Thursday, February 15, 2018 by The Cavalier Daily

The Cavalier Daily Vol. 128, Issue 20

Thursday, February 15, 2018

STUDENT ELECTIONS In-depth interviews with candidates for Student Council President and VPA Honor, Student Council, University Board of Elections Pose Referenda Cavalier Daily Editorial Board Makes Endorsements

PAGES 2,3

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VOTING BEGINS FEB. 21

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Student Council President candidates CD News Staff

Alex Cintron COURTESY TY ZIRKLE

Jalon Daniels COURTESY HUNTER SHELDON

Eddie Lin COURTESY EDDIE LIN

Below are some questions asked of each candidate. Portions of their responses have been edited for length and clarity. Transcripts of each interview will be published online.

Why do you want to be Student Council President?

I've been a member of Student Council since my first semester my first year, starting off in Legislative Affairs. I [changed Student Council] in some capacity as a representative and ... as chair of the Representative Body, reorganizing the Representative Body in the duration that I was chair … As vice president for administration, I drastically changed the administrative branch, making it more centralized and effective and efficient. [Running for president], I want to make sure Student Council is actually standing side-by-side with the organizations and the students it intends to serve. We need to work collaboratively with other student organizations because Student Council is not alone. And with good collaboration, we can pursue policies that are more open and inclusive for students.

I want to be Student Council president because I believe that I can offer the Student Council and the student body an alternative perspective and approach to … many key issues. And I also think that as I have the necessary skills and being an effective leader, I think that my policies that I have [in my] platform are realistic … [and] will in fact improve the quality of life for University of Virginia students and will allow the Student Council to have a larger impact on the community outside of U.Va. and within U.Va.

I want to run for president because I believe Student Council is an organization that has a lot of potential and being able to address student needs and student issues, and it has a special place in my university. Student Council is supposed to be the representative of all students … it needs to do a far better job at informing students, letting people know about what's going on ... and letting people know about what tools they can get from Student Council. Most of my friends are not involved in Student Council … even the people who are really involved in a lot of CIOs, they don't know what Student Council can do for them.

What experiences at U.Va. have informed your decision to run for president, and how have these experiences prepared you to lead Student Council?

I think viewing the past two administrations, I've seen what works and what doesn't work, and I have an idea for how the organization should operate and I want to actually put that operation ... If you look at the platform, everything is very specific intentionally so that you know what you would be getting if you were to vote for me, and our ticket ... I'm running on a ticket with Sydney [Bradley] and Ty [Zirkle]. Often times we've been frustrated and dissatisfied. The question becomes, if you're so dissatisfied, why do you stay? [The answer is] we want to spend the next year serving students, pursuing policies that are good for the general student body.

I believe that being a part of a very stringent [group] of organizations at U.Va. have allowed me to understand the need for policies, understand the need for rules. I was part of the University Judiciary Committee where I served as a judge for first-years … Also, this year, I am working for the educational outreach of the Honor committee as a representative for the dorm. As to … the system we have as a whole, I think that educating the general public and a large amount of people around the dorm organization has also allowed me to showcase my knowledge of institutions and the need for schools … I also had the opportunity, this past semester, to be one of the representatives in helping educate the public on Parkinson’s Disease.

I think one very important thing is institutional knowledge. I've been a part of Student Council since my first year … Also being a student here, I feel like being able to interact with different groups, being able to have a lot of friends from everywhere, I think that really is giving me the strong perspective that I needed … I'm able to see a perspective that a lot of people ... don't know what's going on with Student Council, they don't know who they can access … I've had a great time with Student Council. I think as a representative, I've tried … to do everything in my capacity to boost student voice, whether it's through like promoting resources such as Speak Up U.Va.

What do you think of Student Council’s response to the white nationalist demonstrations of Aug. 11 and 12? Is there anything you would have done differently? What did you think of the University administration’s response?

I was one of the exec members here during Aug. 11, so I sent out that email to [University Police] Chief [Michael] Gibson, which I got the dismissive response … What I would do differently is that, in the aftermath, I would've had one-onone meetings with some advocacy and minority organizations here on grounds and try to hear what they thought and see what we could do. I would've signed on to the March to Reclaim Our Grounds demands immediately, and I think we should have been more policy-focused on how we supported it — supported [the demands] first, and then found out in what ways we could support those involved in the process.

I think that the Student Council did what was deemed necessary by the general public. They denounced the white nationalists … they communicated a platform of equality and community to the world, and that was very much necessary in the wake of such tragic and horrifying events. And I think the Student Council had to go beyond just making statements. I think that one way the Student Council could have remedied the situation just a little better is by going to school and talking to students around the Charlottesville, Albemarle [area], and just telling students that the Student Council is advocating for the safety of all students, and that they do not tolerate and the University of Virginia does not tolerate the actions that took place on Aug. 11 and 12.

Student Council’s response to Aug. 11 and 12 was cautious hesitancy. I think once an event of this magnitude happens, a lot of groups are really looking forward to Student Council as a representative of all students. How are you able to come out of this event stronger as a University? A lot of minorities including myself were just shocked … Administration and UPD did not handle it as well as it could … [The administration] had prior knowledge, there’s actually emails of prior knowledge of it [Aug. 11] happening, and they still allowed it to happen. I would make sure to work with UPD and work with administration to see how do you solve this problem.

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Student Council Vice President for Adminstration candidates CD News Staff

Al Ahmed

Sydney Bradley COURTESY AL AHMED

COURTESY TY ZIRKLE

Below are some questions asked of each candidate. Portions of their responses have been edited for length and clarity. Transcripts of each interview will be published online.

Why do you want to be Vice President for Administration?

I guess just looking back at my three years here at U.Va., my experience has been [like] reaching out to different organizations and as the outreach chair for four different organizations — the Muslim Students Association, Third-Year Council, Committee on Multiculturalism for Housing and Residence Life and the outreach chair for the Kinesiology Club. And I guess through these experiences, I really got a chance to not only work within those representative groups, but also partner[ing] with other groups and underrepresented communities … I’m coming up on my fourth year, it’s a time now for me to be able to give that voice to all students, have that platform as VPA to be a voice for all students, whether that be international students, whether that be student-athletes, whether that be transfer students, graduate students … Looking at transfer students and international students, I really want to be able to give communities like that a place here at U.Va., and essentially they’re first-year students, but they aren’t treated as that, and they’re lost at some points. Some transfer students in my experience with Third-Year Council, we have transfer members, and they really express these concerns that they’re new to the University, but they aren’t treated as such, and I’ll use my connections through outreach and through different organizations on Grounds to kind of build those connections and help possibly create a first-year experience for transfer students. Obviously I’m not promising that, but I’ll definitely look into ways where we can really help students and ultimately at the end of the day, go to different student organizations and ask, “What can we do with you instead of what we do for you?” which isn’t often the case.

The VPA role is inherently operating on internal affairs and having been on Student Council since my first year and a committee member and a committee chair as well as a College of Arts and Sciences representative, through which I chaired two ad hoc committees, I have seen the ins and outs of the operations of Student Council and how there’s been a lack of communication, coordination, and community within Student Council. Also, seeing how we have failed to properly reach out to students across the University, especially some of the communities that feel that we do not represent them and that they can’t be part of Student Council, whether that be through memberships or working with our policies. To be VPA means to understand Student Council but also to have an understanding of it and make sure it is working properly and doing its best. I have an ardent care for Student Council, but it is not blind love. I have been critical of it in the past. There is an inherent care that I have developed that I want to do it right and do it for the students.

Do you believe Student Council had an effective response to the events of Aug. 11 and 12?

Yes and no. I guess kind of what I was talking about earlier — I feel like they were reactive. I mean this with the utmost respect for the current administration. It’s not easy to handle that kind of situation. But again, I think they could have handled it better, is a good way to go about it … What happened at the Town Hall when the March to Reclaim Our Grounds demands were up for debate … could have been handled a lot better. Obviously you have two different ideologies — you have the conservative ideology and you have the more liberal ideology. You have two representative voices, obviously there’s going to be conflict. But I think it was Student Council’s duty to step up and share “Hey, we realize you guys have dissenting opinions, and we know it will cause emotional responses” or a similar sentiment … Going back to the events of Aug. 11 and 12, I think that Student Council should have been at the forefront … As VPA, I’d ensure that we update the student body with what’s happening and if there’s an issue, we should be able to follow up within a certain time period and really be transparent with the student body. That’s what I would do as VPA ... really be transparent with the student body and just look at ways we can implement those demands a lot of people backed, and we agreed to do it, so we have to follow up with that.

I don’t think Student Council prepared for this, no one prepared for this. No one expected it, except that the historical context of Charlottesville might show that we should have. That being said, we should have signed onto the demands immediately. Although the executive board may have questioned their position in representing all students, I personally do think that when we were given the task to support the communities that were affected by the white supremacists marching on the Lawn, and we didn’t immediately, that wasn’t okay. We hosted a general body meeting in which the BSA presented the demands and talked about them, and students shared concerns and feelings, and it got wild. There were hurtful things said, blatantly racist things said. At times the issue of free speech was questioned. When students in the room are hurt directly you have to shut it down, is my personal belief. As a student elected by the full student body, I cannot stand for that. I think that is the language we had failed in that one particular moment in letting all students speak but that crossed a line. We need to be more responsive and listen going forward, but what do we need to do now? There are a lot of demands still not addressed, like #5 with the curriculum, and faculty diversity. We need to do more.

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Thirty-seven student leadership positions have no candidates Among the vacancies are large portions of school-specific councils Meghan Tonner | Senior Writer According to the preliminary list of candidates for the upcoming University-wide elections released by the University Board of Elections Feb. 7, there are 37 vacancies for student positions across the University. The School of Architecture, undergraduate and graduate Schools of Continuing and Professional Studies, undergraduate and graduate Curry Schools of Education, undergraduate and graduate Schools of Nursing, undergraduate and graduate Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, graduate School of Engineering and Applied Science and the undergraduate and graduate McIntire

School of Commerce do not have candidates for their respective Student Council representative positions. The Education Council, which is the representative body for students in both the undergraduate and graduate programs of the Curry School of Education, has 11 vacancies for 13 positions. The two non-vacancies are council president and graduate scholarship and professional development chair, which each has one candidate. Curry graduate student and Education Council President Sarah Benson said in an email to The Cavalier Daily that seats without candidates are

often filled with appointed students. “Those diverse programs require many students to be off-grounds for practicum experiences and the unfilled seats allow our one-year Master's students to participate by filling any seats that do not have candidates,” Benson said. “Unfilled positions have traditionally been appointed by the Ed Council President after soliciting nominations or letters of interest from the incoming students.” Additionally, there are no candidates for the Batten Undergraduate Council President or for the Batten Honor representative, which both had four candidates last year.

In an email to The Cavalier Daily, Robert McCarthy, Batten Undergraduate Council President and fourth-year College student, said he was unsure of the reason for the lack of candidates. “Batten students tend to be pretty involved in other organizations around Grounds,” McCarthy said. “Since they've been in those organizations longer, there might be a larger desire to serve on those leadership boards.” However, if no students decide to run for the positions on the Batten Undergraduate Council, McCarthy said the positions may be filled in an

alternative election. “We'll definitely fill the positions,” McCarthy said. “If all else fails, we'll run an internal election, which seems to be the fairest way to proceed.” All candidates on the preliminary list have had to fulfill additional requirements in order to appear on the official ballot. Requirements included acquiring petition signatures, finishing questionnaires and submitting campaign expense reports. UBE has not released a verified final list of candidates by publication time. Campaigning officially begins on Feb. 16 with voting starting on Feb. 21.

Five students compete for Second Year Council president All five candidates involved in Association Council or First Year Council Xieyang Qiao | Senior Writer With

one

student

having

dropped out from the preliminary list of candidates, there will be five contenders running for Second Year Council president and three for vice president. The students may start campaigning Friday, and voting runs from Feb. 21 to 23. Casey Schmidt, a fourth-year College student and chair of the University Board of Elections, said that five first-year students running to be second-year president follows the previous election pattern and comes as no surprise. “There were 12 people [running] for the first-year president in the fall. Now, half that number runs for second-year [president] in the spring semester,” Schmidt said. “Half as many. It falls into the pattern of being less competitive as times goes on with fewer and fewer people challenging the race.” All five candidates joined the race with some new platforms they hope will benefit the Class of 2021. First-year College student Omar Metwally, who currently serves as the social chair for the First Year Council, said he decided to run for second-year president with the intention of increasing council’s accountability. “As an elected representative, you are supposed to be voting on things,” Metwally said. “There are very rare times that we vote on anything within the First Year Council ... I just think there are lots of things that can be fixed within the First Year Council.”

