leiGh Bailey, Kayla MOOre & CaT WhiTe The Cavalier Daily
NEWS
Students react to a University without DEI
After the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships was dissolved, students expressed discontent with the current political climate
Ford McCracken | News Editor
In a move to comply with President Donald Trump’s Jan. 21 executive order, the Board of Visitors voted unanimously to dissolve the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships March 9. Students broadly expressed discontent with the decision, even if not placing the blame on the University itself.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump pledged to end DEI programs across the federal government. Just one day into his administration, he signed an executive order that ordered exactly that. Public universities across the country have been quick to respond, either by slashing DEI programs or resisting the federal order.
The University’s Office of DEI offered many services — including providing funding to multicultural and diverse student groups and Contracted Independent Organizations. Now, it is not yet clear which partnerships and services will continue.
Fourth-year College student Salimah Hagmagid said that she was not surprised by the move to dissolve the office, given the Board’s conservative lean.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t significantly surprised, because I think that this action comes as another response in a sequence of events in which the Board of Visitors has become increasingly more politicized,” Hagmagid said.
Since Gov. Glenn Youngkin began his term in 2022, he has appointed 13 of the 17 members of the Board. And though there is no indication that Board members are following Youngkin’s lead, the governor celebrated the Board’s decision in a public statement.
Third-year College student Phoebe Yoon currently serves as president of Alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority, an Asian interest sorority. She also is a member of Taste of Home, an organization with a mission of supporting local immigrant chefs around Charlottesville. She worries about the ability for organizations she is a part of to continue conducting their operations, as she believes moves against DEI have caused a loss in funding.
“A lot of the grants or fundings that I’ve applied to in the past were usually specified for DEI initiatives, but I realized that a lot of them were closed or weren’t accepting submissions anymore because they were unable to give out money,” Yoon said.
One of the grants Yoon previously used was the IDEA Fund provided by Student Council. In a statement to The Cavalier Daily, University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover said that the grant was no longer available because it was provided by the previous Stu-
dent Council administration, and was not renewed when the new administration took over.
Because of this loss in funding, Yoon said both groups have struggled to maintain usual programming.
“Without the grant funding, it’s getting harder to be able to reimburse and pay the chefs for the work that they do, and so we’ve not really been able to host those pop-up events as frequently,” Yoon said.
Hagmagid echoed these concerns, saying the Office of DEI gave event planning support to the Muslim Students Association, which she is a part of.
Hagmagid places the blame for the dissolution of the DEI office directly on the University and the Board. She said that the University should not be prioritizing politics over the well-being of students.
“I think that there is something to be said about even though we are a state school and we are a federally funded institution, at what point do we prioritize … the safety and belonging of all students … over the agenda of whoever may be in power,” Hagmagid said.
Other students saw the bind the University was in, given that the White House has not hesitated to cut federal funding for universities. The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism terminated $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University over what the administration said was inaction to protect Jewish students.
Second-year College student Ryan Shoztic expressed understanding for the Board’s decision given recent actions by the president.
“I think this was largely [the Board’s] hand being forced because of federal policy regarding DEI and us being a public university,” Shoztic said. “And I think that was reflected in the Board of Visitors’ statement that it seems like the University is still, in many ways, going to be committing itself to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.”
The resolution from the Board began by stating that the University “highly values diversity” and wants to create an inclusive environment that “immensely enriches our Grounds.”
Third-year Education student Paul Miller expressed a similar sentiment — strong disapproval of the decision, but sympathy for University President Jim Ryan and other leadership.
“I think Virginia has a legacy of racism and discrimination … and I think finally, the University has gotten to a point where they are acknowledging that, and … make amends to the people who’d been badly affected,” Miller
said. “So I think reversing the previous stance on DEI based on the directive from the federal government is a loss in that sense.”
But Miller said the blame should not fall on Ryan. Referencing the funding cuts at Columbia, Miller added that non-compliance with the federal government could lead to even worse consequences for the University, potentially detracting from its status as a prestigious institution.
Still, the fact that the University complied with the Trump order at all left some students disappointed with University leadership. Third-year College student Eli Weinger said he wished the University had taken the federal government to court instead of complying.
“U.Va. has delayed numerous promises of progress to its students, there’s no reason U.Va. couldn’t find a legal justification to delay the enactment of deeply damaging policies from the Trump administration,” Weinger said. “What they’re lacking is the political will.”
He cited the Nov. 13, 2022 shooting report, the release of which has been delayed numerous times by the University for ongoing legal proceedings, as another way the University has not delivered a promise to students.
Weinger added that he believes that the University cannot fully please the federal government, so compliance on the DEI order is not worthwhile.
“What we’re seeing across the
country is that no matter how repressive [University administrators] are, it will never be enough to satisfy those in power right now and prevent them from going even further,” Weinger said.
Even with the elimination of the Office of DEI, some students still remain optimistic about the status of diversity, equity and inclusion at the University.
Shoztic said he believes that the University will likely continue DEI efforts in a less overt way.
“I don’t think we’ll see a lot of mass laying off. I think what we will see is that these [employees] will be moved into different areas … to do different specialties and provide different areas of work,” Shoztic said.
Yoon said that because the organizations she is a part of are “Asian interest groups,” not exclusive to Asian students, she is not worried about the organizations being eliminated entirely. For Yoon, these organizations are the community that helped her acclimate to the school, and she hopes they remain to stay.
“There’s definitely some of that nervous energy there, just because we don’t really know what the next steps are,” Yoon said. “And as student leaders, we really want to keep the communities that we have here on Grounds, because at the end of the day it’s what makes the U.Va. student experience what it is right now.”
The resolution approved by the
Board states that Ryan has 30 days to move certain DEI programs to a new office to ensure compliance with the order.
Weinger hopes that the University will continue to stand up for students instead of complying with the Trump administration entirely.
“I think that there are things that we can do to make sure that we reduce the harm that’s being felt, but at the end of the day, this [University] administration is going to have to find it within itself to fight back and protect students,” Weigner said.
And for Miller, DEI at the University is more than just the Office or an acronym. He said that diversity on Grounds is about the students above all else.
“The one thing I can say is there are a lot of good people at U.Va., and I do think this is an accepting community, and I think it promotes diversity of thought and speech,” Miller said.
He said that going forward, DEI should not be seen as an acronym but as three words.
“I do ask people, instead of using the word DEI as an acronym or a buzzword, actually say the whole term out loud, diversity, equity and inclusion,” Miller said. “And I personally think if you have an opposition to one of those three words, then you most likely have some internal issues yourself.”
The University’s Office of DEI offered many services — including providing funding to multicultural and diverse student groups and Contracted Independent Organizations.
Self governance sees historic all-women leadership
The 2024-2025 term was marked by women leading all three major student self-governance bodies
Lexie
Stadler | Senior Writer
More than five decades after coeducation at the University, all three major self-governance organizations — the University Judiciary Committee, the Honor Committee and Student Council — have been led by women this term. Harper Jones, Valentina Gonzalez and Laura Howard, heading the UJC, Student Council and the Honor Committee, respectively, credited their predecessors and mentors for influencing their leadership styles and said that this term’s all-female representation still has room for growth.
The last public University in the United States to become coeducational, the University first admitted women to degree-granting programs in 1920, but female students were restricted from full participation in student life until 1972. After coeducation, women’s representation in leadership roles was a gradual process.
The Honor Committee, founded in 1842, resisted female leadership well into the 20th century. It was not until 1981 that Nancy Lyons became the first female Honor Committee Chair, breaking nearly 140 years of male leadership.
Student Council, established in 1945, was similarly slow to reflect gender diversity. In 1984, Carole Kirkland became the first female Student Council President. Kirkland focused on improving sexual assault prevention programs and resources for the student body and advocated for greater student input in University decisions. 19 years later, Daisy Lundy became the first Black female Student Council President after surviving a racially motivated attack during her campaign.
The UJC was established in 1955 to oversee student conduct cases, but it was not until 1980 that Nancy H. Platt became the first female UJC Chair. It was another 10 years before the second in 1993, Shelly A. Seaburg. Since 1980, there have been 17 women holding the chairship out of 45 total.
Many years after the first women stepped up to lead these organizations, all three of this term’s leaders sought to strengthen student outreach and engagement in their respective organizations.
Jones’ path to leadership began during her first year at the University when she joined the UJC as a counselor — a support officer representing either the reporter of an offense or the accused student during trials. Serving as senior counselor in her third year, Jones also noticed gaps in how the UJC supported students — particularly around understanding their rights and the committee’s role. This motivated her to run for chair
with the goal of increasing transparency towards the student body.
“It gave me this incredible insight into the students going through our system and the complaints that we were representing,” Jones said. “I think most students don’t see the conduct side of the University.”
Now, Jones recognizes this moment with three female self-governance leaders as one that should create lasting change in how students engage with self-governance organizations.
“I think this is a really important moment and a meaningful moment,” Jones said. “But [representation] [is] also about accountability and impact, and the ability to build relationships across the community.”
For Gonzalez, the decision to run for Student Council president was shaped by her grassroots involvement on Grounds. As a member of the Latinx Leadership Institute, she saw the impact of working directly with marginalized communities.
“I never really planned it,” Gonzalez said. “I joined some grassroots organizations … [and] saw the power of working in a community.”
This past term, Gonzalez focused on increasing outreach to underrepresented student groups and making Student Council more accessible to smaller organizations that may not have established ties with the University administration. She worked heavily on improving Support and Access Services — a Student Council branch that provides legal, financial and academic support resources.
Upon arriving at the University, Howard was unaware of the Honor Committee’s existence — until her roommate asked if she would accompany her at an information session. Howard decided to join Honor, and stuck with it because she wanted to help people’s voices be heard throughout the trial process.
Howard’s focus this term centered on refining the Committee’s multi-sanction system, which was adopted in July 2023. Under the multi-sanction model, the Committee introduced a range of sanctions — from educational seminars to suspension and expulsion — and focused on restoration and proportionality rather than automatic punishment.
Given the scale of this change, Howard balanced making adjustments to the system while gathering feedback from students and faculty. To strengthen outreach and improve understanding of the new system, Howard facilitated conversations through various working groups and subcommittees — one example being the Community Relations and Diversity Advisory Committee, which
bridges conversations with underrepresented groups on Grounds.
Similar to the way Howard’s roommate encouraged her, the three leaders credited others for shaping their leadership styles and influencing their decisions to run. Their predecessors were particularly influential in this sense, with many of them being women as well. For example, Jones said her leadership was shaped by former UJC chairs Lisa Kopelnik and Nabeel Raza.
Raza guided the committee through the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the UJC to adjust how it operated and engaged with the student body. Raza also focused on rebuilding relationships between the UJC and the broader student community. Kopelnik, who succeeded Raza, focused on implementing those initiatives and expanding student engagement with the UJC.
“Both of them led very differently,” Jones said. “It was cool to be on the Committee and be able to see the different ways that they had led and sought to incorporate [their initiatives].”
Moving into her role as chair, Howard said that she was inspired and supported by Gabrielle Bray, who oversaw the adoption of the multi-sanction system as Honor Chair during the 2022-2023 term. Bray led the Constitutional Convention that drafted the framework for the new system and guided the proposal through a successful student referendum, where 88.69 percent of students voted in favor of the change.
