Thursday, November 17, 2016

VOL. 127, ISSUE 25

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

IS U.VA. A SAFE SPACE? see DACA, EMAILS, PROFS., pages 3-4

PHOTO BY CELINA HU GRAPHIC BY JASMINE OO

WHAT’S INSIDE STUDENTS DON’T KNOW BOV PAGE 2

U.VA. VS. GEORGIA TECH BREAKDOWN PAGE 8

LEAD EDITORIAL: ON WHEN TO QUOTE TJ PAGE 9

‘BLACK MONOLOGUES’ EXCELS PAGE 14

POST-ELECTION ANXIETY PAGES 15

THE CAVALIER DAILY

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Students say they don’t know about BOV Board of Visitors serves as school’s head governing body ANKITA SATPATHY | ASSOCIATE EDITOR Goodwin, Jr. The board also includes a student member and a faculty member.

Although nearly 60 percent of students said they did not have enough information about the Board of Visitors to comment, some students said they believe the information is available for them to seek it out.

Rachel Fidlow, a first-year College student and survey respondent, said she did not know much about the Board of Visitors or the administration.

Nearly 60 percent of students do not know enough about the Board of Visitors to form an opinion about them, according to a recent poll conducted by The Cavalier Daily with the help of a faculty advisory panel and the Center for Survey Research.

The Board of Visitors is a group of 17 voting members appointed by the governor of Virginia and confirmed by the General Assembly.

They serve four-year terms and are currently led by Rector William H.

“I really don’t know what the [Board of Visitors] is and I don’t know if that’s something that’s important for me to know,” Fidlow said. “I’m sure that information is available somewhere but I didn’t even know it was something I should look up.”

McLain Faett, a third-year Commerce student and survey respondent, had a similar response.

“I know that they make important decisions on behalf of U.Va., but beyond that and what specific role they have, I’m not too sure,” Faett

said. “I think I could find [information] if need be and I’m sure I would find everything satisfactory, but I guess it couldn’t hurt for U.Va. to be a little bit more proactive.”

As the governing body of the University, the Board of Visitors deals with many different policy areas, such as tuition, student housing, curriculum and other issues generally concerning student life.

The board has recently dealt with policies such as the Strategic Investment Fund, approving a master plan for student housing on Brandon Av-

What is your opinion of the Board of Visitors?

Favorable Neutral Unfavorable Haven't heard enough to form opinion 0% LUCAS HALSE AND ANDREW SHI | THE CAVALIER DAILY

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enue, hiring a firm for the memorial for enslaved laborers and renaming Jordan Hall to Pinn Hall.

Special-status organizations such as Honor and the University Judiciary Committee also derive their power from the Board of Visitors.

Their committees include Academic and Student Life, Advancement, Building and Grounds, Finance, and Audit, Compliance and Risk.

Phoebe Willis, third-year Law and Darden student and the student member of the Board of Visitors, said the board works to be accessible.

“The meeting agendas are posted online in advance of each meeting,” Willis said in an email statement.

“Students often attend the meetings, and I know that many board members interact with students at other meetings and various events throughout the academic year. Students are invited to participate in panel discussions at board meetings as well.”

Willis said she attempts to communicate with the student body via her email newsletters and meetings with student groups, of which she has had over 20 this semester.

“I am actively working to make information about the Board more transparent and accessible to the student body,” Willis said. “Students can also contact me directly to share any ideas or concerns.”

The board will next meet Dec. 7-9.

Board of Visitors Rector William Goodwin declined to comment.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

www.cavalierdaily.com • NEWS

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Professors push for Sullivan to support DACA students DREAMers on Grounds, students also sign on to letter ALEXIS GRAVELY | ASSOCIATE EDITOR Two University professors, in collaboration with the CIO DREAMers on Grounds, have drafted a letter to University President Teresa Sullivan showing support for undocumented University students.

So far, the letter has garnered more than 600 signatures from both students and faculty.

The letter asks the University administration to consider taking actions to ensure students protected by the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy continue to receive protection as President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.

DACA allows children who arrived in the United States after 1981 to work and go to school without fear of being deported. While it allows immigrants to be in the country legally, it does not guarantee citizenship.

Trump said during his campaign he would reverse Obama’s executive actions and orders, including DACA, and would deport all undocumented immigrants.

“Here at U.Va., without the provisions afforded by DACA, undocumented students who have excelled in and outside of the classroom will be denied the opportunity to continue their studies and complete their degrees,” the letter reads. “In light of this state of doubt, and joining with leading institutions of higher learning, we ask that U.Va. affirm its commitment to the safety and security of all students, and especially to DACA students.”

In addition to showing support, the letter lists six proposals for the University administration to consider to help continue to protect undocumented students.

Catherine Toro, a third-year College student and secretary of DREAMers on Grounds, said DREAMers already had a list of needs which they presented to the Board of Visitors during a protest Nov. 11. Protesters also shared their concerns in a meeting with Sullivan later the same day.

Profs. Anne-Garland Mahler and Allison Bigelow, both in the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese Department, drafted the letter.

“When the Spanish professors started drafting this letter, they contacted us to get our input and find out what undocumented students needed from U.Va.,” Toro said. “So we just forwarded that list of demands and they incorporated that in their letter.”

Some of the requests made in the letter include making the University a sanctuary campus, continuing to allow qualifying DACA students to pay in-state tuition and creating an administrative office to counsel DACA students.

A sanctuary campus, which Toro said is a relatively new concept, comes from the idea of a sanctuary city — a city in which a major declares an agreement between law enforcement and constituents to not report people to immigration authorities.

“The way that it ends up playing out is if an undocumented person is a victim of a crime, they can call the police without worrying about being deported,” Toro said.

Toro said the concept is very similar on a sanctuary campus, in which if a student is harmed and needs to call the police, he can do so without fear of being detained.

Hannah Borja, a second-year College student and public relations

chair for DREAMers, said she personally believes the University maintaining DACA’s tuition agreement is the most important proposal for now.

“DACA allows you to get in-state tuition because for a lot of students, if they didn’t have DACA, they would have to register as an international student,” Borja said. “Undocumented students are in a lot less stable of a financial situation, so they can’t afford to be international students.”

Borja said she is primarily referring to students who have lived in Virginia since they were younger, saying it is unfair for them to be required to register as an international student.

“It’s very easy for U.Va. to honor previously agreed to financial agreements,” Borja said. “It’s not even that U.Va. has to change anything, it literally just has to keep letting students attend here under the financial agreement that was settled beforehand.”

Borja also discussed the importance of instituting more effective counseling services for undocumented students, noting how these students deal with unique issues such as familial separation, a change in culture and the fear of being deported. Counseling and Psychological Services cannot provide sufficient support for these problems, she said.

“There are counselors that are specific to those issues, and CAPS only has I think one person that is kind of familiar with refugee stuff,” Borja said. “They have one person in CAPS that kind of knows what’s going on, but we want someone who definitely knows what’s going on and we want them in CAPS and we want them accessible for all undocumented and migrant students.”

Sending this letter is important because the University has “a duty to support and protect its students,” Borja said.

“These students are members of the U.Va. community, and U.Va. has a duty to that community,” Borja said.

“This presidency doesn’t change that, it actually just makes the support that U.Va. needs to provide that much more important.”

Italian Prof. Stella Mattioli said she chose to sign the letter because she believes every individual should have the chance to receive a good education.

“I really don't think it's fair that somebody risks to lose everything and to be potentially deported, just because they searched to have a college education,” Mattioli said in an email statement. “It's important to me that the University stands next to its students.”

Although Sullivan has yet to receive the letter, University spokesperson Anthony de Bruyn said the University is “committed to providing a world-class education to students

enrolled at the institution.”

“The University is encouraging DACA students to continue their pursuit of a U.Va. education,” de Bruyn said in an email statement. “It would be premature to speculate on any changes to federal law that may be proposed by the new administration or Congress.”

However, Borja said the uncertainty of what the new administration and Congress will implement is a reason why the letter requests immediate action from the University.

“Because [Trump is] so unpredictable, we need to institute all of this immediately so no matter what he does and no matter when he does it, these things are in place,” Borja said. “It’s being pushed for immediately to protect all these students in the best way possible.”

The letter is publicly available on the DREAMers on Grounds Facebook page.

The Cavalier Daily reached out to Mahler and Bigelow for comment but did not receive a response before press time.

HANNAH ZACHMAN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Some of the requests include making the University into a sanctuary campus.

Sullivan has quoted Jefferson in five of 53 emails Cavalier Daily analysis finds president rarely references founder TIM DODSON | NEWS EDITOR University President Teresa Sullivan has only quoted Thomas Jefferson in five community-wide emails in the last three years, according to an analysis of 53 emails Sullivan sent between May 2, 2013 and Nov. 11, 2016.

After quoting Jefferson in a post-election email on Nov. 9, Sullivan came under fire from a group of professors and students for citing Jefferson in her call for unity after a contentious campaign.

Many students have expressed anxiety following Donald Trump’s election due to the president-elect’s controversial and divisive rhetoric.

In a letter signed by 469 students

and faculty, the signees said they were “disappointed in the use of Thomas Jefferson as a moral compass” and noted Jefferson’s history as a slave owner.

“In the spirit of inclusivity, we would like for our administration to understand that although some members of this community may have come to this university because of Thomas Jefferson's legacy, others of us came here in spite of it,” the letter read. “For many of us, the inclusion of Jefferson quotes in these e-mails undermines the message of unity, equality, and civility that you are attempting to convey.”

“Quoting Jefferson (or any historical figure) does not imply an endorsement of all the social structures and beliefs of his time, such as slavery and the exclusion of women and people of color from the University,” Sullivan said.

In the five instances in which she quoted Jefferson in her community emails in the time period studied, two of the quotations were in emails related to the 2016 election.

One of the quotations was in a Jan. 30, 2014 email announcing the creation of the "Age of Jefferson” — a massive open online course on Coursera and iTunes U.

Sullivan quoted Jefferson in an Oct. 24, 2014 email following the discovery of Hannah Graham’s body in Albemarle County.

Neary a month later, after the publication of Rolling Stone’s “A Rape On Campus” on Nov. 19, 2014, Sullivan sent two emails to the University community, the second of which — dated Nov. 22 — included a Jefferson quote.

Sullivan did not specifically quote Jefferson in any 2015 community emails, but she did reference him in a Feb. 14, 2015 email following the murders of three Muslim students at UNC Chapel Hill, in which she wrote

of Jefferson’s advocacy for religious freedom.