Metwally pointed to the importance of fundraising, citing his goal to raise money to host more meaningful social events. “There are millions of different things, such as being more creative and doing things that surprise the second-year class,” Metwally said. “I believe I can do what is needed to be done to get us somewhere better and to make sure everybody is well-represented.” First-year College student Jason Anderson, a presidential candidate who serves as the First Year Council academic wellness chair, said he is mostly concerned about the council’s communication gap. “As for our class right now, the communication between the executive board, the council and to the class isn’t too effective,” Anderson said. “We currently have an Instagram page with 250 followers — for a class of 3,000 to 4,000 students there are definitely gaps. I would like to fill the gap.” Anderson also said he hopes to ensure that minority groups are well-represented and expects the class council to increase diversity. “I think we should really work on increasing the different kinds of people who come to our events,” Anderson said. “Inclusion is very important but is slightly overlooked.” First-year College student Anna Yee, who currently serves as Kellogg dormitory’s Association Council president, said she joined the presidential race with

three core values — voice, transparency and inclusivity. “I am running because I want to create a class identity that is cohesive and everyone is unified under one name,” Yee said. “One thing I really want to work on is communication with the class.” First Year president Tyler Windsor said he decided to run for second-year president to continue the work he has started in year one. Having created the Diversity and Outreach Committee, Windsor said he expects to make the Class of 2021 an open place for everybody. “My main reason for running for the first time was to create an open and supportive environment for everyone at U.Va., especially after the event in August,” Windsor said. “I want to bring people close together from different backgrounds so they can know each other better.” Mckenzie Fischer, who is the current Gooch dormitory’s Association Council president, said she expects to bring the feeling of home to everybody in the Class of 2021 if elected president. “We will be living in apartments, and some will be living in houses,” Fischer said. “But I want to make sure that we can still come together and feel the sense of home that originally drew us here.” The candidates indicated they consider the competitiveness of the election as a promising sign that students care and want to work as a team for the sake of their class. “I think all [five] of us are run-

ning because we have a vision for our class and what we want our class to get as a second year,” Yee said. “We are working towards the same goal to have a successful second year.” Daniel Wang, a first-year Engineering student and former presidential candidate, said in an email to The Cavalier Daily that he decided to drop out of the race due to anticipated time commitments in the upcoming semester. Clifford Cleveland, first-year College student and candidate for second-year vice president, said he believes that this year’s competitiveness stems from students’ determination and passion to improve the council and better serve the class. “I don’t think that people are running for office solely to oust each other from office,” Cleveland said, “but because each candidate is determined to make the council better.” Taylor Thompson, first-year College student and candidate for second-year vice president, said he is delighted by the enthusiasm surrounding the election. “Every council has its own personality, and it really isn’t a question of fixing something,” Thompson said. “Each year is a new year with new opportunities. We learn from what we try … I think it is fabulous to see this much energy surrounding the Second Year Council election.” First-year College student Kristin Myers, co-chair of the Diversity and Outreach Committee and candidate for second-year vice president, said she wants to

COURTESY U.VA. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Five candidates are running to be Second Year Council President

improve upon the communication within the council as well as between the class council and the Class of 2021. “I want to make sure that members of the council don’t feel like they are behind closed doors, or feel like they are inadequately informed about what the council is doing,” Myers said. “I want to let everyone feel involved in the most productive way. I also want to make sure that important information is conveyed to the class in an appropriate and timely manner.” Candidates have focused on conducting endorsement interviews and preparing for the final race. Following the voting period, UBE will announce the final result Feb. 23.

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Uber Eats review: a mediocre delivery option Food delivery service expands into Charlottesville area

LIFE Uber Eats now makes it easier and more convenient to have food from local restaurants delivered right to your front door. Its recent expansion includes the addition of the Charlottesville area. The popularity of Uber as a method of transportation has now been extended to food delivery services. This latest addition to Uber was very exciting to hear as a first year because of the lack of appetizing choices I am left with at the dining halls. Riding the bus to Barracks or the Corner can be quite time consuming and not many restaurants offer delivery service, so Uber Eats is a good option. The app itself is straightforward and easy to use. It automatically connects your Uber account so there is no need to set up credit card information or account settings twice. The app lays out the food in different categories depending on the type of cuisine that you’re in the mood for. Categories include burgers, pizza, salad, Mexican food, juices/smoothies, dessert, etc. There is something for everyone. However, while it does offer a

Ally Donberger | Food Columnist wide variety of different cuisine choices, the number of restaurants in each category was rather disappointing. I thought maybe Zinburger, Brixx or Zoës Kitchen would be available, but they were not. There are only a few restaurants under each label so the selection was limiting when making a decision on where to order from. This lack of options is most likely due to the recent addition of Uber Eats and hopefully more restaurants will be included as popularity for the service increases. I decided to order a small pizza from Fabio’s NY Pizza to test the Uber Eats service out. The price of the pizza was $10.49, with an added $5 service fee for delivery. I think this was a bit high for delivery considering the fee for similar delivery services such as Papa John’s is only $3. There is a discount code offered through the app, but in order for it to work it must be shared with friends. However, discount codes are available online that help bring down the delivery fee cost. After submitting my order at 6:43 p.m., I was given an esti-

mated delivery time of 7:24 p.m. Throughout my wait time I was able to track the progress of my order from its reception, completion and delivery. Similar to the Uber app, it told me who the driver was and his rating. The delivery time of 7:24 p.m. was extended to 7:32 p.m. due to my driver having to deliver other orders as well. Ordering directly from a pizza store would probably have offered faster results. Also, due to the extended delivery time, my pizza was more lukewarm than hot. But overall, it tasted very good. Uber Eats is definitely a good choice if you’re looking for restaurants that don’t offer delivery on their own. However, I’m not sure if the selection currently available is worth getting too excited over. Unless you’re studying hard for a test or the weather outside is gross, it may actually be worth going to the restaurants instead in order to have quicker service and warmer food.

ARIANA NAZARI | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Uber Eats is accessible through a mobile app.

Milli Joe Coffee Roasters should be your new study spot With plenty of seating, a unique atmosphere and delicious food, this coffee shop beats even your very favorite library on Grounds Marlena Becker | Food Columnist To the naked eye, Milli Coffee Roasters may seem like any of the other countless coffee shops in Charlottesville, however, after spending a rainy Saturday afternoon there, I can guarantee that it is better than most. Located on the corner of Preston Avenue and McIntire Road, Milli Coffee Roasters already has something that none of the coffee shops on the Downtown Mall do — free parking. Although only a 10 minute drive from Grounds, this coffee shop’s indie vibes and the diverse crowd it attracts makes it feel far from the Corner. The space itself is a winner. There are big windows, a small patio out front and lots of seating. With couches, arm chairs and tons of tables, you will never have to fight anyone for a spot near an outlet. The atmosphere is pleasant, and the baristas are all very welcoming. The mismatched furniture and beautiful art on the walls give the place its one-of-akind mood and made me feel immediately at home. The ambiance is very conducive to studying — many of the other customers were

cozied up with a book or laptop and seemed to have been there for hours. However, it was not so quiet that my friends and I felt at all awkward talking at a normal volume. The art of coffee and espresso is the main focus of Milli Coffee Roasters, and they pride themselves on highly trained baristas. Their T-shirts read, “Machines don’t make coffee, humans do,” and the humans here appear to be the best of the best. The latte art is exceptional, and they even have their own small batch in-house roastery so you are guaranteed fresh and full bodied espresso and will actually be able to taste the difference. If espresso is just a little too fancy for you, they also make excellent pour over coffee. But if coffee is not your thing, don’t despair — they also have a huge loose leaf tea selection and a fully stocked fridge case. For better or for worse, pretty lattes, an in-house roastery and a slightly pretentious T-shirt still aren’t enough to really set Milli Coffee Roasters apart from the other coffee shops in Char-

lottesville. Their food, however, is. Although their menu is small and consists of only waffles, a few paninis and a soup du jour, it is hard for me to imagine anyone leaving unsatisfied. The “special” waffle immediately caught my eye. It is a warm, homemade waffle with brie, apple and honey, and as someone who has a long lasting love affair with brie, I couldn’t not order it. When it was ready — probably about seven minutes later — it did not disappoint. The waffle itself was delicious although it was smaller than I had expected. It was dense and flavorful, and I even detected a slight hint of cinnamon. These “liege style belgian waffles” are much cakier than a typical waffle you would get at a diner, but I ended up preferring them. They were very generous with the brie (thank God), and it was as buttery and rich as it should be. The green apple slices added a nice bite, and the drizzle of honey tied everything together. For only $4.50 this was the absolutely perfect snack and has given any other

waffle I eat from here on out a lot to live up to. The waffles can also be topped with your choice of strawberries, bananas, Nutella or peanut butter. My friend ordered a waffle with strawberries which, as it turns out, is really just a waffle with strawberries — no butter, syrup, powdered sugar or anything. And although I found this a little lackluster, she swore it was exactly what she wanted, and the waffles themselves are flavorful enough to go without any real toppings. Although I am reluctant to criticize anything about the waffles, I will say that the presentation could have been much better. I know that Milli Coffee Roasters is just a coffee shop, and I was not expecting anything fancy. That being said, my waffle was falling apart to the point that it looked like someone had already taken a bite out of it, and the strawberries — which were incredibly underripe — had clearly been thrown on the waffle without any care. Also, we both agreed the portions were a little small. If you are looking for some-

thing more substantial, I highly recommend the brie panini with green apple and pesto. Served on perfectly toasted fresh bread, this sandwich was oozing with melted brie and excellent pesto. I had never considered this flavor combination, but it works excellently and is a nice savory alternative to the “special” waffle I had ordered. It is also much more food for only a dollar more, and the brie melts beautifully, which I preferred to the cold brie on my waffle. Milli Coffee Roasters is also open later than any other coffee shop — they close at midnight — and serves wine and beer, so you could easily transition from studying to hanging out without leaving your comfortable spot on the couch. So, next time you feel absolutely repulsed by the idea of studying at Clem, I recommend giving Milli Coffee Roasters a try. Just don’t be surprised if you end up staying hours longer than you expected.

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Top 10 types of candidates for student office Let’s wildly speculate about the candidates for student office Grace Breiner | Top 10 Writer

The résumé builder Updating your résumé can be an intimidating task — especially if your free time is predominated by activities such as watching videos of puffins on YouTube and avoiding the prospect of applying for internships. Becoming a member of Student Council can be a simple way to add an embellishment to your résumé. It’s like the gold star your teacher used to give you, or, if you’re like me, the gold stars you continued to give yourself throughout high school.

The highly motivated individual

Speaking of gold stars, Leslie Knope definitely ran for Student Council and if the University is lucky, a Leslie Knope adjacent candidate exists. Hopefully, she has an amazing hardest worker! campaign manager like Ben Wyatt, but if not, she is capable of accomplishing just about anything on her own, including bettering our school and consuming mass amounts of waffles.

The entitled one

The actual future president

If there’s a Leslie Knope, odds are there is also a Bobby Newport running for office. A slightly entitled individual that probably rolled in from a private school and summers in the Cape. In order to climb the social ladder, one must also have a prestigious title to use in casual conversation in addition to one’s usual anecdote about some skiing mishap.

This one is potentially far-fetched, but if the founder of this school was president, I’m sure his pupils could become president as well. Or if not president, at least some major part of the political game. I don’t know if you’ve seen the “West Wing,” but if you haven’t, I highly recommend it. Second, if you watch it, you’ll immediately want a high-power political career — even if you only watch the news when your brother steals the remote and changes the channel from “Gossip Girl.” If such an individual is running for office, odds are they’ll have a very dramatic political speech in store for us.

. The “I didn’t realize what I signed up for” Everyone gets lots of emails about getting involved. I think I might be a member of at least four clubs I know nothing about. I don’t know what the process of signing up for a student election is like, but if it’s anything like signing up for other things at the University, it would be easy for someone to unknowingly put their name on the ballot. If that has happened to anyone, I would be delighted for them to be elected. It would certainly be prime entertainment.

