February 20, 2013

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The Cavalier Daily Wednesday, February 20, 2013

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Council denies marijuana bill

Charlottesville City Council did not approve a measure Tuesday evening that would have reduced marijuana possession from a class one misdemeanor to a class four offense.

Possession will remain Class I misdemeanor, not Class IV; offense still includes jail time, $500 fine

By Jordan Bower

Cavalier Daily Associate Editor Charlottesville City Council vetoed an ordinance Tuesday which would reclassify the possession of marijuana within the city as a Class IV misdemeanor for first-time offenders, eliminating the possibility of a jail sentence and capping fines at $250 . Current state law punishes possession of less than a half ounce of marijuana with as much as 30 days in jail and up to $500 in fines.

Marshall Bronfin Cavalier Daily

Ed McCann, executive director of Virginia’s chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws , advocated lessening penalties for marijuana possession to Council, though he said Charlottesville is notably more lenient than many other areas in the state on marijuana penalty enforcement.

“We understand that Charlottesville does not generally jail its citizens for marijuana, but Please see Council, Page A3

StudCo tables Honor vote Council decides neither endorsement nor opposition represent student body

By Abby Meredith and Emma Clark Cavalier Daily Staff Writers

Student Council discussed the Restore the Ideal proposal Tuesday evening, but ultimately decided not to endorse or oppose the proposed amendments to the Honor Committee’s constitution and bylaws, saying neither position would be truly representative of the student body on the polarizing issue.

Resolution 13-05, the measure written in favor of the reforms, lauded the Committee for developing reforms which preserved the community of trust. Resolution 13-04 , which opposed the honor reforms, encouraged the Committee to find more inclusive ways to preserve the ideals of the honor system. Neither resolution was voted on, and Council chose instead to encourage students to vote in the University-wide elections

Feb. 25-28.

“I can sit here all day and talk about my personal feelings about the issue,” said Darden School representative Jack Parrot , a second-year Darden student .

“But it’s reckless to say that that is the opinion to represent all of Darden.”

Council members also expressed concern that taking a firm position would not be truly Please see StudCo, Page A3

Jenna Truong | Cavalier Daily

Though both sides introduced referendums on the issue Tuesday, the final vote decided Council should encourage students to vote on their own.

SPORTS

Freshman forward Evan Nolte hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 50 with 14 seconds left before Virginia conceded the winning basket on the ensuing Miami possession.

IN BRIEF

Stolen pass dooms Cavs Freshman forward Evan Nolte rattled home a 3-pointer from the right wing with 14 seconds left to even the score at 50 apiece against No. 2 Miami Tuesday evening in Coral Gables , but Hurricane senior center Reggie Johnson exploited a defensive breakdown for a game-winning layup to propel Miami to its 14th straight victory, 54-50.

Johnson’s basket with five seconds remaining was the decisive moment in a backand-forth game that saw Virginia (18-8, 8-5 ACC) storm back from a seven-point second-half deficit . Virginia still had an

Jenna Truong Cavalier Daily

opportunity down by two, but sophomore guard Paul Jesperson threw away the in-bound pass to senior guard Durand Scott , sealing the Cavaliers’ fate.

The Cavaliers answered any lingering questions about its defensive identity in the opening period by allowing just 24 points in the half and producing one of its best overall road efforts of the season. But it was not enough against the nation’s hottest team.

Miami (22-3, 13-0 ACC) was led by sophomore guard Shane Larkin with 11 points and junior guard Rion Brown with

10 in the low-scoring affair to hand Virginia its 16th straight loss in the state of Florida.

Junior guard Joe Harris was the lone Cavalier in double figures with 16, and his 3-pointer with 59 seconds remaining tied the score at 46. He earned a trip to the free-throw line with 32 seconds left and Virginia trailing by two, but he missed the second free throw leading to Nolte’s heroics.

Virginia will return home for a rematch against Georgia Tech Sunday looking to extend its home winning streak to 15 games after an 0-2 road trip.

——compiled by Daniel Weltz

MEN’S LACROSSE

Virginia pummels VMI, 18-4 Mark Cockerton nets career-high six goals, leads 30th straight midweek win

By Zack Bartee

Cavalier Daily Senior Associate Editor The No. 6 Virginia men’s lacrosse team dismantled Virginia Military Institute Tuesday night at Klöckner Stadium, dominating throughout an 18-4 triumph , while also playing its entire active roster.

“Part of the opportunity here with a game like this is for guys to get out there,” Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. “Everybody wants to play on game day and I want guys to play, so it’s nice that we can reward all the early season work with having some guys get out here ... in front of

Please recycle this newspaper

their parents.”

In the midst of the widespread success, some young players stood out Tuesday night for the Cavaliers (2-0) and may have made a strong case for more minutes.

“There were some things out here tonight that were telling for some of the young guys that are trying to get in the lineup,” Starsia said. “[Freshman attackman] James Pannell saw his first big minutes ... But I think [sophomore attackman] Carl Walrath in particular did a nice job.”

VMI (0-3) got on the board first after Virginia sophomore long stick midfielder Tanner Otten-

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breit was called for a trip and sent to the box for one minute.

On the ensuing man-up possession, junior attackman Bernie Mowbray blew a heater by freshman goalie Dan Marino. The 1-0 advantage would be the only Keydet lead of the game.

Ottenbreit redeemed himself soon thereafter by forcing a turnover that created a transition opportunity culminating in junior attackman Nick O’Reilly scoring off an assist from junior defenseman Scott McWilliams to tie the score.

McWilliams then created a turnPlease see M Lacrosse, Page A5

Jenna Truong | Cavalier Daily

Junior attackman Mark Cockerton scored six goals on 15 shots to pace the Cavaliers’ offensive surge against Virginia Military Institute Tuesday.

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Comics Opinion Life Health&Science

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Comics Wednesday, February 20, 2013

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DJANGEO BY STEPHEN ROWE

THE ADVENTURES OF THE AMAZING <THE> A-MAN BY EMILIO ESTEBAN

OROSCOPES

ARIES (March 21-April 19). Your eyes and heart will be wide open. In some small, tangible and immensely satisfying way, you’ll understand the difference you’ve made in other people’s lives.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ll be attracted to just the people who will shine a light on a different side of you, a side you did not even know existed before. The new vista of insight will bring pure delight.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your happiness depends on the amount of control you believe you have over your environment. How much control you actually have isn’t nearly as relevant as the amount you believe you have.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Don’t be shy. If you feel shy, take it as a sign that you’re being challenged to buck your fear. Do the opposite action to the one you feel like doing. Go over and introduce yourself.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You have only so much attention to give others and still take stellar care of yourself. It will be necessary to pick your battles and to allow others to take care of their own responsibilities.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Not only are you doing the best you can; you’re doing the best that has been done by anyone who recently applied themselves to the task. So don’t undervalue your contribution to those around you.

CANCER (June 22-July 22). You are not a product of your circumstances, though you certainly are choosing some challenging environments. You are bigger than the moment, and you’ll find a way to prove that.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ll broaden your horizons in a small but significant way.

You will have a feeling about what you’re good at, and you’ll follow that feeling into a particular area of interest.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Boldness is one of your talents. One thing that helps on the subject of boldness is to take things too seriously. It is much easier to be bold when you see the lions as the dogs they really are.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Remember that you’re a dancer. So when the chance comes to dance (and it’s there every day, you just have to recognize it), you need to take hold of the other person’s hand and dance.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Some people are just earnest. You’ll appreciate that and share in the stark honesty of it. This is your preferred mode, as well. You’ll be sure to relate in a way that is true to who you are.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 20). Because you always keep your end of a bargain, you gain a stellar reputation this year. You can take that to the bank in March, June and October. Save for future renovations. Extroverted energy helps your personal and professional life in May. A lucky conversation leads to a once in a lifetime opportunity. Leo and Capricorn people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 39, 25, 12 and 40.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). People repeat patterns because it feels natural to do so.

It may not be the healthiest way. You’ll be brave enough to perform a “pattern interrupt,” thereby changing the course of history.

SOLE SURVIVOR BY MICHAEL GILBERTSON

BOLD IDEAS BY BETTY LUO

WHOA BY TIFFANY CHU

A BUNCH OF BANANAS BY GARRETT MAJDIC & JACK WINTHROP

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

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For Information Call: 1-800-972-3550 Solution, tips and computer program at www.sudoku.com

MOSTLY HARMLESS BY PETER SIMONSEN

For Release Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Edited by Will Shortz

Crossword ACROSS

33

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19 21 22 23 27 28

BRUCE WILLIS IS DEAD THE WHOLE TIME IN A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD

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37 39 42 44 48 49 51 53 54 55 57 59

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Cyberaddress See 28-Across [30] Combine name Free pass, of sorts Some locker room art Garden pest genus Ones whipping things up in the kitchen?

