Wednesday, July 3, 2019

The Cavalier Daily

Vol. 130, Issue 1

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

welcome class of 2023 a guide to your first year RILEY WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

DAILY NEWSLETTER

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THE CAVALIER DAILY

A guide to study spaces on Grounds A variety of study spots that aren’t in Alderman

NEWS Dean of Libraries John Unsworth’s April announcement that Alderman Library will be closing for renovation starting Spring 2020 left many students in search of new study spaces on Grounds.

Popular among students for its academic and classic feel, Alderman offers 850 study seats. However, its closure — which will last from May 2020 until May 2023 — means students will soon be unable to spend late nights holed up in the Alderman stacks.

With Alderman’s impending closure in mind, the University has compiled an interactive web map of study spaces on and off Grounds. Jill Heinze, director of user experience at the library, says the University created the map through a combination of research and student input to sort study spaces into different categories.

“We knew through doing user research, that there were certain characteristics of spaces that students seem to be most interested in — so everything from more outlets, what kind of lighting was available, was this a group study space or somewhere that you could go if you needed it to be quiet,” Heinze said.

Clemons Library Clemons Library is open 24 hours per day from Sunday at 10 a.m. to Friday at midnight and Saturday from 9 a.m. to midnight — offering an ideal location for those typing essays into the early hours of the morning.

Clemons also provides vastly different noise levels on each of its four floors. While the fourth floor

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Ali Sullivan | Senior Writer offers a chattier, social atmosphere, the first floor requires silence from its studiers. The latter will reopen in fall 2019 after a year of renovation and will bring with it 350 available seats to those seeking quiet study time.

Students will find a variety of resources and technology available on the second and third floors. The Robertson Media Center houses 3D printers, an Oculus Rift virtual reality simulator and a recording studio.

Meanwhile, students can utilize the Dathel and John Georges Student Center, located on the second floor, for academic and financial advising services.

Charles L. Brown Science & Engineering Library in Clark Hall Referred to by most students as “Clark,” the Brown Library mimics Alderman’s quiet, scholarly environment. Like Alderman, it also has a Greenberry’s Coffee Co. — which accepts Plus Dollars, Cavalier Advantage, card and cash in exchange for coffee and snacks.

On the first floor of Clark, students can set up at cubicles, shared tables or in reservable group study rooms. On the lower levels, students can find silent study spaces amidst stacks of science and engineering-related texts.

The Multicultural Student Center and LGBTQ Center Currently located in the basement of Newcomb Hall, the MSC and LGBTQ Center offer dynamic and social study atmospheres along with various other resources and events.

The MSC — which supports underrepresented students on Grounds

— operates under the Office of the Dean of Students and provides couches, tables, desktop computers and free printing before 2 p.m. The center often hosts cultural programming events and is ava+ilable by reservation for student meetings after 5 p.m.

The LGBTQ Center — adjacent to the MSC — offers a similarly welcoming space to LGBTQ+ students and allies looking to study, lounge and learn about the community.

The LGBTQ Center and MSC each seat a maximum of 49 people in their current locations. However, the University recently announced its decision to move the MSC to what was previously the Newcomb Game Room — located on the third floor of Newcomb — which hits capacity close to 600 people. The LGBTQ Center will relocate to an undecided third-floor location.

The Rotunda Perched at the head of the Lawn, the Rotunda stands not only as the architectural centerpiece of the University, but also as a study area.

Students can pore over textbooks in the Oval Rooms located on the main level as well as upstairs in the Dome Room. While typically open to students every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Rotunda will offer extended study hours during Alderman’s closure.

Smaller, lesser known libraries The University houses 12 libraries on Grounds, yet most students spend their time in three — Alderman, Clemons and Clark. However, a variety of smaller libraries are scattered throughout Grounds.

Closer to Central Grounds, stu-

TYRA KREHBIEL | THE CAVALIER DAILY

dents can study in the Music Library, located in Old Cabell Hall.

The space provides a quiet environment as well as practice space for musicians. Close by, the Balz Philosophy Library in Cocke Hall is geared toward graduate students, but it may be used by all students in search of a quiet space.

For dorm occupants and Engineering students, the Gilmer STEM Space, Physics Library and Thornton Stacks offer seats for those hoping to avoid the trek to Central Grounds.

The Gilmer STEM Commons is located on the second floor of Gilmer Hall — a short walk from most first-

year housing. For Engineering students looking to study in between classes, the Physics Library, located on the third floor of the Physics Building, and the Thornton Stacks, in the basement of Thornton Hall, offer tables, desktop computers and printing.

Have any tips?

This list is far from an exhaustive enumeration of all study spaces on Grounds, so students hoping to inform others of their favorite spots can email study-map@virginia.edu to put them on the interactive study map.

Bond House apartments expected to be ready for move-in In case of unexpected delays, the University has options in place to accommodate students Fateme Tavakoli | Staff Writer The construction of Bond House apartments on Brandon Avenue has been behind schedule due to winter weather constraints, but the University anticipates the building will be completed in time for students to move in this August.

In an email sent to students by the University Housing and Residence Life, it was announced that the building is expected to be completed by the scheduled move-in period Aug. 25 and Aug. 26. In the event of any unexpected delays, the University has developed options including release from 2019-2020 housing

agreement with no penalty, HRL facilitated connections with offGrounds apartments and temporary on-Grounds housing in Alderman Road or McCormick Road residential areas with temporary free meal plans.

“At this point, we expect the Bond House apartments to be ready for occupancy in August,” Deputy University Spokesperson Wesley P. Hester said in an email to The Cavalier Daily.

Bond House — named after one of the leaders of the civil rights movement and the University of Virginia history professor Julian Bond — is a six-story

building with 313 single rooms in four-bedroom furnished apartments.

“Bond was a part of the regular upperclass housing selection,” Hester said. “Since no one lived in Bond to be able to return to the same area, the first students who could select into Bond were rising second-year groups of six and four — really only groups of four since there are no six-person apartments in Bond.”

Generally, rising third- and fourth-year students returning to the same area are given top priority for selecting on Grounds housing, followed by rising sec-

ond-year students, rising thirdand fourth-year students living on Grounds but moving to a different area and rising third- and fourth-years living off Grounds who want to move on Grounds.

The construction of the Bond began in July 2017 and was originally planned to be completed

by July 2019. The Bond House is a part of the larger Brandon Avenue Master Plan which aims to connect South Lawn to Brandon Avenue and develops a design “that makes the street feel more like an outdoor room.”

In an effort to create more community spaces on Grounds,

President Jim Ryan has proposed a “Citizen-Leaders for the 21st Century” initiative as a part of a 10-year strategic plan which is designed to put the University on the path of becoming the best public University by 2030. This initiative will create residential communities on Grounds to house all first- and second-year students and provide opportunities for third- and fourth-year students to remain connected to their residential communities.

www.cavalierdaily.com • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2019

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Class of 2023 is the most diverse class in University history 3,925 of 9,726 admitted students enroll, overshooting target of 3,750 Erica Sprott | Senior Writer The 3,925 students enrolling in the Class of 2023 comprise the academically strongest and most diverse class in the history of the University, according to Dean of Admissions Gregory Roberts.

Compared to the statistics from the Class of 2022, the new class features an increase in minority, first-generation and low-income populations. Though the school overenrolled above its target of 3,750, the incoming class fell one percent short of its in-state target, with 66 percent of students coming from the Commonwealth.

Though the official statistics are not released until after the fall semester begins, Roberts said the current statistics are largely representative of the incoming class — it’s anticipated that 55 to 65 students will take gap years or pursue other options that would postpone their enrollment.

The Class of 2023 includes 35 percent minority students, an increase from the 34 percent in the Class of 2022. In particular, the African American population has increased from 6.5 percent to 6.8 percent — however, the portion of incoming students claiming at least one of their races is African American has decreased from 9.2 percent to 9 percent.

According to Roberts, the minority population of the Class of 2023 reaches roughly 40 percent with the inclusion of international students in the statistic.

The incoming class is also more economically diverse, featuring an increase in the low-income population from 7.7 percent to 8.4 percent over the Class of 2022. The first-generation student population has also increased, growing from 11 percent to 13 percent between the two classes.

Incoming first-year student, Astha Kulshrestha said diversity was definitely something she considered upon choosing a college, although she said it wasn’t at the top of her list.

“It’s a great thing that it’s a really diverse class. My previous school was really diverse too, so I know the value of it, and I know that I want to continue meeting new people from different places,” Kulshrestha said. “I needed the school that I considered to be diverse. It was a consideration but it wasn’t the most important thing for me.”

Roberts described the Office of Admissions’ efforts to build relationships between the University and prospective students, a process which begins far before the offer and enrollment deadlines each spring. In addition to

MADDY SITA | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The Class of 2023 includes 35 percent minority students, an increase from 34 percent in the Class of 2022.

reaching out to many students as early as their sophomore year in high school, the Office has made special efforts — such as outreach programs to students in the Appalachian region — to increase racial and socioeconomic diversity in recent years.

“Often with underserved students, underrepresented students, we have special programming, open houses, financial aid workshops,” Roberts said. “We partner with a lot of community-based organizations — we recruit at churches, synagogues, youth groups and things like that — locally, and in the state in particular. So we try to cast a pretty broad net, so that we can attract, and ultimately offer to and enroll, talented and deserving students of all backgrounds, but I think

we had a lot of success increasing racial and economic diversity and first-gen diversity in the past couple of years.”

In addition to overall improvements in diversity, the Class of 2023 boasts an increase in mean SAT score from last year’s 1397 to 1406. 90.3 percent of enrolling students were also in the top 10 percent of their graduating class.

The admissions process this year also entailed fewer offers to legacy students, but a higher number of enrollees. While legacy offers dropped from 1,072 for the Class of 2022 to 1,014, legacy enrollments increased from 594 to 602 students.

Competitive academics and a record-breaking pool of 40,869 applicants decreased the University’s admissions offer rate to an

all time low of roughly 24 percent.

Roberts noted that, though area of academic interest is largely disregarded, certain fields have seen more attention from students as application numbers continue to increase.

“We don’t look at [majors] very much,” Roberts said. “However, I would say that in the past several years, the interest in Engineering has increased pretty dramatically, and I would also say that Computer Science has increased pretty dramatically. Now, I think that’s a national trend too. But those have seen more interest. Frankly, we’ve seen more interest in Nursing too.”

Overall, Roberts expressed his appreciation for the class and the work of the Office of Admissions through the process of completing

the Class of 2023.

“I think that mainly, we are very proud of this class,” Roberts said. “This was a challenging year for our team given the large application volume, but we consider it a great honor to get a glimpse of students lives, and to be responsible for shaping a class that will shape the University for years to come. It’s far more than a bunch of numbers to us, of course, it’s getting to know the students as best we can through their applications, and it’s inspiring. We have some pretty extraordinary students here.”

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NEWS • www.cavalierdaily.com

Breaking down the early decision choice In addition to early action and regular decision options, applicants are now able to apply to the University through a binding early decision option Caroline Meyer | Senior Writer The University announced a new early decision option for applicants for the 2020-2021 school year May 29. The early decision plan will be implemented in addition to the early action and regular decision options, which are currently in place.