Of the emails analyzed, Sullivan did not quote Jefferson in messages pertaining to bias-related incidents or in messages urging students to report harassment or sexual assault via the University’s Just Report It system, including her May 2, 2013 email, which pertained to an instance of biased writing on Beta Bridge.

It is unclear how or when Sullivan decides to quote Jefferson. She did not return requests for comment Wednesday.

Xara Davies contributed reporting to this article.

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NEWS • www.cavalierdaily.com

Professors open office hours as ‘safe spaces’ Initiative aims to help students deal with bias-motivated incidents, presidential election MEGHAN TONNER | SENIOR WRITER More than 170 professors, deans and provosts have opened their offices as “safe spaces” to students in the midst of much anxiety on Grounds in recent weeks, some of which is related to a series of bias-motivated incidents and the results of the presidential election.

Beginning Nov. 14, a list of professors who are “standing in solidarity” with students started to appear on social media. These professors have agreed to open their office hours for students to express their feelings and receive support.

This list was created and distributed by second-year College student Francesca Callicotte, who told The Cavalier Daily she felt students needed another outlet to deal with their grief over recent events.

Students formed the Eliminate The Hate campaign in response to incidents such anti-Semitic graffiti at GrandMarc, racial slurs appearing in Kent and Dabney dorms and anti-Muslim vandalism in Brown College.

Many students have also expressed anxiety and fear over

Donald Trump’s election to the presidency. An incident involving University Police — in which an officer allegedly shouted Trump’s campaign slogan,“Make America Great Again,” at students on election night — has led to student protesters calling for the officers’ removal.

“It’s easy for students to only look to their friends for support,” Callicotte said, “but I think it’s also really important for them to know that there are teachers in their classrooms who are constantly rooting for them.”

Callicotte said she wanted students to experience a wider community than just their peers.

“It’s not just students supporting each other, it’s professors, instructors and administrators who want to support them as well,” she said.

The list notes that it is intended to make “students feel a bit safer, more supported and unapologetically welcomed on campus.”

Callicotte compiled this list by manually combing through each department’s website from the Col-

lege, Batten School and Commerce School and emailing the faculty listed. She said she is still looking to add more faculty to the list, which already has more than 170 contacts that includes not only professors but also deans and provosts.

Although professors are already required to hold office hours, some were motivated to advertise theirs as a safe space out of empathy for what students might be experiencing.

“As a female who has done a fair amount of traveling in college, I can understand what it feels like to feel unsafe or in an unsafe situation based on gender,” Chemistry lecturer Lindsay Wheeler said in an email statement. “I wanted to ensure that no student ever feels like they cannot find a safe place on campus and felt compelled to open my doors.”

Additionally, some participating professors felt obligated as educators to open their doors for grieving students.

“My students are really important to me, and I knew that a lot of

them were having a hard time with the outcome of the election in part because I was having a hard time with the election,” English lecturer Marvin Campbell said. “Students are young and not fully formed, especially first-years, and might not know how to come to terms with significant events. I think it’s important for them to know that someone is there to hear them and to listen to them.”

This initiative is emerging during the Eliminate the Hate week of events, which are meant to show solidarity with marginalized students.

“I value and appreciate each individual student at the University, and ensuring that all students feel safe in these troubling times will make us stronger as a community, University, nation and world,” Wheeler said.

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Some professors have agreed to open their office hours as a “safe space.”

Eddy’s Tavern closes its doors Corner restaurant set to be replaced by Sheetz MAGGIE SERVAIS | STAFF WRITER Eddy’s Tavern, named after the University’s most notorious poet and dropout Edgar Allen Poe, is closing its doors after two years serving the Charlottesville community. Formerly known as Poe’s Public House, the tavern opened its doors in the spring of 2014 as a destination for food, drinks and nightlife and quickly became part of the Corner culture.

“I thought that it was one of the

more chill bars that was on the Corner,” Bethany Forte, a third-year College student who had worked at Eddy’s as a server and bartender since August, said. “For people who, like, didn’t want anywhere crazy like [Trinity] or something, it was kind of a better environment.”

Eddy’s hosted a closing party Saturday night before officially saying goodbye to the Corner. The tavern is set to be replaced by a

COURTESY MAGGIE SERVAIS

The closing of Eddy’s Tavern makes the Corner less diverse, Borja said.

Sheetz convenience store. Dates for renovations of the building and the opening of the store are still unknown.

Business at Eddy’s had been slowing down in recent months.

Within the past year the restaurant saw a shift in the demographic of its customers from primarily students to more local residents.

“It was pretty typical of the rest of the Corner, you know, a student-heavy crowd,” Kirsten White, a fourth-year Engineering student, said. White had worked at Eddy’s as a server since April 2014. “Starting about February or March I’d say, is when the late night crowd started to shift towards more of a townie [group].”

Outside of its role as a restaurant and night time attraction, Eddy’s focused on creating an inviting space for members of the University community. Eddy’s sought to make guests care more about who they were with than where they were, according to its website.

“The crowd at Eddy’s was very racially diverse, I think, in comparison to like the other bars,” Hannah Borja, a second-year College student and server at Eddy’s since

June, said.

This past September, Borja began Pride on the Corner, an initiative designed to celebrate the LGBTQ community and create an inclusive environment for people to gather.

“I asked my management if I could start promoting Eddy’s as LGBTQ-friendly one night a week, and they were open to the idea,” Borja said.

The first Pride on the Corner was held Sept. 6 and offered guests special prices on drinks as well as food, karaoke, gender-neutral bathrooms, dance music and a diverse group of people. Pride on the Corner became a weekly event which Eddy’s hosted every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. “[Pride on the Corner] was really awesome,” Borja said. “There [were] a lot of awesome people that [came] to it and … it was just a really cool thing to do on the Corner.”

Pride on the Corner embodied Eddy’s goal of creating a welcoming, all-inclusive space for members of the University community to gather and enjoy themselves.

With the tavern now closed, the students behind Pride on the Cor-

ner face the challenge of finding a new forum that will welcome their community and host their event.

Eddy’s provided a unique atmosphere on the Corner; however, opinions on how the closing will impact the community varies.

“I don’t know that it’s going to create a huge difference,” Forte said. “I’m assuming that the people who went to Eddy’s are just going to find a new bar on the Corner now.”

Additionally, Sheetz’s opening might create more of a difference, both Forte and White said, as it may compete with local convenience stores such as Cohn’s on the Corner.

To Borja, the closing of Eddy’s will make for less diverse Corner-goers.

“I think that what Eddy’s did was that it provided a different scene than like the really heteronormative bar scene,” Borja said.

“That includes not just variations in like sexuality and gender, but also in race, and I think that Eddy’s just served as a distinct bar from all the other ones.”

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

www.cavalierdaily.com • NEWS

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Eliminate the Hate hosts teach-in at Old Cabell Hall Professors speak on academic history of hate speech LUCY WHITNEY | SENIOR WRITER On Tuesday, the Eliminate the Hate campaign hosted a teach-in to educate students and University community members on the history of hate speech, racism and bigotry in the United States.

Rawda Fawaz, second-year College student and student organizer of the event, said she wanted to bring an academic perspective to the effects of hate speech.

“While there’s a lot of power to personal narrative, there also is importance in understanding the history of hate and racism and bigotry in America and what it looks like and what it can lead us to,” Fawaz said.

Located on the front steps of Old Cabell Hall, the teach-in was purposefully designed so students would pass it on their walk between classes and could come, sit on the steps and listen to professors speak for as long or little as they wanted.

The placement of the teach-in, as well as a majority of the Eliminate the Hate events this week, has a broader significance connected to the historical design of the University.

“Old Cabell was built to block off U.Va students’ view of a majority African American community in the mountains and we have been occupying it physically for a long time now to capture that narrative with our own, and that is

one of fighting racism and fighting bigotry at U.Va.,” Fawaz said.

Fawaz said she became involved with the campaign in its beginning days after she was victim to a hate crime in late September.

“That had a really major effect on my life,” she said. “When we were planning out what we wanted to have, we talked about having a teach-in and I knew I wanted to be the head of that project, because the one thing I care about at the University is making sure that faculty support their students.”

Fawaz said the committee for the teach-in wanted to feature professors who were socially conscious, socially liberal and had an interest in the student’s campaign.

Although the students asked the professors to speak, their involvement was still voluntary and stemmed from their interest in the campaign.

Sociology Prof. Rose Buckelew opened up the teach-in by discussing the presence of systemic racism in the University community and the country at large.

“There has been really great work done by professors that helps us recognize that there are signs and symbols in the curriculum, the names of buildings, and the architecture that help us understand that this isn’t a neutral space,” Buckelew said. “This is, in many ways, a white space. A space

where white supremacy is allowed to move about.”

Buckelew said she wanted bring new ideas to the way racism is discussed.

“I want to move away from this sort of idea that racism is embodied in certain types of bodies but rather it is a system, a system that many of us partake in and benefit from even if it’s sort of passive,” she said.

In the wake of the responses to University President Teresa Sullivan’s inclusion of a Thomas Jefferson quote in an email sent to students after the election, Maurice Wallace, associate professor of African American and African Studies and English, included his own opinions on the subject in his talk.

“It is not always advisable to invoke the founder and I think that in the week like one we had it is probably ill advised,” Wallace said.

“It is true, in fact, that Jefferson is responsible for having rhetorically packaged that ‘all men are created equal,’ but though Jefferson came up with the phrase, it wasn’t his idea.”

Wallace went on to continue talk about hate and racism in the context of the past week’s events and described the election as apocalyptic.

“These series of events, these acts of violence, these episodes of racial hate and ethnic hate and re-

ligious hate and gendered and sexualized hate — all of these things I think suggest to us that what we are hearing is not new but has been lingering for awhile and now only has gotten permission, a kind of social or symbolic endorsement to be heard,” Wallace said.

Wallace also spoke directly to the issue of hate speech on Grounds and in the nation today.

“Words have creative power and I think that hate speech has the power to create the conditions of possibility that allow for racial hate, gendered hate and the like discrimination to thrive, to flourish,” Wallace said. “Hate speech is not near words but create the conditions that invite, that call

on violent attitudes and violent speech.”On Friday, the Eliminate the Hate campaign will holding marches past locations where there have been instances of bias or bigotry before occupying the Rotunda to show that minorities physically occupy space, are here at the University and should be recognized.