Howard said that Bray always had her lawn room door open for support officers, and she wanted to embody her leadership style of welcoming and supporting Committee
members.
Gonzalez also learned from her predecessor Tichara Robertson, former Student Council President and class of 2024 alumna, for encouraging her to run and helping her navigate the pressures of public leadership as a woman of color.
“[Robertson] was such a good mentor and role model … she made it so much easier to transition and feel confident,” Gonzalez said. “[She understood] that people are going to say bad things about you regardless.”
Moving forward, Jones said that the women-led term reflects how far the University has come since coeducation, but that representation must also address broader socioeconomic barriers — the unpaid nature of student governance roles creates obstacles for low-income students who may have to prioritize paid work over leadership opportunities.
“I know that Student Council and the Honor Committee have also [considered] some of the barriers in place for individuals who come from low-income backgrounds, and I think that’s something that we will continue,” Jones said. “There is a lot more work to be done.”
Jones said that her goal this term was to show other women that they can step into these roles and succeed, helping future female leaders see themselves represented.
“I’m setting an example for other female students to feel as though they too can see themselves in leadership roles,” Jones said. “Representation is important because it shows that there is a place for them in these roles.”
Gonzalez said that serving as president was exciting in the first few months, but it also involved an element of uncertainty. She de-
scribed feeling pressure to present herself as polished and professional at all times — from her wardrobe to the way she presented her ideas — as a way to be taken seriously.
“I felt like I had to [be] perfect,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve learned so much about what professionalism is and how it is so much more than what I look like.”
Howard said that the Committee does not have a perfect record in terms of inclusion. In 1968, the Honor Committee released a report concluding that coeducation would “hurt the Honor System,” arguing that mixing men and women would reduce “peer disapproval” for honor offenses. Despite this resistance, women were admitted in 1970 under a court order, and the Honor Committee was forced to adapt. Over time, the Committee has seen more women serve as chairs as the University has shifted in culture.
Howard said that though the Committee was initially defined through the lens of Southern masculinity, Honor is a dynamic system that changes with each generation of students.
“It’s no secret that Honor’s history in the past meant that the definition of Honor was defined in terms of southern chivalry and gentlemanly behavior,” Howard said. “I’m a firm believer that the definition of honor changes with every generation of students… [it] transcends what its history might have been.”
All three leaders said that while the moment is significant, treating representation as a final measure of success would be misguided — true representation must be ongoing and authentic.
NOELLE VALDINOTO THE CAVALIER DAILY
Four influential women share memories of The Cavalier Daily
These successful graduates also looked back on how The Cavalier Daily has guided them within their respective careers
Cecilia
Mould | News Editor
The University became fully coeducational in 1972, following a 1969 court order requiring full coeducation within three years.
As the University moved towards coeducation, women also began to join The Cavalier Daily. The first female Editor-in-Chief was elected in 1976, and since then, many women have passed through The Cavalier Daily’s doors and graduated to pursue successful and impactful careers within their respective fields.
From the Chief Executive Officer of The New York Times, a White House Communications Director, a feature journalist for the Tampa Bay Times and a Health and Science Editor for The Washington Post, these are the women who have shaped The Cavalier Daily’s past and lead its future.
The Cavalier Daily spoke with Class of 1993 alumna Meredith Kopit Levien, Class of 2004 alumna Kate Bedingfield, Class of 1989 alumna Lane DeGregory and Class of 1986 alumna Mary-Ellen Deily.
Memories from The Cavalier Daily
As they began their time at the University, each of these women chose to join the paper because of a personal interest in writing and reporting.
DeGregory had a lifelong interest in journalism and chose to attend the University particularly because of the opportunity she would have to work at a student-run paper. Even before she started her first year, DeGregory remembers visiting The Cavalier Daily’s office during a prospective student tour. She would eventually join the news desk as a writer and go on to become News Editor and, in her fourth year, Editor-in-Chief.
Bedingfield, who wrote for both the news and sports desks at The Cavalier Daily, joined the paper because of a personal connection to journalism — her father was a journalist and had always emphasized the importance of following news and current events.
“I really wanted to be involved in everything that was going on on [Grounds], and I felt like being part of The Cavalier Daily was a way to really tap into so many different elements of what was going on on Grounds,” Bedingfield said.
During their time on the paper, these women were inspired by their peers, who were equally passionate about The Cavalier Daily’s mission. Bedingfield has fond memories from working on the paper — she particularly admired her sports editor, who became a mentor and an encouraging force in her life. Some
of her favorite memories are of late nights in the newsroom with other writers as they fed off of each other’s energy and adrenaline.
Levien, who wrote for the opinions desk and later joined the advertising staff in her fourth year, felt a deep sense of community with her peers on the paper. While she participated in a variety of extracurricular activities at the University, she felt that her most formative experience was at The Cavalier Daily.
“The people were extraordinary … I did lots of other things [on Grounds], but I found the people on The Cavalier Daily to be so rich in substance and interest in the world, and serious about who they were and what their contributions could be,” Levien said.
Similarly, one of the things Deily — who worked on the news desk, as News Associate Editor and later as a Features Editor — enjoyed most about working for the paper was the newsroom atmosphere and being surrounded by students who were just as interested as she was in the University’s news.
“At the time, I was just churning out stories, there was just so much going on,” Deily said. “I remember … racing back to the [office], typing up my stories there, and it felt very much like breaking news, very fresh and new.”
Bedingfield was particularly impacted by one of the first articles she wrote, about a robbery at a local gas station.
“I remember covering that story as a news reporter, and feeling the weight [and] the responsibility of covering an event that had a meaningful impact on the owners of the gas station,” Bedingfield said. “I just felt the responsibility of needing and wanting to get it right, and I felt like I was getting to play an important and significant role in the community.”
DeGregory also remembers an article she found interesting to work on — a feature on former nude model Patricia Kluge, who was appointed to the Board of Visitors in 1990 and lived in Charlottesville with her husband John Kluge, at the time the wealthiest man in the United States. Many of the men on the Board were dismissive of Kluge, and writing that article led her to reflect on women’s changing positions within the world.
“It was interesting. I think I was the second or third female editor of the paper,” DeGregory said.
“To have a woman in the spaces of news reporters and a woman on the Board of Visitors was an interesting time.”
Life after The Cavalier Daily
While these women graduated to follow different career paths, writing for the paper impacted all of their future careers — whether they pursued journalism or a different path.
Today, Bedingfield has over 20 years of experience within political and corporate communications. Following her graduation from the University, she was eager to work in politics.
“I really wanted to pursue a career in politics and in communications, in part so that I could continue to tap into what is most interesting and exciting about journalism — feeling connected to what’s going on in the world and feeling like a part of something meaningful,” Bedingfield said.
DeGregory’s career path differed slightly from Bedingfield’s. Following graduation, DeGregory worked at local Virginia newspapers until 2000, when she began working at the Tampa Bay Times.
Similarly to DeGregory, Deily knew she wanted to pursue a career in journalism after graduation. After returning home to Annapolis, she worked as a reporter for her local newspaper, the Eastern Star Democrat, and felt a natural transition to this newsroom after working for The Cavalier Daily.
Following graduation, Levien initially did not aim to work in the news industry and instead began her career at the Advisory Board Company, until eventually she realized that her passion lay in the field of journalism. As she began to pursue this inspiration, she joined The Atlantic as an advertising director, and hasn’t looked back since.
“24 years later, every day that I spent representing high quality journalism in the world, either working directly on the business of it or really working to say what is the right and the sustainable path for high quality journalism to have a bright future, it just feels so organic to my being,” Levien said. “I feel like I am doing exactly what I should be doing.”
Bedingfield would later go on to serve as Communications Director for the White House from 2021 to 2023. Reflecting back on her career, Bedingfield said her time working for President Biden was an invaluable experience. She particularly enjoyed the process of learning how to put global issues into context.
“The opportunity to be at the center of everything that is going on in the United States government and in many ways in the world, is a moment that is invaluable,” Bedingfield said.
Throughout her career, DeGregory has continued to write feature and human interest stories focused primarily on highlighting individuals who are often overlooked in the media. In 2009, she earned a Pulitzer Prize for her work titled “The Girl in the Window,” which shares the adoption story of a young girl who was abused and neglected throughout the first six years of her life.
“I like writing about people in the shadows, people that not everybody writes about,” DeGregory said. “It gives me a chance to show readers people who are affected by policies. Not just what’s happening at the city council or the state legislature. But here are the people that are being impacted by that, and I think that has its own merit.”
Today, Levien represents The New York Times as CEO and president. Throughout her career, she has worked to engage citizens in high-quality journalism through several initiatives. At The Times, she has worked to incorporate a variety of content with the hopes that this content will draw in a diverse audience and spark their interest in the news content the paper also produces.
“I see [my] work as really trying to understand what the reporters and editors and people who make journalism at The New York Times and other high quality institutions are trying to do, and then figuring out how to represent that to the world in a way that makes more people see high quality independent journalism as good and fair and relevant to them,” Levien said.
After spending nearly 20 years at Education Week, a nonprofit news organization focused on K-12 education, Deily joined The Washington Post. In 2022, Deily began her current role as Health and Science Editor, a position which reminds her of her time as Features Editor for The Cavalier Daily.
“The human interest stories hark back to my days in the feature section of The Cavalier Daily, where you’re trying to help [writers] define the story,” Deily said. “... I’m not trying to rewrite it in my voice. I’m trying to refine what other reporters send to me so it tells the story.”
Advice for younger generations
Looking back at the beginning of their careers, these women reflected on their experiences since graduation.
DeGregory hopes young journalists will continue to follow their passions and work on projects that they care deeply about, even if it
means working late nights.
“I wish that I had been braver when I was a young journalist, and I wish I had thought about what kind of stories I wanted to tell,” DeGregory said. “You’re going to get many assignments that you don’t want to do, that hopefully you’ll still do a really good job at. But always have something you’re passionate about … that’s what keeps you fueled.”
Deily spoke about the changing media landscape and the importance of journalism in connecting communities around common issues. Today, media outlets face revenue and funding challenges due to declining readership of traditional news — local news outlets have been particularly impacted by these issues.
“I think we’ve lost a lot by losing local news outlets, because they covered so many things that were important to people’s day to day lives,” Deily said. “That saddens and worries me, because that’s how journalists can get their start, and also how readers stay informed and stay invested in truth and legitimate journalism.”
Levien, who works directly to build a sustainable business model for The Times, cited a complete transformation of the news industry over the past 25 years and a resulting collapse of business models for many newspapers as the cause for current challenges faced by the industry. As to the industry’s future, Levien believes in the importance of protecting independent journalism and freedom of the press, as well as ensuring that the public understands the importance of the media.
“A huge area of focus is [the way in which] it’s getting increasingly hard for reporters and editors just to do their work,” Levien said. “There are all kinds of encroachments on press freedom, broadly defined, and The Times is deeply committed to holding power to account in whatever format that takes … and also making sure that the public understands the role of an independent press.”
In reference to the challenges today’s media industry faces, DeGregory offered advice for aspiring journalists and encouraged them to continue writing.
