Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Cavalier Daily

Vol. 134, Issue 13

LEON ARCEO, ADAIRE BURNSED, ALBERT TANG & HONOR WOOD | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Thursday, March 28, 2024

2 | www.cavalierdaily.com

NEWS

The Cavalier Daily

This week in-brief CD News Staff

Valentina Mendoza Gonzalez aims to bolster Support and Access Services as next Student Council president Valentina Mendoza Gonzalez, incoming Student Council president and third-year Batten student, plans to improve the student body’s engagement with the Student Council by making its services more accessible and rebuilding relationships with underrepresented Contracted Independent Organizations during her term. In an entrance interview with The Cavalier Daily, she stated her intent to pay student leaders and said she aims to ensure that Support and Access Services — a Student Council branch providing a range of legal, financial and academic support resources — is accessible for all University students by providing more inclusive products.

“We have so many services to offer as Student Council that we would love to see used in diverse ways,” Mendoza Gonzalez said. “Rebuilding that trust with underrepresented organizations can bring in a lot of student engagement from these pockets of U.Va. that are not engaged [with Student Council].”

Another step Mendoza Gonzalez proposed to foster diversity and inclusivity is creating a visitation program for admitted students from underrepresented communities. This program would allow prospective students to see the University’s diversity for themselves and allow them to meet and feel comfortable around their peers before beginning their time at the University, according to Mendoza Gonzalez. The proposed visitation program was a major part of Mendoza Gonzalez’s campaign platform leading up to the election, and she said that she has secured support for the program from Vice Provost for Enrollment Steve Farmer and the Office of Undergraduate Admission at large.

Mendoza Gonzalez will begin her term at the end of March.

3.25

3.26

New 7 Day Junior location opens on West Main Street 7 Day Junior has opened a new location on West Main Street, replacing the Carytown Tobacco store which previously occupied the lot. The owners of the West Main Street Carytown Tobacco sold the location to 7 Day Junior earlier this month and, after a brief move-in period, the store is now open for business.

According to Hiren “Harry” Patel, store owner and 7 Day Junior business partner, the West Main Street location will focus mainly on providing nutrition and hydration to students commuting to Grounds from areas around the Corner. He said that the decision to open the new location was primarily based on seeing a need for easily accessible drinks and snacks in that segment of the Corner.

Patel said he hopes to stock the new location with protein bars, fresh sandwiches and other healthy snacks that students can grab as breakfast or lunch options on their way to class. He also said he plans to add coffee and slurpee machines to satisfy drink cravings in all weather conditions.

The new West Main Street location is the third 7 Day Junior location owned and operated by Patel. The other two locations are located on 14th Street and 10th Street respectively.

Patel does not own the 7 Day Junior Food Mart located on University Avenue next to Bodo’s Bagels.

Despite an ongoing move-in process, the store is currently open for business.

PRIYA KOMMU | THE CAVALIER DAILY

At the recent March 1 Board meeting, Hardie and Board member Bert Ellis argued when Ellis insisted on bringing up the subject of antisemitism and Jewish student safety on Grounds.

Billboard truck on Grounds calls for resignation of Board of Visitors Rector Robert Hardie A small truck with LED screens on all sides calling for the resignation of Robert Hardie, rector for the Board of Visitors, parked in front of Gilmer Hall near the first-year dormitories on McCormick Road March 26. The truck was outside of Gilmer Hall at 9:30 a.m., but was gone by 10:20 a.m. It was later seen on McCormick road around 12:30 p.m. and on the street outside the University Chapel around 2:40 p.m. One of the truck’s screens read “Rector Robert Hardie won’t confront antisemitism” while another said Hardie is “unfit to lead U.Va.” According to University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover, the University is working to identify the person or organization that hired the truck. Glover described the message on the truck as false and offensive, and said that the Board of Visitors and the University administration are committed to combating antisemitism and discrimination.

“There are groups outside of the University community who have a political interest in distorting the reality of how the University is supporting our students, faculty, and staff in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and ensuing war in Gaza,” Glover said.

Hardie and Bert Ellis, Board member and College and Darden alumnus, argued when Ellis tried to discuss antisemitism and the safety of Jewish students on Grounds during the open session of the Full Board’s March 1 meeting. Since then, the Jefferson Council, of which Ellis is co-founder and president emeritus, has criticized Hardie and University President Jim Ryan for their refusal to engage with the subject in the open meeting.

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 3

NEWS

Office of African American Affairs celebrates 40th anniversary The program, established in 1984, has provided mentoring for Black first-year and transfer students at U.Va. for four decades Cecilia Mould | Staff Writer The University’s Office of African American Affairs is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its Peer Advisor Program, which matches Black first-year and transfer students with upperclassmen peers for mentoring.

Founded in 1984, the OAAA created the program to address the University’s comparatively lower retention rate for Black students, and this advising system has since been commended by students, alumni and administrators alike.

The program offers students a range of activities, including workshops and seminars, and connects new students with peer advisors who provide them with support and counseling. Each advisor mentors multiple advisees and can offer support in whatever areas they may need — academic, social or emotional.

The pairings are based on academic and extracurricular interests, with the intention of connecting new students with an upperclassman who can provide them with personalized guidance. All incoming students who identify as Black are included as advisees in the program, and are matched with their advisors during the summer months ahead of move-in.

Dean Sylvia Terry served as the program’s director until her retirement in 2009, having transferred from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to the OAAA in 1989, five years after the Peer Advisor Program was founded.

Prior to Terry’s arrival at the OAAA, the Peer Advisor Program did not work with all new Black students. Instead, it operated on a much smaller scale and only included students who were part of a specific OAAA summer transition program. After Terry became involved, the program expanded dramatically — advisors began connecting with new students through a variety of recruitment and welcoming events before they even started their first semester.

“We have students coming [to U.Va.] and staying, [instead of] having to leave now because of cultural differences.” Terry said. “[Students] are not having to leave because ‘I’m one thing and you may be another,’ but instead are coming together to celebrate one another.”

According to Dr. Darren Kelly, current dean of the OAAA and Class of 2004 alumnus, today’s advisors go through a spring orientation in April and begin connecting with their new advisees in the summer before the academic year

starts. Current advisors send personalized letters written by hand, a contrast to the many emails that rising first years receive.

Class of 2012 alumna Wintre Foxworth Johnson, who experienced the program as both an advisee and a peer advisor, said the program’s early start helps Black first-year students feel welcome when they arrive at the University. She spoke to the authentic relationships she formed through the program, and the sense of ownership of the University which she gained through her connections to the program.

“One of the first places I remember being [on Grounds] is at the OAAA. This was one of the places where I knew I could go physically — I was there a lot — but also intellectually,” said Johnson. “Being in community with Black folks, in the Peer Advisor Program, was so much a part of my first-year experience of feeling like there was a connectedness.”

In addition to growing the Peer Advisor Program in size, Terry also created other events to foster a welcoming community for incoming and newly enrolled students. She established Harambee, an orientation event, and Harambee II, which celebrates students’ completion of their first semesters at the University.

Both of these events were designed to give Black students a sense of ownership and agency over their time at the University. She also created an initiative within the Peer Advising Program called “Raising the Bar,” which still operates today and provides group studying opportunities and academic support to students, as well as opportunities to hear from a range of academic groups and organizations.

Rather than dwelling on the hard work she has done for the program over the past 20 years, Terry said she saw the opportunity to work with students and administrators in the OAAA as a privilege.

“It wasn’t work, it was fun.

It was joy. I’m a very lucky lady, that I was given this clay to mold into that statue, the Peer Advisor Program,” Terry said. “I would say it’s been joyful and just so full of pride.”

Kelly, who currently serves as the program’s director, was part of the program as both an advisee and an advisor during his time at the University. He said the longevity of the program reflects the character of those involved in it and the support that it has from

COURTESY OFFICE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AFFAIRS

This program connects new students with peer advisors who provide support and counseling, and offers a range of activities, workshops and seminars.

current students and alumni.

“Whether it’s giving their time or talent speaking to students, many [alumni] really look back on their peer advisor experience fondly,” Kelly said. “For me, it’s important for our students to see the legacy [and] to understand just the generations of University students and peer advisors who came before who have continued to move in and make the program what it is today.”

One student who said they have benefited from the Peer Advisor Program is Class of 2023 alumna Ar’monii Price, who was an advisee and then served as senior peer advisor of external affairs during her fourth year, where she oversaw the marketing of the program. She noted that the program offered her an opportunity to find community and connect with her peers.

“It was great to be there for someone during their first year to answer their questions, point them in the right direction, and see how over years they just grow into amazing people who are involved in all these organizations, doing all these great things,” Price said. “Most of my closest friendships from college were because of my involvement in the program or from being directly connected to OAAA.” This sense of belonging the advising program provides has had a tangible impact on the graduation

rate of Black students at the University. In 2017, the University’s graduation rate of Black students was 80 percent, among the highest in the country. Price said the program benefits the University at large, as it can advertise the Peer Advisor Program as a step it takes to make Black students feel welcome.

“With U.Va. being a predominately white institution, and it typically being hard for Black students to find a sense of belonging, or home, I think [the program] helps to take the weight off of [new students’] shoulders of having to do the work to feel like they have a sense of belonging,” Price said. “That’s something that a lot of PWIs don’t have — they can’t say when Black students come that they’ll feel welcome and at home.”

Graduate Engineering student William Adu-Jamfi, who has been a peer advisor since his second-year, said he chose to become an advisor because his own experience as an advisee was so positive. Peer advisors also provide academic guidance to advisees, and Adu-Jamfi said the academic support the program provides has contributed to the success of Black students at the University.

“I definitely think it has impacted the Black community academically, with the [Raising the Bar] events three times a month which help increase academic

proficiency and experience for Black students at the University,” Adu-Jamfi said. “[The program] has also given time for the Black community to bond. I think overall, it’s helped strengthen the Black community and it’s helped make the Black community more successful at U.Va.” Johnson also noted how important the program was in contributing to the work that the University still has to do in terms of supporting Black students, and how strong the program has remained over the past 40 years.

