “I think he’s stronger, more explosive. He brings that steadying hand to our team that will certainly be important as we get into competition.”

Regardless of who is on the court for the Cavaliers, one thing is certain: they will be able to hound opposing teams defensively. The 2013 edition of Virginia ranked fifth in defensive efficiency nationally — thanks in large part to the tight man-toman pack-line defense Bennett employs.

The Cavaliers gave up 70 or more points only four times all of last season. Furthermore, they finished the season ranked No. 1 overall in scoring defense, al-

lowing just 55.7 points per game — ahead of second place San Diego State by nearly 1.5 points.

This trend will need to continue if Virginia hopes to replicate last year's success.

“Our staff has to impose our will on them, what we expect, and how disciplined we have to be defensively,” Bennett said.

“I’ve always said it’s not natural to play defense, to be in the stance, to fight through screens, to really get after it. So if they’ll embrace that and they’ll understand that’s where it starts for us then, because of the length, because of the size, they can be effective.”

Though Virginia returns many key contributors, offseason setbacks could hinder a fast

start. Perrantes missed most pre-season practice because of a foot injury and he will sit out along with sharp-shooting junior forward Evan Nolte until Nov. 16 due to a violation of team rules.

Additionally, the Cavaliers must avoid early season slipups in out-of-conference games — something they were unable to do last year. Virginia fell to VCU, Wisconsin and Green Bay in the first month of play, and was blown out by Tennessee prior to the beginning of conference play a year ago.

“It took us a while to really find our rhythm and hit our stride,” Bennett said. “I think those experiences of last year, being in those spots more and

more. You certainly draw from and know it all gets played out on the floor.”

All things considered, Virginia remains in good position to return to the NCAA tournament again this year. Playing in what is arguably the strongest conference in the nation, the Cavaliers have still proven they are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with perennial powerhouses in the past couple years. Additionally, the schedule seems to again play to Virginia’s favor — with Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse each appearing on the schedule just once.

The Cavaliers will tip off their 2014 campaign against James Madison in Harrisonburg, Virginia at 7 p.m. Friday.

SPORTS

Thursday, November 13, 2014

7

Basketball and a side of stuffing his summer, Virginia junior T guard Justin Anderson collaborated with strength and con-

— will indulge in a larger plate on Thanksgiving Day. Thankfully, fans of Virginia basketball don’t ditioning coach Mike have to wait that long.

Curtis to lose a little This year, Thanksgivweight and strike the ing is coming early — proper ratio between and sticking around body fat and muscle. for a while.

Now a sleeker 225 Cavalier hoops pounds, Anderson fanatics, raise your said Curtis — dubbed forks. The movable the “best strength feast starts this Friday coach in the country” at James Madison and by coach Tony Bennett will last all through at the No. 9 Cavaliers’ next week. Five coursMATTHEW MORRIS Oct. 22 media day — Sports Senior Associate Editor es will be served — helped him fine-tune and with Bennett and his diet. his squad cooking, ev“My thing was portions,” An- ery dish will compete with Grandderson said. “So, I would eat the ma’s famous pumpkin pie. But beright things, but I would eat too ware: if you go overboard in your much chicken and too much veg- splurging, you might not have etables in the same sitting instead room in your belly come Nov. 27. of just eating a smaller portion, I’m talking, of course, about and it’d be that much better for the Cavaliers’ five scheduled me.” games between now and the last Though the Cavaliers play La Thursday in November.

Salle at the Barclays Center in The first course comes this FriBrooklyn, New York the very next day in Harrisonburg, but that’s just night, I have a hunch Anderson — a taste test for those of us who can’t or at least a few of his teammates make the drive to James Madison.

It’s the butternut squash soup you ladle up to stave off your hunger before the main event. The turkey comes out of the oven Sunday, and believe me: it’s one big bird.

Virginia plays four home games in 10 days starting this Sunday night at Norfolk State, the only time that will happen all season. We’ve got the Spartans on the Sabbath followed by South Carolina State Tuesday, George Washington Friday and Tennessee State the next Tuesday. I know: the three-day game-less stretch between the Colonials and Tigers is far too long.

For those of us chomping at the bit to once more devour a heaping plate of Virginia basketball, the wait has been far too long. The Cavaliers last hooped it up March 28 against Michigan State — and that game was played way up in New York City.

The last time Virginia took the floor at John Paul Jones Arena?

March 1, more than eight months ago. Thanksgiving Day only comes once a year — but we can’t go anywhere near 12 months without

Teams sign new recruits

Men’s basketball signs forward, women sign two post players, forward to team Matthew Morris Senior Associate Editor

Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett announced Wednesday afternoon that the team signed the bulky Brewster Academy senior forward Jarred Reuter to a National Letter of Intent. Earlier in the day, Virginia women’s basketball coach Joanne Boyle also announced high school senior post players Debra Ferguson, Moné Jones and Shakyna Payne would all head to Charlottesville for the 2015-16 season.

Reuter posted 13 points and nine rebounds per game in his junior year at Brewster, with the Bobcats finishing 33-2 and claiming both the New England Preparatory Athletic Council Class AAA championship and the National Prep title.

As a sophomore, the 6-foot-8inch, 250-pound Reuter earned NEPSAC Class A player of the year honors after putting up 23 points and 12 rebounds per game at Tabor Academy.

"We are excited to welcome Jarred into the Virginia men’s basketball family,” Bennett said. “Jarred is tough, physical and plays with a lot of intensity. He is a gifted passer who plays with great feel for an inside player. Jarred will also value the degree he will earn from the University of Virginia.”

Ferguson, a 6-foot-4-inch center, plays for Amherst County High School, an hour south of Charlot-

tesville. She made First-Team AllConference 23 last year.

“Debra is a true five who is very strong and will anchor our defense in the paint,” Boyle said.

Jones, meanwhile, dominated defensively for Riverside High School in Durham, North Carolina last year — recording 10 points, eight rebounds and six blocks as the Pirates advanced to the state tournament quarterfinals. ESPN ranks the 6-foot-3-inch forward No. 61 in her recruiting class.

Payne averaged 12.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in her junior year at Etowah High School in Woodstock, Georgia. She will play her senior year at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, NBA star Dwight Howard’s alma mater.

“I am truly excited about embracing Debra, Moné and Kyna into our U.Va. family,” Boyle said. “They are talented young women who will thrive in every environment at the University of Virginia.”

Courtesy Virginia Athletics

Jarred Reuter, a senior forward from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, signed a letter of intent with the Virginia men’s basketball team Wednesday.

Cavalier basketball.

Virginia fans must have had this time of year circled on their calendars, because tickets to the Cavaliers’ marquee home matchups positively flew off the shelves.

Single-game tickets officially went on sale Oct. 10, but single-game tickets to the Duke and Louisville games sold out Oct. 9. Virginia Athletics Foundation donors and season-ticket holders scooped them up in the Oct. 8 pre-sale.

If you’re looking to buy single-game tickets to Virginia Tech or Wake Forest, forget about it: they’re sold out, too.

Really, it’s hard not to see why the Cavaliers have us so excited.

We’ve got two guys from last year’s team in the NBA — Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell — and we’re still a top-10 team, according to the analysts. The best part is that the Cavaliers don’t seem to be in a tryptophan-induced snooze — especially after receiving the fourthhighest preseason ranking in the stacked ACC. “With the other ACC teams that are ahead of us [Duke, North

Carolina and Louisville], I feel like we’re still underdogs — even after the success that we had last year,” sophomore point guard London Perrantes said. “So, it doesn’t take much for us to stay hungry, and I feel like that in itself is going to help us. But with the coaches that we have, it’s very easy to stay hungry.”

Between Anderson, Perrantes, preseason All-ACC junior guard Malcolm Brogdon, junior forward Anthony Gill, senior forward Darion Atkins, junior center Mike Tobey and junior forward Evan Nolte, the Cavaliers have quite the cast of returning rotation players.