“I’d encourage any students to come out and support that physically because it’s so important to have numbers,” Fawaz said. “There is strength in numbers and it there is a very powerful message sent to minority students when they see that support, that they are cared for and they do belong.”

MEGHA KARTHIKEYAN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Wallace spoke about the power of words in light of recent bias-motivated incidents.

Virginia Film Festival draws record crowd Weekend sells highest amount of tickets in 29th year DAVID SCHUTTE | ASSOCIATE EDITOR The 29th Annual Virginia Film Festival saw record attendance and an all-time high of 32,443 tickets sold.

The festival, which lasted from Nov. 3 to Nov. 6, included more than 130 films and short films, galas, presentations by filmmakers and a filmmaking competition called the “Adrenaline Film Project.”

The festival also hosted special guests, including renowned German director Werner Herzog, comedian Danny McBride, co-founder and co-president of Sony Picture Classics Michael Barker, actress Shirley MacLaine, Academy Award-winning actor Colin Firth and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

Jody Kielbasa, the festival director and University vice provost for the arts, said the fes-

tival was “far and away the most successful one” in his eight-year tenure at the University.

Kielbasa said the festival has an important impact on the community and facilitates a discussion that is rarely had between the University and greater Charlottesville area.

“One thing where the festival becomes a valuable institution is that it’s sometimes intimidating for people to come back to Grounds and sit in lectures, because it may have been a while that someone has used their intellectual faculty at that level,” Kielbasa said. “I think films are more accessible in that way, and it’s a platform for sustaining a better dialogue in that regard.

It’s an extension of the classroom into the theater space.”

Kielbasa said he was particu-

larly proud of this year’s screening of the film “Loving” on the opening night of the festival. A discussion of the film’s implications with its director, producer and McAuliffe preceded its screening.

The festival also provided students the opportunity to intern and work on projects that went toward the organization of the event, which Kielbasa said “emphasizes team building, [and] shows them what it’s like to put on a major event that influences the community.”

Fourth-year College student Dallas Simms and second-year College student Sarah Ross were two interns who helped execute the Adrenaline Film Project competition.

“It is the job of the Adrenaline interns to do everything

from booking venues for the competition to recruiting filmmakers to participate in AFP,” Ross said. “The two interns essentially take on a producer role and are responsible for making sure all aspects of the competition run smoothly.”

“We had three guest mentors come and serve on this panel who would have to greenlight all the ideas for 12 teams that we had this year,” Simms said. “The cool thing with the competition is that the winner is chosen by the audience, so when everybody comes into the screening they get a ballot and can vote for their favorite film.”

Each team had to incorporate the line “I’d love to, but I can’t” into their film, and use a teddy bear as a prop, a reference to guest Werner Herzog’s film

“Grizzly Man.” Adam Jones, a third-year College student and corporate development intern, said he received a lot of positive feedback from attendees.

“One thing that stood out in all those conversations was how welcoming and personalized everything seemed at this film festival compared to all the other ones they went to,” Jones said.

THE CAVLAIER DAILY

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No. 8 men’s basketball looks to keep rolling Cavaliers take on Yale following 40-point win against St. Francis Brooklyn JULIA THOMPSON | STAFF WRITER Sunday afternoon, the Virginia men’s basketball team will have the chance to extend its win streak at John Paul Jones Arena to 22 games, which would be its longest win streak in the building.

Coming off a dominating performance against St. Francis Brooklyn this past Tuesday, the No. 8 Cavaliers (2-0) are hoping for a repeat performance against Yale (1-0).

Despite the strong defensive effort, the Cavaliers went 0-10 behind the arc against St. Francis Brooklyn. This performance was a stark difference from the Cavaliers’ 50 percent three-point shooting effort in their season-opening win at UNC-Greensboro.

Offensively, bright spots came with the home debuts of redshirt freshman forward Mamadi Diakite and redshirt junior forward Austin Nichols. After sitting out the first game against UNC-Greensboro, the two combined for 19 points and seven rebounds.

Virginia is deep at the forward position — in addition to Diakite and Nichols, junior Isaiah Wilkins, sophomore Jarred Reuter and sophomore Jack Salt all compete for time.

“Each of those players bring something different,” coach Tony Bennett said. “I want them to play really hard continuously. There is no reason for a group with that kind of depth to not play really hard and be really active.”

Bennett faces the challenge of

S

ince its 7-0-0 start when senior goalie Morgan Stearns did not allow a single goal, the Virginia women’s soccer team has been far from dominant. After being shutout several times, the Cavaliers bowed out in the quarterfinals of the ACC Championships to eventual runner-up North Carolina — to finish with a record of 14-4-2.

While the latter half of its season was far from ideal, Virginia can still make a run for a title. Currently a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Virginia is well positioned for success. In the first round of the tournament, the Cavaliers defeated Monmouth (14-5-2) to move on to the round of 32.

Yet, while the 4-1 victory looked dominant on the surface, the Cavaliers were not happy with their play.

“There is a difference between getting the result and having a good performance, and I think we obviously will take the result and feel positive about the result,” coach Ste-

having to split 80 minutes between the five forwards. Against the Terriers, playing time was relatively even as each of the five saw between 14 to 18 minutes.

Bennett was noncommittal when asked about his strategy for forward playing time going forward.

“It depends on how the officials are calling it,” Bennett said. “The matchups, what we need.”

Diakite is eager to embrace whatever role the team needs to win.

“Whatever the team needs from me, I’ll do it,” the Guinean native said. “If I have to not score and block everything, I’ll do that. If I have to grab rebounds, I’ll do that.”

Against Yale, the Cavaliers will need a strong rebounding effort from their frontcourt. The Bulldogs were second in the nation in rebounding margin last year (+10.9) and out-rebounded their most recent opponents, the University of Washington, 42-29.

Yale will be Virginia’s toughest opponent so far. Last year, the Bulldogs defended their Ivy League Title and won their first ever NCAA Tournament game in an upset against Baylor.

This year looks to be more difficult for Yale, as their current team lacks three first team All-Ivy players from last year’s roster— two lost to graduation and one, standout junior guard Makai Mason, lost to a potentially season-ending injury.

However, the Bulldogs pulled out a 98-90 win against the Huskies in

their season opener. Yale held a double-digit lead at the half and was able to hold off Washington’s second half pushes to grab the victory.

Five Yale players scored in double digits. Freshman guard Miye Oni led the way with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists in his college debut. Senior forward Sam Downey also contributed 22 points on 10 of 16 shooting.

Despite the loss of Mason, senior guard Anthony Dallier and sophomore guard Alex Copeland both stepped up, combining for 26 points, 11 assists with only one turnover. Yale’s balanced scoring and ball movement mean the Cavaliers will need to continue the cohesive defensive effort and smooth rotation they have displayed so far.

“I just think we want every possession to be a battle for the other team, and so far they have embraced them,” Bennett said regarding Virginia’s defensive progress. “Yale will be a good indication with an improvement in competition in this next game.”

Offensively, Bennett thinks Virginia’s scoring this year will be spread out across different players from game to game.

“I think this is more of a balanced scoring team, and I like that,” Bennett said. “It is nice to have guys that when you need a bucket can go get one, but so far that is the way it has played out in our scrimmages.”

Senior guard London Perrantes was recently ranked the No. 2 col-

lege player by ESPN, but has remained relatively quiet on offense over the first two games.

The Virginia-Yale matchup will take place at John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Redshirt freshman forward Mamdi Diakite is competing for time at forward.

STAYING HUNGRY ve Swanson said. “But I don’t think there’s a person in our program that feels good about the performance.”

Sure — on the surface, it may seem like Virginia is struggling to find its footing and is in danger of exiting the tournament early. But it is exactly this self-awareness that the Cavaliers can use to improve and push forward.

Last season, Virginia reached the Elite Eight — a respectable feat for any team in any sport. But, the Cavaliers were poised for more.

Winning 19 games to just one loss and three ties, Virginia not only earned a No. 1 seed in the tournament, but was also ranked as the top team in the country when the tournament started. Their relative success made the heartbreaking shootout loss to Rutgers that much harder, as the Cavaliers’ title hopes evaporated.

This season, with a lower seeding and even lower expectations, Virginia can play more loosely,

without the burden of being the top team in the nation. This is something they can use to their advantage.

Instead of focusing on pursuing a championship and matching expected outcomes, the Cavaliers can just focus on one game at a time.

“I think from the start of the game, we need everyone to 100 percent compete and give it their all,” senior midfielder Alexis Shaffer said. “This is the NCAA Tournament — if you lose you’re out — and this could be every team’s last game, so everyone is going to come out 100 percent [and] that’s the way we need to look at it as well.”

Virginia will need to take these words to heart if it wants to beat Penn State (11-4-4) Friday. While the Nittany Lions do not have the most impressive record, they sent a message by defeating Bucknell (16-1-2) by a score of 6-0 in the first round of the tournament.

To beat this team, which has

clearly shown that it does not plan to pack up and go home any time soon, the Cavaliers will need to channel its magic from earlier in the season. While Virginia scored 23 goals in the first seven games, it has only scored 26 in its last 13. To defeat Penn State and make a run at a championship, the Cavaliers must be able to score the way they did against Monmouth in the first round.

Virginia also needs to return to its defensive dominance. In talking about the Monmouth game, Shaffer felt that the Cavaliers had not competed hard enough. “[Monmouth] did score a goal on us,” Shaffer said.

Shaffer’s frustration over allowing a single goal is a good sign for the Cavaliers. And this anger is completely justified — after all, the Cavaliers had not let up a single goal in the first seven games of their season. There is no reason why they can’t replicate that success down the

stretch.

If Virginia were to beat Penn State, it would have a tough matchup in the Sweet Sixteen. It would either have to play Rutgers — the team that knocked out the Cavaliers last season — or Georgetown — the team that handed Virginia its first loss of this season.

But with six seniors on the roster, the Cavaliers are an experienced squad that has learned from its mistakes of last year and used them as motivation for this season.

Earlier in the season, I stated, “This team has a legitimate shot at bringing a title back to Charlottesville in 2016.” The road is certainly tough ahead, but with a team this hungry, I am confident in my claim.