“I’m so proud of young journalists who still want to do this job in the wake of what the climate is for journalists these days,” DeGregory said. “I just want to say, keep the faith, because we need you more than ever.”
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With SARA, community fights ‘vast’ problem of sexual violence
The nonprofit brings critical support to survivors of sexual violence on and off Grounds
Ingrid Gay and Mia Tan | Staff Writers
The Sexual Assault Resource Agency, a Charlottesville-based nonprofit, has worked to eliminate sexual violence for the past 51 years. Powered by a small staff of employees from Charlottesville and volunteers from the University, the agency aims to address sexual violence and its risk factors in Charlottesville and the nearby counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson.
In light of recent challenges — including troubling rates of sexual assault and funding cuts to victim service projects — SARA has doubled down on efforts to maintain its free sexual assault services, working to secure more grants and corporate sponsors. As they continue to stabilize their services, they emphasize that their volunteers and community partners are essential to spreading awareness and sustaining their impact. These contributions, many from students, have made strides against sexual assault on and off Grounds and highlighted what more could be done to reduce sexual violence at the University.
SARA was founded in 1974 by a group of local women concerned about the lack of sexual assault resources in Charlottesville. To better prepare the community to respond to sexual violence, the women established a 24/7 hotline for sexual assault survivors, a service which SARA still maintains today.
Since then, SARA has expanded its resources to offer free, confidential services to survivors of sexual assault and individuals who know someone affected by sexual assault. These additional services include a therapy program and a group of ER advocates that work in the U.Va. Health Emergency Department and Student Health and Wellness.
To more holistically address the risk factors of sexual assault, SARA also administers programs related to prevention, education and advocacy. One program is Coaching Boys into Men, a student-athlete workshop to help young men — mostly at the high school level — learn to have respect for themselves and others, especially women and girls.
The backbone of SARA, however, is still their hotline. In 2022, the agency responded to approximately 300 hotline calls, provided over 130 individuals with counseling services and accompanied nearly 50 during forensic examinations.
Currently, the agency only has nine full-time employees and 12
part-time employees. Given the large workload demanded of a small staff, SARA has worked to engage the wider community in its mission, according to SARA Executive Director Bass Wolf.
“We’re a small group … working toward this vast mission,” Wolf said. “The best way for us to overcome the challenge is to encourage people to join us.”
Currently, 35 trained volunteers — many of whom are University students — assist SARA in various tasks, including responding to hotline calls and helping out in community outreach events.
Stella Alexiou, hotline volunteer and emergency room advocate for SARA and fourth-year College student, described what a hotline shift is like for her.
“I’ll take a shift, and anyone who calls a hotline will be forwarded to my phone,” Alexiou said. “I will then provide crisis management services, as well as direct them to resources in the community and at SARA.”
One of the agency’s core goals is to ensure all their services remain free of charge to survivors, especially emergency services like their hotline. For financial assistance, according to SARA Development Manager Priya Bajaj, SARA staff place a heavy emphasis on fundraising.
“There should never be a financial barrier if you need our services,” Bajaj said. “We are here to help you get on the path to healing. Wherever you may be at that point, we can meet you there.”
According to Wolf, federal funding for Virginia’s sexual and domestic violence agencies and statewide hotline dropped by 54 percent over the past five years, putting pressure on agencies to prioritize other sources of funding.
“Without a state investment, survivors of sexual and domestic violence in Virginia are at risk of losing crucial access to essential services and resources,” Wolf said. In response to recent funding cuts, Wolf said SARA set goals for the fiscal year 2026 to increase individual donations and grant revenue. SARA also continues to engage in corporate and local partnerships, such as by maintaining close ties with community leaders and local restaurants. Wolf said partnerships like these stem from SARA’s mission to address sexual violence where it is heavily concentrated, specifically in the service industry.
“Some of the work that we do means being in places where violence happens,” Wolf said. “By partnering in these relationships with other local businesses, we get to collaborate on projects that promote each other’s work.”
SARA has also historically engaged in collaborative events with the University community. In the 1980s, University students completed a “rock-a-thon,” raising money for SARA by rocking in chairs for 24 hours straight. More recently, the agency has focused on keeping up strong connections with Take Back the Night, a Contracted Independent Organization that aims to raise awareness of sexual assault, and Alpha Omega Epsilon, a professional and social sorority for female-identifying students studying engineering and technical sciences.
SARA is located 10 minutes from central Grounds and has a significant impact at the University, supporting many students who have faced sexual assault themselves. In October, the University released results from a Higher Education Sexual Misconduct Awareness survey conducted last spring, which revealed that among respondents, 19.7 percent of undergraduate women, 6.5 percent of undergraduate men, 5 percent of graduate women and 2.3 percent of graduate men reported experiencing sexual assault.
SARA attracts many students in need of support with services specifically tailored to sexual assault. SARA also offers an additional perceived level of anonymity for students, as many SARA staff members do not have direct ties to the University. Alexiou described the compassion she received from a SARA ER advocate at the University hospital following an onGrounds experience with sexual assault during her first year.
“I really saw how much of a difference it made to have someone who was sitting there, not to find out my medical history, not to examine me — someone who was genuinely just there to support me and someone I didn’t have any previous ties to,” Alexiou said.
Following the incident, Alexiou joined SARA as a hotline volunteer, completing 40 hours of training before working in the role. After an additional 12 hours of training, she became an ER advocate the summer before her third year. She described how her personal experience with sexual assault has shaped her passion to help other individu-
als affected by sexual assault.
“Having my own experiences has helped me to realize how complicated, how difficult it is to articulate your emotions [after a sexual assault incident],” Alexiou said.
According to Alexiou, there is much work left to be done by the University to prevent and handle cases of sexual violence on Grounds. While incoming students are required to complete Sexual Assault Prevention Training modules, as well as review the modules every two years, Alexiou said the University can complete more frequent and concrete actions to address sexual assault among students.
“Doing a 30-minute training at the beginning of the school year and then never talking about it again doesn’t really address the issue at the root,” Alexiou said. “The University needs to talk … and give more resources to students. On the same front, it needs to realize that students are perpetrators of violence and take measurable steps in order to help reduce that.”
Bajaj said one way University community members can help spread awareness about sexual assault is showing up to events related to the cause. March 27, SARA will host its annual fundraiser, Twilight Toast, at the Fry’s Spring Beach Club, where attendees may donate to the agency through sliding scale ticket fees.
“If you can’t donate money, donate your time,” Bajaj said. “We really want to have more of a voice in the community, so people know that we are available and accessible.”
Alexiou also emphasized the communal aspect of fighting sexual assault. Besides attending events, she said students should simply check on one another to help prevent incidents of violence.
“It’s just a basic concept — look out for your friends,” Alexiou said. If you have been affected by sexual assault or know someone who has, you may reach out to SARA and similar organizations for support.
Sexual Assault Resource Agency (SARA): 24-hour hotline: (434) 977-7273
Shelter for Help in Emergency: 24-hour hotline: (434) 293-8509
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): 24-hour hotline: (434) 243-5150
SOPHIA LEE THE CAVALIER DAILY
It’s a Friday night at the University. Your friends are texting about their date function plans, couples are picturesquely strolling the Corner hand-in-hand and Instagram is flooded with soft-lit margarita dates from spring break getaways. Meanwhile, you’re sprawled out in bed, halfway through your Chipotle bowl — no obligations, no one to impress and best of all, no emotional labor exerted. Bliss, right?
Like many of my peers, I used to find myself caught up in the rush to partake in every social event and activity, thinking that it would bring me the romantic connection and the accompanying excitement I was craving. During my first semester, I was set on trying out the whole “college relationship” thing, but instead, I found myself stuck in a situationship, managing endless texts and disagreements over small things.
I realized that my beyond-draining situationship would never become what I actually wanted it to be — a real relationship — because the other person clearly wasn’t seeing things the same way. And, in the present, the “just casual” was occu-
Why being unattached is underrated
Embracing independence and the forgotten benefits of your single life
Anna Stamey | Staff Writer
pying a huge part of my emotional capacity. In addition to my own turmoil, I watched my friends around Grounds juggle their own relationships — struggling to balance their time between partners and friends and relationship milestones.
This is when I began to understand that, contrary to popular belief, being single in college isn’t just an unfortunate placeholder between relationships — it’s actually a life hack, an underrated opportunity to do exactly what I want, when I want and with whom I want. So I moved on from my dead-end situationship to focus on my interests and goals.
As you can probably imagine, this shift in mindset, though brilliant, was no easy feat. At a school as socially vibrant as our University, where even just a casual walk to class seems to inevitably turn into a social event, there’s an unspoken pressure to always be connected. From romantic relationships, to huge friend groups, to extracurriculars, students often feel not just the need to belong, but to define themselves through their external involvements. In college, it can feel as if being a
“lone wolf” is more than just uncommon — it’s unwelcome.
While having this sense of belonging can provide helpful validation, it can also become a crutch, making solitude become uncomfortable. The problem doesn’t lie in relationships themselves — instead, it’s that in constantly seeking them, we risk missing the beauty of being on our own.
College is the era to cultivate individuality and independence, and being single allows you to do so fully. A random solo trip to Grit to get that lavender latte that’s been on your mind, an impromptu study session in the Rotunda or an excursion to Humpback Rock can all happen without checking with or waiting on anyone. Being single provides you with the flexibility to be totally spontaneous.
Ever wanted to take up pottery? Learn a new language? Sign up for those random, obscure clubs or classes — just because you can. When I found myself with extra time on my hands, I joined a pottery club, just for the fun of it. I love getting to be the main character, and I
found these bizarre side quests to be quite fulfilling.
Without the pressure to make decisions around another person, I’ve learned to put myself first — my goals, my interests and my ambitions. No compromises, no backand-forth.
There’s a common misconception that being single means being lonely, and while it’s a superpower that’s hard to master, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Whether you want a packed weekend full of darties, concerts and a last minute bar crawl, or you prefer to spend the entire day alone with the book you impulsively bought from Heartwood, being single means you get to socialize on your own terms and fully enjoy your own company.
Plus, taking yourself out to dinner, going to a movie solo or even traveling alone are experiences that will benefit you far beyond college. And let’s be honest — there’s something delightfully rebellious about enjoying a Friday night on your own terms while the rest of the world scrambles to make plans.
I’ve also found unexpected joy
Top 10 sounds around Grounds
The noises that make Grounds the place we call home
Elizabeth Parsons | Staff Writer
As my time at the University comes to a close, I’ve noticed that Grounds is full of sounds that blend together to create a soundscape of the college experience. If you’re reading this on Grounds, chances are you’re hearing at least one of these sounds. While some sounds certainly bring more joy than others, let’s take a moment to reflect on what makes the University an orchestral delight.
1. The banging of construction
You might think that the incessant construction around Grounds impairs my ability to study, sleep or otherwise hear my own thoughts, but construction noises have become akin to white noise for me. I feel a sense of comfort as I walk by a construction zone with banging, drilling and machinery running at full force. Passing the construction near McIntire on my way to class makes me feel at home, and I revel in the promise of the new buildings.