Sci. branch He and she Like some checking accounts

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE B U N T S W H E L P C D R

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LAST SOLUTION:

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K O S C S I N Y T E E T H

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Sportsmanship Award org.

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24 [60] 25 Do better than 26 Bob Marley classic 29 Red ink 30 Let go 34 Support providers 36 Barista’s container

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53

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Puzzle by MICHAEL DAVID

38

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45

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56

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39

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46

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58

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62

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For answers, call 1-900-285-5656, $1.49 a minute; or, with a credit card, 1-800-814-5554.

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NEWS

Wednesday, February, 2013 | The Cavalier Daily

Three-Day Weather Forecast

Provided by the Cavalier Weather Service

TODAY High of 43˚

TONIGHT Low of 22 22˚

TOMORROW High of 45˚

TOMORROW NIGHT Low of 22˚

Sunny skies with westerly winds, strong at times, with gusts up to 31 mph.

Clear skies, with westerly winds at 11 to 16 mph.

Sunny skies persist, with westerly winds shifting to the north at 5 to 10 mph.

Overcast skies, with a 40 percent chance of snow.

The cold front that brought clouds and rain Tuesday also dropped temperatures about 10 degrees, making the high for today in the low 40s. High pressure will build in through tomorrow, bringing sunny skies and breezy conditions. Low pressure will return unsettled weather to our area for the weekend.

FRIDAY High of 43˚ Cloudy skies, 40 percent chance of snow.

To receive Cavalier Weather Service forecasts via email, contact weather@virginia.edu

Bar Association opposes joint reforms Law School’s student organization does not endorse, condemn reforms individually, critiques Honor’s decision to package proposals

By Annie Crabill and Sarah Pritchett Cavalier Daily Staff Writers

The Law School’s Student Bar Association passed a resolution Monday evening criticizing the Honor Committee’s choice to present its two-part Restore the Ideal act as a single referendum. The Law School governing body described the Committee’s decision as “regrettable.”

Supporters of the resolution took issue with the packaging of what they viewed as two distinct proposals into a single vote. The proposal combines informed retraction, which would allow students

charged with honor violations to admit their guilt and return to the University after two academic semesters , with the proposal eliminating random student juries, which would require honor juries be composed exclusively of Committee student representatives.

Although the association reached no clear consensus on the reforms as a whole, many members felt decisively about the all-or-nothing nature of the proposal, said Association President Alex Aurisch, a thirdyear Law student. “We did feel it would have been better to have them as single issues since they were perceived as single

problems,” she said.

Third-year College student Evan Behrle, honor senior counsel member, said he believed both elements of the proposal are necessary to correct the problems with the current system. “The informed retraction incentivizes honesty, while the jury reform disincentives dishonesty, ” he said.

The resolution also took issue with the proposal’s inclusion of the jury reform as a constitutional amendment, whereas the informed retraction proposal would simply be a change to Committee bylaws.

“If the current proposals are passed, the Honor Committee

could repeal informed retraction at any time,” Aurisch said.

Second-year Law student Ron Fisher, an outspoken opponent of the reforms, said the potential for the Committee to revoke informed retraction if elected juries are implemented is a credible fear that needs more attention. “The fact that current Honor Committee members swear up and down that they will not repeal informed retraction is irrelevant,” he said. “They cannot bind later Honor Committees, or promise that later committees will not repeal informed retraction, unless they also constitutionalize informed retraction.”

Future Honor Committees, Behrle said, would not revoke i n f o r m e d r e t ra c t i o n e v e n though it would technically be within their power. “The Committee would never adopt an informed retraction without a student vote, and they would similarly never get rid of it without one,” he said.

Student Bar Association Honor Representatives Benjamin Heriaud and Rebecca Cohn said they did not expect voters, particularly undergraduates, to be heavily swayed by the association’s resolution, given the exhaustive debates already occurring among the student body.

Deaton seeks reelection after 20 years Changing a streak of two decades of uncontested races, former Charlottesville Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Deaton announced this weekend he will be running to reclaim his old position against incumbent Dave Chapman , who has held on to the job for 20 years in uncontested elections since defeating Deaton in

a 1993 Democratic primary.

Deaton served as the city’s C o m m o n w e a l t h ’s A t t o r n e y from 1990 to 1994 and as the city’s assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for eight years prior.

In announcing his candidacy, Deaton called for increased community involvement, improved crime prevention and increased transparency.

Deaton also highlighted his past accomplishments as Com-

NEWS IN BRIEF

mmonwealth’s Attorney, including hiring the first AfricanAmerican to work in the Commonwealth Attorney’s office and establishing the Victim Witness Program and Domestic Violence Project.

“Jury trials are now less than two percent of cases, and it is time to look for other ways for citizens to have input into

their system,” he said in a statement.

Deaton also says that if elected, he will establish a public email and Facebook page to open a dialogue with the public. “No one person has all the answers,” he said. “Let us resolve to work to work together to make the system better.”

—compiled by Valerie Clemens

Council | McNeish: Drug laws ‘tacitly target minorities’ Continued from page A1 we are one police chief away from [beginning] to do that,” he said.

Charlottesville resident Jordan McNeish said the current law unfairly targets individuals, recounting his own six months in jail for possession of 2.6 ounces of marijuana.

“My understanding of marijuana prohibition has, over the last year, evolved from baffled

puzzlement to a realization that it is used to tacitly target minorities,” McNeish said. “I believe that my incarceration was a sort of collateral damage in a war waged on people of a disposable racial and socioeconomic status.”

Critics of the ordinance contended that some unintended consequences of the ordinance could place those arrested for cannabis possession at a greater disadvantage than the

current law does.

The proposed ordinance is unclear as to whether prosecuted individuals would be able to apply for restricted driver’s licenses after a conviction, an opportunity extended under the existing ordinance when a convicted offender’s license is automatically suspended for six months.

Another provision of the proposed ordinance would allow those arrested for simple pos-

session to choose whether they wish to be prosecuted under the local or state law. If they chose to be prosecuted with the proposed Class IV misdemeanor, they could not be appointed a representative by the court, which Vice Mayor Kristin Szakos said would create a justice system which offered the rich greater protection than the poor.

“The reason I opposed that policy is that I believe it would

do more harm than good,” Szakos said. “We would create a two-tiered system where you have people who are being punished unjustly by being stuck with things like no driver’s licenses.”

Though the proposed ordinance failed to pass Council, members agreed to seriously consider the possibility of treating marijuana offences as violations, which are legally akin to traffic offenses.

StudCo | Student elections draw chronically low turnout Continued from page A1 representative of the Council’s opinion, as members have vary-

ing stances on the issue.

“Our endorsement [would be] extremely irresponsible,” said second-year Engineering student

Jalen Ross, a Council engineering representative. “I don’t think it’s our place to campaign on one side or another.”

Proponents of issuing an opinion, however, argued that given the relatively low student engagement in last year’s elec-

tions, it was important to have a unified message about how students’ representatives felt about the proposals.

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SPORTS

Wednesday, February 20, 2013 | The Cavalier Daily

Young pitchers power early success Virginia takes back-to-back games against St. Peter’s 9-1, William & Mary 11-2 as Oest, Howard dominate in first career starts Sophomore Nick Howard made his first career start Tuesday on the mound after contributing as a reliever and at the plate in 2012. He pitched six scoreless innings in his debut against William & Mary.

Thomas Bynum Cavalier Daily

By Michael Eilbacher Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

Virginia’s pitching staff came into the season surrounded by questions. Already, many of those questions have been answered in the affirmative.

In their first action at Davenport Field after a weekend road trip to open the season, the Cavaliers continued to impress, topping St. Peter’s 9-1 Monday before overpowering rival William & Mary in an 11-2 rout Tuesday.

After Sunday’s game against East Carolina was canceled due to weather, the Cavaliers were able to schedule a home game against St. Peter’s, whose entire weekend series against Longwood was also wiped out. For the unexpected home opener, Virginia (4-0, 0-0 ACC) turned to freshman pitcher Trey Oest to start in his collegiate debut. Oest

became the second freshman to start for the Cavaliers already this season, and he responded with a performance beyond his years, showing strong command on the mound during six stellar innings of work.

“I felt really well prepared, with all the things [pitching coach Karl Kuhn] puts us through,” Oest said. “It wasn’t nerves. It was more excitement.”