BEN TOBIN is a weekly sports columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at bjt5ed@virginia. edu or on Twitter at @TobinBen.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

www.cavalierdaily.com • SPORTS

7

Football turns to Johns ahead of Georgia Tech game Cavaliers defense must adjust to option offensive scheme MARIEL MESSIER | SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR The finale of Virginia’s final game — Senior Day — at Scott Stadium last week ended quietly, as players exited the field after a 34-14 loss to Miami to see few Cavalier fans filing out of the stands.

Now, with a bowl game out of consideration, the Cavaliers (2-8, 1-5 ACC) seek improvement as they head out on the road for two final ACC matchups. The first destination is Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. to face Georgia Tech.

“The outcome and the record at this point doesn’t show,” coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “But my internal day-to-day with these guys is really, really enjoyable. I think there's a super foundation being laid at least in terms of expectation.”

Last season, Virginia bested the Yellow Jackets (6-4, 3-4 ACC) in Charlottesville by a score of 27-21.

However, it seems that whoever is at home in the series has the advantage.

Georgia Tech is 15-7 overall in the series when playing at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

The Cavaliers will have to make changes to their defensive scheme in anticipation of the option offense of the Yellow Jackets. However, defending against the option is a feat in which Mendenhall has plenty of

W

hen both the past and present weigh you down, look ahead to the future. That’s the mindset of senior associate editor Grant Gossage this week, as he breaks down five of coach Bronco Mendenhall’s most recent 2017 Virginia football commits.

ZANE ZANDIER The 6-foot-3, 205-pound receiver and defensive back from Clairton, Penn., outside of Pittsburgh, verbally committed to the University Saturday. Zandier leads Thomas Jefferson High School in receptions this season, with 34 catches for 744 yards and 17 touchdowns. Two of those scores came Friday in his team’s 35-7 WPIAL semifinal win over West Mifflin. Zandier will play in the Class 4A Championship game Friday at Heinz Field.

Mendenhall and staff have recruited Zandier — their top recruit according to his 247Sports Composite rating of 0.87 — to play outside linebacker. The three-star prospect turned down offers from Michigan State, West Virginia, Penn State, Cincinnati, among other programs, to be a Cavalier.

JEREMIAH OWUSU-KORAMOAH Another in the long line of 757 area code impact products,

experience.

“I love playing option football teams,” Mendenhall said. “It's a great challenge. I like defending it, and I like the all-inclusive nature of what your week looks like when you go into something like that.”

Last week, Georgia Tech took down No. 18 Virginia Tech, 30-20.

Freshman offensive lineman Parker Braun earned ACC Lineman of the Week honors after recording 10 knockdowns and helping the Yellow Jackets’ option offense tally 309 rushing yards against the Hokies’ stifling defense.

In Virginia’s Monday press conference, Mendenhall and players both stressed the importance of a full week of practice to prepare for the option offense, which the Cavaliers have yet to face this season.

“I think film study for this offense will be key,” redshirt freshman defensive end Eli Hanback said. “Being able to see it and learn from film in practice I think will be the best thing to prepare for it.”

One key player that the defense will rely on against the Yellow Jackets is junior linebacker Micah Kiser.

Virginia has relied on his leadership all season, but with 231 tackles over his 22 career starts, the junior brings

results. Kiser is also instrumental in helping develop the young Cavalier defense.

“He’s the centerpiece,” Hanback said. “He’s the captain. He leads us.

For the young guys I think it’s a learning curve for them, and for me. But getting this early playing time is going to help us a lot.”

Georgia Tech’s defense was strong in last week’s win too. Junior defensive back Lawrence Austin won ACC honors as well, being named Defensive Back of the Week. Austin helped the Yellow Jackets shake up Virginia Tech’s offense by recording two interceptions and a forced fumble to contribute to three of Georgia Tech’s four takeaways.

Turnovers are something that Virginia’s offense will have to be wary of Saturday. The Cavaliers have had issues with ball security in their past few contests. In the past two games, junior quarterback Kurt Benkert has fumbled the ball four times. His recent decline in offensive production may be part of the reason why Mendenhall made the decision this week to start senior quarterback Matt Johns Saturday rather than the East Carolina transfer, who has started all 10 of Virginia’s games this season.

Johns started all of last season, but

was relegated to a backup role this year when Benkert was named the starting quarterback just before Virginia’s first game. This year, Johns has acted as the holder during field goals.

However, he entered the game late in the fourth quarter last week against Miami, after Benkert’s second fumble of the game. The senior finished out his last game at Scott Stadium going three-of-seven for 64 yards, despite three of his passes being dropped by receivers.

“I have to let Matt have his chance,” Mendenhall said. “He's done way too much for the program and he's competed in such a manner where that's got to happen just from my standpoint as the head coach.”

LAUREN HORNSBY | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Senior quarterback Matt Johns will start his first game of the season Saturday.

LOOKING TO 2017 AND BEYOND

Owusu-Koramoah is labeled an athlete by scouts but has played mainly outside linebacker and wide receiver at Bethel in Hampton, Va. The 6-foot2, 197-pound commit received offers from Clemson, North Carolina State, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Washington State and others before his Oct. 23 announcement.

Owusu-Koramoah’s team fell to Indian River, 33-14, in the VHSL Group 5A playoffs Friday. Though their efforts didn’t pay off in full, the Bruins improved upon a 47-7 defeat to the Braves in last season’s playoffs.

“No joking at practice, everybody was completely locked in,” Owusu-Koramoah said after the loss.

“We all had the same mindset that, look man, they just came from beating us in the playoffs that previous year. We said, ‘Man, this is revenge.’”

JAMARI PEACOCK From Yulee High School in Yulee, Fla. — the same school that 2015 Heisman Trophy Winner and former Alabama running back Derrick Henry attended — Peacock is similarly a big back at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds. Virginia beat out a number of established teams in the pursuit of Peacock, including Florida, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, Stanford and Nebraska. He committed Nov. 7.

The Hornets dropped their first

FHSAA Class 5A playoff game Friday to unbeaten Ponte Vedra, 5119. Peacock finished his career with 3,956 rushing yards and 65 touchdowns. He rushed for 207 and three scores in his final game.

“Jamari Peacock is the real deal,” Ponte Vedra coach Matt Toblin said.

“He is big, strong and fast. … You can’t tackle him like a normal human being.”

CHARLES SNOWDEN Mark Giannotto of the Washington Post wrote an article in October about area athlete Snowden. It talks about how the then-junior at St. Alban’s rediscovered his love of football after watching the team’s first game from the bleachers. At 6-foot-7 and 200 pounds, Snowden had mid-major basketball offers before he decided then to return to the gridiron.

Over two years at St. Alban’s, Snowden showcased his athleticism as a wide receiver and outside linebacker. Meanwhile, he earned an offer to play hoops at D-I school St. Francis. Snowden committed to the Virginia football program, Oct. 2, only a week after Mendenhall and company had offered him his first football scholarship.

“My heart had always been set on playing basketball in college, but when schools like U-Va. and Duke

However, Virginia’s uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position continues with this move. But despite uncertainty, the Cavaliers are happy to see Johns have another chance under center with just two games remaining in the season.

“We all love both Kurt and Matt,” senior linebacker Zach Bradshaw said. “Matt’s been around forever. I’m really happy for him and that he has this opportunity. If there’s anyone on this team that deserves this, it’s him.”

Both Johns and Virginia have a chance to make a statement in what remains of the season. Their first opportunity comes Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

and Maryland come calling, it’s hard to say no to those schools,” Snowden said. “Growing up, I’ve always been a huge college football fan, so just to be a part of it, it was an offer I couldn’t turn down.”

RYAN NELSON One of Mendenhall’s west coast targets, Nelson has the opportunity to improve a weak Cavalier offensive line down the road. 247Sports ranks the 6-foot-6, 254-pound senior from Buena Park High in California 66th in the country for his position. Nelson garnered offers from Arizona, California, Utah, Northwestern, Hawaii, Navy and Virginia, with more letters on the table.

After their 49-35 win over Central Michigan, the Cavaliers heard the good news in person. Nelson chose Virginia as his destination.

“I just needed to see the Grounds,” Nelson said. “I fell in love with U.Va.” His Coyotes team knocked off San Juan Hills, 20-7, in its first matchup of the CIF Division 3 playoffs, so Nelson will fight in the trenches again this Friday against Edison in what appears to be a dead-even contest on paper.

THE FUTURE A large chunk of his 2017 recruiting class, 18 of 22 commits to be exact, got onboard before the

start of Mendenhall’s first season in Charlottesville, while the four above joined late. It’s turned out to be a woeful campaign for Virginia on the field, as the team enters week 12 with an ACC-worst record of 2-8. But Mendenhall can rest easy, knowing he’s recruited kids who are willing to invest.

“They are getting in at the time where they can make a real difference, which is actually why I came — to make a real difference,” Mendenhall said. “Not being promised a return right away, but knowing that [they] could contribute to something of real significance.”

Should these commits stay in Charlottesville for three, even four years, they may be there when the Cavalier program transforms into a consistent force. Based off its projection of where Virginia will be in time, a Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game committee paired the Cavaliers against Georgia for the 2020 opener in Atlanta. Is this a future you can get behind?

GRANT GOSSAGE is a senior associate sports editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at g.gossage@ cavalierdaily.com

8

THE CAVALIER DAILY

SPORTS • www.cavalierdaily.com

KEYS TO A VIRGINIA WIN

2016 STATISTICAL LEADERS Passing

PLAY BY THE RULES

1 2 3

Penalties have cost Virginia significant amounts of yards throughout the season. Against Miami last week, the Cavaliers were penalized 10 times, costing them 110 yards overall. Virginia ranks 91st in the nation in the least amount of penalties per game. Already fighting to convert on third downs, the Cavaliers need any yardage they can get to be successful.

MINIMIZE TURNOVERS Virginia Tech turned over the ball four times against the Yellow Jackets last week. On the other hand, the Cavaliers have had issues with giving up the ball, especially in the fourth quarter. In the last three games, Virginia has turned over the ball six times in the final quarter, costing them 31 points. The Cavaliers’ offense needs to dominate possession against Georgia Tech.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Georgia Tech Justin Thomas (QB): 54.4% Completion 1168 Yards 7 Touchdowns 1 Interceptions

57.6% Completion 2430 Yards 20 Touchdowns 11 Interceptions

Rushing

STOP THE RUN

If Virginia wants to defeat Georgia Tech, the key will be stopping the option offense, which has rushed for 266.4 yards per game this season — good for second in the ACC. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae indicated last week that the defense played well enough to keep Virginia in the game, but they will need to be firing on all cylinders to be effective Saturday.

