Aug. 19, 2021: Class of 2025 arrives on Grounds amid mask mandates and Delta variant concerns
This year will mark the first full “normal” year for members of the Class of 2023 and 2024, not to mention the 4,631 members of Class of 2025 and transfer students, who eagerly braved heavy rain Wednesday morning to move in and begin their collegiate journey at the University.
Move-in will continue Thursday, and first-years will have the upcoming week to partake in Wahoo Welcome events and attend convocation — where they will sign the Honor pledge — and Welcome Week programming, including University traditions like Rotunda Sings and the Welcome Week concert.
Though University leadership promised this fall will mark a return to normal operations, the prevalence of the Delta variant — a more contagious version of COVID-19 — has recently caused a change in plans.
Nov. 15, 2022: Students hold informal vigil on South Lawn in wake of shooting
Thousands of students, faculty, staff and community members gathered at South Lawn at 7 p.m. Monday evening to grieve, heal, reflect together and honor the lives of the three victims of Sunday’s shooting.
The informal vigil was organized by dozens of student leaders from contracted independent organizations and special status organizations across Grounds. Leaders passed out candles and orange ribbons to attendees, who congregated on South Lawn.
Minutes into the vigil, members of the Virginia football team gathered on the steps of Old Cabell Hall, who embraced one another and stood quietly among each other, looking out into the crowd. In silence, attendees raised their candles and phone flashlights to the players.
Three members of the Virginia football team — second-year student Devin Chandler, third-year student Lavel Davis and fourth-year student D’Sean Perry — were fatally shot Sunday evening on their return from a field trip in Washington.
CD News Staff
June 27, 2023: Honor Committee approves foundational bylaws for new multi-sanction system
The Honor Committee approved a new set of bylaws in a 16 to one vote during a virtual meeting Sunday evening. These amendments will act as the foundation for the Committee’s new multi-sanction system and are designed at increasing case processing efficiency. Under the new system, a Panel for Sanction will determine sanctions based on the individual contexts and circumstances of each student. Three-fourths of the panel — composed of seven randomly selected students and five randomly selected Committee members — would have to agree on parameters of evidence and intention to find a student guilty of an Honor offense.
March 1, 2024: Board of Visitors’ Committee approves recommendation to rename Alderman Library
The Board of Visitors’ Buildings and Grounds Committee voted to recommend renaming Alderman Library to Edgar Shannon Library during its Thursday meeting. The recommendation moves the proposal ahead to the Full Board which convened Friday. The Board also approved designs for a North Grounds parking garage and Darden student housing during the Committee’s meeting.
The proposal would rename the library after the University’s fourth president, Edgar Shannon, who initiated coeducation and racial integration at the University. The proposal was on the Buildings and Grounds Committee’s agenda at the Board’s December meeting, but the committee postponed the vote until the current session.
May 5, 2024: Police forcefully clear encampment near University Chapel, detain protesters
Over 50 police officers, including state troopers in riot gear, cleared the pro-Palestinian encampment near the University chapel Saturday afternoon and detained at least 25 protesters. The removal of the encampment marked the end of a days-long protest that called on the University to disclose its investment portfolio and divest from institutions benefiting from Israeli occupation in Palestine, among other demands.
March 9, 2025: Board of Visitors votes to dissolve Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The full Board of Visitors convened on Friday to review resolutions which had been passed within individual committees prior to the full Board meeting, including a resolution passed in closed session to dissolve the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University, which the full Board also approved. The Board also discussed the University’s test-optional policy for undergraduate admissions and commended members who were leaving their positions.
One resolution passed during the full Board’s meeting was not discussed in open session prior to its approval. This resolution focuses on compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order, signed Jan. 21, to end DEI efforts within the public sector. The resolution requires that the University officially dissolve the Office of DEI.
Language in the resolution also states that the University continues to value diversity and to welcome students from all backgrounds.
ARIANA GUERANMAYEH THE CAVALIER DAILY
KATE MACARTHUR THE CAVALIER DAILY
BENVIN LOZADA THE CAVALIER DAILY
ADAIRE BURNSED THE CAVALIER DAILY
FINN TRAINER | THE CAVALIER DAILY
Four years of construction — how has Grounds changed?
The soon-to-be graduates witnessed the development of buildings ranging from the School of Data Science to the Contemplative Commons
Grace Little | Senior Writer
Arriving on Grounds in 2021, the University’s graduating Class of 2025 saw a smaller collection of buildings than the one they are now preparing to leave. Many of the new projects fall under the University’s 2030 Plan, which aims to position the University as the top public University by 2030 through initiatives which support the community.
According to Michael Kennedy, Board of Visitors faculty representative and member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, the driving force behind most on-Grounds construction is University Architect Alice Raucher and colleagues in her office.
Kennedy said that the Office of the Architect considers finances, as well as housing, classroom, office and laboratory needs.
Here is a look at some of the main changes to Grounds over the past four years.
Student Health and Wellness — Spring 2021
The SHW center replaced the existing Elson Student Health Center in August 2021. The new four-story, 156,000-square-foot healthcare facility houses four units — Medical Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, the Student Disability Access Center and Health Promotion and Well-being services.
The project began in 2014 with a projected cost of $100 million, and the center is located at the south end of Brandon Avenue.
Edgar Shannon Library Renovations — Spring 2024
The Library renewal project renovated the 100,000-square-foot original 1938 Alderman Library. The project also included the demolition of the Old and New Stacks, which were replaced with a 130,000-square-foot addition on the north side of the building.
Shannon Library hosted its official grand opening April 4, 2024. Construction began in 2021 and cost roughly $141 million. Aspects of the renovation include restored windows and light fixtures, refinished floors and replaced ceilings.
Renovations have been appreciated by students — fourth-year College student Emma Strebel prefers Shannon Library over other libraries for its variety of study room environments.
“I really love Shannon … it actually is the place I go to study most of all, compared to all the other libraries and even buildings at U.Va.,” Strebel said.
The new library prioritizes being an easily-accessible study space with plenty of natural light. Many students, including first-year College student Rebecca Mooney, routinely study at Shannon Library over other library
options because of features like the lighting.
“I like how there’s a variety of different places where you can study [in Shannon Library] — different types of rooms, like rooms with more lighting, rooms that are a little bit darker,” Mooney said. “I like how you can go to a different room depending on what mood you’re in.”
Gaston and Ramazani Houses — Fall 2024
The Gaston and Ramazani Houses offer seven and eight-bedroom furnished apartments located on Brandon Avenue for second-year students. These buildings opened fall 2024, and further the University’s 2030 Plan goal to require on-Grounds living for all first- and second-year students.
The houses additionally include the Gaston dining facility and underground parking. Between both buildings, 338 students reside in the apartments. Construction began September 2022 and cost approximately $114 million.
Second-year College student Charlotte Papacosma lives in Ramazani House and appreciates the affordability and convenience the building provides.