“I think 40 years of a program just speaks to how integral the program is to this University,” Johnson said. “40 years of unwavering support for Black students, 40 years of a program that has worked. It’s something that is sustained. I think that it just speaks to the visionary that Dean Terry is, [and] I’m looking forward to 40 more years of this program because I think it is much needed.”

Students selected to be peer advisors for the 2024-25 academic year will begin their work with an orientation session April 6.

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NEWS

Madison House faces post-pandemic application issues The organization says that the demand for volunteers has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Jackie Bond | Staff Writer Madison House — a center for connecting students to volunteer positions around Charlottesville — is experiencing an increase in student volunteer applicants, though many interested students say the application process is disorganized and confusing.

Madison House has helped connect students to volunteer organizations around Charlottesville since 1969. It hosts over 20 ongoing programs, allowing students to serve the community in roles such as peer counselors, tutors, construction workers and caretakers. With a network of over 40,000 alumni and 2,000 current student volunteers, the organization operates on what Dr. Rose Cole, senior director of community engagement at Madison House, calls a form of “struc-

tural student self-governance,” as much of the volunteer programming is coordinated by student leaders.

While the organization places an emphasis on student leadership, some students have expressed difficulty in applying to volunteer through Madison House. Second-year Education student Sydney Alphin said she was frustrated with the online process as she found it difficult to navigate and ultimately unfruitful in her search for volunteer opportunities.

“You have hundreds, if not thousands of young people ready to give back to their communities and get involved in important meaningful work outside of the U.Va. bubble that we all often get entirely too wrapped up in,”

Alphin said. “But many are discouraged, or possibly even frustrated, with the disorganization and lack of correspondence.”

Madison House currently has around 280 student leaders in a variety of positions who are chosen by their peers in a competitive selection process to recruit, manage, train and place student volunteers in each program. These student leaders are tasked with designing infographics for applicants interested in volunteer opportunities on the Madison House website. These infographics describe the volunteer process and provide further information on how to apply to each program.

The application process, which requires students to visit a secondary website to follow

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the steps provided in the infographics, can be confusing and difficult to navigate for students, according to Cole. She said that the inability to apply directly on the Madison House website can make the application difficult for students to navigate. Cole said that instead, in-person recruiting events for Madison House are a better way for students to apply.

“The barrier to touchless entry is high at Madison,” Cole said. “But if you can get to the touch point with the scheduled info sessions or with reaching out, I think that’s been where it’s easier to navigate.”

Alphin followed the instructions on the Madison House website and applied to The Haven — a day shelter in Downtown Charlottesville — but did not receive a response from either Madison House or The Haven.

She reached out directly to The Haven and was only then able to find a volunteer position with the shelter.

Not all applicants have issues finding placements, however. Nikita Majumdar, Madison House volunteer and first-year College student, went to the information session for Health and Medical Services volunteering at the beginning of the Fall 2023 semester and was able to apply and receive a volunteer position within a week. However, Majumdar acknowledged that some of her peers did not have as much luck with the application process.

“I’ve heard from a lot of people that some of the more competitive pathways like pre-health or human services are really hard to get involved with,” Majumdar said. “So sometimes I wish they were more accessible for more volunteers.”

While accessibility is a large concern, it is far from the only factor preventing students from finding volunteering opportunities. According to John Piller, Madison House outreach and partnership manager, student frustration may also be attributable to the fact that not all of the volunteer organizations that partner with Madison House are in need of student volunteers.

Piller said that The Haven is one of these organizations. “[The Haven is] a community partner that really, really works well with us and we try very hard to work with them,” Piller said.

“But there’s a big difference between welcoming volunteers and needing volunteers.”

Cole said that part of the reason that not all students interested in volunteering are able to find a position is that many volunteer organizations are still experiencing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, making them unable to take as many volunteers.

“There’s never been more of a turnover and disruption around nonprofit spaces nationally, and I think Charlottesville reflects that,” Cole said. “[Students] are ready to go out and do good … but it’s never been sort of harder on an interpersonal and organizational level to make all the pieces line up.”

According to Cole, there has been a steady increase in student applications to community volunteer organizations since 2021.

Fewer people volunteered during the pandemic, but many charities and organizations also saw significant financial troubles limiting the scale of their operations and thus their need for volunteers.

Cole said that, as organizations continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic at a slower rate than applicant numbers are growing, they are unable to guarantee positions for all interested students.

“Pre-pandemic, there were about 2,500+ [Madison House] volunteers per year on average. In 2020-2021, this number dropped to a little over 1,000,” Cole said in an email to The Cavalier Daily.

“We have placed more than 1,300 volunteers each year in the last two academic years. This year we already have placed about 1,500 volunteers. So we are growing, as both we and our partners build capacity again.”

According to Cole, while Madison House aims to place students in volunteer positions throughout the year, the best time to apply is at the beginning of the spring and fall semesters.

The next information session to learn more about the organization is April 5, from noon to 1 p.m. both in the Madison House conference room and on Zoom.

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 5

NEWS

President Ryan to address concerns from graduate workers Graduate workers have been protesting late stipend payments for over a year Thomas Baxter | News Editor

COURTESY UNITED CAMPUS WORKERS OF VIRGINIA AT U.VA.

Frustrated by years of late and incorrect stipend payments, some graduate students are hopeful the upcoming meeting will yield lasting results.

In what some graduate students concerned with years of late and incorrect stipend payments see as a turning point, President Jim Ryan has agreed to meet with graduate student leaders April 4 to discuss solutions to the payment problems.

Ryan agreed to meet with graduate students after members of the University’s chapter of the United Campus Workers of Virginia attended the March 1 Board of Visitors meeting with signs and flyers detailing their concerns and highlighting the importance of graduate workers for the University’s academic success and longevity. The protest did not disrupt any Board activities.

Provost Ian Baucom recognized their presence towards the end of the Board’s morning session and tried to explain to the Board members what issues had prompted their protest at the meeting.

“There was an issue about a year ago,” Baucom said. “That was really quite unfortunate, and I again apologize for when some graduate students received late payments.”

He added that in December there was another instance of late stipend disbursements, limited to a single department. However, according to graduate Arts & Sciences student Jacqui Sahagian, Baucom’s attempt to limit the protestors’ concerns to two instances is a misrepresentation of the

truth, and graduate students had to clarify to Board members and Baucom after the meeting that their concerns are not limited to two cases.

“That’s just incorrect,” Sahagian said. “I’m not sure how he didn’t realize that [late stipend payments] have happened many more times and are an ongoing systemic issue. He certainly knows that now.”

Graduate workers who attended the Board meeting said that after the formal meeting ended, they were approached by a number of Board members who asked questions about their concerns. According to the graduate workers, those Board members said that they were not aware of the scale or even the existence of the problem.

After roughly 180 graduate students received late stipends in December 2022, the union sent an open letter to University leaders before organizing other forms of collective action, including an April 2023 rally and a November town hall meeting open to the community. Still, problems persisted, with another significant disbursement problem occurring in December.

The University provides stipends to most graduate students as a way to cover living expenses. Research and teaching assistants are additionally paid wages, though those rarely see the same issues as stipends due to labor laws and legal repercussions, according to some graduate students. Late,

incomplete and incorrect stipend payments for graduate students are not a new issue, and the “cut the checks” movement, organized by the union, has been protesting the problem for over a year.

The University has responded to the issue before, most notably through the Jan. 23 formation of a task force designed to come up with recommendations on how to resolve concerns over stipend payments. The task force issued its final report in May, providing a number of recommendations including the creation of a new loan program, changing stipend disbursement dates and improving administrative communication methods.

However, graduate Arts & Sciences student Lucas Martinez said the solutions proposed by the task force will not effectively fix the problem.

“Most of the task force solutions are much smaller,” Martinez said.

“They kind of assume that all the changes [that need to be made] are minor.”

Notably, the task force differed with graduate students over what it saw as the root cause of the payment problems. The task force cited bureaucratic miscommunication and delays as leading to late payments, but the union and graduate students alike have held firm for over a year that the main cause of the problem is the allocation of resources that has led to low

staffing and high turnover rates of positions that oversee graduate pay.

According to these graduate students, the solution to late and missing payments is simply to allocate more resources to staffing administrative positions and not overworking a small group of underworked employees.

Graduate Arts & Sciences student Cleo Boyd, who is now in her fourth year of graduate school at the University, said she has seen first hand what administrative turnover can do in terms of facilitating timely and correct payments.

“In the history department, we’ve had someone new in our administrative office [handling disbursements] every year since I’ve been a grad student,” Boyd said. “And that just causes a lot of confusion and when things go wrong, it takes a lot longer to solve them. It’s because people are new to their jobs, and we’ve been chronically understaffed too.”

Despite previously feeling unheard or ignored by the administration, graduate students have said that the recent Board of Visitors protest and the arranged meeting with Ryan have led to them feeling somewhat optimistic that their recommendations will be heard and possibly acted upon.

According to Boyd and the Daily Progress, after the protest at the Board meeting, Ryan told graduate students in attendance that, at the planned

meeting, they would not leave the room without a solution to the problem.

University spokesperson Bethanie Glover said that the meeting was primarily designed to communicate concerns and did not mention any commitment to developing a resolution to the persistent issue. Though asked, Glover also did not comment on Baucom’s misrepresentation of protestors’ concerns at the Board meeting.

“The purpose of the upcoming meeting is to get a current understanding of the graduate students’ concerns about payments and to keep lines of communication open,” Glover said. “We appreciate the students bringing their concerns to us.”

Nevertheless, to many graduate students, the interest of Board members in their issues and the scheduled meeting with the University president reflects an opportunity to share their thoughts on how to create a lasting solution to the problem.

“It really feels like there’s an opportunity to change things and make them work for the better,” Martinez said. “It feels like this is the attention or respect that we [as graduate students] feel that we deserve and that we haven’t been getting.”

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The Cavalier Daily

OPINION LEAD EDITORIAL

Safe spaces must account for their diversity In order to fully realize their missions, safe spaces must adopt formal mechanisms to promote internal dialogue In the 1960s, the women’s rights and gay rights movement created safe spaces. These spaces were then incorporated into the daily life of universities as both physical spaces and student organizations. However, these spaces have become politicized as conservatives critique what they incorrectly perceive to be institutional pampering. It is undeniable that conservatives have misunderstood the mission of safe spaces — they are not bubble wrap for students. Rather, they carve out places in which identity-based groups experience the support which has been afforded to white heterosexual men in all other spaces.