Virginia Kurt Benkert (QB):

Virginia

Georgia Tech

Albert Reid (RB):

Taquan Mizzell (RB):

Dedrick Mills (RB):

Justin Thomas (QB):

86 Carries 417 Yards 4.8 YPC* 6 Touchdowns

141 Carries 696 Yards 4.9 YPC* 5 Touchdowns

114 Carries 578 Yards 5.1 YPC* 10 Touchdowns

112 Carries 561 Yards 5.0 YPC* 5 Touchdowns *YPC = Yards per Carry

Receiving Virginia Olamide Zaccheaus (WR): Taquan Mizzell (RB): 45 Receptions 517 Yards 11.5 YPC* 6 Touchdowns

45 Receptions 361 Yards 8 YPC* 2 Touchdowns

Georgia Tech Ricky Jeune (WR):

Clinton Lynch (TB):

21 Receptions 350 Yards 16.7 YPC* 1 Touchdown

12 Receptions 389 Yards 32.4 YPC* 5 Touchdowns *YPC = Yards per Catch

Defense Virginia Micah Kiser (LB): 115 Tackles 10 TFL** 4 Forced Fumbles 6.5 Sacks

Quin Blanding (S): 102 Tackles 1.0 TFL** 5 Pass Breakups 2 Interceptions

Georgia Tech Corey Griffin (S): 72 Tackles 4.0 TFL** 1 Interception 1 Sack

Patrick Gamble (DE): 32 Tackles 6.5 TFL** 2 Forced Fumbles 4.5 Sacks

**TFL = Tackle for Loss

LAUREN HABERMAYER | THE CAVALIER DAILY PHOTOS COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

MATT JOHNS Senior quarterback Matt Johns returns as the starting guy for the first time since last season.

Johns tallied one touchdown this season against North Carolina when he was involved in a fake field goal. Against Miami, he played for less than six minutes in the fourth quarter, going three-for-seven. It will be interesting to see if Johns can revitalize Virginia’s offense Saturday.

MICAH KISER

LAWRENCE AUSTIN Junior defensive back Lawrence Austin was a part of three out of the four takeaways Georgia Tech gained from Virginia Tech. He caught two interceptions and forced a fumble. Austin has 90 tackles so far on the year, with his high coming against Clemson with 12 tackles.

Freshman running back

ROBERT ELDER

GRANT GOSSAGE

DEDRICK MILLS

Junior linebacker Micah Kiser will be tasked with keeping Virginia’s defense in line against Georgia Tech’s dynamic option offense. The junior ranks first in the ACC and No. 3 in the nation with 114 career tackles. Last week against Miami, he recorded his first career interception, which eventually lead to a touchdown for the Cavalier offense.

Dedrick Mills has been a favorite target in Georgia Tech’s option offense. Mills has compiled a total of 578 rushing yards so far in his freshman season, which averages out to 5.1 yards

QUIN BLANDING

JUSTIN THOMAS Georgia Tech’s veteran senior quarterback missed last weeks game against Virginia Tech due to injury, and although the Yellow Jackets were victorious, Thomas is a key component to his team – starting for the past three years.

This season, Thomas is already producing his best numbers with seven touchdowns and 1,168 yards. He is expected to be back and healthy against Virginia.

Junior free safety Quin Blanding is another key leader of Virginia’s defense who will need to have a big game Saturday. Personally, Blanding will be looking to make a mark, as he is five tackles away from surpassing Anthony Poindexter to record the most stops of any Cavalier defensive back.

He has five double-digit tackle games so far this season.

EDITORS’ PICKS

The Cavalier Daily Sports staff predicts the winner for Saturday’s matchup.

For their full slate of picks, head to cavalierdaily.com.

per carry. Overall, Mills has tallied 10 touchdowns on the season to lead the Yellow Jackets.

JACOB HOCHBERGER

MARIEL MESSIER

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

9

CORRECTION In the Monday, Nov. 13 edition of The Cavalier Daily, the article “Professors ask Sullivan to stop quoting Jefferson” incorrectly stated in the subheadline and in the article itself that student groups collaborated to write the letter. While students and student groups signed the letter, it was written and distributed by professors.

LEAD EDITORIAL

When quoting Jefferson, there is a middle ground It would be unreasonable to stop referencing the school’s founder altogether A letter from 469 professors and students asking University President Teresa Sullivan not to quote Thomas Jefferson in emails has ignited fierce debate nationwide.

The letter questioned the appropriateness of quoting Jefferson given his association with slavery. While quoting Jefferson is more appropriate on some occasions than others, it is unreasonable to ask administrators to refrain from quoting their school’s founder altogether.

Jefferson is deeply embedded in our history. As a result, we often use his writings as a reference to our institution’s core values.

However much we may disagree with his actions or beliefs, Jefferson and our University today are inextricable.

Still, context is important in determining whether something is appropriate, and

this letter was intended to address the concerns of people historically and presently excluded. This point is particularly relevant given that Sullivan’s email was specifically intended to underscore the importance of unity after a contentious election outcome.

Since Jefferson is such a pertinent figure at our University, we are often quick to invoke him before fully considering how doing so affects the very message we are attempting to communicate. There is clearly a significant contingent of people within our community that felt quoting Jefferson undermined the email’s intended message.

Administrators should be judicious about how the complexities of Jefferson’s legacies may affect messages that they want to convey. On the other hand, in this case, we did not find the use of this quote to be particu-

larly offensive in a message about the need for political civility.

In her email, Sullivan noted the progress our country has made since Jefferson’s time, and quoted him as saying University students “are exactly the persons who are to succeed to the government of our country, and to rule its future enmities, its friendships and fortunes.” Undoubtedly, Jefferson would not have envisioned including the vast majority of University students who are here today in this message. But that does not mean these words do not apply now. While we may struggle to find it, there is a middle ground between condemning Jefferson’s history and making use of his legacy for positive change.

THE CAVALIER DAILY THE CAVALIER DAILY The Cavalier Daily is a financially and editorially independent news organization staffed and managed entirely by students of the University of Virginia.

The opinions expressed in The Cavalier Daily are not necessarily those of the students, faculty, staff or administration of the University of Virginia. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the editorial board. Cartoons and columns represent the views of the authors. The managing board of The Cavalier Daily has sole authority over and responsibility for all content.

No part of The Cavalier Daily or The Cavalier Daily online edition may be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the written consent of the editor-in-chief.

The Cavalier Daily is published Mondays and Thursdays in print and daily online at cavalierdaily.com. It is printed on at least 40 percent recycled paper. 2016 The Cavalier Daily Inc.

HAVE AN OPINION? The Cavalier Daily welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns. Writers must provide full name, telephone number and University affiliation, if appropriate.

Letters should not exceed 250 words in length and columns should not exceed 700.

The Cavalier Daily does not guarantee publication of submissions and may edit all material for content and grammar. Submit to opinion@cavalierdaily.com or P.O. Box 400703, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4703

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10

THE CAVALIER DAILY

OPINION • www.cavalierdaily.com

STAY MAD Anger is a natural and acceptable response to the election of Donald Trump

L

ike many of our readers, I was shocked by the outcome of last Tuesday’s election. In the following days, I, like many others, was at a loss for words and struggled to think of a productive way to move forward. This is a difficult time, not just for Democrats, but also for many others who believe a Donald Trump presidency will fail to protect and possibly infringe upon their constitutional rights. While President Obama and Hillary Clinton have called for unity, such calls are utterly impractical following an election fraught with fear and bigotry. Having been the primary source of such vitriol, any expectation of national reconciliation and unity should be placed on the president-elect, not the public.

Since Tuesday, many who opposed Trump’s presidency continue to express outrage over the election’s outcome. At the time of this writing, anti-Trump protests continue to occur in Los Angeles, New York and other major cities.

On the right, many have already come to terms with the prospect of a Trump presidency and called on others to follow suit. David French

dismisses accusations that Trump’s upset is attributable to lingering racist attitudes and “whitelash,” going so far as to say that Trump won because “minority voters let him win,” while Kevin Williamson criticizes anti-Trump protests as petulant and hypocritical.

Surely, after every election there are many on the losing side who feel dejected and alienated by the final outcome, yet Trump’s victory

ly globalized economy. However, it is difficult to simply move on while knowing our future president has emboldened white supremacists to such a degree that many are planning public demonstrations to celebrate his victory.

I am ashamed that 47 percent of voters who participated in last Tuesday’s election were willing to overlook Trump’s obvious character flaws — ranging from his

Trump’s victory is different from those of years prior.

is different from those of years prior. Perhaps it is true that Trump’s rise was fueled by a growing sense of disenchantment among predominantly white working class voters, convinced that globalization and mechanization threaten their ability to earn a living. Our government could certainly do a better job of helping these communities prosper in an increasing-

bragging about committing sexual assault to calling Mexican immigrants “rapists” and expressing a willingness to create a Muslim tracking database once in office — and support him nonetheless.

While David Brooks suggests such an inclination is appealing to individuals undergoing economic hardships, one’s individual circumstances do not excuse electing

a bigot. Perhaps Brooks forgot that many of the communities Trump attacked throughout his campaign endure similar hardships as well.

Still, there are some who claim that fear of a Trump presidency is unwarranted, suggesting that the president-elect will embrace a more pragmatic agenda once in office. Perhaps Trump will embrace policies that are more in line with traditional Republican values. Perhaps he will not. Doing so would be an improvement over the rhetoric he employed during the campaign, though it is worth noting the policies House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) advocates for fail to acknowledge critical social issues, namely police brutality and discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community. In a year in which police shootings and discrimination have further polarized society, such an omission is unacceptable. Announcing a plan to address these issues, however unpopular among Trump supporters, could be a first step toward mending the current partisan divide.

Unfortunately, Trump has yet to show any inclination to engage in such statesmanship.

While the outcome of last Tuesday’s election should be respected, it is not unreasonable for many to be mad about the results. Indeed, they should stay mad. Such anger is a natural response to the outcome of an election in which the winning candidate regularly relied on racial fear-mongering to appeal to voters. As president-elect, it is incumbent upon Trump to reach out to these disaffected groups and begin the slow process of re-uniting the country. However, such an outcome would require Trump to set aside the persona he displayed while campaigning and develop a more professional demeanor, a task that I do not believe he possesses the mental wherewithal to accomplish. For those who share my suspicions, it is all the more important to begin organizing in anticipation for the next round of elections.

