Thursday, March 6, 2025

Student Election Results

Referenda*

Referendum 1: University Guide Service Referendum

Student Council President

Clay Dickerson - 53.8%

Jada Benefield - 46.2%

VP for Administration

Princess Wuraola Olubuse-Omisore - 62.4%

Lillian Dorathy - 37.6%

VP for Organizations

Michael Mitchell - 56.2%

J. De Andrade Lima - 43.8%

Condemns the University’s Actions against the Guide Service Yes 80.2%

Referendum 2: Student Council Referendum

Creates a Student Athlete Representative for Student Council

Yes 70.6%

29.4%

Referendum 3: University Judiciary Committee Referendum #1

Adjusts the number of representatives from each school to match the school’s population

Yes 87.0% No 13.0%

Referendum 4: University Judiciary Committee Referendum #2

Extends the Statute of Limitations from 45 days to 90 days Yes 63.9% No 36.1%

Names in bold and with an asterisk indicate election winners

Referendum 5: Class Council Constitution Referenda

Amends each class council’s constitution, voted on separately

First-year Council

Yes 81.2% No 18.8%

Second-year Council

Yes 84.2% No 15.8%

Third-year Council

Yes 84.1% No 15.9%

Fourth-year Council

Yes 85.0% No 15.0%

* All referenda required two-thirds support with the exception of the Third-year Council referendum

Honor

College of Arts and Sciences Representative

- Elect Five

*Cody Scarce - 37.8%

David Jla - 6.9%

*Genny Freed - 45.4%

Henry Grieco - 23.9%

*Jack Wallace - 33.3%

Jonathan Dauntain - 8.3%

*Margaret Zirwas - 34.3%

Maximus McGinnis - 16.9%

*Seamus Oliver - 41.3%

William Hancock - 30.9%

Engineering and Applied Sciences Representative - Elect Three

*Thomas Ackleson - 100%

Batten Representative - Elect Two

*George Langhammer - 48.3%

*Mary Holland Mason - 76.7%

Commerce Representative - Elect Two

*Caelin Rowell - 53.3%

*Neha Jagasia - 65.7%

Medicine Representative - Elect Two

*Nile Liu - 100%

Law Representative - Elect Two

*Gabrielle Bray - 100%

Undergraduate Data Science Representative - Elect Two

*Kayla Kim - 100%

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Representative - Elect Two

*Lainey Mountjoy - 100% UJC

College of Arts and Science Representative - Elect Three

*Allison McVey - 44.8%

*Calvin Pan - 37.2%

*David Dzul - 36.1%

David Jla - 8.2%

Jenna Rowen-Delson - 29.9%

Maria Kyriacou - 19.9%

Maximus McGinnis - 18.8%

*Rose Maggio - 38.1%

*Zach Davidson - 34.2%

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Representative - Elect Two

*Jannine Jacoby - 53.3%

*Maureen Leahey - 73.3%

Medicine Representative - Elect Two

*Benjamin Ke - 74.6%

*Shivam Gandhi - 92.1%

Batten Representative - Elect Two

*Ella Abney - 71.2%

*Phoebe Zamoff - 58.8%

Engineering and Applied Sciences Representative - Elect Two

*Colin Berry - 56.5%

*Griffin Franzese - 73.1%

Commerce Representative - Elect Two

*Nayana Celine Xavier - 49.0%

*Zachary Fernandez - 66.3%

Law Representative - Elect Two

*Jeronimo Lau Alberdi - 72.4%

*Kevin Kissinger - 66.7%

Data Science Graduate RepresentativeElect Two

*Navya Annapareddy - 100%

Class Councils

Second Year Council President

Kai Ward - 18.9%

*Sahasra Molleti - 81.1%

Second Year Council Vice President

*Hayden Matay - 100%

Third Year Council President

*Jackson Sleadd - 100%

Third Year Council Vice President

*Marwa Ahsan - 100%

Fourth Year Trustees President

*Keoni Vega - 100%

Fourth Year Trustees Vice President

*Annie Zhao - 100%

Student Council

Undergraduate Education Representative

*Wyatt Herman - 100%

Medicine Representative

*Benjamin Ke - 100%

Undergraduate Engineering & Applied Sciences Representative

*Muhammaed Aasim - 100%

Undergraduate College of Arts & Sciences Representative

*Adam Motlak - 30.0%

*Brian Ng - 37.0%

*Ian Travis - 30.9%

*Imane Akhanous - 44.3%

*Jackson Sleadd - 47.5%

*Lucas Addison - 21.1%

*Maximus McGinnis - 29.1%

*Patrick Jo - 30.3%

*Sahasra Molleti - 39.7%

Data Science Undergraduate Representative

*Kayla Kim - 100%

Data Science Graduate Representative *Navya Annapareddy - 100%

Key legislation awaits Youngkin’s signature as session concludes

Passed legislation could give collective bargaining rights to University employees and provide funding to combat food insecurity on college campuses

Nina Broderick and Vyshnavi Tatta | Staff Writers

With Virginia’s 2025 legislative session having adjourned Feb. 22, several bills impacting college students are now awaiting Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s signature. The session marked the final year of Youngkin’s term and saw a push for constitutional amendments, collective bargaining rights and increased funding for campus food insecurity programs.

However, the governor’s record number of vetoes has left many legislators uncertain about the fate of these bills. In 2024, Youngkin vetoed a total of 201 bills, adding to his total of 242 vetoed bills so far during his term — the greatest number of bills vetoed by a Virginia governor in history. Since Youngkin began his term in 2022, Republicans have never controlled the Virginia Senate, creating gridlock on both Democratic and Republican priorities. Democrats currently control the General Assembly, with a 21 to 19 majority in the Senate and a 51 to 49 majority in the House of Delegates.

One of the most notable bills for students is the Senate Bill 1016, the Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program, co-sponsored by Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville. The bill will allow eligible public and private institutions of higher education to apply for grants aimed at funding free food programs for students.

Deeds emphasized the necessity of this initiative, citing the financial strain many students face. Health assessment surveys in 2019 and 2020 conducted by the University’s Office of Health Promotion showed that between one-quarter and one-third of students had experienced food security in the past 30 days.

“I’m convinced that there are students at nearly every campus [Virginia has] who are short on the cash to keep everything going and also provide the food for their daily sustenance,” Deeds said. “I would think [Youngkin] would sign it, but I just don’t know.”

If signed into law, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia will administer the program. Participation is optional for institutions, but to receive funding, schools must create an on-campus food pantry or partner with a local food bank to share information to students about local food assistance programs. This bill could directly impact the U.Va. Community Food Pantry by giving state funding so that the Pantry can continue to offer essential food products for free, helping to reduce financial strain on the Pantry.

Another significant piece of legislation is SB 917, which would repeal an existing ban to grant collective bargaining rights to all Virginia public employees, including student workers. Collective bargaining is the process of negotiation between employers and groups of employees to establish pro-

visions for wages, benefits and working conditions. Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, who sponsored the bill, said that students should have the ability to negotiate wages and working conditions.

“Students working on campus could collectively bargain for fair wage benefits, hours and things like that,” Surovell said. “I know there’s a lot of college workers that have been looking forward to having those rights, to be able to bargain as a group instead of having to bargain one-on-one.”

Members of the University chapter of United Campus Workers of Virginia rallied in Richmond’s Capitol Square Jan. 17, advocating for collective bargaining rights for higher education workers alongside UCW members from Virginia Commonwealth University, William & Mary and Virginia Tech. This rally is part of UCW-VA.’s long standing fight for collective bargaining rights and timely graduate worker pay.

Because the bill passed primarily with Democratic support, Deeds expressed skepticism about Youngkin’s willingness to approve the bill.

“I think that it’s very unlikely for the governor to sign this legislation, honestly,” Deeds said. “But I think it … would give people a chance to have a larger say in their workforce and workplace, and it could result in better working conditions for people across the board.”

Legislators also passed SB 1021 and HB 2113, both aimed at addressing climate concerns. SB 1021 requires electric utilities to revise long-term energy plans to align with Virginia’s clean energy laws, while HB 2113 promotes solar energy development on previously developed industrial sites and urban rooftops.

“We passed another bill that is designed to encourage more solar on what are called brownfields, previously developed industrial areas, and also on urban and suburban rooftops and parking lots,” Surovell said.

The University also set major sustainability goals in its 2030 ‘Great and Good’ Plan, including to become carbon neutral by 2030 and fossil fuel free by 2050. According to the most recent sustainability report, the University reduced its carbon emissions by nearly 45 percent from 2010 to 2023.

Surovell, who sponsored SB 1021, talked about the importance of these measures for young people.

“The consequences of what we’re doing right now to the planet are gonna affect college students a lot more of their life than they will [affect] me,” Surovell said.

Despite the governor having signed solar energy bills in the past, Surovell expressed concern about the future of these environmental measures.

“I hope they do [become law],

but I’m not optimistic,” Surovell said. “Whenever red votes started popping up … that was a good sign to us that the governor was probably opposed to it. That happened on a lot of the solar bills.”

In addition to passing bills, legislators approved three constitutional amendments for their first vote. Constitutional amendments do not require the governor’s signature, but must pass the Assembly twice, with an election in between. If passed both times, voters must approve the amendments on a statewide ballot.

House Joint Resolution 1 ensures the right to reproductive freedom, prohibiting the Commonwealth from restricting access to abortion and contraception. Surovell highlighted the importance of reproductive rights for college students specifically.

“Decisions like abortion are pretty critical to control over your life and your career at that young age,” Surovell said. “Ensuring that those types of decisions would be forever uninhibited in Virginia is critical.”

Deeds emphasized the importance of enshrining these rights in the Virginia Constitution rather than passing ordinary legislation.

“A law can be changed in a year, but a constitutional change is a longer process,” Deeds said. “By embedding these rights in the Constitution, we’re going to make sure that Virginia stays a place where reproductive health is respected and people have the right to make their own decisions.”

HJ 2 enshrines the right to vote, ex-

plicitly stating that this right cannot be restricted by law, except in cases of felony convictions or legal incapacitation. Surovell sees HJ 2 as an opportunity to increase voter participation rates, especially among college students by removing any possible impediments to voting.

One final amendment that passed is HJ 9, which would repeal outdated language defining marriage as between a man and a woman, instead affirming the right to marry regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

Surovell said HJ 9 affirms a right that he believes college students broadly support.

“I think most college students tend to be pretty tolerant towards LGBT rights and gay marriage,” Surovell said. “That’s something we need to put in our constitution so we don’t end up fighting about it again.”