Oest cruised through the first four innings of the game, retiring all 12 batters he faced. It took St. Peter’s (0-1, 0-0 MAAC) until the top of the fifth to get a base runner, when senior leadoff hitter Chris Grimes reached on a walk to break up the perfect game. Oest proceeded to retire the next three batters to finish five innings with a no-hitter.

The weight of a possible nohitter can be a lot for any pitcher to handle, no less one making his first career start, but Oest

proved capable of not letting the pressure rattle him.

“It crosses your mind, but you don’t focus on it,” Oest said. “You just keep doing exactly what you’re doing the whole game, and that’s what I tried to do.”

The Peacocks finally picked up a hit in the top of the sixth inning, but Oest kept them off the board for a sixth and final frame before giving way to the bullpen. Freshman relievers Cameron Tekker and David Rosenberger continued to stymie St. Peter’s the rest of the way, giving up just one run in the top of the seventh inning. The game stayed close for a while, with Virginia holding a 3-1 lead through six, but like clockwork, the Virginia offense exploded late in the game.

Senior second baseman Reed Gragnani drove home two on a triple in the seventh before scoring himself, and the Cavaliers

added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh. It continued the Cavaliers’ late-inning successes, with 23 of the team’s 36 runs in their first three games coming in the last three frames.

“I don’t want to say we’re laid back, but since it’s the beginning of the year, we’re getting used to pitching, and the back half of the game we’re really just turning it on,” said sophomore center fielder Brandon Downes, who added a home run in the fifth inning.

After the big win Monday, the Cavaliers had a quick turnaround before what was originally supposed to be their home opener, a Tuesday matchup against in-state rival William & Mary. As has been the case all season, coach Brian O’Connor turned once again to an inexperienced starting pitcher. This time it was sophomore Nick Howard, who was slated to make his season debut in the cancelled Sunday game against ECU. After pitching exclusively out of the pen last season, Howard continued the string of strong performances from the young staff in his own starting debut on the mound, going six scoreless innings against the Tribe (1-3, 0-0 CAA) while giving up just five hits and striking out two. The righty needed just 60 pitches to mow through the William & Mary lineup, which tried to be aggressive early in the count.

“Obviously he’s got talent,” O’Connor said. “He did a good job for us out of the bullpen [last season], and now we’re looking at him as a starter. He made

good pitches, and I thought he showed great poise out there in his first college start.”

Behind Howard, Virginia dazzled on offense again, breaking through for eight combined runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Sophomore Kenny Towns went deep in the fifth, giving the third baseman his third home run in the young season. After an unforgettable opening day performance with two grand slams, Towns also has a team-best 10 RBIs. “The thing that I really like about Kenny is that he’s who we’re about,” O’Connor said. “He plays really hard. He’s engaged every day to what we do. You do that, and the game rewards you, and it’s rewarding him right now.”

The game was halted for more than an hour by a rain delay, but after the skies cleared freshman Nathan Kirby relieved Howard with two scoreless innings and a strong bounceback from a tough weekend at ECU that saw him give up 5 runs in 1.1 innings. Virginia added three more runs in the late innings, and freshman Josh Sborz closed out the game, giving up two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but easily holding on for the 11-2 win.

“Those hits aren’t going to drop all the time,” O’Connor said.

“There’s going to be a 2-1, 3-2, 4-3 ballgame in the very near future for us at some point. It still comes back to where you need to play good defense, and you’ve got to get that strong pitching.

You love days like this ... but we’ve got to continue to focus on the pitching and defense.”

Fixing the dunk contest Let’s talk about the Dunk Con- executive director Billy Hunter? test — an event that I’d bet I’m not buying it.

On a similar note, Ne-Yo should inhabits a soft spot in the vast majority of your hearts. Fixing also not be welcomed back next it is a hot topic, a delicate issue, year. Actually, all of the musical acts should go. and I am in no It felt like every way profess10 minutes I ing to have was watching a panacea another medithat will cure ocre singing all our slamperformance dunk woes. I or an ostensijust know that bly impromptu something is dance routine. wrong with BEN BASKIN It’s fine if you one of our want to have seminal sporting events, and based on the one headlining event like the conversations I’ve had with Super Bowl halftime show, but I friends in the last few days, I never want to have to question think most of you agree change whether I’m watching an NBA All-Star event or Stomp The is needed.

I’m going to start my suggested Yard ever again.

Now, to the heart of the matter. solutions with something indisputable: Nick Cannon must go. Most of the people I talked to I know that we all enjoy Drum- have insisted that the only way line for some inscrutable reason to return the Dunk Contest to and may have even watched an the glory of yesteryear is if we episode of Wild ‘N Out when get the preeminent players we were feeling especially hap- in the league to participate. less, but come on. You’re telling The way the contest is curme the NBA can’t get a more rently constructed, however, reputable emcee for the Dunk the game’s brightest stars are Contest than a humorless come- never going to get involved. If dian attempting to stretch out the NBA upped the prize money his fame with more desperation dramatically, then maybe, but than disgraced former NBPA it would take a considerably

larger incentive to make up for the extreme pressure a superstar who participates in the Dunk Contest would face.

Remember, though, Jordan participated before he was Jordan, and Kobe did before he was Kobe. It is an event for rising superstars, not entrenched ones.

Yes, Lebron should have done it years ago, but now the stakes are too high for him to take the chance of disappointing his fans or embarrassing himself with a loss.

To me, what the Dunk Contest is missing is not superstars, but drama. After the second dozen of missed dunks Saturday, I realized the Dunk Contest used to be more fun when guys actually made the dunks they attempted.

I don’t care how incredible the dunk is if I have to watch you miss it six times first. By then, I am bored and the dunk has officially lost all meaning.

It deprives the moment of all suspense.

I hate to sound like Skip Bayless here, but I actually went back and watched YouTube videos of Jordan vs. Dominque in ’88 , and those guys nailed their dunks on the first try, every time. Same with Vince in 2000. I don’t know if the aug-

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mented interest in the event has made guys stretch their limits and attempt dunks they can’t regularly finish — or what other reasons might be underlying this trend — but all the misses need to go. If we have to lower the rims to 9-and-a-half feet, or bring out the trampolines à la Slam Ball, then so be it.

Something else I noticed when I was re-watching MJ v. ‘Nique was that the sense of actual competition seems to have disappeared. Back in the day, these guys used to do nine dunks in a contest — three in each round — so by the time the finals rolled around, they were going back and forth with a palpable “Yeah, that was pretty nice, but I can do it better” attitude. This year, I didn’t feel that tense, pent-up drama, probably because of the diminished number of dunks each contestant performed and the new East v. West structure.

The nadir of the event for me occurred when Jeremy Evans jumped over a veiled picture of himself jumping over a veiled picture of himself and then proceeded to sign said picture. It was the epitome of these so-called “creative” dunks that have recently become de rigueur and sum up everything

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I feel is wrong with the event.

I’m not sure if I was supposed to be transfixed by the circuitous nature or the extreme narcissism inherent in the image, but the dunk itself was trivial. Creativity, when expressed through props, is highly overrated in this event. I didn’t like it when Blake Griffin jumped over a Kia, nor was I particularly amused when Terrence Ross endangered the life of a diminutive ball boy. Theatricality and histrionics cannot replace competitive drama and suspense — even though I was terrified for the helpless kid.

I don’t want to be impressed by the effort and preparation you have put into the setup of your dunk, but rather by the physical and athletic prowess you show by performing it. The slam-dunk contest has become adulterated by pomp and circumstance, as evidenced by the garishly clad superstars adorning the front row, and that is not a fair fate for such a beloved spectacle.

Like most of you, I will never stop watching the Dunk Contest, year in and year out. So, for all our sakes, something needs to be done.

At the very least, there can be no more Nick Cannon.

A5

SPORTS

Wednesday, February, 2013 | The Cavalier Daily

Team eyes 11th conference title

Senior Lauren Perdue enters her final ACC Championship with 17 individual titles already to her name.

She brings plenty of big-meet experience after competing in last summer’s Olympics.

Women’s squad touts seven regular season ACC Swimmers of the Week, perfect dual meet record

By Matt Comey

Cavalier Daily Associate Editor Greatness has come to be expected of the Virginia swimming and diving program during the last decade. The men’s and the women’s squads have combined to capture 16 conference titles in the span of 10 years, including each year’s since 2008.

The No. 11 women will have the first crack at building on the incredible feat as they vie for their sixth consecutive ACC Championship during the next four days in Greensboro, N.C. The Cavaliers (9-0, 3-0 ACC) come into the championship meet tied for first place in the conference standings having gone undefeated during the regular season for the second consecutive year, and coach Mark Bernardino said an 11th conference championship for the women’s program is the definite goal.