Multicultural organizations on Grounds have long been involved in political matters which have recently taken the form of issuing statements regarding Black Lives Matter, affirmative action and the war in Gaza.

However, the current constitutions of multicultural organizations largely do not contain procedures through which the general body is consulted before decisions to support movements are

undertaken. This lack of procedural consultation undermines the mission of these spaces.

Many of the constitutions of multicultural organizations have mechanisms through which the executive boards make decisions regarding support for statements. For instance, the Asian Student Union’s constitution provides only that the “executive board will be in charge of making decisions as representatives of the organization.”

These are vague and centralized procedures which problematically supersede consultation of invested members and create a situation in which attaching an organization’s name to a petition connotes how the leadership of that organization feels.

Multicultural organizations may argue that they are obligated to attach their names to statements in the name of collective liberation — an intellectual theory and strategy that describes the struggle of marginalized groups as inherently interconnected. The Editorial Board does not contest these organizations’ duty to issue statements,

nor do we contest the idea of collective liberation itself. However, collective liberation does not and should not preclude formal structures for accommodating dissenting voices.

Safe spaces, like multicultural organizations, give voice to diversity which has long been ostracized from public spaces. However, in signing onto these statements without appropriate measures for discourse, groups have oversimplified the diverse views of their members. As spaces which valorize the diversity of our communities, it is imperative for multicultural organizations to take seriously the diversity which exists within their organizations — and develop mechanisms to support this diversity.

For example, University Democrats has robust constitutional mechanisms through which disagreement with or support for statements can be expressed. A general body meeting is required, and a three-fourths majority must be achieved before the organization adopts a position on an issue — though UDems might need a refresh-

er on how to use these mechanisms.

UDems is not a multicultural student organization, but its procedures offer one path for promoting discourse.

Recently, the need for these mechanisms has become clearer. In the aftermath of Oct. 7, multicultural organizations signed onto various statements with politically charged language. While these groups faced external backlash, it is the internal backlash which is more telling — it speaks to the difficulties such spaces face as they seek to accommodate members with multifaceted identities.

This is not the first time that multicultural organizations have supported statements about controversial issues. It is worth interrogating why the war in Gaza has uniquely cut across the progressive landscape. But while this moment is distinct in its polarity, safe spaces were and always will be home to diverse perspectives. And formal mechanisms for dissent were and always will be necessary.

Let us be clear — mechanisms which are designed to promote dia-

logues should not prohibit statements.

The mechanisms we are advocating for, such as those found in the UDems constitution, simply ensure that democratic norms are upheld and diverse viewpoints are heard before the name of the organization is attached to a position. Upholding such norms will amplify the diversity within all spaces in plural societies — including safe spaces.

Safe spaces were never intended to be entirely uniform. Rather, they were intended to connect people around one manifestation of their identity while accommodating and celebrating their diversity in other aspects.

Mechanisms to promote dialogue only further this mission and ensure the longevity of safe spaces.

The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board is composed of the Executive Editor, the Editor-in-Chief, the two Opinion Editors, their Senior Associates and an Opinion Columnist. The board can be reached at eb@cavalierdaily.com

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MANAGING BOARD Editor-in-Chief Nathan Onibudo Managing Editor Grace Thrush Executive Editor Naima Sawaya Operations Manager Honor Wood Chief Financial Officer Charlie Healy

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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 7

OPINION

Virginia needs comprehensive climate education — now Climate education represents a novel and sustainable solution to Virginia’s growing climate crisis In 2020, the National Center for Science Education graded Virginia’s science standards for climate change with a failing grade. Compared to neighboring states, Virginia was the only one with a failing grade. In response, the Virginia legislature recently created a bill which would require the Board of Education to provide school boards with instructional materials on climate change and environmental literacy. Laudably, the bill passed and is currently awaiting Governor Glenn Youngkin’s response. This bill should be applauded as a step in the right direction. Comprehensive climate education represents a way to teach future generations about the threat of climate change which will, in turn, enable them to solve future crises.

Climate change education aims to help people understand the climate crisis. However, a climate change curriculum is only as strong as the support provided to its teachers — and Virginia has failed in this regard. Virginia trails other states in providing resources to teachers that equip them with basic tools for providing climate education — for example, online websites that help teachers develop lesson plans. Additionally, Virginia has not trained

teachers in how to implement a climate change curriculum, something which could be done through district-sponsored workshops. In short, Virginia lacks a framework that would guide teachers in undertaking climate change education.

Virginia’s resistance to implementing comprehensive climate education frameworks likely comes from outdated science standards

guage about the climate. Officials disputed the veracity of the grade, arguing that the study reviewed Virginia’s 2018 Science Standards of Learning document, not the larger curriculum framework that the officials claim individual schools incorporate. However, the lack of a single, curricular framework is a state-wide failure which presumes that climate education is not uni-

archaeological sites in Southeast Virginia. In addition, Virginia is home to the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the country which hosts a distinct ecosystem. The rising temperatures and increased salinity will decimate the local food chain of marine life. This, in turn, will impact the livelihood of fisheries along the coast, potentially harming Virginia’s position as the

The fact is that climate change is not a future problem — it is already present in our lives, in every state and every continent.” and a denial of climate change. Virginia has historically been resistant to conversations about the origins of climate change. Unfortunately, this is a belief that continues to shape our political landscape and which has impeded consensus around what should be a given — educating citizens about the dire threat that is climate change. Despite such resistance, the state has an obligation to give teachers the means to educate their students.

In step with trends of climate denialism, Virginia received a failing grade because of its misleading lan-

versally applicable. While problems exist with the highly standardized form of education encouraged by curricular frameworks, the existence of a framework ensures that students learn elements of complex topics to which they otherwise would not be exposed.

Virginia’s climate education is particularly concerning because of the impact that climate change will have on this state. Virginia has the second highest rate of sea level rise on the East Coast. If sea levels rise by 3 feet by 2100, less than the 5-foot estimate, it will destroy 13,000

third-largest producer of marine products in the country. In short, climate change will undoubtedly have severe impacts on the Virginian geography, economy and community.

Education inhabits a unique role in the fight to address climate change, which this bill acknowledges. Education can encourage radical systemic change while adopting the guise of incrementalism. Introducing these topics early on empowers students to make personal connections to their environment and shift their behavior. Furthermore, edu-

cating people about the health impacts of climate change allows citizens to have a better understanding of how their actions impact the environment. Integrating climate change education into the existing curriculum will not only educate students, but also facilitate healthy discourse for solutions.

The fact is that climate change is not a future problem — it is already present in our lives, in every state and every continent. Youngkin must take initiative and sign this new bill. Doing so will kickstart support for climate education, support which would place Virginia in step with the rest of the country and promote comprehensive education which adapts to changing lived environmental realities. The time to educate future generations is now. If we are to maintain hope for a solution in the future, we must work on educating our children today.

APAL UPADHYAYA is an opinion columnist who writes about politics for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.

Gov. Youngkin should sign the new marijuana bill A fair and legal weed market will contribute to a safer and more prosperous Virginia Three-billion dollars — this is the reported value of Virginia’s illicit marijuana market. This immense figure represents a dangerous reality — slews of products have gone unregulated and have possibly endangered civilians. Beyond this, the figure also represents a potential revenue stream on which Virginia fails to capitalize.

The fact that no legitimate market for marijuana exists is not only a missed opportunity, but also a failure to address public health and safety.

Thankfully, the Virginia General Assembly recently passed the Cannabis Control bill that would help fix our policy errors. To generate more revenue for the Commonwealth and protect Virginians with a fairly regulated market, Governor Youngkin should sign the bill and open the legal recreational marijuana market.

While the Commonwealth became the first southern state to legalize growth and possession of marijuana, legislative inaction has allowed the Virginian black market to grow.

Current laws only allow adults to grow and possess up to an ounce of marijuana, and retail sale of the substance is prohibited. If this bill passes, this would change — dispensaries

would be allowed to operate legally in the state. Notably, of the 24 states which have legalized recreational possession of marijuana, Virginia would be the last to legalize retail distribution.

The final bill sets the tax rate on retail marijuana to 11.625 percent

about drug use in Virginia schools.

Additionally, revenue will fund social services for communities which have been affected by substance abuse. For example, the Virginia Cannabis Equity Business Loan Fund will deal in microfinance to assist the economic growth of communities which had

trafficked on the black market are not guaranteed to be safe — last semester’s drug bust serves as a reminder that fentanyl is all around us. This bill would also create an agency that would regulate labeling and content of marijuana products. This ensures that consumers know exactly what

This bill considers the nuances that allow legal marijuana businesses to push back against the growing black market.”

which is lower than the Commonwealth’s own 20 percent state tax on alcohol. Keeping marijuana taxes low will help ensure that the legal market remains competitive, thus preventing a resurgence of the black market. An additional advantage of creating a legal marijuana industry is the revenue that taxation on marijuana sales can generate. Based on an independent estimate, marijuana sales should generate over $95 million in tax revenue.

Legislators have ensured that the revenue will go to essential needs. The bill, using the tax-based funds, establishes agencies to promote education

been disproportionately harmed by marijuana’s previous prohibition.

These measures ensure that money generated from a legalized marijuana industry will properly address past and present social problems related to drug abuse.

A well-established legal market could begin pushing back the ever-growing marijuana black market.

And the black market is a matter of public health — states with strong drug black markets often have more violent crime as a result of increased robberies and drug deals gone violently wrong. Moreover, products

they are purchasing — helping, in part, to prevent the spread of fentanyl-laced marijuana.

There is concern the bill might overregulate the marijuana industry, leading to a resurgence of the black market. This has been the case in other jurisdictions like New York, which taxes marijuana at over four times the rate of the proposed Virginia tax.

This has led to a situation in which purchasing from the black market is preferable to customers. Luckily, the rate proposed by Virginia’s bill is moderate compared to other states.