“I love living in Ramazami — this is actually the best possible place I could have lived,” Papacosma said. “Not only is it cheaper than living off Grounds and already furnished, you don’t have to worry about utilities and all that.”
There are five different dining options at Gaston House, including a 24/7 self-checkout retail store called Gaston’s Market, a pastry and bake shop called Whisk, a Denny’s-affiliated restaurant called The Den, a rotating kitchen called Launch and an Italian sandwich shop called Bodega.
Third-year Education student Eliana Pirron, who is graduating this year, said that she frequently eats in the dining hall on the lowest level of the building out of convenience.
“Outside of [language dinners], I do [eat at Gaston] just because it’s close by and easy when I’m in a pinch,” Pirron said.
Contemplative Commons — Spring 2025
Home of the Contemplative Sciences Center, the Contemplative Commons, located between the Dell Pond and the School of Education, is a 57,000-square-foot building that began construction November 2021. The building cost $67.1 million and was a philanthropic gift to the University.
The Commons hosts programming including academic courses, student wellness workshops and research labs and talks, alongside being an available space for students to study. Strebel took a yoga class and a few dance class-
es in the Commons, and she said the space is a calming place to work and appreciate the art installations.
“[The Contemplative Commons] offers another type of experience at U.Va. It’s much more calming in there, and they have these really cool art exhibits … that are fun to look at,” Strebel said. “It is nice to have a little study or work break when you’re there.”
The Commons’ grand opening took place April 4-5.
McIntire Expansion Project — Spring 2025
Expansion efforts to the McIntire School of Commerce include a new Shumway Hall that held its ribbon-cutting April 25, a reimagined Cobb Hall and additional outdoor gathering spaces. This construction began September 2022.
Inside Shumway Hall, the most prominent addition of the expansion effort, one can find a centerpiece atrium seating over 350 audience members. The hall also features the Student Success Center, classrooms, technology and innovation labs, a cafe and study and lounge areas. Class of 1988 alumnus Chris Shumway initially funded the addition with a $25 million gift.
Ivy Corridor Projects
The Ivy Corridor Projects consist of the Karsh Institute of Democracy, the Virginia Guesthouse and the School of Data Science. The 14.5-acre parcel of land for these projects sits at the juncture of Emmet Street and Ivy Road, and is envisioned to function as
a link between North Grounds, Arts Grounds and Central Grounds.
According to University Architect Alice Raucher, the piece of land for these projects is valuable for its ability to connect different areas of Grounds.
“It was always understood that that parcel of land was very important. Because it was such a critical location between Central and North Grounds,” Raucher said. “It was really the kind of hole in the donut that prevented connectivity.”
These Ivy Corridor projects will be completed by the addition of new second-year housing residences expected to be completed in 2027.
School of Data Science — Fall 2024
The School of Data Science, a 60,000-square-foot building housing the newer Data Science B.S. and minor programs, was completed in fall 2024. The building contains two 75-person classrooms, two 45-person classrooms, student study areas, faculty offices and research space.
Third-year College student Vivian Jiang said she enjoys the building and the program’s offerings, which include teaching both technical skills and soft skills applicable to real-world situations. Speaking to the physical building, Jiang said she understands that the school is inconveniently located for some students but is worth the walk.
“I think the building, despite how far it is, is very beautiful and has a lot of places to study, so I definitely would go [if] you have the chance,” Jiang said.
Virginia Guesthouse — Fall 2025
Another building included in this project is the Virginia Guesthouse, situated southwest of the existing Emmet-Ivy Garage, which will serve as a Conference Center space with a full-service restaurant, cafe, outside terraces and a rooftop bar. The overall size of the hotel is about 220,000 square feet, and the space is designated for both the University and the surrounding community’s use.
Construction for the Guesthouse began October 2022 and encountered challenges, pushing the budget from its initial estimate from $130 million to $168 million. It is estimated to be completed by late 2025.
Karsh Institute of Democracy — Summer 2026
Near the School of Data Science, the Karsh Institute — located on the corner of Ivy Road and Cameron Lane — is a 65,000-square-foot building with an anticipated completion date in summer 2026.
The building will additionally house the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, currently located in Garrett Hall, and will encourage its collaboration with the Karsh Institute. A variety of classrooms, a media production suite, offices and research units will fill the building.
The projects currently underway are part of the Major Capital Plan that totals to $2.06 billion. The Board last reviewed the Plan in March 2025.
CAT WHITE THE CAVALIER DAILY
Many of the new projects fall under the University’s 2030 Plan, which aims to position the University as the top public University by 2030 through initiatives which support the community.
Trustees reflect on creating an engaged student body
James Edwards and Liv Shortmann will continue their work to create connections for the Class of 2025 as University alumni
Jackie Bond | Senior Associate Editor
Fourth-Year Trustees flew high in a hot air balloon alongside a group of student donors last Friday to celebrate the Class of 2025 breaking the participation record for class giving.
This was just one of a series of unique events for this year’s graduating class hosted by the Fourth-Year Trustees — the name given to the selected students who represent fourth-year students as part of Class Council.
In an interview with The Cavalier Daily, James Edwards, Fourth-Year Trustees president and fourth-year Nursing student, and Liv Schortmann, Fourth-Year Trustees vice president and fourth-year College student, shared the many successes and challenges of their time on Class Council. They spoke about how they attempted to preserve the many beloved University traditions while also creating new traditions for the student body.
“One thing I think everyone says that they love about U.Va. is the traditions, and I think Class Council plays a really special role in preserving and creating those,” Edwards said.
Upon being elected as President and Vice President, Edwards and Schortmann were responsible for choosing the approximately 60 students who make up the Trustees and plan events for this year’s graduating class. Edwards, Schortmann and these 60 selected students are tasked with serving in the role of trustees for the Class of 2025 for a total of six years, with five of these years occurring after graduating from the University.
This is a long commitment for someone who was not initially sure about Class Council. Edwards said that despite initial reluctance, he was influenced by his friend to run for vice president in Class Council and stayed all four years. Edwards served as vice president during his first and second year on Class Council before being elected as president in both his third and fourth years at the University.
“I really came to love the group that we had at Class Council, and I saw a lot of value in our mission, and I just wanted to continue,” Edwards said. “So I ended up sticking around [all] four years.”
In his fourth year, Edwards ran on the same ticket as Schortmann, who served as part of Association Council with the Residential Leadership Experience in her first year, then as Class Council marketing chair before being elected as vice president in her third and fourth year. According to Edwards, he and Schortmann campaigned on a platform of maintaining traditions, growing student connections and
improving communication and representation of the student body.
“We worked a lot on connection. This was our final year, and we wanted to allow students to have an opportunity to be together, to form those connections as kind of their last chance before we graduate,”
Edwards said. “We also ran on communication and selecting a group of trustees that will be representative of the fourth-year class … and plan programs and events that would be able to [meet] the needs of our class.”