2. Chapel bells on the top of each hour
I am continuously surprised by the force of the University Chapel’s bells — you can hear them from just about
anywhere — and I enjoy hearing the commemoration of another passing hour. The bells are a beautiful noise that floats around Grounds and makes me feel connected to the University community.
3. That tour group whispering while being paraded through the library
I can’t decide who I feel worse for — the prospective students and their families awkwardly navigating the library during the busiest time of the semester, or the students who become museum exhibits during an admissions tour. But I do especially feel for the students who must endure the disruptive whispers of a tour as they try to study — which are somehow more disruptive than full-volume conversations.
4. Sirens — please, not another emergency
The perks of having the University hospital so close is always having an array of sirens around us. The blaring siren of an ambulance or a fire truck is normal around here. I used to not think twice about the cacophony of
sirens, but after the past few weeks we’ve had here, I am immediately checking for emergency alerts after having cop cars fly past me on the way to class..
5. “Wait to cross JPA at Brandon Avenue”
I love the extra emphasis put on the word “wait” on the prerecorded message that calls out after hitting a crosswalk button. It feels like someone physically emerging from the machine to hold me back from crossing the street. Rest assured — I follow these instructions with the utmost respect, even when a herd of people pass me and start crossing while the red hand is still displayed.
6. Grubhub tickets flying out of the machine
I don’t have the words to describe this peculiar noise that arises from a Grubhub ticket printing. The intensity of the pitch only increases during peak lunch hours, a manifestation of the chaos of lunchtime around Grounds. I could recognize this noise anywhere, and it instantly brings me back to my
first-year self in Rising Roll waiting for a veggie wrap sandwich.
7. Whatever is blaring through the headphones of everyone on Grounds Students love their playlists and podcasts, and I rarely see anyone walking around Grounds without something in their ears. I would be remiss to omit this from a list about the sounds on Grounds because, although listening with headphones is an individual experience, there’s always someone with tech wrapped around their ears. The noise-cancelling feature offers an added bonus, tuning out the omnipresent construction and emergency sirens.
8. Bus doors opening and closing
Those who travel down JPA know that the opening and closing of bus doors sounds like a creature exhaling a deep breath and then inhaling again when the doors close. In fact, when bus doors open, the bus seems to physically drop towards the street with a puff of emission-fueled air. This noise is a reminder of everyone around Grounds with places to be and people
in befriending strangers. One of my favorite new friendships actually started with a casual chat in line at Bodo’s. It’s small moments like these that have reminded me how openness can lead to meaningful human connection.
Through my journey of navigating college while choosing singleness, I’ve found that the key to thriving while solo is to romanticize your life by truly dating yourself. I’ve come to appreciate the solitary Saturday morning Starbucks run, or turning my Friday nights into routine self-care rituals. It’s these small, personal moments that remind me how empowering it is to be in control of my own time and energy.
When you start embracing the freedom to prioritize yourself, you start enjoying it. Yes, relationships can be wonderful, but so can the utter peace of doing whatever you want. So, the next time you find yourself yearning for a special someone, instead try to embrace the moment and recognize the underrated pleasures that single life can provide.
to see, making the University a hub of excitement.
9. Heavy-handed typing on laptops
In a library, a classroom or even a hallway, multiple people are typing away on their laptops with force and dedication. The speed at which the keys are being hit elicits a productive noise, but also provokes curiosity. Is this person trying to finish up a paper before class, or are they beefing with someone over text? I may never know — unless I happen to sit behind them in lecture.
10. Someone claiming that they really need to “lock in”
The need to “lock in” is seemingly about as essential as the need to breathe. How many times has someone said that they need “lock in” to study or finish that project, only to fall down a TikTok rabbit hole? I’m certainly guilty of proclaiming my intention to “lock in” before beginning to do anything other than the task at hand. But I promise this time, I really mean it — I’m locking in right now.
A LOOK INTO WOMEN’S HISTORY
U.Va. community hosts variety of events to celebrate Women’s History during March
When the first University class was taught 200 years ago, women were not allowed to enroll. The University first allowed summer instruction for women in 1880, but did not admit women until 1970, and was not fully coeducational until 1972. Since then, there have been many notable female alumni, including Dawn Staley, head coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of South Carolina, Meredith Kopit Levien, chief executive officer and president of the New York Times, Tina Fey, film and television actress, writer and producer and Katie Couric, broadcast journalist for CBS and NBC News.
Lisa Kopelnik reflects on her term as BOV student representative
After concluding her final meeting of the full Board of Visitors this month, fourth-year College student Lisa Kopelnik will officially step down from her position as the Board’s non-voting student representative June 1.
During Kopelnik’s term, the Board was faced with a variety of local and national challenges, including allegations against high-ranking officials within the U.Va. Health System and executive orders from a new presidential administration. While working with the Board to address these issues, Kopelnik focused on her core values — promoting civil discourse, embracing student diversity and maintaining the health and safety of the student body.
Kopelnik’s initial interest in student self-governance at the University was sparked during her first-year convocation where she heard from student self-governance leaders including the University Judiciary Committee chair, the Honor Committee chair and the Student Council president.
CD Staff Writers
A&E Book Club: Three books to delve into during Women’s History Month
March is a wonderful month at the University, bringing about the early days of spring. It is a time for popping outside and cracking open a book while lazing on the Lawn. It also marks the beginning of Women’s History Month, a time where we highlight the achievements and perspectives of women throughout the decades. As such, March is also the perfect time to delve into some books written by incredible female authors. Though reading is often lauded as an “escape,” reading books about women by women can in fact get us closer to reality — closer to the nuances and intricacies of lived experience.
Sophia Crowder empowers women in STEM to pursue out-ofthis-world ambitions
Gender representation — it’s not rocket science, right? For Sophia Crowder, second-year Engineering student, Rodman Scholar and Jefferson Scholar, this classic phrase is not just a cliché. It is a challenge to create opportunities for women and girls in STEM.
As a young woman breaking into the space industry, what began as a childhood fascination has now grown into a way to uplift fellow young women to reach for the stars. Crowder’s passions have led her to found the organizations STEM Squad and ITGirls, which offer supportive networks and resources to areas without adequate representation for young people aspiring to enter the space exploration industry.
“Representation truly matters, especially in fields where female perspectives and contributions are still somewhat underrepresented,” Crowder said. “It’s so important to me to show young girls what they’re truly capable of if they set their minds to it.”
Breaking the sidelines: the women shaping Virginia sports media
Behind every thrilling finish, every record-breaking performance and every moment of triumph in Virginia Athletics, there is a team of dedicated professionals working to highlight and share those stories. From capturing game-defining moments through a lens to shaping written narratives, a group of talented and determined women are proving that gender is no barrier to success in sports journalism.
Across Grounds, women inhabit various roles in sports journalism. Whether it be as a writer, manager, photographer or editor, women are integral for the shaping of Virginia sports media.
Hoo’s Watching: “Companion” and other recent additions to the ‘men suck’ canon
March is Women’s History Month, so it is only fitting that it would usher in the arrival of “Companion,” the big screen debut from writer-director Drew Hancock, on streaming services. The first in a one-two punch of releases attempting to solidify Jack Quaid’s status as a leading man, “Companion” is the latest take on the subset of the horror genre exploring, in some capacity, the perils and pitfalls of female exploitation for male gain..
MAC DOUCETTE THE CAVALIER DAILY
COURTESY SOPHIA CROWDER
KAITLIN LUU | THE CAVALIER DAILY
RIVER WHELAN AND EMMA HITCHCOCK THE CAVALIER DAILY
AVA PROEHL | THE CAVALIER DAILY
Sherri Moore reflects on her journey as a woman in law and teaching
Don’t ever take no for an answer. This has been the driving motivator of Assoc. Commerce Prof. Sherri Moore’s journey. Moore knew from the age of six that she wanted to be a lawyer — not deterred, but rather roused, by the nay-saying and doubtful comments from her family and society. Ultimately, she would go on to serve as a trial lawyer for 20 years.
Now with the University for the past 15 years, Moore has become more than just a Commercial Law professor — she is a source of support and inspiration for her students. Her journey into academia was nothing short of fate, and despite the grief, loss and hardships she encountered, her newfound perspective on the importance of attitude and moxie is what kept her going and what inspires University students today.
For CLAW, women’s arm wrestling is more than a sport
Charlottesville is unique for a few reasons. Obviously, it is the home of the University and Monticello. But there is another reason — one that may be unknown to most. The city is home to the original amateur female arm wrestling group.
The Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers — dubbed CLAW for short — are a community of avid wrestling fans that hold women’s arm wrestling tournaments in Charlottesville. They raise funds for local charities, combining sport, performance and community service.
As a result, they offer unique programming — which is defined by a healthy dose of theatrical whimsy and fun — that has inspired others nationwide. The entire operation is designed to use arm wrestling as a vehicle for promoting women’s sports.
GARVIE: The Women’s History Month events are more performative than practical
As Women’s History Month rolls around, the University is once again provided the opportunity to celebrate its students. During this time, it is imperative to acknowledge that Women’s History month should not just be about intangible celebrations or rhetorical teaching but rather about actually creating change. The University is now given the chance to shed light on a complicated past, which only allowed women to matriculate 55 years ago. However, March is more than halfway through, and the events have minimally celebrated this important period — failing to both teach women’s history and implement tangible changes for the future.
From the Archives: March 6, 1981
“Female faculty recruited, tenured slowly but steadily”
By Sheryl Stolberg
Photos by Vicky Wagner
In 1981, the percentage of female faculty was much smaller than the percentage of female students, but Stolberg noted that this could be a difficult statistic to change. Low turnover rates, Ph.D. lengths and family-focused career paths all make it difficult for women to achieve tenure, so the change could take 20 to 30 years.
From the Archives: March 2, 1995
“‘For Colored Girls’ celebrates black women”
By Georgia Menides
Photos
by
Paul Robeson Players
A review of the play “For Colored Girls Who have Considered Suicide when the Rainbow is Enuf,” directed by LaKendra P. Hardware. Hardware discussed blocking, music and the play’s history.
From
the Archives: March 4, 2002
“Panel discusses women in law, politics”
By Chris Wilson
Photos by Süleyman Özbey
A panel of female alumnae, faculty and students convened to discuss the unique obstacles faced by women in law and politics, including remarks from Delegate Jeannemarie Devolites (R-Vienna). They discussed external and internal pressures and the struggle to succeed in a male-dominated field, but noted that having to work harder often makes women better politicians and lawyers.
CAT WHITE THE CAVALIER DAILY
COURTESY CLAW
KATE MACARTHUR THE CAVALIER DAILY
‘Perfect
SPORTS
Peggy’ — the untold legacy of a prolific Cavalier
A single player elevated Virginia field hockey and women’s lacrosse to unprecedented heights
Eleanor Buchanan | Staff Writer
The title of NCAA Woman of the Year is coveted by all female student-athletes, but only a select few ever receive the honor. With hundreds of candidates vying for a spot among the nine finalists, it is nearly impossible to even garner a nomination, let alone win. Yet, in October 1998, Class of 1999 alumna Peggy Williams won it outright. Even more impressive? She did so while playing not just one but two varsity sports.
A defenseman on both the field hockey and lacrosse teams, Williams — then Boutilier — accomplished more in her final year on Grounds than most student-athletes do in their collegiate career.