The Virginia state legislature has also

learned to ensure competition among suppliers by prohibiting stores from merging — the bill limits the number of stores a single entity can own, thereby placing a cap on potential monopolization. By not viewing marijuana as a mere cash-cow, this bill considers the nuances that allow legal marijuana businesses to push back against the growing black market.

The creation of a legal marijuana industry in Virginia has been ignored for too long. As one of the few Republican governors to allow a legal marijuana industry in his state, Governor Youngkin should demonstrate to the Commonwealth and to the country that the health, prosperity and wellbeing of Virginians should always come before partisan politics.

Signing this bill would bring Virginia one step closer to making that vision a reality.

VIET HUYNH is an opinion columnist who writes about student selfgovernance for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily. com.

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SPORTS

The Cavalier Daily

Connor Shellenberger, toppling records, forges new chapter The once-in-a-generation attackman continues to amaze as his Virginia career nears twilight Michael Liebermann | Senior Associate Coach Lars Tiffany has watched graduate attackman Connor Shellenberger’s career grow into something legendary.

He has witnessed, in that time, “the consummate team-first guy” elevate everyone around him. He has observed a man he openly admires display trademark unselfishness, both now and with an eye on the future.

Recently, Shellenberger met a legendary mark. He had entered Virginia’s game against Towson March 9 sitting seven assists away from breaking the program record for career assists.

“I’m not gonna lie,” Shellenberger said after the game. “I hadn’t really thought about it a lot.”

He knew enough to know the record dangled just out of reach.

Except then he somehow administered seven assists in one game and reeled it in. When Shellenberger eventually came to the sideline, someone mentioned he might have broken the record.

“So that’s kind of how I found out,” Shellenberger said.

Ten days later, another coronation occurred. In the third quarter of Virginia’s game against Albany, Shellenberger received a pass and whizzed the ball into the corner for his 278th point, breaking the program record for career points — a record previously set in 2022 by program legend Matt Moore.

Hyperbole flows easily from Tiffany where Shellenberger is concerned. The words come out differently than other instances of coaches commending their players. Long after Virginia finished crushing Albany, Tiffany rambled on.

“I almost have to remind myself, I’ve really witnessed every one of those hundreds and hundreds of points. I’ve been the head coach the whole time. I can’t believe he scored that many points.”

Records have toppled, across college sports, with increasing regularity in the last few years.

Players active during the abbreviated COVID-19 season have exercised their newfound fifth year of eligibility, using the extra time to tear down previous records.

Shellenberger, who redshirted during the COVID-19 season, has done this in the traditional four years. If Tiffany sometimes feels like he’s living in a dream, the

MAC DOUCETTE | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Shellenberger prepares for another stellar outing with Virginia.

sentiment is understandable.

Shellenberger grew up in Charlottesville, coming to games at Klöckner Stadium, idolizing program legend Steele Stanwick.

He attended St. Anne’s-Belfield School, about a mile from Klöckner, and became the No. 1 recruit in his class. Committing to Virginia was a dream come true after watching the program for years.

“It’s unbelievable,” Shellenberger said. “Just the storied program that U.Va. is, and just being able to be a part of the tradition and play here at Klöckner and play for Coach Tiffany and Coach Cassese, Coach Kirwan, Coach Turner.”

Shellenberger has been more than just a part of the tradition.

“Mr. Unselfish,” according to Tiffany, has helped uphold it. He took a reduced scholarship this season in order to supplement his teammates’ scholarships and has shared NIL deals with his teammates.

That generosity also reflects his on-field tendencies. Shellenberger is Virginia’s quarterback, always looking to pass. His coaches often have even encouraged him to shoot more.

“He’s such a good person,”

Tiffany said. “He’s so unselfish. He wants to be the greatest teammate ever, and that’s why he dishes the ball to everyone else.”

He has stayed that way, his character unadjusted, through an offseason offensive coordinator change, as Kevin Cassese replaced Sean Kirwan, who departed to take the head coaching position at Dartmouth. Cassese has tweaked the system slightly, but the transition has proven seamless.

“Coach Cassese has been able to put his own little spin on it, a little bit,” Shellenberger said.

“Just the amount of focus that [graduate attackman] Payton Cormier’s been getting within our offense has been awesome.”

That focus has surely aided Shellenberger, who shares a strong relationship with Cormier. The two are a natural combination, Shellenberger looking for assists every time he touches the ball and Cormier looking for goals. They have been in the program alongside each other for five years, and by now Shellenberger knows exactly where Cormier will be and exactly where to pass the ball.

However, an on-field con-

nection is not the only thing the two players share. Time is winding down on the Shellenberger and Cormier era, and soon both will exhaust their eligibility and move on. Before the Albany game, some of the team’s older players, Shellenberger included, started to reckon with their impending departure.

“It’s weird to think that we only have, I guess, at this point, three or four more games on Klöckner,” Shellenberger said.

“So it’s flown by, and we’re trying to appreciate every day.”

While continuing to break records, Shellenberger is passing the torch to another star player for when his eligibility finally does run out. Freshman attackman McCabe Millon was, like Shellenberger, the top recruit in his high school class and, like Shellenberger, is turning fans’ heads toward Charlottesville. He has scored 26 goals in nine games, recording hat tricks in six outings. It is a pace that could cause Shellenberger’s ownership of the program points record to be relatively temporary — he hopes so.

“I was telling him, I hope I’m here in three years when he’s breaking the record,” Shellen-

berger said. “So hold him to that.”

The ShellenbergerMillon-Cormier connection at attack has pulverized opposing defenses. The trio seems sometimes to almost have too much fun out on Klöckner’s grass. But as much as Shellenberger loves the game and embraces the journey, there is, of course, one ultimate goal — a National Championship.

“The end goal is winning the national championship and taking care of the things on a daily basis that will lead to that,” Shellenberger said after the Albany game.

That mentality says it all. It explains how Shellenberger has cultivated his skills and added to his growing pile of records. It explains how he has established such a magnetic presence, inevitably sending cameras and conversation his way.

More than that, though, it explains the feelings he inspires in his teammates and coaches. They applaud him for his unselfishness and his tireless work ethic and for the way he approaches college lacrosse’s daily chores and its blinding weekly spotlight.

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 9

SPORTS

Reviewing women’s lacrosse’s season at the midway point Although they haven’t been perfect, the Cavaliers have a significant chance to make a deep run this spring Peter Kratz | Staff Writer

HARRISON IRBY | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Virginia has defeated five ranked opponents in 2024, while its two defeats have each come by just a single goal.

The 2024 season for Virginia women’s lacrosse can be described as one of excitement, opportunity and progress. The Cavaliers are looking to rewrite last season’s woes, which saw them lose in the ACC quarterfinals and the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

After losing program stalwart Julie Myers before the season — Virginia’s head coach for 28 years who steered the Cavaliers to a national title and five ACC Championships during her tenure — questions loomed about how well Virginia would perform with newly-appointed Coach Sonia LaMonica at the helm. It didn’t help that the Cavaliers also lost both of their All-ACC First Team attackers in Ashlyn McGovern and junior Rachel Clark heading into the 2024 season, with McGovern graduating and Clark making a surprise transfer to Boston College.

Despite the challenges that Virginia faced coming into the season, LaMonica’s team is defying expectations and appears to be a true contender for not just the ACC Championship, but the national title as well.

What’s gone well?

The Cavaliers have been a force to reckon with on the defensive end this year, ranking fourth in the ACC with 10.09 goals allowed per game. The lynchpin of the defense has been sophomore goalie Mel Josephson, who has been a monster in the goal.

Josephson boasts the best save percentage in the conference, sitting at an incredible 47.1 percent rate. Her shot-stopping work isn’t the only thing she excels at though, because as a distributor, she consistently makes smart passes to teammates in order to kickstart the subsequent attack. Virginia’s clear percentage sits at 92.2 percent compared to their opponents’ 85.6 percent average when playing against them, giving the Cavaliers a noticeable advantage in transition.

On the attacking end, it would be impossible not to mention senior attacker Morgan Schwab. The senior leads the team in points with 56, and her eye-popping 41 assists currently leads the ACC. In a non-conference game against Richmond, Schwab notched a school record eight assists, adding to her career total that also stands as a

school record. Schwab has been instrumental not just in terms of her playmaking ability but also with her leadership as one of the team’s captains. Her play — and her guidance — on the field is a big reason that Virginia has an impressive 9-2 record.

Another bright spot for the Cavaliers this year has been the smooth transition from last year’s lost personnel. As stated before, with McGovern and Clark moving on from the program, there were holes to fill on offense. Graduate attacker Katia Carnevale — a transfer from Lehigh, where she started all 57 games she appeared in for the Mountain Hawks — has slotted in seamlessly with the attack, and leads the team in goals with 34. Additionally, freshman attackers Jenna Dinardo and Madison Alaimo have come up huge for Virginia in their debut seasons — Dinardo is fourth on the team in goals, and Alaimo is tied for third in points.

What can be improved?

This season hasn’t been all highs for the Cavaliers, though. Virginia ranks dead last in the ACC in draw controls. In a game against

Stanford, in which the Cavaliers were heavily favored, Virginia came perilously close to defeat and managed to just scrape out a 10-9 win, in part because they were outdrawn by the Cardinal 16-5. Winning the draw is critical because it provides immediate possession, creates scoring opportunities and helps control the flow of the game. It will be hard for Virginia to win games later in the season — especially against the strong opponents the ACC provides — if the draws continue to be a problem.

Furthermore, the turnover battle hasn’t gone the Cavaliers’ way this season either. Virginia ranks bottom five in both turnovers and turnovers caused. Taking care of the ball while on offense is essential for any team attempting to take home trophies later this spring.

So, how far can they go?

Virginia has been well-balanced on both sides of the ball for most of the season, and its only two losses have come against tough ACC opponents in No. 8 North Carolina and No. 7 Syracuse, both by a margin of just one goal. Thus, the Cavaliers will enter every game they play

with a fighting chance, and big wins against No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 6 James Madison — plus two other victories over ranked opponents — prove that Virginia has what it takes to compete on the national stage.

Although there have been some bumps along the way, the floor for the Cavaliers this year should be an NCAA Tournament appearance — which looks like it’s in the bag with only five games remaining — and an appearance in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. The offensive capabilities of this team will carry them to at least those two checkpoints.