BRANDON BROOKS is an Opinion Columnist at The Cavalier Daily.

He can be reached at b.brooks@cavalierdaily.com

UNDERSTANDING THE OTHER SIDE In view of Trump’s victory, we must redouble efforts to encourage political awareness

I

n the wake of the 2016 election, it is clear from the results that voter turnout, while generally lower across the board from 2008 and 2012, decreased by a significantly lesser amount among white, non-college educated individuals than in pro-Hillary Clinton counties.

The United States has become accustomed to individuals with lower socioeconomic statuses voting less often than their more educated counterparts: consequently, Donald Trump’s victory came as a surprise to much of the polling intelligentsia. However, turning away from the disaffected crowd who voted for Trump is not the way to a future Democratic comeback. A more measured and intellectually consistent reaction would be to reinforce our fundamentally democratic principles and encourage more awareness about politics in general, all while welcoming and understanding the anger latent in the American public.

Trump’s calls to bring back manufacturing jobs to the Midwest, deceiving though they may be, were taken up enthusiastically by blue-collar workers in the heartland, who turned out in much greater numbers

for Trump than for Democratic candidates supported in the past. The influx of Trump voters into voting stations should not have surprised the majority of

hardly a secret, pundits relied on the same old assumptions about education and voter turnout.

Dealing with the prospect of a Trump presidency does not

Trump’s victory, according to exit polls, was not so much because of his personal image as much as it was in spite of it. academics and pollsters as much as it did. There has been ample data showing there is a direct causal link between the level of education a voter has and the degree to which they turn out to vote in elections. Polling experts routinely factor in that fact when looking at support for various political figures versus the probability that their constituents would actually come out and vote. In this case, however, experts somehow failed to anticipate that large groups of white, lower-educated voters would be so effectively spurred on to vote by the idea of a Trump presidency. While the proportion of such voters supporting Trump was

mean the liberal establishment should shy away from engaging with Trump voters on the issues.

Rather, we should all seek to understand what has happened through the lens of understanding. Democrats cannot hope to win every election by hoping that the dispossessed “basket of deplorables” simply don’t turn up to the polls.Voting for Trump in 2016, according to exit polls, correlated strongly with dissatisfaction with the country’s direction. The voters Trump captured were as much former Democrats as they were staunch Republicans. White, working-class voters turned away from a Clinton presidency because it represent-

ed to them, in part, the failed promises of an Obama administration. These complaints, while not always justified, are real and loud, and the Democrats do real harm to their future electoral chances should they attempt to brush off the complaints altogether.

The Democratic Party would be more successful if it refocused away from personality politics and back towards the issues that hurt the average American voter. Trump’s victory, according to exit polls, was not so much because of his personal image as much as it was in spite of it. By targeting Trump as a racist, sexist buffoon (all of which he may very well be), the Democratic Party fails to speak to deeper, more primal reasons that certain segments of the Obama coalition voted for Trump. Promoting greater understanding of the issues would mean that the Democratic Party could once again obtain the upper hand. Rather than being seen as supporting moneyed, elitist interests, the Democratic Party can stand for progress and hope in an America where the poor and dispossessed are once again part of the American fabric. Exclusionary comments and movements are

counterproductive to this goal: Democrats should reorient their positions to once again focus on the themes of hope and change that President Obama once represented.

It is more sustainable and more equitable for the Democratic Party to try and understand the grievances of a wounded American public howling for change, and to promote greater understanding of the policies required to get to meaningful and lasting change. Returning to the status quo is not an option: Donald Trump won because certain politically disengaged communities were finally able to find a champion for their beliefs, no matter how misguided their interlocutor may appear to the average University student. Rather, we should seek to embrace those whose anger and whose resentment we cannot begin to understand, in the hopes that dialogue and understanding can begin to heal long-festering election wounds.

ERIC XU is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at e.xu@cavalierdaily. com.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

www.cavalierdaily.com • OPINION

11

DON’T SHAME HARAMBE VOTERS The write-in ballot is a crucial option for frustrated Americans

B

ack in August, I wrote an article arguing for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein’s participation in national debates.

My argument was that Americans should be exposed to as much political choice as possible given the profound undesirability of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The third party candidates never did get a chance to debate on the main stage, and in the end voters were exposed almost exclusively to Clinton and Trump, who respectively had 53 percent and 60 percent unfavorability ratings. Thus, it is not surprising that neither of them garnered more than 50 percent of the popular vote in last Tuesday’s election. Even though some voters might have used the write-in option in a seemingly silly manner to convey their frustration, these voters should not be shamed because they are still contributing to the democratic process.

Perhaps one of the stories to emerge from the election results is that Harambe, the 400-pound gorilla who was killed earlier this year saving a three-year-old boy

in the Cincinnati Zoo, received 11,000 votes for president. This story has been proven false because 34 states require write-in candidates to file paperwork for their votes to count, and nine states do not permit write-in votes at all. This leaves only seven total

sacred right to vote. Thus, it could seem disrespectful to the men and women who have given us that right to “waste” votes on individuals who are fictional, non-human or deceased.

However, it is precisely this form of political protest that

One of the primary axioms of American democracy is the ability to vote for whomever one desires, be they dead, fictional or non-human.

states where a vote for Harambe could have been legitimate.

Voting for Harambe and other non-humans such as Mickey Mouse, Daffy Duck, Goofy and Snoopy might appear to be a trivialization of democracy. Some of my peers on both ends of the political spectrum have accused such write-in voters of taking advantage of democracy and the fact that soldiers have fallen to preserve the

makes American democracy so unique and so reverent. In as many as 22 countries across the globe, a total of 744 million people are required by law to vote. While this is not an inherently undemocratic requirement, it removes the sense of voluntary political participation that makes voting so special in the United States and other countries across Western Europe. When a citizen is required by the govern-

ment to cast a vote, the meaning of that action loses a portion of its meaning, even if that vote is for a real politician.

While some might perceive the act of voting for nonsense characters as a trivialization of democracy, I perceive it as a legitimate form of democratic protest. Sure, there are much better ways to make a political protest through voting. Instead of voting for Trump or Clinton, a frustrated voter could have made a similar point by voting for Johnson, Stein or other prominent politicians such as Bernie Sanders or Mitt Romney. Yet, one of the primary axioms of American democracy is the ability to vote for whomever one desires, be they dead, fictional or non-human. If a voter feels so disgusted and so frustrated by the political situation they find themselves in, then it is their right, if not their duty, to express that even in the most dramatic and seemingly juvenile ways. It is not a surprise then that write-in votes skyrocketed in this election as compared to the 2012 election in some states, such as Maryland and Wisconsin, which

are normally viewed as prevalently Democratic strongholds.

America’s democratic tradition affords all of her citizens the ability to have a say in choosing a positive path forward. Considering the numerous unfavorable characteristics of both of this cycle’s major party nominees, the degree to which voters sought alternative options, best underscored by the failure of both to reach 50 percent of the popular vote total, is not surprising. While it might seem unflattering for citizens to cast their vote for an individual who does not actually exist, it is important to recognize the value of the right to political protest. If we demonize disillusioned voters for acting in such a manner, then we consequently fail to recognize the grievances they have with a political situation that is less than desired for.

JESSE BERMAN is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at j.berman@cavalierdaily.com.

JEFFERSON’S LEGACY IS WORTH DEFENDING U.Va.’s founder contributed to the cause of human freedom At the risk of offending 469 University faculty colleagues and students who protest University President Teresa Sullivan’s practice of quoting University founder Thomas Jefferson “in light of Jefferson’s owning of slaves and other racist beliefs,” I would submit another Jefferson quote: “This institution [the University] will be based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind. For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.”

Jefferson did not want to suppress “error,” but to allow competing claims to the truth to do battle in the intellectual marketplace of ideas.

We call that “academic freedom.”

Facts affirm the wisdom of Jefferson’s vision in this instance.

Censoring Sullivan’s references to Jefferson would impoverish our students and faculty alike, and — as is so often the case with censorship advocates — it is premised upon ignorance.

When Jefferson inherited slaves upon the deaths of his father and father-in-law, it was unlawful in Virginia to free slaves without permission of the governor and his council based upon extraordinary service. In 1769, Jefferson drafted a statute permitting manumission of slaves — a rule finally enacted in

1782.

In his draft of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson denounced King George III for having “waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating its most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of distant people who never offended him, captivating and carrying

change.

Like virtually every other national leader of his generation — including many who, like Jefferson, spoke out passionately against the evils of slavery — Thomas Jefferson was a racist. But he was a reluctant racist. In a Feb. 25, 1809, letter to Henri Grégoire, Jefferson clarified:

The answer to ignorance is not censorship, but education and enlightenment. them into slavery in another hemisphere… ” The language was deleted to keep South Carolina and Georgia from walking out of the convention.

Among his other antislavery efforts, Jefferson drafted an amendment to prevent the importation of new slaves into Virginia that was enacted in 1778 — and proclaimed that all children born to slaves in Virginia after 1800 would be born free, and “should be brought up, at the public expense, to tillage, arts, or sciences according to their geniuses… ” That radical proposal was never introduced, because the votes clearly did not exist. Jefferson wanted to have it ready, knowing public opinion would eventually

“Be assured that no person living wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a complete refutation of the doubts I have myself entertained and expressed on the grade of understanding allotted to the negro by nature . . . . But whatever be their degree of talent, it is no measure of their rights. Because Sir Isaac Newton was superior to others in understanding, he was not therefore lord of the person or property of others.”

As a member of the Second Continental Congress in 1787, Jefferson drafted rules for the governance of the Northwest Territories, Article Six of which read: “There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory,

otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted… ” If the language sounds familiar, that’s because seven decades later the authors of the Thirteenth Amendment selected Jefferson’s language to honor his courageous struggle against slavery.

Today we face the sad spectacle of nearly 500 misinformed University professors and students seeking to ban the thoughts and words of Thomas Jefferson from our community. Will they demand next that the Law School remove the Thirteenth Amendment from textbooks because it embodies Jefferson’s words? Will they censor the writings of Aristotle because he, too, was a racist?

George Washington owned far more slaves than Jefferson and never once spoke out publicly against slavery. Washington did free his slaves in his will, but only after he and Martha died. Jefferson did not free his slaves in his will, because he was deeply in debt and Section 54 of the Revised Code of Virginia of 1819 prohibited the manumission of slaves until creditors had been fully compensated. Freeing his slaves upon his death in 1826 was simply not a legal option.