According to Edwards, the trustees worked alongside other groups to maintain many of the traditional University events and experiences including valediction, merchandise sales and Lighting of the Lawn, which this year included a drone show for the first time in the history of this event.
Edwards said that the Class of 2025 Trustees also started new traditions including Pie Your President, where students can donate money to the Yellow Door Foundation to throw a pie at the face of the president of their Contracted Independent Organization, and giving a philanthropy cord and access to a donor party to students who donated to the class giving campaign.
Edwards said that approximately 50 percent of the graduating class donated through this campaign, collecting nearly $50,000 for various on-Grounds organizations such as the University Library, The Women’s Center and U.Va. Health Foundation. According to Edwards, this campaign serves as a way to engage the student body in giving back to the University from which they are now graduating.
Edwards said that during his time on Class Council, he also took part in the planning of the First Year Formal, a Second Year Dinner Series of five dinners designed to facilitate student interaction with University faculty, Third Year ring Ceremony and several other University-wide events. According to Edwards, many of these events served to connect a community that had experienced several years of disconnection during the pandemic.
“We had kind of lost that sense of belonging with an institution in high school, and we really needed to bring people back together and make them excited to be at U.Va.,” Edwards said. “And so I think that was our initial challenge, and we worked really hard.”
The First Year Formal broke the record of attendees for this event, which to Edwards indicated that the hard work of the Council in fostering renewed connection in the post-pandemic era was successful.
According to Schortmann, planning large events — which were often for thousands of students — sometimes proved challenging for organizing and coordination. However, she said that Class Council pushed through organizing difficulties to ensure that each of these events continued as successfully as possible.
“People don’t know the chaos behind the scenes,” Schortmann said.
“We always say it’s not an event if there’s not some panic right before, but at the end of the day, we get it done and we love the process.”
As president and vice president of Fourth-Year Trustees, both Edwards and Schortmann took part in L2K — a leadership development program over the academic school year for students who have taken on representative and organizational leadership roles across the University. This program aims to build a community of student leaders while also providing these leaders with the knowledge and abilities to fulfill the needs of their leadership roles.
Schortmann said that she was grateful to be able to work with fellow student leaders as part of this program to bring students together to address important moments experienced by the student body, including the Nov. 13, 2022 shooting, which resulted in the death of three University students and the injury of two others.
“I think [one] of the best parts about being VP of trustees was being able to work with student leaders all across Grounds. When major issues came up, we were in a position to help in whatever capacity was possible,” Schortmann said.
As part of the L2K organization on Grounds, Edwards and Schortmann worked with several other student self-governance leaders to host memorial vigils for the three students who were killed. According to Shortmann, the organizing of these vigils — particularly the twoyear anniversary memorial which consisted of students placing candles on the steps of Old Cabell Hall — occurred informally among student leaders in L2K as a way to unite the class in a time of grief.
“I think of the anniversary vigils for Nov. 13 … those were the most meaningful … I appreciate that we were able to be pulled into larger conversations when there were conflicts on Grounds,” Schortmann said.
In continuing the role of president and vice president after graduating, Edwards and Schortmann will be responsible for reunion events, including the Young Alumni Reunions which includes a celebration with alumni from the three most recent graduating classes. Over the course of the next five years, the trustees will also promote alumni connection by organizing networking opportunities for the Class of
2025 across various U.S. cities and through a Class of 2025 alumni newsletter.
According to Edwards, the University is likely to face many changes in the near future but he is optimistic that the younger representatives with which he served will be able to support and represent students regardless of the obstacles presented to them.
“I think the landscape of college is likely to change in the next few years, so I’m hopeful that this group and the representation they bring will be able to support students as those changes happen,” Edwards said.
Edwards said that he is grateful to the many Council members who supported him throughout his four years at the University and offered parting words to the incoming Class Councils.
“I am incredibly joyous and optimistic about the future of this community, about the student leaders in this community and their ability to support one another in the coming years,” Edwards said. “I think this opportunity … has developed me as a person and as a leader, and I really am excited for all the people that will get to experience that in the next few years.”
COURTESY JAMES EDWARDS
In an interview with The Cavalier Daily, Fourth-Year Trustees president James Edwards and Fourth-Year Trustees vice president Liv Schortmann shared the many successes and challenges of their time on Class Council.
Scanning into venues has become a norm of the digital age. Fans wield the Ticketmaster app at the gates of John Paul Jones Arena, and moviegoers present a QR code to enter the Violet Crown. In recent years, the University has experienced a continuation of this trend with students scanning into parties using DoorList. Since it was introduced at the University in 2022, the DoorList app has become a staple of University nightlife, allowing students to enter fraternity parties and access bar tabs. Despite its widespread use, DoorList has stirred mixed feelings among students, who say scanning into the University’s off-Grounds social scene fosters a more secure, but woefully exclusive environment.
Founded by Class of 2023 alumnus David Roselle, DoorList is a mobile app used to schedule, host and attend events on college campuses. DoorList is primarily utilized at the University by Greek fraternities to invite specific people, and even specific sororities, to social functions. Featuring a dynamic QR code that changes every second, DoorList enables bouncers to scan attendees’ codes for admission — and deny entry to those who have not been added to the list.
Since it was put into practice at the University, the app has received both positive and negative feedback. Fourth-year College student Lauralee Weinland, for one, praised DoorList’s efficacy but acknowledged the drawbacks to using it with no exceptions.
“It’s a great app — it does what it’s supposed to do, but what it’s supposed to do is make it difficult to attend an event that you aren’t personally invited to,” Weinland said. “That can be tough.”
As a member of a sorority, Weinland said she uses DoorList multiple times a week. Since fraternities typically fill their lists with sororities, she recognized that the accessibility of parties can be slim outside the Greek system.
“It definitely makes our Greek events, fraternity parties in particular, a little more difficult to attend if you aren’t in a Greek organization,” Weinland said. “It’s definitely a little more exclusive.”
However, fraternities at the University have not always been so particular about who gets into their parties. The Class of 2025 remembers a time before DoorList arrived on the social scene three years ago. As a first-year student going out, Weinland said she would receive event
The great DoorList debate
Students share their thoughts on how the app impacts the University’s social scene
Charley Thomas | Staff Writer
wristbands that were distributed by fraternities to her sorority house — a system that was not so secure.
“It was pretty easy to photocopy those wristbands to get yourself in, which was great for the social scene as a first-year, but not so good if you’re trying to keep the list very tight,” Weinland said.
Having had this flexibility while she adjusted to the University party scene, Weinland noted that the rigidity of DoorList must be difficult for new students.
“I can’t really imagine life as a first-year with DoorList,” Weinland said. “I can’t imagine it was super easy to do much of anything, especially if you don’t really have connections here. Where are you supposed to go to make them if everything is DoorListed?”