What’s more, Bennett’s message to his players — “Absolutely get as good as you can be, and perhaps that will make you better than last year’s team and take you further. Perhaps you won’t be as good [and] won’t go as far” —is on point, as usual.

So let’s get the table set. And before we dig in, let’s not forget to say grace — hoops style.

Thanks for getting back at it, Virginia.

UVA vs. JMU The Virginia men’s basketball team will tip off its 2014-15 regular season this Friday night at James Madison in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Last year, the No. 9 Cavaliers downed the Dukes 61-41 at John Paul Jones Arena in the season opener for both teams. Thensophomore forward Anthony Gill scored a team-high 13 points that night, connecting on all five of his field goals, while thenjunior forward Darion Atkins snagged 11 rebounds — four offensive — and contributed eight points in 18 minutes of play.

Gill and Atkins will see plenty of court time in Friday’s sequel, and the Virginia squad will look largely familiar — even without junior forward Evan Nolte and sophomore guard London Perrantes, who have been suspended for the game due to violations of team rules during the summer.

But James Madison will bring a host of new faces to the matchup.

The Dukes said goodbye to three regular starters following the 2013-14 season: sophomore guard Charles Cooke, graduate student forward Andrey Semenov and sophomore forward Taylor Bessick. Cooke transferred to surprise 2014 Elite Eight participant Dayton after putting up 14.3 points and five rebounds in 35.1 minutes per game, while Bessick transferred to Iona. Semenov averaged 10.9 points and knocked down a team-high 47 3-pointers in his

final year of NCAA eligibility.

James Madison (11-20, 6-10 CAA) boasts two talented returning guards in juniors Andre Nation and Ron Curry. But Dukes coach Matt Brady suspended Nation and sophomore forward Tom Vodanovich indefinitely for violation of team rules in early October after police cited both players for disorderly conduct and public swearing/intoxication.

Nation also missed last year’s matchup with Virginia, when he was hit with a 15-game suspension to start the year for a violation of athletic department policy. He returned to the lineup midway through the season to post team highs of 15.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Nation also blocked 14 shots in 14 games.

Curry will likely shoulder the offensive load in Nation’s absence. The Paul VI Catholic High School graduate put up 12.1 points, 3.6 boards and 3.4 assists in 30 starts last year, when he paced the Dukes in minutes per game at 35.4. Sophomore forward Paulius Satkus and sophomore guard Jackson Kent could also be factors against Virginia.

Satkus scored 20 points with nine boards in the Dukes’ exhibition loss to Philadelphia University Sunday, Nov. 2 in Harrisonburg.

Kent hit four 3-pointers en route to a 14-point afternoon.

—compiled by Matthew Morris

8

SPORTS

The Cavalier Daily

Cavaliers host High Point in NCAAs After 1-0 loss in ACC Championship, women’s soccer begins journey back to College Cup

Jacob Hochberger Associate Editor

The Virginia women’s basketball team opens its 2014-15 campaign this Friday night at John Paul Jones Arena against Ohio State, looking to improve on last season's 14-17 overall and 6-10 ACC record. The season was the first-ever losing effort in coach Joanne Boyle's 12 years at the collegiate level — none of her teams had ever finished fewer than two games above .500.

Replacing long-time head coach Debbie Ryan in 2011, Boyle brought the Cavaliers to the quarterfinals of the WNIT in her first season. Since then, the Cavaliers have failed to qualify for any postseason tournament besides the ACC Tournament.

In last year’s ACC Tournament, the Cavaliers fell against Georgia Tech in a 77-76 second-round matchup. In a game which came down to the wire, Virginia allowed the Yellow Jackets to shoot 47.7 percent from the field. On the season, the Cavaliers allowed teams to shoot 43.8 percent — last in the ACC in field goal percentage defense.

As a result, Boyle, in her fourth year as Virginia’s head coach, has decided to change the defense from a 1-2-2 zone to a pack-line man-to-man defense, inspired by the successes of the Virginia men’s basketball team.

“I just wanted us as a program starting with a lot of youth to have a lot of accountability, and it’s obviously easier to do it man-to-man,” Boyle said. “I sat down with Tony and his staff in the spring and they spent a lot of time [discussing the pack-line]. By no means have we perfected it. We have some shortcomings, and we don't have all the length that we need, but I feel like the girls are working hard and have really bought into it."

Despite the Cavaliers' disappointing season, the team had several bright spots — including an upset against No. 6 Maryland at John Paul Jones arena, where the Cavaliers were 10-9 on the season.

Then-senior guard Lexie Gerson was named to the ACC All-Defensive team after leading the team in steals with 82 on the year, ranking second in the conference and 22nd in the country. She finished her career ranked fifth on the Cavaliers’ all-time steals list.

Junior guard Faith Randolph also received ACC honors last season, having been named the ACC Sixth Player of the Year after leading all non-starters in the ACC in points. Randolph was third on the team in scoring, behind thenjunior center Sarah Imovbioh and then-senior guard Ataira Franklin, who also led the team in blocks.

Then-senior guard Kelsey Wolfe topped the team in assists with 88, with Franklin trailing right behind her at 85.

Gerson, Franklin and Wolfe have since graduated — leaving Randolph as one of only four upperclassmen on the team and finally giving her the chance to start.

But Randolph said she does not see much difference between her role as a bench player and as a starter.

“Every year a player always gets a new role,” Randolph said. “I don’t think much has changed just because I’m starting. I’m still going to bring energy, encourage my teammates and just play hard — offensively and defensively.”

Imovbioh, last year’s team leader in rebounds, will help Randolph lead the Cavaliers on the court.

“I love playing with Faith,” Imovbioh said. “She really works hard. She’s a great leader on this team because she tries to lead by example. The younger players see her work ethic and just want to follow her and be like her. I’m just excited for the season and to play with Faith and the rest of my teammates.”

One of those younger players is freshman guard Mikayla Venson, who was named to the Virginia High School League National District First Team All-District Team.

“She’s a true point guard,” Boyle said. “She’s trying to learn how to be a general out there and run the team. She’s got a good basketball IQ, but she’s got to learn like all

freshmen do. A lot of that is game management — when to push and when not to push. She can shoot the ball. She’s a good passer. She’s got a mid-range game to her. She can push tempo. I wouldn’t say she has a major weakness in her game.

I think it’s just tightening things up and learning the pace of the game at the college level.”

Venson and her fellow freshmen — forwards Lauren Moses and Jae’Lisa Allen and freshman guard Aliyah Huland El — made up one of the top 15 recruiting classes in the nation, ranked No. 12 according to ESPN. In addition to managing the game at the college level, the freshmen will also have to get used to the unfamiliarity of the pack-line defense and continue fighting when things get rough.

“It really comes down to a defense that’s really detailed-oriented,

and some of it is really unconventional to what kids have learned growing up,” Boyle said. “Just staying with it is going to be key for us, and not just scrapping it just because it’s not working in the first five or six months.”

While the Cavaliers focus on improving the pack-line defense, options for the offensive side remain open.

“I want to pick and choose,” Boyle said. “When the time is there, I want to take it. I don’t want to slow the ball down, but I don’t want to be running on every possession, so I feel like we have two good offenses — motion-typed things that just move the ball on both sides of the floor, and they give us different looks.”

The Cavaliers are hoping these factors will combine to lead the team back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010

— Debbie Ryan’s penultimate season.

Virginia’s first opponent of the new season is Ohio State, who also failed to qualify for a postseason tournament last year after a semifinal loss in the Big Ten tournament, finishing the season 17-18 (5-11 Big Ten). The Buckeyes last reached postseason play after the 2011-12 season, falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Florida. The team's top returning player is junior guard Ameryst Alston, who led the team in assists and steals while scoring at least 10 points in all but two games. Ohio State, however, will be without redshirt freshman guard Kianna Holland and freshman forward Chelsea Mitchell, both of whom will miss the 2014-15 season with torn ACLs. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday at John Paul Jones Arena.