While the legislative session resulted in the passing of several bills and amendments, legislators have still encountered much resistance from Youngkin. Surovell expressed frustration with not only the lack of cooperation, but the lack of communication between Youngkin and the Democratic legislators.

“I haven’t found the governor to be particularly collaborative,” Surovell said. “We don’t find out the governor has a problem with a bill until we receive a veto statement, and it’s just kind of disappointing. It’s not the way it has operated the last 14 years I served before he was elected.”

Surovell also said Youngkin’s ap-

proach to higher education governance could have long-term negative effects on Virginia’s universities.

“I have a lot of concern about the governor trying to manipulate how our universities are managed in a really negative way,” Surovell said. “It could have long-term negative implications on the quality and attractiveness of [Virginia’s] schools.”

Youngkin has appointed 13 of the 17 current voting members of the University’s Board of Visitors, who are responsible for overseeing the long-term planning of the University, as well as approving certain policies and the University budget.

One of his appointees is Class of 1975 alumnus Bert Ellis, who said in December that he would not vote for any additional expenditures unless significant budget cuts were made. The Board also said last month that it must be consulted on changes to University policy, especially in regard to executive orders by the Trump administration.

Despite these challenges, Surovell remains hopeful for the future of Virginia’s universities and encourages student involvement in political advocacy.

“I would encourage students to get more active and involved,” Surovell said. “I think we’re living in a very dangerous time in our country, and when we have these kinds of moments in history, students usually lead the way.”

Legislators will reconvene April 2 to discuss Youngkin’s amendments and vetoes.

COURTESY ANTONY-22 VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Since Youngkin began his term in 2022, Republicans have never controlled the Virginia Senate, creating gridlock on both Democratic and Republican priorities.

After two emergencies, how did alert systems respond?

Email lags and misleading website messages caused confusion on safety measures during an emergency Feb. 25

Jackie Bond | Senior Associate

While the University alert system is periodically reviewed throughout the year, last week’s two shelter-inplace orders were a test for emergency response technology. After a man fled a traffic stop, the University was locked down for five hours Feb. 25. An active attacker caused another shelter-in-place Feb. 27. During these two events, University alert systems delivered frequent updates to the community with descriptions and locations of suspects and updates surrounding police activity.

The comprehensive system — that includes text and email alerts, social media updates, sirens across Grounds, computer displays in classrooms and updates to an emergency management website — had little room for error in an active threat situation. However, delays in email alerts and archived emergency messages on the Emergency Management website made it unclear whether shelter-in-place orders had been lifted during the Feb. 25 emergency.

University community members received emergency alerts Feb. 25 regarding the whereabouts of gang affiliate Nyeem Hill, who ran from police

after an attempted traffic stop and car accident. After students and staff were mandated to shelter-in-place from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., Hill eventually escaped custody. The community also received alerts Thursday afternoon as suspect Edward Conlin Lee, who stabbed an individual on Grounds, ran from police Feb. 27. Lee was arrested after an hour-long lockdown.

Even after shelter-in-place orders had been lifted Feb. 25, community members continued to receive email alerts stating that students must remain indoors due to Hill’s sighting near the University. University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover attributed these email delays to a surplus of emails being sent at the time of the emergency, causing a delay in the system.

“The volume of U.Va. Alerts emails — alongside routine email traffic — caused delays in email delivery,” Glover said. “This means that while alerts were sent at the intended intervals, a backlog of emails caused U.Va. Alerts to arrive out of sequence and after the shelter-in-place had been lifted.”

According to Glover, all other alert systems functioned in a timely manner

without technological difficulties.

The Emergency Management Website also sparked confusion among community members as an alert from the Nov. 13, 2022 shooting on Culbreth Road — which killed three University students and injured two others — appeared on this website, instead of the Feb. 25 information. This display alerted students that there had been a shooting. The only part of the alert which signaled that it was an error was the date of Nov. 13, 2022 displayed in the top left corner.

“We are aware that some archived messages, including a reference to the November 13, 2022, shelter-in-place directive, were visible on the Emergency Management website during last week’s event,” Glover said. “To prevent confusion, these messages have been updated with clear date labels, and internal processes are being reviewed to ensure outdated information does not appear in future alerts.”

University alert systems are managed by members of the Critical Incident Management Team, who communicate emergencies to the University community and support crisis response. The CIMT dictates the con-

tent and timing of emergency alerts sent to community members approximately every 15 minutes, although frequency of alerts may change depending upon the nature of the situation, Glover stated.

The CIMT was established in 2012 after the Board of Visitors adopted the Critical Incident Management Plan to assess how to adequately prepare for, respond to and recover from any emergency incident which directly impacts the University. According to the updated 2025 version and fourth edition of this plan, the CIMP was created to instruct University departments on how to respond to emergencies of a finite duration.

“The CIMP Base Plan and relevant annexes are implemented when it becomes necessary to mobilize resources to save lives and protect property, infrastructure and the environment,” the plan states.

The CIMP can only be activated after City and County jurisdictional Directors of Emergency Services declare a local emergency or the Governor of Virginia declares a state of emergency. The CIMP can also be activated if the University determines that

a hazard or imminent threat exists on-Grounds and that critical needs regarding the safety of individuals and maintenance of property demand an immediate response.

Once the decision to activate the CIMP is made, U.Va. Emergency Management notifies the CIMT which provides a brief description of the situation as well as initial priorities and safety instructions to the CIMT before being sent to University community members. According to Kyle Ervin, public safety information officer of the Charlottesville Police Department, the shelter-in-place ordinances were directed by the University.

According to Glover, the University will continue to improve emergency communications, and community members interested in submitting feedback regarding University safety measures can email safety@virginia. edu.

“Information Technology Services is pursuing increased system capacity to prevent email delays from reoccurring in the future,” Glover said.

Students share their reactions to emergency lockdowns

Following two different shelter-in-place orders last week, students spoke about the anxiety they felt as they were left stuck in various locations around Grounds

Lidia Zur Muhlen | Staff Writer

Last week, University students experienced two different shelter-inplace orders. Feb. 25, students received a University Emergency Alert to shelter-in-place as a known gang affiliate fled police on foot following a car accident near Alderman and McCormick road. Two days later, students received another shelter-in-place alert because of an active attacker with a knife. Both of these alerts, which happened during the academic day, came as students found themselves in a variety of places.

The shelter-in-place order Feb. 25 lasted nearly five hours, from around 9 a.m. to around 2 p.m., while the order Feb. 27 lasted from around 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. While no University students were hurt during either shelter-in-place order, the uncertainty and abruptness of these alerts created confusion and worry for some students.

Reactions of students who were on Central Grounds differed from those of students who were still at home.

First-year College student Annie Genovese found herself in the Rookie’s line at Clark Library when a faculty member told everyone to shelter in place and lock the doors. Luckily, she

said the Rookie’s workers offered shelter behind the counter as they waited for the order to be lifted. Genovese saw that the alert said the suspect was on Alderman and McCormick Road and she thought that being behind the counter would be safest.

“The first two or three hours we were super nervous. We had the lights off, and we started freaking out,” Genovese said. “Once we got notification that he had started to leave Grounds we were all able to kind of relax a little bit more.”

Genovese also noted that once some of the anxiety dissipated, community members in the space worked to support each other.

“The Rookie’s workers were so sweet and made the experience so much better, offering us so many lattes and cookies,” Genovese said.

First-year College student Skylar Carr also found community during these stressful alerts. While she was in her dormitory Tuesday, she found herself in a very different situation Thursday, when the alert came while she was in class. She noticed that the environment was not as calm when she was in

a physical classroom setting.

“We were just sitting in the classroom with lights out and a kid was throwing up next to me. Everyone was anxious,” Carr said. “But I think it was a very good community bonding moment. All of the groups I’m in were texting me asking if everyone was ok and if I needed to talk to anyone.”

While some students received these alerts while in class, others were not even awake when the first alert was sent at 9:18 a.m.

First-year College student Eloise Diffley woke up to the alerts, and she was confused but did not think much beyond deciding to stay home until orders were lifted. While there were many notifications, including continuous emergency alerts and friends checking in, she tried to spend the day reading and talking with her parents.

“I was just really trying not to think about it, and I didn’t see another person until 2 p.m.,” Diffley said.

Many third and fourth-year students felt as if they were reliving memories from the shooting Nov. 13, 2022, which left the University on lockdown for 12 hours. Third-year College stu-

dent Colin Knaupp acknowledges that the amount of misinformation being spread on social media, either Yik Yak or group chat, made it challenging to understand what was truly happening. Thursday, Knaupp was in 1515 with friends and heard that multiple people had been stabbed via a rumor spread from someone’s group chat.

“Yik Yak, group chats and any kind of interpersonal communication really served, for some people, as a place of comfort, but it also served as a kind of a panic factor,” Knaupp said. “I would just read my phone, hoping that it wasn’t anything similar to what happened in 2022, but other people open their phone to post a funny Yik Yak.”

Third-year Engineering student Zoe Benton said that during both emergencies, she tried to avoid spreading misinformation to friends and family.

“I [tried] to only report what I knew to be true based on the information that I had … because there’s going to be people who misunderstand something and say, ‘I think this person is here,’ and that just causes fear in people,” Benton said.

Benton also said that she felt sad realizing she knew how to navigate emergencies relating to threats on Grounds due to her experience during the shooting in 2022.

“I shouldn’t have to know how to navigate that, but honestly, I did,” Benton said. “And I’m glad that I now have that skill, even though it comes from a [bad] situation.”

Following these events, University officials sent several emails to the student body offering support, such as the University’s Counseling and Psychological Services and Care and Support Services — both of which offer 24/7 urgent support for students who might be feeling unsettled.

The suspect on Grounds who caused the University to issue the first shelter-in-place is still at-large, but police believed him to have left Grounds and surrounding areas before the order was lifted. The attacker involved in the stabbing Feb. 27 was arrested within about an hour, after which the shelter-in-place order was lifted. The victim, who was confirmed unaffiliated with the University, was still in critical condition as of Feb. 28.

Charles Alexander reflects on integration and life after

One of the first Black elementary students to integrate public schools shares his journey of community service and commitment to youth empowerment

Sophie Long | Senior Writer

Sept. 8, 1959, second-grader Charles Alexander walked up the steps of Venable Elementary School, becoming one of the first elementary students in the country to integrate into previously segregated schools. Nick-named “Alex-Zan,” Alexander was joined by 11 other students who integrated Charlottesville public schools — becoming known as “The Charlottesville 12.”