Second-year College student Will Warner echoed Weinland’s sentiment, saying that with fewer ties to upperclassmen in Greek life, first-year students struggle the most getting into DoorListed events. He said that DoorList can make the tough adjustment to college even more isolating.
“I’m from Arizona, so I knew nobody coming here,” Warner said. “It did prevent me from opportunities to meet people before rushing. Now I’m grateful for [DoorList], but I just wish there was a better way to help get first-years more acclimated to the party scene at U.Va.”
Whether the DoorList deficit of first year should be considered a rite of passage or an undue hardship depends on who you ask. Still, many of those who have undergone the rough adjustment to the system stand by the app, namely for its safety benefits. Second-year College student Kristin Tidey said that now, as an upperclassman, she appreciates the added security that comes with scanning into parties.
“Random people who don’t go to U.Va. might damage something in the house or do something that they’re not supposed to do,” Tidey said. “[DoorList gives fraternities] a better idea of what’s going on.”
Warner, who is the risk manager for his fraternity, said that University fraternities like to vet their guests with DoorList to manage crowds and protect their property. As risk manager, he is especially interested in minimizing organizational liabilities and promoting safety, and he said that DoorList has made his job more manageable.
“It pushes people we don’t know, or even potential threats,
away from our events,” Warner said. “We’re just like, ‘If you don’t have DoorList, leave.’”
While the app adds a “level of pretentiousness,” Warner said, he believes the risk associated with having unknown attendees at events outweighs the problem of exclusivity. Tidey agreed, saying that she thinks DoorList should remain operational at the University if it makes parties more secure.
“If [fraternities] think that it genuinely helps their parties be safer and makes sure people don’t do what they don’t want people to do — like breaking in, stealing things, punching holes in walls — if that is genuinely working for them, then I think they should [continue using DoorList],” Tidey said.
However, while DoorList allows fraternities to control and track who attends their events, Weinland noted that fraternities often let the guest lists grow quite large. Entire sororities populate the app as automatic invitees, and each brother in the fraternity adds several friends to the list. For Weinland, the size of the DoorList negates the safety argument.
“It is kind of ridiculous that people say it’s a safety thing, but there will be 3,000 people on the DoorList,” Weinland said. “So it’s like, what exactly are we accomplishing here?”
Moreover, the DoorList system, and its blind reliance on an electronic guest list, can sometimes
even bar approved guests from entry. For example, DoorListed guests who arrive with a dead phone find themselves shooed away, as they are unable to present their QR code. Weinland also described an instance in which her friend from Australia could not get into a party simply because she did not have a United States phone number.
“She could not get on a DoorList even if she was invited by [fraternity] brothers,” Weinland said. “The bouncer had to turn her down even though she was personally invited … In that type of situation, it’s not awesome.”
Experiences like this, Weinland said, are why she believes that the bouncers using DoorList need to use the app as more of a guide, rather than an end-all-be-all.
“Being exclusive is one thing,” Weinland said. “If you want to be invite-only, I guess everyone has the right to do that, but the fact that she was invited and could not go because of the U.S. [phone] number thing was a little tricky.”
However, while strictly adhering to the list is excessive to some, Warner pointed out that straying from using the app unconditionally can get complicated quickly.
“A group of eight people will come up, and then six of the eight of them will have DoorList,” Warner said. “Do you make an exception for just these two people? Do you
make that exception for everybody? Obviously, it’s not that deep — it’s a [fraternity] party. But the problem with DoorList is that you kind of have to play these games.” Risk management, attendee inconveniences and all other factors in mind, it seems the DoorList app has earned a “yes” — albeit a reserved one — from the student body. Students have their fair share of grievances with the app, but DoorList has generally won their approval nonetheless.
U.Va. Class of 2025 Will Trout
Congratulations, Will! You are a treasure, a joy and a light to all who have the good fortune to call you friend, brother, and/or son.
SARAH ST. JOHN THE CAVALIER DAILY
‘I woke up sweating’: Sunday scaries at U.Va.
For University students, Sunday mornings are when the real nightmare begins
Dana Douglas | Life Editor
For many University students, Sundays start with a throbbing headache. Whether Saturday night was spent locked in on Clem 2 or party-rocking on the balcony at Trin, students’ brains swirl with a plethora of morning-after anxieties. Will the professor grant this extension? Can Tide Rescue get that newfound stain out of the carpet?
Nonetheless, they rally, racing to catch up on the past week’s workload before Monday arrives. Some students can be seen clustering on the steps of Shannon Library in anticipation of its opening, while others trudge to attend their array of extracurricular meetings. In these dark times, it is clear that something sinister has settled upon the University — “Sunday scaries.”
“On a typical Sunday morning … I’ll wake up sweating,” Carmen Miskel, Sunday scaries victim and second-year Engineering student, said. “I woke up this morning with my dress [from last night] on. Didn’t change out of that … my contacts are still in my eyes.”
“Sunday scaries” is a term with which most University students are well-acquainted. It encapsulates the turmoil of waking up to a surplus of lingering assignments, rapidly approaching due dates and, for some, debilitating “hangxiety” from the memories — or lack thereof — of Saturday night.
Creators on platforms like TikTok and Instagram frequently refer to this widespread phenomenon in a comedic light. But, for most students at the University, there is nothing funny about it. In fact, many believe that the intensity of Sunday scaries is reflective of a larger issue on Grounds.
According to Miskel, students’ Sunday scaries result from the University’s borderline toxic “work hard, play hard” culture. Miskel said that the student body perpetuates the expectation to work hard and play equally as hard, which many students find exhausting and hardly attainable.
“[The University is] a school [where] you’re looked down upon if you’re stupid and you’re looked down upon if you’re not social. You have to do both,” Miskel said.
This often means that students go hard from Thursday to Saturday, spending their evenings with friends, only to cram days worth of work into one sitting on Sunday. Miskel said that the anticipation of her scary Sunday workload bleeds into her earlier weekend activities.
“I almost feel guilty if I’m not in the library for literally hours at a time,” Miskel said. “And then [the homework anxiety] totally ruined the memories of my Saturdays and my Fridays.”
Third-year College student Owen O’Brien shared much of Miskel’s perspective. However, while he acknowledged the prevalence of Sunday scaries as an unfortunate hallmark of the college experience, he said that he tackles them with a more nonchalant attitude.
“[A] typical Sunday morning [for me] is waking up at 12 or 1 o’clock, kind of like [I] got hit by a bus,” O’Brien said. “Awesome time.”
Despite his relaxed approach, O’Brien agreed that University culture places unrealistic amounts of pressure on both academic and social performance.
“I think Sundays are overall set up for failure,” O’Brien said. “But … I think that it’s especially bad [at the University] because of the hard party culture meeting in the middle with the rigorous academic culture.”
While University culture seldom leaves room for relaxation, Miskel said she appreciates that students across the University unite for the weekend’s grand finale — Sunday lock-ins in the library. Her friend group typically ventures to Shannon Library together for marathon study sessions, using Sun -
day as an academic catch-up.