“Any team competing for a championship should go in with the goal of winning,” Bernardino said. “For any group swimming at this University, if their goal is anything less than winning a championship, then I wouldn’t want those athletes around to begin with.”

Virginia boasts a slew of swimmers and divers with strong chances to finish atop the ACC

in their respective events. Seven different Virginia women have earned ACC Swimmer of the Week honors this season and there are only two ACC Championship events where a Cavalier swimmer does not hold one of the top three fastest times in the conference this season.

“I think we have a really good shot,” senior Lauren Perdue said. “We have a very deep and very talented team. Every year is challenging and every year we really have to fight and rely on each other, but I think we have a really good chance this year and I’m excited.”

Perdue, an Olympic gold medalist in London, highlights the exceptional squad and will look to expand on her already impressive total of 17 ACC championship first place finishes. Perdue will compete in the 50, 100 and 200 yard freestyle events in addition to four relays. She has won a title in each of these events in her first three seasons, including three straight victories in the 100.

“I’m really excited to finish my career here on a strong note,” Perdue said. “I want to help the team be as successful as possible and hopefully get that sixth straight championship.”

Perdue is part of a senior class that could become just the third in Virginia history to win an ACC

Jenna Truong Cavalier Daily

Championship in each of their four seasons.

Junior Rachel Naurath leads the way for the Cavaliers in the distance events, having posted the second best conference times in the 500 and 1000 freestyle and the fifth best mark in the 1650 free. Fellow Cavaliers sophomore Kelly Offutt and junior Caroline Kenney rank No. 2 and No. 4 in the 1650, respectively.

Outside the freestyle events, the Cavaliers will especially look to dominate in backstroke and IM. Sophomore Ellen Williamson owns the fastest conference time in the 200 IM, while fellow sophomore Shaun Casey ranks second best in the 400 IM. Freshman Courtney Bartholomew paces the entire conference in backstroke this season with the best times in both the 100 and 200.

“I’m a bit nervous, with this being the first ACC Championship for me, but it’s a good

Cavaliers face Spiders No. 8 Virginia’s first road contest comes against struggling Richmond

By Matthew Morris

Cavalier Daily Associate Editor The No. 8 Virginia women’s lacrosse team will face Richmond on the road Wednesday in a game that would be easy to look past. The Spiders are still in search of their first win with three games already in the books. To make matters worse, none of those contests have even been close, as evidenced by the team’s minus-28 goal differential.

The temptation for Virginia to gloss over this matchup is amplified by the stiff competition the Cavaliers face in the upcoming matches: No. 2 Syracuse in a road battle Sunday and No. 4 Maryland in the team’s home-opener five days later. Coach Julie Myers and the Cavaliers (1-0, 0-0 ACC), however, are not ignoring their meeting with Richmond. Quite the opposite: neither players nor coach will talk about anything else.

Asked about Sunday’s matchup with the Orange, sophomore attack Casey Bocklet focused instead on the present. “I think it’s going to be a good atmosphere, but right now we’re just focusing on Richmond,” she said. “We’ve got to get through Richmond first, and then we’ll worry about Syracuse.”

Virginia’s respect for the Spiders is more warranted than it may seem at first glance.

Richmond returns nine starters from last season’s team,

which scored a win against No. 13 James Madison, compiled a 5-2 record in the Atlantic 10, and finished 10-8 overall. The Spiders, furthermore, will not be intimidated by the ranking in front of Virginia’s name.

The Cavaliers will be their lowest-ranked adversary this season to date, as they have so far squared off against ACC powerhouses Maryland, No. 7 Duke, and No. 5 North Carolina.

The Spiders also played Virginia close in their matchup at Klöckner Stadium a year ago, falling 12-9.

“They’ve played three topranked teams, and they’ve come up empty, so I think they’re going to be scrappy, hungry, and just — they’re going to put it all out there,” Myers said. “I’m sure they’ve gotten better from just the competition they’ve played, and they’re sick of losing by now as well, so I’m sure that they’ll bring a good fight. They always do.”

The Cavaliers come into the game following a back-andforth 10-9 win at No. 6 Loyola (Md.) Saturday. The Cavaliers shared the ball on offense — six players scored at least one goal, with Bocklet netting three — but did not play clean lacrosse for two full halves. Virginia hopes for greater offensive fluidity against Richmond.

“I think we just want to minimize the turnovers,” Bocklet said. “We definitely had some turnovers in transition and some sloppy play on attack.”

Myers was nonetheless encouraged by her team’s play in crunch time. The Greyhounds created ample suspense in tying the game at 9-all with eight minutes to go, but Virginia did not buckle. Junior attack Dana Boyle beat Loyola’s freshman goalie Molly Wolf for the game-winner with 5:29 remaining.

“I feel like we rose to the challenge of a battle,” Myers said. “Loyola’s a ... very physical team. Especially down in the last 10 minutes, when the game was so tight and anything could happen. I thought they really stepped up their pressure, stepped up some of their checks and their pressure on us, and I saw us rise to that challenge.”

While the game against Richmond may not present a forceful opponent on paper, the Cavaliers are preparing for a heated contest. From the rivalry between the nearby schools to the Spiders’ young, motivated coaching staff and veteran lineup, the potential for an upset is enough to keep Virginia focused.

“I think we just have to keep the momentum up, stay confident and poised, and just play like it isn’t our second game of the season,” Bocklet said. “We heard they’re really tough and they’re never going to give up.

And they’re definitely going to want a win from us, so we have to expect to go out hard and expect a fighting team.”

nervous,” Bartholomew said. “I would love to have a best time in all three of my events and help my relays to contribute as much as I can and score as many points as possible.”

The Cavaliers also hold the top times in the ACC for all but one relay event, but after weeks of tapering for each team and constant lineup changes, relay performances are notoriously hard to predict. On the boards, Virginia is led by freshmen Becca Corbert and Katie Warburg, both of whom broke school records in their inaugural seasons.

Virginia will receive its fiercest opposition in this meet from No. 22 Florida State and No. 15 North Carolina. In addition to posting a perfect record in ACC dual meets, the Seminoles (13-1, 5-0 ACC) pulled off a win against No. 5 Florida back in November, though they never swam against Virginia. Bernardino indicated, however, he was most

concerned about the Tar Heels (5-2, 3-1 ACC), whom the Cavaliers narrowly defeated in a dual meet in January.

“I think the University of North Carolina has an outstanding team,” Bernardino said. “They are extremely deep this year, and not only do they have depth, but individual talent, as well ...

Our victory earlier in the season is irrelevant, because this meet is scored completely differently.

A dual meet victory doesn’t have anything to do with the potential for a championship.”

The meet kicks off Wednesday with the first slate of preliminary rounds and will run until Saturday evening, with finals beginning Thursday.

“We’re all really positive and really excited for the meet,” Bartholomew said. “We all want to do well and push each other both as a team and as a family, and I think we’ll swim very well because of that.”

Quote of The Week “We don’t really have that superstar guy like we did the last few years, so. . . we work the ball around really well and everyone gets a look. I think it’s even harder to guard because everyone’s getting in the action and we have a really good team chemistry.”

—Junior attackman Mark Cockerton on the men’s lacrosse team’s offensive approach

M Lacrosse | Cavaliers force 32 Keydets turnovers Continued from page A1 over of his own a few minutes later, which led to another unsettled goal when O’Reilly lobbed a cross-field pass to sophomore defenseman Greg Danseglio who quickly found junior attackman Mark Cockerton for the goal to make the score 2-1. It was the first of Cockerton’s career-high six goals on the day in his season debut after a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules.

“It was my first game of the season, and I’ve been working really hard for this moment,” Cockerton said. “Today I just made my shots, it doesn’t always happen but today I did and I was thankful for that.”

Within a minute of taking the lead, O’Reilly and Cockerton each scored an unassisted goal for each of their second goals of the night. After the referees initiated the stall warning against Virginia, junior midfielder Rob Emery promptly found the back of the net on an assist from redshirt sophomore attackman Owen Van

Arsdale with 59 seconds left in the first quarter. Van Arsdale tallied his second assist 30 seconds later by finding Cockerton, who stepped in and fired a shot past senior goaltender Matt Lindeman to end the first quarter up 6-1.

The Cavaliers dominated the game in the second quarter, scoring five goals and shutting down the Keydet offense. Emery opened up the quarter with a hard bounce shot at the 11:31 mark on a Walrath assist, and after a failed VMI clear Cockerton picked up the loose ball and easily scored one-on-one against Lindeman while Virginia was man-down.