Some of the most respected American presidents of the 20th century were racists. Racism is a

manifestation of ignorance, and all human beings are ignorant about many things. Some of the most visionary scientists of the ancient world were both racists and sincere believers that the Earth was flat.

Should we ban their positive contributions from our schools because of their ignorance in other areas?

The answer to ignorance is not censorship, but education and enlightenment. Let us not censor those who would seek to suppress the views of Thomas Jefferson, but rather subject their thoughts to the intellectual marketplace and allow each member of our community to draw his or her own conclusions in their search for the truth.

Perhaps the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society would be willing to organize and host such a debate — I’ll be happy to take on the three most prominent champions of censorship, so long as I get equal time and adequate rebuttal time.

ROBERT TURNER is a Law professor and editor of “The Jefferson-Hemings Controversy.” He may be reached at bobturner@virginia. edu.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

H HUMOR T

he other day, I had to go get a flu shot. Plagued by a lifelong fear of needles, I was not too keen on this idea, but my mom said I had to do it, and as with all children and their mothers, I am pretty scared of her. This was my sole reason for going. When I was in 4th grade, I was the understudy to play the coveted role of Egyptian Lady in my class play about Ancient Egypt. It was a kickass show, complete with several musical numbers and just a pinch of cultural appropriation. I was psyched to play Egyptian Lady, but Julie Frank got the role over me and I was distraught. But THEN Julie got the flu the day before the show, so I got to go on in her place. It rocked. Thus, the flu and I are old friends. Also, I am not worried about getting the flu because I don’t actually know

N

ov. 9, 2016 8 a.m.: Today will be my first day back in civilization in six years. Since the day I graduated from college, I have been living on my own in the wilderness. I have travelled across this country many times over. For that reason, I am very tired. SO tired. Who would ever want to do such a thing like that? I would, after a night of getting super high off some real primo bud.

I was very much into the idea of sleeping on the ground, probably because I had never slept on the ground. Let me tell you: it sucks. And yet I did it for six whole years. If I didn’t like it from the beginning, then why did I stick it out for so long?

Well, let me tell you. After about the third day hiking through the

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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET THE FLU? what happens to you when you get it, and my general philosophy is that if I can’t understand it, I don’t fear it! This is why I have never read a single book in my entire life. Shrouded in a blissful cloak of ignorance, I am scared of almost nothing.

Except for needles and my mom.

I took the morning off to prepare myself emotionally. While getting dressed, I broke a mirror, which did not bode well. I considered sticking one of the shards of glass in my arm as practice for the pain sure to accompany my vaccination, but I caught myself and realized just in time that this was a bad idea, which is a testament to my impressive intellect.

I made the fateful march to CVS, listening to the song from “Hamilton” where everybody finds out about Hamilton’s affair.

This seemed like fitting musical accompaniment because I imagine the pain of getting a shot is relatively the physical equivalent of realizing your wife knows you cheated on her and you’re never gonna be president now.

Upon my arrival, I sat behind the blue curtain set up for vacci-

nations in the back of the store.

The pharmacist, Patrice (name has been changed to protect privacy — I imagine someone who gives out shots on a daily basis has a lot of enemies and I’m not looking to make things complicated for Patrice), emerged from the back room. I tried to move my backpack to make room for her to sit in the chair next to me, but I ended up knocking over the blue curtain. Patrice leapt to catch it before it hit the ground.

At this moment both Patrice and I knew things were not going to go so great for either of us.

I rolled up my sleeve in preparation. Patrice looked at me with fear, which did not instill a lot of confidence in me. I do have to give her some credit because she did not say, “Well, this is my first time doing this!” which is what Louis, the pharmacist from my last flu shot, announced right before he did the deed. “This is my first time doing this,” is not a phrase you want to hear when it comes to just about anything.

Flying an airplane, performing a surgery, strapping in for tandem skydiving — I could go on.

There are very few situations in which a lack of experience is a good thing. Perhaps if you’re on trial for a crime or you’re trying to run for president as a political outsider — coincidentally, two experiences with which Donald Trump is familiar!

Anyway, if this was Patrice’s first time, she did not say so, which I appreciated, even though the look in her eyes was giving off a “I nervous-vomited right before this and I’m totally going to vomit right after, too” vibe.

She wiped my arm with an alcohol pad and injected the vaccine.

“Wow,” I said. “That really didn’t hurt!”

“Yeah,” she said. “It’s a flu shot.” This is when the tide started to change in my relationship with Patrice. Really was not loving her tone at this point.

Patrice turned away to get a band-aid. When she turned back she said, “Whoa!” which, again, is not a phrase medical professionals should just go blurting out. “You’re bleeding,” she said.

I explained to her that I always bleed when I get vaccines. “Yeah, but, wow that’s a lot of blood.” If I

were to take a survey on Patrice’s performance at this moment, I would give her bedside manner a two out of 10.

“It’s a flesh wound!” I said, assuming my best “Monty Python” impression. Patrice, apparently not a fan of 1970s British comedy and definitely not a fan of me, asked if I needed to lie down.

At the end of all this trauma, I texted my mother to let her know I’d gotten the shot. I informed her that next year, it will probably be better if I just go ahead and get the flu. She said no, so I reminded her that Hillary Clinton got pneumonia, which I think is probably worse than the flu, and she did fine, running for president and everything. My mom said she did not see how this was at all related.

“I’m with her!!!!!!” I texted my mother, 73 times in a row for emphasis.

“Your brother is my favorite child,” she texted back. My mom can be a real Patrice sometimes.

NORA WALLS is a Humor writer.

THE OFF-THE-GRID TRAVELER’S LOG forests of Kentucky, I got very lost. Just incredibly, nonsensically lost. And, having an incredible sense of pride, I never felt compelled to ask anybody where I was or if they could give me help. So I did it on my own.

I ate mostly berries (it sucked), I slept on rocks (also sucked) and sometimes I was able to catch a wild rabbit and cook it over a small fire (too stringy, always got stuck in my teeth). But I did do some things I was proud of. I had no phone, no Internet for the entire time, so I remained oblivious to all things that have gone on since 2010. That seems pretty impressive to me.

Having a sense of freedom from the oppressiveness of topicality really made me feel light-

er, and it cleared up my skin.

Sometimes I was able to sneak into public libraries after closing and take some books. I read tens, if not dozens of books in those six years. Books that made me better, like “To the Lighthouse,” “Ulysses” and “Babar.”

That elephant is just so dang fun.

I also have really good-looking legs now, which I got from hiking so God dang much. Do you know how big this country is?

It’s too big. Once, I was in California and I walked for 14 hours straight, and when I was done I was still in California! That’s too big!

And don’t even get me started on the trees. There are so many trees in this country, and all of them are filled with at least one million bugs. One time I fell

asleep under a tree that turned out to be an ant colony, and the next morning I woke up with so many ant bites on my face I looked like Sloth from “The Goonies.” Sometimes, during my walks across this too big country, I would stumble upon a small town, and there I would be able to rest for the night. American small towns are incredible.

No matter where I was, I would always be greeted with a “WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!

GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW BEFORE I CALL THE POLICE.” It seems to me that Americans are more alike than they think. I guess I just got comfortable living the life of a transient, walking through the wilderness, riding in train cars,

getting kicked out of said train cars.

But there was always one thing that, no matter how many poisonous berries addled my brain chemistry, I could never get used to living without. I always loved to wake up in the morning and read the paper. It was just something that always centered me and made me feel calm and good. So now that I’m finally back from my years long sojourn of being completely off the grid, it’s time to sit down, take a big ole swig of piping hot coffee and look at today’s news…

PATRICK THEDINGA is a Humor writer.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

WEEKLY CROSSWORD SOLUTION SAM EZERSKY | PUZZLE MASTER

EVENTS THURSDAY 11/17 The Crooked Arrow of History Lecture, 5-6:30pm, Special Collections Library UPC Presents: #ThrowbackThursday, 9-11pm, Ern Commons First Year Players Presents: The Addams Family, 8pm, Student Activities Building Boomer & Moose Presents: Tunes for a Cure, 10pm-2am, Boylan Heights TEDxUVA Presents: Future of American Politics, 8-9pm, OpenGrounds Department of Politics Presents: What Next? After the Elections, 7-8pm, Monroe 130 Last Cancer Survivor Hour, 11pm-12am, The Biltmore FRIDAY 11/18 The Crooked Arrow of History Lecture, 5-6:30pm, Special Collections Library UPC Presents: Friendsgiving, 9pm-1am, Newcomb PAC First Year Players Presents: The Addams Family, 8pm, Student Activities Building Eliminate the Hate Presents: Occupy the Rotunda, 11am5pm, The Rotunda Girl Up Presents: Period Drive, 10am-3pm, South Lawn Photography Exhibition Opening, 6-10pm, OpenGrounds Vegan Thanksgiving, 5-7pm, The Amphitheatre SATURDAY 11/19 First Year Players Presents: The Addams Family, 8pm, Student Activities Building UDC Presents: Hit the Dance Floor, 1-3pm, Old Cabell Hall 90’s Bar Crawl, 2-10pm, The Corner March of Dimes Club Presents: 5k Glow Run, 5:15-9pm, The Amphitheatre GlobeMed Presents: 5k for Health Equality, 9am-12pm, Clark Hall Habitat for Humanity Presents: 4th Annual Rake-A-Thon, 10am-4pm, Habitat for Humanity SUNDAY 11/20 Wrestling vs. Lock Haven, 1pm, Memorial Gym Wrestling vs. Maryland, 3pm, Memorial Gym Men’s Basketball vs. Yale, 1pm, John Paul Jones Arena Women’s Basketball vs. Rutgers, 6pm, John Paul Jones Arena First Year Players Presents: The Addams Family, 8pm, Student Activities Building Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil, 7-8:30pm, The Amphitheatre Cavalier Symphony Orchestra Presents: Movie Music, 2-4pm, Newcomb Ballroom

A NEW PUZZLE CAN BY FOUND IN MONDAY’S ISSUE

NOW LEASING FOR 2017!

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‘The Black Monologues’ continues to excel Spoken word pieces masterfully illustrate black experience KYLE CANADY | SENIOR WRITER The production does an excellent job handling the serious subjects it addresses, never having too long a gap between its heart-wrenching stories and comedic executions.