However, things could easily line up for Virginia to make a realistic run farther than merely showing up for the postseason. The Cavaliers are battle-tested, and with some improvements on the turnover margin and draw controls, they will have a great chance at winning the ACC and competing for the National Championship in May. LaMonica has turned Virginia into a fighting force — the question now remains if that force will be enough to bring a trophy to Charlottesville for the first time since 2008.

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Analyzing what sank men’s basketball in 2023-24 Examining the flaws that caused Virginia’s First Four exit Connor Lothrop | Senior Writer When Virginia men’s basketball bows out of the postseason, it usually goes out with a bang — elimination at the hands of a 16-seed, on a buzzer beater or in back-to-back overtimes against underdogs. This year, Coach Tony Bennett’s team went out with a whimper. Virginia’s season ended March 19 in Dayton, Ohio as Colorado State charged to a 67-42 win in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament. The Cavaliers continued their run of tournament failure since the 2019 National Championship — having either missed the tournament entirely or gotten eliminated in its first game — for the fourth year in a row.

For this year’s Virginia team, central weaknesses include free throws, half court offense and interior defense. In particular, poor offense was the canary in the coal mine for Bennett’s squad — and frustratingly plagued the Cavaliers all season long.

Atrocious free-throw shooting Throughout the season, Virginia attempted 14 free throws per game and made 63.7 percent of them — checking in at 355th in the nation in both statistics. The average free-throw shooting rate nationally is about 70 percent, and Virginia had only two players clear that rate — sophomore guard Isaac McKneely and senior guard Reece Beekman.

Earlier this year, the Cavaliers went 0-10 from the free-throw line at home against Wake Forest, McKneely finally making the eleventh to win the game with only six seconds to go. Against Boston College in the ACC Tournament, the Cavaliers went 8-18 from the line — including a measly 4-10 in the last five minutes of regulation. This allowed the Eagles to equalize on a buzzer-beater, only to falter in overtime.

The next night, the same thing happened again. NC State gave Virginia multiple chances to win with late free throws, but Beekman went 1-4 and McKneely missed the front half of a one-and-one in the final seconds.

The missed McKneely shot led directly to a second consecutive buzzer-beater, and this time the Cavaliers fell in overtime 73-65.

This loss likely relegated them to the First Four play-in round for the NCAA Tournament.

Free throws are among the highest percentage shots in basketball, and failing to convert those easy attempts is a recipe for disaster. This Virginia team

found itself struggling heavily to make the simplest shot in basketball.

Stagnant half-court offense Hand-in-hand with the Cavaliers’ inability to shoot free throws was their inconsistent spacing and three-point shooting on offense. Despite shooting a respectable 35.8 percent as a team, Virginia had only four viable three-point threats — Beekman, graduate forward Jacob Groves, McKneely and junior guard Taine Murray. This foursome played 70 minutes together and got outscored by an average of 9.2 points per 100 possessions.

However, every other lineup Virginia played by definition had two non-shooting players. This left opponents able to pack the paint, sitting in passing lanes and restricting the Cavaliers’ access to the rim. This Virginia team was dire at creating and making shots at the rim, and lineup flaws were a key reason for this.

Even worse is that Virginia ran the fast-break on just 6.3 percent of possessions in 2024 — sitting at the first percentile in Division I — but was actually efficient when they did, with a 70th-percentile field goal percentage. Trading some half court offense for efficient transition scoring could have worked wonders.

These offensive weaknesses culminated in the disgusting performance against Colorado State.

Virginia shot 3-17 from beyond the arc and at one point went 59 minutes of real time between field goals. The Rams — 33rd in defensive efficiency via KenPom — held Virginia to its third-lowest scoring output of the year and one of the lowest in NCAA Tournament history. The blocker-mover offense may finally be on the way out.

“We’ve got to look at things, certainly, from a system standpoint,” Bennett said.

Weak interior defense On an efficiency basis, Virginia ran the seventh-best defense in the country — its best since the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season. Beekman was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team and was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Dunn joined Beekman on the All-Defensive Team and has NBA scouts calling him the best defender eligible for this year’s professional draft.

However, Beekman is 6-foot3, and Dunn is 6-foot-8. While

CLAIRE SMITH | THE CAVALIER DAILY

The Cavaliers exit from a timeout, trailing against North Carolina.

Dunn has several highlight reel blocks, both players are primarily perimeter defenders. This left protection duties closer to the basket to Groves, freshman forward Blake Buchanan and graduate forward Jordan Minor — all merely average defenders.

Groves is 6-foot-9 and skinny and not a natural paint protector. Buchanan is 6-foot-11, rail thin and a freshman to boot.

Minor has been the best of the bench as a stout enforcer, but he is only 6-foot-8 — leaving him with a disadvantage against taller centers.

This led to elite centers treating the Cavaliers’ paint as their own. In the ACC Tournament, Boston College’s graduate Quentin Post scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a loss for the Eagles. The following night, North Carolina State bigs — specifically graduate DJ Burns Jr. and junior Ben Middlebrooks — shredded Virginia for 40 points in the paint. Their dominance over Buchanan and Minor in the post kept the Wolfpack alive in a game where they shot just 3-17 on three-pointers.

Once again, this problem came to a head against Colorado State — the Rams scored 36 points in the paint. Virgin-

ia scored 42 points overall, despite playing nobody taller than 6-foot-8 until the game was almost up. Buchanan and Minor both had awful nights, repeatedly jumping at shot fakes and missing rotations. Interior defense was a season-long problem that other teams recognized and easily exploited in the postseason.

Looking forward Come November, some of these problems will be fixed. Buchanan will be older and stronger — if he stays in town. Redshirt freshmen and former three-star recruits Anthony Robinson and Christian Bliss — a tall center and a strong-shooting guard, respectively — will slot into the rotation to add energy and size.

Bennett will find a few more mid-major gems in the transfer portal, and his pack-line system will continue to elevate the defense. Offensive experience may be a problem, but those two key redshirts could inject top-tier athleticism into the lineup.

However, Beekman will likely disappear to the NBA in the second round, Dunn will likely become an NBA late first round draft pick and Groves and Minor have run out of eligibility. Surely, transfer portal departures are

coming — sophomore guard Leon Bond III will almost certainly be one of them after receiving little playing time despite his offensive prowess.

Furthermore, only two recruits are coming in this year, and just one — four-star forward Jacob Cofie — has a chance to make an immediate impact.

Guard Ishan Sharma also boasts strong potential but will likely redshirt, following the mold of young guards like Bliss. The problems that plagued Virginia men’s basketball may therefore carry over into the 2024-25 season, and Bennett and his staff clearly have a long offseason ahead — one that will be marred with uncertainty and lingering disappointment.

The Cavalier Daily

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Student Legal Services mural represents student resilience Katherine Flores uses nature to capture students’ interactions with the United States legal system Melanie Chuh | Senior Writer On the fourth floor of Newcomb Hall, a monarch butterfly welcomes students into the newly renovated office for Student Legal Services.

The majestic monarch adorned with exotic flora is the centerpiece of the SLS’s new office mural, created by second-year Nursing student Katherine Flores to reflect the intricacies of immigration law and students’ journeys through the United States legal system.

SLS, established in 1972, offers low-cost and confidential legal advising and representation to University students. SLS mainly assists students with housing and criminal issues, guiding students who have often never encountered the law on their own.

Throughout the month of February, Flores has worked tirelessly to design and paint the mural for the SLS office, drawing inspiration from her own complicated relationship with the United States legal system after immigrating from El Salvador as a child.

At the center of the mural is a large monarch butterfly, based on a metaphor from Flores’ favorite book “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous”

by Ocean Vuong. Vuong compares monarch butterflies to immigrants, as they both undergo migratory journeys and their offspring reap the benefits of this hard work. Flores explains that since many families, including her own, arduously immigrated to the U.S., their children — University students — are the ones who are not only able to pursue an education but are also able to act as advocates for change in our legal system. “‘I was really inspired by [Vuong’s metaphor] because most of my friends’ parents are immigrants, and they had a very obstacle-filled journey to get here — even being in the U.S. was very hard,” Flores said. “I just wanted to really represent that side of the legal system and also how students are the ones who are advocating for change.”

Flores said that she did not have a positive experience with the United States judicial system in her own process of immigrating to the U.S. However, she recognizes her green card as a privilege because without it, she would not be eligible for financial aid at the University, as undocumented students are not eligible for institutional aid.

“Even after I was allowed to enter [the U.S.], I still had to go through a very tedious process just to get even a social security number,” Flores said.

“Thankfully, now I have a green card, which is a huge privilege to have, but

KATE MACARTHUR | THE CAVALIER DAILY

Throughout the month of February, Flores has worked tirelessly to design and paint the mural for the SLS office, drawing inspiration from her own complicated relationship with the American legal system after immigrating from El Salvador as a child.

it’s still not the biggest step to become a U.S. citizen.”

Rather than focusing on the negative legal issues faced by immigrants and people of color — such as unequal treatment at trials and police brutality — Flores highlights the colorful, resilient passion that fuels change for those issues in hopes of sparking conversation among students who seek SLS’s services. Flores’ design also represents SLS’s aim to ameliorate students’ relationships with the legal system, making the law into a tool rather than a form of punishment.

Flores draws upon experiences with immigration that are close to her own heart — including her mother’s period of house arrest and her friends’ experiences with their undocumented parents — in hopes that her message will resonate with other students struggling to navigate the legal system. She acknowledges the turmoil she and other students have experienced, but ultimately she communicates their resilience and determination through the various plant species in her mural.

“Throughout the mural, I have flowers that have negative connotations to them because they’re invasive or hard to get rid of,” Flores said. “I

thought that as immigrants, we tend to have a lot of negative connotations, yet we’re able to thrive in such harsh environments.”

Some of these plants represent the specific experiences of her close friends. The lotus represents her friend from India, while her friend from Peru asked Flores to include a eucalyptus leaf and coffee plant from South America. According to Flores, this diversity in plant origins thoughtfully reflects the diversity in the University’s student body.