Cockerton recorded another goal less than two minutes later on an assist from freshman attackman James Pannell for his fifth goal of the contest.

“Mark has been one of our best players since the beginning of the year offensively and we need him to continue to step up and play like that,” Starsia said. “I think he’s capable and I think he’s on the cusp of having a big season for us.”

Van Arsdale notched a goal at 7:36 of the second quarter and again after a six-minute lull in scoring to go up 11-1 heading into the break. The strong first-half showing on defense was a marked improvement from Saturday’s game against Drexel, when the Cavaliers gave up numerous goals right on the crease.

“We wanted to come out stronger than we did last week against Drexel; we knew [that] wasn’t our best performance and we knew we had to get better,” McWilliams said. “We focused on it all week — more up-tempo stuff, talking more on defense, getting slides on — and I think it showed today in the game, definitely a step from last week.”

McWilliams had a career-high seven ground balls on the night, as well as an assist and two caused turnovers. The defense, which caused 17 of VMI’s 32 turnovers on the night, shut the Keydets down again in the third quarter as Starsia gradually started working younger players in on both sides of the field. Though

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VMI opened up the final quarter with two early goals, as well as another at the 5:12 mark, Starsia was happy with his defense’s play on the night, which included holding the Keydets scoreless for a 44-minute stretch.

“I actually said in one of the time outs, ‘I want VMI to have the ball,’ because I wanted us to go through the exercise of it,” Starsia said. “I just thought we were much more attentive tonight than we were on Saturday and that’s a step in the right direction. And we need to continue to get better there as we move forward.”

O’Reilly scored in the third quarter to finish with three goals and an assist and Cockerton recorded his final goal after picking up a Van Arsdale rebound. Sophomore midfielder Ryan Tucker and senior midfielder and attackman Matt White also got on the board in the third, while redshirt freshman midfielder Greg Coholan, sophomore attackman Taylor Michel and freshman midfielder Matt Florence each recorded their first goals on the season,

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the latter two off of assists from Pannell.

Virginia outshot VMI by a 64-25 margin, and the score could have been even more lopsided had Lindeman not recorded a careerhigh 24 saves against the Cavaliers’ offensive onslaught.

“He’s a monster, that kid,” Starsia said of Lindeman. “If he wasn’t filling up so much of the cage we probably would’ve had a bunch more. He certainly earned his keep tonight.”

Nine different players scored goals for Virginia while seven contributed assists for an offense that returned only a few faces from last year’s squad.

“We don’t really have that superstar guy like we did the last few years, so ... we work the ball around really well and everyone gets a look,” Cockerton said. “I think it’s even harder to guard because everyone’s getting in the action and we have a really good team chemistry.”

The Cavaliers will now travel to New York to face off against Stony Brook Saturday.

A6

Opinion Wednesday, February 20, 2013

The Cavalier Daily “For here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it.”

—Thomas Jefferson

Kaz Komolafe Editor-in-Chief Charlie Tyson Caroline Houck Executive Editor Managing Editor Meghan Luff Kiki Bandlow Operations Manager Chief Financial Officer

A representative sample The managing board endorses Promisel, Gafford and Thomas for the Student Council College representative race

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o the best of our knowledge, Student Council’s representative body has never gone on strike. But looking at its past attendance records, it may as well have. In the 2011-2012 Council term, 15 representatives — in violation of Council’s attendance requirements — accumulated more than one unexcused absence during the fall semester. The representatives with the two lowest attendance rates showed up to required meetings 36.1 percent and 44.4 percent of the time. Poor attendance has, in the past, often left Council unable to achieve quorum, the two-thirds minimum of votes needed for Council members to do more with their meetings than call roll, adjourn or otherwise twiddle their thumbs in the Newcomb South Meeting Room.

Defiant absences, from class or otherwise, can be admirable: we at The Cavalier Daily appreciate a rebellious streak. But these representatives were not rebels, and they had no causes — or nearly none, judging from the paucity of successful legislation introduced through the representative body in recent years. The trend is clear: for Council representatives, attendance has not been a strong suit.

This trend may be hard to buck. Of the 13 students running to be Council representatives for the College, nine signed up for endorsement interviews. Of the nine who managed to sign up, two missed without notifying us, and one came late.

We had thought the inability of representatives to attend meetings was folklore. This year’s crop of candidates proved it fact. Whether because of a constitutional aversion to meetings or a lack of interest, almost half of the College representative hopefuls were, to us, empty chairs. At least they didn’t try to send proxies.

The candidates we endorse — third-year Michael Promisel and second-years Sidney Gafford and Mariam Thomas — all took the initial step of showing up to their interviews.

Promisel has served two terms, minus a semester

Featured online reader comment “Pursuit of consistency is not the same as pursuit of truth. Yes, Honor has finally admitted there is significant dysfunction in the system but that’s no reason to vote for flawed reforms that do nothing to address the real problem of the Honor System. This is not a choice between “paralysis and action;” this is a referendum whether we think these reforms will make the Honor System better or worse.”

“JSM,” responding to the Managing Board’s Feb. 19 editorial, “An ideal worth restoring.”

abroad, on Council’s representative body. He’s currently working on reforming Council’s bylaws. The bylaws, Promisel said, are so neglected that even the document’s formatting is disordered: a piece of dire symbolism pointing to the obsolescence of Council’s oft-ignored internal rules. Promisel is pushing to reform the representative body so that it meets every other week in four separate committees rather than as a single mass.

Promisel has served two terms on Council’s Environmental Sustainability Committee, but when it comes to Council he’s far from green. His experience and aptitude make him the strongest candidate we interviewed.

Gafford offered concrete ideas for how Council could forge closer ties with other student communities. She plans to attend other organizations’ meetings and events to hear what students want from Council. She suggested making it a requirement for representative body members to attend a certain number of student events to build relationships with other groups and bring a wider swath of student input to Council.

Gafford hopes to strengthen the ties between Council and the Black Student Alliance. She said she senses a separation between Council and the African-American community, and she hopes to bridge this divide through her work. Gafford’s insight and evident sense of responsibility make her an excellent candidate.

Thomas focused on women’s safety and diversity in her interview. She said she plans to seek federal funding for student bystander intervention training. Thomas expressed skepticism at the idea that a lack of data could be a justifiable reason for postponing a Council vote. She committed to creating more informal surveys to email to the student body to see where her constituents stand on various issues.

Eight College representatives will be elected next week. We’re vouching for three. Vote Promisel, Gafford and Thomas.

Editorial Cartoon by Peter Simonsen

THE CD

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MOOCing forward

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The University should hold more presentations to make its partnership with Coursera more transparent

he founder of a revolu- have already allowed hundreds ties for students both on and off tionary educational move- of thousands of people to take college campuses.

Discussing the rise of MOOCs ment is speaking at the online classes free of charge.

University Wednesday. Daphne The University is already well on will be especially informative.

Koller, a Stanford professor and its way to providing MOOCs for MOOCs are appealing because the general public, they do not involve the same the co-founder of offering six differ- price tag that accompanies a online-learning ALEX YAHANDA ent online courses residential college education. company CoursSENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR As a result, they are sure to this spring. era, will be giving Even though so help increase the spread of a lecture at 3 p.m. in Bavaro Hall. It is fitting that many people have already been knowledge throughout the genthe talk will be given in an exposed to Coursera classes, eral public. Nevertheless, many Education School building, as others could remain confused people, myself included, remain Koller will be elaborating on about how Coursera hopes unsure about why schools are ways in which Coursera may to impact higher education. beginning to provide MOOCs, provide people of all ages with There are many valid questions especially when MOOCs provide little enhanced educational opportu- regarding the way if any nities. This presentation should in which Cours“And though coverage of not be an isolated event. The era will alter the Sullivan’s firing publicized financial benefit.

University’s future will include traditional classthe University’s desired My initial increasing its online-education room experience. efforts, and members of the Koller’s talk will involvement with Coursera, t h o u g h t w a s University community should hopefully touch the way in which Coursthat the have opportunities to become u p o n t h e s e o r era will affect the average U n i v e r as knowledgeable as possi- s i m i l a r t o p i c s ble about how Coursera could a b o u t w h i c h University student remains sity was attemptmany are unsure. change their school’s future. ambiguous.” ing to be Koller’s talk could prove very Ko l l e r w i l l b e altruistic. informative for anyone unaware addressing the or under-informed about Cours- origin and growing popular- I now think it more likely that era’s purpose or background. ity of MOOCs, according to the University is offering online A new buzzword in higher UVA Today. She will also give a courses in an attempt to emueducation has been MOOC, report on the status of Cours- late or show that it can be as which stands for massively era and will address why she forward-thinking as institutions open online course. MOOCs are believes Coursera can offer aug- like Stanford and MIT. If Koller a relatively new initiative but mented educational opportuni- explains why schools are choos-

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ing to participate in MOOCs, it would help to clarify the rationale behind future collaborations between the University and Coursera.