“Part of [Sunday scaries] is nice, because there’s a little bit of a group mentality,” Miskel said. “It’s seriously like a group mindset … to condense all of your work into this one day … On Sunday, from early morning to midnight, you’re just writing away on your computer.”
But it is not just the high academic standard that makes Sundays scary. Miskel said she believes that the University’s infectious pre-professional culture also feeds the Sunday scaries epidemic, leading students to believe they are even more behind than they are.
“I feel like everybody is always seven steps ahead of me, all the time … Everybody has [a] quintillion connections on LinkedIn … Everybody’s networking,” Miskel said. “I just think that that adds to the pressure of having good grades.”
So every Sunday, the lock-in must go on. Sunday scaries unofficially begin at 10 a.m. when Shannon Library opens, and students pile into the building to grab their favorite table. Some students trek off-Grounds to 1515 or Grit Coffee on the Corner. Others fill the seats of Newcomb Ballroom and Minor Hall, venues for Greek organizations’ weekly chapter meetings. And there are always stragglers who work in bed, fearful that the light of day will induce a surge of nausea.
Whether they spend Sundays in the Clark Stacks or bedridden with a Liquid I.V., it is safe to say that many students perceive the Sunday scaries to be a manifestation of the University’s all-encompassing grind mentality.
However, rather than succumbing to the stress that blankets his peers, O’Brien said that he embraces the scaries with optimism. He invites his fellow weekend warriors to remember
that, despite the inconvenience and anxiety that accompanies the Sunday scaries, they are but a reminder of the unique season that is the undergraduate experience.
“You just gotta remember that, you know, it’s not that deep,” O’Brien said. “I think I’ll miss [Sunday scaries] honestly … The loss of Sunday scaries [is also] the loss of the peak fun that’s being had [at the University].”
U.Va. Class of 2025 Charlie Healy
Congratulations Charlie! You have worked hard these past 4 years and we are so very proud of your accomplishments. Off to NYC you go! Wahoowa! Love, Mom, Dad & Nick
NOELLE VALDINOTO THE CAVALIER DAILY
ADVERTISEMENTS
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Advice for a new generation of U.Va. arts graduates
Four University professors discuss the range, risk and resilience required from those seeking a career in the arts
Caroline Lee | Senior Writer
Despite Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction, graduation weekend has arrived. From theater to media studies to even architecture, graduating arts students are soaking in their final days as University undergraduates, begging time to slow down, even considering graduate school to prolong their tenure in Charlottesville. Inevitably, however, after diplomas are received and caps tossed high above the Rotunda, these students must reckon with the ultimate question — what comes next after the University?
Entering a career in the arts is difficult at any time, but particularly during a time as ripe with cultural evolution as the modern entertainment climate. Bruce Williams, Taylor Professor of Media Studies, said that the first task for students looking to chart their path in the arts is to figure out their ideal job.
“My advice [is] always try and do that for five years,” Williams said. “And at the end of that five years, you will have learned something.”
Echoing this sentiment, Tovah Close, a lecturer in the drama department, emphasized the importance of adaptability in today’s job market. Her own career had her hopping from actress to dialect coach to professor in a matter of years, an evolution which she found incredibly fulfilling and simultaneously invigorating.
“There’s no one size fits all advice, but I think that when you are starting out in your career, the more broad and variable you can be, the more opportunities you’re able to confidently say yes to, and the experience will lead to specialization,” Close said.
She added that the current and constantly changing media landscape brings with it the opportunity for experimentation within theater, and encouraged students to adopt a mindset of taking every chance they are offered to do things that excite them, even if those things may be foreign to them.
“I think we’re at a really exciting time in the theater, because I think a lot of the old forms and systems are starting to decompose and make room for new things,” Close said.
Siva Vaidhyanathan, Robertson Professor of Media Studies, agreed that the shifting definition of a career in media means that the arts world which current students are entering looks very different from even five years ago.
“You have to be willing to be entrepreneurial. You have to be willing
to be disappointed. You have to be willing to understand that your first job will be terrible, maybe your second and third jobs will be terrible,” Vaidhyanathan said.
He went on to note that versatility coming out of a bachelor’s degree is integral, even essential, when looking for a job in a creative sphere.
“That’s why we make everybody take a variety of classes in their first two years — not only to discover who you are, but to give you exposure to different areas of the world and fundamentally make sure you can read, think and write well, because those are the basics for almost any entry level job,” Vaidhyanathan said.
The conversation around such entry level positions has taken on a new dimension with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, an advancement which has brought significant uncertainty about the future stability and availability of jobs across sectors.
Looking at the arts specifically, there is a looming fear that roles previously reliant on human creativity will be rendered obsolete as a result of the expanding capacities of artificial intelligence. At the same time, there are also new facets of art being introduced, and Peter Waldman, William R. Kenan Professor of Architecture, spoke on AI’s potential within architecture to work in collaboration with preexisting molds and customs.
“People … have been drawing architecture, making models with their hands without any digital aids, for 5000 years,” Waldman said. “I think that these archaic practices or foundational practices need to be kept alive, along with what simultaneously could be done through AI.”
He added that humans are inherently creative beings and should feel encouraged to tap into that side of their consciousness — despite, and perhaps even as a result of, the simplicity with which AI allows an individual to shelve their innovation.
“We can’t choose one world or the other, but there’s no reason that we have to forget the confidence of any four, five year old,” Waldman said. “They all think that they could draw or make a sand castle … early on, it’s in our capacities and then we get scared off.”
Close noted that the digital sphere is having an increasing impact on the live arts — but whether or not it will render them entirely obsolete remains to be seen.
“I am always hopeful when stu-
dents commit to an art form that’s both really ancient and really future-looking like theater,” Close said. “There’s a lot of hand wringing, I think about the end of live performance, and I just deeply believe that it will always be with us, because it will always be [building on itself].”
So, too, have opportunities in traditional media institutions — such as journalism, broadcast news or literature — been affected by the increasing presence of short-form digital technology. Williams feels this evolution carries both benefits and drawbacks for aspiring writers.
“One of the things that’s changed is, I think it’s never been easier to express yourself,” Williams said. “It’s never been easier to say online what you want to say, what you think you know you have that’s important to say. At the same time, it’s never been harder to attract an audience to that.”
The media studies program at the University emphasizes the importance of an interdisciplinary education, which in turn provides graduates with the skill sets to express themselves in a variety of ways, not limited by degree or field of study. On this note, Williams added that the media as a whole has evolved to be a lot more individual than it has historically.
“A lot of the opportunities that
have opened up … [are] not connected to an institution like a newspaper or broadcast station,” Williams said. “They rely on you.”
In general, when looking towards post-graduate life as a student of the arts, multiple professors noted the importance of maintaining one’s creativity, even as the opportunities to employ it may grow scarcer. In a similar vein, Close also emphasized the importance of taking time for oneself.