SLS director Teresa Hepler expands upon Flores’ message of resilience. As Flores started to bring her vision to life, Hepler advised Flores by suggesting that she include a mix between invasive and Virginia native plant species to represent the coexistence of students born in the U.S. and those born in foreign countries.

According to Hepler, students are in a vulnerable legal position, as many attend school on student loans and rent from landlords who may take advantage of them. With the help of SLS, Hepler said she sees students as the resilient “underdog rising above through the legal system,” even if the experience can be difficult.

Further, Hepler said that the ex-

perience can be exceedingly stressful for immigrants and students of color, which Hepler connects to her own identity as a Black woman.

“With [Flores’] mural, it talks about invasive species as being a metaphor for people who don’t belong,” Hepler said. “As somebody who is a person of color — especially given Black people’s history with the legal system — I feel that resonated with me.”

One invasive species from the mural explained by Hepler is the butterfly weed, a monarch butterfly’s main diet. Another is the purple passionflower, a plant native to both Virginia and South America, tying the two locations together through one commonality.

“The other [Virginia native plant included] is a purple passion flower, which is native to Virginia and has another version in South America, like the passion fruit that you probably see in grocery stores,” Hepler said.

“I figured since it was kind of a vine, it could be welcoming and intersecting with the so-called invasive species.”

Like the milkweed entwined with the purple passionflower, Hepler hopes the mural will welcome and comfort students who seek SLS’s ser-

vices.

“There can be trauma involved with whatever experience you’ve had, so a legal case can often help you rise above that and heal,” Hepler said.

Hepler, along with SLS’s Board of Advisors, selected Flores’ design after an application process that solicited student-created designs for the new mural. According to Hepler, the Board is composed of five Student Council members, an SLS intern, two student affairs administrators, a Charlottesville attorney, an adjunct law professor and a history professor. The Board voted unanimously in favor of Flores’ design, revealing student and community support for her creative representation of the law.

There is no question why the Board was in agreement about Flores’ mural. The piece flawlessly captures the complexity of students’ expository journeys through the legal system and boldly stands for the University students who are working to change it — all with the flutter of a wing and a pop of color.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

First Year Players prepares to stun with “Legally Blonde” The cast and crew gear up for the high energy show while building close-knit bonds Emily Pitts | Senior Writer As many theater lovers on Grounds may know, First Year Players has remained one of the University’s most prominent drama organizations for decades. This year, the entirely student-run Contracted Independent Organization will put on the beloved musical “Legally Blonde,” continuing its tradition of giving first years and new transfer students the chance to perform.

FYP puts on a different musical production each semester in the Student Activities Building. While first years and transfer students exclusively appear onstage, upperclassmen take charge in putting the show together — assuming roles like directing, producing, installing lights and playing music in the pit.

This semester’s show, “Legally Blonde,” is based on the 2001 film of the same name. The musical follows an ambitious Elle Woods on her journey to Harvard Law School. She battles stereotypes from professors and fellow classmates, but her intelligence and determination teaches them the ultimate lesson — that being yourself never goes out of style.

The musical scales up the energy of the movie with flashy lights, a greek

chorus of Delta Nu sorority girls and even a cheery flash mob in place of Elle’s Harvard University video essay.

The cast features both a large ensemble and many named roles, including eccentric hair stylist Paulette Buonufonte and ruthless Professor Callahan.

The larger-than-life nature of such a show needs a strong directorial team to live up to this tall task.

This semester, Lauren Swain, director and fourth-year College student, has answered the call — she oversees all artistic elements, from the vocals to blocking to choreography. Swain also has a team of talented vocal directors, choreographers and assistant directors on her artistic staff — also known as a-staff — to collaboratively assemble the show.

“Fortunately, for me, I have a-staffers who are very experienced,” Swain said. “They love what they do … We’re just creating something that we can all really be proud of, and it’s been a lot of fun seeing their artistic vision grow.”

Caroline Jareb, producer and third-year College student — with the help of FYP’s production staff — oversees the logistical side of the show, making sure everything is prepared by opening night. This process includes

securing donations, reserving performance and rehearsal spaces and promoting the show across Grounds. According to Jareb, FYP’s administrative tasks are collaborative efforts.

“We have weekly meetings, constantly discussing and getting feedback from the organization and production staff,” Jareb said. “[Problems along the way] get easily smoothed out with all the people working on the show.”

Rehearsals span all disciplines, from choreography to vocals to scene work. These tailored rehearsals are also a collaborative process amongst the cast, who must then put all of these elements together.

“We rehearse Sundays through Thursdays … and every week we come up with a schedule based on what we still need to learn and what we need to review,” Swain said. “This is a very involved show, so we have a lot of different groups coming together.

Everybody in the cast gets to mingle with everybody else at some point in the show.”

Along with the cast, artistic staff and production staff, First Year Players also includes a large technical staff.

These talented individuals imagine,

organize and assemble the technical elements of the show, from lights and sound to costumes and props. Another sect of FYP is the pit orchestra, which features students of all years who play a variety of instruments.

First-year College student Caroline Shoaf, who stars as Elle Woods, expressed her anticipation of incorporating more technical elements into their rehearsals in the coming weeks, as the cast and crew do not gain access to the SAB until right before the run of the show.

“We always rehearse in random classrooms,” Shoaf said. “We don’t have a set that we can practice with until tech week, basically, so I’m excited to see all the props and costumes all come together.”

Though the show process is strenuous, Swain emphasizes the importance of FYP as a safe space for first years and new transfers creatively and socially, which is the central goal of the program.

“I wanted to create an environment where so many different people with so many different talents could come together to create something that we could all enjoy, which I think has turned out pretty well in this pro-

cess so far,” Swain said.

For the upperclassmen, these invaluable friendships continue even past their time as “casties” — a term of endearment for the actors in the show — which is why so many of them choose to assume staff roles. According to Jareb, they strive to pass on these sentiments to future generations.

“I think what keeps people in the organization is how great our community is, and how easy it is to make lifelong friends from it,” Jareb said.

“When you make those friends, it’s exciting to think about being able to create the same environment and process for future first years, just because I had such a great time as a castie.”

Swain feels strongly about the messaging of “Legally Blonde” as the show choice, which she believes reflects her own time in FYP. “There’s just always a place for everybody in [the show],” Swain said.

“We always say FYP stands for ‘Find Your Place’ ... [I] found my people sort of like how Elle Woods does it in the show.”

“Legally Blonde” will run April 1821 in the Student Activities Building.

Tickets will be available on the organization’s website in the coming weeks.

no composure fosters connection through music The newly created band known for their McCormick Quad performances is making waves in the University music scene Rea Pillai | Staff Writer It is a warm afternoon in late March, and students are congregating around the freshly trimmed lawns of the McCormick Quad. As they engage in riveting conversations and playful games, the band no composure takes center stage. Eyes are drawn to the scene as the band produces a captivating tune — a combination of bass, guitar, drums and vocals that echoes through the hearts of homesick first-year students seeking comfort and connection.

Made up of Elena Heraldo, drummer and first-year College student, Conor Bracy, rhythm guitarist and second-year Engineering student, Liam Mullins, bassist, vocalist and first-year College student, Lucas Ihnat, lead guitarist and first-year College student and Ayman Raakin, guitarist, lead vocalist and first-year College student, the group blends their respective instruments and talents to produce a diverse sound and lively energy during each set.

The self-proclaimed “Old Dorms Band” came to be in the fall of 2023 after the band members found each other through a group chat for University Records — a student-run club

that brings musicians together and hosts shows for them to perform. According to the members of the band, they decided to join forces because of their shared passions for music and performing, as well as their desires to share these passions with the University community.

The band began establishing their alternative-rock/indie-rock sound on Grounds by holding jam sessions on the McCormick Quad, playing covers of songs from bands like The 1975 and Deftones. While the Quad has since become a staple of no composure’s brand, the location was not one initially on the band’s radar, but instead was one they chose out of necessity.

“University Records didn’t really have the optimal practice space, sometimes it would just be booked – and it’s so far away [from the dormitories],” Mullins said.

While not their first choice of venue, the band said that the Quad has been an integral part of the group’s progression. According to the group, the Quad was the place where they were able to all get acquainted musically and learn new songs. Raakin shared that their Quad jam sessions

have not only brought the band closer, but they have also inadvertently formed a community amongst themselves and those that come to listen.

“I think that our outdoor practices in the Quad draw in a lot of people to hang out and watch,” Raakin said.

“We have met a lot of great people through them, just passing by, and I’m sure other people have had the same experience.”

Despite the community that has been built from the band’s Quad performances, the location has not always been an easy one for the band to play at. The group shared that the main obstacle they have run into since establishing their presence on the Quad is noise complaints when sessions run late. The band said that to avoid these complaints, they now plan their practice sessions around not only their own schedules, but also around the typical studying times of the students residing in the McCormick dormitories.

Along with giving them a space to perform, the band also attributes their growth to the novelty of their McCormick Quad presence, sharing that after each performance they di-

rect spectators and those passing by to their Instagram.

“We’ve definitely gained the most followers [from] playing out in the Quad compared to shows,” Ihnat said.

Despite their humble origins in the Quad, the band has expanded its presence in Charlottesville, fully immersing themselves in its thriving music scene. They now not only perform on the Quad, but also play at house shows put on by student-run organizations, such as Indieheads, and at local establishments, such as Crozet Pizza at Buddhist Biker Bar. Just like the Quad, the band said that these other stages allow them to try new performance techniques, which the members agreed is one of the best parts about playing music together.

“It’s just fun to do unorthodox things, just to challenge ourselves as musicians,” Mullins said.

In the spirit of challenging themselves, the band is currently working on original songs to add to their repertoire. Raakin discussed how experimenting with lyrical themes and musical structures with original music will allow no composure to stand

out amongst others in the University music scene, specifically in relation to the band’s song, unofficially titled “Orientation,” which is still in the works.

“We try to do some weird stuff in [“Orientation”],” Raakin said. “At the end, we have a section that goes into 7/4 [time], which you don’t really hear much of that from the other bands.”

Intending to transition to primarily original music in the future, their upcoming projects leave plenty of room for excitement.