More than six decades later, Alexander has dedicated his career to sharing his story and advocating throughout Virginia for criminal and educational justice, as well as youth mental health. Through public speaking, mentorship, educational programs and community engagement, he uses his experiences to spread practical tools for personal development and community improvement.

Federal Judge John Paul ruled in 1956 to integrate public schools in Charlottesville and Warren County as a direct response to Virginia’s prolonged resistance to desegregation following Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. He issued the decision that would force local governments to comply with federal mandates, overruling Gov. J. Lindsay Almond’s staunch opposition to integration. According to Alexander, Paul stood firm in his decision.

“[Almond] did not want integration of black and white students, he said he would lose his right arm before that would take place,” Alexander said, “... [Paul] said ‘Enough, integrate the schools immediately.’”

The local and state NAACP invited Charlottesville families to participate in school integration, and while some stepped forward, others hesitated, he explained.

The “Charlottesville 12” was not a court-designated group but a collective of Black students whose parents volunteered to join this group, according to Alexander. His mother, a plaintiff in the local NAACP’s lawsuit, was determined to push for desegregation despite resistance from some families in the community.

“Some families participated, and some did not,” Alexander said. “My mother thought it was an opportunity for a better education.”

According to Alexander, his mother’s motivation for having him integrate was that she simply wanted the best educational opportunity for him, and since they already lived close to the school, it made sense to pursue that opportunity.

“The purpose of education is

not the color of your skin, but the purpose of education,” Alexander said, quoting his mother.

Alexander, one of the youngest, was among nine students who entered Venable Elementary. Originally, Venable Elementary and Lane High School delayed full integration despite the court mandate. However, the 12 Black students were still required by the court to receive an education during this delay. This led to temporary arrangements, such as Alexander and two other Venable students being taught in an administration building behind the school rather than fully joining their white classmates. They would not join their white classmates until September 1959.

At just 7 years old, Alexander said he had no expectations or awareness of the historical significance of his actions. Reflecting on his experience, he now considers himself and his mother leaders in the struggle for school integration.

“We’re trailblazers,” Alexander said. “We’re history makers.”

Alexander shared that, in general, most students and staff at Venable were accepting of him, and he credits this to his positive, talkative attitude. He particularly remembered one teacher, Ms. Miller, whom he saw as an “extended grandmother.” She would send notes home to his mother every day about his day.

However, he recalled one incident when two white students’ fathers came to the school looking for him. Ms. Miller stood at the door and protected him. Alexander also remembered an important lesson she taught the class.

“All of us that went to Venable [were] driven, education oriented, by Ms. Miller,” Alexander said. “I remember, she made this comment one time when some students called me names or called a few other people names. And she said, ‘Once you remove the cover, we’re all the same. Once you remove the top layer, we’re all the same.’”

After Venable, Alexander continued his education at Walker Junior High School and Lane High School, where he became more involved in student activism. He participated in walkouts protesting the lack of Black studies and Black history in the curriculum and successfully convinced the superintendent to offer a Black history course at Lane High School. He graduated in 1970.

After high school, Charles attended Allen University, a historically Black college in Columbia,

South Carolina. In his post-college years, Charles lived in Richmond and then spent some years in Atlanta. He eventually returned to Henrico County and later moved back to Charlottesville to support his family. Even in these different locations, Alexander remained committed to his community.

While living in different cities along the East Coast, Alexander continued to develop a wide range of school-based and community programs — many of which he started in the mid 1970s after he left university — in Charlottesville schools and at community events.

Alexander’s educational programs, such as his ‘Yes, You Matter’ and ‘WORDS’ initiatives, aim to promote personal development, mental health awareness and youth empowerment. His initiatives serve diverse age groups, from preschoolers to high school students and include in-school presentations, summer camps, talent showcases and personal safety awareness workshops.

Alexander has also developed character-based educational tools to promote personal growth. For example, CYM — ‘Close Your Mouth’ — reinforces listening skills, while Yogo encourages emotional regulation and the ability to let go.

In addition to his education -

al programs, Alexander conducts community workshops that cover a variety of topics, including drug prevention and personal safety awareness. He conducts these workshops in partnership with local police departments and schools. His annual initiatives include a summer vacation/camp program that has run for 16 years and presentations at Martin Luther King Day events throughout the community.

Alexander also meets with medical students at the University annually during the first week of August, providing them with an understanding of the Charlottesville community and its members’ medical needs. His focus is particularly on the African American perspective and the relationship between the local community and the University.

In all aspects of his work, Alexander emphasizes the importance of addressing social issues focused on the human aspect rather than the racial one. He believes that by tackling human experiences, racial issues will naturally be addressed in the process.

“I talk less about the racial aspect and more about the human aspect,” Alexander said, “Because if we can deal with the human aspect, the racial aspect will follow in accordance. And those are the basics — the attitude, the mind -

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set, the manners, how you treat folks — let’s just treat each other [with] respect to individual differences and expressions.”

As an author, Alexander has also written four books, including one called “The Skin is Just the Cover,” a children’s book in which he shares his experience with integration. In total, he has created five cartoon characters, developed over 100 copyrights and obtained four trademarks.

Alexander said his main goal is to inspire future generations of students to make a positive impact and build on the change he has advocated for throughout his life.

“It doesn’t do any good for a student to know what I’ve done and what we have done,” Alexander said. “We’ve done it. Okay, now it’s time for you to make your imprint. You make the difference, your impact.”

OPINION

LEAD EDITORIAL

Celebrate the Contemplative Commons

By bringing together the sciences and humanities, these non-academic student spaces promote student well-being and non-traditional learning

After almost three years, the University’s Contemplative Commons has completed construction. Unlike the University’s pathways designed for pre-professional studies, the Contemplative Commons is intentionally designed as a space for interdisciplinary engagement. The facility is unique in that it is not a building catered to a specific purpose or a target group. At its essence, its purpose is to foster “organic exploration,” or new ways of experiencing the world through the intersection of nature, technology and art. The Contemplative Commons represents a University’s commitment to student well-being and celebrates the intersection of academic disciplines which holistically benefit the student experience.

The aesthetics of the space in combination with its programming provide a sanctuary. Here, students might explore cognitive science through mindfulness practices, studying how meditation influences brain function hands-on rather than through abstract theory alone. By cre-

ating a holistic space on Grounds, the University separates itself momentarily from its increasingly commercialized mission and initiatives. The function of this building embodies the intersection of the University’s founding principles and its goals for the future — uplifting its students internally in order to make an impact on student communities.

In an academic landscape in which the gap between sciences and humanities continues to widen, this investment is particularly valuable. At the University and throughout modern higher education, there is a growing tendency to separate the humanities and sciences into distinct disciplines that often leads to a lack of interaction among and between the disciplines. While this process may seem logical, it ultimately creates a limiting division. Beyond bridging academic fields, the Contemplative Commons space also reimagines how students engage with routine academic activities — studying outside the confines of a

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library, attending a class in a setting that is not a lecture hall or collaborating in an environment designed for creativity rather than efficiency. The hands-on nature of the Contemplative Commons’s programming allows facilitation for not just interdisciplinary engagement, but participating in learning in unconventional ways.

In contrast to the rigid segmentation of academic disciplines driven by commercialization, the Contemplative Commons fosters interdisciplinary exploration, encouraging students to engage with knowledge in a more holistic way — whether it be holding a Maggie Rogers concert, hosting refuge weekends or facilitating discussions on eco-anxiety. The Contemplative Commons positions itself as a rare example in which the University has put funding directly into the interests of students and the broader community. By shifting away from a purely pre-professional focus, the University is embracing a more holistic approach to education — one that values innovation through

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collaboration. This ultimately creates a space for “organic exploration” — a commitment that may sound lofty, yet will have a tangible impact on the student community — rather than profit-driven development.

Previously, this Editorial Board has been critical of the University’s efforts to commercialize, arguing that the University has failed to be cognizant of the manner in which it undermines an academic mission. We have argued that much of the University’s expansion foregrounds projects that do not contribute to student health and well-being. And while we maintain this belief, the Contemplative Commons is a case where the University has succeeded in balancing student well-being, its academic mission and commercial interests. In a moment where the prioritization of revenue often dictates the use of spaces on Grounds, this building disrupts that pattern in a way that transcends traditional academic or commercial functions.

As the University continues to

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expand, we should ask what kind of spaces we truly need — another parking garage or something that offers a different kind of learning experience. Though investments toward commercial and more practical improvements are necessary, they are not sufficient in developing a truly holistic academic environment. The Contemplative Commons stands as a testament to the value of spaces that transcend commercial imperatives, fostering interdisciplinary engagement and experiential learning. As the University grows, we should be intentional about the kinds of spaces we cultivate — ensuring that innovation is not measured solely by economic return, but by the meaningful academic and personal growth it facilitates.

THE CAVALIER DAILY EDITORIAL BOARD is composed of the Executive Editor, the Editor-in-Chief, the two Opinion Editors, their Senior Associate and an Opinion Columnist. The board can be reached at eb@cavalierdaily.com.

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Muslim students deserve a better Ramadan on Grounds

It becomes harder for Muslim students to fully embrace this month without adequate support or recognition from the University

Ramadan is here, and University students must endeavor to reconcile their academic schedule and their religious one. Ramadan is a time for Muslims worldwide to reflect on themselves by refraining from drinking or eating from sunrise to sundown and prioritizing spirituality over material aspects of everyday life. For students, managing this schedule during classes, extracurricular activities and exams leaves little room for the reflection and community — a key component of Ramadan. Ultimately, the University must better institutionally support Muslim students by implementing greater academic flexibility, enabling Muslim students to fully observe Ramadan without compromising their education or well-being.

Last year, I faced significant challenges balancing late exams for my science courses and attending classes while observing Ramadan. Exams and classes often coincided with the time to break fast, forcing me to delay eating until much later. Studying while fasting drained my energy, yet limited academic flexibility left me hesitant to advocate for myself for fear of seeming less committed to my education than my non-Muslim peers. While the

University provides food accommodations, securing religious academic accommodations remains arduous. By failing to provide sufficient academic accommodations during Ramadan, the University implicitly asks Muslim students to sacrifice either their education or their religious practices.

This year, the University has made strides in providing food

ademic burdens during this time leaves a critical gap that forces students to navigate coursework and attendance policies without institutional flexibility that truly supports their religious observance.

The University’s lack of institutional recognition for Ramadan extends beyond scheduling conflicts. Students are not currently allowed to eat in most classrooms,

driven in this environment forces students to choose between these two identities, positing them as incompatible.