That being said, Koller may not delve into how MOOCs and Coursera will specifically affect the University. Further talks need to occur, then, to address these questions. The University’s involvement with online courses is obviously a major concern for the Board of Visitors. In fact, one of the reasons behind University President Teresa Sullivan’s ouster this past summer was that the Board thought she was too slow to act on providing online educational content. And though coverage of Sullivan’s ouster publicized the University’s desired involvement with Coursera, the way in which Coursera will affect the average University student remains ambiguous. Moreover, because the University has since started providing online courses, it should do more to inform the public about why certain classes are being offered through Coursera and how many online courses it ultimately wants to provide.

To that end, University offi-

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cials and faculty working with Coursera could give more talks to ensure that everyone is upto-date with online course initiatives. At the very least, those presentations should aim to assuage some of the major questions that people may have regarding Coursera and the University. The University community appreciates transparency, as this summer showed, and University officials should do more to make the Coursera movement more easily understood. Furthermore, faculty, students and other University members may have differing views on Coursera. Providing forums where all sides can have their voices heard would go a long way toward adequately characterizing the direction in which the University is heading. Koller’s visit can provide background information about MOOCs, and more specific concerns can be addressed over the course of subsequent discussions.

Alex Yahanda is a senior associate editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at a.yahanda@cavalierdaily.com.

A7

OPINION

Wednesday, February 20, 2013 | The Cavalier Daily

You can’t sit with us

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A bill passed by the Virginia Senate may lead student organizations to prejudicially exclude members

he Virginia Senate passed religious backgrounds. The argulegislation last week that ment is that limiting memberwould allow student orga- ship to those with similar backnizations to exclude individu- grounds or beliefs will enhance group cohesion. als from becoming If a particular members if they FARIHA KABIR person is not condo not seem comOPINION COLUMNIST sistently meeting mitted to the organization’s mission. The wording the requirements of an orgaof the legislation is as follows: nization, then it could hurt the “A religious or political student organization. As a result, I can organization may determine understand that organizations that ordering the organization’s cannot accept everyone interinternal affairs, selecting the ested in joining. The problem is organization’s leaders and mem- that the legislation essentially bers, defining the organization’s opens up a Pandora’s box of disdoctrines, and resolving the crimination against minorities. organization’s disputes are in Moreover, that discrimination furtherance of the organizations’ could be covered up by claimreligious or political mission and ing that an organization denied that only persons committed admittance because a person to that mission should conduct did not seem committed to the organization’s goals. The law’s such activities.”

Advocates of the bill assert that wording is ambiguous enough to it would ensure that organiza- allow for racial prejudices. How tions are not forced to offer mem- does one determine if someone bership to every student and that is or is not committed to an orgasuch groups would not be accused nization’s mission? If someone of discrimination if they were to is committed to a group, but turn students away . Sen. Mark that organization does not wish Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, said to accept the individual, the the bill would specifically allow organization could simply claim religious organizations to deny the person was not committed admittance to those of different enough. Thus, in cases of dis-

crimination based on race, sex, world and different opinions. sexual orientation or other cat- The legislation seems to present egories, the legislation does not the view that contrasting viewallow universities to take action points are not beneficial, when against student organizations differing views can actually be a that wrongfully or prejudicially catalyst to increase collaboration among a group’s membership. exclude members.

We already have a substantial One may argue that the law is degree of political and religious only at the university level, and disunity in our society; the leg- therefore its effects will perhaps be minimal islation rein“Thus, in cases of discrimiin the “real” forces this world. But it disunity by nation based on race, sex, to a large promoting sexual orientation or other is, extent, at the exclusivity. categories, the legislation college level For example, a n o r g a n i - does not allow universities to that people to forzation may take action against student begin mulate politideny admitorganizations that wrongcal and social tance to an individual fully or prejudicially exclude ideas. It is these same because he members.” ideas that is not politiwill shape cally constudents’ outservative or liberal enough. The legislation looks and decisions in the future.

Now the question that remains also discourages a student of one faith from joining an organiza- is how much of an impact the tion largely composed of people legislation will specifically have of another faith. But interactions at the University. Past incidents between people of different faiths at the University have me conand backgrounds in general is cerned about the possible negapositive — it allows them to have tive consequences of the legislaa greater understanding of the tion, especially with regard to

gay students. The incident last year when a group of students made derogatory comments at a gay student near the Corner, and the “not gay” chant during football games, demonstrate that exclusion of minority students can be a problem at the University. My concern is that this type of behavior, especially toward gay students, will become more commonplace and reinforced as a result of the legislation.

This piece of legislation appears to be both counterproductive and regressive. I can understand its motives, but I think the form of discrimination for which the legislation argues will allow for discrimination against minority students. The bill will increase the exclusivity of organizations.

And, while I am proud to be at the University, I worry this measure will hinder us from coming together more cohesively as a community and overcoming prejudice against certain groups.

Fariha Kabir’s column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily.

She can be reached at f.kabir@ cavalierdaily.com.

Restoring an ideal community of trust Passing the Honor Committee’s new jury reform would be a step backward for student self-governance

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lease tell me this is a joke. policy dispute between two Please tell me that writing well-intentioned parties. The this article is like when the euphemistic terms employed in this publicaChinese publicaand others tion People’s Daily KYLE SCHNOEBELEN tion thus far should picked up a satiriGUEST VIEWPOINT be reserved for cal Onion piece sensible disagreeabout Kim Jong Un being named 2012’s “Sexiest ments, not brazen attacks on a Man Alive” and took it seriously. fundamental tenet of popular Please tell me that students at sovereignty. If a national politiThomas Jefferson’s University cal party proposed such an are not actually considering action — that we dispose of the abandoning their right to an right to a trial in criminal cases honor trial by a jury of their by a jury of one’s peers — the backlash would entail much peers.

If you are not already aware, more than a few angry editoriwe will soon vote on a single als. So excuse me for hencehonor proposal consisting of forth refusing to use the words two changes. The first change “jury reform” in reference to would allow an accused stu- this incestuous, half-baked proposal. dent the This is not a opportunity “Evidently, the reason jury “reform” of for informed retraction (an verdicts are so vexing to the any existing admittance of Honor Committee is that the system, nor is it a “resguilt) and a Committee’s views do not toration” of return to the represent that of the aver- any existing University ideal. And it after a year age student.” has nothing of absence, to do with rather than preserving facing the single sanction. This idea means the community of trust. A yes well and warrants serious dis- vote on this proposal means cussion. The same cannot be abandoning juries and empowsaid, however, for the second ering a marauding tribunal of change. Billed as “jury reform,” over-zealous resume-builders it would replace randomly to impose their insulated conselected juries of University ception of “honor” on the rest of students with a select group of the student populace.

As a Jan. 28 Cavalier Daily specially trained and educated guest submission by second“jurors.”

We cannot continue to treat year Law student Ronald Fisher the debate about juries as a pointed out, the proposal is

“wholly inconsistent with basic precepts of due process and the adversarial system of fact-finding,” and demonstrates a lack of even the most elementary understanding of the purpose of juries. Law professors Josh Bowers and Kim Forde-Mazrui have argued the same in the Virginia Law Weekly. These assessments, along with others opposing honor’s proposal, fault the reasoning of the supporters, but stop short of questioning their intent. I will not afford

ened with truth, having performed the magical dance at the specified time by the keyhole of the Rotunda to consult the ghost of Thomas Jefferson.

We have juries so that students may be judged by the letter of the law, as well as by the conventions of their peers. Would a randomized jury return a guilty verdict for someone who took Adderall without a prescription or used someone else’s ID to get into a bar? Probably not. How about a zealous tribunal com-

“We shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles.”

–Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Taylor, June 4, 1798

supporters the same nicety.

The Honor Committee would argue that because they are elected, and their proposed tribunal would be as well, they are representative of the student body. But honor representatives do not necessarily hold attitudes similar to those of other students. Look no further than the “Campaign for Honor Informational Video,” which features a representative griping about “inexperienced jurors” acquitting clearly guilty students. They know this because they alone are enlight-

posed of the same type of students who tend to run for honor in the first place? Who knows?