Lauren Hornsby | The Cavalier Daily

With 15 on the year, senior midfielder Danielle Colaprico led all conference players in assists, earning her ACC Midfielder of the Year.

O

opinion

Thursday, November 13, 2014

9

LEAD EDITORIAL

Educating our heroes The University should increase efforts to recruit and support veteran undergraduates

In 2012, The Posse Foundation launched its Veterans Initiative in partnership with Vassar College.

The Posse Foundation seeks out talented students who are often overlooked by traditional recruitment methods due to race, socioeconomic status or some other prohibitive factor. One of these barriers to entry in prestigious universities is being a veteran. Vassar, along with other elite institutions, is attempting to change that.

With Veterans Day just passed, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on what exactly our servicemen and women deserve, beyond our limitless gratitude and respect.

According to the American Council on Education, there is a growing national trend of U.S. veterans entering college — over 920,000 veterans used their federal GI Bill in 2011, as opposed to only 560,000 in 2009. Logically, there should be an accompanying trend of veterans enrolling at prestigious institutions — schools ranked highly by US News and World Report — but data compiled by Inside Higher

Education columnist Wick Sloane shows this is not the case.

In this school year, there are no undergraduate veterans enrolled at Williams, Sloane’s alma mater and the top-ranked liberal arts institution in the country. Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, MIT and Cornell all likewise enroll fewer than five undergraduate veterans.

This is problematic not only because we owe it to these veterans to provide a quality education if they want one, but also because it seems that veterans are choosing instead to enroll in private for-profit institutions in disproportionate amounts. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that 26 percent of veterans who used their GI Bill benefits from 2009-2012 enrolled in private for-profit institutions.

Though those institutions may hold value for certain veterans, depending on their aptitudes and their post-military career goals, they certainly cannot offer the same benefits as a prestigious public or private college. The edu-

cational experiences at these two kinds of schools will be strikingly different with regards to the students’ daily lives (for-profit institutions tend not to have a vibrant campus life or extracurriculars) and the accessibility of renowned faculty. If a traditional four-year program would serve a veteran best, then we need to give them the tools necessary to access that education.

Of course, institutions of higher learning are not actively trying to prevent veterans from applying or enrolling. The problem, it seems, is that many veterans remain completely unaware of the resources available to them, and elite universities seem more like a pipe dream than an achievable goal. Though the federal government does offer the GI Bill to returning veterans — which will cover all tuition and fees at a public university or the national maximum tuition set for private institutions — many veterans will not take advantage of this monetary resource. Additionally, participating in the recently imple-

mented Yellow Ribbon Program, which calls upon the government to match any additional aid that colleges grant to their veteran students (up to $15,000 annually), is voluntary, and many schools, the College at the University among them, choose not.

Along with traditional obstacles to entry, such as a lack of recruitment, lack of veterans’ services at institutions of higher learning and lack of information about how to access federal veterans benefits, there is also the presumption that veteran undergraduates are not welcome at these schools. One Air Force veteran at Brown University said, "We [veterans] just all had this impression that they hated the military.” Whether this impression was fair, there are certainly ways the University, along with other elite colleges, can seek to prove that our attitude toward veterans is not hostile.

There have been successes at appealing to veterans, such as at Georgetown University, which enrolled 81 veteran undergraduates

this year. In addition to maintaining a full-time veterans office on campus, since 2010 they have assembled a Veterans Support Team of deans, faculty and students who meet regularly to assess the progress of veterans’ programs and their changing needs. There are no comparable programs at the University. Our resources for veteran undergraduates are sorely lacking.

While both the Darden School and the Law School host CIOs that act as a support network for veterans, no such CIO currently exists for undergraduates.

Recruiting veterans to America’s top colleges is not only a matter of respect but of increasing the quality of every student’s educational experience. For as Vassar’s President Catharine Hill writes for the Huffington Post, “The result [of enrolling a more diverse class] is that our students and faculty note a richer exchange of ideas and a wider range of viewpoints from people with more varied experiences.”

Fearing for financial freedom As student newspapers face increasing threats to their First Amendment rights, financial independence will be critical to freedom of the press or years, student newspapers F were relatively immune to the financial downturn that has plagued

cial independence forms the foundation of editorial independence. The position of The Cavalier Daily as a the professional press. As a grow- financially independent and fully ing number of student student-run newspaper papers face increased empowers it to speak financial difficulties, on issues of importance however, those days apto the University compear to have concluded. munity in ways that Independently-operschool-funded newspaated newspapers have pers cannot. Fulfilling been hit the hardest; the news needs of an The Cavalier Daily has expanding community chosen to face its curnecessarily includes, in rent financial struggles some instances, drawby cutting the number ing the ire of University CONOR KELLY of days it publishes in administrators or beneOpinion Columnist print, shifting towards factors. Students learn a digital platform and the most as journalists by appealing to alumni for help. Un- when they operate independently doubtedly, the seemingly inevitable from their schools. The difficulties shift toward digital-first publishing of the journalistic process also enable looms large in many editors’ and students to engage in the challenge of consultants’ minds. The challenges self-government. As collegiate newsof the moment, however, have the papers begin to fulfill a larger role in potential to motivate members of the the media landscape, financial solcurrent generation to take action and vency will continue to be the critical reinvent journalism in a way that will issue. be sustainable for the 21st century.

Independent college news outlets As financial woes continue to now play a more important role than mount for many student newspa- ever. As the traditional media continpers, some outlets have either been ues to fracture and adapt to a changwilling or forced to compromise ing environment, student reporters their financial independence. It must are filling a crucial void. The current be remembered, however, that finan- journalism industry is marked by a

wide diffusion of news production; the ongoing challenge, as members of The Cavalier Daily staff know all too well, will be to preserve independent reporting while the economic footing of newspapers (advertising revenue, specifically) deteriorates. In such an environment, the extent to which both students and members of the community engage with the work of the paper (and vice versa) will determine the relevance of college newspapers going forward.

As part of the effort to expand the role of collegiate news outlets in the broader media environment, students must be allowed to operate without restrictions. Even as college students and newspapers are making more significant contributions to independent reporting, federal courts have begun to articulate a more restrictive vision for what First Amendment freedoms pertain to students at public institutions. The Cavalier Daily is distinct in that it is fully independent from the University, but other college newspapers that are dependent on school funding may face mounting pressures as federal courts begin to turn their attention to the issue of collegiate journalism. In the 1988 case Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, the Supreme Court ruled that K-12 educators are justi-

fied in regulating school-sponsored speech so long as such regulations relate to “legitimate pedagogical concerns.” The disconcerting ambiguity of the Court’s ruling has led to much sidestepping in the interim and has already led some federal courts of appeals, including the Sixth Circuit in 2012, to extend the ruling to the college setting.

Considering that most college newspapers remain somewhat dependent on funding from their universities, it would be harmful to continue applying the reasoning of this case to the college level. While The Cavalier Daily may not have to worry about this issue, many college newspapers do not have that luxury.

At a time when college newspapers are playing an increasingly important role in providing local news coverage for their communities, it would be unwise to establish a legal precedent that allows the restriction of free speech on college campuses with relative ease. News produced by a school-sponsored outlet would be highly vulnerable to Hazelwood censorship, especially where political matters are concerned, where schools would conceivably be justified in censoring news articles that associate the school with any position other than impartiality.

The Cavalier Daily recently commemorated the 125th year since its founding, while the United States faces what could be the commencement of both a journalistic and a democratic rebirth, enabled by inventive social practices and powerful new technologies. Undoubtedly, college newspapers across the country will play an increasingly important role, as they begin to meet news needs that were formerly met by professional news outlets. In order to maximize the democratic potential of the current moment, collegiate news outlets should cultivate new technologies of human connection, experimenting with potential ways of reinventing journalism for the 21st century. The connective opportunities of the digital age, and the social benefits that they offer, also demands a responsibility to participate. While we rightly celebrate the importance of a free, independent student press, it is also critical that citizens take the time and effort to foster the construction of an open, inclusive information flow in their community.