The person who likes to win People here tend to be a little competitive with well, everything. It might be good to put those competitive energies into something that won’t cause your personal relationships to deteriorate. And bonus — you won’t have to argue over ties and points.

The “I just wanted to make posters” The desire to craft is a strong driving force for most of the things I have done — like making a trifold presentation for a relatively small assignment. Candidates also get to write fun chalk messages on the sidewalk. This election, though, has been shockingly light on advertisements, seeing as I didn’t realize elections were going on until I was assigned this article. Now that I know, I’ll be on the lookout for fun chalk messages!

The doubtful

It seems like every single person here is involved in something extremely impressive. It can be enough for a person to harbor some serious self-doubt about their extra-curricular prowess. Desperate for validation, it seems like turning to student elections is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. Next time someone casually mentions their whatever-society or fancy institution, you can kindly remind them that though that may be nice, you are the president of them.

The bored one When I’m bored, I turn to activities such as jigsaw puzzles, reading or knitting — lame, I know. But I can understand if someone might want something a little more interesting with which to fill their time. Though obviously, knitting is super interesting, and you get a fun scarf when you’re done. If a candidate wins, chances are they might miss that free-time they resented, or they might enjoy the responsibilities of office — we’ll see.

The person that has one thing to change

I would run for student office if I thought I could get filtered water in my dorm or get the shower to start draining again. If whoever ends up getting elected is reading this, Woody needs help. If someone is running with specific problems in mind — ethical, economical or purely motivated by personal needs — life could get better at the University for at least that one person.

MATT GILLAM AND AISHA SINGH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

FOCUS Student Council, Honor Committee and University Board of Elections have proposed changes to their constitutions this year. Student Council has proposed four referenda — the incorporation of gender-neutral pronouns, the implementation of the presidential veto, the clarifications of term commencement and school enrollment of elected representatives. In addition to Student Council’s referenda, the Honor Committee and the UBE have issued referenda that will change their constitution or operation. The Honor Committee has integrated gender-neutral pronouns in their constitution. The UBE has proposed a change in their member selection and appointment process that will allow more students to get involved with the board. Improving inclusivity among organizations Among the organizations’ alterations is the integration of gender-neutral pronouns. For Student Council, this includes changing the pronouns “his/her” in the constitution to “their.” Although it is a more subtle change to the constitution, members say it will create a more inclusive atmosphere accepting of all types of leaders. “Gender-neutral language is something that we’re kind of taking the lead on,” said Sarah Kenny, a fourth-year College student and Student Council President. “In the socio-political moment, it’s the right thing to do, and Honor and UJC have done it as well.” The Honor Committee also believes that the implementation of gender-neutral pronouns into their constitution will make the organization more comprehensive. Devin Rossin, a fourth-year College student and Honor Committee Chair, said that this referendum demonstrates to the student body that the Honor Committee is an ally to all students and is in step with the rest of the University to improve inclusivity. “The referendum is an amendment to our constitution proposing gender-inclusive language,” Rossin said. “It would replace all instances of ‘he’ or ‘him’ with the singular ‘they,’ trying to make everything as gender-inclusive as possible.” The student body approved a similar amendment to the University Judiciary Committee’s constitution last spring by replacing instances of the words “his,” “he” or “chairman” with “his or her,” “he or she” or “chair.” The new power of the president A significant change to the constitution will be the incorporation of the presidential veto. “[This referendum] gives the president of student council veto power over the representative student body,” Kenny said. “So right now the president does not have any sort of say over

THE CAVALIER DAILY

Student groups propose constitutional changes Student Council presidential candidates divided on referendum to determine if president should have veto power Daisye Rainer and Katja Cresanti | Staff Writers the legislation that guides the presidential branch that that officer oversees. And so this is mirroring how our checks and balances system works on the federal level, but it creates a sense of connection between the executive and the representative branch of the government.” The impact of this veto will mostly remain internal within the Student Council. Liam Wolf, a fourth-year Engineering student and chief of cabinet, said the veto will strengthen Student Council’s system of checks and balances by imposing that check in the executive branch to a vote of the representative body. The veto may be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote of the Representative Body, which has 25 members. Previously, there was no such system. “In many traditional constitutions, the key executive is offered the power of veto, and the Student Council president has never before had this power under our constitution,” Wolf said. “When looking through our Student Council constitution … we noticed there was a sort of hole.” Some Student Council members believe that the veto will make both bodies more accountable to their decisions and opinions, and that it will also greatly increase the efficiency of voting and governing within the Student Council. “Like many institutions, if the president vetoes, the representative body can override that veto,” said Ellie Brasacchio, second-year College student and chair of the Representative Body. “So I think that will also show the strength of the representative body on their position of whatever issue they’re dealing with.” This year’s candidates for Student Council president have also expressed their opinions on the proposed veto power. “I think it makes sense and I think it would actually allow for more collaboration and more competition between reps and the president because at that point you're in the dealmaking process,” said Alex Cintron, a thirdyear College student, Student Council’s current vice president for administration, and a candidate for Student Council president. “You have to get to a table and talk about the issues and see what is acceptable and what isn't acceptable. And your representatives could successfully and officially serve as the check to the executive and honestly, this organization needs checks and balances.” However, not all candidates think that the presidential veto will spark positive change. Their hesitation to support this referendum stems from reluctance to give the president too much power over the rest of Student Council. “I completely disagree with the

veto,” said Eddie Lin, a third-year College student, a Student Council representative, and candidate for Student Council president. “I think the Executive Board does not need any more power over the representative body. And I think in the past executive power has tried to dominate the Representative Body in ways that in my opinion that are just not necessary. So I think there's no reason to just grant another.” Among the expressed opinions was that the president should be equipped with the communication skills necessary to lead efficiently without the veto power. “Right now, I still do not have a clear answer of what I’ll vote for in this referendum,” said Jalon Daniels, a first-year College student and candidate for Student Council president. “I think the president should be mature and knowledgeable enough to approach and communicate with the members of the Representative Body … I don’t think the Student Council president should have the authority to override representative legislation.” A change for the University Board of Elections In addition to Student Council, the UBE has issued a referendum altering their selection and appointment process, while also adding gender-neutral language to their constitution. UBE board members are selected by the UBE Selection Committee through an annual application process that is open to all University students, and this practice is set to continue. The proposed amendment would limit the UBE Selection Committee to appointing only the chair and vice chair of the UBE rather than the entire board. The UBE selection committee is composed of the outgoing Student Council President, Honor Committee Chair, UJC Chair, Fourth Year Trustees President and the UBE Chair. The outgoing UBE administration would acquire the power to determine the number, title and scope of the incoming chair and vice chair positions and would provide this information to the Selection Committee before the appointment process began. After appointment, the UBE chair and vice chair would have the ability to appoint other members to the board at their sole discretion. Casey Schmidt, a fourth-year College student and chair of UBE, said the proposed amendment primarily seeks to address the issue of membership appointment by giving the incoming chair and vice chair of the board greater power to choose who sits on their committee. “I think that one thing the UBE has struggled with in the past sometimes is getting enough people recruited in the first go-round in spring,” Schmidt said. “What this ideally would do is al-

CHRISTINA ANTON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Student Council’s Chief of Cabinet Liam Wolf said a veto power could improve checks and balances between the executive branch and Representative Body.

low a bit more autonomy to have the chair and vice chair have their own recruitment process after they’re in office and bring in people that they really want to have on their board ... and incorporate them in more smoothly.” Schmidt said that piecing together the UBE throughout the year has been a long-term problem, and he hopes that the amendment will create a better process for incorporating new members. “This is something that, as long as I’ve been on the board, I’ve seen unfold in terms of some of the difficulties recruiting and getting new people in place,” Schmidt said. “I wanted to leave a little bit more of a sustainable method for recruiting and appointing new members to future UBEs.” Similar to Student Council, Schmidt says this referendum will make the operation of the UBE much more efficient. Member recruitment will be more intentional and productive, which will allow the UBE to better serve the University community. This amendment also incorporates new gender-neutral language into the UBE constitution. “The primary idea behind that one is actually more geared toward the member appointment stuff, but we did see the opportunity there to incorporate some gender-inclusive language,” Schmidt said. Changing structures for changing times In terms of the Student Council’s referenda and its purpose, members of the body say that the proposed amendments will allow the organization to better reflect the distribution of power among other governing institutions of the same structure. However, Student Council members also believe that the ways in which it will allow the Student Council to better reflect, represent and govern the student body and University are equally important.

“I think that [the Presidential veto] is a good measure in keeping with many similar constitutions or innovations that the Student Council governance structure is modeled after,” Wolf said. “We saw it as an opportunity to make the change and improve our efficiency internally.” Unlike Student Council, the UBE is a fairly young organization on Grounds, not fully established until 2003. The UBE has struggled to attract applicants to serve as members on the board in the past as many students and University members are not adequately informed about its purpose or operation. Schmidt said that his previous experience on the board helped him realize the changes that need to be made. He hopes the referenda will bring more awareness to the UBE around Grounds. “I am excited to have a UBE referendum on the ballot this year,” Schmidt said. “Having a ballot initiative with our name on it will allow the general student body to see what it is that we are … and shed a little light on what we do.” The online polls for the election will open Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. and will close at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23.

SPORTS

THE CAVALIER DAILY

The Roundtable — looking forward to March CD Sports Staff

EMMA KLEIN | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Virginia sophomore guard Kyle Guy’s poor shooting against Virginia Tech could be the result of a heavy season-long workload.

What went wrong for Virginia men’s basketball against Virginia Tech? Jake Blank, Sports Editor: Pretty much everything that could go wrong except for a major injury *knocks on wood* went wrong against the Hokies, and Virginia still was a missed free throw by a 94 percent free throw shooter away from winning. Sophomore guard Ty Jerome’s sprained thumb may also have hampered his shooting — he went one for 10 from beyond the arc — and Virginia will need to be more aggressive driving to the basket going forward. Alec Dougherty, Sports Editor: I have to credit Virginia Tech for making life incredibly hard on the offensive end for the Cavaliers. The Hokies took away driving lanes by plugging the paint, forcing the Cavalier guards to do most of their work on the perimeter. When Virginia did push the ball inside to senior forward Isaiah Wilkins or redshirt freshman guard De’Andre Hunter, the Hokies would often double team them on the post — a staple of Virginia Coach Tony Bennett’s pack-line defense. The Hokies made every Cavalier player uncomfortable and hesitant, forcing them to take some ill-advised shots that did not fall.

Zach Zamoff, Senior Associate Editor: I think one thing we forget about this game was the pressure on Virginia to deliver. A No. 1 ranking was at stake, a position the Cavaliers have not held since 1982 — even though Virginia ended up ranked No. 1 anyway. The pressure made it difficult for Virginia’s offense to come to life after a horrendous start. A lack of defensive rhythm, driven by stellar ball movement from the Hokies, made it difficult for the Cavaliers to establish their offense. This was perpetuated by poor shot selection, not enough effort to attack the paint and uncharacteristic mistakes from veterans — the two missed free throws by senior guard Devon Hall were huge. Emma D’Arpino, Senior Associate Editor: Offensive troubles for Virginia played a huge role in its loss to the Hokies. The Cavaliers displayed a major inability to find any success driving to the basket against Virginia Tech, which forced Virginia to take a lot of outside shots. That became especially problematic when normally solid three-point shooters, sophomore guards Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome, went 3-14 and 1-10 from behind the arc, respectively. Plus, a few mental errors, defensive breakdowns and missed free throws

really made it difficult for Virginia to have a real shot at taking that win. What coaching changes should Tony Bennett make in order for the Cavaliers to have success in the NCAA Tournament? JB: Compared to previous failures, I think that having a more versatile offensive skill set is essential. This team has the talent to score in different ways — although, as they showed against Virginia Tech, the Cavaliers are often hesitant to change when something isn’t working. One thing that I would change from this season is lowering Kyle Guy’s minutes slightly. The sophomore guard looked tired as he slumped against Virginia Tech Saturday, and his shooting touch will be required for success in March. AD: Get Isaiah Wilkins more comfortable in the post. When he gets the ball down low, he often has a good look as long as he isn’t guarded by a taller big. But, he rarely decides to push and draw contact and has been very unlucky with some good shots not falling. Try to give him inside touches on most possessions and encourage him to push the ball and draw fouls. Once opponents begin to respect the inside post on defense, the Cavaliers will be able to move the ball inside and out to find the right shot with more ease.