The University can improve its accommodations by looking at institutions that have set strong examples. Universities like Georgetown and Duke demonstrate how small but meaningful changes — such as allowing alternative testing

Ramadan at the University should not be a time in which students must choose between academic success and religious observance.”

accommodations for Muslim students during Ramadan, with pickup options for morning and evening meals from Za’atar. While these steps address physical and nutritional needs, they fail to acknowledge the broader challenges that Muslim students face during Ramadan. Muslim students are scheduled to break their fast in the evening, which directly conflicts with exams, discussions and lectures, particularly in science, engineering and math courses. In this way, accommodating fasting schedules without addressing ac-

forcing those with evening classes to choose between breaking their fast and their education. A recent Student Council bill called on the University to implement policies supporting Muslim students, including excused absences, schedule adjustments and designated spaces for breaking fast. Rather than relying on student organizations to fill the gaps, the University must take meaningful action to ensure Ramadan is a time of reflection and community — not added stress. The internal conflict of being both Muslim and academically

times for Muslim students earlier in the day or providing additional breaks and designated spaces for students to eat during longer exams — can create a more supportive environment. In doing so, Muslim students will not only feel institutional support but will also be able to invest time and energy into their classes and their faith.

One key step would be ensuring that the iftars provided by MSA, ASO and other organizations do not overlap with major academic obligations. While student organizations are responsible for select-

ing appropriate times for these gatherings, the timing of iftar and subsequent prayer is non-negotiable for those observing Ramadan. In contrast, the University has the flexibility to adjust course schedules and exam times, making it imperative that academic structures accommodate religious commitments rather than the other way around.

Ramadan is meant to foster a deep connection to faith, yet I was forced to choose between academic success and spiritual growth. It was an unfair tradeoff exacerbated by the lack of institutional recognition and accommodations that I did not experience alone. Ramadan at the University should not be a time in which students must choose between academic success and religious observance. A university prioritizing all students would ensure that I would not have to worry about practicing my faith while upholding my religious obligations.

AYAT YOUNIS is an opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@ cavalierdaily.com.

What we lose in the name of efficiency

For a president and vice president who attended the best institutions of higher education, these leaders are hellbent on deconstructing the nature of academia. In recent executive orders, President Donald Trump has attempted to cut research funding to colleges by amounts that would produce drastic drops in research at universities, including ours. The order purports to reduce inefficiencies and eliminate research programs associated with diversity, equity and inclusion. Whatever the root cause, our government has lost a perception of research it used to espouse — university research moves humanity forward. While eliminating funding associated with DEI may cut costs, the potential for and investment into new learning is halted by an efficiency-crazed government.

When the framework of our federal research funding system was laid by President Harry Truman, the United States recognized the need for investment into the future and put the responsibility in the hands of universities. In this period, universities grew to new heights but more importantly, the U.S. experienced one of the greatest periods of innovation in its history,

Research at the University is essential for the future of innovation, and industrial pace has no place in it

raising the quality of life for everyone.

Reducing the investment into growth reduces the ceiling for success. Thus, modern research funding cuts are bad for universities, not to mention the nation writ large. When students are unable to receive grant money from the federal government

position to any research that involves DEI. This research often focuses on race or gender issues in humanities, economics and health or providing opportunities to historically underrepresented groups. Federal grants have shelled out almost $2.05 billion to DEI research at colleges, making

cannot see the value in discovering the dynamics of immigrants in the economy, or in encouraging Black students to participate in a system they have been systematically expelled from, does not mean these programs should be eliminated. Penicillin was discovered in a moldy petri dish — this

Penicillin was discovered in a moldy petri dish — this government would have it thrown out because it was wasting space on the counter.”

and cannot lean on state funding, they turn to their universities — meaning institutions must raise tuition to cover the costs or simply scrap the projects. For example, universities’ National Institutes of Health funding has been slashed, leading them to pay out-ofpocket for biomedical research. In this state, learning flounders.

Trump has made it clear that he values money over innovation by attacking academia he deems inefficient. He has critiqued the premise of research grants, contending that they waste money on unfruitful ideas. This accusation is compounded by his op-

it susceptible to criticism about its worthiness. However, the perceived unfruitfulness is precisely the point of funding these projects.

The government has forgotten what research entails — research is by its nature inefficient. If every project produced something significant to the advancement of humanity, I would be writing this piece from Mars. Research is meant to get things wrong, to dive into unexplored issues and to lay one more brick in the road so someone else can walk a step further. Just because a government official who worked in real estate all his life

government would have it thrown out because it was wasting space on the counter.

Aside from this misunderstanding, government officials have changed the definition of efficiency to fit a short-term goal rather than investment in the future. The algorithm designed to block grants uses broad keywords that are, in the eyes of administration, associated with DEI, such as the word “woman.” Any project referring to these concepts would be blocked, no matter the intended product. This may be efficient — or rather lazy — in that it saves time

and money. However, it is inefficient in that the government loses the return on valuable research. The drive towards efficiency is robbing society of the benefit students of all backgrounds might offer.

Through attempted efficiency, the government is perceiving research grants in the wrong way. Grant money to research is falsely viewed like a savings account, and you should see an increased balance due to interest that projects produce. This is not the case — grant money is like stock. It may go up and down, but it will almost always produce more than you put in. This means more technology, more political improvements and a higher quality of life. Suddenly, it seems that the U.S. has lost the capacity for patience. With efficiency, we lose innovation. We lose the spirit that drove the U.S. into a world leader. A generation’s future is gambled because government officials do not want the word “woman” in research titles.

PAUL KURTZWEIL is an opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Great Big Arts Calendar streamlines University arts events

Designed

by a group of University students, GBAC hopes to be a one-stop shop for arts events on Grounds

Tanmayi Patil | Staff

Writer

At the University, there are a wealth of artistic groups in everything from dance to drama. Still, it is easy to become overwhelmed with the sheer number of shows, events and exhibits — particularly when one does not know where to look. Alongside a group of passionate arts students, third-year College student Jack Ireland is currently working to change that with the Great Big Arts Calendar.

The Great Big Arts Calendar is an Instagram account run by University students that works to bring together all University arts opportunities — no matter the art form or type of event — into a weekly post to give students greater awareness of everything going on around Grounds.

The University already keeps a running calendar of arts events on their website, but this calendar is limited to official University department events. It doesn’t include the plethora of arts Contracted Independent Organizations — from the theatre performances of First Year Players to the multitude of acapella concerts and more — that are a central part of the student artistic experience.

Ireland, who is involved in a variety of arts groups, was initially inspired to create the Great Big Arts Calendar after experiencing difficulty keeping up with his friends’ performances.

“I couldn’t keep track of when their performances were because I didn’t follow all the groups and sometimes I didn’t see all their postering around, and so I missed their events,” Ireland said.

After coming up with the idea last summer, Ireland began to work on potential next steps last fall with other University students involved in Student Council, and together they brought back the Student Council Arts CIO newsletter. Although the initiative was successful, Ireland saw greater potential for community engagement with the arts.

Ireland then found further inspiration in his involvement with the University’s Miller Arts Scholars — a program that supports undergraduate students across all artistic disciplines through grants, a seminar and a tight-knit community. As a Miller Arts Scholar, Ireland was inspired by how the Scholars often

write their upcoming events on a blackboard during the program’s weekly seminar.

“I was like, this is so awesome. I want to bring this to the wider University community,” he said.

Now, each week Ireland contacts a group chat of about fourteen students — who bring a variety of artistic involvements and knowledge to GBAC — asking what events are happening at the University that week and what they should publicize. Then, they compile the events — which include both official University and CIO opportunities — into a slideshow that gets posted to the GBAC account on Wednesday.

The fact that event sourcing is based mainly on student knowledge is not lost on Ireland, who acknowledges that the project is still being figured out.

“It’s still a work in progress, but we try to cover as much as possible … I try to search out every kind of student arts event out there,” he said.

One of the students currently involved with the GBAC, second-year College student Carson Harter, believes that the calendar fills an important gap at the University. He cited his own past experiences as a first-year student interested in the arts, but

not fully aware of everything the University has to offer.

“One of the most common kinds of issues I’ve run into in the arts community that I went through myself [during] first year, and I see it a lot with newer members of the community, is that people just don’t know what options are available,” Harter said. “They don’t realize how many different options there are.”

While the group is in its early stages, it has already shown the kind of influence it can have. Ireland pointed to a recent comedy show — which brought together three student comedy groups — as evidence of the Great Big Arts Calendar’s usefulness in promoting different performances.

“Every seat was full, people were standing in the back, and this was something that I had promoted on the GBAC and the other comedy groups were promoting, and people were kind of sharing out of the GBAC,” Ireland said.

Members of other arts groups on Grounds have been appreciative of the GBAC’s efforts as well. For Hannah Bartz, merchandise chair of the Virginia Women’s Chorus and second-year College student, the Great Big Arts Cal -

endar has helped bring more attention to VWC concerts.

“We also recently had a concert called Women Against Violence that the Great Big Arts Calendar posted. This concert specifically was a benefit concert for the Sexual Assault Resource Agency, or SARA, where all proceeds went to them,” Bartz said. “It was a really cool opportunity to have our message reach even more people, more students, by having it be posted on the GBAC.”

Bartz went on to note that the GBAC’s use of Instagram is both practical and accessible for everyone passionate about the University arts community, whether they are a participant, spectator or both.

“You don’t have to search through tons of emails or just hope that you find a flyer in front of Bryan Hall or something to find out what’s going on in the art scene on Grounds,” she said.

Involvement with the Great Big Arts Calendar is open to all University students. Those interested in helping out in any capacity can get involved by going to the GBAC Instagram bio, where a form asking for students’ names and contact information can be found. Ireland will add respond -

ents to the group chat of students he contacts about upcoming events and ideas for where to take the GBAC.

With over 200 Instagram followers and a wide range of events covered — from house shows to poetry open mics to hip-hop workshops — the Great Big Arts Calendar is steadily gaining traction as a useful resource for arts-interested University students. Looking forward, the students involved in the GBAC hope to create an adjacent website, as well as gain official CIO status.

“I think we all have a friend, we all know somebody who’s in a recording group or has a show, and being in a lot of performances myself, I know there’s no better feeling than having your friends come and having just packed the house,” Ireland said. “I hope that future artistic groups [at] the University benefit from what the GBAC is trying to accomplish.”