The early decision option will differ from the current plans in that applicants will receive notification from the University by Dec. 15 as opposed to Jan. 31 or April 1 for early action and regular decision, respectively.

The early decision is a binding agreement in which students can only apply to one school and targets students who have decided that U.Va. is their first choice. If accepted, applicants are required to withdraw all applications from other schools. According to Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Greg Roberts, the shift towards early decision did not originally stem from the University itself but instead was prompted by high schools with students looking to apply to U.Va. “The University began studying early decision last year after hearing from high school students and high school counselors

around the state and country and world who requested that we add this option,” Roberts said in an email to The Cavalier Daily.

Financial aid allotment for early decision will be awarded at the same time as the applicant’s notification of acceptance. This has sparked some criticism, as it could unfairly benefit applicants who are able to commit to a university, regardless of financial aid.

The process may also potentially disadvantage applicants whose college choices may be based on financial aid — if they are admitted early decision, they are effectively unable to compare packages from other universities.

“As someone who relies on financial aid to [attend U.Va.], I know I would definitely not apply early decision had I had the chance,” said second-year College student Ester Rekhelman in an email to The Cavalier Daily.

“Every other school I applied to my senior year I applied either early action or regular decision because I wasn’t in the financial position to commit myself to one school independent of what their financial package to me was.”

At other universities around

the country, admissions rates for early decision applicants are typically higher than early action or regular decision rates. For example, the admission rates in the fall of 2017 for Northwestern University were 26.9 percent and 7.2 percent, The College of William and Mary were 51.9 percent and 34.7 percent and Vanderbilt University were 24 percent and 9.2 percent for early decision and regular decision, respectively. However, according to Roberts, this will not be the case at U.Va., and therefore early decision should not benefit certain applicants over others.

U.Va. admitted 26 percent of applicants during the early action process and 21.5 percent during the regular decision process in 2019.

“ED is not designed to offer an advantage in the admission process to those who apply,” Roberts said. “We will review applicants in the same manner and will hold students to the same admission standards regardless of which application plan they chose.”

Students who wish to compare financial aid packages before committing to the University will still have the opportunity to do

so through the early action and regular decision plans which are non-binding.

However, an advantage of the early decision plan that is not offered by early action or regular decision is that its notification date is before most other universities’ regular decision application deadline. Therefore, committed students could potentially save money as they would not have to submit additional applications.

The University — along with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — are the only public universities that meet 100 percent of demonstrated financial need. According to Roberts, many discussions about adding early decision revolved focused on ensuring that qualified students were able to attend the University regardless of ability to pay.

“All discussions that took place considered the potential impact on economically disadvantaged and underrepresented students,” Roberts said. “Since UVA meets 100% of financial need to [all] applicants regardless of the plan they choose, we can make our best aid offer to students with financial need in ED.”

RICHARD DIZON | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Peabody Hall is the home of the University’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Roberts also noted that if an early decision applicant was accepted and received a financial aid package they deemed to be insufficient, they could be released from their binding agreement to U.Va. Despite this, critics of early decision still argue that the plan disadvantages students who cannot afford to apply during early decision. In previous years — in which only early action and regular decision were used — many assumed that half of the class would be accepted early action and the other half during regular decision.

Now that a third option has been implemented, some speculate that each round will accept only a third of students. Therefore students who are not in a financial position to apply early decision are at a disadvantage as they are financial barred from one-third of the acceptance spaces available.

“In the article that was released about the switch, it was said that instead of having about half and half of students be early action and regular decision, it will now be split between early decision, early action and regular decision,” Rekhelman said. “In my opinion this does affect low-income students because those spots that they could have applied for through early action are now given to early decision students.”

However, the acceptance distribution in previous was not necessarily an even split between early action and regular decision with 6550 applicants accepted early action and 3237 applicants accepted regular decision in 2019.

Prior to 2007, U.Va. had an early decision plan but eventually terminated it in order to prevent qualified, low-income applicants from being deterred from the University due to the financial aid package awarded to them. The University then operated on a regular decision-only model until 2011 when implemented the early action plan.

“Early Decision attracted a less diverse applicant pool in the early round previously,” Roberts said.

“This year we will not have two plans, one early and one regular.

UVA will offer two early plans as well as a regular plan which means students have great choice when it comes to their application options and students can still apply EA if ED is not for them.”

www.cavalierdaily.com • NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2019

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Board of Visitors endorses 10-year strategic plan Plan focuses on supporting community, diversity and research around Grounds Erica Sprott | Senior Writer The Board of Visitors endorsed President Ryan’s 10-year strategic plan at the meeting Friday. The plan features 10 initiatives with a focus on community, student-diversity development and research preeminence and was cultivated through a series of alumni, student and community engagements. It builds upon the work of former University President Teresa Sullivan’s 2013 Cornerstone Plan with an overall mission of building a “Good and Great University.”

Addressing the Board of Visitors, University President Jim Ryan commented on the overall nature of the on the goal of the plan’s goals and initiatives towards achieving that mission.

“They way to think about how these various pieces fit together is fairly straightforward,” Ryan said. “We should aspire to be the best public university in 2030, and one of the best in the world, whether public or private. Which is not to say anything about where we are right now but to be thinking about what is it going to take, in 2030, to be the best public university. My hypothesis is that it is going to take a university, and this one in particular, to be both great and good.”

The 2030 strategic plan describes community building initiatives such as creating on-Grounds residential communities where first- and sec-

ond-year students will be required to live together.

“We will establish a series of residential communities that will house all first- and second-year students on Grounds,” the plan says, “and provide ways for third- and fourth-year students to stay connected to their residential communities. Providing students a meaningful opportunity to live and learn together in a diverse and inclusive community will help prepare them to live and lead in an increasingly diverse world.”

Derrick Wang, a fourthyear College student and Board of Visitors Student Member, noted that this residential reorganization would help solve difficulties first-year students face finding housing for their second-year, a process which typically begins as early as September.

“I think it also creates issues with relationships because having to sign a lease so early,” Wang said. “It’s a toxic combination of all the things that I think could be dangerous for a relationship — long-term commitments, spending money and having to reconcile different living styles. I think it really does help for students to have time to develop those relationships on-Grounds before they move out into the off-Grounds world.”

In addition to reorganizing the residential system, Ryan’s

strategic plan emphasizes the need for public service in the University community. The plan states that he will “explore the feasibility of creating a loan-forgiveness program for undergraduate students who enter public service.”

The 2030 strategic plan also emphasizes student involvement in the international community in the “Citizen-Leaders for the 21st Century” initiative.

This initiative includes the aim to provide all undergraduates with “at least one international experience before they graduate.”

Outside of the more insular University community, the 2030 strategic plan includes the “Good Neighbor” initiative, a movement focused on building a better relationship with the Charlottesville community.

“We will work collaboratively,” the plan says, “and with all due humility, with our community partners to address key challenges, including housing, living wages, local educational opportunities, and access to health care” This plan follows the University’s commitment in March to provide all full-time employees with a living wage of $15 per hour by 2020. The minimum wage will increase from its current $12.75 per hour.

The plan also mentions an improved transportation sys-

tem and an accessible community engagement office, both aimed at building a better relationship between the University and the Charlottesville community.

Beyond plans for community development, the 2030 strategic plan includes a commitment to diversity, particularly through supporting first-generation, low-income and underrepresented students. The initiative “SuccessUVA” aims to expand the financial aid program to enable more members of these groups to attend. “SuccessUVA” includes plans to “create an expanded Multicultural Student Center to support programming for our increasingly diverse student body.” The Multicultural Student Center is currently located in the basement of Newcomb Hall.

The 2030 strategic plan features academic goals beyond these aspects of community building and diversity. In the initiative “Pathways to Research Preeminence,” the University will follow through on academic infrastructure development, cross-discipline discovery and funding goals to encourage research.

The current draft of the 2030 strategic plan does not claim to be an exhaustive list of initiatives and programs the University will commit to in the next 10 years.

“There is great and impor-

tant work that is not part of a new key initiative but is nonetheless vital to the University and critical to achieving our goals,” the plan states.

Ryan wrote in an email to the University community Friday that putting together a strategic plan for the future of the University was his “top priority” as president. “I hope you see it as both a reflection of your hard work, and as a roadmap for how we can make even more progress in the years ahead,” he wrote.

A final vote on the strategic plan is scheduled for August 2019.

James A. Fields Jr. sentenced to life in prison Fields pleaded guilty to 29 of 30 federal hate crimes in March Nik Popli | News Editor James A. Fields Jr., an avowed neo-Nazi who killed Heather Heyer and injured 35 other people when he rammed his car into a crowd of peaceful counterprotesters at the white supremacist rally in downtown Charlottesville nearly two years ago, was sentenced to life in prison June 28 on federal hate crime charges.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Michael F. Urbanski delivered the sentence after hearing testimony from both sides, including more than a dozen survivors of and witnesses to the car attack. Fields, a 22-year-old from Ohio, also addressed the court before the sentencing.

“I apologize for the hurt and

loss I’ve caused,” Fields said before the judge. “Every day I think about how things could have gone differently and how I regret my actions. I’m sorry.”

Lawyers for Fields requested leniency, citing his age, difficult childhood and mental health problems. Prosecutors — seeking a sentence of life in prison — argued that Fields’s racist and anti-Semitic beliefs motivated his decision to attack counterprotesters.

“The defendant’s crimes were so horrendous — and the maiming of innocents so severe — that they outweigh any factors the defendant may argue form a basis for leniency,” federal

prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo. “This is particularly true in light of the fact that he has demonstrated that he feels no remorse for his actions and continues to espouse his hateful ideology.”

During the hearing, prosecutors presented film of the Aug. 12, 2017 car attack as well as Fields’ social media postings and recordings of phone conversations with his mother while in jail, in which Fields repeatedly called Heyer “the enemy.”

A high school classmate of Fields also testified to grand jury that on a high school trip to the Dachau concentration camp in Germany, Fields remarked,

"this is where the magic happened."

In delivering his verdict, Urbanski said the evidence showed that Fields’ actions were premeditated and “doesn’t demonstrate a crime born out of impulse, youth or mental illness.”

Fields’s lawyers asked the judge for a sentence that would allow him to eventually be released from prison.

“No amount of punishment imposed on James can repair the damage he caused to dozens of innocent people. But this Court should find that retribution has limits,” his lawyers wrote in a sentencing memo.

Fields, who pleaded guilty to 29 federal hate crime chargers earlier this year, also faces sentencing in state court on July 15 for first-degree murder charges.

A jury has recommended a life sentence plus 419 years.

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MSC and LGBTQ Center to be relocated The MSC will be moved from the lower level of Newcomb Hall to the building’s second floor Game Room space Jenn Brice | Senior Writer The University has revealed plans to move the Multicultural Student Center and LGBTQ Center from their current location in the lower level of Newcomb Hall, in order to expand the spaces’ capacity. The project will move the MSC to what was previously the Game Room on the second floor of Newcomb, while the LGBTQ Center will be moved to a location on the third floor that has not yet been decided.

The move is part of the University's strategic planning project and is expected to be completed and available for use by the middle of the fall semester. The strategic plan outlines a roadmap of goals and initiatives that serve the vision for “a great and good University,” moving toward the year 2030 and the University’s third century. Strategic goals of the plan include strengthening the foundation of the University environment, cultivating a sense of community and promoting research and service.