ZZ: The Cavaliers’ poor offensive performance in the game Saturday against Virginia Tech exposed the flaws in Tony Bennett’s style, and especially why it has been unsuccessful in March. Losses in the tournament the past two years — against Florida and Syracuse — did not come from defensive failures, but rather from Virginia’s difficulty to stop runs without offensive firepower. In particular, the Cavaliers’ pace of play must become more flexible when they get down — they need to speed up play to counter momentum. Also, Bennett should implement more on-ball screens to spread out the defense if the offense becomes stagnant. ED: I would consider Virginia reaching the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight over the past four seasons successful, so I definitely think they’ve already had success in the NCAA Tournament. I also think Bennett’s system will continue to make runs in the Tournament — especially this year. However, I do agree that Virginia needs to adapt its pace sometimes and realize that urgency doesn’t have to mean chaos. In past tournaments, the Cavaliers have been hesitant to stray from their typical slower play, but there comes a time when you simply can’t afford to continue to use most of the shot clock. So, I would like to see Bennett prepare his team to make that stylistic adjustment in the tournament this year. Who is the unsung hero of the Virginia men’s basketball team this year? JB: The easy answer is De’Andre Hunter, but if the team is to stay in its No. 1 ranking, one of the ball-handlers off the bench — freshman guard Marco Anthony and graduate transfer guard Nigel Johnson — will have to become an unsung hero for the Cavaliers. Devon Hall, Ty Jerome, and Kyle Guy are asked to do a ton for the Cavaliers, and having somebody who can spell them effectively and provide a different look will be crucial for Virginia. AD: Devon Hall is often slept on with all the attention Kyle Guy gets, but Virginia would not be where it is today without Hall. Against Virginia Tech, the Cavaliers only began to look like themselves on defense when Hall was checked into the game. The senior is incredibly versatile and helps the team in a variety of ways — even when he isn’t scoring in double figures, which he usually is now. He was a quiet but solid contributor on Bennett’s last few teams, but he is going out as a stud in his final year at Virginia. ZZ: De’Andre Hunter. Every time Hunter comes into the game,

he provides a unique combination of scoring, athleticism, work ethic and lockdown defense that is unrivalled. Although Hunter is starting to win some deserved praise, he still is given far less attention than leading scorers like Kyle Guy and Devon Hall. Hunter’s ability to make outstanding 1-on-1 plays gives the Cavaliers a run-stopper they haven’t had since Malcolm Brogdon — his shot in the Duke game ended the Blue Devils’ momentum. ED: I think this year’s squad is kind of a team of unsung heroes. As Bennett said after the first Virginia Tech game, “It’s different guys at different times.” This kind of balance on a team makes it so that a lot of Virginia’s guys are somewhat neglected by the media and college basketball world. But if I had to say if there’s one player that is especially flying under the radar, I would say it’s De’Andre Hunter. He has done some spectacular stuff this season and deserves a ton of recognition. What spring sport are you most excited about? JB: Baseball. Losing junior outfielder Cam Simmons for the season is a blow, but Coach Brian O’Connor always fields a competitive team, and seeing the new and improved Davenport Field is reason enough to tune in. AD: Virginia men’s lacrosse is about as exciting as it gets. Head coach Lars Tiffany’s coaching philosophy is the antithesis of that of Tony Bennett — run the field and score fast and often. Tiffany has a host of weapons to work with on the offensive end, but in Saturday’s thrilling win over Loyola, the defense stepped up and made multiple huge stops to help the offense get back into the game. If the defense can continue to do just enough to hold opponents every week, the Cavaliers can find many wins in another brutal schedule. ZZ: Men’s lacrosse. This young team is electric. Saturday’s double overtime win against Loyola is a testament to this team’s potential to excite. Virginia’s offensive firepower is ridiculous, and gives the Cavaliers a chance to win against any team in the nation. Freshman attacker Ian Laviano was especially impressive on Saturday, scoring five goals. What Virginia’s No. 1 basketball team lacks in liveliness, Virginia’s lacrosse team delivers. ED: I think that men’s tennis will be interesting to follow. It’s hard to know what to expect from this young team, and it will be exciting to see how this team is able to achieve the usual Virginia success with a new coach and a young roster.

www.cavalierdaily.com • SPORTS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018

Baseball to open season this weekend Cavaliers will play three games at UCF Tournament Colin Cantwell | Associate Editor The Virginia baseball team will open uts season this weekend at the University of Central Florida Tournament in Orlando, Fla. The Cavaliers will play three games over the course of the weekend — against UCF, Samford and Rice. wVirginia begins the season ranked as high as No. 15 by Baseball America. In a poll of ACC baseball coaches, the team was picked to finish second in the Coastal Division behind North Carolina, with the Cavaliers receiving two votes for the overall conference championship. Coach Brian O’Connor returns for his 15th season as head coach of the Cavaliers. Under O’Connor, Virginia won the College World Series in 2015 and has made four total appearances in the College World Series. Virginia junior outfielder Jake McCarthy was named a unanimous preseason All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers

Association and D1Baseball.com. In addition, McCarthy was added to the preseason watch list for the Golden Spikes Award, presented to the top amateur baseball player in America each season. Last season, McCarthy hit .338 for the Cavaliers and led the ACC with 27 stolen bases. Junior second baseman Andy Weber also returns for Virginia. Weber drove in 43 runs last season, good for fourth on the team, and batted .278. However, outfielder Cameron Simmons, also a junior, will be out for the season after receiving surgery on his left shoulder. Simmons was second on the team and fourth in the ACC last season with a .352 batting average and hit. 374 in conference play. Simmons is expected to make a full recovery for next season. The team has also lost several important contributors from last season, including two-way star Adam Haseley, now exclusively playing the

outfield in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. Last season, Haseley led the Cavaliers in batting average with .390 and in home runs with 14, as well as on-base and slugging percentages. In addition, Haseley went 7-1 in 11 starts on the mound, posting the highest ERA of any Virginia starting pitcher with 3.58. First baseman Pavin Smith has also moved onto the professional ranks after being chosen seventh by the Arizona Diamondbacks in last year’s MLB Draft, one pick ahead of Haseley. Smith hit .342 with 13 home runs last season for Virginia. Relief pitcher Bennett Sousa chose to return for his senior season at Virginia after being chosen in the 34th round of the draft by the Washington Nationals, though. Sousa made 24 appearances, all in relief, last season for Virginia. However, in the fall, he was primarily working as a starter and may make some starts for the

Cavaliers this season. "Personally, I just want to pitch, and that's how I feel about it,” Sousa said. “Do I think I could help as a starter? Yes. Do I think I could help as a closer? Yes, I would love closing.” The Virginia starting rotation will be anchored by senior Derek Casey, who started 14 games last season, going 5-2 with a 3.79 ERA, second among starters only to Haseley. Lefthander Daniel Lynch, a junior, also started 14 games last season, going 7-5 with a 5.00 ERA. They will be caught by senior catcher Caleb Knight, who batted .301 last season, starting 33 games behind the plate — including the last 30. Mack Meyer, a graduate transfer from the University of San Francisco, will add to the Cavaliers’ bullpen depth. Meyer redshirted last season after transferring, but made 29 appearances in his junior year, fourth all-time in San Francisco program

history. In addition to changes to the team, Davenport Field, the home venue of the Cavaliers, has seen some renovations of its own this offseason. The numerous upgrades include a new right-field entrance, a field-level club and lounge area for fans, expanded seating capacity, new restrooms and concession stands, a new home bullpen and a player development center including offices for coaches. The project cost $18.76 million in total. "We are all excited for the season to begin and for our fans to have the opportunity to enjoy the changes at Davenport Field," O’Connor said. The Cavaliers will take on UCF beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday at John Euliano Park in Orlando. The first home game for Virginia will take place Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Davenport Field. The Cavaliers will play 35 games at Davenport Field this season.

Women’s basketball presents double-trouble Cavaliers’ sophomore duo storming through the ACC The Virginia women’s basketball team got off to a slow start this season — to say the least. At the start of this year, the Cavaliers had NCAA Tournament expectations following a superb showing from their freshman class last season and plenty of returning upperclassmen. s’ sIn a recent stretch of inspired play, Virginia (16-9, 9-3 ACC) opened in-conference play with an impressive five-game winning streak and currently sits at nine ACC wins. While anyone on the Cavaliers will tell you they could not have achieved their recent success without a total team effort, many of their victories can be attributed to a pair of sophomore studs controlling the flow for the team. Sophomore guards Dominique Toussaint and Jocelyn Willoughby are a dynamic force for Coach Susan Boyle and the Cavaliers, controlling the pace of the offense and providing incredible poise early on in their college careers. The pair received All-ACC freshman team honors following their standout opening campaigns. Willoughby returned as the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 9.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Toussaint poured in 9.5 points per game and proved she had the clutch gene to lead Virginia through tough closing stretches. Even with the Cavaliers’ rough start to non-conference play, Toussaint consistently led the team in

scoring, reaching double-figures in nine of the first 13 games. Toussaint averaged a team-high 11.7 points per game during that opening stretch. Willoughby was stellar in her own right, providing a force on the boards from the guard position and putting up 10.4 points per game. The scoring prowess of the duo might not even be their most impressive strength, as they constantly hound defenses and force numerous turnovers and bad possessions. “As a player, I think being able to change defense and keep opposing players on their toes is great for us,” Willoughby said after a victory over Clemson. “Just our energy and effort for us when we are locked in and communicating, personally there is nothing better than seeing the other team confused and a little fear in their eyes. That is what happens when we change our defenses, when we are all locked in. It definitely helps us to get turnovers and we convert those to points.” As the ACC schedule came around, the standout sophomores knew they had to step their game up and also get the team more involved to come away with a better result. Throughout the beginning stretch of ACC play, Willoughby and Toussaint have provided timely scoring, and continued to grab rebounds and distribute the ball at an impressive level. “I think Dom [Toussaint] does a good job,” Boyle said after a 62-50

win over Pittsburgh in their first ACC matchup “She has a good feel for the game, so when it is her time to score, she’ll find a rhythm in her scoring. When she feels like her shot is not on or we are looking for something else, she can distribute it. You look at players in the conference and, to me, she is one of the most complete guards in the ACC.” Other Cavaliers have been able to get into a groove as a result of the sophomores’ stellar play. It took senior guard Aliyah Huland El a good chunk of the season to find her shot, but recently she has been able to take over more of the scoring load receiving more open looks as a result of the defenses shifting towards Toussaint and Willoughby. The confidence the sophomore guard’s show presents an understanding of the game well past their ages, evident in late game situations where they remain as composed as can be. Boyle noticed the potential Virginia possessed when Willoughby fires on all cylinders after a win against Clemson for their fourth straight ACC-victory at the time. “I think, like Jocelyn [Willoughby] said, she’s put in a lot of work and sometimes for shooters, it is a mental game, you can get in a little bit of a slump,” Boyle said. “I think she has really worked hard to get herself to where she is and the balance that we have going in, you just never know.”

Just last week in a huge rivalry game against in-state opponent Virginia Tech, with the time winding down and Virginia trailing 6259, Toussaint made a huge layup to bring the Cavaliers within one point. After taking a 63-62 lead, Willoughby forced a huge jump ball turnover and then was fouled on the ensuing possession, providing Virginia with a crucial free throw to ensure a twopoint lead — which ended up being the difference in a 64-62 victory. After the contest, Boyle had some inspiring words regarding the play of her sophomores down the stretch. “They went up three, but I think that is where the resilience really came in,” Boyle said. “That was the point where we could have stopped,

but our players had no quit in them at that point. If we can continue to do that, show that kind of resilience, that is what tournament teams do.” If Virginia continues to see stellar performances from their starting sophomore guards throughout the rest of ACC play, they are a guaranteed lock for the NCAA tournament and have a chance to go as far as Toussaint and Willoughby can take them.

GARRETT SHAFFER is an associate editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at gs9ve@virginia.edu.