“We plan to at least try to move our stuff to fifty percent or more originals at some point,” Raakin said.

“In about six more months or maybe a bit more, we’ll have enough stuff to do something like that — but stuff is in the works!”Next time you are walking down McCormick and hear the sounds of music reverberating from the Quad, know that no composure is doing what they do best — playing their music free from boundaries and composure.

The Cavalier Daily

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 13

LIFE

Top 10 things on the Corner that will never change From Bodo’s to 1515, these things will define the University hot-spot for years to come Exploring the Corner has been one of my favorite things to do at the University. I’ve devoured The Virginian’s mac and cheese, sipped lattes at Grit Coffee and listened to live music at Ellie’s Country Club. From finding new study spots during the day to running around with friends at night, here are 10 things I’ve discovered on the Corner that are too iconic to disappear.

1. The line at Trinity Irish Pub

The first time I explored the Corner, I remember seeing a line of students snaking out of Trin. The sight of the pub-crawling crowd and burly bouncers overwhelmed me at first, but once I experienced the restaurant for myself, I understood the hype. With Irish flags, a shiny walnut-colored bar and electric energy, Trin is a hub for student nightlife.

On Friday nights, the pub will undoubtedly remain bustling with upperclassmen — and definitely only upperclassmen — for years to come.

Alexa Graham | Top 10 Writer

4. Mutual embarrassment

When a student heads home via the Corner — clad in a sweatshirt and backpack — and crosses paths with someone obviously going out — wearing a crop top with a Solo cup in hand — both parties experience a feeling of discomfort. As someone who has been on both sides of this interaction, I know how each person feels — the late-night studier feels like they should have more fun and go out, while the partier feels guilty for not studying.

This awkward, unspoken interaction will never cease between late-night cramming students and party animals.

5. Hidden gems

I love wandering down the streets and alleyways of the Corner to discover hidden shopping gems. I recently stumbled upon Möge Tee with a friend, and the bubble tea shop is now one of my favorite places on the Corner — it has a calming ambience, LED decor, plants and aesthetic white seating. Now, I visit Möge Tee with friends to get strawberry boba or traditional milk tea. Besides this gem, the Corner always seems to offer new things to browse and buy, from used books at Heartwood Books to cute boutique dresses from Finch.

7.

7 Day Junior — the frat before the frat Before going to bars or fraternities, many students enjoy a run to one of the 7 Day Junior convenience stores. The loud EDM, shelves of snacks and drinks and conversations with 7 Day Harry will forever be a staple for students. The 7 Day empire is only growing larger, as a new location recently opened in the old CaryTown Tobacco shop. With so many locations, 7 Day is sure to bring an energizing presence on the Corner long after I graduate.

8. The study nooks at 1515

Study nooks at 1515 will never go out of style. The atmosphere at the Corner student center, for me at least, boosts productivity. It’s like everyone is pushing each other telepathically to keep working. And there are study spots galore — you can snuggle up in the coveted window seat, study with friends at a table in the Studio or claim the quiet Reflection Room. The downstairs game room makes 1515 an even more popular study locale — students, myself included, travel downstairs to distract themselves with the pinball and the dance machines..

HEERAN KARIM | THE CAVALIER DAILY

2. Tabling that never stops

Whether I’m picking up shampoo from CVS or going out on a Friday night, I always pass by someone tabling on the Corner — Girl Scouts selling cookies, CIOs selling Squishmallows for a fundraiser and even a student promoting his start-up company. Need to satisfy a cookie craving? Want to buy a Squishmallow for your girlfriend? Desire an invigorating shot of OK Energy? It’s hard not to get reeled in by all of the appealing offerings. I know that when I visit the Corner down the road as an alumna, I’m guaranteed to see some more convincing tables.

3. Bodo’s by day, Boylan by night

Any doubters of the University’s work hard, play hard mentality can’t deny it thrives on the Corner. I’ve been to the Corner both in broad daylight to pick up books at The Gray and at night for dinner at Asado, and I’ve noticed how two worlds can exist in the same space. In the morning and afternoon, students stop by Bodo’s Bagels and study on benches.

But when night falls, they flock to Boylan Heights to watch basketball after a long day of classes. This pattern of studying and blowing off steam is sure to continue as long as there are students at the University.

HEERAN KARIM | THE CAVALIER DAILY

9. Trying not to get run over HEERAN KARIM | THE CAVALIER DAILY

6. Merch, merch and more merch

One thing I never fail to see on the Corner is University merchandise. It is truly everywhere. Students, faculty and Charlottesville residents alike can be seen wearing Virginia sweatshirts, hats and even shoes — and on game days, the amount of merch skyrockets. When our football team is killing it, the merch is too. And why wouldn’t it? The orange and blue from Mincer’s is the best collegiate merch available in the country — at least in my opinion. Even after I graduate, I’ll keep coming back to the Corner’s iconic apparel store to buy fuzzy Virginia socks.

My biggest challenge on the Corner is steering clear of cars. Whenever I’m strutting across the brick sidewalks, I’m always on the lookout for cars vrooming down the Corner’s narrow side streets with windows down and music up. I always look both ways before crossing the street to avoid an unfortunate encounter with a motor vehicle — or even a bike or an e-scooter. The unpredictable and unnerving vehicles will forever torment pedestrians on the Corner.

10. Big University, small world

As the Corner is perhaps the most frequented spot at the University, going there means a pretty high chance that you’ll run into a friend. You’re bound to see someone you know, whether bumping into your first-year Resident Advisor on the sidewalk or finding out a classmate works at your favorite restaurant. While it can be hard to run into a friend when rushing to class on Grounds, the Corner is guaranteed to connect you to your community at the University.

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LIFE

The realities of walking home at night Amidst concerns about safety at night, students seek the expansion of nighttime transportation services on and off Grounds Miriella Jiffar | Features Writer Whether students are enjoying a night out on the Corner or wrapping up a late-night study session at Shannon Library, they often ask themselves the same question — how do I get home safely?

Their worries are not unfounded. Students often receive community alerts from Timothy Longo, chief of the University Police Department, about incidents that occur after dark, including the Oct. 1 attempted abduction of a University student last semester. While the University provides nighttime safety resources, including security personnel and on-demand rides, students still cite long nighttime commutes as a primary safety concern. To help alleviate these issues, some students have taken it upon themselves to try and expand latenight transportation options to areas currently excluded by University Transit Services.

For students who live far from central Grounds, walks to class can take up to 40 minutes. Some of these faraway residences include first-year Gooch-Dillard dorms, upperclassmen Copeley Apartments and Faulkner Apartments and off-Grounds housing on 14th

Street and Jefferson Park Avenue.

Third-year College student Carina Velocci said living in Faulkner during her second year felt unsafe and alienating.

“It was [far] from everything else,” Velocci said. “I felt that I was unsupervised and that nobody would really know if anything bad was going on.”

While the University is currently building on-Grounds upperclassmen housing closer to central Grounds, nearby housing options remain limited for students. Students face pressures to secure housing for the next year early in the fall, and they sometimes end up in apartments further away from the University’s network of supports, such as ambassadors and blue lights.

“It’s honestly not good for students to have to think about [housing] — we have a lot of other priorities. I feel like a safe living situation should be a given,” Velocci said.

While the housing construction is a relatively new project, the University Ambassadors public safety program has been in effect since 2015. Ambassadors dressed in neon-yellow jackets patrol high-traffic zones extending from the Uni-

versity to adjacent Charlottesville neighborhoods. They help individuals in distress, give directions and serve as walking escorts for students. Second-year Commerce student Diya Gupta, who lives near the Corner, said the ambassadors are a comforting and helpful resource.

“It’s nice to see [the ambassadors], especially when I’m walking home from the library late at night or walking home alone at night,” Gupta said. “If there aren’t other students around, it’s reassuring that there’s someone with a yellow jacket there.”

Still, according to fourth-year College student Sophia Jang, ambassadors are not always stationed in areas with high volumes of students, like sections of Jefferson Park Avenue. Jang said some students must remain cautious when walking home at night since ambassadors might not be present on their street.

“The ambassadors’ presence doesn’t extend so far off Grounds where a lot of students are,” Jang said. “So, it’s more about being vigilant wherever you are.”

In lieu of walking, many students rely on public transportation

to commute to their dorms and apartments. UTS offers nighttime transportation services through TransLoc, an app that allows students to track the Night Pilot, a UTS bus that runs from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., and order free rides from UTS OnDemand, a van-shuttle service offered from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

However, these nighttime transportation services are not always accessible, causing frustration for students. According to Sylvia Rahim, Student Council College Rep. and second-year College student, the Night Pilot does not have routes to some student residences, and the OnDemand shuttles often have long wait times. She emphasized the need for a Night Pilot leading to North Grounds, as the area is a bustling hive for sports and student housing.

“I think [a North Grounds bus line] would really help the overall student population. I know it’s personally affected me as someone who lives in North Grounds, especially when it’s dark,” Rahim said.

To address these concerns, Rahim is working to implement a Night Pilot bus line leading to North Grounds. Rahim plans to

discuss implementing this additional Night Pilot bus route with the Department of Parking and Transportation. She said she will also present legislation on the bus route to Student Council in hopes of solidifying her plan by the coming fall semester.

“It’s important to focus on the safety of students so people feel safe walking around … and don’t have to watch their backs all the time,” Rahim said.

As students like Rahim work to ensure their peers on and off Grounds remain safe at night, they acknowledge a shared responsibility between themselves and the University to accomplish this goal.

While the University provides safety resources, students must keep a proactive mindset and remain alert at night, Gupta said.

“Part of safety is being intentional about where you are and who you’re with. If I know that I shouldn’t be walking home alone at midnight then I should do my best to not do that,” Gupta said. “But I do feel safe at U.Va., and I think the resources that are in place are helpful among the student body.”

Students from afar find their place on Grounds For these international students, life at the University is a uniting, but not universal, experience Abby Snowdon & Maddie Shaw | Features Writers As a demographic group, international students constitute about 5 percent of each admitted class at the University, but the variety of their individual contributions to the student body cannot be summed up in a statistic. International students hail from all over the world and face unique challenges, from securing visas to learning on which side of a car the driver sits. Far from homogeneous, their voices highlight how no single set of experiences defines what it means to be an international student on Grounds.