The MSC opened October 2016 in the basement of Newcomb, after the Kaleidoscope Room on the third floor of Newcomb had served as the Center for Cultural Fluency since 2004. In its current location, maximum capacity in the MSC is limited to 49 people due to fire code constraints. However, about one third of all University students identify as members of marginalized or underrepresented communities. The limitation on space and lack of visibility — due to its secluded basement location — has led students to advocate for more adequate space.

Vicki Gist, assistant dean of students and director of Multicultural Student Services, said in an email to The Cavalier Daily that the new Game Room location was proposed as a potential space for the MSC by students in a working group in 2016 and was advocated for by students again this spring. Gist noted this particular location will significantly increase maximum occupancy and enhance accessibility and visibility for the multicultural student community on Grounds. The occupancy of the Game Room is close to that of the Newcomb Ballroom, which can hold at most 600 people.

“It will allow us to meet a variety of needs — hangout, study, programming, one-on-one and group advising — in the space without disruption to other activities,” Gist said.

“The relocated and expanded MSC will also be more visible to visiting prospective students and their families, and more easily accessible to students generally.”

The plans also include the creation of two new spaces — one designated for the Latinx community and one for interfaith prayer and meditation. The University is exploring potential options on the third floor

RILEY WALSH & ANDREW WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

In its current location, maximum capacity in the MSC is limited to 49 people due to fire code constraints.

of Newcomb for the Latinx space and on the fourth floor for the interfaith space.

Currently, room 466 on the fourth floor of Newcomb serves as a quiet space for prayer and meditation and is frequently used by Muslim students to fulfill daily prayers between classes.

Mazzen Shalaby, a third-year Batten student and president of the Virginia Interfaith Coalition, said in an email to The Cavalier Daily that the limitations of the existing meditation space has become evident in recent years for its lack of size and flexibility.

Shalaby said the VIC began to call attention to this issue at the start of last semester, issued a proposal for an interfaith prayer space in the spring and began petitioning and working with University administrators soon after. Shalaby said the VIC facilitated communication between different faith groups onGrounds — noting the Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu communities as groups without a designated place of worship — and administrators to envision a new space that can be utilized by all for prayer and meditation and to serve as a reservable space specifically for religious groups.

“We really hope this space al-

lows for people of all faiths to have a place where they can practice in a welcoming setting that they can call their own, and that it will facilitate an increase in interfaith interactions and relationships by bringing students from diverse faith backgrounds together into one space on Grounds,” Shalaby said.

Latinx student organizations released a proposal last October entitled “Our University to Shape.”

Among the 12 policies outlined in the document was a focus on Latinx presence on Grounds — specifically, the need for a designated space to adequately address challenges that target the Latinx community, listing issues such as language barriers, immigration status and the first-generation college experience.

“The Hispanic/Latinx community at UVA requires its own center to specifically address the socioeconomic barriers, cultural stereotyping, and institutional marginalization that often impact the Hispanic/ Latinx college experience,” the proposal says.

Natalie Romero, a fourth-year College student, served as MSC director and currently serves as co-president of Political Latinxs United for Movement & Action in Society. Romero said in an interview with The Cavalier Daily that she

and other students advocates spent much of the past year petitioning for the new space and noted that administrators initially put off the proposal, before eventually agreeing to a new MSC and additional space for the Latinx community.

According to Romero, one reason for their disagreement was the idea that allocating this resource to the Latinx community would cause other groups and organizations to feel entitled to the same opportunity. However, Romero made the point that Latinx students were a predominant group in the MSC, occupying much of its limited space.

“It always felt like we were dominating the space because we were a very predominant group in the [MSC],” Romero said. “And it just wasn't enough to fit us in there. I would respond that all students deserve the resources that they feel they need to succeed, and if that is the demand of different groups, then that’s what they should get.”

Romero said that the new space will be used for community-building through activities such as tutoring, programming and studying, but these resources are only one aspect of how the University must become a more sustainable environment for its Latinx students.

“These are victories, but at the

same time only small steps,” Romero said. “And what really needs to be done is to make U.Va. a space that is welcoming to its disenfranchised students, and marginalized students, even the DACA students or undocumented students — like we have a Latinx space, but how many Latinx undocumented students are being accepted to the University compared to other universities in Virginia?”

Romero added the space is meant to support the Latinx community with its resources, but more importantly, it will promote institutional changes that will benefit its students — such as hiring Latinx deans and faculty and bolstering Latinx representation in the University curriculum.

As the University moves forward with the project, Gist said that student voices will be crucial in planning the design and furnishing of the new MSC. Likewise, students will play a role in the future repurposing of the current MSC and LGBTQ Center spaces in the lower level of Newcomb.

The budget for the project has not been determined, as planning for build-out and furnishing is not finalized.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

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Becoming a Wahoo: What to expect Rising second-years share advice on transitioning to college

LIFE

Elise Kim | Feature Writer

High school graduates have maneuvered all the awkward, challenging or difficult phases that comprise high school. They have stood loud and proud, diploma in hand — evidence of the checkpoint pointing them to a collegiate adventure. They reveled in that moment, but now that Orientation has rudely snuck up on them, the questions come flooding and the worries emerge from dormancy.

While every high school graduate’s experience prior to arriving on Grounds is different, there are a few pieces of advice that will be helpful in their survival as a firstyear. These tips and tricks hail from rising second-year students who have experienced it all firsthand this past academic term.

The beginning of the fall semester, Aug. 27, looms just two months away and suddenly, firstyears will call a dorm their home, drown amongst their fellow students in the chaos of the activities fair and ready their backpack for the first day of classes. Second-year

College student Catherine Renick described the nearly overwhelming experiences that can be characteristic of the first few weeks of school.

“You’re going to feel alone, and it’s going to be so much thrown at you at once,” Renick said. “You really just have to embrace it and … try and get as involved and be as outgoing as you possibly can … to make the most of your first year.”

Though no one likes to admit it, homesickness is a legitimate ailment for some. For those hailing from out-of-state and even for Virginia residents, the physical separation between home and Charlottesville can seem daunting.

Grayson Sallade, a second-year College student, Pennsylvania native and member of the Virginia men’s lacrosse team, shared advice on keeping the homesickness at bay.

“My spring semester, I got to U.Va. January 7 and left June 1 because all semester I had lacrosse, so I couldn’t go home any time in be-

tween that,” Sallade said. “Stay in contact with your family, it’s just a short phone call away. You might not be able to see them that often, but just being able to connect with people from home is always good.”

The transition from the norms of high school to the novelty of college life may take a little time to get used to. During this period of time, finding a good balance between academics and social life can be a practical goal to prioritize.

Second-year College student Parsa Salehi relayed advice on maintaining sanity during this time.

“Keep the standards and morals that you’ve been raised with,” Salehi said. “Sometimes when people live alone, they tend to lose themselves and … get caught up in the whole independence thing.

Remember that you still have responsibilities even though there is no one there to nag you about it.”

The prospect of a roommate is another unfamiliarity facing most first-years. Second-year College student Christian Ro discussed

how the ties between roommates have the potential to either deepen or loosen as the year progresses.

“The relationship you think you have may always change, and that’s OK,” Ro said. “[It’s] all a learning process … learn to be patient and learn to communicate well, too.”

Based on the class schedule that incoming first-years arrange during Orientation and finalize before the Add/Drop Deadlines of Sept. 10 and 11, first-years may find themselves with a schedule quite unlike those from high school.

Some classes begin at 8 a.m. while some discussions start at 8 p.m.

Second-year College student Taylor Barmak explained how to optimize the typical college schedule.

“In high school, you had class for most of the day,” Barmak said.

“But in college you could have an hour in between classes, so you should make the most of that hour — get some work done, hang out with your friends or go to the AFC. Don’t just stay on your phone. It

just makes the whole college experience a whole lot better.”

Not all of these topics will apply to every first-year though. Some will find the transition indiscernible and unnoticeable, while others will find their first year to be especially challenging.

“Step out of your comfort zone and try some new things,” Sallade said. “You definitely don’t want to have any regrets after your first or second or third or even fourth year knowing that you could have done more to meet new people. At the end of the day, it’s all about the experiences you have in college and the memories you make.”

Five tips for studying at U.Va. Suggestions first-year students should keep in mind when starting their first University classes Charlie Teague | Feature Writer When transitioning from high school to college, many students find themselves stunned when they encounter huge lectures, 10-page research papers, four exams in a given week and only eight hours of available study time at the end of every class day. To manage the often overwhelming adjustment to studying at the college level, University students provided a few suggestions.

Find a study spot No one type of study space works for everyone. Some students may thrive on the hustle and bustle of a packed library, while others may need silence to get anything done. In choosing where to study, University students will find different spaces around Grounds that work best for them.

Larger, more public study locations include 1515 on the Corner, Nau/Gibson Hall — complete with a Starbucks on the bottom floor — and the second floor of Clemons Library, often referred to as “Clem two.”

For those seeking quieter study spots, third-year College student Drew Rollins recommends the Al-

derman stacks, which consists of desks tucked away amongst bookshelves in Alderman Library.

“I really like being surrounded by books, and I feel studious — and I don’t have any distractions,” Rollins said.

Study smart, not hard Many students have heard the old phrase “don’t cram the night before an exam.” In college, this classic tip takes on new meaning, as exams tend to cover larger chunks of material than they did in middle and high school.

“It definitely requires a lot of self control and dutifulness to study a couple weeks in advance,” Rollins said. “But when you do, you know the information so much better, and then the night before isn’t … the worst night of your life.”

Additionally, trying to memorize every little piece of information for a class is not always the most efficient form of preparation, according to third-year College student Areesheh Khan. “[First year] I think I studied harder and not smarter,” Khan said.

“I would transcribe everything, like textbook notes … things that

were said in lecture … [Study] the important information rather than all the information.”

Reading is never a substitute for attending lecture and vice versa With massive lectures that don’t take attendance, the burning temptation to skip class often arises. But according to Khan, going to class on top of completing the assigned reading is paramount.

“There were times when I would … accidentally miss a lecture and … it did affect how much I was able to retain from the textbook,” Khan said.

Study in groups but avoid unnecessary distraction Studying with friends is a hallmark of many students’ college experiences. Friends may remind one another to stay on track and provide much-needed moral support when the workload is especially rigorous. According to Rollins, there is a lot of camaraderie in studying with others.

However, the presence of friends may become distracting and hinder students’ ability to finish classwork efficiently. To avoid this, some students use the “sprint”

method, whereby groups of friends allocate a chunk of time for studying and then a shorter chunk of time for a study break. “[It’s] like 20 or 30 minutes studying, then you get a five minute break where you can talk,” thirdyear College student Zoe Lewczak said. “We would all set alarms on our phones so that we knew we were sticking to the schedule.”

In the age of smartphones, alerts and notifications may also be distracting when trying to study or complete homework. According to Lewczak, sometimes the best way to eliminate this type of distraction is to simply power down your device for a few minutes.

“Set your phone to airplane mode, and you won’t get notifications,” Lewczak said.

Ask for help The University provides students with resources to fall back on for guidance, whether it be for reassurance or a voice of reason.

For Rollins, the Career Center provided such a voice.