BENJAMIN BURKE | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Virginia sophomore guard Jocelyn Willoughby has helped to spur the Cavaliers’ success in ACC play.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

LEAD EDITORIAL

Limit student election campaign spending

OPINION

Endorsing organizations should continue to keep pressure on candidates

ampaign spending in the 2017 student elections prompted calls for spending caps. Combined expenditures in these elections reached an astonishing high, with candidates spending $3,343.64. The bulk of these funds was spent in the 2017 Student Council presidential elections, during which candidate Kelsey Kilgore reported to the University Board of Elections that she spent $1,225 on her campaign. In the immediate aftermath of these events, there were calls for expenditure caps in student elections, in the hopes that future spending at this level could be prevented. Fortunately, several endorsing organizations, including The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board, have banded together this year and joined a petition stating

that none of the organizations listed will endorse candidates who spend more than the specified caps. Because the University Board of Elections is limited in regulating student campaign spending, it is essential that endorsing organizations continue to preserve caps in future elections. Student campaign spending needs to be addressed, because the 2017 election cycle's campaign spending wasn't an isolated event. In the 2016 student elections, candidates spent nearly $3,000 on their campaigns — this precedent proves that student campaign spending must be brought under control. Though the UBE can provide grants to candidates who apply, the sums available are woefully inadequate to compete in the cur-

rent environment. The highest grant provided by the UBE is the $150 made available for Student Council presidential candidates, which is below the $250 cap set in the petition and far below the $1,225 Kilgore spent on her campaign. Even with the monetary disadvantage, students who use these grants are restricted by where they spend their money. One restriction is students who receive these grants are not allowed to spend the funds on food and drinks, which has become a prolific campaign strategy. This reality that low-income candidates face shows that their road to victory will be considerably more difficult. If the playing-field remains this stacked against low-income candidates, it is reasonable to assume that many will not even try

to run for office. This imbalance creates an environment where only students capable of spending large amounts on their campaigns will feel confident enough to run for office, which constitutes a threat to the University’s system of student self-governance. In order for our system to operate effectively, all students must be able to participate and run for office. Personal wealth should not be a requirement for being a candidate in student elections, but it could become a significant factor if spending is not brought under control. By signing the petition this year, all the participating endorsing organizations are making University-wide elections more accessible to students regardless of socioeconomic status. This petition must be renewed for fu-

ture election cycles so campaign spending does not continue its upward trajectory. As the petition states, “In a system of student self-governance, the ability to campaign for office must be one shared by students from all walks of life.” As a community, we must ensure that these elections are not a battle of bank accounts, but a battle of ideas. The inability to spend large amounts on campaigns should not prevent anyone from seeking elected office. Concrete policies should determine the winner of student elections, and by endorsing these caps we are helping to level the playing field for candidates who otherwise may have been discouraged to run for office.

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

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www.cavalierdaily.com • OPINION

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018

Student elections endorsements The Editorial Board

he Cavalier Daily Editorial Board has endorsed a total of 24 candidates for this spring’s student elections. Comprised of the executive editor, editor-in-chief and three members-at-large, the Editorial Board offers commentary on local and national issues as they relate to the University community. In line with its mission, the board conducted endorsement interviews for candidates seeking election to Student Council, the Honor Committee and the University Judiciary Committee. To qualify for an endorsement, candidates were required to be running in a contested election. In addition, candidates were required to commit to a campaign spending cap as part of a campaign finance petition signed by the Editorial Board and several other student organizations. The board will be withholding its endorsement for Student Council President and Vice President for Administration until after the Cavalier Daily’s Student Council presidential candidates forum on Monday, Feb. 19.

Student Council representative endorsements

f the 13 candidates seeking an endorsement for Student Council Representative from the College of Arts and Sciences, The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board chose to endorse nine individuals. These candidates are Ian Ware, Ellie Brasacchio, Brian Cameron, Ally Kammerman, Chi Chan, Avery Gagne, Liya Abseno, Lukas Pietrzak and Amr Metwally. Each candidate clearly stated how they were able to best represent their constituency and outlined substantial policies they planned on implementing. Each of the incumbents — Ware, Kammerman, Gagne, Pietrzak, Chan and Brasacchio — expressed thoughtfully planned initiatives. Ware’s platform rested on affordability and accessibility, particularly on financial aid and increasing tuition costs. Kammerman addressed a desire for more legislation for diversity and efficiency within Student Council, as well as continuing with deliverables with more action-based work. Pietrzak focused on safety as his main issue with plans on improving Safe Ride and University Transit Service, while Gagne would build upon the accountability of Student Council, among other topics. Chan was most concerned with connecting the inner branch of Student Council with the representative body, mentioning concerns that the representa-

tive body doesn’t have enough discussion. Brasacchio, who also serves as the current chair of the Representative Body, stated that her first priority was the relationship between Student Council and the Board of Visitors. All have experience with the processes of StudCo and strong platforms to build upon, with many listing transparency, diversity, safety and connections to the administration and Student Council’s Executive Board as some of the concerns they hope to improve upon. Though new to the representative position, Cameron is a candidate who has served on the Diversity Engagement Committee within Student Council. His platform of equity, progress and inclusion cites increasing relations between the University and the local community as a priority. Metwally, currently a member of Student Council’s Student Concerns Committee, would work to improve financial accountability in Student Council if elected. Abseno, though new to the University as a transfer student, has had an abundance of experience with student government, previously serving as president of the Student Government Association at Northern Virginia Community College. Abseno provides a voice for transfer students and has an interest in activism and increasing diversity within Student Council.

UJC representative endorsements

his year, The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board has endorsed four candidates running for University Judiciary Committee representative. Five total candidates for the UJC positions sought endorsements from the board — two for the College of Arts and Sciences and three for the Engineering School. We have chosen to endorse Jordan Arnold and Sam Powers for the College, and Kevin Warshaw and Camille Cooper for the Engineering School. When interviewing the candidates, the Editorial Board looked for key features in each person’s platform — such as concrete policies and a thorough understanding of the intricate processes of each organization. We felt that these qualities were best embodied by these four candidates.Both Arnold and Warshaw are incumbents, showing experience and initiative to move forward within the Executive Committee by planning on running for the position of chair. Arnold’s vast experiences as chair of the First Year Judiciary Committee, trial judge and present positions as UJC representative and Vice Chair for Sanctions have honed her focus into accountability with case statistics and fostering stronger relationships within the committee. If elected, she plans on creating a new vice chair position for graduate students and an educator pool reform, among other issues. Already a representative of the Engineer-

ing School and the current Vice Chair for First Years, Warshaw has been a part of the UJC and FYJC throughout his time at the University and plans to further his commitment to the UJC by running for a Chair position as well. Warshaw believes that the UJC’s most pressing issue is engaging with the community. He also plans to implement a diversity and engagement committee. Cooper similarly wants to work on the public image and outreach of the UJC, and show students that the organization is not there to be a punitive force, but instead an educational process. Cooper also served as a judge her first year and an educator in 2017, bringing knowledge of community outreach to her campaign. Powers served as chair of the FYJC and is currently on the Executive Committee as well. He plans on pursuing the position of Vice Chair for First Years. Powers’ main goals for next year would be to increase transparency within the organization, track demographic statistics and change FYJC selections to have input from different stakeholders in the community. All four candidates have had ample experience with the UJC, each having been involved in some way with the organization since his or her first year. They also demonstrate the initiative vital for representing their constituents within the College and the Engineering School.

Honor Committee endorsements

total of 13 candidates from contested Honor Committee elections came to The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board seeking endorsements for the 2018 student election cycle. Out of these candidates, eight were from the College of Arts and Sciences, three were from the Engineering School and two were from the McIntire School of Commerce. From this pool of candidates, the board elected to endorse Levi Moneyhun, Derrick Wang, Stearns Swetnam, Mariana Brazao and Ankita Satpathy from the College, Jesse Alloy and Julia Batts from the Engineering School and William Donnell and Caitlyn Knowles from McIntire. The board was impressed by these candidates’ depth of knowledge with the issues pertaining to Honor and their ability to project a concrete plan for the future of the organization. From the College, Moneyhun elaborated to the board his vision for recontextualizing Honor beyond “lying, cheating, and stealing,” hoping to embrace a higher bar of moral conduct and community standards. Wang pressed the importance of educating international students on Honor. As Honor’s first international education advisor, he highlighted the gaps in serving this important community on Grounds, pointing to the lack of translated materials available for international students. Swetnam gave an honest appraisal of Honor, critiquing the organization’s current lack of community buy-in. Brazao emphasized her competency in marketing Honor’s relevance and importance to the student body. Having served as a support officer since her first year, she spearheaded Honor’s public relations

initiative and hopes to continue revamping Honor’s arm of community relations. Lastly, Satpathy supported the development of multiple multi-sanction options for Honor. Satpathy holds three years’ worth of experience as a support officer, and promotes policies of better demographic data collection and implicit bias training for faculty. From the Engineering School, Alloy pushed for demographic data collection, having personally conducted research on spotlight reporting and its connection to minority communities. Alloy was counsel to multiple cases that went to trial, and hopes to bridge cultural miscommunication that impacts the international student community. Securing the other endorsement for the Engineering School, Batts pressed the Engineering School’s underrepresentation in regards to representatives per student, with Engineering School ratio greatly imbalanced. Batts underscored that her number one priority was engaging Honor’s connection with student wellbeing and providing students with the necessary resources during the Honor process. Having both served as support officers, Donnell and Knowles demonstrated a clear understanding of their goals for Honor. Knowles plans to combat student apathy toward Honor by bolstering education and outreach efforts. Donnell also stressed the importance of boosting Honor’s education efforts. He suggested an Honor component in the April orientation to McIntire, where students would receive an in-person presentation from a representative.

Second Year Council President endorsement

n a contested race of five candidates, the Cavalier Daily Editorial Board is endorsing Anna Yee for Second Year Council President out of the four candidates who sought the board’s endorsement. Yee currently serves as the president of the Kellogg Association Council. Her platform rests on facilitating meaningful relationships between Second Year Council and the greater second year class, as well as increased transparency within the council. Second year poses the difficult problem of bringing a class together when most students live off-Grounds. First year provides easier opportunities to convene — the entire class is confined to a relatively small geographic area compared to that of the second year class. Without guaranteed on-Grounds housing, many students choose to live in apartments in the surrounding areas which limits the availability of programming for a concentrated group of second-year students. Yee sufficiently addressed this problem by proposing

events that related to a variety of student interests, such as resume workshops, job search workshops and self-defense classes. Another important aspect of Yee’s platform is her commitment to involving more of the second year class in the Council’s business. Yee noted that some students know little about the Council or how to express interest in joining. She proposed a redevelopment of the Council’s website, which would include an easily accessible page for meeting minutes. In addition, Yee would host Council application workshops, where council members could help interested students craft their individual messages. Of the four candidates the board interviewed for the position, Yee demonstrated a developed understanding of the role of president of Second Year Council. Her experience as an association president and her concrete policy initiatives combine to make her the best candidate for the role.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

OPINION • www.cavalierdaily.com

We mustn’t run from our ideological opponents Failing to engage with our ideological opponents only exacerbates the problem

ince the election of President Donald Trump, some prominent celebrities have publicly voiced their unwillingness to meet with members of the Trump administration. Ellen DeGeneres won’t have Trump on her show. Former UVA star Chris Long refuses to visit the White House after his historic Super Bowl win. Olympic athlete Gus Kenworthy declined to meet with Vice President Mike Pence, and told him to “eat [his] heart out” in an Instagram photo. The internet’s response to these acts of conscientious abstention was predictable, if not unified. Supporters of the Trump administration scoffed and steamed at the nerve of those out-of-touch celebrities. Critics of the Trump administration, meanwhile, applauded the celebrities’ advocacy, praising the bravery required to turn down the equivalent of a dinner date. Now, after taking a step back and viewing this damage, the results of these acts becomes clear — this “resistance” yielded only further division. We pay much lip service to reaching across the aisle, to empathizing and relating to others and to compromising and communicating. Our actions, however, tell a different story. Our actions tell us that we have given up on civil communication, that we

have instead embraced division and ideological determinism. Is our goal truly to unify, or to divide? Engaging with those we disagree with is difficult — though it is necessary if we wish to do more than sweep society’s problems under the rug. To discredit the sort of resistance mentioned above, one must dismiss the notion that it is in any way effective in pushing an agenda or advocating for certain issues. First, however, one must acknowledge that these acts are not especially good ways of empowering those who identify with a particular marginalized group. Take the examples of DeGeneres and Kenworthy. These individuals are inspiring Americans because of who they are and what they have achieved. Refusing to meet with members of the Trump administration has little to do with fanning these flames of inspiration or empowerment. There is no encouragement of personal pride, or an affirmation of self-worth — only a political message. The message is that refusing to directly engage with the Trump administration is the best way to advocate for LGBTQ issues and that these actions will combat the air of bigotry that the administration exudes. Once this sort of resistance is understood as strictly political, its efficacy may be honestly appraised.