ASMA SANAULLAH THE CAVALIER DAILY

New Works Drama Festival blends humor and heartache

The 8th Annual New Works Drama Festival brought together theatre faculty and students with six captivating short plays

Isabelle Halliday | Staff Writer

The New Works Drama Festival is held annually by the drama department to give students the opportunity to express their artistry in the form of playwriting and directing, while also highlighting talented student actors and crew at the University. This year’s event took place on Feb. 28 and Mar. 1, encompassing a total of six original short plays unique in writing, cast and set design.

The brief plays, running roughly 15 minutes in length, explored themes of adulthood and humor, demonstrating impressive range with comedic moments in some plays and thought-provoking quarrels in others.

In creating and producing the plays, students are assisted by faculty of the drama department who sit down with students on their own time to help direct or provide feedback.

Mary Hall, fourth-year Drama and African American Studies student, was uniquely both a writer and director at this year’s New Works Festival, expressing her appreciation for the supportive drama faculty that helped bring her work to the stage.

“The U.Va. drama community has

really been one of the sole things that has uplifted me during my four years here,” Hall said. “Every single one of the professors is so incredibly loving and welcoming and open.”

The student writers vary — some take playwriting classes through the drama department to hone their craft, while others have experience in other writing disciplines with no affiliation to the department at all.

The directors of each play are responsible for reviewing self-taped monologues sent in by actors and selecting students to call back for specific roles. The callback process takes place over the course of one day and involves cold readings of the script for final casting.

The players opened the night with “Be A Doll,” written by fourthyear Commerce student Amelia Russell-Milstein and directed by second-year College student Kate Hovey. The audience was immediately thrust into a story that follows a woman struggling with her career and weighing her life choices. That is, until her childhood dolls grow life-sized in her small apartment and begin attempting to

give life advice. The short play was a relatable take on adulthood and how pressures from the past can often materialize in strange but amusing ways.

From there, the festival continued with the two pieces “Going Bananas” and “When It Starts to Hold Your Hand” — both written by Hall and the latter also directed by her.

“Going Bananas,” directed by thirdyear College student Abby Milne, was an eccentric short play in a sitcom fashion, depicting roommates arguing over stolen bananas and a silly prank competition providing unmatched comedic timing and chemistry. “When It Starts to Hold Your Hand,” however, threw the audience into an unexpected story of a woman mourning the passing of a best friend.

Hall described the powerful story as one that displays how working through grief is important even if it seems the work is meaningless at times.

“For ‘When It Starts to Hold Your Hand,’ just thinking about how grief is hard … But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel,” Hall said. “Sometimes that light at the

end of the tunnel is realizing that the person that you may have lost … would be proud of the progress that you were making even if it doesn’t seem like progress to you.”

After a brief intermission, the festival introduced “The Trash,” written by fourth-year College student Claire Lichty and directed by second-year College student Nicholas Hayes, which was a satirical take on the complications of marriage. The fifth performance “In Due Time” explored religion in the context of loss and questioning, written by second-year College student Claudia Hunn and directed by drama lecturer Karim Chebli.

To end the night of performances with a comedic bang, “Party Crashers,” written by second-year College student Julia Shuttleworth and directed by assistant professor of playwriting Doug Grissom, left audience members gasping for air between laughs.

The short play began as a panicked group of women debated which one of them was responsible for the accidental murder of a man who fell from the home of a nearby party. Not one

second of the showing went without a quick-witted joke that caused the theatre to erupt in laughter, with actors and well-portrayed roles that promised an even more comedic performance.

Third-year College student Abby Pasquanelli played the character Vera in “Party Crashers,” a stoner from the party who became involved with the murder without truly understanding what had happened. Pasquanelli discussed the process of acting in a show where the audience could expect the unexpected.

“It’s always best when you don’t plan what you’re gonna do, because then I feel like I’ve done something different every single rehearsal, and so doing it just now it was a totally different version which is exciting,” Pasquanelli said.

The powerful performances between the actors across the board demonstrated how the New Works Festival offers an interactive space for creativity and feedback, while fostering a sense of close community for performers and crew.

Fralin presents professor and student-curated Torah pointers

See the diverse collection of sacred Jewish reading devices on display through July 20

Julia Laszakovits | Staff Writer

The Fralin Museum of Art is presently housing over 80 Torah pointers in the “Between Hand and Scroll: Torah Pointers from the Barr Collection” exhibition. This exhibition was curated by Wendy Ligon Smith, assistant professor of the engagements, Professor of Anthropology Lise Dobrin and the students of last Fall’s iteration of ANTH 3679, “Curating Culture.”

Ligon Smith hopes that viewers can take this exhibition as an opportunity to learn more about the diverse nature of the Jewish faith.

“You’re getting this idea of how broad the scope of this Jewish practice is, of reading the Torah.” Ligon Smith said. “I was trying to think about weaving those threads throughout this thread of materiality, the thread of global conversations.”

The installation was donated by Clay Barr in honor of her late husband, Jay D.A. Barr, a graduate of the University and the School of Law. Unveiled Feb. 2, this exhibition examines an important object in the Jewish tradition by displaying dozens of diverse Torah pointers with designated plaques detailing the pointers’ origins.

A Torah pointer — or yad — serves to protect the sacredness of the Torah by preventing direct hand contact

while also helping the reader follow along during the Torah service. Using a yad demonstrates respect and reverence for the text and, in many ways, symbolizes the relationship between the Jewish people and the Torah.

Ranging in material, size and time period, the Torah pointers in this exhibit represent a wide variety of artistry and highlight the resilience of this cultural practice.

The Torah pointers are on display in a dimly lit room at the Fralin, ensuring that each internally illuminated case is a focal point, inviting the viewer to examine the pointers in more detail.

Toward the front of the room, there is a case containing 12 Torah pointers constructed with religiously-associated materials like precious metals and gems. Further within the exhibit, cases display Torah pointers made from glass, wood and more experimental materials, such as pencils and skateboards.

Ligon Smith explained how the placement of each section of Torah pointers was intentional, organizing them by materiality to compare the styles and creative choices made by artists, rather than time period or place of origin.

“[I] wanted to make sure it was

something that was approachable to people who were not Jewish, and that it was something good to teach with.” Ligon Smith said. “One of the ways that I thought this collection could be more approachable was if we thought about materials.”

Each Torah pointer differs in size and appearance, but they all follow the same basic shape, typically featuring an ornate handle with a realistic, pointing human hand at the end. Many of the Torah pointers in the exhibit made from precious materials include these traditional features, while others are more abstract in design.

Some Torah pointers come from the United States, but others come from a plethora of other countries such as India, Germany and Egypt. The variety of this collection represents the scope of Judaism, offering a comprehensive and cross-cultural viewing experience.

“When a religious tradition is [practiced] in different parts of the world, you can see local influences,” Ligon Smith said. “There’s a wide range of what it means to be Jewish.”

For museum goers who are not familiar with the Jewish tradition, several features provide more context for the religious significance of Torah

pointers. On one side of the room, a Torah is on display, while the opposite side displays a video of a Torah service from Congregation Beth Israel, a local synagogue. This adds an auditory element to the gallery and allows the audience to see a Torah pointer in use.

Each semester that the “Curating Culture” course is taught, students focus on curating items belonging to a different culture. In the fall semester, students were given a working knowledge of Judaism, which included visits to the local synagogue, lectures from guest speakers and observance of Jewish holidays.

Students played various roles in the exhibit’s curation, including writing descriptions, creating interactive activities for children and curating a specific section of Torah pointers. Thirdyear College student Kaitlynn Fisher explained how the course broadened her understanding of what it takes to curate an exhibit.

“You have to think about everything, the color that you paint the walls, the font that you write the text in,” Fisher said. “You have to write about how people of different ages and backgrounds are gonna see it, and how they’re gonna interpret what you write.”

Carina Velocci, Fralin student docent and fourth-year College student, had the opportunity to broaden her museum experience in this course. She has been a docent since her second year, but never had the chance to work in a behind-the-scenes capacity. Velocci explained how she used her experience to consult with the curators to make the exhibition accessible to children and all other viewers, while also exploring a side of museum work that she had not previously.

“Creating an exhibition that is so focused on one culture and one community gave me a lot of insight about how to communicate that with audiences who are outside of it,” Velocci said. “Learning more about how to bridge the gap between artists and audience that’s really special and important.”

“Between Hand and Scroll” offers a close look at an essential Jewish artifact. The diversity of Torah pointers creates a cross-cultural conversation, enriching the audience’s understanding of Jewish tradition while featuring dozens of intricate pieces of art.

“Between Hand and Scroll: Torah Pointers from the Barr Collection” will be on display at the Fralin through July 20.

SPORTS

How Sara O’Leary built women’s tennis into a tight-knit force

The program is the best it has ever been, and it starts with the culture that O’Leary built

Gracie Genereux | Staff Writer

Just last week, Virginia women’s tennis became the No. 1 team in the nation, an achievement never before earned in program history. To some, this surge to the top may seem sudden, even unexpected, but for this program, it has been years in the making. And at the center of it all is the coach who has transformed the program in under a decade.

When Coach Sara O’Leary took the helm June 12, 2017, the team was coming off a season in which it finished ranked No. 43. Almost eight years later, O’Leary has not only rebuilt the program but turned it into an ACC powerhouse and a national title contender. Her accolades speak for themselves — 2024 ACC Coach of the Year, two-time ITA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year and six NCAA Tournament appearances.

Under her leadership, the Cavaliers have consistently ascended into the top 10 of the rankings, reaching No. 9 in 2019-20 as well as a record-breaking No. 4 in 2021-22 before claiming the top spot now. They also set a record with a 25-win season in 2023-24. Yet, players say that O’Leary’s most telling impact goes beyond wins and rankings — it is the culture she has instilled in her players and the development she has fostered.

Her philosophy has been simple but effective — focus on daily improvements rather than just long-term results. The success has been no accident. O’Leary inherited a struggling program and implemented a structured, player-centric development plan.

Former Virginia star Natasha Subhash, who played under O’Leary from 2019 to 2024, credits the coaching staff’s emphasis on player development for her own growth.

“The coaches, led by Coach O’Leary, prioritized player development above all else,” Subhash said in an interview. “For me, one of the biggest things that set U.Va. apart, and the coaches especially, was that they created this developmental plan for me as a recruit.”

This commitment to individual progress has resulted in 16 All-American honors during O’Leary’s tenure — more than in the program’s entire history before her arrival.

A prime example of O’Leary’s

developmental expertise is Virginia alumna Emma Navarro, who won the 2021 NCAA Singles Championship under her guidance. Navarro’s dominance on the national stage cemented O’Leary’s reputation as a coach who could not only recruit top talent but also elevate it to elite status.