Conor’s columns run Tuesdays.

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

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The Cavalier Daily

Is applying to Comm School worth it?

Students should reflect carefully on their decision to tailor their first two undergraduate years to gaining acceptance to the Commerce School he undergraduate McIntire School T of Commerce, or “Comm School,” continues to reject more and more applicants

co-curricular activities, and the desire for a successful business career” also hampers students’ options upon rejection. The each year. Acceptance rates have been necessity of work experience precludes the precipitously dropping, striking possibility of summer academic a new 5-year low with 2014’s research for applicants, robbing 57 percent offer rate, down them of possible research from the 63 percent of 2013 interests and intimate faculty and the 68 percent from just relationships. Also, the pressure four years ago. McIntire’s B.S. to demonstrate the “desire for a in Commerce numbers among successful business career” drives several application-based students to invest in businessmajors in the University, which related clubs and activities that include the Batten School’s B.A. can sour post-rejection. in Public Policy and Leadership, This is always going to be the neuroscience major and the a problem as long as McIntire BRENNAN EDEL Political Philosophy, Politics, requires an application, and the Opinion Columnist and Law major, all of which rising application numbers are students generally enter in easily explainable: the students of their third year. All of these are competitive, today grew up with the Great Recession: jobs but I’m going to take McIntire as my case are on their minds. However, the University example because it seems the most visible can treat this waste of student effort, either by and egregious offender: too many people are increasing the number of spots for students applying to McIntire, not enough are getting — an untenable idea in the short run given in. This is a problem. the pressure it would place on existing The issue with the lowering Comm McIntire resources — or by working to School admission rate stems from how disincentivize applications in the first place. arduous — both extracurricularly and The University can try to suppress academically — the application process is. interest in the Comm School by cutting Two hundred and fifty students in 2014 McIntire advertising and better promoting took seven requisite courses, besides existing other majors. But along with the lowered College requirements and disregarding application numbers might come a decrease AP credits, but were rejected. Those seven in applicant ability and national standing courses are almost an academic year’s course as strong students opt out of McIntire. load. Those seven courses cost those students McIntire could also morph into a four-year about $20,000 for in-state and $45,000 for undergraduate school, like the University of out-of-state. And yes, while the prerequisites Pennsylvania’s Wharton. However, enrolling are valuable learning experiences regardless business students right out of high school of application success, they are serious necessitates extreme changes in McIntire’s monetary investments that went to waste. curriculum and infrastructure along with But even more serious than any financial hurting students from inferior high schools. cost is the academic opportunity cost those Thus, the only option to better make students incurred. Rather than taking Comm demand for Comm School meet supply is School prerequisites, those students could to kick students off the pre-Comm track have explored other departments or taken sooner so that they can prepare for other higher level courses. I’m especially thinking majors. There are really several ways we of COMM 1800 and COMM 2010 and 2020, could accomplish this. McIntire could which have no crossover with other majors. post more transparent admissions data — Very GPA-intensive admissions exacerbate especially mean grades for each prerequisite the problem even more — the mean GPA course — so that students could evaluate for accepted students being 3.71 compared their chances of admission more accurately. with the 3.258 for the entire College. This Academic advisors could more honestly need for a high GPA greatly incentivizes evaluate students’ chances of admission. The applicants to build their course loads around University could increase the difficulty of Comm School prerequisites, taking low prerequisite courses — only 6% of students level, non-prerequisite courses and the easier taking COMM 1800, for instance, will get prerequisite options (MATH 1210 instead of a C according to Koofers, an absurdly low MATH 1310, for instance) to inflate GPAs. number — to more clearly communicate Optimal application strategy thus cripples students’ chances. Finally, McIntire could students’ options upon rejection, as students just cut the number of prerequisites so may not have enough credits for some prospective applicants could more easily course-heavy majors, and College students explore other interests. must declare a major by the fifth semester.

But whether it’s one of these or a Easy prerequisites and high GPAs entice combination of all, something needs to applicants with dreams of McIntire, but in be done. McIntire, admissions cycle after reality, scores of them won’t have a place and admissions cycle, is laying waste to the first scores of them will be left without options. two academic years of hundreds of students.

As a consequence, rejected Comm School That’s both cruel and inefficient, and that applicants funnel into majors that follow time can be put to better use. from the prerequisites, like Economics, regardless of whether or not that’s their interest. This lack of options extending from Comm School rejection is a glaring failure of Brennan’s columns run Thursdays. He can the University’s to protect its student body. be reached at b.edel@cavalierdaily.com.

The need to display “work experience,

NO

OPINION

Students interested in business should continue to tailor their first two years to gaining acceptance to the Commerce School

L

ast week my fellow columnist Economics is the largest single major Brennan Edel argued students should in the College, and the College Class of reconsider pursuing the “pre-Commerce” 2013 First Destinations data demonstrates track due to its increasing selectivity. students in the business-related industries of investment management He raises the issue that “too and financial services had many people are applying to the highest average starting McIntire” and “not enough salaries of $60,800 and are getting in.” Moreover, $58,864, respectively. This is he highlights the academic ample incentive to continue opportunity cost students incur to pursue a business major when they take Commerce like economics despite being prerequisites rather than rejected from the Commerce exploring other departments.

School. Another option is to While I believe the competitive pursue a M.S. in Commerce. application process for the My main point of McIntire School of Commerce JARED FOGEL contention is that Edel largely puts unnecessary pressure Opinion Columnist underestimates University on students, I argue the prestudents’ ability to create Commerce track provides the opportunity to pursue alternative interests contingency plans in case of rejection from as well as to prepare for a business- the Commerce School. Students who are related major regardless of the result of a interested in applying recognize they may need a back-up plan, which could include Commerce School application.

Rising application numbers are enrolling in a J-term or May term in order understandable given the Commerce to accomplish their desired major.

Although I agree that the Commerce School’s prestigious reputation. The Commerce School — ranked 2nd, 4th School application process causes students and 6th in the country by BusinessWeek, to excessively cater their work experience, Fortune and U.S. News and World Report extracurriculars and academic schedule in respectively — is one of many huge drawing order to gain admittance to the Commerce factors for students considering the School, I don’t believe Edel discovers the University. Comparing the average annual best solutions. His main argument is that base salaries of alumni — $64,352 for the the only option to help demand meet Commerce School and $40,751 for the supply is to “kick students off the preCollege — further justifies the increased Comm track sooner” by cutting down interest. Beyond money and rankings, prerequisites or decreasing their difficulty. however, students interested in business While I agree that a prerequisite such as have every reason to cater their schedule “Making Business Work” could be cut, toward the Commerce School, because it the others in fact do “clearly communicate will allow them to decide whether or not students’ chances.” For instance, according they want to continue pursuing a business to TheCourseForum, 27 percent of Financial Accounting students end up career.

While I do think the seven main with C’s, and both Microeconomics and prerequisite courses for the Commerce Statistics have grade distributions around School are a bit excessive, I disagree with 3.0 and as low as 2.84.

One solution to ridding the University Edel’s opinion that, for those students that do not gain acceptance to the Commerce of the application scramble to compile School, there is a “serious monetary business-related clubs, work experience investment that went to waste.” Even for and classes is to have students apply to rejected students who don’t pursue an the Commerce School right out of high economics major, those classes do not go school. The greatest drawback of this to “waste.” The situation is comparable to would be that the Commerce School a student that takes largely politics courses would not be able to estimate student his first two years, only to realize his second ability to work and succeed in a college year that he wants to pursue an English environment. Yet, applying out of high major instead. Those politics courses were school would determine which students not a “waste”; rather they were part of the are truly interested in pursuing commerce.

Because University students are capable college experience of exploring interests of creating contingency plans, students and building a liberal arts education.