“I went to the Career Center office in 1515 upstairs,” Rollins said.

“They helped me pick classes, and

… the general vibe was like, ‘You’re going to be fine, here’s some help.’

So I appreciated it.”

Students may also attend professors’ office hours for help with classes or to enrich their experiences in a course — a tactic that third-year College student Shannon Colson recommends.

“If I have an assignment or I have an essay, I always finish it early and then bring it to the teacher before it’s turned in,” Colson said.

“It kind of helps to establish the expectations … [And] if it’s a class that is relevant to your major, I think it’s always just good to go in and introduce yourself.”

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A food guide to surviving first year Some insider tips to get you through first year in the healthiest way possible Isabel Salken | Food Columnist Let’s be real here. Going to college is a hard transition. The added pressure of figuring out meals from time to time — especially given that eating dining hall food gets old fast — makes it even more difficult.

It is definitely important to get the experience of navigating a dining hall and working with minimal kitchen access. It gives you the chance to eat with different kinds of people and experience various foods. You also learn what works best for you and that sometimes pizza might be what your body needs or wants at the time. However, there are a few tips to ease the college transition.

Prioritize grocery trips I eased the transition by keeping the comfort of my favorite foods in my life. This meant prioritizing a grocery trip for myself every couple of weeks. I would make a list of snacks and ingredients for breakfasts to keep in my dorm. I kept options like yogurt, fruit, vegetables and nut milks in my mini fridge. On the non-refrigerated side, granola or protein bars, crackers and oatmeals were essential to my first-year survival.

Eat breakfast Breakfast can be challenging

if you don’t like getting up in the morning. However, breakfast is often an underrated meal in the eyes of tired and busy college students who really do need the energy to make it through long days of classes and activities. Oatmeal is a staple that I learned to make very easily in my dorm or on the go. Snag an oatmeal cup, pour water in and microwave according to the instructions, or create your own bowl with my dorm-friendly recipe.

Hot oatmeal on the go three to four days a week was so useful I invented my own method — thermos oats. Simply boil or microwave nut milk or water. Meanwhile, pour half a cup of oats, one to two tablespoons of flaxseed meal for protein and optional protein powder or chia seeds into a thermos and mix. Then pour the hot liquid into the thermos, mix and put the top on quickly so heat doesn’t escape. This is key because the thermos traps heat and cooks the oats.

These oats can be ready within 30 minutes and stay hot for around three hours before thickening and getting colder. I pack fruit and hemp seeds to add — don’t put your toppings in with the oats while they cook unless you want them to be mush. You

can top with whatever you want!

Store snacks on the go Snacks are key to surviving college. When your days are packed with meetings, classes and projects, a trip to the dining hall might be pushed aside. It’s important to keep snacks in your dorm and backpack. Don’t be ashamed to carry around a lunchbox, and always carry a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated — trust me, you’ll be walking a lot.

Yogurt is one of my favorite options. Instead of reaching for a dining hall Yoplait, try looking for a Greek yogurt option or a yogurt made from real ingredients without a lot of added sugars.

I try to grab Siggi’s Icelandic-style Skyr on my grocery trips.

Siggi’s skyr is a thicker yogurt like Greek yogurt. It has more protein than sugar, real ingredients and is a great base for dining hall fruit.

Berries and granola sprinkled on top make for a great snack.

I am almost always found with a Perfect Bar or a GoMacro bar.

Their real, wholesome ingredients like honey make for better options than average cereal bars which are often packed with additives and ingredients like corn syrup or cane sugar. Non-artificial sweeteners like honey offer a

ANDREW WALSH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

When you get tired of dining hall food, try these tips for simple, dorm-friendly snacks and meals.

lower, slower rise in blood sugar.

If you're looking for a place to start with either of these bars, some of my favorite Perfect Bar flavors are chocolate hazelnut crisp, chocolate walnut brownie and peanut butter.

As for GoMacro, I recommend the peanut butter flavor. There is also a sunflower butter and chocolate flavor which is nut-free for any allergy-bound friends. These vegan, gluten-free and organic bars are essential to have on hand in the library when cramming for an exam or writing a paper.

Veggies and hummus are also

easy and healthy snacks. Carrots are my lifeline — ask anyone who knows me. Throw other vegetables in the mix, and you will be the epitome of health.

If there is anything I hope you remember, it is that everyone is doing their own thing in college and finding what works. Embrace this time as a chance to try new things, learn what it means to be out there on your own and do what is best for you. You will likely save Plus Dollars along the way if you choose to keep snacks on hand and follow the above advice.

Easy morning drinks to prepare in your dorm room Turn your dorm into a Starbucks Sadie Goodman | Food Columnist When I began my first year, I couldn’t wait to set up my dorm room and settle into my new life, but I soon realized that one of the things I missed the most about home was the fresh coffee my parents brewed every morning. Keurig cups can’t quite compare to fresh coffee in terms of strength and flavor. To make mornings in dorms a little easier, I have a few great drink hacks for any other caffeine lovers out there.

My first drink suggestion is an easy recipe for cold brew coffee.

This drink requires a brewing technique that differs from the typical iced coffee. Cold brew coffee is, as the name suggests, brewed cold rather than hot.

This process makes a stronger coffee that doesn’t dilute as easily with ice and is typically sweeter.

This recipe is especially great for the first few weeks of school

when the weather is warm. Cold brew is quite easy to make, and it packs a punch in terms of flavor and caffeine content. The process of soaking the coffee grounds makes for a smooth drink without such a bitter edge.

I get all my supplies at Wegmans, but any grocery store should have the right materials.

Ingredients: 1 cup coarse ground coffee (I love Trager Brothers) Four cups (32 oz.) filtered water Cheesecloth or mesh strainer bags Baking string A large jar with a lid One of the key steps in making cold brew is to purchase coarsely ground coffee beans because this ensures you don’t have little pieces of the beans floating in your drink. Wegmans gives the option to grind your own beans.

You can also go to a Starbucks or Shenandoah Joe’s and ask for your favorite brew in a coarse grind.

To get started, bind up the cheesecloth or strainer bag with one cup of the ground coffee. Tie it tightly so you avoid any sediment leaking into your brew.

Pour four cups (32 oz.) of water over the bag and let it sit in your fridge for 24 to 48 hours — the longer you steep the stronger the drink. In a day or two, you’ll have deliciously strong cold brew coffee right in your fridge!

The strainer bags are reusable with a quick rinse, and the coffee grounds can even be mixed with coconut oil and sugar to make a great exfoliating body scrub.

If you like your coffee with milk, take advantage of what the dining halls have to offer. Instead of buying a whole container of milk that’ll likely go bad before

you finish it all, fill a cup with your favorite milk or creamer and store it in your mini fridge. You can also bring a to-go cup of cold brew with you to the dining hall and fix it up with your choice of sugar, milk, creamer or ice.

If you’re really in a rush, sometimes using a Keurig is the best option. Though Keurig coffee isn’t the best, the ability to dispense hot water is wonderful for making tea, oatmeal or ramen. If you’re craving a hot cup of coffee, I recommend The Original Donut Shop Keurig cups in the medium roast. It’s the least offensive Keurig option I’ve tried.

When mixed with a packet of sugar and creamer, it’ll certainly do for your morning fix.

A good green tea or chai tea can also spice up your morning and give you a calmer caffeine boost than coffee if you’re crashing in the afternoon. For tea lov-

ers, a small electric kettle is especially ideal for the dorm room. I love Yogi Tea Green Tea Energy and Chamba Chai powdered chai mix from Costco. The green tea is light, citrusy and refreshing and can be served hot or iced.

The Chamba Chai is sweet and creamy, even when just mixed with water. Though you may have to order the Chamba Chai online, the container lasts quite a while, and it tastes amazing.

It’s easy to get creative and stock up on great options in your dorm. Daily trips to Starbucks can get quite pricey. These ideas can save you time and money and can make mornings a little easier.

www.cavalierdaily.com • LIFE

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2019

Top 10 things to look forward to as a first-year Soon to be first-years, get ready for a whole lot of “good times, go Hoos”

1

Being on Grounds

So, if you’re here for Orientation, chances are you’ve already noticed that the campus — excuse me, Grounds — is pretty spectacular. While Tundy of course glows yearround — when it’s not pouring rain — fall here is something else. I won’t try to describe it because it’s really something to see in person, but when you’re here, just remember to look around once or twice.

Grace Breiner | Top 10 Writer

2

Fine dining

3

Pretty much anything on the Lawn

I’m pretty sure it’s no secret University dining is no five-star restaurant, but what we lack in quality, we make up for in convenience. Besides maybe being able to swipe in anytime, steal some cereal and bounce, which is also a good time. Also, if Mrs. Kathy’s hugs don’t make your dining plan worth it, I don’t know what will.

Classes keep you inside for quite a bit of time, but for the times you are outside, I highly recommend the Lawn. There are a few good trees that are perfect for napping under or, if you’re like my friends, the Lawn is also a nice place for doing cartwheels. It’s rare to see the entire student body on the Lawn, but when you do — like the first snowball fight, Lighting on the Lawn and streaking after winning the national championships to name a few — it’s a nice reminder that the community here is just as crazy and in love with the University as you are.

6 5

Thomas Jefferson all day, every day

I don’t know if you’ve heard this once or maybe 50 times before, but Thomas Jefferson did found this university. Jokes aside, there is a lot of cool history on Grounds and it’s pretty exciting that we get to go to school in the same place as so many other people that came here to learn before us. Edgar Allen Poe may have dropped out, but hey, the thought has also crossed all of our minds once or twice and at least we get to stare at his old dorm room.

7

Amazing professors

This one honestly couldn’t be truer.

The professors make the classes at the University 100 times better. I’ve been known to go to office hours once or twice or every week if we’re being real with each other. No matter what the haters say, your grades aren’t what’s important about classes — it’s that you learn and grow as a student and as a person.

The professors here really teach like that is the case. They care about your life and your intellectual growth, and I sincerely appreciate that.

To all the teachers I’ve had before, you probably already know this, but I love you.

The Corner

4

Sports

No big deal, but recently our basketball team won this small game called the NCAA championship. You might’ve seen it on one or two or thousands of people’s social medias. I’m not big into sports, but I wouldn’t be a real University student if I didn’t brag a little bit about our basketball team. Those games will be hype, guaranteed. We might even beat Virginia Tech at football this year — it could happen.

If you’re passing Edgar Allen Poe’s old room, chances are you might be heading to the Corner, in which case — good call. Bodo’s alone usually makes it worth the trek. Though I still find the lack of late night breakfast foods nearby abhorrent, I have to admit those bagels are tight, and there are quite a few other places on the Corner that compensate. Everyone has their own favorites, but mine currently are Take It Away, Grit and Pigeon Hole.

8

Figuring out your life

If you thought that once you got to college you would magically figure out what you want to do and learn right off the bat, I am sorry to say that is just not the case. What you care about will change. What you want to learn will as well. As for the rest of our lives, in the words of John Mulaney, who’s to say? In the meantime, we’re having quite the time trying to figure it out. You may be confused. You may be anxious.

But don’t forget to also be very excited.

9

Your peers

A few of my good friends helped me come up with ideas for this article, and honestly the thing to look forward to most is having friends like them. Genuinely, my favorite thing about the University is the people that go here.