After all, the Honor Committee just voiced near-unanimous approval for a proposal on which the actual student body is deeply divided at best. Evidently, the reason jury verdicts are so vexing to the Honor Committee is that the Committee’s views do not represent that of the average student. It must be distressing to see persons they know are guilty be acquitted by the temperamental, uninformed masses who, according

to the Committee, are uninterested or otherwise unqualified for the pursuit of truth.

There is, however, an even simpler and far more serious reality that the Honor Committee has failed to grasp: once we decide that our community cannot be trusted to enforce its own standards, we’ve already lost. We will have admitted that there is no community of trust.

It will exist in name only, hence why integrity must be imposed upon it by a select group of only the specially qualified. If this is the case, then there is no ideal left to restore, no community left to protect. Students who are not a part of this tribunal are devoid of principles, incapable of defending them even if they had any, and must await judgment from their more honorable peers.

I, for one, refuse to subscribe to this view. So please, stop calling this noxious proposal a “jury reform,” and stop letting honor representatives refer to it as such. Be honest about what it means. Or don’t, because if this idea is actually being accorded serious consideration within the University community, maybe honor is right — we aren’t suited to the messy work of self-governance. If that is the case, perhaps it is best to simply not try, and to not see this reign of witches pass over.

Kyle Schnoebelen is a master’s student in the Batten School.

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Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli should take a less ambiguous stand on marijuana legalization

arlier this month, Virginia some, but Cuccinelli has received Attorney General Ken Cuc- heat from some conservatives cinelli, a Republican can- for his vague remarks. Last didate for governor, spoke in week, he clarified his stance to a crowd of Repuban introductory licans in Albepolitics class at the SAM NOVACK m a r l e C o u n t y, University. After OPINION COLUMNIST saying he is not describing his job ready to legalize as attorney general, Cuccinelli allowed students marijuana but is considering to ask questions. The students the moves in Colorado and inquired on a wide range of Washington to be “federalism subjects — including marijuana experiments.” He then called legalization. Cuccinelli’s some- for Republicans to “pivot back what ambiguous stance no doubt to principles” rather than move came as a pleasant surprise to toward the center, as some have many students, but it was far less suggested following the GOP’s appealing to some of Cuccinelli’s defeat in the general election.

An even better political move more conservative supporters.

Cuccinelli told the students for Cuccinelli, instead of just he was uncertain of Virginia’s appealing to students or refuture when it comes to legal- appealing to reliable conservaizing marijuana, adding that he tives after the fact, would be to “and a lot of people are watch- articulate a clear stance on maring Colorado and Washington ijuana, regardless of the crowd to see how it plays out.” He said in front of him. The issue of his views on the subject were marijuana legalization is going “evolving.” This more libertar- to stick around. It is a topic that ian approach is appealing to will likely see many changes,

While the students at the Uniat least at the state level, in the next few years, which makes versity may have been thrilled it important that voters know to hear some equivocation on where Cuccinelli and other can- recreational marijuana, they are not necessarily representative of didates stand.

I have great respect for many the state as a whole. According of Cuccinelli’s views on limiting to a recent study by the National the role of government, and his Organization for the Reformacomments on the importance tion of Marijuana Laws, while of federalism reflect some of a vast majority of Virginia residents would those qualilegalties. But I “Equivocation may excite a support izing medical get a sense that he is room full of college students marijuana, a slight majority himself failfor an afternoon, but the the state is ing to “pivot backtracking and explana- of in opposition back to principles” and tions only serves to weaken to legalizing the drug outis instead Cuccinelli’s image.” right. opting for Again, Cuca middlecinelli is an of-the-road approach to stay competitive. exciting conservative and a This centrist approach would worthy Republican to take over betray the solid principles for Gov. Bob McDonnell’s seat. I which one looks to politicians admire what he has done as like Cuccinelli, and it may not attorney general and could even be the best political deci- hope for no one better to serve as governor for my last two sion.

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years at the University. Winning the election will be a challenge, however, as Virginia has proved itself blue in the general election, and victory will have to come through motivating the party base — the older folks, Christians and the many military men and women of the state — to get out, campaign and vote. Equivocation may excite a room full of college students for an afternoon, but the backtracking and explanations only serves to weaken Cuccinelli’s image. Cuccinelli needs to take his own words to heart and return to his principles, because those very principles have gotten him where he is and have garnered him the support of many who are excited for his gubernatorial bid.

Sam Novack’s column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at s.novack@cavalierdaily.com.

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Life

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

MODEL STUDENTS

Gentlemen Prefer Brunettes Sarah Pate

Year: Second School: College What are you wearing? Blouse from JC Penney, skirt from H&M, shoes from Target, Geneva watch Where do you usually shop? Target, H&M and Forever 21 How would you describe your style? Probably “classy”. I try to dress so if I ran into Stacy and Clinton [from What Not to Wear], I wouldn’t be ashamed.

Who is your style icon? I have a lot of icons for different reasons. Sarah Jessica Parker because she’s fun, Marilyn Monroe because of her confidence, Jackie Kennedy because she is classy, and Audrey Hepburn because of her simplicity. Also Blake Lively, because I wish I were her!

—compiled by Aysha Chaudry

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very once in a while I like to delude myself into thinking that I’m classy.

In my imagination, I’m the type that wakes up early, takes a cup of coffee to the porch to read the paper while petting my cat.

I retire every evening to my linen-tableclothed dining room, where I drink a crystal glass of crisp white wine and respond to handwritten letters. Occasionally, I’ll pick up a hat and basket and stroll to the market to choose vegetables for the week, treating myself to a cheese Danish, or perhaps a bunch of tulips.

It wasn’t until last night that I realized this fantasy has no basis in reality. Maybe it was something someone said, or a stray thought that grabbed my attention, but I took a moment to really evaluate myself.

Not only was I wearing a pair of dirty sweatpants pulled above my belly button, but I had a family-size bag of chips half-eaten, spilling greasy crumbs all down my front. I was reaching for a giant bottle of soda to swig down another mouthful, lazily propping my feet up as I debated cartoons with my brother. I was annoyed because my fingers were too dirty to be recognized by my iPhone. I was the archetype of a classless troll.

My instant reaction was denial.

I don’t normally look like this!

It’s a special occasion! It’s ... because ... I ... well, I’ll tell you

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t would be fantastic to be able to start off a column by saying, “Three years ago today, I wrote my first column for the Cavalier Daily.” Coincidences and anniversaries are always good ways to start anew. Unfortunately, my first column for the Cavalier Daily was actually written “More than three years ago but less than four,” and that statement doesn’t have as nice of a ring to it. That column was called My Fractured First Year — a name suggested by Anya, one of my first-year suitemates. I don’t live near Anya anymore, so recent column names have proven to be substantially less ingenious.

The title was fitting because the column centered around a defining first-year experience for me. I could recap it in the words of my current, fourthyear self, but I think a quote from my first column would be more appropriate: “At 4:14 p.m. Aug. 25, somewhere on the harried expanse between Carruthers Hall and Central Grounds that is Emmet Street, I ceased to be an ordinary first-year student biking back to my dorm room and became, instead, The Girl Who Got Hit by the Truck. To shorten what otherwise could grow into a tiresome, long-winded account, a truck pulling out of a parking lot plowed into the back of my bike, flinging me from the sidewalk to the middle of the road. After a whirlwind ambulance ride, my RA and I spent a slow nine hours or so in the ER waiting for

Classless in College later! But there’s a reason, I swear! I’m different! I’m classy!

Of course, it wasn’t long until I began to question my way of life. How long had it been like this? Was it always this way?

When did I start changing? Was it when I started eating food in bed, affirming that my main

Reality Check

EMILY CHURCHILL goal in life was to be as close to sleep as possible? Was it when I stopped buying organic soup mix and started getting the discount doughnuts at the grocery?

Or was it even further back than that? In middle school I didn’t brush my hair very much ... should I have known then?

Or did it all start when I was convinced that overalls were the correct choice for school pictures — several years in a row — in elementary school?

The gloom carried into the next morning, when I sat down to breakfast. My dad and brother made crêpes with spinach and mushroom filling and a hollandaise glaze. I know — classy, right? My mom asked what other kinds of fillings could go into crêpes. My boyfriend quickly rattled off a list: truffles, Brie cheese, prosciutto, etc. I thanked the stars that I held my tongue, because my list was going to include Nutella and a whipped cream dipping sauce. The class disparity was evident.