A possible counterargument is that interested in business can rationally cater students who are rejected from the their schedule around applying to the Commerce School are forced to pursue Commerce school without facing limited another major against their will. I respond options if they are rejected. The first two that if they are truly interested in business, academic years are not a waste but rather there are a multitude of opportunities a foundation for business interests that to continue that interest and attain a students may want to pursue in the future. business-related career. When Edel claims rejected applicants “funnel” into the economics track “regardless of whether or not that’s their interest,” he ignores the Jared’s columns run bi-weekly Thursdays. possibility that these students may follow the economics path because they still He can be reached at j.fogel@cavalierdaily. want to pursue a business-related career. com.

YES

OPINION

Thursday, November 13, 2014

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Feeding the 600,000 Restrictions on food sharing programs for the homeless are misguided and harmful s a sophomore in high school, citizens on any given day — food I spent a week over winter programs are essential to ensuring break volunteering at Holy Apostles the nutritional stability and general Soup Kitchen in the Chelsea survival of those facing such dire circumstances. neighborhood of lower There are several Manhattan. Everyday ways in which cities like clockwork, limit or prevent food hundreds of people filed sharing. Some enact in to receive lunch. The legislation that requires most striking aspect a permit for the of this experience was distribution of food the physical diversity on public property. of the people in need.

Others pass overly Many looked like the demanding food safety other smartly dressed regulations. Pressure professionals in the MARY RUSSO on organizations that neighborhood, whose Opinion Columnist distribute food to the appearance would homeless also comes suggest they were in from community groups who do stable financial positions. I would have walked past most of them on not want the food distribution to attract homeless people to their area. the street without looking twice.

Perhaps the most frequently According to the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), referenced rationale for this kind in the past two years over 30 of legislation is that feeding the American cities have attempted homeless entitles or enables them to to pass legislation limiting the remain homeless. Some supporters capabilities of groups to distribute of this legislation believe­preventing programs from food to the homeless. Such legislation food-sharing only further impedes solving the providing meals for the homeless problem of homelessness. Without will cause people to stop relying a universal and suitable program on soup kitchens and the like, and to end homelessness in America — motivate them to confront their which affects over 600,000 fellow issues head on. But this logic is

flawed; if there are a few “free- programs to help the homeless get riders” so to speak, they certainly do back on their feet. In most cases, not account for the vast majority of such programs do not exist. homeless in the United States.

The laws restricting food Michael Stoops, of the NCH, sharing reflect a common feature spoke out against the legislation. of American political culture: bias “Homeless people are visible in against the disadvantaged and downtown America. And cities the struggling. This is an issue think by cutting of the food source that should be addressed on both it will make the homeless go away. It the local and national level. One doesn’t, of course.” effort suggested by the National Chronic homelessness is a Homeless Coalition is to advocate significant problem across America, including here in Charlottesville.

According to NBC29, People and Congregations Engaged in Ministry (PACEM) has The laws restricting food sharing reflect a housed about 220 common feature of American political culture: bias people every winter against the disadvantaged and the struggling. for the past few years.

It is not uncommon to see homeless people on the Corner. We are faced homelessness be added to local with a similar situation as many and state anti-discrimination laws. other American cities: we do not The bottom line is that homeless have the infrastructure to support people face a myriad of issues they the homeless in our community. As must overcome. In addition, there Marbut points out, banning food have been federal cuts in supportive sharing would make sense if every programs such as the Supplemental American city had comprehensive Nutrition Assistance Program

“

A

(SNAP) in recent years Nutritional care can provide a stable foundation for people to then have the energy, income, and time to attempt to assuage their circumstances.

As a child growing up in New York City, seeing a homeless person was a common occurrence. When I was little, I was told not to give money to the people huddled on street corner since I didn’t know how they would use it. Being able to contribute money or time to soup kitchens and the like is one of the only ways that the average member of society can be sure they are in some way providing assistance to the members of our society who are most in need. However, it is important to highlight that giving out food is not a solution to homelessness. The real need here is for more government funds, on the state and local level, to be allocated to the creation and maintenance of programs that will ameliorate this problem across American cities and towns.

Mary’s columns run Thursdays.

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

The intrinsic value of books The University should maintain a “hybrid library” system books for the cultural capital they symbolize rather than for the books themselves. If we’re keeping and Library over the next several years. appreciating books in Alderman liThis initiative, estimatbrary, let’s make sure it’s ed to cost $120 million, for the right reasons. would be the library’s First, a few numbers. first major renovaLike many major unition since its founding versity library systems in 1938. Amidst sigexisting today, the Uninificant electrical, meversity’s began as an allchanical and architecprint collection and has tural work, the library gradually moved into a will reconsider the role more digitally-oriented of print and electronic model. We now have media. As these renowhat the technical litGEORGE KNAYSI vation plans continue erature calls a “hybrid Opinion Columnist to take shape and move library” system, in forward, it’s important which electronic and for us to keep track of paper-based informathe core of any traditional library — tion sources are used alongside one the books. another. And in this past fiscal year, As my fellow columnist Conor the 4.7 million uses of electronic Kelly noted in his September col- resources dwarfs the 156,774 print umn, the renovations must preserve materials checked out. Distribution physical texts even as they increase of library funds echoes this: in this the role of electronic media. In the same fiscal year, $5.1 million was final paragraph, Conor quotes Uni- spent on electronic materials versus versity Librarian Karin Wittenborg, the $2.2 million spent on printed asserting that the “aura of gravitas” materials. that comes from being surrounded On the Alderman library quesby books lends some intrinsic value tion, Conor confuses the idea of to Alderman library. Though Wit- intrinsic value and cultural capital. tenborg is right about a sense of “Call it an idealistic stance if you gravitas, this aura is a far cry from will,” he remarks, “but there is merit “intrinsic value.” It’s appreciating to the notion that the presence of

books lends intrinsic value to the there are no fundamental problems library itself.” What is the intrinsic with discarding hard copies in favor value of books? The most evident of electronic ones. But for academic answer is that the value lies in the purposes, current e-readers, tablets ideas contained in books. Johannes and computer screens don’t have the Gutenberg’s invention of the print- same capabilities — to flip through ing press circa 1450 is considered pages, marking up a page for close a critical event in human history, reading, cross-referencing multiple ushering in a new era of civilization. works at the same time. The pros Hard text has not only documented and cons suggest that an ideal “hyhistory; it has shaped it. The intrin- brid” library has both hard and elecsic value of books comes from the tronic copies of its books. ideas contained within them and This holds particularly true in how we interact with those ideas. I our own Rare Books School (RBS). see this in the present day, whether Last weekend, I was fortunate to atI’m browsing Alderman Stacks for tend a talk by Michael Suarez, direca research paper or lending a friend a dog-eared copy of my favorite novel.

What is it about being surrounded by hard copy books that gives us aesthetic pleasure; why does it create an “aura of gravitas?” I argue Hard text has not only documented it is because of the cultural value we attach to books — history; it has shaped it. the authority of collected knowledge, the sense of academic seriousness and so on. These tor of the RBS. He made a compelassociations are instilled in us as we ling case for why we must be wary grow up, and they are primed with of forgoing hard copy books for additional emphasis at this old, re- digital copies (this holds particularly nowned University. true for older materials and manuIf the intrinsic value of books lies scripts). It lends a new historical in their ideas rather than their phys- dimension to the “intrinsic value” of ical presence, this might suggest that books. It asserts the importance of

“

arlier this semester, this newsE paper announced the University’s plans to renovate Alderman

preserving hard copies, despite advances in technology. In the case of the RBS, it’s not only the ideas contained in the book but also the ink on the page.

As these library renovations progress, it is important for students and faculty to pay attention.

Those running the renovation project are already seeking input: “We will do a series of different types of engagements, investigations and some one-on-one interviews with key administrators, like the head librarian,” said Kate Meyer, senior project manager for Facilities Management’s department of Planning and Construction about student and faculty involvement in the process. “We also plan to have outreach with general faculty, students and staff, and that may take the form of workshops or questionnaires.”