The impact of O’Leary’s approach is also evident in the team’s rise through the rankings and its consistent deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. In 2022, Virginia reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2016, a feat it repeated in 2024 while securing an ACC regular-season co-title.

Just as important as the developmental expertise she’s passed onto individual players, O’Leary has fostered an environment that emphasizes unity, teamwork and resilience. Her teams have developed a reputation for their closeknit culture, where lifting each other up is paramount.

“I think the biggest thing is just focusing on the culture first,” O’Leary said after the Georgia Tech match Feb. 23. “That’s just what we always go back to. We’re not super focused on the wins and the losses, just making sure we’re doing the little things well and better every single day.”

According to Subhash, this culture is a defining aspect of the program.

“In all my five years, we never had a problem with lineup disputes,” Subhash said. “Every single person on the team — no matter what you played or if you played at all — everyone mattered equally.”

Senior Elaine Chervinsky exemplified this camaraderie during the team’s ACC opener against Clemson Feb. 21. Though sidelined due to injury, she remained on court alongside her doubles partner, senior Melodie Collard, and Collard’s temporary partner, freshman Isabelle Lacy, for the entirety of their match. Collard and Lacy were struggling to gain the upper hand, and Chervinsky provided unwavering support, offering encouragement and strategic advice, fully engaged despite being unable to compete in such an exciting match.

Another pillar of O’Leary’s healthy culture is the program’s emphasis on leadership. Players

are encouraged to take ownership of their improvement and to inspire those around them. One such player, graduate student Sara Ziodato, was recently named ACC Player of the Week, a recognition O’Leary attributes to her dedication and leadership.

“I think we have great leadership with Sara Ziodato and Nicole Kiefer,” O’Leary said Feb. 23. “They’ve been amazing leaders this spring … showing the younger players, this is how we do things, just the sacrifices they’ve made, they’re just so committed.”

This type of culture is not only crucial in tennis but difficult to achieve. Matches have a tendency to feel very individual, and it is easy to feel like you are competing with your teammates. A team-first mentality is also crucial during tight matches, where a close bond can combat the high pressure environment.

One hallmark of O’Leary’s teams has been their dominance in doubles play. The 2022-23 season, for instance, saw two Virginia doubles teams ranked in the top 10 nationally. Graduate student Julia Adams and senior Mél -

odie Collard reached the NCAA doubles semifinals, tying the program’s best-ever finish, while Subhash and Chervinsky peaked at No. 3 in the national rankings.

O’Leary’s approach to doubles is meticulous, pairing players based on complementary styles and honing their chemistry through rigorous practice.

“I think there’s so much strategy that goes along with it. I think figuring out who they partner well with personality wise, game style wise, makes a huge difference,” O’Leary said. “I think we’re just a team that loves playing doubles.”

That makes sense given O’Leary’s history. She won the 2007 NCAA doubles title as a senior at North Carolina. That was part of a career that included All-America honors in 2006 and 2007.

O’Leary spent six years as an assistant coach at North Carolina after that, helping guide the Tar Heels to their first NCAA final and developing multiple All-Americans. As a head coach, she led Davidson to three consecutive winning seasons, earning

Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors before coming to Virginia. With back-to-back NCAA quarterfinal appearances and a deep, talented roster, the Cavaliers are poised for even greater heights. O’Leary’s ability to recruit players like Subhash and develop players, coupled with her strategic acuity, suggests that an NCAA championship could be within reach.

But for O’Leary, the goal remains the same — continuous, daily improvement.

“The culture that the coaches built was something to fall back on,” Subhash said. “ … Whenever we would have a couple tough results, it was never a fear of ours that we wouldn’t ever get it back.”

Under her leadership, Virginia women’s tennis is not just relevant — it has become a force to be reckoned with. And with O’Leary at the helm, the best may still be yet to come.

COURTESY VIRGINIA ATHLETICS

O’Leary currently has her Cavaliers ranked No. 1 in the country.

SPORTS

Everything is bigger in Texas — except for lacrosse

Virginia men’s lacrosse’s game Saturday against Towson, in a huge state with no Division I lacrosse, is more than just a homecoming for Texas natives

Sam Chun | Staff Writer

There are no NCAA Division I lacrosse programs in Texas. And there are certainly no Division I lacrosse programs in The Woodlands, Texas. So when senior goalie Matt Nunes, back in 2012, hopped in the car to watch Army play Air Force for the second Division I game in Houston since 1970, it meant something.

“That was something that always stuck with me,” Nunes said. “And it kind of gives you the dreams.”

An almost identical event is happening this weekend, in the same state and on the same field where a young Nunes was introduced in-person to high-level lacrosse. Virginia and Towson will meet Saturday at Houston’s Kinkaid School, in the first of two games this season taking place in Texas. Both are part of the 2025 Corrigan Sports Enterprises College Lacrosse Live Series, which is in its second year of existence but its first venturing to Texas. Other games will be held in Maryland and New York.

The series will help expose kids, prospects and fans in the Longhorn State to lacrosse, which has a small but strong culture in the state. Nunes

— and the four other Texas natives on the roster — has the opportunity to give the same experience to a new generation. Most kids in the area have never seen high-level lacrosse played in person, but unique events like this can spark an early love for the game.

“It’s really neat because they’ll be able to go to their backyard after the game on Saturday and try out whatever McCabe [Millon] does on the field, or whatever Ben Wayer does, or whatever a Towson player may do,” Nunes said. “It really gives them, like, ‘I can be that kid out on the field one day.’”

Nunes was ranked the nation’s top goalie coming out of high school and the No. 3 overall prospect, but his first sport was tackle football. Football is ingrained into Texas culture — the phrase “Friday Night Lights” is synonymous with the glory that comes with high school football, making it the sport that many elite athletes from the area pour their efforts into practicing.

For Nunes and The Woodlands, as with freshman defender Reese Stepanian and Houston, the local lacrosse community felt small. But it is growing rapidly. Dallas is a burgeoning

hotspot, home to freshman attackman Sean Browne, senior midfielder Anthony Ghobriel and senior attacker Thomas Mencke, and the location of the College Lacrosse Live Series’s other Texas game, March 22 between Duke and Denver.

“I would argue that that’s probably the second most popular sport in the community, behind football,” Mencke said. “The majority of the kids who play lacrosse also play football, and obviously vice versa.”

Mencke’s passion for lacrosse started at a young age, as his older brother played the sport growing up before going on to play Division I at Harvard. His love for the game is not unique to his situation, though, as his high school, Highland Park, pumps out college talent every year. So does Episcopal School of Dallas, where Browne, who is redshirting this year, played.

Texas seems to have a tight-knit lacrosse community forming on its own, even outside of those bounds. Mencke and Nunes competed against each other starting in third grade despite being separated by three hours.

“All the guys that played lacrosse in

Texas, that were at least my year, were all pretty close and kind of keep up with each other,” Mencke said.

But the sport ultimately runs through the East Coast and the Northeast, whether that be in watching elite-level lacrosse or competing against the best in the country. The sport is played in high schools across the country, but there exist just three NCAA Division I lacrosse programs west of the Mississippi. Texas has its fair share of MCLA programs — collegiate non-varsity teams competing under their own governing body — but that is not quite the same level.

“For anything serious with the game of lacrosse, it was always traveling three, four hours to the East Coast — generally New York, Maryland, Philadelphia, that sort of environment,” Mencke said. “Simply put, I never thought that I would play a college lacrosse game in Texas.”

Coach Lars Tiffany jumped at the opportunity to make it happen. Well aware of the growing hotbed in the state — with five currently rostered players and another, Ben Boyer from Highland Park, where Mencke and

Ghobriel both played, coming next year — he saw the potential benefits.

“I’m happy to do a neutral site game if it’s a destination where we can do some recruiting that we don’t normally go to,” Tiffany said. “When they threw out the opportunity of Texas, I said, ‘That’d be great.’”

The game will come with perhaps more pressure than he anticipated. Virginia fell out of the national rankings last week, languishing at 2-3, with Saturday’s loss to Johns Hopkins the final blow after shocking upsets to Richmond and Ohio State. Towson is not ranked either, with one win in five games, although it did, like Virginia, come within a goal of the Blue Jays.

Both teams desperately need a win. Either way, though, the trip to Houston will be a positive experience.

Nunes feels like he was passed the torch by players older than him from the area, and now he is the one passing it to the younger generation.

“I was able to pick their minds and ask them questions,” Nunes said. “Just like I’m hopefully trying to be a resource for younger kids.”

Can Virginia baseball overcome a slow-ish start?

After a few early losses, the Cavaliers have a long road ahead of them

Stephen

O’Dea and David Sewall | Staff Writers

The 2025 season began on a sour note for No. 9 Virginia baseball. Losses to Michigan and then-No. 7 Oregon State were frustrating but reasonable, considering the talent of those two squads. However, troublesome trends are brewing. Namely, a few starters are slumping at the plate. Junior outfielder Harrison Didawick is hitting .189 with just two extra-base hits, and graduate catcher Jacob Ference has just seven hits in eight starts thus far.

While half of the lineup excelled, the other has not, even after the reprieve of playing winless Dartmouth and 4-8 William & Mary. That begs the question — can the Cavaliers recover from a trio of early-season losses and reassert themselves as a top-five team? Two baseball beat writers discuss their thoughts below.

The good — what has gone well thus far?

Stephen O’Dea, Staff Writer: The silver lining of the season thus far perhaps lies in the performance of the newcomers that have been scattered throughout the lineups at various points in the early stages of the year. In some cases, the numbers jump off the page. Freshman outfielder James

Nunnallee, despite displaying the initial requisite faltering of a newcomer to a top program, has thrived. A .345 average in 29 at-bats makes him the third-most productive starter by that metric.

With the ball in hand, it’s difficult to look past transfer graduate reliever Matt Lanzendorfer. He has been unceasingly destructive, toting a 13-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in five appearances.

David Sewall, Staff Writer: Virginia’s overall pitching effort has been instrumental in the Cavaliers’ performance thus far this season. Freshman starter Tomas Valincius has been dominant thus far — sporting a 2.12 ERA and a strong 25-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 17 innings. In addition, senior Jay Woolfolk and sophomore Bryson Moore have also delivered in their three starts, Woolfolk with a 2.63 ERA and Moore a 3.18 ERA.