At that moment I resolved that things would be different. I would actually do something or another to my hair once in a while. I would use a napkin when I ate my bag of chips. I would occasionally read the newspaper so I could have something intelligent to talk about — just as soon as I was done debating the best element to bend in “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

But if I’m honest, I’ve been wearing those same crumbcovered sweatpants for 20 hours at this point, and they weren’t the freshest smelling pants to begin with. And, by the way, five in the afternoon isn’t too late to shower, is it? Let me just finish this box of Oreos, first ...

Emily’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at e.churchill@cavalierdaily.

Quarterlife Crisis my painkillers and X-ray results.

My suitemates and I underwent some unexpected bonding that night as they worked to

COURTNEY HARTNETT clean the dark, oily smears of tar and dirt from my legs and raw road rash. The diagnosis revealed that I had a hematoma on my right thigh and two pelvic fractures. The next day, armed with my shiny, new aluminum crutch, I looked at the stairs and hills throughout Grounds with a newfound sense of dread.”

My first-year columns were dedicated to quintessential firstyear experiences while discovering U.Va. and figuring out my place here — all while healing multiple pelvic fractures and other injuries from my accident.

Fourth year has, at least so far, become a time of reflection. Do you know how people tend to talk frequently about remembering things on their deathbeds? Fourth year is a metaphorical deathbed. Am I proud of my time here? Could I have done things differently? Do

I like where I’m headed?

If I hadn’t written a column during first year, I probably would have forgotten everything — how I felt, what my hopes were, how I wanted to grow as a student. And thanks to The Cavalier Daily’s searchable online archives, all those transcribed memories are only a few keystrokes away.

I can read all of my columns, and that’s what I’m going to do.

This column set is going to be a semester-long compare and contrast essay. Don’t worry, I think it will be more interesting than that makes it sound.

Maybe that’s vain, but here’s the catch — it isn’t going to be strictly about me. It is in one sense, but I also want this column to be able to help you. If you’re a fourth-year, or a thirdyear, maybe it will help you reflect, too. If you’re a first-year, maybe it will remind you of how quickly the time goes.

Here’s the tl;dr: I wrote a column first year. I’m writing a column as a fourth-year in some strange effort to connect the beginning and the end of my college experience. I want to see how The Girl Who Got Hit By the Truck became The Girl About To Graduate.

I hope you’ll read with me. I hope you’ll reflect with me. It’s been a long ride, and there have been ups and downs, but it’s been real.

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A survey of canines

his weekend my neigh- about his lack of ID. Wally bor uploaded a picture to would sleep at the foot of my or Facebook of the one-year- my sister’s bed every night for old golden retriever staying at as long as we had him — from her house. Within five minutes elementary school to our senior my sister and I were knocking year of high school. He always at her door, falling inside the managed to lay right on top house and onto the kitchen of my legs so that they would floor, burying our faces in the fall asleep, and in the middle wriggling puppy’s of the night I would golden fur. inevitably wake up Trial and Error and have to angrily I t ’s n o s e c r e t that my sister and nudge him off of me.

I are full-blown He would slip down dog fanatics. to the floor, gruntMy friends have ing, until I fell asleep grown accustomed again. When I woke to my squeals of up in the morning, delight as we stroll he was invariably the Downtown back in his original Mall, scouting position, wagging his out cute puppies. tail.

Nobody is surWhen Wally got sick prised when I run my senior year, he across the street, would go lay in our MARY SCOTT kneeling down to yard or our neighHARDAWAY meet whatever bors’ yard, unable to furry creature has move once he was caught my eye. Usually the down. My father would take owners are understanding, a wheelbarrow out and scoop and smile at me like one would up Wally, and then carry him smile at a small, simple child. up our steep front steps so he Other times, they pull their could sleep inside for the night. dogs along, wanting to save He could no longer jump on my them from the crazy girl who bed, so I lay on the floor with is racing toward them, arms him. Wally was simple and open wide. wonderful and caring, and I I ’ v e a l way s l o v e d do g s , didn’t know how much I loved known dogs, and been covered him until the foot of my bed in dog hair. Growing up we had an empty space where a always had at least one big big goofy lab used to lay. muddy-pawed pup jumping This weekend I went to the on beds and bringing dead gym, a coffee shop, a themed animals to the front door. My party and a few bars. I cried favorite books from my child- from laughing too hard at my hood were from the “Good roommates, and I got in a fight Dog, Carl” series, where a Rot- with my sister. I waited too tweiler named Carl takes care long to do my environmental of a baby girl when her parents science homework and I offiare away. Unfortunately, my cially ran out of groceries. But mother never left me in my crib all I really remember is the with our dog Sophie to babysit, dog I met, the one-year-old but I would like to think that golden retriever who wagged if she had, Sophie would have his whole body — curving his done a fine job. back around my shoulders so I think I love dogs so much we were essentially hugging. because dogs are not people. The dog who heard a mop fall People, myself very much to the floor and started barking, included, are always lagging circling the mop as if it were an a little behind in some way or armed gunman. The dog who another. I’m okay with it — in reminded me of my dogs, of all lacking something, we make the dogs I’ve ever had. And I room for all the chaotic good forgot about the minor disapstuff to happen in our lives. But pointments, about the people sometimes I need an ideal — a who are lagging just a little certainty. And dogs have never behind. Because there are good disappointed me. dogs in the world, and that’s all I used to have a lab-mix the certainty I need. named Wally whose head was smaller than his neck; his collar Mary Scott’s column runs would always slip off because biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at m.hardaway@ of it, but he never left home cavalierdaily.com. long enough for us to worry

Courtney’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at c.hartnett@cavalierdaily.com.

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Health&Science Wednesday, February 20, 2013

CLUB RED PROMOTES HEALTH AWARENESS

By MICHELLE LIM | Cavalier Daily STAFF WRITER

Club Red, a heart health initiative for women sponsored by the University’s Heart Center, is hosting activities this February in recognition of Heart Disease Awareness Month. Club Red is an online community with more than 6,000 members that aims to increase awareness about the factors and symptoms of heart disease.

The organization kicked off this month’s activities Friday with a free hula hooping class called “Hoop for your Heart” at the Aquatic and Fitness Center. Club Red will also host a panel discussion and Zumba class at the Paramount theatre Feb. 28, both of which are free and open to the public, Medical Center spokesperson Meghan Bradley said in an email.

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. The condition occurs when plaque builds up in the vessels connected to the heart, impeding blood flow.

When left untreated, the disease can

eventually cause angina, heart failure and arrhythmias, irregular heart beats, or a heart attack. Symptoms of heart disease include chest pain or discomfort, feeling weak or faint and shortness of breath. If diagnosed early, however, heart disease is both controllable and preventable.

Club Red works year-round to encourage women to maintain a healthy diet and weight by exercising, limiting alcohol use, avoiding smoking and monitoring blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

To help women address the last two factors, the organization is spearheading a “Know Your Numbers” campaign, encouraging women to know their cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index.

“Working with a primary care provider or cardiologist to obtain these numbers is the first step in understanding one’s risk for heart disease,” Bradley said.

Courtesy Club Red

Post-operative care procedure shortens hospital stays

By TAYLER BRUCE | Cavalier Daily STAFF WRITER A new post-operative care procedure will now be permanently instituted at the University Hospital, following the release in December of a seven-year study led by Assoc. Surgery Prof. Dr. Todd Bauer. The research found that patients saw drastically shorter hospital stays and reduced costs after receiving a Whipple — a major surgery which treats pancreatic tumors — if meticulous care was taken during the patient’s early rehabilitation post-op.

During the seven-year analysis, the team boasted a 0 percent mortality rate and very few serious complications. The

procedure also reduced the recovery time for patients to six or seven days. “[The data represent] outcomes that are among the best anywhere in the world for one of the most complex and difficult surgical procedures,” Bauer said in an email. “Most other centers — even the other top-tier academic medical centers — have an average length of stay of 10-14 days.”

The team’s success was attributed to several key guidelines, including a meticulous approach during surgery, careful post-operative timelines and milestones for patient recovery, and

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education of the patient prior to surgery about what to expect throughout the recovery process.

The team is currently researching other potential post-operative guidelines for different pancreatic and liver surgeries, but the process could take years for hospital committees to approve, Bauer said.

“Despite the fact that these pathways have been shown to improve patient care for many types of surgical procedures, they are only developed and utilized for a minority of procedures,” he said.

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Wednesday, February 20, 2013 | The Cavalier Daily

Virginia crushes VMI Cavaliers dominate in-state rival, 18-4; first-half dominance propels team to 11-1 halftime score Jenna Truong | Cavalier Daily

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