Upon doing so, it becomes apparent that such efforts are not only ineffective at winning over those who are on the fence or in disagreement — they are actively counterproductive. From the outset of his campaign, Trump has epitomized the “quantity

Worse, these acts of defiance were used to bolster partisan rhetoric on both sides. As the classic Rush song goes, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice” — in actively avoiding someone, you have only imposed upon them and yourself a

Now, after taking a step back and viewing this damage, the results of these acts becomes clear — this “resistance” yielded only further division.

over quality” approach to publicity, and to great effect. Though far from flawless, it may still be argued that his tactless yet deft manipulation of interviews and debates is what won him the presidency. Surely then, DeGeneres is right to deny him an interview, to not even give him a platform from which to proliferate his views. Perhaps not. If one sees Trump’s politics as polarizing and divisive, refusing to engage with them at all does little to combat this. The aforementioned examples of celebrity protest all became stories unto themselves, failing in the goal of denying the administration publicity.

default state of disagreement. There is no semblance of discourse, no high ground for either side to occupy. After these conflicts, we are only left with the same talking points and disagreements which fueled the avoidance to begin with and the kind of shouting from across the room that people like Trump thrive on. Denying Trump and his ilk any sort of platform fails in its primary objective of robbing them of political fodder. Indeed, risky as it may be to engage the administration directly, there is only one guaranteed outcome of refusing to do so entirely — further division, alienation and ideological isolation.

Examples such as those mentioned above are only a few of the most high-profile cases of this unwillingness to engage with our ideological enemies. It is the gut reaction of many people to turn away from conflict or difficulty, to believe that one’s opponents are “others” and assume that their points of view are irreconcilable. Even if debate or conversation fails to convince either party, the very act of peaceful, civil engagement has the side effect of conveying the essential principles of unity and understanding. It directly implies an empathetic willingness to talk things out, to treat others as equals. If we truly hold these ideas in high regard, then we are obligated to engage with even the most deplorable of opponents — indeed, even more so for such people. At the very least, we will set an admirable example. At the most, we might change some hearts and minds.

BENJAMIN BURKE is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily. com.

The unbiased nature of the First Amendment Consititutionally, hate speech is protected on college campuses

ate speech has become a prominent topic on U.S. college campuses lately. In light of this past August when white nationalist protesters marched across our Grounds, the issue is particularly important for students of the University and residents of the Charlottesville community. Recently, Student Council President Sarah Kenny published a guest opinion column urging students to evaluate hate speech on grounds and consider ways of regulating it. In her article, she argues that certain speech “fails to further the truth seeking charge of our scholars and institution of higher education.” Kenny believes that the University needs to coddle students rather than expose them to different points of view, which is the exact opposite of what an esteemed college should be doing. Rather than proposing palpable ways of combating hate speech through constructive debate, Kenny defers to the arguments made by Harvard Law Prof. Noah Feldman. Feldman argues that a distinction must be made between public universities and our traditional understanding of the public square, asserting that First Amendment rights should be regulated in order to preserve the

intellectual fortitude of our higher education institutions. Ultimately, Feldman’s sole justification for regulating speech is that public universities should “use all lawful means to distinguish the free-for-all of public argument from the structured, reasoned debate to which the university

hate speech codes which regulated free speech rights on public campuses. These codes were intended to prohibit hate speech that marginalized groups including ethnic minorities, women and the LGBTQ community. When put into practice, however, all of these speech codes deferred to ar-

Ultimately, the act of prohibiting hate speech becomes antithetical to the end it aims to achieve.

as an institution is supposed to be dedicated.” This rhetoric underscores a major controversy with the process of defining hate speech and determining how that speech should be regulated. Many public universities have already tried and failed to regulate hate speech on their campuses. In a New York Times Interview this past September, Erwin Chemerinsky, the new University of California Berkeley School of Law dean, explained the history of free speech on public campuses. By the 1990s, over 300 public universities had established campus

bitrary and vague means of punishing individuals for exercising their right to free speech. As a result, all of these campus speech codes were deemed unconstitutional due to their violation of the First Amendment. While acknowledging these failed attempts to regulate speech on public university campuses, it is also important to note that there are already limits on speech within the classroom. Constitutional precedent holds that First Amendment rights are already extremely limited in public classrooms. Once a student steps into a lecture hall at any public school

or university, she waives her right to exercise any speech that substantially disrupts the class learning environment. Although we cannot apply these constitutional limits to other university spaces, we can control the way we respond to hate speech. I strongly believe that students and faculty must strive to condemn hateful rhetoric at all costs. Simply because someone has the right to speak freely doesn’t mean that what they say is necessarily just, honorable or true. There’s a difference between engaging in constructive debate about hate speech and actively seeking punishment for those who freely exercise their First Amendment rights. Just as hate speech degrades the integrity of those at whom it targets, the act of regulating free speech degrades the integrity of our Constitution. The University community should encourage public forums about hate speech rather than arbitrarily exclude individuals from the debate entirely. Kenny explicitly argues that “affronts to a person and/or a community’s societal status violate one’s dignity and impede one’s ability to live a free and happy life.” However, I fail to see how guaranteeing one’s right to free speech impedes another person’s ability to live freely. Without this free

exchange of ideas, students cannot learn how to respond to dissenting opinions. Without advocating for free speech on campuses, we degrade the constitutional values that give us the right to express our ideas in the first place. Ultimately, the act of prohibiting hate speech becomes antithetical to the end it aims to achieve. Rather than preserving the intellectual esteem of our country’s public institutions, censorship of speech on public campuses narrows our intellectual scope and restricts the diversity of thought that is so crucial to the intellectual development of our community. It must be recognized that hate speech is constitutionally protected, no matter how repugnant it may be. Regulating hate speech — however that term is defined — inevitably devolves into a slippery slope of unconstitutional restrictions on our freedom of expression that must be avoided at all costs.

AUDREY FAHLBERG is a Viewpoint writer for the Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily. com

HUMOR ARIES (March 21-April 19) You’ve really been through it this past year, Aries, and I can’t promise that you’ll stop going through it. Try connecting to your emotional side by letting loose the floodgate of tears you’ve been holding back right in the middle of class. It might not help, but maybe your professor will be sympathetic enough to give you the B+ that you don’t deserve. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) 2018 is all about relationships for you, Taurus, and a wardrobe change wouldn’t hurt your luck. Start by putting away your shorts until it’s actually warm out. No one is impressed by your goose pimple legs. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Oh, Gemini. It’s time to get your

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018

Your 2018 horoscopes are finally here! finances together this year. We know it can be difficult to resist buying that cool vape pen from Island Dyes, but vape juice is not a substitute for real food. On that note, Uranus enters your twelfth house in May, increasing your susceptibility for salmonella, so avoid the dining halls during finals. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Do not, I repeat, do not ask your girlfriend for the Detective Pikachu amiibo you so desperately want when it gets released. She’s supported your collection for a while, but this could be the final straw, Cancer. And if she leaves, you already know that it will take you all of 2018 to recover — you poor water sign, you. LEO (July 23 - Aug. 22) You want to be loved by everyone, Leo, but do you want to return the love? Keep this in mind the next time your Bodo’s cashier gets a little too friendly with you. Neptune’s creative energies should help you avoid an aggressive confrontation, but if you can’t make it out of there without

hurting some feelings, remember — the bookstore has Einstein’s, and they take meal swipes. VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) With Saturn in your fifth house, you might be wondering what you’re doing in the SERP bathroom at 1 a.m. on a Sunday holding your roommate’s hair for the third week in a row. You know that it’s time for some lifestyle changes, Virgo. Take the reins from your messy friend group and make a solid weekend plan that gets you where you really want to be: your bed at a decent time. LIBRA (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) You have a great opportunity this year to work on your habits, Libra. Just make sure that the habits you make are worth keeping. Some of your peers can afford to drink every night of the week, but can you, Libra? SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) Listen Scorpio: 2018 is all about turning over a new leaf. Your generally petty nature is starting to tire you out, and those around you will take advan-

tage of that. All I’m saying is, check your Crocs before you leave the house. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) You love some good drama, Sagittarius. Try not to create your own. We know the last bits of 2017 were dry regarding your romantic life, but that doesn’t mean you should hook up with an ex just to cause some chaos on a Friday night that you can report to your girls on Saturday. We want what’s best for you Sagittarius! Unlike Scorpio, we know you’re capable of listening! CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) Capricorn, everyone’s been ripping into you lately. And we’re not saying you don’t deserve it, because … you kind of do. Maybe focus on a new hobby or something to distract you during this trying time? We hear the Blacksmithing Club is always looking for new members! AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) 2018 is going to make you even more eccentric than usual, Aquarius. Whatever you do, don’t hop onto

that weird toe thing that’s been going around Twitter lately. No one actually does it, Aquarius, they’re just making fun of–– Wait, come back here! No! Please! We can talk this through! PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Listen Pisces, you’re a wreck, but Aquarius is trying me right now so I only have a little bit of time to tell you to get it together. Maybe drink less coffee so that your lactose intolerance doesn’t cause you to miss your noon classes? That’s all I’m saying, Pisces.

SYDNEY BRANHAM is a humor columnist. She can be reached at humor@ cavalierdaily.com

The U-Guide Apocalypse Suddenly, I awoke in a cold sweat. It was three in the morning on a Thursday and my recurring nightmare had recurred. Wide awake and thoroughly startled, I glanced at my unresponsive roommate, and, finding no solace there, decided to write down the details of my dream in the hopes of finding some closure. My dream began as I was late for class. I had awoken only to confirm that my English class had started 20 minutes ago, a direct result of the fact that I set my alarm for 7:30 p.m. I raced to throw on some clothes and a hat to hide the tumbleweed on my head, and bolted through the door towards my flailing partici-

pation grade. Finally I made it to my class, only to find it dark and empty. This was curious, and my watch confirmed that I was only supposed to be 40 minutes late. I checked the room number and my schedule, but still found myself mystified. Only then did I start to look around and try in vain to find anyone else around. Utterly confused, I started to panic. Was there an incoming nuke alert that I somehow missed? Was it fall break in February? I made my way in the direction of the Lawn, and there I saw in the distance a slowly approaching group. I could just barely make out the block letters on their shirts: University

CARTOON

StudCo Elections BY MIRA DU PLESSIS

Guides. What luck! U-Guides would definitely be able to tell me what was going on. As they approached, however, their expressions began to change. No longer were they smiling in a way that encouraged questions about transfer credits, they were instead exhibiting a fierce, determined look that scared the Jefferson right out of me. Then it hit me. This was the U-Guide apocalypse. I turned and ran as fast as I could. I made it to the Amphitheater and realized I had no need to break a sweat, as these U-Guides posed no physical threat. They had been trained to only move backwards so as to be able to engage with prospec-

tive students as they toured, and thus maintained an underwhelming top speed. It was when they began to speak in unison that I smelled death. They chanted a perfectly trained dialogue, consisting of something like reasons to live on Grounds after my first year in one of the many upperclass housing options. I managed to cause a brief diversion by saying, “Look, there’s Tony Bennett!” And sprinted back towards the Rotunda. Soon enough, due to their freakish locating skills, they found me and it seemed that I was done for. Then something miraculous happened. My phone rang. Being the good University student I am, my

ringtone is the “Good Ol’ Song,” and I believe it may have saved my life. As soon as the opening notes played, the eyes of the U-Guides rolled back into their heads and as one unit they stood, shoulder to shoulder, and belted the words. It was then that I woke up, their voices ringing in my ears. Later that day, I ran into a tour group led by you-know-who, and had to fight the urge to run for my life.