In other words, those who use the libraries most have multiple channels for speaking up about how the renovations will proceed. In the quest to anticipate the future, we must take our technological visions with a dose of skepticism.

George’s columns run bi-weekly Tuesdays. He can be reached at g.knaysi@cavalierdaily.com.

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The Cavalier Daily

OPINION

HU MOR

Just for wits.

On emotion Charlotte Raskovich Humor Editor

It can be difficult to tell if you are depressed or just hungry, if you are anxious or you just need to poop. According to an article on my internet browser’s reading list (between “List of Demons in the Ars Goetia” and “Earth’s Most Stunning Natural Fractal Patterns,”) the emotions of fear, happiness and sadness are all based on common neural building blocks.

Thanks to a year spent phoning it in to AP Pyschology, I know about the two-factor theory of emotion, which posits that a physiological arousal state precedes the actual labeling of an emotion. A study in which male subjects would cross either a low to the ground bridge or a precarious suspension bridge of terror found that the men who were high above the ground and feeling it in the soles of their feet were way more likely to flirt with the hot research assistant. Sexual arousal was in actuality mislabeled fear. It all comes from from the same primordial abyss of adrenaline and the human need to sur-

vive. These men were duped by their frightened boners. If I have made any egregious mistakes in my understanding of psychology, please send me an email so I can respond in an overly aggressive manner. Heated words will be exchanged, we will arrange to fight that very evening, and as fists collide with muscle and flesh, our heart rates will soar, our pupils will dilate, and it might just be love.

So what to do when experiencing confusing emotions?

You can’t bottle them up because those suckers will come out when you’re taking a summer term class and decide to see Maleficent with your friend/housemate. As soon as Maleficent loses her wings you will lose your cool. It’s a 97 minute runtime and you will be weeping for 75 of them. Seven years prior the same thing happened with The Corpse Bride but you just don’t

you are on a European river cruise with your family and your family got a great deal on the cruise because your father’s cousin used to work as a ballroom dancer on the cruise line, and if your father’s cousin won best ballroom dancer in Austria one year, and you spend all your time in this situation reading The Bell Jar (which is the only book you brought other Courtesy Bing.com and ComingSoon.net than your diary) and staring at the river water learn do you? You can’t understand instead of enjoying the old world your emotions but you can assign splendor of Europe, then maybe an arbitrary explanation for them. that is not so normal.

Usually I take whoever I have a Now, I’ve never struggled with crush on at a given time and blame mental illness, because it’s always the weird stirrings on them — worked out great for me. Guys also a very bad idea! I would like never say rude things to me on the to take this time to apologize to street because my face implies that specific members of the Yorktown I am not having a good time, that High School theatre department I have never had a good time and who will remain unnamed. You I might be hiding a two-by-four kids have been through enough. with a nail in it somewhere on my All things considered, it can person. I can never bring myself to be difficult to differentiate normal do my laundry, which means there feelings from unhealthy feelings. is always a soft pile of clothing for On the other hand, not really. If my tired friends to sleep on when

they don’t want to walk back home at night. I have largely come to terms with death because I spent 2012 praying for it. A few branches of my family tree are soaked with weird chemicals but luckily that part is also all about strategic marriage, choosing highly emotionally stable mates with strong bones.

The genes have been watered down to the perfect cocktail of “vaguely miserable but still down to party.”

The last time I was the type of sad where it feels like your bones are waterlogged, I left my laundry pile to go to a FIFE party where I met the most beautiful Newfoundland dog and listened to anti-folk with her on the vice-president’s bed.

Sidenote: FIFE parties are incredible chill and so are FIFE members so if you are ever trying to talk smack about them please email me so we can fight and maybe fall in love.

Charlotte Raskovich can be reached at c.raskovich@cavalierdaily.com

The uneven bar routine Peter Stebbins Humor Writer

When was the last time you achieved something that you’d previously thought beyond your reach? I’ll wait. Now, when was the last time you failed to achieve something you considered well within your reach? If your first response was something along the lines of, “Well, being Wordmasters champion was pretty swell,” and your second response was, “this morning,” I have good news and bad news. (Read the following sentence in the voice of Ice-T from Law and Order SVU if Ice-T were censored by a colonial reenactor): The bad news is you’re guilty, you punk pair of b*****s.

The good news is that you’re guilty of something that we all do as humans, like eating too many Honey Buns, procrastinating and tripping. “Intelligent design” my pasty butt — when was the last time you saw a cheetah get caught up in its legs at 60 mph (a speed I’ve been told they can reach)? We run with half as many append-

ages, and move at far slower speeds. To be fair, though, there aren’t many potholes in the Serengeti.

If cheetahs don’t actually live in the Serengeti, please don’t write in to

Courtesy Wikipedia Commons

correct me.

Everyone that’s ever thought they could go on American Idol and at least do better than that guy who covered ‘She Bangs,” has also made the mistake of setting unrealistic goals despite not even being able to floss regularly. That’s a hefty majority of us. I’m not advocating nihilism here. Showing that level of interest in others’ lives would be pointless and dishonest of me to do as a nihilist. What I’m saying is upon closer inspection, we may not be as guilty for these failings as we first assume.

First off, on a daily basis we face far more easily accomplishable tasks than ones that seem out of

reach. Thus, we are more likely to let gimmies slip through the cracks. It’s the 1-credit phenomenon; you took that once-per-week environmental science course first year as a GPA booster. You thought you’d play in the dirt, meet some cuties that were, “like, really into the outdoors, even though the last time I went hiking I got poison ivy on my tongue,” and walk away, no sweat. But, in a fatal miscalculation, you let the class slip by and walked away with a B, a bruised ego, and poison ivy on your tongue (you didn’t realize she’d been hiking so recently!).

More importantly, when it comes to the big stuff, like getting (back) into shape, finding someone to share your life with, or reorganizing your “Animorphs” book collection by ecosystem, the rule of “control inversion” applies. This rule states that the larger the goal in question, the less of the outcome you directly control. Proof of this, like Christmas in ‘Love Actually’, is all around. Just listen to someone accept an Oscar, a dream they’ve had since their earliest

days as an actor, pretending to like the tacky sweater they got from Grandma (It’ll come around in college and be cool again, just wait it out). After hearing all the names of the people other than the recipient themselves who apparently deserve the award far more than they do, and without whose help they wouldn’t be standing there, bravely fighting back tears, you’re about ready to take that golden statue back, thank you very much.

There’s an obvious flip side here.

Did I “deserve” to get into the University any more than I deserved to fall face-first into that manure pile in fifth grade while trying to impress Brooke Oshefsky with my balance (“I’m quite nimble for my height!”)? Both involved hefty amounts of bullshit and what an anthropologist might call

Courtesy Wikipedia Commons

‘peacocking.’ If you’re wondering where the manure came from, I lived in Wisconsin. You can’t tip a cow without hitting a pile of the stuff.

The point is that the same confounding and external forces that allowed me to eagerly wolf down a mouthful of Gus Burger and go, “...meh,” are equally responsible for any misfortunes that may befall me in the form of a mouthful of rich, fertilizing cow poop. (And, while we’re on the topic, the two tastes weren’t dissimilar).

To anyone who has played a team sport and seen the ball slip past a goalie that was busy admiring dandelions, this is not a new concept. I merely ask that you approach your life in the same manner. It’s a team sport; it’s just a lot harder to figure out who has to run extra laps when your college application gets lost and you never hear back from your dream school, just assume they didn’t want you, and reluctantly inherit your father’s boutique farm animal business, “Shear and Utter Beauty.”