“You don’t have the structure of classes, you don’t have the accountability of projects that are due, professors or peers who are with you in the work consistently,” Close said. “Structure your days so that each day has a little bit of art in it, whether that’s reading a poem every day or making a sketch or doing yoga … keeping those juices flowing.”
Waldman added that education does not stop when a cap is tossed up into the sky, nor should it.
“You have to continue to be a good student and be modest and say, I’ve got something to learn,” Waldman said. “I love the expansion and not the clear, defined route.”
Williams reiterated this sentiment, citing a line from the 2015 Broadway phenomenon “Hamilton.” The line “history has its eyes on you,” first delivered by George Washington as he selects Alexander Hamil-
ton to be his right hand man, echoes throughout the musical as a mantra.
This idea is also how Williams would define his outlook on his students — he emphasized the importance of intelligence and idealism in the face of political instability, and has a strong faith in his students as agents of change for a better future.
“History has its eyes on you folks, your generation … And I think that changes the game,” Williams said.
Indeed, all four professors have a great deal of faith in this generation, noting idealism and creativity as potent traits throughout the student body and emphasizing how a degree from the University is an invaluable starting point for any number of careers.
“One of the things that I believe is that a substantial percentage of my students are idealistic,” Williams said. “They feel really deeply about these issues in the way that you can only feel when you’re … in college.”
Ultimately, it is what students do at the University that gives these professors hope — hope for the ideas and the careers and the minds that emerge from such an institution.
“If you love your time at U.Va. and have grown with it, and you continue to want to grow, the world is yours,” Waldman said.
YI CHENG THE CAVALIER DAILY
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Graduating arts leaders leave lasting legacies
Fourth-year leaders of arts organizations worked hard to promote inclusivity, accessibility and camaraderie in their beloved communities
Leila Mohajer and Abigail Milne | A&E Editor and Senior Writer
As they prepare to walk the Lawn, graduating fourth-year leaders are leaving their mark on student arts organizations. From increased accessibility for student dancers and comedians, to a more inclusive community established in the theater and music scenes, the University’s robust arts community has undergone tremendous change under its class of 2025 leaders.
The Cavalier Daily spoke with four graduating current and former presidents of arts Contracted Independent Organizations, who reflected on their time leading their organizations and shared hopes for the future of the arts at the University. Their contributions reflect a broader momentum towards accessibility and inclusive community within the arts scene on and around Grounds, a momentum which is fueled by student-led passion and collaboration.
For many of these students, stepping into a leadership role was a natural evolution of their commitment to their craft. Fourth-year College students Rachel Bohannon and Caroline Jareb said they knew as early as their first year that they wanted to lead their organizations. Bohannon became President of University Singers during her third year and Jareb served as Producer of First Year Players during her third year spring and fourth year fall.
“I really looked up to the people who were Producer before me, and thought, wow, they’re doing so amazing,” Jareb said. “They’re helping create this awesome community that I get to be a part of … I wanted to continue that.”
As Producer, Jareb was responsible for overseeing productions on all levels from start to finish and helping the executive board manage the tech team, pit orchestra and cast. In a tradition unique among University student theater groups, FYP only casts students in their first year at the University in its semesterly musical productions. Because of this mission, community building is at the forefront of FYP’s mission.
“The nature of FYP is about community, so I really got to focus on … leading with kindness and creating community, creating art that has meaning to people, creating an outlet for people,” Jareb said.
Bohannon expressed similar sentiments in her leadership style for USingers, the University’s flagship choir under the direction of faculty conductor Michael Slon.
Bohannon joined USingers during her first semester at the University, and her love and passion for the group called her to step into a leadership role as early as her second year — first as a social chair, then as General Manager.
Now as president, Bohannon manages the entire operations of a 17-member executive board. Her leadership has brought harmony to the choral world, fostering collaboration and creativity in her artistic community with a positive attitude and emotional investment in the art they produce.
“Coming into U.Va., the only thing I wanted was to be in USingers … And as soon as I got into USingers, I knew I wanted to be President,” Bohannon said. “It’s always been so important to me to feel like I have a sense of ownership over the groups that I’m involved in because I want to shape it to be as wonderful for other people as it has been for me.”
Fourth-year College student Savannah O’Leary and fourthyear Batten student Lilah Sherr brought these same values to their respective organizations — the___ incident sketch comedy group and the University Dance Company — during their time as leaders. Both leaders focused their efforts on fostering safe spaces where students of all backgrounds and experience levels felt welcome.
O’Leary took on the role of president of the___incident from spring of her third year through
fall of her fourth year and designed the group’s practices to be open and inviting, allowing members to pitch ideas, co-write or work independently based on their comfort levels. This approach encouraged vulnerability in an environment where comedy could be experimental and ensured that members felt safe taking creative risks.
“One of my top priorities as president was to make sure that the club felt as warm and welcoming for new members and old members together,” O’Leary said. “Being able to shoulder that kind of responsibility with such a supportive group like the___incident was just a really wonderful introduction to leadership in general.”
That same emphasis on openness and flexibility guided Sherr’s leadership in UDC, which implements a “user-friendly” model where dancers choose their level of involvement based on their availability. Sherr, who had grown up dancing but chose not to major in it, was drawn to UDC’s approachability and its healthy, affirming atmosphere. Over time, she served as costume chair, vice president and ultimately, president.
According to Sherr, rather than auditioning for UDC as a club, members audition for individual dances in a variety of styles including lyrical, contemporary, jazz, tap, hip hop and Irish dance, along with an “open dance” tai -
lored to those with no prior dance background.
“UDC is about inclusivity, and our motto is dance for the love of dance,” Sherr said. “We had some graduating members in our open piece this past month who didn’t dance before college and have been able to join the dance community in what we hope is a healthy, welcoming, safe environment.”
Sherr said she wanted to open UDC to as many dancers as the club could accommodate during her tenure, but this did not come without its challenges. According to Sherr, one of the biggest challenges as president was figuring out how to stay true to UDC’s value of inclusivity while also celebrating the growth they have experienced from 60 to 100 members during Sherr’s time in the group.
“When there’s more people, that means we come in conflict with our inclusivity,” Sherr said.
“The stage at Old Cabell Hall is not getting any bigger … [but] we’ve made our performances longer to include more pieces so that more people have the chance to choreograph.”
Jareb echoed a similar sentiment about expanding access through theater, emphasizing FYP’s mission to engage new students with relevant, meaningful performance opportunities. She hopes new leadership will continue to promote a welcoming envi -
ronment within the organization.
“Let’s keep bringing people in and being accessible and inclusive to as many people as we can,” Jareb said.
In addition to widening access in the arts moving forward, O’Leary emphasized how impactful leadership can also mean guiding a group through meaningful transformation. Having led the___incident through a rebrand from its original name, Hot Kids Comedy, she encouraged future student arts leaders to lean into change and help their groups evolve.