WALTER SHARON is a humor columnist. He can be reached at humor@ cavlierdaily.com

THE CAVALIER DAILY

WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE Dan Goff | Arts and Entertainment Editor

PUZZLES

*THE SOLUTION TO THIS PUZZLE CAN BE FOUND IN NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE Across 1. Virginia's basketball Thursday ranking (!!) 4. Dame, "Those6 songs Women’s Basketball vs. Notre pm, JPJare ___" catchy hits February Bingo Night, 7 pm, Hall 8.Alumni Relating to the Black in Latin America Screening, 6 pm, Multicultural backbone 11. Red, plastic Student Center monkeys might come in Friday one of these, or you might go Boar’ down two-down Women’s Tennis vs. Michigan, 5 pm, s Head in one of these The Whethermen in: Love is War, 7 pm to 9 pm, The 13. Slang for important Chemistry Building matters Makes UPC Presents: Movie Roast,15. 7 pm to 10 equivalent pm, The Rotun17. Heavenly, cherubic da 18. Where you might Saturday find a key Nutella Women’s Lacrosse vs. Elon,ingredient 1 pm, Klöcknertwo Stadium words 19. Groves is a local Flux and MRC Open Mic, 7 pm to 10 pm, Brooks Hall example Amuse Bouche Presents: Hamburger 20. Zits Hinderer, 7 pm to 9 pm, Open Grounds 22. Extremely small amount, orIX ninth Winter Farmers Market, 9 am to 1 pm, Art letter Park of Greek alphabet Sunday 23. Mistake Women’s Basketball vs. Miami, JPJ 25. 12:30 Pure-pm, or thorough26. Get ridto of9:30 something Film Screening: Tongues United, 7 pm pm, Mulor someone ticultural Student Center 27. Equal, alike Art with a Soul: Art Exhibit28. Featuring Folk Artist Danny Driving maneuvers named for a letter Doughty, 3 pm to 5 pm, Batten School 30. ___ Armstrong was a Tuesday popular rubber toy Women’s Tennis vs. Charlotte, pm, Boar’s Head 33.2:30 Good-for-nothing person Field dated term Baseball vs. VMI, 3 pm, Davenport You6:30 might them Women’s Tennis vs. George36. Mason, pm,use Boar’ s to pick up an ear of corn Head or other food 40. The Comedy Knight, 7 pm, Alumni Hall team that beat Virginia 60-61 Saturday Wednesday 41. Adds frosting, maybe Women’s Lacrosse vs. Richmond, 5 pm, Klöckner Stadi43. "___ Flux" poorly um rated 2005 sci-fi movie "That's Men’s Basketball vs. Georgia45. Tech, 7 pm,my JPJname, don't ___ it out" 46. Seabird related to gulls 47. Sometimes less is ___ 48. Shades of dark blue *THIS IS THE SOLUTION TOAlters LAST a WEEK’S PUZZLE 50. proposition with a contradictory C A N E N O R T H predicate M A N U R E O P E automaton R A S 53. German N A T I V E A N I M I S M company S I L I C O N M O M E N T A L A P S R O C S B E A R L E E S E R S E A D L I B S C A B R E U B E N R E M O D E L L A M B D A S O R B S C O D A P R O M C E R T S O L L A L O O P A Y E S R A V I O L I T A N K A S B R A C K E T C L I E N T L I S T E N H E N R Y S R E S E A T

EVENTS

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34. Variant term for academia 35. Animals that Bubba wanted to cook in “Forrest Gump” 37. Feast day of a saint after whom a person is named — two words 38. Virginia basketball match on Feb. 21 against ___ Tech 39. A person who manually puts data into something 40. “___ and Shout” 42. Highbrow, condescending type 44. Bird home 49. Informal term for money — dated 51. Super Mario ___ 52. Spanish for “wine”

35. 54. 1. Bubba "___ Jones's Diary" Virginia’s basketball ranking9. (!!)Trouble or afflict mind 1. Bottle ___ areAnimals good toolsthat to have for wine or beer wanted to cook in or body 55. 4. "Indiana Jones and “Those songs are ___” — catchy hits 2. Big ol’ waterfall the 8. ___ of Doom" Relating to the backbone 10. Hawaiian necklace 3. To make"Forrest poisonousGump" Feast day of a saint 56. 11. Live, Basketball Red,broadcast plastic monkeys might11. come in one of coach 4. Very dry37. wine after whom a person is (and musician two these, words or you might go down two-down in one ofof the5. Public speaking same name) Tony ___ 57. these Relaxes 6. Relatingnamed to a bone at the base of the skull 12. Ancient Roman 7. was 58. 13. Slang term for important Icy rains38. Virginia basketball British for a matters matchtrack on Feb. 21in the Shadow 15. Makes equivalent 8. Sufjan Stevens “No ___ popular Asian condiment known for an excellent against ___ Tech system of this 17. Heavenly, cherubic of the Cross” — alternatively, something you can Down 39. A person who 14. It forms over a throw 18. Where you might find a key Nutella ingredient 1. Bottle are good puts wound — two___ words 9. Troublemanually or afflict mind ordata body into tools haveisfor wine or something 16. "Drunk Drivers /10. Hawaiian 19.to Groves a local example necklace beer20. Zits 40.coach "___(and andmusician Shout"of the same Basketball Killer Whales" band11.Car 2. Big ol' waterfall 42. Headrest 22. Extremely small amount, or___ ninth letter of name) Tony ___Highbrow, 3. To make poisonous Greek alphabet 12. Ancientcondescending Rome was known type for an excellent 21. More nasty or hateful 4. Very 44. Bird home 23. Mistake system of this dry wine 24. Relax 25. Pureor thorough14. It forms49. over a wound term for 5. Public speaking Informal 29. 17th letter of Greek 26. Get rid of something or someone 16. “Drunk Drivers / Killer Whales” band Car ___ money dated 6. Relating to a bone at alphabet Equal, Headrest 51. Super Mario ___ the 27. base of alike the skull 31. Intervals of three 28. rains Driving maneuvers namedmusical for a letternotes 21. More nasty or hateful for "wine" 7. Icy 52. Spanish 30. ___ Armstrong was a popular rubber toy 24. Relax 8. Sufjan Stevens track 32. The best part of Good-for-nothing person — datedkids's term school 29. 17th letter of Greek alphabet "No33. ___ in the Shadow many days 36. You might use them to pick33. up Tinier an ear of corn 31. Intervals of three musical notes of the Cross" or other foodsomething 32. The best part of many kids’ school days alternatively, 34. Variant term for Thethrow team that beat Virginia 60-61 Saturday 33. Tinier you40. can academia

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2018

A& E ARTS &

‘Making Noise’ brings student plays to life Students find inspiration, performance space in Music Library

ENTERTAINMENT

Robin Schwartzkopf | Senior Writer The only library on the Lawn, the Music Library — located in the original coal furnace area of Old Cabell Hall — has a distinct architectural and historical presence at the University. Boasting a significant music collection and supporting research in a variety of arts-related fields, the library has served as a performance and presentation space for many student groups and community members. This Friday, the library will also be host to an evening of short plays authored by University students in Assoc. Prof. Doug Grissom’s playwriting class. The event, organized as part of the ongoing “Making Noise” series, will transform the library into a performance space for four different plays and one monologue, each authored by students in the class Grissom taught last semester. The series features formal and informal performance events on Fridays from the University and greater Charlottesville community, although Grissom believes this event will be the first to present a collection of short plays. “I know they’ve had a cellist [at the Music Library] before and people reading poetry and different events,” Grissom said. “And [Research Librarian] Abby Flanigan … approached me last year and thought it’d be interesting to have some plays done … So I used it as a way of in-

volving my playwriting class, as well as I thought it would just be a fun event to stage.” Grissom brought his class to the Music Library for a day to use the space as inspiration. “They either wrote some things while they were here or they just spent an hour in the space and [got] ideas and they would go off and write plays set in here,” Grissom recalled. “So they did write with the Music Library specifically in mind.” After their day working in the library, Grissom saw each of his students approach the project in different ways, despite drawing their narratives from the same setting. “They’re all comic,” Grissom said. “But they’re all set in the ... Music Library at U.Va. So it’s very geared to the space.” Student playwrights completed their pieces last semester, and Grissom selected five pieces to include in the hour-long event. For simplicity, Grissom directed the plays and recruited actors from the Drama Department to stage the scenes. He described the challenges of working with the space. “We haven’t had a lot of time to rehearse in here because the library’s open most of the time,” Grissom said. “We’ve really only had about four rehearsals [in the Music Library], we’ll have a couple of other

rehearsals in the drama building, so that’s been a little challenging in terms of getting people to make sure they’re free … But that’s just how we had to get organized.” Using the Music Library presented several issues of staging as it relates to audience size and placement. “The real tricky thing is where is the audience gonna be, because we’re in different places all on the main floor of the library but in different spaces,” Grissom said. “It’s one thing if there’s 40 people, it’s another thing if there’s ten … in terms of just sight lines and where the audience can be.” Actor and first-year College student Maille-Rose Smith expressed similar concerns that the students are working to address. “In the Music Library space, it might be difficult to delineate between “stage” space versus the audience area,” Smith said in an email. “We haven’t gotten all the details down yet.” Despite the challenges, Smith said she was attracted to the project because of the emphasis on student authorship. “It sounded like a wonderful opportunity to act in some student-written short plays and scenes,” she said. “This was my first time acting in a student-authored play at college.” Smith highlighted the unique

aspects of working with a student-written script alongside the authors themselves. “The authors were flexible to rewriting portions of the script to fit this particular production,” Smith said. “That was different from putting on a copyrighted, purchased play where the script is pretty much set in stone. I enjoyed seeing how the plays changed! For one play, the ending was rewritten for better effect!” Second-year College student Savannah Maive Edwards, who has acted several times in student-written plays directed by Grissom, affirmed Smith’s sentiments about working with student authors. “When you are working closely with a writer, the script develops along with the rest of the process, so that it all grows together simultaneously,” Edwards said. “The process definitely becomes more personal when the writer is attending the rehearsals, hearing how things sound and making edits on the spot.” Edwards agreed with her fellow actor about the challenges and benefits of the project, but said she also found inspiration in the space. “I would say that the structure of the Music Library itself is very performative,” she said. “To me it definitely resembles a cave more than a library. There are also a lot of structures that may be obstacles to the

audience members’ lines of vision, so we had to keep that in mind when we were configuring the blocking.” Even though the organization and rehearsal process has been challenging, Grissom expressed his excitement for the event and the creativity of his students when dealing with the space. “There’s one [play] that uses these pods … that look kind of like eggs, and the play is just two eggs talking,” he said. Smith, Edwards and their fellow actors will perform this Friday at 6 p.m. Grissom has requested that audience members register in advance to give the organizers an idea of the size of the crowd. “Ideally we would like people to go to the Music Library website or Facebook page and there’s a place to register,” Grissom said. “We’re probably not going to turn people away if they just show up … unless we’re just packed and can’t accommodate any more people.” As a performance, installation and presentation space, the Music Library serves as more than a comfortable place to study. This Friday, four student-authored plays and one monologue will add theatrical production to the “Making Noise” repertoire.

‘Little Dark Age’ balances signature style with innovation MGMT’s fourth album provides a nostalgic yet exciting listening experience Gabrielle Woolley | Staff Writer Loyal fans will appreciate MGMT’s re-discovery of self in their latest album, “Little Dark Age”. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden successfully fused their signature psychedelic pop style with innovative sounds and lyrics. On their fourth album, MGMT kept their style more similar to that of their 2007 debut album, “Oracular Spectacular,” even repartnering with the producer of their first album, David Fridmann, to create “Little Dark Age.” MGMT kept their style similar to that of their early 2000s music, and most of the tracks have a 60s electronic sound, evocative of some of the duo’s most popular songs, such as “Kids” and “Electric Feel.” After their second and third albums received mixed reviews and critique for being too quirky and experimental, MGMT truly went back to their musical roots. Fans who thought that the

genius behind “Oracular Spectacular” was lost will have a nostalgic experience listening to this new album. Goldwasser and VanWyngarden formed MGMT in 2002 during their freshman year at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. Their first EP, “Time to Pretend,” came out following their graduation in 2005. Produced by little-known record label Cantora Records, the EP only featured six tracks, but these six included two of their most popular songs — “Kids” and “Time to Pretend.” In 2007, MGMT partnered with Fridmann to release their debut album “Oracular Spectacular.” MGMT sold over 500,000 copies of this album in the U.S., and it went platinum in Australia, the U.K. and Ireland. Hit tracks off this album like “Electric Feel” helped build a strong MGMT fan base

and popularized the duo’s unique pop-electro style. MGMT’s early material is their most popular material. Though fans appreciate them for their quirky sound, their second and third albums strayed too far from their signature style. “Little Dark Age” re-proves MGMT’s abilities and unique artistry. The track “Hand it Over” has a chill sound reminiscent of a Beach Boys song and MGMT’s own signature 60s-electronic-pop-fusion dynamic genre. Though being overly experimental in their second and third album did not work in their favor, there are also tracks off of “Little Dark Age” that show MGMT is still unafraid of musical innovation. Many of the songs on the new album are 80s-pop inspired. “Me and Michael” includes upbeat keyboard sounds similar to those of

a song featured in a John Hughes film. The title track is an edgier song, with a considerably more punky-pop sound but has a catchy chorus that makes the sound more accessible to listeners. Most of the tracks are very synth-driven, creating a cool and distinct sound theme. One other unique feature of the new album is how it doubles as a critique of society, particularly in regards to the obsession with social media. The track “She Works Out Too Much” is about a guy and a girl who are obsessed with hitting the gym and taking selfies there. Underlying the lyrics of this song is the idea that people are motivated to do things for the sole purpose of being able to broadcast their activities to others via social media. Another track, “TSLAMP,” is titled an acronym for “time spent

looking at my phone.” The duo sings, “All the memories you’ve shared, developed by perverted creatures” to critique how people are so easily lured into the carefully curated, debatably superficial and sometimes toxic online world. Both tracks continue to maintain MGMT’s signature funky sound, allowing for their meaningful lyrics to make “Little Dark Age” even more relevant to listeners. “Little Dark Age” does a perfect job maintaining MGMT’s traditional electronic pop sound while also making innovations within their genre and the messages of their music. Goldwasser and VanWyngarden successfully re-cultivated the sound that made listeners fall in love with MGMT, while also keeping the album fresh and innovative.