While the production is very funny, there will almost certainly be times in which members of the audience will feel uncomfortable due to the sensitive nature of race and the experiences illustrated. However, this discomfort is certainly not a reason to avoid seeing the show. If anything, the moments of discomfort aid in the impartation of what it is like to live as a black person in a white community.

It is also important to note that those who are especially fond of the University and Thomas Jefferson might feel offended by the depiction of these entities. Whether an individual finds these depictions agreeable, they are a part of the black experience at the University.

This year’s show, despite hav-

ing the same title as last year’s production, was a different but equally amazing experience. Like last year’s production, “The Black Monologues” touches on most aspects of the black experience, from self-loathing of skin color to the immense love present in the community. Where this year’s production differs is in the stories utilized to portray these experiences, even adding interpretive dance and other scenes not present in last year’s production.

“The Black Monologues” is about black empowerment and self-love; it is by no means about racial superiority or vilification of white people.

The production may have scenes that illustrate wrongs which have been perpetrated by institutions or individuals, but it never feels inauthentic or racist. Overall, the show is a fantastic illustration of black life both at the University and elsewhere. It is worth attending even for those who did not see last year’s show.

COURTESY HAYLEY MARTIN

Student performances of “The Black Monologues” will continue this weekend.

‘Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play’ paints vivid picture U.Va. Drama succeeds in portrayal of post-apocalyptic world BRIDGET STARRS| STAFF WRITER “You have to hope when hope is senseless, and remember, remember, remember,” sang the cast of a show about a post-apocalyptic world.

The University Drama Department’s production of “Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play” premiered last Thursday. The play explores themes of culture, community and the importance of shared memory in a post-apocalyptic world. Featuring a small yet dynamic cast, the show is an eerie and evocative success. “Mr. Burns” tells the story of survivors who deal with the aftermath of a worldwide catastrophe by recounting episodes of “The Simpsons.” “[When] I read about the premise of it, the idea of a shared cultural experience being part of what helps these people survive an apocalyptic event was really interesting to me — that something as simple as recounting a “Simpsons” episode could help the community,” Director and Drama Prof. Cady Garey said.

Juxtaposing the fear and danger of a post-apocalyptic world with the lighthearted and upbeat retelling of “Simpsons” episodes is no simple feat, but the cast of “Mr. Burns” walks the line masterfully, crafting a story rich with dark comedy, music and haunt-

COURTESY MICHAEL BAILEY, DRAMA DEPARTMENT

Students performed in “Mr. Burns” last week.

ingly potent themes The play, split into three acts, opens to a group of survivors sitting around a campfire. Right away, there is a sharp contrast between the jovial conversation of characters fondly recounting “Simpsons” episodes and the palpable fear of other silent characters. In this first act, the audience learns that a major crisis has occurred — the United States is off the grid, cities are being evacuated and quarantined and people are searching desperately for friends and relatives. The scene is laden with fast-paced dialogue, which can easily be a stumbling block in performances, but the actors in “Mr. Burns” carry the scene with energetic intensity.

As the play goes on and the extent of the crisis becomes more apparent, the characters recount “The Simpsons” with growing intensity. With masterful subtlety, the actors convey this desperate need to cling to culture and memories in a disintegrating world.

Act two features new characters and showcases a musically adept cast. Seven years later, the survivors are making a living recreating episodes of “The Simpsons.” Now, the characters buy fragmented “Simpsons” lines from the public to piece together a TV show, complete with com-

mercials that feature music from artists like Beyoncé, Eminem and Britney Spears. The act is a startling mix between fragmented cultural phenomena and potent danger and anarchy in a lawless society.

The final act is entirely musical and takes place 70 years further into the future. Both bizarre and poignant, the act is a futuristic interpretation of a “Simpsons” episode which reflects the survivors’ struggle to not give up hope.“I think a lot of the themes are universal, especially in terms of what’s recently been happening in our political situation,” Virginia Garey, first-year College student and actress, said. “Things might be hard now, but we have to keep up hope … and keep surviving. And that’s all we can do, and I think the show really encapsulates that.”

The final act also features well-choreographed swordfights, tightly interwoven musical harmonies and even rap. The play finishes on a soaring, uplifting note, and stays with its audience long after the curtain closes.

“Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play” will be showing again Nov. 16-19 at 8 p.m. at Ruth Caplin Theatre.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

www.cavalierdaily.com • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Childish Gambino returns with new single, album release announcement ‘Me and Your Mama’ presents artist’s peak musical prowess ADAM BEDDAWI |SENIOR WRITER America in 2016 has been, to put it simply, dominated by cultural conflict. Forget for a second the toxic politics, the crippling amount of celebrity deaths and a growingly polarized society. When it comes to the artwork which responds to, re-packages and commodifies American cultures, few can make a greater case for owning 2016 than Donald Glover, who makes music under the alias Childish Gambino.

In addition to being the star, writer and executive producer of the acclaimed FX series “Atlanta,” this year, Gambino also reinvigorated his rap career, which has been on hold since his 2014 EP “Kauai.” This past Thursday, Gambino coupled the announcement of a forthcoming album entitled “Awaken, My Love!” with new single “Me and Your Mama.”

“Me and Your Mama” is dizzying at the outset. The line “I’m

in love when we are smoking that la-la-la-la-la” repeats as if to lull the listener to sleep, but is suddenly discarded for an enthusiastic vocal performance

by Gambino backed by noisy guitars and drums. The song’s lyrics are minimalist, but the repetition greatly enhances the dramatic effect.

Lines like “Can’t stand it, backhanded! / They wanna see us fallin’ apart!” and “This is the end of us! / Sleeping with the moon and the stars” point to a far more destructive relationship than Gambino initially lets on. Nevertheless, to Gambino, “this isn’t just puppy love.” Despite the opening line about love, Gambino’s constant self-reflection and pointed interrogation makes the song more paranoid than romantic.

The sound is unlike anything Gambino has tried before, potentially indicating Gambino will be taking far more risks on

his forthcoming album. As the first single from “Awaken, My Love!” and tracklisted as the album opener, this cut is hopefully a sign of things to come.

As an undeniably beautiful fusion of blues and rock, “Me and Your Mama” raises fascinating questions about the direction of Gambino’s sound and style with his next album due Dec. 2. Gambino is no stranger to this sort of impassioned vocal work, but the song is nevertheless a tremendously ambitious departure from his usual output.

Even more so, it is the best musical output of Gambino’s career, definitive proof he is still evolving and has much to offer.

COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Rapper Childish Gambino plans to release a new album next month.

As political uncertainty lingers, so does anxiety Students express concern over election results, their place in future TINA CHAI | STAFF WRITER In the wake of the presidential election, many University students have shared collective confusion, anxiety and fear over whether Donald Trump’s presidency will halt or even reverse their perceived increase in societal inclusion and progression made in the United States in the past decade.

“I remember it was almost dreamlike watching him walk up to the microphone to do his [acceptance] speech,” second-year College student Hannah Borja said. “I was just horrified. I was with a couple of my friends who are immigrants, and they were crying.”

Others expressed similar stress and dissatisfaction with the results of the election.

Second-year College student Alex Smith-Scales said her immediate reaction was “definitely that of fear, not necessarily of Trump himself, but a certain vocal minority of supporters which would use his hateful, racist rhetoric and misogynist rhetoric as a way to validate their own hateful actions.” First-year Engineering

student Jill Dane said she felt “outraged” and “afraid” for minorities who may suffer from the election outcome.

Nicole Ruzek, associate director for counseling services at CAPS, said this large scale of anxiety is common in uncertain and controversial situations like election cycles.

“Elections bring conflict and change — conflict in terms of different value systems being debated and change in terms of selecting new leadership,” Ruzek said in an email statement. “Conflict and change are inherently stressful, so elections are stress-filled times.”

However, to many students, the 2016 presidential election has been far from campaigns of the past. “[The Democratic Party] has lost elections before,” Borja said.

“It’s that there’s something very unique about this election in that people are genuinely afraid.”First-year College student Jessica Harris said she worries Trump’s win “may cause sexual assault on women to become more tolerable.” Second-year College student Johnny Nguyen said that although he supported Trump,

he still felt “a slight sense of fear, being a minority and a a conservative.”

Psychology Prof. Bethany Teachman said Trump’s contradictory statements and divisive language during the campaign will only fuel more uncertainty and fear post-election. In return, a feeling of uncontrollability on high-stakes issues will induce anxiety.

“The increase in hate speech and attacks on minority racial, ethnic and religious groups, immigrant populations and sexual minority groups including non-binary gender, among other targets, has led many segments of the American population to feel unsafe,” Teachman said in an email statement. “There will be anxiety when environments seem to condone harassment and intimidation and encourage acts of bigotry.”

Despite animosity surrounding the outcome of the election, many students say they have received lessons and motivation from their initial anxieties.

“I intern at a legal aid justice center, and when I was talking to the lawyers there, they told us the

work that we do now is more important than ever,” Borja said. “I feel like I had a sense of purpose before, and this is a reminder of that.”

Third-year College student Weston Gobar said he wishes to further his education and encourage political engagement in millennials, all while warning against normalizing Trump’s presidency.

Moreover, students utilized a multitude of coping methods to reduce feelings of post-election anxiety and stress.

“There’s been such an outpouring of love, unification and support from so many different groups of people,” Smith-Scales said. “Speaking at the vigil last Wednesday night really helped me because people were there to listen, support and lean on each other.”

Nguyen said he felt secure for the next four years after looking into Trump’s newly proposed policies, which have become more moderately conservative, diverging from his initially radical standings prior to the election.

To those still feeling stress, Teachman and Ruzek offered

supplementary advice and stress-management methods.

“It is very reasonable to feel anxiety during this time but the challenge is to not feel paralyzed by the fear and uncertainty,” Teachman said. “This means seeking out friends and family that can provide support, taking care of oneself and also finding ways to take actions that assert the values you hold.”

Additionally, Ruzek suggests limiting media exposure and contacting CAPS for students who feel they need the extra support.

Looking to the future, SmithScales argues the most important means by which to cope with anxiety and improve is being around people who support you.

“We really need to sit down and have an honest, genuine conversation with each other, where we try to learn from each other, try to listen to each other, try to come up with solutions,” ScalesSmith said. “I feel like, just judging by the hopeful tone of the school, there is a possibility that we can make a change.”

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