G

Thursday, November 13, 2014

SNAPCHATS BY JACKSON CASADY

graphics MOSTLY HARMLESS BY PETER SIMONSEN

MORE AWKWARD THAN SOME BY CHANCE LEE

SOLE SURVIVOR BY MICHAEL GILBERTSON

HELP WANTED WANTED: PART TIME STUDENT HELP $10/hr plus additonal bonuses for passing out business cards. For more information call or email 434-962-1139 or wdecker10@gmail.com

13

The Cavalier Daily

A&E arts & entertainment

14

REEL TALK: AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT THE

virginia film festival A&E Sits down with VFF Managing Director Jennifer Mays

Charles Hancock Staff Writer

For more than 25 years, the Virginia Film Festival has been a marquee event for the city of Charlottesville, welcoming local, national and international films and filmmakers for several days of screenings, panels and other events. This weekend marked the opening of the 2014 Virginia Film Festival, shaping up to be another successful year for VFF. The Cavalier Daily had the pleasure of speaking with Jennifer Mays, managing director of the Virginia Film Festival and University alumna about her position and the ins and outs of this year’s festival.

A&E: What is your role with the Festival and what has your experience been like working in that position?

JM: I’ve held a couple different roles over the years. I left the film festival for four years to work for the Heritage Theater Festival and then came back to work for Jody [Kielbasa, director of the film festival] in 2010, and shortly afterwards was hired as managing director.

[This role] is a true arts administration position. I oversee publicity and marketing campaign[s], I oversee our internship program, [and] our fulltime staff reports to me. My role is to have a big picture of what’s going on at any given year at the film festival and try to make sure everyone has the support they need and that we all stay on track.

A&E: You mentioned you oversee interns and that you were actually an intern when you were a University student. Could you talk a little bit about your experience both being an intern and what kind of appeal the internship program has for students who may be interested in the workings of the film festival?

JM: Absolutely. When I was a student, my experience interning with the festival was one of my highlights at U.Va. What I realized as an intern, and what I work every single year to make sure what happens every year in the internship program, is to make sure the interns have a huge responsibility at the film festival. Our interns outnumber our full-time and parttime staff, so we really could not put the festival on without [them].

We have different programs, for instance our “Young Filmmakers Academy” program for outreach education. The intern [who] is running the “Young Filmmakers” program is

really running it, being overseen by our Outreach and Education Coordinator, but they are really the ones in the classrooms, talking with the kids, helping the teachers and helping make these films. Our interns don’t take a back seat to the action. They are on the front lines helping work the festival, helping to invite panelists to participate in panels and discussions. They’re designing the web ads running on local media websites. They are really doing the meat of the festival work.

A&E: There’s a lot of variety in this year’s program, from bigger movies like “Foxcatcher” and “The Imitation Game” to short film collections to local movies. What appeal do you think this year’s festival specifically has for University students?

JM: I think there is a little bit in the festival for everybody, including U.Va. students. There is such a wide variety and Wesley Harris and Jody Kielbasa continually do better every single year creating a really rich and interesting program. …

We are lucky to get each year the big marquee films, sneak previews of the films that are going to be out in theaters and that everyone is excited to see. You mentioned some of those, “Foxcatcher,” “The Imitation Game,” “Wild,” and we have just added a screening of “The Theory of Everything.” But in addition to those, we show classic films. We’re showing “Dr. Strangelove” in Newcomb and we have an amazing panel associated with it, so if you haven’t seen “Dr. Strangelove,” it’s a wonderful way to see that film.

We have an amazing number of documentaries that deal with current events and really important things in the world. We have a film that we’re showing called “SlingShot” that I think will be particularly interesting to students. We also show a short package including films from former film festival interns. We have an amazing program and there really is s omething in there for everybody.

A & E : This year there is a film showing called “Fifth Street” that is directed by U.Va. students.

How does the

focus on Virginia film strengthen the festival and filmmaking in Virginia as a whole?

JM: One of the pillars of the film festival’s mission is to support filmmaking and filmmakers in the state of Virginia and … looking at our program this year, we have so many films that have been shot in Virginia or made by Virginia-based filmmakers. I think the sheer number ... speaks to how much the filmmaking community in Virginia is strengthening.

One of the most important partnerships in the film festival is the partnership with the Virginia Film Office in Richmond, and through their support … we are able to give a platform for Virginia filmmaking as a whole, which really adds to our program.

Encouraging filmmaking to happen throughout the state of Virginia is a benefit to all. There’s huge economic impact, it’s a huge opportunity for the state as a whole and anything that the film festival can do to support the Virginia Film Office and support Virginia filmmaking, we do. On top of that, there are amazing films made in Virginia and by Virginia filmmakers, so it’s easy for us to provide that platform because of the high quality and amazing productions [they offer].

A&E: What do you think is the biggest challenge in running the film festival?

JM: I think, on the year-to-year basis, the biggest challenge is just the nature of the film festival. The program of the festival — we show 100 films in four days — and the selections of those films, and the guest confirmations that come in about participating in discussions after films, it all comes together a little

more than a month before the film festival. So there is that last-minute nature that is a part of putting on almost any arts event, but particularly a festival arts event — [it] is the nature of the beast.

A&E: Do you have any final thoughts on the film festival for this year?

JM: I think that the program that we have for 2014 is incredible. There is something … for everyone and it is really really exciting. We have the big films like I said before, but more of my favorite thing in every festival are the little gems, the really special things that happen in the festival, the really special moments.

One film that I am very interested in ... is called “From Grain to Growler.” It’s a film about the craft breweries throughout the state of Virginia, and it’s a Virginia-made film. We are putting together beer tastings and it should be a really fun afternoon for people who like beer. We are also bringing in Barry Levinson, who is this amazing Hollywood director who is showing his new film “The Humbling” and his classic film “The Natural,” which is also an amazing opportunity. I have been part of the festival for over 10 years now, and I think that every festival gets better.

Courtesy Virginia Film Festival

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Thursday, November 13, 2014

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The Last Bison album scores folk victory Indie group commands The Southern with contagious positive energy

Ryan Waligora Staff Writer

A name like “The Last Bison” is already so folk it feels like flannel. It evokes something primal, ancient and earthy which remains in the present day. This is not a bison among thousands of like-minded species. This is the final bison.

Well, what happened to the others? Were they shot by Buffalo Bill? Or did they simply move out of the woods, forgetting how a mandolin sounds on top of a mountain?

Led by frontman Ben Hardesty and featuring his sister and father alongside three other bandmates, The Last Bison enchanted audiences with its “mountain-top chamber music” in its Friday showcase at The Southern, bringing forth a sound as unique and evocative as the name implies.

Beginning with a mandolin tune, the set opened simply.

Sharing songs from their new album “VA,” the Chesapeake-founded band brought forth images of their home

state, while soft harmonies and foot-stomping percussion — intermingled with classical violin and keyboard work — allowed The Last Bison to fly across forests and peer into colonial homes.

Banjo and violin melodies combined to present The Last Bison’s personal take on Americana — and The Southern’s audience reveled in it.

Hardesty’s energy is infectious, and at times he carried the show as a force of nature.

He spent much of his time onstage bent double, intent on his guitar and occasionally drumming. With a nasal growl that was at once gritty and earnest, his voice soared whenever it was let loose from the footstomping grooves of the band’s heavier pieces.

At one point during the set, the group paused, and Hardesty asked if anyone present had been raised on classic rock.

After the cheers died down, the band broke into a folk rendition of Steppenwolf ’s “Magic Carpet Ride.” This performance was so much fun that it left the

impression that The Last Bison should stop playing original indie-folk and instead dedicate themselves to interpreting classic rock.

The group’s ability to work a crowd even shone when the musicians decided to slip into a gypsy groove. The audience swayed side-to-side, learning a jig the frontman claimed to have picked up from a gypsy wanderer while travelling.

Songs from “VA” were interspersed with classics, such as the moodier “Dark Am I” and “The Woodcutter’s Son,” but despite occasionally darker instrumentation and lyrical overtones, it is the joy in their music which leaves the deepest impression. Violinist Teresa Totheroh wore a smile the entire night, reflected in the face of every audience member.