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The Kluge-Ruhe is Charlottesville’s hidden gem Aboriginal museum encourages education, self-reflection Darby Delaney | Senior Associate “The white man history has been told and it’s today in the book. But our history is not there properly. We’ve got to tell ‘em through our paintings.” These urgent words, said by Aboriginal artist Clifford Brooks, begin the section label of the “Art at a Crossroads” exhibit in the University’s Kluge-Ruhe museum — home to the most comprehensive collection of Aboriginal art outside Australia. Brooks’s statement underlines the ethos of the rich contemporary artistic movement — one of both extraordinary aesthetic value and illuminating cultural impact. The Kluge-Ruhe takes up one small floor in Pantops Farm, a scenic countryside house on a property once owned by Thomas Jefferson. Late entrepreneur and art collector John W. Kluge collected and admired Aboriginal art for its uniqueness and beauty, and he donated his immense private collection to the University in 1997. Over 20 years later, the museum regularly welcomes a steady stream of talented artists — Reko Rennie, Carol McGregor and Judy Watson — and enables the consistent showcasing and education of new Aboriginal perspectives. Director of Kluge-Ruhe Margo Smith says the overarching mission of the museum is to advance the knowledge and nurture a nuanced understanding of indigenous art and culture worldwide. “Many people — if they haven't seen Aboriginal art before — come with a stereotypical idea of what an Aboriginal person looks like, how they might live and what their culture is like,” Smith said. Smith’s ambition to dismantle imperial-based assumptions of indigenous art as primitive and unsophisticated becomes fulfilled immediately upon visiting Kluge-Ruhe. Despite the limited gallery space, the museum’s featured artworks are highly diverse, each one bursting with its own rich narrative and providing a unique voice influenced by the artist’s generation, community, gender and memories. Each painting’s flat canvas comes alive with an infectious vivacity, not unlike the country — the Aboriginal concept concerning the totality of land, air, water, animals, food and everything in between — that inspired them. One the collection’s highlights, “Lungarung” by Weaver Jack, depicts Jack’s birthplace, Lungarug in Australia's Great Sandy Desert. Due to a drought in Lungarung, Jack was forced into exile and spent much of her life near the coast, and the painting expresses ties to Jack’s now detached country. “Lungarung” also powerfully functions as a self-portrait — in the lower left-hand corner, Jack paints herself as a vibrant orange cross merging with the surrounding landscape. The self-portrait evokes a sense of inextricable uni-

ty between country and Weaver, and this conflation widens conventional perceptions of identity. To know Jack, the viewer must know her land — they are the same. Jack’s personal rendering of Lungarung asserts her own identity in the face of genocide, displacement and systematic oppression — a common occurrence within the collection. The aforementioned small gallery size results in focused exhibitions, with most of the artworks sharing compex themes like ancestral history, country and the colonization of Aboriginal people. While the small collection allows for portability and upholds an intimacy between the viewer and the artist, it does constrain the capabilities of showcasing Aboriginal art. Smith cites Kluge-Ruhe’s size and locations as challenges the museum regularly confronts. “Our long-term goal is to be at the University and have enough space to show the collection in its magnificence,” Smith said. “We have many works in our collection where our wall space and the ceiling space is not adequate to show the work.” The limited accessibility to Kluge-Ruhe for students without cars also presents a challenge to the museum’s additional goal of fostering an entirely inclusive space. “A lot of people think of museums as elite spaces,” Smith said. “And I know a lot of Aboriginal artists told me that they didn’t enter a museum until they were adults, and didn’t feel that museums were welcoming spaces. We want everyone to feel welcome here, and that our conversations are honest.” Smith’s inclusive goal is especially pertinent after the Aug. 11 and 12 white supremacist rallies. In response to the calamity, Kluge-Ruhe has encouraged open conversations on institutional racism and the enduring disadvantages people of color face in the seemingly progressive Charlottesville community, as well as the marginalization imposed on indigenous people in Australia today. Smith says self-reflection is necessary for ceasing this disadvantage and marginalization. “We have to look ourselves and how we might change what we are doing,” Smith said. Kluge-Ruhe has enacted specific programs orientating to the sharing of stories concerning the events of Aug. 11 and 12. In the collection’s interactive art-making space, there are prompts like “Privilege can be defined as ‘unearned advantage.’ What are some advantages you have that you didn’t earn?” and “Describe a time that you listened to someone from a different background, and you learned something that surprised you.” These prompts invite visitors to reflect on their own learning experiences and privileges. Visitors are encouraged to place their response cards in the

Kluge-Ruhe breezeway, deconstructing the previously mentioned elitist connotations of museums — anyone can have their artwork posted in Kluge-Ruhe. Smith also spoke some to the different purposes of museum programs. “Sometimes programs can feel like you’re there to learn something,” she said. “And other programs are there for people to reflect and to have a vehicle for expression.” Kluge-Ruhe is the rare museSARAH LINDAMOOD | THE CAVALIER DAILY um that fulfills both functions. The museum both offers educational, nuanced insight into Aboriginal The Kluge-Ruhe museum features an impressive collection of Aboriginal art. culture and encourages an elevated sense of self through the museum’s interactive, inclusive art-making spaces. The valuable dual function Aboriginal art. Kluge-Ruhe is currently Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists of Kluge-Ruhe makes the museum a orchestrating a project called “Maday- — including former artist-in-residence must-see destination for all members in,” the museum’s most ambitious un- Djambawa Marawili — thereby limitof the community, regardless of their dertaking yet. The project will consist ing the presence of Western interpreof Yolngu bark paintings touring art tation in Aboriginal artistry. The art is backgrounds and interest. While the ambitions of Kluge-Ru- institutions all over the country, offer- projected to tour 2020-21, and knowing he may appear lofty or overreaching, ing Americans the all-too-rare oppor- the admirable, exceptionals efforts of Smith and her team are a small but tunity to receive an in-depth look at Kluge-Ruhe, it will be a grand sight to behold. mighty crew dedicated to expanding Aboriginal art. “Madayin” will be curated by both the visibility and global significance of

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Hospital improves patient safety after fines U. Va. Health System implemented the Be Safe program in 2014 after recieving fines for infections in recent years Anna Christou | Senior Writer

The University Health System has faced challenges with patient safety, including incurring a $5 million penalty in December from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, according to The Daily Progress. However, the hospital has made improvements through its Be Safe initiative. Dr. Tracey Hoke, chief of quality and performance improvement, said penalties related to safety are given by an external benchmarking service created by the federal government based on billing data. “Every day, when a physician bills for patient care, all of the bills are attached to disease codes or procedure codes, and at the end of a hospitalization, when a hospital bills for care, all of the billing is attached to disease codes and procedure codes,” Hoke said. Then, according to Hoke, all of the disease and procedure codes are run through an algorithm based on severity of illness and are analyzed by the federal government on the CMS Hospital Compare website. The site includes information about the quality of care of Medicare-certified hospitals, such as timely, safe and effective care; patient experiences; readmission and mortality rates and efficiency of use of medical imaging. Hoke said that to decide on penalties, the Hospital Compare metrics are distributed into four different programs — Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program, Hospital Readmission Reduction Program, Value Modifier Program and Hospital Acquired Conditions program — and the top and bottom performers in the programs are determined. “They take money from the bottom performers and give it to the top performers, as sort of a penalty to the worst and a gift or incentive to the best,” Hoke said. The University has paid penalties in the Hospital Acquired Condition program over the past two years. This program reviews hospital-acquired infection data, such as catheter-associated urinary tract infections, catheter-associated bloodstream infections and MRSA infections. However, Hoke said that this benchmarking service often uses old data and also puts academic medical centers that deliver quaternary care — highly specialized and advanced levels of medicine — at a disadvantage. “It’s well known across the country that these benchmarking tools favor ... hospitals taking care of patients who are sick but not the sickest,” Hoke said.

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The University Health System was fined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for its patient safety metrics.

Specifically, Hoke said that the academic medical centers, such as the University, take care of more medically complex patients and thus have patient outcomes that are disproportionately worse than the rest of the pool but were not accounted for in the CMS risk adjustment. Also, Hoke said that analyzing the data of coded admissions takes a significant amount of time and is often published up to four years behind the hospital discharge. Notably, the fines that the University received in recent years were based on data as old as 2014. “The tenure in the country right now is that we need to be really skeptical with these benchmarking systems because they are steering people away from our academic medical centers where we take care of the sickest and the poorest patients and deliver the highest level of care, and we need to just be open to the public around the delays in the data,” Hoke said. Given these issues, the Health System focuses more on their internal measures and programs for safety. “We focus on our internal information in real time to both problem solve and to set best prac-

tices in place,” Hoke said. “There’s a sort of acknowledgement that the benchmarks are out there but they’re not how we figure out what to improve, and they’re not how we ultimately judge our patient care.” In terms of internal information, the Health System’s main approach to patient safety is a program called Be Safe, initiated in January 2014, Hoke said. “The program consists of guiding principles about keeping the patient in the forefront of everything that we do, and it uses proven continuous quality improvement methods, like Lean and A3, to assist people in determining the root causes of problems and coming up with data-driven solutions,” said Wendy Novicoff, a professor of public health sciences, in an email to The Cavalier Daily. Hoke said Be Safe focuses on systems improvements, including by looking for the best practices in the industry and working on employing them into their systems, such as electronic medical records and clinical care practices. They also trend patient outcomes, tracking 483 measures, even before the external benchmarking services might indicate there is a problem.

Of the 483 measures that Hoke’s office follows, they focus on 10 specific surrogates of excellence. “We have 10 surrogates for excellence that include things like our mortality rates, our readmission rates, our infection rates, our pressure ulcer rates, our fall rates, team member injury rates ... those 10 surrogates are monitored on a daily basis, trended on a monthly basis and benchmarked on a quarterly basis,” Hoke said. Hoke said that as they monitor these proxy measures of patient safety, new practices emerge, and they increase their understanding of patient populations. For example, they recently discovered that many pressure ulcers at the University Hospital are caused by life-preserving devices, such as ventilators or feeding tubes — rather than the conventional reason for pressure-ulcer formation that patients aren’t being turned enough. As a result, their understanding of pressure ulcers has become more focused, and they are even working with vendors to make more protective products. Additionally, Novicoff said that the Be Safe program is inherently cyclical, as they continue to analyze their data and work to im-

prove. For example, she has been working on reducing the rate of venous thromboembolism events, which according to the American Heart Association, is a blood clot often caused by surgery in patients who have had hip and knee replacements. “We were able to reduce that rate significantly using a multidisciplinary approach ... and we have been spreading that approach to other areas in the hospital with equally impressive results,” Novicoff said. Hoke also noted significant improvements in hospital-acquired infection rates, which the hospital had been fined for in the past. Specifically, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, catheter-associated bloodstream infections, C. difficile and MRSA infections have decreased 70 percent, 56 percent, 31 percent and 50 percent respectively over the last five years. “If you look forward to the 2019 program ... we are expected not to pay a penalty because the data will have finally caught up,” Hoke said.

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