With IWLCA Defensive Player of the Year titles her junior and senior years, team MVP honors for both field hockey and lacrosse and multiple First Team All-American nominations under her belt, Williams is a truly underrated player in Virginia sports history.
In spite of all the recognition she received, Williams was quick to caveat her success as a dual-sport athlete. According to her, playing two sports was made easier by the lack of official off-season training. Such athletes are a rarity in the modern NCAA, especially considering that Williams was a captain on both teams.
“Times were different back then,” Williams said. “It was possible to play two sports, which I loved.”
Her modesty belies the immense talent and dedication that drove her to become one of the greatest student-athletes in Virginia history. Although Williams is relatively unknown to Cavalier sports faithfuls nowadays, her resume is easily on par with Virginia greats such as Ralph Sampson, Bryant Stith and Dawn Staley, despite her receiving only a fraction of the fame.
During her captaincy, the field hockey and lacrosse teams ranked first in the nation at the same time — each boasting the best scoring defense percentage in the country.
In her 1997 campaign, Williams helped lead Virginia field hockey to the first NCAA Final Four in collegiate history. The following year, Williams reached her second consecutive NCAA Final Four and set a program record for consecutive starts and games played with 88. The Cavaliers also set multiple program records as a team, including for assists in a single season with 89 and assists per game with 4.02, both of which came in 1997.
However, Williams was equally — if not more — dominant in lacrosse. She was part of a Virginia team that made back-to-back championship ap-
pearances in 1997 and 1998 in addition to an ACC Championship in 1998.
While the Cavaliers never clinched the national title during Williams’s career, their success was due in large part to her performance on both ends of the field. In her senior year, she led the team in goals scored with 37 — a career high — as well as ground pall pickups with 79. Defensively, she was the anchor behind a team that ranked first nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 6.00 goals per game.
Decades after graduating, Williams’s name is still all over the record book in both programs. To date, she ranks third amongst Virginia players in career ground balls and 13th all-time in NCAA history.
Apart from her impressive career on the field, Williams also excelled in the classroom. The sheer number of academic honors she racked up at Virginia could easily be enough to fill a hypothetical trophy case.
A three-time academic All-American, Williams earned multiple scholarships — including the 1997-98 Ralph Sampson Scholarship and the ACC’s
1998 Weaver James Corrigan Scholarship — and was selected to live on the Lawn, one of the highest honors at the University.
On top of an incredible academic performance, Williams founded Student Council’s Athletic Student Affairs Committee, presided over the Captain’s Council and was a member of both Virginia’s Raven Society and IMP Society.
Julie Myers, the head lacrosse coach from 1996-2023, sang Williams’s praises as a star student and star athlete.
“The amazing thing is that with all the things that she was involved in, nothing was ever hurt because of her involvement with something else,” Myers said. “She does a great job balancing all the things that she does. She never cut any corners.”
On the field and off the field, Williams was Myers’ perfect star.
“[Her teammates] call her ‘Perfect Peggy’ because there’s nothing she can’t do,” Myers said. “But she has worked at it. Everything doesn’t just fall her way. She takes charge of situations and creates all of her own success.”
That success has extended beyond her collegiate career to coaching. Almost 30 years after graduating with her Master’s in Elementary Education from the Curry School of Education, Williams accepted a position as head lacrosse coach at Western Albemarle High School, located just 13 miles from her alma mater.
Williams had several years of experience already at rival Charlottesville High School and in Ohio, but at Western, she truly shined. In her first year with the team, Williams guided the Warriors to their first undefeated season and state championship. For her efforts, she was named the VHSL 2023 Central Virginia Coach of the Year.
Williams noted that her background in education was crucial to her success as a coach.
“Coaching is teaching but outside on a field,” Williams said. “Just like in a classroom, the lessons you learn on the field can stay with you for a lifetime. When you coach, just like when you teach, you try to reach every person and bring out their best. At the same time, you are also working hard to
help bring the entire team together to play their best.”
The following year, Williams and her team sought a second consecutive state championship and ultimately succeeded, storming back from a three-goal deficit against Rockbridge High School to clinch the title 14-11. To top it off, Williams was recognized as VHSL Class 4 All-State Coach of the Year. It was a dominant conclusion to an equally impressive undefeated run across two years and one that would not have been possible without Williams at the helm and the experience she gained from her time at Virginia.
Ultimately, Williams credits the University with shaping her, both as a person and a member of her community. Her success as a coach would not have been possible without her time as a player. Almost 30 years after graduating, Virginia Athletics continues to change her life, and Williams would not have it any other way.
“We all only play sports for a short time, but we can continue to give back and enjoy the game for many many years,” Williams said.
MARIAM SESHAN THE CAVALIER DAILY
Men’s basketball, for the first time in 17 years, faces a hazy future
Ron Sanchez’s dismissal means the end of the Tony Bennett era
Michael Liebermann | Sports Editor
California Coach Mark Madsen sat there and stuttered. His answer had started with a resounding declaration — “We are going to have great success here,” he said. But now he had run aground on a thorny sentence.
“And to start it off with a home win against a —” Madsen paused. He looked into space, his mind sifting through possible answers. He was sitting in a room giving a press conference, moments after his team polished off a 75-61 drubbing of Virginia Jan. 8. But what phrase described the program he had just beaten?
He tried to fill in the blank.
“ — you know, a — against a, you know — our first home —”
Against a great program? A conference contender? Just a decent team?
The trouble was simple. Intuitively, something about beating Virginia had triggered a swell of pride in Madsen, the Golden Bears’ second-year head coach. But when he had to articulate what, precisely, that was? He blanked.
So when Madsen finally completed his thought, he settled on this.
“Against a team from the old ACC.”
That is all he could summon. That Virginia belonged to the old guard. Not that it was any good at basketball.
Virginia is still a program freighted with prestige. It won a national title in 2019. It secured top-five NCAA Tournament seeds for six straight years before that. But recently it has not been a solid opponent.
That trip to the West Coast came amidst an eventual five-game losing streak. That streak marked the nadir of the program’s only campaign under Ron Sanchez, which ended last week in a second-round ACC Tournament loss to No. 8 seed Georgia Tech. Sanchez’s dismissal became public a few hours later.
Historic lows freckled the season. The 15-17 record marked the first time since 2010 finishing with a losing record. Losses to Tennessee and St. John’s made it the first time since 2008 losing back-to-back games by 22 or more points. The list goes on.
That list gained bullet points early, after losses to the Volunteers and the Red Storm Nov. 21 and 22 by a combined 47 points. Virginia limped back from those blowouts and sub-
mitted unconvincing non-conference performances against Manhattan and Bethune-Cookman.
The conference slate brought further middling play. That five-game losing streak imperiled the Cavaliers’ spot in the ACC Tournament, a birthright which was suddenly in question. But Virginia recovered to finish 8-12 in the conference and snare the No. 9 seed.
There were high points, too, of course. A three-game win streak in early February mustered momentum, with a dominant road win over tournament-hopeful Pittsburgh leading into a comfortable blowout of Georgia Tech — and then a 73-70 triumph against Virginia Tech.
It felt like something was shifting. But then came five losses in the final seven games. And then the end.
The end puts the statistics into focus. Virginia is presently ranked 104 on kenpom.com, its worst mark since 2009, the year before Bennett’s arrival. The most striking number there is its defensive efficiency ranking at 141. Even in the infant days of Bennett’s tenure, the Cavaliers never ranked worse than 71.
One thread ties all the streaks to-
gether. They all started under Bennett — the architect of a stubbornly idiosyncratic powerhouse.
Despite Bennett’s sudden retirement, his tentacles remained in the program. He assembled the roster, then coached the players in the summer and preseason. The coaching staff belonged to him. The system and style of play, too.
Bennett may have stopped coaching. But the Bennett era persisted. And at the center of it was Sanchez, the handpicked successor.
Bennett and Sanchez are so similar, people who know them have said. They spent 16 years on the same staff, first at Washington State and then at Virginia. Bennett and Sanchez grew up in the same tradition. They teach the same defense. They live by the same principles.
The successor mirrored the predecessor in so many ways, but that was hardly reflected in the team. Virginia, though it tried, looked so unlike a Bennett team with that porous defense. But its last home game was a fitting coda, a 60-57 rock fight against Florida State. It all called back to the program’s early years.
‘Ubuntu: I am because you are’ fuels Bella
When sophomore infielder Bella Cabral was just three years old, she stepped up to the plate and swung the bat for the first time. Now at the age of 20, she has had thousands of plate appearances, including approximately 250 at Virginia. In these plate appearances, Cabral has shined — showcasing her as a standout Cavalier, earning her accolades throughout the ACC and cementing her reputation as one of the brightest stars in all of college softball. She has stepped up as a leader, and a core part of that is in reflection.
Born in Choctaw, Okla., Cabral grew up at the field. She watched both of her older siblings playing baseball or softball. With her brother being drafted by the Houston Astros and her sister currently playing at South Alabama, the stage has long been set for her to step onto the collegiate scene. But with that step comes a lot of trials, tribulations and most considerably, pressure.
In softball, struggles are natural. Even the most elite players will only
Now, with Sanchez gone, there will be no more slowest-in-the-country tempo, no more of those idiosyncrasies that were always there. It will all change when a new coach arrives.
After that ACC Tournament loss to Georgia Tech, Sanchez and special assistant Kyle Guy sat in a back room in Charlotte’s Spectrum Center. The last time they sat there, back in Guy’s playing days, it was the 2018 postseason. Virginia had just suffered the most resounding upset in the history of college basketball.
A year later, it won a national championship. Bennett and Guy have said that the national title run started with the loss to No. 16 seed UMBC. That the title, in a big way, started with that loss. Started, then, in that back room.
Seven years later, in that same room, the Bennett era was three hours away from its conclusion. The game ended at 2:08 p.m. The press conference wrapped around 2:47 p.m. The email reached the media at 5 p.m. Virginia basketball was moving on from Sanchez, it said.
For the first time in 17 years, nobody knows what comes next.
Cabral and softball
A special mantra and a love of the game have Cabral leading Virginia to success
Cierra Lyles | Staff Writer
record a hit 30 percent of the time.
“I would tell my younger self that you are going to go through struggles mentally,” Cabral said. “But you’re going to make it out — it’s all going to be worth it at the end of the day because you get to go out there and play the game you love with 23 other girls.”
That love of the game is manifested through “Ubuntu,” which is the Zulu phrase the Cavaliers use to describe their relationship with one another — meaning “I am because you are.” They chose this to emphasize that no one person on the team is greater than the other — they all play a part. This phrase is something Cabral holds near and dear to her heart, helping her go out there and leave it all on the field.
“We all rely on each other to be free,” Cabral said. “I know part of the reason this year I’m so free is because I know that the people behind me are gonna have my back. It takes pressure off of me, allowing me to be free at the plate.”
A positive mindset is essential, especially for such a crucial player.
Cabral has been a mainstay since day one. In her first season, Cabral started all 54 games and was an ACC All-Freshman selection. She had 11 multi-hit games, a .263 batting average with 20 runs scored and 30 RBI plus six home runs.