“[Leading the___incident was] one of the most rewarding things I’ve done at U.Va,” O’Leary said. “I would tell upcoming leaders to not be afraid to make big changes because that can sometimes be what takes that club or CIO from one level to the next.”
These creators may soon exit the stage, but the inclusive structures they helped shape and the artistic culture they cultivated on Grounds will remain. While saying goodbye to their groups is bittersweet, all four leaders placed their trust in the next generation of artists to carry their organizations forward with the same heart.
“It’s very awesome to see how people pick up the torch,” Jareb said. “There’s so many people in this community who want to keep it strong, and there’s so many new people who will keep coming every year.”
NOELLE VALDINOTO THE CAVALIER DAILY
From arts and entertainment bylines to new beginnings
Graduating fourth-years of The Cavalier Daily’s arts & entertainment desk speak on what the arts at U.Va. and beyond have meant to them
Emily Pitts, Madigan Lounsbery and Sophie Hay | Senior Writers
The University’s arts scene is a thriving one with student-run theater productions and a cappella concerts, coupled with film screenings, gallery shows, comedy nights and literary journals. This is, in no small part, a result of the passionate student artists on and around Grounds who bring it to life — not just as performers or creators, but as writers, editors and commentators.
As graduation quickly approaches, the Arts & Entertainment desk is taking a moment to feature three of its graduating fourth-year staffers who have consistently contributed to the desk’s voice and vision throughout their time at The Cavalier Daily. Each of these writers came into A&E with a deep personal connection to the arts, and through their reporting, have helped cement the artistic historical record of the University. In this roundtable, they reflect on what drew them to arts writing, how they have grown through their involvement and what they are taking with them as they turn the page on this chapter of their lives.
How has your approach to A&E evolved over time?
EP: Though I have always loved local and University event coverage, I was initially nervous to venture past my comfort zone of music. Through my time on the desk, I have pushed myself to explore different artforms, including visual art shows, off-Grounds theatre productions, fashion shows and book talks. I have loved seeing how creators’ passions shine through whatever medium they choose to express their art and have felt so fulfilled being exposed to this variety. There are such vibrant theatre and visual art scenes in Charlottesville that I never would have found if I did not go out of my way to meet these people and discuss their work with them.
ML: As a new writer, I was honestly terrified of writing local pieces. I kind of forgot that journalism involved conducting interviews and I was intimidated by that for some reason, so I initially gravitated towards national pieces. Then, a turning point arose when I wrote a feature on the Music Resource Center — a Charlottesville-based youth music organization. Beyond interviewing the center’s leaders, I also got to tour the facility, and I was so excited to learn about a local organization that encourages young students to engage with the arts. From that moment on, I began to love writing local features because I recognized just how important it is to highlight these incredible artists and organizations in our community.
SH: Similar to Madigan, I was
terrified of interviewing people and going to arts events alone my first year, so local pieces scared me. Now, I prefer writing local articles. My first local piece was a feature on the Overcranked filmmaking program. Managing multiple extensive interviews showed me I was capable of researching and writing this sort of local coverage, plus one of the students I interviewed mentioned a professor whose classes I later took and loved — Kevin Everson’s cinematography courses. My WXTJ article was fun too. Everyone I interviewed was super into the organization, and it was one of the top stories on the website for a second. I’m definitely most proud of my local articles.
What has been your greatest arts involvement throughout your time at the University?
EP: Unsurprisingly to anyone who knows me, my answer is unequivocally my a cappella group, the New Dominions. I have been a member of the group since my first week of college, and it has entirely altered the course of my college career. As a retired choir kid, I entered the University eager to find a group that made me feel that sense of connectedness through music. There is a sense of cohesion that comes with singing arrangements that consist of no instruments other than our voices to carry the sound. I have developed a beautiful closeness to these people unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It is safe to say I would be nowhere without them.
ML: To completely echo Emily, my answer is also my a cappella group, the Virginia Belles. Being in the Belles has truly been one of the single most impactful experiences of my college career. I have met the best, most impressive people through this group and have found friendships that have profoundly changed me as a person. Beyond the group’s impact on my social and personal life, the Belles have also significantly impacted the way I feel about art and music. They have instilled a confidence in me that I never expected I would have and truly reinvigorated my love for music, teaching me to find beauty in the nooks and crannies of every song I get the privilege to work on.
SH: I would say student journalism has represented my greatest involvement in the arts. I’ve covered arts for The Cavalier Daily for four years, became a features writer for V Magazine in the fall of my third year and joined the Virginia Literary Review editorial board as a prose editor this past fall. There are tons of people doing cool and creative projects at the University and showcasing them in my time here has been a to-
tal privilege, plus a great opportunity to hone my writing skills. Outside of student journalism, I am part of the Area Program in Literary Prose within the English department, so the creative writing scene has been a big part of my experience at the University too.
What art has impacted you the most in the past four years?
EP: Though most of my artistic involvement at the University has been through music, the piece of art that has stuck with me the most is larger than that, literally. Known to anyone who graces the Corner, there is a tall, colorful mural on the side of the Graduate Hotel featuring words from Rita Dove’s “Testimonial” — “The world called, and I answered.” Having walked past the piece countless times in my past four years, I find it a summation of my college experience and a greater sense of purpose beyond my time here. The world called me to discover who I am during my time at the University and it will continue to call me to greater purposes after I leave Grounds.
ML: I am a music girl through and through, so I would say a song called “Allergy Season” by an indie artist named Rachael Jenkins that touches on self-discovery and navigating life. I’ve been listening to the song for a few years and it has quickly evolved into one of my favorite songs of all time. I particularly love that the lyrics are a bit melancholy but the guitar line is soothing and
carries a bit of a hopeful air. Recently, I chose to sing “Allergy Season” as my senior solo with the Virginia Belles. Arranging and performing one of the most influential songs of my time in college with a group of my favorite people was such a privilege, and that experience made the song even more special.
SH: The first thing that comes to mind is Annie Ernaux’s “Happening, which I read for Susan Fraiman’s ENGL 4560 course, “Contemporary Women’s Texts.” Her style is so clear and restrained it seems sort of clinical, yet the memoir is super emotionally intense. I was fascinated by her exploration of an imperative to share her story, especially as a creative writing student. While Ernaux stands out to me, I’ve been exposed to tons of fascinating novels, poems, short stories, articles and experimental films in my time at the University. John Berger’s “Ways of Seeing” blew my mind in ARTS 2000, “Intro to Studio Art.” My roommate and I used to rent DVDs from Clem our first year, and we rented “My Own Private Idaho” at least twice.
How do you plan to engage with the arts after graduation?
EP: I have no doubt I will find ways to keep singing recreationally after college, but I also want to commit to attending more local art productions or showcases — regardless of medium. Though I have found much fulfillment attending events I never would have otherwise known about as a student journalist, I am
excited to enjoy these events without the pressure of picking up my pen to cover them. I hope to carry this practice into my post-grad life, regardless of where I end up.