All of the people I’ve met are passionate, caring and available to go to Cook Out at all hours of the day and night. What more could you ask for? Orientation is a lot in terms of meeting new people — as is all of college to be honest — but the ones who stick are what it’s all about.

TYRA KREHBIEL | THE CAVALIER DAILY

10

Being a University student

One day — I know it may seem like a way off — you’ll graduate and leave this university after four, very weird, very fun and very memorable years. Having gone to the University is something that you will be able to carry with pride for the rest of your life, as well as everything you’ve learned and all the people you have met. If you’re just starting out as a brand new first-year, I would just say you can do literally anything you want while you’re here, even if you don’t know what that is just yet. There is no rush and no pressure — just four years of whatever you choose in front of you.

9

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11

Previewing football’s 2019 recruiting class Several incoming freshmen will hope to make an immediate impact this fall

SPORTS

Vignesh Mulay | Sports Editor

After an impressive season was capped off by the program’s first bowl win since 2005, the Virginia football team will hope to build on last year’s success in 2019.

In addition to many key players returning, Coach Bronco Mendenhall is adding a strong recruiting class — ranked 39th overall by 247Sports. Several of the 23 freshmen that will be joining the Cavaliers next season will be counted on by Mendenhall to help Virginia fight for a Coastal Division title in the ACC. As August quickly approaches, let’s take a deeper look at Virginia football’s 2019 freshman class.

programs like Alabama and Ohio State, is a landmark achievement for Mendenhall and a testament to how far Virginia has come as a program in the last few years.

Joining Briggs are two more four-star prospects — according to Rivals — in freshman outside linebacker Hunter Stewart and freshman offensive tackle Ja’Quay Hubbard. Armed with size, speed and a high football IQ, Stewart should fit perfectly in Mendenhall’s system. Hubbard — the top-ranked lineman in his class in Pennsylvania — is another big body to bolster Virginia’s offensive line and could play an important role protecting senior quarterback Bryce Perkins next season.

Key players The jewel of Virginia’s class is four-star defensive tackle Jowon Briggs from Cincinnati. Briggs — Virginia’s highest-rated signee in the Mendenhall era and an ESPN 300 talent — hopes to be an immediate contributor to the Cavaliers’ defensive front.

Praised for his strength and power, Briggs can be productive both as a run defender and pass rusher. Briggs’ commitment, after receiving offers from major

Players in areas of need After losing running back Jordan Ellis to graduation, the Cavaliers will need to find another player to lead their rushing attack in 2019. Incoming freshman running back Mike Hollins — a three-star Louisiana product — could play a big role next season.

Virginia fans need not look any further than the Louisiana Division II state title game for evidence of Hollins’ talent. Hollins rushed for 240 yards and four

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touchdowns off 27 carries to help University Laboratory School secure a second-straight state championship and undefeated season.

Another skill position where Virginia has lost some depth is at wide receiver. A pair of incoming freshmen receivers — Dontayvion Wicks and Nathaniel Beal III — will be trusted to help fill the hole former top wideout Olamide Zaccheaus left behind when he headed to the NFL. Two big-bodied players with speed and safe hands, Wicks and Beal add much-needed depth to the Cavaliers’ receiving corps.

Finally, Virginia fielded one of the best secondary units in the nation last season, but the Cavaliers lost two starters in Tim Harris and Juan Thornhill. To help make up for their absence, Mendenhall has landed several talented defensive backs. Freshman safeties Antonio Clary and Chayce Chalmers combine great size with solid ball skills, while freshman cornerback Fentrell

Cypress speed.

II

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tremendous

Other players to watch Besides the aforementioned players, there are several incoming freshman Cavaliers worth keeping an eye on. In recent years, Mendenhall and company have made great strides in international recruitment and will be welcoming two German players this season in freshman offensive lineman Kariem Al Soufi and freshman quarterback Luke Wentz. The 6-foot-4, 335-pound Al Soufi has a reputation of being a mauler, while Wentz is an athletic dual-threat quarterback who could compete for the starting spot in the future.

Freshman running back Seneca Milledge will also be an exciting player for Virginia in the fall. Milledge is well-known for his speed and explosiveness and is “one of the nation’s fastest 2019 prospects” according to ESPN. com Recruitment Analyst Gerry Hamilton. Finally, after produc-

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ing just the ninth-most sacks in the ACC in 2018, Mendenhall seems to have made the pass rush a priority with over a quarter of the incoming freshman class playing in the defensive front seven. With so many new faces to add depth, Virginia’s defense could see massive improvement.

With just a couple of months left before the Cavaliers kick off the 2019 season at Pittsburgh, the Virginia faithful should be excited to see how the newcomers can help the team grow and develop in Mendenhall’s fourth year in Charlottesville.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

12

What to expect in Virginia sports in 2019-20 After a successful 2018-19 campaign, a preview of what lies ahead for Virginia sports CD Sports Staff After success in multiple sports and two national championships this year — in men’s basketball and men’s lacrosse — Virginia has clinched the Capital One Cup in men’s athletics, an honor awarded to the school that achieves the highest level of success across multiple sports.

2018-19 was a successful campaign for Virginia athletics, and sports teams will look to replicate that success in the upcoming year.

Here’s an early preview of what to expect in several Virginia sports as the 2019-20 season approaches.

Football Last year was a successful year for Virginia football, with the Cavaliers finishing 8-5 and winning a bowl game for the first time since 2005. Virginia’s 28-0 thrashing of South Carolina in the Belk Bowl cemented the season’s success. Coach Bronco Mendenhall has improved every year in his three years at

Virginia — in 2016, the Cavaliers finished 2-10, in 2017, they finished 6-7 and lost their bowl game and last year they finished 8-5 and won their bowl game — and there is no reason why that trend won’t continue this year.

Virginia returns multiple starters on a strong defense — senior Jordan Mack and juniors Charles Snowden and Zane Zandier lead a strong linebacking corps, senior Bryce Hall and juniors Joey Blount and Brenton Nelson lead a strong secondary and junior Mandy Alonso, senior Richard Burney, sophomore Aaron Faumui and senior Eli Hanback are poised to lead an improved defensive line — and has added a strong defensive recruiting class. Freshmen defensive tackles Jowon Briggs and Ben Smiley are instant impact additions to the Cavaliers’ interior, and freshmen linebackers Hunter Stewart and Nick Jackson provide important depth for an already strong position group.

On offense, while Jordan Ellis and Olamide Zaccheaus were big losses, Virginia has plenty of depth at the running back position — including Wayne Taulapapa, PK Kier and Mike Hollins, part of the incoming recruiting class — and has a talented receiver corps led by junior Terrell Jana and senior Joe Reed that will only be improved by the addition of graduate transfers Dejon Brissett and Terrell Chatman.

Above all, Virginia is poised for success with dual threat senior quarterback Bryce Perkins running the show. After passing for 2,680 yards and 25 touchdowns and running for 923 yards and nine touchdowns in his first year, Perkins should only improve in his second year in Mendenhall’s system. With talent on both sides of the ball and an established system and culture, the Cavaliers are poised for success in 2019. While they had a solid season last year, Virginia did not win the ACC Coast-

COURTESY VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

Above all, Virginia is poised for success with dual threat senior quarterback Bryce Perkins running the show.

al and came up short against in-state rival Virginia Tech. In 2019, Virginia football has all the tools to accomplish both of these goals.

Volleyball Although volleyball had its fair share of struggles last season, the Cavaliers are an extremely young team and will be returning every player who appeared in more than 25 games in 2018.

On the offensive side, Virginia is led by the trio of junior outside hitter Sarah Billiard, sophomore outside hitter Grace Turner and senior right-side hitter Jelena Novakovic. The three combined for 827 kills last season and will hope to lead the Cavaliers again in 2019.

Defensively, senior libero Kelsey Miller and sophomore middle blocker Milla Ciprian led the team in digs and blocks, respectively. While the Cavaliers only won eight games last season, they have plenty of young talent throughout the roster and should only improve with another year under their belt.

Men’s soccer Since the 1980s, Virginia has been a national power in men’s soccer, winning seven national titles in the last 30 years, with the most recent championship coming in 2014. However, the team wasn’t able to replicate its past success last season. After an up-and-down conference schedule, the Cavaliers were upset in the first round of the ACC Tournament before falling to Notre Dame in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Despite Virginia’s shortcomings in the postseason, the Cavaliers return most of their best players for the 2019 season and will look to be a national contender once again.

Specifically, the team’s top three goalscorers — sophomore forwards Daryl Dike and Cabrel Happi Kamseu and junior forward Nathaniel Crofts will be back to lead the Virginia attack.

Virginia’s defense only allowed 12 goals all season and junior goalkeeper Colin Shutler will look to maintain the Cavaliers’ defensive success next season.

Men’s soccer — historically Virginia’s most successful team — looks to return to the program’s championship-winning ways and seem to be prepared to do so.

Women’s soccer Women’s soccer has consistently been a nationally ranked

team in recent years and has always found a way to remain at or near the top of the ACC. The Cavaliers won 16 games over the course of last season and were 7-3 in conference play — third behind only North Carolina and Duke. While Virginia won six of its last seven regular season games, the Cavaliers only found limited success in the postseason. Virginia fell to Florida State in the ACC semifinals and was eliminated in the NCAA Round of 16 for the third year in a row.

As the Cavaliers try to get past the third round of the national tournament for the first time since 2015, Virginia will return every player, but one, from last season’s starting lineup.

With so much returning talent, Virginia seems poised to build on last year and make a deeper postseason run.

Men’s basketball The 2018-19 season was the most successful season in men’s basketball history, ending with a national championship. While that level of success will be tough to replicate, particularly with all three of Virginia’s leading scorers from last year — De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy — leaving for the NBA, Virginia has plenty of returning and incoming talent and has the potential to match up with the best teams in the country.

Returning starting sophomore guard Kihei Clark and senior forward Mamadi Diakite should play big roles, and rotation players last year — senior guard Braxton Key and junior forward Jay Huff — will have to step up for Virginia in 2019-20.

Because of the loss of Virginia’s three leading scorers, however, the incomers will also have to make an immediate impact. Junior transfer guard Tomas Woldetensae will likely be asked to start and contribute offensively, in addition to the incoming class — freshman guard Casey Morsell and freshman forward Kadin Shedrick.

Last year, it was clear who the playmakers were on offense. It was clear what players Virginia would turn to down the stretch — any one of the big three, who accounted for 118 of the Cavaliers’ 147 points in the Final Four. Look for Key to make a big leap this year and become one of Virginia’s primary scorers — he already was one of the Cavaliers’ best defenders last year. In addition to Key and improved outside shooting from Diakite, one of the incoming guards — Mor-

www.cavalierdaily.com • SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2019

spectively — will be particularly tough to replace. Virginia’s top goalscorer last year, however, remains in Charlottesville. Senior midfielder Sammy Mueller will hope to bring the Cavaliers’ attack to the next level.

COURTESY VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

In the upcoming season, senior midfielder Sammy Mueller will hope to bring the Cavaliers’ attack to the next level.

sell or Woldetensae — will need to become a primary scorer. If that happens, Virginia is set for success.