Now midway through her sophomore season, Cabral has risen to new heights — leading the team in batting average with .400, hits with 32 and slugging percentage with .738. But the numbers only tell part of the story.
“I did a lot of reflection and growth over the past year,” Cabral said. “I was a little immature last year, letting bad at-bats affect my next ones. This year, I’ve learned to let things roll off my shoulders and just be free at the plate.”
That mindset is crucial, as the pressure of being a key player and a team leader is undeniable. And although some may crack or even fall short, Cabral does not. Instead, she leans on the support of her teammates and coaching staff.
Cabral said Virginia values its players’ mental and physical well
being above all else — which is something that attracted Cabral to the program in the first place. In each of the Cavaliers’ wristbands is an orange card that has four words put by the coaches and four put by the players themselves. Cabral describes this as a way to remind each of them to stay within themselves when at bat and to remember who they are regardless of the outcome.
“I know a couple of them are ‘I’m courageous,’ ‘I’m worthy,’ ‘I’m confident,’ ‘I’m loyal’ — just a bunch of those,” Cabral said. “I kind of just read those throughout and remember that I’ve worked hard for this. So, if it doesn’t go my way, it doesn’t change me as a person or a softball player.”
So far, the season seems to be going Cabral’s way, though, as she was recently named Softball America’s No. 10 third baseman in its midseason power rankings. However, Cabral remains humble about the ranking and attributes her success to Virginia’s team culture, built on unity and support.
“It’s not about the rankings for
me at all,” Cabral said. “Honestly, it’s just about going out there and doing the best I can for my team and helping us win.”
Cabral continuously acknowledges the mental challenges she has overcome to become the kind of player she is today, explaining how other athletics and school has always been a lot to juggle. But even with the stress, she believes that it’s all been worth it since she now gets to play the sport she loves at the highest level of competition — she knows her younger self who barely knew how to swing properly would be proud.
Heading into the rest of ACC play and what the team hopes to be an extended season, Cabral will surely continue to play a crucial part. And for her, this journey — fueled by determination, leadership and love for the game — is only the beginning for the young Cavalier.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Women DJs are changing live music culture for the better
From the decks to the dancefloor, women are finding a new beat in University nightlife
Amelia Lucien | Staff Writer
Music is a permanent staple of University culture, from student bands playing country and classic rock at darties to late night DJs spinning house music at frats and bars. The University’s music scene cultivates a vibrant community, fueled by the sense of connection that emerges from something as simple as dancing to good music with friends. Within this scene, a growing number of women DJs are making a name for themselves and shaking up the rhythm.
Unlike a set playlist, a live DJ has the ability to read a crowd and respond, playing an active role in every college party — constantly syncing the soundtrack to the crowd to make the dancefloor come alive. According to Bella Heintges, seasoned Trin DJ and fourth-year Engineering student, the difference between a live DJ and a simple aux cord can make or break a party.
“It’s like a stream of music where the beats are always matching. There’s never a lull in the party,” Heintges said. “There’s a figurehead, a person in the front, that everyone can look at and yell at, and it gets people excited to dance and be there in the moment with the music.”
For Heintges, music has always been a passion, but she found her calling in college exploring the technical aspects of sound engineering rather than following the traditional route of learning an instrument. Her undergraduate studies in engineering inspired her to pick up DJing, merging two of her interests into one.
“I ended up choosing electrical engineering, so I kind of have the background academically, as nerdy as that sounds, with electronics,” she said. “I understand more of the science behind music and how that all works.”
According to Heintges, she was the only female DJ on the scene when she started DJing in her second year at the University. Typically, a fraternity brother becomes the go-to DJ for his own fraternity, meaning that more often than not this “figurehead” of the party is a man. Because of this, the DJ community at the University is heavily male dominated, creating an exclusive atmosphere that can make it hard for women to break in.
“It’s really male dominated. Honestly, I would say just be -
cause of circumstance, because it’s the frats,” Heintges said. “There’s such a stigma around it. It’s like ‘here’s this girl, like she wants to mess with the board, but she doesn’t know what she’s doing.’”
Alison Pike, third-year Engineering student and DJ, also acknowledged the boys club culture surrounding DJing at frat parties. For her, the biggest challenge that came with DJing has been booking gigs and fighting to earn respect in the community.
“It takes a lot to kind of put yourself out there and ask people for help, and to try and put your name out there as well,” Pike said. “You want people to take you seriously, and you kind of have to prove it to them.”
Third-year Batten student Lily Dorathy, who has been DJing since 2023, agreed that the world of University DJing is not an easy one to break into as a woman. Booking gigs requires persistence and dedication and there are plenty of obstacles for DJs who are not a part of a fraternity.
“[The] guys are gonna roll their eyes, but it’s honestly been really hard,” Dorathy said. “It took me a year and a half to actually have my first gig.”
Dorathy’s love for DJing began in a summer spent enveloped in the house music scene of London. Influenced by other female DJs such as South Korean Peggy Gou, a global icon renowned for her electronic genre-bending sets, Dorathy was inspired to bring her newfound passion back to the University — along with a sense of appreciation for the experiential culture surrounding house music in the United Kingdom.
Dorathy has incorporated the experimental nature of London DJs into her own personal style, mixing underground house tracks with classic crowd-pleasers in her sets in order to introduce party-goers to new music they might fall in love with while still giving them the opportunity to dance to their favorite songs.
Like Dorathy, Pike also works to blend audience desires with her own style, while maintaining the spontaneity so instrumental in a DJ’s set. This balance is a hard one to strike, but the female DJs at the University have mastered it — captivating the dancefloor until the very end of
the night.
“Nothing is ever structured or like pre-processed before the set. I kind of go off of the audience’s vibe, like, what they want,” Pike said. “Reading the crowd, reading the room and making sure that my own style is still incorporated within the set.”
Pike is also inspired by other women DJs, such as Charli XCX, whose rapid rise in popularity not only as a musician, but as a DJ as well, has opened the stage doors for women trying to break into the electro industry. However, she finds a lot of inspiration in her fellow female DJs at the University.
“There’s a couple girls here, like Lily Dorathy and Gracie Ramza, who are really good female DJs here at U.Va.,” Pike said. “They are influences to me, because seeing other girls do the same thing is just so awesome.”
Despite the challenges, the women DJs of the University are killing it on the scene and inspiring a whole new group of women to step up to the decks. For them, DJing is more than just a hobby
— their genuine love for their craft is evident in the amount of work they put in.
“I think it’s been such an open and rewarding process,” Pike said. “I would say just trusting the process, as well as putting in the time and effort to be as good as you want to be will make you go a long way.”
Once a DJ has established themselves, the community is described as a very welcoming one, and Dorathy, Pike and Heintges were eager to offer advice to other women hoping to follow in their footsteps.
“I would say if you love music and you know that you want to play it, just keep doing it,” Dorathy said. “Really, really master your skill first, in terms of learning how to actually DJ, because unfortunately, you’re going to have to prove yourself.”
Heintges echoed Dorathy’s advice, and also stressed the importance of having confidence and trust in your own abilities.
“Don’t ever be embarrassed or feel like you’re being a burden because everything is so incredibly
male dominated,” Heintges said. They also emphasized the significance of developing an individual style. Pike expressed that the coolest thing about a live DJ is that each one is unique, responding to the energy of the crowd in their own way, completely in the heat of the moment.
“Being authentic, I think, is really important too, because you don’t want to be like every other DJ,” Pike said. “That will go a long way for you as well, if you have an interesting style or flair to the music that you bring, especially to the different scenes of U.Va.”
The women DJs of the University are deeply devoted to the music, evident in the liveliness of their dancefloors. With them paving the way, more women are certain to join their ranks and put their own spin on University parties.
COURTESY NAPOLEON AFEWORK
Unlike a set playlist, a live DJ has the ability to read a crowd and respond, playing an active role in every college party — constantly syncing the soundtrack to the crowd to make the dancefloor come alive.
Mamadou Dia enriches filmmaking on Grounds
The Senegalese-born University professor has been teaching since 2021, amid a lauded career in international film
Benjamin Apostol | Staff Writer
Born thousands of miles away from Virginia, Mamadou Dia, assistant media studies and French professor, had an unlikely journey to teaching at the University. Since joining the University in 2021, Dia has taught filmmaking in the media studies and French departments. His unique background — in culture and in the trajectory of his career — has informed his approach to the film industry.
“When you are from that part of Africa, people mostly expect the same stories,” Dia said. “ … there are more stories beyond the one people expect from me. So film was, for me, the best way to tell that.”
Dia did not always have his eyes set on a career in filmmaking, however. Though he was passionate about movies from a young age, he grew up in an area lacking exposure to filmmaking opportunities.
“I grew up in northern Senegal, and film wasn’t a childhood dream,” Dia said. “But, I didn’t even realize at first that this is something I could do, because I didn’t know filmmakers in my circle at all.”
Initially Dia pursued a career in hydrology, studying at the Universi-
ty of Dakar in Senegal’s capital. His experiences, however, unveiled a new passion — video journalism.
“Dakar is such a big city that … I wanted to share what I was seeing every day … It was like coming from a small town and then going to New York City,” Dia said.
In his time from 2008 to 2014 as a Dakar-based video journalist, Dia worked for prominent international news agencies like the Associated Press, African Television News and French newspaper Agence FrancePresse.
Considering his time in video journalism, Dia credited traveling and a desire to share his experience globally as what developed his love for filmmaking. Storytelling is perhaps the part of filmmaking that most induces Dia’s love for the medium.
“Traveling, I think, brought me to filmmaking, because when you travel, you realize how big the world is and how small we are as individuals,” Dia said.
Dia is experienced within the business side of the film industry as well.
As co-founder of JoyeDidi, Dia and his business partner Maba Ba promote,
produce and fundraise Dia’s films and other African projects. The company launched in 2018 as a means to promote nearby African movies and documentaries with unapologetic and genuine narratives.
Dia’s projects tend to focus on authentic and human stories — grappling with universal topics like grief, family and community. That focus on raw experience over spectacle carries over into his teaching, as he instructs students in their low-budget film projects to focus on authenticity and concision in their scripts as well as availability on their sets.
Teaching others, for Dia, is also self-educating. The diversity in his classes, he says, broadens the horizons of the types of films that he watches on his own. He describes his lecture halls as a shared writer’s room, a space where avid student filmmakers can collaborate and bond over their longterm class filmmaking projects.
On top of his emphasis towards sincere storytelling, Dia’s teaching philosophy focuses on cultivating engagement with all facets of the art.
“Film is not only an intellectual exercise, it’s very practical,” Dia said. “For
me, it’s important that the filmmakers in class also learn how to use a camera … how to record sound … how to edit … knowing how much time it takes and what the possibilities are makes them better.”
With respect to the practicality in filmmaking, Dia makes a point to share movies from all over the world in his classes, exposing how cinematic techniques and relatable stories both make film a “universal language.” According to Dia, audiences often resonate with films via the personal and emotional themes in their narratives, along with the creative techniques of the filmmaking process itself.
“We’re not only watching American movies, we’re watching movies that are made from everywhere,” Dia said. “Different worlds still use the same technique and grammar ... There are 1000 places where you can put the camera ... So it ends up being a universal language.”