International students must navigate an assortment of legal paperwork to study in the United States. Visa applications and travel signatures make up the bulk of this work, according to Adrienne Kim Bird, assistant director for the International Student and Scholar Program. Acquiring a visa may take longer for some students, as certain students’ home countries require more rigorous application processes than others. “[For international students], so many things are different,” Kim Bird said. “There’s unfortunately a lot of

restrictions, and sometimes it can be really tricky.”

The type of visa also determines the extent to which a student may travel. Those with multiple-entry visas may travel between the U.S. and their home country multiple times, but those with single-entry visas cannot, according to Chinmay Nair, Mumbai native and graduate Engineering student.

“Some students have multiple-entry visas … but [others] not do not have this luxury … and never leave the U.S. until they’re done with their program,” Nair said.

International students also have different levels of familiarity with U.S. culture. First-year College student Kriti Bhabu said when she first came to the University, she noticed a stark difference between the etiquette of the U.S. and that of her home in New Delhi, such as the way domestic students engage in small talk.

“I think coming here was definitely a huge culture shock, just in the way people interact with each other and the way things work,” Bhabu said.

“I was definitely homesick my first few weeks because [the U.S.] was so new.”

Contrastingly, some international students said they had firsthand knowledge of the U.S. before coming to the University. Second-year Commerce student Mia Luu explained how she used to travel annually from Shanghai to the U.S. before coming to Grounds, which allowed her to adjust relatively smoothly to U.S. customs.

“I knew how American culture worked because I had come to America every year,” Luu said. [Now] I feel like I am accustomed pretty well to the culture here.”

To help ease the transition to Grounds, the University offers the Global Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program and Global Greeters, two ISSP organizations that pair international students with student mentors. International students may also live in the International Residential College, an on-Grounds residence that houses domestic and international students.

Bhabu said these dedicated spaces allow international students to connect with each other, but as someone

who does not live in the IRC, she also noted the value in creating relationships outside of structured University spaces.

“I never felt like I didn’t have [University] resources to fall back on, [but] personally, I never felt the need to use those resources,” Bhabu said. “I wanted to kind of expand out of the [international student] community.”

For first-year College student Katie Hui, who chose to have a peer mentor, University resources provided a tight-knit community and helped quell her uncertainty in navigating an unfamiliar University environment.

“We have a relatively small international student population,” Hui said. “Everyone’s super supportive because there’s only so many of you.”

Hui also noted how international students foster support through shared experiences, even if the experiences are not altogether positive.

She said bonds often form because international students, connected by circumstance, can truly understand each other’s struggles.

“As international students, re-

gardless of which country or city you’re from, you’re going through very similar things,” Hui said. “You wish you could celebrate [holidays] with your family or Parent’s Weekend with them … As international students, we just have that bond.”

Hui said she hopes the number of international students at the University will increase in years to come, emphasizing how the presence of international students benefits all students on Grounds.

“In the future, I do look forward to seeing U.Va. expand its international community,” Hui said.

Kim Bird emphasized the University’s commitment to supporting the international student community and creating a diverse, inclusive environment where all voices have the opportunity to be heard.

“It’s really a two-way street,” Kim Bird said. “International students get so much from the experience of being here, but they also give so much to the University. It’s great to have that kind of diversity.”

The Cavalier Daily

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 15

HUMOR

U.Va. Squirrels — Campus Celebrities with Big Personalities Editor’s Note: This article is a humor column.

Welcome to the University of Virginia, where the echoes of history meet the scurrying of tiny paws. In the shadow of Charlottesville’s domed pride, there roams an elite squadron of fur-bound scholars. Many know of these bushy-tailed creatures as the official mascots of the University. But in fact, they are much more than just rent-avoiding residents. The University’s squirrels, much like us students, embody the essence of collegiate life, exuding personality, vitality and scholarship — albeit in a furry form. These pint-sized inhabitants have a significant impact on the University, infusing the meticulously maintained Lawn with moments of amusement, spontaneity and untamed spirit.

I am here to bring light to these rodents. No longer will we discuss the rats found in dormitories or dismiss the squirrels as annoyances. Instead, we will marvel at them. Here, dear reader, are those who live among us.

The Nutty Professors — The Whiskered Academics Step aside tweed jackets and leather-bound books, the real intellectuals of the University have arrived sporting fur coats and a penchant for public speaking. These squirrels — dubbed “The Nutty Professors” — have established a new kind of open-air university. There, the curriculum revolves around the mysterious physics of the fluffy tail and the best acorn-hiding techniques to cure squirrel amnesia.

Their lectures are a sight to behold — a masterclass in squirrel-osophy.

They gather their bushy-tailed disciples and impart wisdom. Offerings include nutonomics and nestitechture.

With flicks of their tails, they etch diagrams in the dirt and fiercely debate the nutritional content of various seeds. Welcome to the Squirrel University of Virginia, where every day is a nutty adventure in higher education!

The Crafty Adversaries — The Fuzzy Fellows of Feistiness These bandits have perfected the

art of the snack attack. They employ guerrilla tactics that could outsmart military strategists. These pint-sized pillagers have honed their heist techniques to perfection. With the precision of a pickpocket, they execute snack heists that are campus legend.

They orchestrate complex operations to liberate a lonely lunch from its human guardian. In one memorable incident, a daring squirrel named Slicktail executed a breathtaking maneuver to pilfer a granola bar. With acrobatic prowess and stealth, he seized the snack and vanished into the foliage. These treat takers are no mere foragers — they are the fluffy incarnations of the adage, “Keep your friends close and your snacks closer.” Students have learned that here at the University, it’s not the grades that you need to guard with your life — it is your granola bars.

The Trusty Tail-Bearers — The Secret-Keepers of the Squirrel Society In the verdant groves of the University, one finds the most reliable

members of Grounds — the Trusty Tail-Bearers. These are no ordinary rodents. They are the confidants of the University, the furry friends who know the weight of our deepest-kept secrets — the true reason behind the Rotunda fire in 1895, the secret location where the Brown College tunnels lead to and the answers to your upcoming exam.

Students, laden with the drama of college life, find solace in the unwavering eyes and twitching noses of these creatures. Perched atop their arboreal seats, they are the unwitting detectives. Nodding to the beat of hushed voices, they absorb the weight of whispered confessions. But, behind those beady eyes lies the calculating mind of a creature that knows the value of information.

Rumor has it that the squirrels trade secrets with the crows for a shiny trinket or a breadcrumb or two. In desperate times, they have even been known to share gossip with human companies, ruining the chances of countless students by revealing their

embarrassing deeds. They are the living embodiment of the saying, “a little bird told me,” except, in this case, it was a squirrel with an impeccably groomed tail.

Ah, the squirrels of the University are not mere campus dwellers — these small creatures cast a large shadow, bringing laughter to the manicured lawns of the University. As the years pass, new students will be welcomed by the twitching noses and knowing glances of these bushy-tailed icons.

The squirrels serve as a reminder that amidst the pursuit of knowledge and the solemnity of academia, there is always room for mischief and joy.

So let us tip our hats to these furry campus celebrities. May their acorns be plentiful, their fur be fluffy and their antics continue to be the stuff of legend. .

HEWAN KASIE is a Humor Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at humor@cavalierdaily.com

CARTOON The Contemplative Commons

Hoo’s Spelling

Conwell Morris | Cartoonist

Isabelle Tindall | Puzzle Master

16 | www.cavalierdaily.com

PUZZLES Quinn Connor | Puzzle Master THE SOLUTION TO THIS PUZZLE WILL BE PUBLISHED ON WWW.CAVALIERDAILY.COM

Across 45 Location or result of a 1 Prepare for battle food fight 4 It’s spotted in Clue 46 MLB semifinal 7 Mil. rank 47 Lock of hair 10 Tennis do-over 48 “Take _____!” (Stop 13 Ocean floors standing!)

15 First coats 50 Travel high school 17 Twitch chat message after basketball org. a poor performance 51 The path to March 18 Perfect student’s report Madness National card Champion for a First Four 19 World Cup chant team 20 _____— cross applesauce 54 The majority of the 21 Schooner sail supports atmosphere, atomically 24 Christmas carol 58 Buying period reserved 25 D.C. hockey team for fans 29 Angers 59 More like msuh 30 Some children 60 Donkey 31 Animals who move 61 Begins when the ball with 37-down drops (abbr.)

32 One of five in a 62 Whichever Shakespeare tragedy 63 Computing pioneer 33 Preceders of sigmas Lovelace 34 American Red Cross founder Clara 35 Show some skin at a UNESCO World Heritage Site... or alternative instructions for filling in the highlighted boxes 38 Under the weather 39 Wander 40 Preceder of dry or fry 42 Lacking skill 43 Beer pong necessity 44 Small songbird

Down 1 Language learned by many CODAs 2 Fam. reunion attendee 3 Evil starter?

4 Small red buildings on Grounds 5 Run in place, as a car 6 Subj. for aspiring bilinguals 7 / / / on a scoreboard 8 Holy _____ (legendary treasure) 9 Madres’ sisters 10 Meadow 11 Segment of Taylor Swift’s discography 12 Airport agcy.

14 Marks on a Rorschach test 16 Eyelash application 20 Build 21 Nowhere to be found, for short 22 Trig function 23 Reaches an agreement 24 Cozy corner 26 China, ceramics or pottery 27 Big blooming flowers 28 Nine-digit ID 30 Thick rug 31 Lucy of “Pretty Little Liars” 33 Boardwalk has the highest in Monopoly

34 Bold Rocks and Busch Lights, slangily 36 Wood cutters 37 Beer ingredient 38 Project goal 41 Some ICU workers 43 Attacked like a cat 44 Twisted, as wet towels 46 _____—wed (just

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married) 47 Like citrus fruits 49 Ugly Duckling’s final form 50 Auth. unknown 51 New Deal agcy.

52 NFL pass catchers 53 Anderson who directed “Asteroid City”

54 Intelligence org.

55 Doctor Holly’s daughter on “Dance Moms” 56 Homer’s neighbor 57 Org. gunning for second amendment protections