Women’s basketball While the Cavaliers struggled in their first year under Coach Tina Thompson, finishing with a 12-19, 5-11 ACC record and losing in the second round of the ACC Tournament, there is reason to believe this upcoming year will be a different story.

First, Virginia returns most of its starters — a talented lineup that includes senior forward Jocelyn Willoughby and senior guard Dominique Touissant — and will have senior center Felicia Aiyeotan, the Cavaliers’ defensive anchor, back from injury.

Sophomore guard Armandine Toi, who was projected to start before she had to sit out all of last year with injury, will give a boost to the team.

Even though they struggled in Thompson’s first year, Virginia returns a talented, experienced team that has what it takes to get back to the NCAA Tournament. The Cavaliers showed signs of improvement from non-conference to conference play and should only get better in year two under Thompson.

Men’s lacrosse Unlike the men’s basketball team, which will have to fill a significant void next year, the national champion men’s lacrosse team returns almost all of its best players and will add to that one of the best recruiting classes in the country, according to Inside Lacrosse. Virginia la-

crosse is back, and it isn't going away anytime soon. The national champions return four of their best offensive players — junior attackmen Matt Moore and Ian Laviano, senior attackman Michael Kraus and senior midfielder Dox Aitken. The three attackmen, arguably the best trio in the country, will only improve their chemistry next year.

They will be joined next year by freshman attackman Connor Shellenberger, ranked the top recruit in the nation by Inside Lacrosse.

The Cavaliers also return junior starting goalie Alex Rode, starting junior defenseman Kyle Kology and sophomore defenseman Cade Saustad and standout sophomore faceoff specialist Petey LaSalla. Virginia is loaded — and will only get better with the incoming recruiting class.

Coach Lars Tiffany’s team is poised for a repeat.

Women’s lacrosse For the third consecutive year, women’s lacrosse’s season ended in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In an extremely loaded ACC, Virginia finished fifth, going 3-4 in conference play and picking up big wins against conference rivals Duke, Louisville and Virginia Tech. While the Cavaliers may not have gone far in either the ACC or NCAA Tournament, Virginia was unfortunate to run into top ACC teams — Syracuse and North Carolina — early in both competitions.

Going forward, Virginia lost four of its top five players in points from 2018 — midfielders

Kasey Behr and Maggie Jackson and attackers Ana Hagerup and Avery Shoemaker — as well as the team’s starting goalkeeper Rachel Kolk. Shoemaker and Jackson — who finished with 62 and 64 points last year, re-

Baseball After 14 consecutive seasons of making the NCAA Tournament and a College World Series Championship in 2015, Virginia baseball has recently had a few frustrating seasons. In the last two, the Cavaliers failed to make the NCAA Tournament. That said, the future looks bright for Coach Brian O’Connor and Virginia baseball.

This past year saw gradual improvement from 2018 — Virginia finished 32-21, 14-16 ACC this year, an improvement from the Cavaliers’ 29-25, 12-18 ACC record last year. Despite star shortstop Tanner Morris leaving for the MLB, Virginia returns First Team All-ACC sophomore second baseman Nic Kent and junior designated hitter Brendan Rivoli — who tied for the team lead in RBIs with 42 — and freshman third baseman Zack Gelof, who had 32 RBIs and batted .313. Furthermore, senior pitcher Chesdin Harrington, who had the most wins of any Cavalier pitcher last year, is returning to Virginia for his last year of eligibility.

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Softball With Lacy Smith leaving, softball loses its best hitter in a long time. Smith racked up records in her time at Virginia, and the Cavaliers will need to replace her offensive firepower next year. In addition to Smith, Haley Busby, the other go-to bat for the Cavaliers, will be gone next year. On top of that, Allyson Frei, Virginia’s primary starting pitcher, has graduated.

Softball hasn’t eclipsed a .500 record since 2012 — and that isn’t likely to change next year. Returning talented hitters like sophomore left fielder Tori Gilbert and junior center fielder Kate Covington and pitchers like sophomore Aly Rayle, however, should allow the Cavaliers to challenge in the ACC, one of the toughest conferences in softball. In particular, Rayle took turns with Frei on the mound down the stretch and gives Virginia an automatic go-to starting pitcher. Virginia will play in a new stadium in 2020 — and that should add some excitement to the upcoming season.

COURTESY VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

Junior designated hitter Brendan Rivoli (pictured here) tied with sophmore second baseman Nic Kent for the team lead in RBIs with 42.

THE CAVALIER DAILY

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EXPAND YOUR WORLDVIEW IN COLLEGE We can only become well-rounded individuals if we venture out of our comfort zone

OPINION

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ast year when I wrote a column for this same issue, I provided incoming first years with practical advice on the best way to sign up for courses. And while I still think that the class sign up process is unnecessarily difficult and convoluted, going into my fourth year has provided me with a different perspective of the kind of advice I think would be the most useful — use college to challenge yourself and your worldview.

As the new semester begins, new students will soon begin choosing what courses and extracurriculars they want to engage in. In this, like most areas of life, we will likely begin to gravitate toward the things that most conform with our interests and views.

While there is nothing wrong with doing this, it is easy to limit ourselves to our comfort zones. I urge new students not to fall into this trap. Young adulthood is a time to explore and challenge yourself, and there is no other place better than a university to do so.

One easy way to achieve this goal is to take a class outside of your area of interest. While the different options for fulfilling requirements in the College attempt to encourage students to take a diverse course load, it is still relatively easy to intentionally structure your academic sched-

stuck with it and learned a great deal about a completely foreign topic.

Students should challenge themselves beyond the classroom as well, especially considering extracurricular clubs are where students create most of their college relationships. In my experience,

vantage of the diversity of college and attempt to learn something about different communities.

Meet people who are different than you — you will probably never experience anything like the diversity of cultures and people that the University provides again.

This is unfortunately advice

an effort to actually go to them.

Four years go by in a flash, and I guarantee what you will regret are the things you never did. It is always easier to not do something than to do it, but I urge you to resist doing what feels comfortable. You will become a more open minded and experienced person because of it, which ultimately is what college should be all about.

College is a time to explore and challenge yourself, and there is no other place better than a university to do so. ule to your ideal comfort level. To be clear, I am not suggesting that humanities majors take Calculus III, but instead to take a chance on that random class in a department they have never heard of. For example, when I was a first-year I took a course that I did not realize was cross-listed as an architecture class. When I showed up on the first day, there were floor plans projected on the screen, and I was completely lost. At that moment, I could have dropped the class because it was so far outside of my comfort zone, but thankfully I

joining these groups has been incredibly rewarding, but many clubs — especially political organizations — can often become an echo-chamber, where we only associate with people who are like us. Given that college is full of different people and groups, students should be taking advantage of it.

I have been to countless lectures and meetings of groups whose political views I do not agree with, and I count these as some of my most rewarding experiences.

This same principle extends to cultural events as well — take ad-

that many Americans never heed.

As a society, the U.S. is highly segregated by political party, race and income. While these dynamics don’t seem likely to change anytime soon, we as students possess the capacity to shift these dynamics marginally through our own individual actions.

So as the new semester begins, keep these goals in mind. Spend a little bit more time walking around the club fair and looking through Lou’s List. Keep an eye on the events happening around Grounds on Facebook and make

JACOB ASCH is the Executive Editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at j.asch@cavalierdaily.com.

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.

HAVE AN OPINION? The Cavalier Daily welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns. Writers must provide full name, telephone number and University affiliation, if appropriate. Letters should not exceed 250 words in length and columns should not exceed 700. The Cavalier Daily does not guarantee publication of submissions and may edit all material for content and grammar. Submit to opinion@cavalierdaily.com or P.O. Box 400703, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4703

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS To better serve readers, The Cavalier Daily has a public editor to respond to questions and concerns regarding its practices. The public editor writes a column published every week on the opinion pages based on reader feedback and his independent observations. He also welcomes queries pertaining to journalism and the newspaper industry in general. The public editor is available at publiceditor@cavalierdaily.com.

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MANAGING BOARD Editor-in-Chief Gracie Kreth Managing Editor Abby Clukey Executive Editor Jacob Asch Operations Manager Aisha Singh Chief Financial Officer Sonia Gupta EDITORIAL BOARD Jacob Asch Gracie Kreth Audrey Fahlberg Gavin Scott Hailey Yowell JUNIOR BOARD Assistant Managing Editors Aaron Rose Ashley Botkin (SA) Alec Husted (SA) Abby Sacks (SA) Arsema Asefaw (SA) Emma Bradford (SA) Caroline Daniel

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Production Editors Carolyn Lane Nikita Sivakumar Ankit Agrawal Graphics Editor Maddy Sita Tyra Krehbiel Photography Editors Riley Walsh Emma Klein (SA) Sophie Roehse (SA) Archana Shekharan Video Editor Rachel Liesendahl Social Media Managers Libby Scully Sierra Krug Translation Editors Wilson Tosta Lucy Xiang (SA) Sylvia Wang (SA) Ruohan Xiao (SA) Josefina Waquin (SA) Maria Aguilar (SA) John Barton Finance Manager Malcolm Mashig Business Manager Kelly Mays Senior Advertising Representative Bianca Johnson

www.cavalierdaily.com • OPINION

WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2019

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STAND APART FROM THE MOB Rather than fall victim to the tribalism of ideological groupthink, have the courage to listen to your adversaries and question your beliefs

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merican universities have created a culture that silences controversial topics, shelters political groupthink in safe spaces and indoctrinates students with the notion that they’re the most special people on the planet. Thankfully, the University strives to be an exception to this trend in its commitment to free speech and heterogeneity of thought. Although the University strives to preserve intellectual diversity in the classroom, the rise of social media echo-chambers has created a culture in which students are afraid to stand apart from the mob in their day-to-day lives.

For those who have not read “The Coddling of the American Mind,” an “Atlantic” article by former U.Va. professor Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education President and CEO, drop everything you’re doing and read it right now. Published in 2015, this article unleashed a tidal wave of criticisms against safe spaces, trigger warnings, the disinvitation of guest speakers at college campuses and the perception that controversial speech is akin to violence. But beyond these trends, Haidt and Lukianoff sought to uncover how political groupthink and excessive coddling negatively impact students’ intellectual development.

The rise of social media has created

a sort of cliquiness to the way students present themselves online. People are pressured into sharing a post or retweeting a picture lest they be labeled ignorant or a bigot. Students have become so eager to join the ideological bandwagon that they jump to add trendy laptop stickers to their MacBook Pros and upload politically charged memes to their Instagram stories in solidarity with their “movement.”

Now don’t get me wrong, social

living in a bubble. And we’re afraid that if our bubble pops, our carefully constructed echo-chamber will come tumbling down.

Social media has also created an entirely new etiquette for online interactions. Because social media communication occurs online, students are quick to demonize each other with a particular rudeness that they would rarely have the courage to use in a faceto-face interaction. Constrained to the

ent opinions than you have feelings too.