While many professors produce research and publications on their path to tenure, the University afforded Dia the opportunity to continue making his own films in lieu of that typical requirement. Notably, his most
recent film, “Demba,” was released in 2024 — three years after he began at the University.
“Demba” follows a grieving widower in northern Senegal through his mourning near the anniversary of his wife’s passing. It was an official selection at the 37th Virginia Film Festival in 2024.
Another one of his acclaimed films, “Nafi’s Father,” impressively was Senegal’s Oscars entry for “Best International Feature” in 2021. The film revolves around a marital dispute that snowballs into dangerous religious fundamentalism.
Dia said that he has been able to further his career in film while also finding a supportive community at the University, all of which has contributed to his passion for film and education as a whole.
“I love U.Va. because the level of students is just amazing,” Dia said. “I’ve met filmmakers and professors of other classes who became mentors, not mentors just in teaching, but mentors in life … U.Va. has this kind of community that many people who live there really believe in, and it’s just a blessing and a pleasure to be a professor.”
The Paramount theater celebrates cinema and community
The theater’s dedication to screening cult classics fused with contemporary poignance unites audiences with live cinema
Zoe McFarland | Staff Writer
Since 1931, the Downtown Mall’s historic and beloved Paramount Theater has stood resolute as a pillar of arts within Charlottesville, offering moviegoers the unique opportunity to experience beloved movies from any era on the big screen. The Paramount seeks to prioritize audience experience at the forefront of its operations, thoughtfully balancing a diverse selection of programming with strategic anniversary and seasonal screenings.
At the beginning of March, the Paramount celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the “Sound of Music” with a special screening. In the past, the venue has hosted thrillers like “The Shining” to commence Friday the 13th, “The Muppet Christmas Carol” to embrace the holiday spirit, as well as a recent homage to the late David Lynch in “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.”
The theatre’s Director of Communications Andy Pillifant explains how their film curation process considers the shared experience of watching a film with a large audience, particularly during relevant moments through-
out the year.
“We look at anniversaries and ways to celebrate, ways to gauge public interest for a particular movie because it has this anniversary or relevance,” Pillifant said.
From seasonal favorites to iconic cult classics, the curation ensures that each screening aligns with the Paramount’s broader “Four E” mission — to educate, enchant, enrich and enlighten the Charlottesville community.
In early March, this mission was on display when the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival made its way to Charlottesville. The Paramount hosted the festival for three nights, marking a continued initiative of collaboration with various Virginia Film Festivals.
The festival showcased a series of outdoor films, capturing the heart-pounding stories of adventurers from around the world. The Paramount directed their ticket profits to the Shenandoah National Park Trust, a program focused on protecting and preserving the park’s national resources.
Though its commitment to screening films remains a foundation of the theater’s offerings, the Paramount has evolved considerably, hosting live music and dance events, Met Opera broadcastings and a robust children’s education program. With such a diverse scope of offerings and community focus, Pillifant expressed how the Paramount welcomes audiences of all interests and ages to these events to share an enjoyable viewing experience together.
“Are they laughing at the same thing you’re laughing at? Are they crying at the same thing? You kind of get a feel for who we are and who else is here with us when you’re having that experience,” Pillifant said.
Even amidst the plethora of entertainment offerings, classic films remain a cornerstone of the Paramount’s programming. Despite the power of cinema that the theatre upholds, Pillifant acknowledges the impact of a new technological age. He notes that people often get stuck in habits of staying home and watching television, forgetting the transformative effects of a movie theater.
“Like a lot of theaters and movie theaters, our biggest competition these days is the couch — streaming something at home,” Pillifant said.
Pillifant specifically encourages University students, who are a short walk from the theater to rediscover the joy of the theatrical experience at the Paramount. According to Pillifant, audience members can even provide feedback and suggest films that resonate with them.
“We love [feedback], that’s the kind of community engagement I think any venue, especially the Paramount, loves to participate with,” Pillifant said.
Graduate College student Jacob Tisdale said he has been to the Paramount multiple times and reflected positively on his past visits. Tisdale emphasized that being able to share such occasions with audience members, particularly within the historic walls of the Paramount, feels like a privilege.
“Being able to watch things along with an audience, especially with things like comedy or where there’s time for applause, [and] being able
to share a triumph or a joke together really makes the in-person experience worth it,” Tisdale said.
Looking ahead, the theater has a full slate of events, including screenings of timeless films like “Pretty Woman” March 29 and “Napoleon Dynamite” in May. The latter screening of the classic comedy is followed by a conversation and Q&A with cast members from the film including Jon Heder, Jon Gries and Efren Ramirez. April 29, the Paramount will host a stage adaptation of The New York Times’ best-selling author Jason Reynolds “Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks,” encouraging young audiences to practice awareness — both in navigating the streets and in their interactions with others.
The Paramount’s pursuit in offering value to audiences through its thoughtful film curation and community events renders it a cherished space within Charlottesville where audiences can gather to experience the unique delights of live cinema.
OPINION
LEAD EDITORIAL
DEI belongs at U.Va.
By dissolving the University’s DEI Office, the Board of Visitors has placed politics over academic values, tangibly harming the University community
200 years ago, the University held its first classes. Grounds was built and maintained by enslaved laborers. The students were white and male. The University’s first Black student was admitted in 1950, and the first female student in 1970. The University has become more equitable than ever, but it has still grappled with contextualizing the lingering effects of its oppressive history. This effort suffered a setback last Friday when the Board of Visitors decided to dissolve the University’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships. The Editorial Board condemns this decision.
The Board’s dissolution of the University’s DEI Office was not a complete shock considering political rumblings. DEI efforts have been attacked nationwide, with President Donald Trump issuing numerous executive orders intended to cast into doubt the legal viability of DEI programs, often targeting universities in particular. Amid this overwhelming attack, the term DEI has become a nebulous talk-
ing point of political agendas, a cudgel used against universities. In this process, the inherently tangible nature of DEI has been fully lost.
However, we cannot forget that diversity, equity and inclusion are not abstract values but tangible initiatives integral to the University’s mission and enacted daily. The Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Partnerships was at the forefront of enacting these values that impacted all community members. In demanding that the University dissolve this office, the Board of Visitors has neglected the vital work it does, instead implying that was superfluous to University community members. This could not be further from the truth.
Many departments formerly included in the shuttered office were ones that contributed to a thriving University community. The University’s ADA coordinator, who oversees accessibility for students with disabilities, belonged to a division of the DEI Office. Among other critical departments in the DEI Office was
the Title IX Office, which protects students from sexual misconduct and gender-based harassment. Destroying these departments’ administrative home sends a message to the community that these services are no longer welcomed by the University.
It is important to note that the office’s dissolution will not simply affect students. Rather, the impact will reach all University stakeholders, including the broader Charlottesville community. A significant portion of the office’s work took the form of community partnership programs. These efforts included investment in local non-profit organizations and student-led community mentorship programs. Abandoning these community partnerships is directly at odds with the University’s mission to serve Virginia, the nation and the world. By viewing itself in a vacuum, the University fundamentally misunderstands its own identity.
In spite of these tangible benefits provided by the Office, its critics may point to departments such as the
Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights when detracting from the office’s mission. Departments like this undeniably aspired to influence hiring decisions with the value of diverse faculty perspectives in mind. But this goal is not unreasonable for a top university. Students pursuing higher education do not expect to learn from professors, or with classmates, who all have similar backgrounds. The idea that DEI means sacrificing merit is particularly flawed because a unique background in a student or professor is a qualification in itself. Abandoning departments such as this may homogenize the academic environment, but it will not improve it.
In dissolving DEI efforts, the Board erodes the trust between the University and its students and staff. The University community is left in the dark when the University, once a staunch defender of DEI, now seems willing to acquiesce in the direction the political tide flows. This inconsistency of values is not sustainable. Placing the University at the forefront of anti-DEI efforts
may align with Youngkin’s and the Board’s political goals, but it is not the academic victory they claim it to be.
The Board’s statement remains unclear on which, if any, “permissible programs” may be transferred to other divisions rather than being outright disbanded. However, the Board cannot expect to occupy middle ground simply by claiming that it “highly values diversity.” It has shown an abandonment of this mission by dismantling the office under which diversity initiatives were held. We must take University and state leaders at their word — “DEI is done at the University of Virginia,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin said last Friday. The bottom line is that an institutional shift has occurred. Today, DEI is done at the University — and we are all worse off because of it.
THE CAVALIER DAILY EDITORIAL BOARD is composed of the Executive Editor, the Editor-in-Chief, the two Opinion Editors, their Senior Associates and an Opinion Columnist. The board can be reached at eb@cavalierdaily.com.
Virginia must step up for civic education
In the face of President Trump’s reckless funding cuts for education, Virginia must take action to defend civic education
One recent organization to fall victim to President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s scorched-earth reduction of federal spending is the Center for Civic Education, a national nonprofit focused on providing civic education through state organizations. On Feb. 10, VACivics, Virginia’s state civic nonprofit, released a notice that the federal government cut funding for the We The People program run by the CCE, consequently cutting funding for its operation in the state. Cutting funding for this and other civic programs will inevitably lead to a disastrous decline in an already low level of civic education among middle and high school students. In order to truly dedicate itself to the ideals of an educated democracy, Virginia must step up to fill the gap in civic education left by the federal government.
Although you may not have heard of the organization, VACivics invests vital resources into Virginia’s public education system with the goal of protecting civic education. One of the programs that VACivics administers is We The People, a state curriculum that teaches students about the history and structure of the United
States government and hosts an annual national civics competition. The CCE and VACivics also provide educational resources, such as textbooks, for schools and teachers, increasing access to integral democratic education in middle and high schools. Since the program’s inception in 1987, these
other program that may come to an end if grant funding continues to be cut. This program allows teachers to receive more extensive training and additional civics resources. These resources enable civics teachers to better elucidate the importance of an active and educated citizenry. Cutting
commitment to political engagement, they must have the tools necessary to learn about the government they will be called to participate in.
At least some state leaders already seem ready to provide assistance for civic education. Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently declared a “Civic En-
On all fronts, these spending cuts pose a risk to civic education in the Commonwealth.”
textbooks have served over 30 million students and 75,000 educators across the nation, including Virginia. These materials are paramount to teaching civics in the state, and officials must take due care to ensure any funding cuts will not hamper access to them. Spending cuts also jeopardize VACivics’ ability to provide proper training and development opportunities to those who teach civics.
VACivics’ James Madison Legacy Project Expansion Program, which provides professional development opportunities for high school social studies teachers, is an example of an-
off the money for these programs means putting an end to initiatives that have collectively trained over 2,100 teachers. On all fronts, these spending cuts pose a risk to civic education in the Commonwealth.
Virginia has consistently had a record of extensive civic participation, as shown through the 70 percent turnout in general elections, a number much greater than the national average. Therefore, severe cuts to civic education programs threaten Virginia’s reputation for civic participation and education. If the next generation of voters is to maintain the state’s
gagement Week” in March to celebrate Virginia’s history of prioritizing civic literacy while also recognizing the importance of civic education. A proclamation of support, though a nice sentiment, does little to assist civic education in the state. If Youngkin is serious about supporting civic education — and it appears that he is — he must work to provide tangible funding to these initiatives even if it means opposing the leader of his own party.