In addition to the starting pitching, Virginia’s bullpen has been magnificent. After arguably holding the team back and notably struggling in recent years, this bullpen has been dominant. Sophomore Drew Koenen and juniors Kevin Jaxel and Ryan

Osinski have all been excellent and durable for the Cavaliers. Additionally, Lanzendorfer has yet to give up an earned run in seven innings.

Assuming the Cavaliers’ offensive talent finds its stride to complement their red-hot pitching staff — Virginia has the opportunity to contend down the stretch.

The bad — in order for Virginia to be in the top five, who needs to step up the most?

SO: Aside from stating the obvious about veterans holding their weight with the bat, I think that one pivotal concern is the brevity of starts from top-of-the-line senior pitcher Jay Woolfolk. He has only lasted 13.2 innings in three starts and gave up 15 hits in that limited action.

It is hard to expect the Cavaliers’ offensive unit to be firing on all cylinders when they have to keep themselves afloat with a rotating carousel of relievers. If Woolfolk in particular could stretch his starts even one or two more innings, it would make a huge difference in the way that the entire team perceives game situations.

DS: While several players have struggled relative to their preseason

expectations, the most glaring case is Didawick. After an impressive sophomore campaign in which he recorded a .292/.414/.642 slash line, earned Second Team All-ACC honors and led the team with 68 runs batted in, Didawick was primed for another dominant season for Virginia.

Thus far, Didawick has fallen well short of those expectations, hitting just .189 through his first 37 at-bats. Perhaps even more concerning than his low average is the absence of power, with only one home run and one double, a stark contrast to the offensive force he was projected to be. There is no question that Didawick has the power and talent to anchor this Cavaliers team. His ability to make mechanical adjustments and reestablish himself as one the premier bats in college baseball could be a deciding factor in Virginia’s season.

The ugly — is the large slump a one-off, or the sign of a bigger issue?

SO: At the end of the day, these are premier talents that just need a bigger sample size. Eleven games are hardly enough to judge players who performed to the highest degree in a full season of work last year.

Didawick’s home run shows just how rapidly things can change for the best in the game. The Cavaliers have had to play a slew of some pretty tough games to open the season, and they are just getting to a stage in their schedule where they can build up some confidence at the plate against some more manageable competition. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Cavaliers’ slump is a minor blemish in what is sure to be an exciting season for this offense.

DS: Yes, Virginia’s offensive struggles are concerning, but they seem to reflect a temporary slump rather than a deeper, fundamental issue. The Cavaliers were tested in highly competitive extra-inning games versus the Wolverines and Oklahoma. Their struggles with situational hitting have played a major role in their early record, but a handful of timely hits could have flipped the outcome — and the overall perception — of the season so far.

As Virginia settles in, experience should allow the team to execute better in pressure situations, and talent should enable them to showcase their offensive firepower down the stretch.

Top 10 reasons to stop dreading midterms

A collection of mindset shifts to make midterms more bearable

Elizabeth Parsons | Staff Writer

As we power through the springtime scaries brought on by midterm season, students around Grounds are abuzz with stress-filled conversations — venting about Shannon seat scarcity, laying out their study plans and of course, bonding over sleep deprivation. If you can relate, I have a few mindset shifts and helpful suggestions to make this unforgiving time of the semester feel a bit easier. Plus, chances are that approaching your exams calmly and with confidence will actually boost your performance.

1. Midterms mean you are one step closer to finishing the semester

The only way to finish the semester is to make it to the end, and unfortunately, making it to the end requires trudging through midterms. Instead of looking at these assessments as some kind of cruel and unusual punishment, think of them as the vehicles driving you to the sunshine and joy of summer break. If you are a fourth-year wanting to avoid graduation, ignore this advice.

2.

Studying can be an enjoyable process

Use midterms as a reason to set up camp in the library or a cozy coffee shop. If you must have a weekend study day, make it more pleasant by leaving the monotony of your desk. Maybe even bring some friends to work alongside you and provide moral support. Personally, I love doing work in Mudhouse early on Saturday morning before it becomes too busy. If nothing else, let your ego feel the boost of having a productive weekend study session.

3.

Think of a midterm as a chance to shine

Midterms can easily cause you to second-guess yourself, making you worry about your grade, your GPA or even your self-worth. It’s just as easy, however, to turn this logic upside down. Instead of worrying about all the stuff you don’t know, a midterm can be an opportunity to reflect on all of the hard work and studying you have completed so far this semester. Put emphasis on the things you do know for the exam, and feel excited to show off all of the knowledge you’ve gained so far this semester.

4. Midterms are valuable feedback for finals season

At its core, your midterm serves as a test-run for the final, giving you valuable insight. What style of exam does your professor use? What information from coursework is emphasized on the exam? What is the best way to prepare? Your midterm will answer these questions while the stakes are lower and inform how you should prepare for the more significant final. Once you garner this information, you’ll have the tools to help you ace every test that follows.

Sometimes, test days are better than sitting through a real class

Hear me out — sometimes, an exam day beats a regular class day. Some classes drag on for an hour and 15 minutes, requiring active participation and maybe even — gasp — tedious group work. Exam days, however, are likely just you, your test and your Ticonderoga No. 2. Plus, at the very least, tests are engaging, and therefore have an edge up on lengthy, boring lectures. Perhaps you’ll finish earlier than your regular class time would have released, and you’ll have a few extra minutes to enjoy the day and bask in the relief of having the test over with.

6.

Midterms are a great excuse for just about anything

Midterms are a totally valid reason to put some things on hold. It’s okay to let your laundry pile a bit higher than usual or forget about making your bed every morning. And hey, you might as well grab take-out for dinner — it’s midterms season. Plus, if you need a reason to avoid social plans, pull the midterm card. Chances are, everyone else is just as stressed about their own exams, and they’ll understand if you need to stay home.

7.

Incentivize your studying with a treat

5. 8. It’s literally just

You would probably pick up your overpriced coffee on the way to the library regardless, but now you can truly justify it under the guise of a well-earned midterm treat. That vanilla latte goes down much smoother when you remember you are treating yourself for marching through the taxing pits of mid-semester assessments. Might I point out, midterms are arguably even more difficult than finals because classes are still meeting — so, yes, you really do deserve that extra coffee and the accompanying croissant. They’ll compensate for all of the sleep you have had to sacrifice.

9.

Use

study tactics acquired from the hundreds of tests you’ve survived before

I find comfort in reminding myself of all the exams, papers, projects and presentations I have endured over the years and all of the study techniques I have perfected through them. Strapped with strategic notes, group cram-sessions, Quizlet and many other tools, I promise that we are much more prepared for midterms than we think, and that with the right preparation, we are absolutely capable of passing them with flying, or at least fluttering, colors.

You could drop the word “midterm” altogether

Perhaps “midterm” sounds more daunting than what it really is — simply another assessment. Personally, I have a gripe with the word “midterm” because students and professors alike use it to describe any exam, project or paper up until the very last week of class. I already have “midterms” scheduled well into April this semester. In my opinion, it should solely be reserved for exams occurring at the middle of the term. To avoid this confusion and to omit the worrisome connotation that “midterm” may bring, consider dropping it entirely to help protect your peace during this part of the semester.

an exam

This advice feels rich coming from me, someone who regularly feels like the importance of an exam or paper cannot be understated. Nevertheless, I have survived plenty of my own rough exam days during my four years at the University, and it is a relief to report that one exam tells only a small piece of a much larger story. Each time I have left an exam feeling like my world had just been rocked, I lived to tell the tale, and the world kept on spinning.

KAITLIN LUU THE CAVALIER DAILY

Diabetes Link connects condition to community

The emerging CIO aims to bring awareness and empowerment to Charlottesville

Charley Thomas | Features Writer

Last year, students on Grounds founded the University’s chapter of The Diabetes Link, a national organization aimed at uplifting people impacted by diabetes, specifically Type I. The Contracted Independent Organization hosts a variety of events that build community and educate members about the disability, ranging from guest speaker presentations to volunteering at a local camp. As its presence on Grounds grows, Diabetes Link hopes to connect more people to diabetes-related resources and create a network of members passionate about awareness.

As President and Vice President of the CIO, third-year College student Hilda Joseph and second-year Education student Elise Bowen aim to create a safe space for sharing experiences with diabetes and make club members more informed about the condition.

“My broader vision for U.Va. and for the world is for everybody to understand the condition and to be comfortable talking about how we can give people better resources and access to the care they need,” Bowen

said. Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disorder characterized by insulin deficiency, and it has historically been shrouded in stigma and misconceptions. According to Joseph, Diabetes Link works to remedy ignorance about Diabetes and forge bonds among students with educational and community-building activities at their meetings.

“Raising awareness can help correct misconceptions, reduce judgment and promote empathy overall,” Joseph said. “For people who already have [diabetes] on Grounds, it’s good to have that space where they don’t feel isolated.”

As someone who has the disability, Bowen said she hopes that Diabetes Link will dismantle negative assumptions among University students about Type I diabetes. With Type I, the body produces little insulin because the immune system destroys the pancreatic cells responsible for insulin production. Type I is often conflated with Type II diabetes, where the body becomes “insulin resistant,” resulting in rises in

blood sugar. Type II diabetes is often, though not always, caused by physical inactivity or excess body fat.

Because of the shame surrounding speaking out, conversations about diabetes risk being silenced, according to Bowen.

“Diabetes isn’t very talked about because of the stigma that comes with the word,” Bowen said.

Beyond those who have the disability themselves, members of the club include biomedical engineers and other pre-med students who seek a greater understanding of the condition before they enter the workforce. There are also club members who have relatives with diabetes and want to learn how to better support their loved ones.

To spread diabetes awareness into the community, Bowen aims to specifically engage people without diabetes so they can learn what it is like to live with the condition. In doing so, she hopes Diabetes Link will contribute to a more informed and empathetic University community.

“Something that people without diabetes don’t think about often is

how many times throughout the day we have to count carbs when we make our food,” Bowen said. “I think it would be fun to have a bring-a-friend cooking class, where people can learn what cooking with Type I diabetes looks like.”

Furthering their impact, Diabetes Link is exploring the possibility of volunteering at Camp Holiday Trails, a nonprofit camp for children and teens with medical needs 20 minutes outside of Grounds. The organization offers a program specifically for children with diabetes, connecting it well to the CIO’s mission of understanding and acceptance at any age.

“[We want to organize] an opportunity for people to go help fix up the camp and have a greater connection to what diabetes care and management looks like right here in Charlottesville,” Bowen said.

Bowen served as a counselor at camp once she got older. She said that her experience looking after kids with diabetes has inspired her to create spaces where everyone feels a sense of belonging and visibility.