Just as fitting was the coziness of the venue as the band seemed to be most comfortable when their audience was gathered in close around them. The Last Bison seems grounded in closeness, with half of the band actually family. The chemistry

Courtesy The Last Bison

among bandmates was obvious.

Once the encore began, shouts of “Switzerland!” filled the room. After a quick rendition of one of their first songs, The Last Bison obliged and played their biggest hit. Once the audience got what they

asked for, the walls echoed with the sound of a thousand collective voices.

The passion of The Last Bison was invigorating — perhaps so much so that one wishes there were more bison still around.

The Virginia Gentlemen step out in ‘Full Attire’ University a cappella group releases classiest album yet Elise Mollica Staff Writer

The Virginia Gentlemen announced the release of their newest studio album at their sold-out Family Weekend Concert.

As the University's oldest a cappella group, the ‘VGs’ have been performing for their peers and the Charlottesville community for more than 60 years. Noted for their powerful vocals and affinity for bow ties, the VGs have performed both across the nation — including at the White House — and internationally in Australia, China and parts of southeast Asia.

“Full Attire” is the group’s 20th studio album. It offers an impressive variety of tracks, with arrangements of upbeat, popular songs like “Mirrors,” as well as sweeter melodies such as “Comes and Goes (In Waves).”

The CD features five different arrangers and 12 different soloists, showcasing the VGs’ variety of talent. “'Full Attire' represents the exciting new direction The Virginia Gentlemen and a cappella music as a whole are going in,” said Virginia Gentleman President Rohan Deshpande, a third-year Engineering student.

“Though we maintain a significantly widespread repertoire stretching from the 1950s to the modern day, we are proud to not just be modernizing our work but to be expanding into so many different genres as well.”

The first song on the album, “Problem,” sets the tone for the rest of the album, with soloist fourth-year College student Kevin Saucedo-Broach’s voice flowing over the dramatic range of the melody, supported by the clear, cohesive vocals of the other members.

The group's adaptation of Josh Groban’s “Brave” is another standout, with group harmonies intricately layered during the tune's bridge. The effect of the complex, driving rhythm and a noteworthy solo

by Yohan Hong — a 2014 Engineering alumnus — will thrill fangirls everywhere.

The

ensemble recently spent nearly 40 hours in the studio recording the album, Deshpande said.

“We are excited to present every single track, and we put the same energy into producing this album that we do into shaping this year’s performances,” he said.

Their dedication translates in the flawless execution of difficult

arrangements, such as “Cry Me a River,” arranged by secondyear College student Nathaniel Oberholtzer, Batten student Keith Wilson, and James Gammon, a 2004 College graduate But the true highlight of the album is the cover of Ed Sheeran's “Give Me Love,” performed with a heartbreaking solo by third-year College student Micah Iverson and a moving delivery from the rest of the group. The echoes of clapping and stomping during the bridge raise the track to an entirely new level of a cappella magic.

In “Full Attire,” the Virginia Gentlemen deliver track after track of pure musical skill. The bow tie-clad, impressively talented VGs have accomplished yet another victory, using only Courtesy VG Store their voices and a deep love for music to win the hearts of their loyal audience.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Cavalier Daily

Courtesy Magnetic Mag

Run the Jewels Duo El-P, Killer Mike prove up-and-coming fame is well-deserved Millicent Usoro Senior Writer

Run the Jewels’ performance at the Jefferson Theater Sunday, Nov. 2 delivered many of the same things as their sophomore album: a monumental, triumphant punch in the face. Elbows were thrown, beers were spilled and toes were trampled as the crowd instantaneously became a mob the moment rap veterans El-P and Killer Mike came on stage.

The duo quite fittingly opened with Queen classic “We Are the Champions.” Run the Jewels is the music champion of 2014.

In a year with only a handful of solid rap releases (YG, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib,

Vince Staples), the album “Run the Jewels 2” is a dazzling, aggressive and unreservedly rare moment in music history.

The sophomore album is reminiscent of Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” and a slew of music critics have preemptively declared it album of the year. Few rap artists achieve this pinnacle of musical

transcendence and unrivaled excellence — yet El-P and Killer Mike have managed it only a year-and-a-half after their debut album.

The crowd never ceased jumping as Run the Jewels continued the set with leading singles “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry,” “Blockbuster Night Part 1” and

“Close Your Eyes (And Count to F***)” from “RTJ2.” This led into a throwback to early singles such as “36'' Chain” and “Sea Legs” — one of the highlight performances of the night.

The impressive 15-song set included El-P’s “Tougher, Colder Killer” featuring Despot — one of the opening acts — and a few songs which f e a tured

guest artists on album, such as Big Boi on “Banana Clipper” and Boots on “Early.” El-P and Killer Mike presented such a dynamic live set, however, that the absence of these artists went largely unnoticed.

The duo wholly commanded the stage, projecting their energy onto the crowd. El-P and Killer Mike have exceptional chemistry, which translated well from studio albums to the live performance — in large part due to their aggressive attitude.

As quickly as the show began, the lights came on and the crowd was swiftly ushered out of the Jefferson. Like in their studio album — which is only 39 minutes long — Run the Jewels succinctly delivered punch after punch without losing the powerfully abrasive, brain-rattling quality which sets them apart.

Tom Breihan returns to OpenGrounds for spirited music talk Pitchfork music critic discusses year in music, praises Taylor Swift Flo Overfelt Associate Editor

,Acclaimed Pitchfork reviewer and Stereogum editor Tom Breihan visited OpenGrounds last Tuesday for a fireside chat on the current state of the music industry — a topic which traversed Taylor Swift, indie band drama and the future of rap music.

The event was put together by University Programs Council, and marked Breihan’s second visit to the University. Clad in checkered flannel and sporting horn-rimmed glasses, Breihan sauntered into OpenGrounds with whiskey bottle in hand.

Sipping on his whiskey out of a plastic cup, it at times seemed that even Breihan couldn’t make it through his talk sober.

This isn’t to say Breihan didn’t know what he was talking about — he just had no idea how to say it, his speech disjointed and rambling.

Even still, though, Breihan at times imparted nuggets of knowledge as only a seasoned music critic could.

“It’s been a weird year in music because there’s no dominant narrative,” Breihan said. “[There’s] no thing you can really ascribe to it.”

For this, Breihan said he expected a young indie artist to rise to national attention — though there has been no sign of this thus far. Except for Taylor Swift. “[Taylor Swift] is f****** bada**!

She’s great!” Breihan exclaimed.

Referencing Swift and Beyonce’s recent surprise drop, Breihan said releasing albums has become as much of an art form as the music itself.

From there, discussion moved toward current up-and-coming art-

ists like hip-hop duo Run the Jewels and indie groups Sun Kil Moon and The War on Drugs. He also dropped a few references to more mainstream artists like Kendrick Lamar.

It’s tough to say where Breihan was going with his chat — it’s not clear Breihan knew himself — but his mini-lecture ended abruptly after a brief tirade against Ariel Pink’s latest album.

“It f**** me up. ... It sounds like dogs*** to me,” Breihan said.

“That’s all I have to say — that’s this year in music.”

Luckily, the gold of Breihan’s talk was in the question-and-answer section. There, though Breihan’s responses almost always included some form of “What was the question again?” they were nevertheless thoughtful and interesting.

“You don’t have to like things even if it’s something lots of people say is good," Breihan said.

"As a critic, that’s one of the first and most important lessons that I learned.”

If students came to the event looking for definitive music recom-

mendations on rising stars, Breihan was little to no help. In response to a question about what rap artists were set to rise to fame, Breihan said, “I have no idea wh[ich are] exciting. … I’m glad I have no idea. … I’m most anticipating the stuff I don’t know about.”

What Breihan lacked in public speaking skills and coherency, though, he made up for in music industry savvy — making his second annual talk ultimately worth hearing, despite spouts of inconsistent rambling.