Filling this gap requires a brave effort from Virginian leaders, as Trump and Musk’s spending cuts be-
gin to affect the state. Rhetorically, Virginia has shown a commitment to civic education which is encouraging — the Virginia Department of Education has gone so far as to place civic education at the core of its public education mission. With education being an issue traditionally tackled by state legislatures, the General Assembly is situated to respond with support through additional funding.
Support for civic education, while important at all times, is especially needed now as Virginia and the nation grapple with President Trump’s abuses of power. An educated citizenry can work to stymie usurpations through a popular check on the government. As the state continues to navigate the rough seas left in the wake of Trump’s spending cuts, Virginia must step up to address the shortcomings in civic education left by the federal government if it truly believes in the ideals of democracy and an educated citizenry.
MICHAEL KING is a viewpoint writer who writes for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily. com.
Take care selecting U.Va. Health’s next CEO
Amid political uncertainty and managerial controversy, U.Va. Health’s next CEO appointment must be a success
The University will soon begin its search for a new leader of U.Va. Health following the resignation of Craig Kent, chief executive officer of U.Va. Health and executive vice president for health affairs. The end of his controversial five-year tenure comes at a precarious time for U.Va. Health, which faces, in addition to an eroded reputation, the highest degree of political uncertainty for hospitals in recent memory. At such a critical moment, U.Va. Health’s new CEO must be committed to embracing a radical shift which promotes a culture of trust and commits to providing equitable care.
Kent’s time at the University was cut short after he, along with School of Medicine Dean Melina Kibbe, faced a slew of misconduct allegations in a letter of no confidence signed by 128 U.Va. Health faculty in September 2024. Among the most serious accusations were cutting corners on safety, bullying residents and fostering a culture of fear and retaliation. The bottom line is clear — according to these U.Va. faculty members, the ethos of U.Va. Health has been fundamentally broken.
The University commissioned an independent review of these
allegations, and Kent’s resignation came immediately after the findings were presented to the Board of Visitors in February. Considering the University’s general unwillingness to comment on this review and their denial of a FOIA request by The Cavalier Daily, it appears unlikely the University will ever publicize its findings. However, Virginians may specu -
take accountability for past organizational actions, but they will be required to confront the unsavory reputation that the no-confidence letter has established for U.Va. Health. They must understand that continued secrecy remains a hurdle to rebuilding the culture of trust, trust which is necessary for U.Va. Health to succeed as a critical public resource. Patients being
ly ominous allegations — a culture of distrust and retaliation — were apparently not enough to dissuade the University from hiring Kent. With their next pick, they must be far more successful in finding a candidate whose track record aligns with the University’s values of transparency, trust and respect.
The search for this type of CEO could not come at a more critical
The bottom line is clear — according to these U.Va. faculty members, the ethos of U.Va. Health has been fundamentally broken.”
latively connect the review’s conclusion to Kent’s sudden resignation.
The University may have its reasons for withholding the findings. But make no mistake about how the community will interpret such opaqueness — a tacit admission of institutional wrongdoing coupled with a refusal of actual accountability. In this sense, neglecting to publicize the report further erodes public trust in U.Va. Health.
In addressing these trust difficulties, the next CEO need not
skeptical of the basic integrity of a hospital system will undoubtedly hinder their willingness to utilize its services.
With this CEO appointment, University leadership must think deeply about what precisely qualifies a candidate. After all, they have shown a willingness to dismiss red flags in candidate histories — Kent himself was hired in 2019 despite ironically already being named in a faculty letter of no confidence in his previous position as dean of the College of Medicine at Ohio State. Striking -
time, as today’s politics of healthcare have made the actions of healthcare leadership more salient than ever. Today, a U.Va. Health CEO is not only tasked with mundane decisions like financing and staffing — they are also responsible for defending healthcare rights upon which countless Americans depend. U.Va. Health has already become embroiled in controversies regarding gender-affirming care — first suspending such care for patients under 19 years old, then partially reversing this policy. Moreover, universities
HUMOR
around the country are currently battling massive funding cuts for medical research. U.Va. Health has the unique responsibility of insulating patients from such political upheaval.
The CEO selected must show a commitment to rebuilding a culture of trust from the ground up. This means relying upon faculty voices, not top-down edicts, as the basis for executive decisions related to U.Va. Health’s hiring and care policies. The CEO must genuinely prioritize U.Va. Health’s core values even when this conflicts with financial incentives. Only in such an environment can systematic trust once again be instilled as a pillar of U.Va. Health. And only with such an internal system in place can U.Va. Health regain its reputation as a preeminent public health resource, not a profit-driven corporation.
NATHANIEL CARTER is a senior associate opinion editor who writes for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily. com.
The women of U.Va. used to know their role
Editor’s note: This article is a humor column.
Women — aren’t you tired of them? As female students at the University, we’ve come a long way from the co-ed upheaval of 1970 and now populate places everywhere on Grounds. From the limited gym space of the Aquatic and Fitness Center to the Einstein’s line at Rice Hall, us women at the University are unavoidable these days.
Women in higher education have proved themselves disturbingly capable of handling academics and social life at the University — in fact, so capable that they need a new challenge. Beyond dismantling DoorList by being hot and mastering the enormous feat of parallel parking on the Corner, maybe the University is out of challenges for us women. This Women’s History Month, I suggest it’s time to turn away from places like the University. It’s time to rediscover our real purpose. It’s time to become tradwives.
Admittedly, the solution of tradwives might come across to you as unrealistic. With the proliferation of “situationships” across Grounds, this might be the one problem no woman at the University can solve — how to convince someone that actual relationships have value, much less the ancient institution of marriage. Although Marriage Pact has proposed its own solution of pairing students off, it doesn’t confront the problem of female students still being enrolled in school rather than depending on their betrotheds. Take a look across our flavorless, unsavory grounds. Gone are the centuries of women being able to follow a standard Jello salad recipe — we now live in a time where most women don’t know how to make a good sourdough. What’s the point of a bioengineering degree if you can’t figure out how to feed yourself?
we pivot back? If they can make us take free-thinking, progressive Engagements curricula, the University should re-engage us in the place we really belong — the kitchen. Furthermore, does the modern undergraduate female even know how to clean anymore? After calls for the new adaptation of “Snow White” to encourage young girls to seek autonomy over getting married off to some guy who canonically does not have a real name, it’s no surprise that purchases of Swiffer WetJets are at an all-time low. The liberal agenda that women should spend their time poring over textbooks rather than pouring some soap on some DISHES has gotten us nowhere.
Home economics courses used to be nationwide staples at public schools in the mid-20th century — and since we’re all aware life was so much better during those years, why don’t
Perhaps the women of U.Va. should take a cue from the frat brothers populating Rugby Road, who clean their houses top to bottom weekly after destroying them with Busch Light cans and aggressive sound waves of mid-2010s white girl music. The incredible standards set by these men and their conflict-free
lives should be our example, instead of thinking we’re so much better than the men we constantly outpace academically. Personality matters — vacuum with a smile!
Despite what the media wants us to believe, being represented in traditionally male-dominated fields maybe isn’t as good as we think. For example, take Virginia Athletics, which women have parasitically invaded the leadership of. Athletic Director Carla Williams is a prime example of not taking into account the nuanced, valuable input of knowledgeable Twitter users who often tell her that she sucks at her job. Disregarding the nine national championships won under her tenure beginning in 2017, Williams is out of touch with her actual job performance, and we shouldn’t trust her previous success.
The women of U.Va. should do the same — why should we take up spaces men have historically had much more success in, from our terrible parking jobs on Elliewood
Avenue to the University’s Executive Vice Presidency? Besides, more women don’t always make places more efficient or productive, and increasing our numbers certainly won’t make it easier for us to change a lightbulb.
After climbing the mountain of academia, surviving the social turmoils of University life and fielding the question of whether they’re in a relationship or not from relatives year after year, what can be left for the women of U.Va.? We’re already diminishing our accomplishments to elevate the people we try to please, and thinking about Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar” a weird amount of the time — what ceiling is left for us to break?
Maybe it’s time to consider being back under one.
ADAIR REID is the humor editor for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at humor@cavalierdaily.com
ACROSS
1 Formal outfit
5 Remains
11 Diner sandwich
14 Defrost
15 Whip counterpart
16 OPEC member
17 Activist author of “Women, Race & Class” speaking in Charlottesville this month (United States)
19 They’re parked in parks
20 Like the inside of a warm chocolate chip cookie
21 Many a Christmas tree
22 2024 summer descriptor
23 Tree house?
26 “Rated ____ everyone”
28 Darden degs.
31 “Diego and I” painter (Mexico)
36 Like some verbs (abbr.)
37 Wild pig
38 Cincinnati university
39 Africa’s third-longest river
41 ___ capita
43 Units when measuring fabric
Ali Hunter | Puzzlist
Answers are available on the digital version of this puzzle which is published at www.cavalierdaily.com.
44 Repents
46 U.Va. college with SYS and ECE majors
48 It may be inflated
49 “Emma” author (England)
51 Garden of ___ (recent Lady Gaga hit)
52 MDCXX + XXX
53 Earring site
55 “Pink ____ Club”
58 Salted part of a margarita glass
60 Like a universal donor’s blood
64 Best bond rating
65 A Recent Katy Perry flop ... or a phrase describing the global scope of 17-Across, 31-Across, and 49-Across
68 High school org. joined by many U.Va. students
69 False start?
70 Gift on “The Bachelor”
71 Penguin suit, briefly
72 Mean alternative
73 Dec. 24 and Dec. 31
DOWN
1 Male deer
2 “Yeah ... I don’t think so”
3 “Aladdin” parrot
4 Many Directioners and Swifties
5 All ___ day’s work
6 Like this – :(
7 This falls in fall
8 Turned green?
9 Common hometown of many
a NOVA resident
10 Some NFL receivers
11 1804 duel winner
12 Word before “lamp” or “cake”
13 Class struggle?
18 Soap ingredient
22 Cheer for a female opera star
24 Airport NW of LAX
25 M. Night Shyamalan’s most recent horror film
27 Approves
28 “The Pinkprint” rapper Nicki
29 Filter in many dorm mini fridges
30 About 1% of the atmosphere
32 “_____ my case”
33 Like the ideal college student after graduation
34 Flowerpot spot
35 Welles of “Citizen Kane”
37 Naan or ciabatta, e.g.
40 Person to keep closer than a friend
42 Instagram unit
45 Sweetener chemical
47 “It’s ___-brainer!”
50 Like Reneé Rapp at the 2024 Kids’ Choice Awards
51 Pooh’s gloomy friend
54 Texter’s segue
55 Kind of leg
56 Hawaiian island
57 Lil ____ (“Old Town Road” rapper)
59 Hawaiian island
61 Canada div.
62 Threat ender
63 Lucille Clifton’s “homage to my hips” and Emily Brontë’s “The Lady to Her Guitar,” for example
65 Typing stat
66 Confidentiality doc.
67 Bronny, to LeBron James
CARTOON
Equal Grounds
Myaing | Cartoonist
Price of Prestige
Moore | Cartoonist
Lanie
Melody