Much of this animosity can be explained by Americans’ inaccurate perceptions of political polarization. According to a recent study, “Democrats and Republicans imagine almost twice as many of their political opponents as reality hold views they consider ‘extreme.’” Ironically, “the more news people consumed, the larger their Perception Gap.” Our news and social media platforms are so biased that the more

Although the University strives to preserve intellectual diversity in the classroom, the rise of social media echo-chambers has created a culture in which students are afraid to stand apart from the mob in their day-to-day lives. media can be an excellent way to raise awareness for niche social issues that may otherwise go unnoticed. But it also creates an “us” versus “them” dynamic that engenders hostility between supporters and opponents of particular viewpoints. Social media also often allows students to insulate themselves from their political adversaries, creating a virtual safe space that conforms to their ideological worldview. By following political allies and unfollowing political foes on social media platforms, students can easily shield themselves from alternative perspectives. We like

280-character limit of a tweet or the 10-second span of an Instagram story, young people often resort to attacks on their political adversaries.

For those who think I’m overreacting, look no further than the comments section of any opinion column published by The Cavalier Daily. Last semester, The Cavalier Daily Facebook page posted a video showing opinion columnists reading the mean comments people left on their columns. We have thick skin and can handle the vitriol, but the video was meant to serve as a reminder that people who have differ-

you read, the more inaccurate your perceptions of other parties become. So as it turns out, we’re not as divided as we think we are.

But people are not simply frustrated by their perceptions of other parties’ views, they are afraid that they pose a legitimate threat to the country’s stability. People on both sides of the aisle have gone so far as to say that ideas — mere ideas — threaten people’s right to exist.

All ideas are not equal, that should go without saying. But to say that an idea threatens your right to exist is to seriously underestimate the human capaci-

ty to handle adversity.

The purpose of attending a fouryear institution is to expose yourself to ideas that make you uncomfortable.

Once you step foot on Grounds in the fall, strive to make friendships with people who voted for someone else in the 2016 presidential election. Bury yourself in literature that conflicts with your worldview. Take a break from the toxicity of social media. But most of all, challenge yourself to actually confront your own beliefs.

Dean of Students Allen Groves has some good advice for us. After a private religious gathering of several University students was disrupted by other students last year, Groves released a statement to the University community: “With rare exception, there is danger in assuming one's chosen side of an issue is free of fallibility or otherwise not open to question.” College is a time to figure out who you are independent from the people who pressure you to think a certain way. This year, have the courage to stand apart from the mob and discover what really matters most to you.

AUDREY FAHLBERG is an Opinion Editor for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at a.fahlberg@cavalierdaily.com.

THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF U.VA. Students to shape the University for the next generation of students

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y name is Derrick Wang, and last month marked the beginning of my term as the Student Member of the Board of Visitors for the 20192020 academic year. If we haven’t met yet, I hope we have a chance to chat this year, but in the meantime here’s a short introduction. I am a fourth-year from Richmond, Virginia studying economics and math. I’m known for — among other things — running outreach for the Honor Committee, cooking elaborate recipes, wearing tasteful scarves and knowing a lot about how the University works. This year, my role will be to represent students on the BOV. If you aren’t familiar, the BOV is the highest governing body of the University, overseeing the Academic Division, the Health System and the College at Wise.

The Board is responsible for long-term planning and approving all major decisions at U.Va. This includes everything from construction like the Emmet-Ivy Corridor or Brandon Avenue, to academic programs like the School of Data Science, to financial matters like the budget and the recent tuition freeze.

The role of student member has existed since 1983, and under state law, I serve as a nonvoting advisory member of the Board. My job is twofold — first, to act as a sounding board for the Board’s de-

cisions that affect students and second, to communicate the effects of these decisions to student constituencies.

In this role, I will seek to connect with the thousands of undergraduate, graduate and professional students at U.Va. in order to understand their concerns and bring them to the Board. I

sity to be both “great and good.” In my view, this means that U.Va. must be an institution that not only provides accessible and excellent educational value to students, but it must also teach students, faculty and staff to be ethical and service-oriented leaders.

However, our long and complicated

with the Charlottesville. community. We as students must be advocates and partners in making the University a more inclusive space for students, faculty, staff and community members — this will require our sustained attention and effort. However, I am confident that we can create a University that supports all

Recognizing our historical relationship with injustices like slavery, eugenics and segregation is only the first step towards creating a University that will serve society through inclusion rather than perpetuate inequity through exclusion. want students to feel like the top levels of administration understand the issues that affect your day-to-day lives. I also want students to understand the big decisions facing the University, so that they feel informed and are able to offer input.

In many ways, the University is at an important crossroads. With our new president finishing his first year and releasing a strategic plan for the next decade, we have an opportunity to shape the University for the next generation of students. This plan lays out a series of potentially transformational proposals for the University. President Jim Ryan has articulated a vision for the Univer-

history shows that U.Va. has not always lived up to these high values of great and good. Recognizing our historical relationship with injustices like slavery, eugenics and segregation is only the first step towards creating a University that will serve society through inclusion rather than perpetuate inequity through exclusion. That is why I look forward to the completion of the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers this fall, as well as the implementation of the living wage for employees and other recommendations from the President’s Community Working Group on improving our relationship

members of our community so long as we remain focused on that goal.

This marks a rare opportunity for students to shape the future of the University. It’s easy for us to get caught up in the day-to-day of our lives, worrying about our next class or meeting. However, as students we understand better than anyone the reality of the student experience. I am extraordinarily privileged to have a place at the decision-making table. With this privilege comes a responsibility to advocate for students, especially those who are marginalized or under-represented. That’s why I chose to present on mental health and finan-

cial accessibility as my first topics to the Board. But I am only one individual with one set of opinions and experiences — for me to be effective, I will require help from all 24,000 students here.

I will be updating the student body regularly on what I’m doing through email newsletters, social media and in-person meetings with student groups.

But mostly, I want to hear about your U.Va. experience — what made it good, bad or everything in between.

I encourage you to connect with me through email (studentmember@virginia.edu), Facebook messaging (@uvastudentmember) or just dropping by my room in the fall (23 West Lawn).

Remember — your voice matters, and you will determine how we address the University’s past, present and future.

DERRICK WANG is a fourth-year student in the College and the Student Member of the Board of Visitors. He can be reached at studentmember@virginia.edu.

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HUMOR Welcome to orientation! I’m sure you’ve read and heard about all the amazing things you can do at U.Va. and all the best practices for having a great first year. Well, now it is time for even better practices that can be found nowhere other than the Humor section of The Cavalier Daily. Duh. 10) Wear as much Fortnite merchandise as possible. This will show everyone where your priorities lie and just how cool your extracurricular activities really are.

9) Steal your RA’s wallet. This is a fun prank that has multiple positive results! First, it lets your RA know that you are a fun-loving resident who is always up for an adventure. Second, it allows

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CARTOON

THE CAVALIER DAILY 16

Top 10 best pieces of advice for incoming students you to replenish your money!

RAs are supposed to always be there for you, and there’s no better way for them to do that than to involuntarily support your Juuling habit.

8) Make as many snap judgements as possible. When meeting new people, always remember the old adage, “Book covers are pretty much perfect summaries.”

First impressions should be the only impression!

7) Use Limes as your primary means of transportation. Students LOVE it when multiple scooters take up the whole sidewalk when they’re trying to get to class. Cut someone off with your Lime, and you’re sure to get a warm response about your cool scooter skills.

6) You’ll be meeting a lot of new people in the next few weeks. Make sure to intentionally

call them all by the wrong name.

This will give you the appearance of having so many friends that you can’t keep track! This will make your new friends want to hang out with you even more!

5) Don’t go to class! Everything that you can learn in a classroom can easily be replicated through the internet in the comfort of your own dorm.

4) Meal plans get hella costly per meal. In order to maximize your dining hall experience, never leave the dining hall. Each meal should last between three to four hours, just in time for the next meal to start! Get the most out of your money!

3) Any Oasis fans out there? If you can play “Wonderwall”make sure to show it by bringing your acoustic guitar to the Lawn and jamming all day long! Everyone will not only be impressed by

your talent, but they will also be impressed by your song choice.

2) Everyone knows that streaking the Lawn in a time-honored U.Va. tradition. What many don’t know, however, is that streaking during the day is an even more time-honored U.Va. tradition.

People may not believe you if you say that you streaked the Lawn at night. If you do it during the day, the hundreds of witnesses will ensure that everyone knows that you streaked.

1) Another lesser known tradition has only been accomplished once in school history. In 1895, the Rotunda was set ablaze.

What many people don’t know, is that it was started by a student trying to accomplish the Rotunda Fire Challenge. See if you can be the second student to accomplish this feat! *Of course, these are com-

pletely not real suggestions.

Please read the rest of this paper to receive better and more genuine advice. Have a great orientation! Go Hoos!*

BENJAMIN MILLER is the Humor Editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at b.miller@cavalierdaily.com.

The reality of Orientation enrollment Walter Sharon | Cartoon Editor

THE CAVALIER DAILY

A& E

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Movies and music for real-life college prep

ARTS AND

Return to these favorites to be ready for the fall

ENTERTAINMENT

Robin Schwartzkopf | Arts & Entertainment Editor

It’s July in Virginia. The air is thick with humidity and young people everywhere are deep in the trenches of summer, living in blissful ignorance of upcoming classes in the fall. Incoming first years bravely trek the aisles of Bed Bath and Beyond, searching for the perfect mattress cover and wondering if the special shower shoes are worth $19.99 when you can just buy $2 flip flops at Old Navy (they aren’t). But college prep is more than buying various home goods and worrying about not getting to take Spanish — in order to be ready for the first semester of college, incoming first years should take note of these cultural touchstones and the lessons that can be learned before starting a new phase of life. Start the media consumption now, before arriving on Grounds in August.

Watch “Lady Bird” Greta Gerwig’s 2017 comingof-age story about a girl growing up in Sacramento mostly takes place during the titular character’s last year of high school. The film follows Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) — a nickname she chose for herself instead of her given name, Christine — as she navigates school, relationships and the restless love she has for her hometown. Newly college-bound watchers can sympathize with her first loves and feel weirdly positive feelings about “Crash Into Me” by the Dave Matthews Band (which will be particularly relevant for U.Va. students). The most poignant part of the film, however, is the ending. Gerwig packs a massive punch of “call your mom” energy into the third act, a welcome addendum after heavy mother-daughter squabbling fueled by economic anxiety and teen angst. When in doubt, call your mom.

Experience “Whack World” in one sitting Tierra Whack’s 2018 debut album, made up of 15 songs, each one minute long, is well-suited for a person on the cusp of adulthood. It’s groovy, experimental and ambitious. Whack also released a short film to accompany the album, which has a visually intriguing style as it follows Whack through various postmodern scenes for each track. 2018 was a breakout year for female rappers and “Whack World” was one of the highlights. This isn’t me saying if you want to be hip in college all you have to do is listen to emerging

ROBIN SCHWARTZKOPF | THE CAVALIER DAILY MODIFIED IMAGES COURTESY STEVE BAKER, PATRICK LOVELL, GAGE SKIDMORE

The best way to prep for a major life change is to take advice from a random assortment of pop culture products.

female rappers, but it couldn’t hurt and your tastes will definitely expand because of it.

“Whack World” is a great place to start and an artful, expansive piece to cleanse your summer palette from all the beachy pop and country — not that there’s anything wrong with the songs of summer! — and get you ready for some real gritty liberal arts learning.