Visibility, or “feeling seen,”

emerges as a dominant theme of what Diabetes Link seeks to cultivate in the University community. The club’s members enjoy an environment that accepts their experiences and encourages them to speak out.

“As I got older, I started really connecting with the disabled community and understanding that just because Type I diabetes is a chronic condition and is invisible, that doesn’t mean it’s not a disability,” Bowen said. “That was a label that I started to really take back for myself, and I learned how to advocate for my needs.”

Heading into only its fourth semester of operation at the University, Diabetes Link keeps the ideals of empathetic community and disability education at the core of its efforts. Joseph said that she is excited to see the impact the club will have for years to come.

“I hope this club is able to empower people,” Joseph said. “We want people to have a safe space to be seen and heard.”

The business of a competitive major program

University students navigate McIntire’s selective admissions process

Abby Snowdon | Features Writer

After taking rigorous courses in high school, engaging in a host of extracurriculars and writing essays for the Common Application, students arrive at the University, eager to pursue the fields of study that interest them. But for some students, getting into the University is just the first hurdle, as they still have to compete for a coveted spot in one of more than a dozen admissions-based major programs.

The Bachelor of Science in Commerce at the McIntire School of Commerce is one such program that attracts many hopeful students every year. But the admissions process — which is highly competitive, given that McIntire is one of the country’s top undergraduate business programs — turns away hundreds of yearly applicants. These students must quickly pivot to other academic plans.

Second-year students who applied to McIntire were notified Feb. 26 of their admissions decisions. Second-year Commerce student Ella Rackliffe, who was recently accepted to McIntire, expressed gratitude for her spot in the program — but lamented that other qualified peers did not get the news they had hoped for.

“The hard part with [McIntire] is that everyone is so qualified, and with the 50 percent acceptance rate, you can’t take everyone,” Rackliffe said.

“While I do feel very lucky for [getting accepted], I’m also disappointed that [one of my friends], someone that I feel is so fit for the program, didn’t get in.”

Last year, McIntire had an admissions rate around 50 percent. 367 fortunate students received access to a coveted degree and the network of McIntire faculty and alumni. Meanwhile, the other 355 students were left scrambling to find another path — preferably one that aligned with the 10 prerequisites they had already completed.

This is a common experience across competitive majors. Students who do not get into their first choice often feel like they have to restart academically, and they can be disheartened by the notion that the work they did was wasted. Third-year Commerce student Neha Jagasia recalls the frustration of her “pre-Commerce” friends who were rejected from their firstchoice major.

“They were very disappointed … And I would have been, too,” Jagasia said. “If you went to a school for two

years and you took numerous classes to try to get into that particular major you wanted to study, it’s almost like the entire degree you wanted, you can’t get anymore.”

In response to concerns about this timeline, McIntire has changed their admissions process, now requiring students to apply in their first year. This will allow students to receive their decisions earlier and give them more time to plan their next steps.

Most notably, the number of prerequisites has been significantly reduced. Students are now only required to complete three courses before applying — COMM 1800, “Foundations of Commerce,” ECON 2010, “Principles of Microeconomics” and the College’s First Writing Requirement. Pierce Coughter, McIntire’s director of undergraduate admissions and recruiting, explained why the school decided to make this switch.

“Now that students will find out if they’re admitted to the major or not earlier in their U.Va. experience, it gives them more time to pivot if they do get the disappointing answer that they’re not admitted,” Coughter said. “[They will avoid] the panic of finding out [toward] the end of [their] second

year and saying, ‘Oh, gosh, what am I going to do?’”

However, this year, the challenges of the second-year admissions cycle still remain, with some students experiencing particularly difficult rejections after two years of preparation. Nevertheless, fourth-year Commerce student Yusuf Moustafa said that receiving an admissions decision for a major program does not have to be a defining moment of your college career. Having transferred into McIntire, Moustafa emphasized that success is not limited to a single academic path.

“I actually believe with enough drive … you can access the same opportunities if you work hard and network,” Moustafa said. “Your major doesn’t actually define you. If you major in [economics], those same opportunities will be open for you.”

Although disappointing news about a major can be difficult, Coughter emphasized how little this decision truly matters in the grand scheme of a career.

“Getting denied from the major you want doesn’t mean doors are closed for your post-graduate career,” Coughter said. “The value of any liberal arts degree here at U.Va. is going to set you up successfully for your post-U. Va. plans. Just keep in mind, you’re still going to be in great shape.”

Rackliffe echoed this sentiment, noting that the University offers many opportunities that are not associated with a particular major.

“U.Va. was always what I wanted first, and then McIntire came second,” Rackliffe said. “We’re all at the same school. We all are going to spend most [of our] time outside of classes. I think just keeping your head up and knowing that, no matter what, [you’re] at U.Va. — you’re going to be okay.”

Likewise, for students who do not get into their preferred major, there are still several ways for them to engage in their desired field of study, from elective coursework to clubs. For example, both McIntire and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy offer minor programs, some of which do not require an application. These provide students who did not get their preferred major a chance to take classes that align with their academic interests.

HUMOR

My experience on a new and improved U.Va. tour

Editor’s note: This article is a humor column.

As my mom whipped into the Central Grounds garage, I took it in. The University of Virginia — my dream school. I had many achievements — getting off the bench for the first time on Senior Night and stealing a beer from my parents for prom. But my accomplishments paled in comparison to getting into such a prestigious University. A school with history spanning two centuries — which I didn’t know a lot about, having learned of the school on TikTok.

As we joined the tour group, we met our Admissions Intern, who introduced herself as Ree Branding. Ree described how she landed on the University — interestingly, she was planning on leaving the continent had she not gotten in.

A few times throughout the tour, we would pass by some -

thing that seemed significant, like a monument or posters covering up plaques. The posters said “Don’t ask what this is!” with a “Big Branding” logo on the bottom. I noticed them covering the curvy walls between the road and the Lawn.

First, we took a stop by Edgar Allan Poe’s West Range room. As I pressed my face to the glass, Ree told me about Poe’s time here — I was shocked to learn he spoke at graduation and won a Nobel Peace Prize while he was a student!

When parents would ask questions about anything historical, Ree stopped in her tracks. A thousand-yard stare would take over her face, and she would look behind her and begin to sweat. When I looked to see, a mascot — the mythical Cav Man? — would dart behind the nearest bush.

As we went through the Gooch-Dillard complex, I no -

ticed a sign that said something about the University Guide Service. I inched forward, but Ree dashed over and slammed her body over top of it. “Don’t worry about that!” she said, her eye twitching as she whipped her head around. She slapped another “Don’t ask what this is!” poster on the sign, and we continued — strange, since I would have thought Ree would be enthusiastic about tour guides?

I was peckish after walking 30 minutes on campus. Just as I had that thought, Ree swiveled her head 180 degrees, shooting me a glare at the word “campus” in my own brain. I wondered if Big Branding was always watching. Luckily, my prayers would be answered. We took a stop by Newcomb Dining Hall, and I got to sample some of the world’s “finest delicacies” as Ree droned on about how the dining halls were the greatest places to make

new friends. We did have to shell out 26 dollars to eat, as Ree explained University tour guides didn’t have the budget to be serving us food. According to her, their money went to “programming” tour guides to “reflect the positive history of the University” — whatever that meant.

Given glimpses of U.Va.’s history, I was curious to learn more. I noticed a separate group of what looked like a different tour across the Lawn, with a guide who looked less stiff, but I decided not to think much of it.

As we approached the Rotunda, I couldn’t help but wonder about the University’s founder, a man I had only heard of in my “Hamilton” addiction — Thomas Jefferson.

“What was the role of Thomas Jefferson? Did he build all of this?” I asked Ree. She answered unthinkingly. “Well, he obviously couldn’t have built everything

alone…” Suddenly, her face went pale.

Out of a bush, someone leapt and tackled Ree to the ground. “NO TALK OF ANYTHING NEGATIVE! YOU DON’T WANT TO END UP LIKE GUIDES!” They then dropkicked Ree, and we watched in horror as she flew over the Rotunda. The attacker stood up, brushing her polo off — an outfit identical to Ree’s, including the plastered-on smile.

“That was a close one! I’m Ree’s boss, Ms. Information. Ree is gonna go back to training so they can fix that glitch in the programming. I’ll be taking over!”

ANNA SCOTT is a humor columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at humor@cavalierdaily.com

The Cavaliers’ 6-Year Streak

Anna May Stouse | Cartoonist

Across the World to Class

Sophia Lee | Cartoonist

Quarters

One ___

16 Time to head to Florida … or what occurs between the circled letters of 28-Across, 42-Across, 49-Across and 60-Across

18 Opposite of bien

19 A/C output

20 Question responses

22 Command for a dog

23 Abundance

24 At 63-Across until 2 a.m., perhaps

27 ___ v. Wade

28 Overripe, as a potato

30 Christmas

34 Coffee container

35 Kind of rally

36 Circle segment

39 Fawn’s mother

40 Type of car often bought by U.Va. students

42 Growing, as a disease

45 Device used after CPR

48 Course selections?

CROSSWORD

49 Practicing, in boxing

53 Tolkien monster

54 Coastal hazard

55 Baltimore baserunners

59 Operated

60 Breaking apart, as wood

62 Key near Ctrl

63 Corner fixture

64 Apartment

65 U.K. leaders

66 Christa Acampora and Scott Beardsley are two at U.Va.

67 Hosp. distributions

DOWN

1 Opposite of fem.

2 Pet food brand

3 Hendrix hairdo

4 Sends via USPS

5 This ans. is one

6 Neither’s partner

7 Optimal

8 Far from nicer

9 Invites out for

10 Stan Lee appearance in a Marvel movie, for one

11 Beatles drummer Ringo

12 Tortilla chip dip

14 Rabble-rouse

17 Seal, as a crate

21 Timely question

23 Signature piece?

24 Magnum ____

25 Strong desire

26 Pointers

28 Mustangs of the ACC

29 First senator in space

31 “Garfield” dog

32 Long, long times

33 Stocking stuffer?

37 Witty comebacks

38 Stephen King’s breakout novel

41 “Dagnabbit!”

43 Identify

44 Good form

46 Undid

47 Smile accompaniment

49 Backpack feature

50 Sacred hymn

51 Uncles’ wives

52 ____ Wafers

55 Small bills

56 Actor’s shout

57 Oklahoma city

58 Cpls.’ superiors

61 “There’s no ___ team”

Max Goldberg | Puzzlist

Heer Patel | Puzzlist

Justin Xiao | Puzzlist