Watch “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2” back to back Watching the original and the sequel will be critical in this stage of preparation. Best consumed with a group of friends, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” (2005) and it’s 2008 sequel, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,” have both aged a good deal since their early aughts releases. This doesn’t decrease the worth of the films, however — in fact, it makes for a more enjoyable viewing experience as a retrospective while still presenting a pro-female-friendship narrative. You can make fun of the irreverent dialogue and baffling outfits and critique Blake Lively’s character’s storyline, which involves a very not-okay relationship with an older man (Mike Vogel) who also has bad hair.

The second installment has more drama, Jesse Williams and everyone in Greece. So the movie night with friends will be better suited with both — marathons come with a sense of accomplishment, plus, you’ll feel ready to move on once all the members of the sisterhood have as well.

Listen to all of “Tapestry” Carole King’s 1971 masterpiece is a full course meal of feelings, which is exactly what a young person needs when they’re about to begin the next phase of life. Each song on the 12-track release is easy to hum and ideal for travel and reflection. King is mournful and reflective on songs like “Home Again” and “So Far Away,” which could prompt the kind of necessary emotional release before leaving parents and home to go to college. But “Tapestry” also has tracks like “I Feel the Earth Move” and “Beautiful” — songs filled with headstrong motivation to accompany anxious contemplation.

Watch “Mad Max: Fury Road” Two points of emphasis here: adrenaline and artful chaos.

George Miller’s 2015 installment (sequel? soft reboot? remake?) in the Mad Max franchise has thematic and metatextual advice to convey. Watching the movie is

a high-speed ride from start to finish, complete with a weird guy called Coma-Doof Warrior playing a flame-throwing electric guitar. If you’re going to make it through your first semester of college, the best way is probably to power through it with the strength of a massive, pimped-out, post-apocalyptic war rig. I mean take care of your health and your body and do mindfulness and stuff. That’s like the part of “Fury Road” where the old lady collects little plants. But also the first thing.

On a more meta level, “Fury Road” is the only Mad Max movie without Mel Gibson, which is a major plus, because it will be better for your outlook on your college experience if you begin with the determination to limit any contact with racist, sexist, anti-semitic d-bags.

Indulge in “ARTPOP” Picture this. It’s 2013. You’re eating fro-yo after a showing of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” It was a little better than the first one but you can tell the steering wheel is about to whiff out the window for that franchise. You decide to listen to Lady Gaga’s new album, which came out earlier in November.

But wait — what the hell is this album? It’s very weird, and a little off-putting. Lady Gaga is

taking risks and saying “take me to your planet” a whole bunch, plus she’s doing a Thanksgiving special with the muppets. You’re not in the mood, so you shrug it off and decide to listen to “Midnight Memories” instead, which also just came out and is perfect in an uncomplicated way and filled with classic One Direction bops.

But now it’s 2019. “ARTPOP" has long since faded into the background of eyebrow-raising Lady Gaga choices, resting comfortably between “Cheek to Cheek” — her 2014 collab with, of all people, Tony Bennett — and “A Star is Born” on the scale of successful risk-taking moments in her career. The album deserves a re-listen, especially if you’re a person on the verge of a new stage of life. The obvious reason is because it’s secretly filled with bangers, but also it’s a metaphor, because of course it is. When given the opportunity to branch out and try new things, think to yourself — what would Mother Monster do? Probably make a song called “Sexxx Dreams” but also get nominated for an Oscar.

H&S HEALTH & SCIENCE

THE CAVALIER DAILY

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Facing illness as a first-year Health issues persist on Grounds, especially during the first year of college, but the University has plans to help Cecily Wolfe | Senior Writer

When moving from high school to college, it is difficult to catalogue all the changes that occur. The particulars vary from person to person, but certain large scale adjustments await incoming students — the transitions from living and eating primarily at home to dorms and dining halls and of course to an increased academic workload.

Adapting to an entirely new environment may prove stressful, which can manifest in altered nutritional habits and mental or physical illnesses. In response, the University takes certain steps to aid new and current students in navigating a newfound level of independence.

Though the “freshman fifteen” may be an exaggeration, certain evidence suggests that weight gain is still a common characteristic for many during the transition from high school to college. In 2015, researchers at the University of Oxford analyzed multiple studies over more than three decades and found that while 60.9 percent of freshman students gained weight, the amount averaged approximately 7.5 pounds.

The authors recommended that “health promotion and health intervention seem critical in the first university year,” and that “universities should embrace their role as potential key health promoters and shapers of student health.”

A “healthy lifestyle,” a buzzword in pop culture, can be an ambiguous term, especially when it comes to eating. With food allergies, conscious dietary decisions and certain chronic conditions, a nutritious diet means different things for different people. However, Paula Caravati, Ph.D., R.D.N., and nutritionist for U.Va. Dining, gave a piece of advice for all students — adopt an intuitive approach to food.

“I think that with the initial transition from home to university life it is helpful for students to establish awareness about the necessity of eating regularly, balancing their dietary intake and being mindful about hunger versus appetite,” Caravati said in an email to The Cavalier Daily. “In an all-youcare-to-eat environment, a healthy eating mindset greatly assists.”

While knowing one’s needs may be easier said than done, Caravati went on to reference several resources such as U.Va. Dining and the Elson Student Health Wellness program that help students make healthy choices. Signs containing nutrition facts and indications of vegetarian, vegan and healthy for life options populate dining halls.

Certain locations cater primarily to certain diets, such as the Copper Hood station in the three

dining rooms — which boasts dish- should try to incorporate overall mates were helpful with texting in- of itself. es free of the Big 8 allergens — and self-care practices into their daily formation about classes.”

“Sometimes being a healthy stuThe Castle, a restaurant on Grounds routine. Not only can simple steps The University has weathered dent can fall by the wayside,” Sifri centered on mindful, plant-based — such as balanced sleeping and the emergence of several serious said. “Being physically fit, getting eating. eating patterns and a mixture of ac- illnesses and virus outbreaks. At enough, having a healthy diet, not “Our menus are developed by ademic and social activities — fos- least 52 students contracted mumps smoking, not drinking in excess or our culinary specialists, including ter a healthy mindset, but they can in 2006. The University directed at all — these basic things you do chefs and dietitians. Nutritional also guard students against sickness. those with confirmed cases to trav- to take care of yourself as a healthy balance, student input (Voice of the “When students are experienc- el home to recover if possible and person can help prevent infection, Consumer), food trends and pop- ing stress they can develop illness quarantined any remaining stu- or at least lessen its effects.” ular cultural dishes are all factors more easily, including colds, di- dents.

Furthermore, as Ruzek noted, that comprise decisions on menu gestive problems, sleep difficulties While scattered instances of the process of becoming self-suffioptions,” Caravati said. “Food aller- and problems with substance use,” mumps still occur each year, and cient relies just as much — if not gies are also considered and a large Ruzek said. “The mind and body are the flu always makes an appearance more — on self-care as it does on part of our menu and nutrition ser- connected, and both need attention despite the Elson Student Health learning how to make decisions and vices.” and care to ensure good all-around Center’s endorsement of annual flu deciding on a career path.

In addition, Caravati oversees health and wellbeing.” vaccines, more pressing issues have “I can't stress highly enough the wellness-based nutrition counIndeed, first years — and stu- arisen. importance of self-care, including seling for students with a meal plan dents throughout college — have During the 2018-19 school year, adequate sleep, a well-rounded diet, and collaborates closely with the the potential to encounter epidem- norovirus and adenovirus emerged a healthy social support network Elson Student Health Center in ics of everything from the common on Grounds. Division of Student and balanced lifestyle that includes assisting students with severe aller- cold to strep throat. Costi Sifri, Affairs health officials subsequently both a focus on academics as well as gies or eating disorders. associate professor in the division emailed the University community other aspects of one's identity, valWhen asked for tips on healthy of Infectious Diseases and Interna- about the outbreaks, listing med- ues or interests,” Ruzek said. eating, Caravati referred to the tional Health, cited dorms, apart- ical resources for the infected and Healthy Lifestyle Brochure on U.Va. ment buildings and crowded houses suggesting preventative measures Dining’s Healthy for Life webpage. as breeding grounds for infections. for others.

She specifically emphasized the “The issue is with the close livSifri reiterated such precautions. dangers of skipping meals when at- ing, learning and social activities Washing one’s hands well, avoiding tempting to eat intuitively, as stress with people in close quarters,” Sifri contaminated surfaces and items and busy schedules could eventually said. “It’s easy to transmit illnesses, that could mingle saliva and coughlead to overeating. such as respiratory viruses, from ing and sneezing into the crook of Mental health contributes to person to person.” the elbow were several of the main one’s overall well-being as well. AcRising second-year Engineering strategies he promoted. cording to the World Health Or- student Sophia Kerns suffered mulSifri also highlighted the imganization’s World Mental Health tiple times from flu-like symptoms portance of proper vaccination to International College Student pro- while living in dorms, as did her combat certain illnesses, a stateject, 35 percent of college students roommate. Kerns agreed that living ment that the Elson Student Health surveyed experienced a “common with many people in a small space Center supports, as evidenced by lifetime disorder,” such as depres- definitely contributed to the spread the range of required vaccines for sion or generalized anxiety disor- of germs. incoming students listed on the der.

“Sometimes you feel a bit like mandatory Pre-Entrance Health For its part, the University’s you are living in a petri dish,” Kerns Form.

Counseling and Psychological Ser- said. “Thankfully when I was sick, Ultimately, though, Sifri convices offers personal and group though, my roommate was helpful cluded with the final thought that therapy sessions, psychiatric ser- with bringing stuff from the dining a holistic approach to health often vices and outreach and prevention hall when I felt hungry, and class- acts as an effective remedy in and programs. CAPS launched SilverCloud at the beginning of 2019, an online repository of cognitive based therapy modules that can be accessed immediately and as needed.

Director of CAPS Nicole Ruzek said she encourages students entering college to create a support system comprised of peers and University faculty and staff knowledgeable about available community resources.

“It is important for students to know that seeking help is one of the most courageous and important things they can do to take care of themselves and their community,” Ruzek said in an email. “We all need to attend to our health and wellbeing in order to make sure we are prepared to handle the challenges that come our way as well as offer support to VYSHNAVI PENDALA | THE CAVALIER DAILY others.”

According to Ruzek, students Getting enough sleep, practicing good hygiene and self-care and eating healthy are all ways to reduce the risk of illness during first year.

www.cavalierdaily.com • PUZZLES

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WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE Dan Goff | Puzzle Master

PUZZLES

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4 Unable to think clearly 7 A high ___ doesn't necessarily mean good quality — two words 9 TNT 10 Confusion, disorder 11 The O of OLs 13 Type of golf match in which bets are placed 15 Prestigious English university 18 The university you're about to start attending is celebrating this sort of birthday 21 Japan's main island 22 Polite, restrained 23 Classic, two-word scientific instrument 24 Keep your finger on the ___

Down 1 Depending on the vice, someone who identifies as this may often feel one-across 2 Highly skilled artist 3 "Let's leave things on good ___" 5 The Monkees sang about a "believer" of this 6 The L(s) of OLs 7 More than enough 8 ___ and willing 12 Broad term for an animal 14 Excessively flattering 16 You might hear the words "dearly beloved" at a ___ 17 Two-word adjective meaning not relaxed 18 Troubles persistently 19 Not including, other than 20 Statue on the South Lawn that you'll probably be running circles around soon

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