ML: I am attending law school in Los Angeles after graduation, and though I still am not completely set on what kind of law I’d like to practice, I can certainly see myself pursuing a career in entertainment law — especially in a city with such a robust arts community. I could never fully give up my involvement in the arts, especially because it’s been such a big part of my life for so long, and I am so grateful that the University has given me the opportunity to remain involved in it throughout my time in college.
SH: I’m not exactly sure of my post-grad plans yet, but I believe writing will be part of my future. I’ll continue writing creatively on my own time and I hope my academic or career next steps will involve writing in some capacity. Writing about arts professionally is my dream, but I’m definitely still in the process of finding out what I want and how to get there. I’d love to stay plugged into the local arts scene wherever I find myself next.
CAT WHITE THE CAVALIER DAILY
As graduation quickly approaches, the Arts & Entertainment desk is taking a moment to feature three of its graduating fourth-year staffers — Emily Pitts, Sophie Hay and Madigan Lounsbery.
SPORTS
As the Walshes take their final bow, the swimming world pauses
The legendary sibling duo left an indelible mark of greatness on the University
Xander Tilock | Sports Editor
When senior Gretchen Walsh dove into the pool for her final collegiate event March 22, it was business as usual. From the starting horn to the finish line, she and her Cavaliers blazed their way to a national title in the 400yard freestyle relay. Gretchen anchored the final leg and led Virginia to finish a full 2.62 seconds ahead of second-place Tennessee.
Gretchen, in her senior campaign, had claimed a national title in an event for the 25th time. Celebration ensued. Later that day, Virginia won its fifth consecutive national championship — the first five-peat by any program in school history. Mission accomplished.
And then, a pause rang throughout the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way, Wash. A bittersweet pause. One that was felt by the entire swimming world.
At the conclusion of that relay and meet, Gretchen’s collegiate career was over. It had ended triumphantly, but still a symphony of silence rang out louder than any starting horn ever could. That heavy, deafening silence echoed for Gretchen. It also echoed for her sister, graduate student Alex Walsh, who had completed her finale as well.
The Walsh sisters, the headliners of collegiate swimming, had completed their college careers.
Throughout their time at Virginia, they took the swimming world by storm. They won Olympic medals and, of course, five straight NCAA Championships. So now, a question arises — how can anyone possibly describe their greatness?
According to a teammate, senior diver Lizzy Kaye, it is about character.
“I forget that they’re literally famous and some of the fastest women in the world,” Kaye said. “And literally the most incredible people because they are so humble, and they work so hard, that it’s not like they’re in practice strutting around like they’re superior. No, they treat us and we treat them as if we’re equals.”
They may be equals as teammates and friends. Just about no one, however, can claim to be the Walshes’ equal in the pool. Expanding the scope to the entire history of Virginia Athletics, very few superstars have ascended to the astronomic heights that
this duo reached.
“The Walshes have just meant so much to our program, and to me,” Coach Todd DeSorbo said following the 2025 NCAA Championships. “You know, we’ve had a great connection. I was actually telling this to Alex, I made her cry before the butterfly. She’s just obviously a super talented athlete, but she’s an even better person. And both Gretchen and Alex are the same way.”
The sentiment is exemplified in many ways, one of which was at the sisters’ final home meet. After the meet concluded, Gretchen spent half an hour with young fans. While teammates had already departed, Gretchen interacted with every kid — signing autographs, taking pictures and sharing advice.
That is not something the average student-athlete does. Rather, that is an example of the selflessness found from the all-time greats of a given sport — a mindset they embodied as teammates as well.
“What I really want to be remembered by, I think, is my leadership,” Gretchen said. “I was a captain this year, and I take a lot of pride in that. I want to be remembered for being a good teammate, bringing the positive energy to practice every day and pushing my teammates to new heights in the pool — and out of the pool as well — but just overall, hopefully contributing to what it means to be a Virginia Cavalier on the women’s swim and dive team.”
At the 2024 NCAA Championships, Gretchen did not just dominate her own events — she was a leading cheerleader for her teammates. When Kaye scored points — a rarity for a Virginia diver — Gretchen was the first to celebrate with her.
“I remember one instance when I was at NCAAs last year when I actually scored,” Kaye said. “Gretchen literally had tears running down her face because she knew how important it was for me and I was just like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that.’ Like, somebody that’s winning every single point actually cares this muchabout the points that I’m getting, and, Alex, too.”
The Walshes are evidently of admirable character, but the accolades are just as impressive. Combined, the sisters earned a
total of 48 national titles across various events, in addition to their five team championships and Olympic success. Plus, in 2024, Gretchen was honored as the ACC Student-Athlete of the Year.
Braden Keith, the editor-in-chief of SwimSwam, tabs historic feats as primary evidence to answer the question of “just how good are the Walshes?”
“Gretchen, especially, is sort of rewriting the paradigms of what people think fast swimming times are,” Keith said.
Statistical evidence lies in Gretchen’s historic numbers on a website called Swimcloud, which tracks swimmers’ data.
“Gretchen’s times are so far outside of the norm that the system flags them as false times,” Keith said. “[It is as if] this must be a typo ... an error in the results, because they’re so fast our math doesn’t compute.”
Director of Athletics Carla Williams has a slightly different answer to the question of the Wash sisters’ greatness.
“There aren’t enough words to adequately express how proud we are of Alex and Gretchen,” Williams said in a written statement to The Cavalier Daily. “We are just in awe of the amazing things
they have accomplished in the pool, classroom and community. Their dominance in the sport has been unprecedented, and I don’t think we’ll see it repeated.”
An example of this dominance came at the 2025 Eddie Reese Showdown in Austin, Texas. The Walsh sisters claimed a few national records en route to an absolute annihilation of two other top-10 teams. That is about how meets usually went for the Cavaliers. First place, G. Walsh. First place, A. Walsh. First place, Virginia.
They always impressed. And not just as leaders, teammates or swimmers. They did it all — which includes building a joint business portfolio. The sisters have a swimwear collection, as well as an NIL agreement with Cav Futures, the University’s official NIL collective.
And now, after unfathomably consistent success, the final page closes on a sensational chapter. Both sisters will continue their professional swim careers, and Virginia will begin to reload its roster for a sixth consecutive title push. While the Walshes will still continue to train for the Olympics at the Aquatic & Fitness Center, they turn from stars to spectators on the quest for an
NCAA record sixth consecutive national championship.
“It’s been a very successful season, or just four years with U.Va.,” Gretchen said. “I feel like even from my first year, I knew that there was something special in store at Virginia for me, and everything just kind of clicked when I got there. Clearly, the stars have aligned and I have accomplished my wildest dreams here.”
The story has reached a satisfactory conclusion. And over the past five years, an answer has emerged — there truly is no perfect way to explain the Walshes’ greatness. They are world-class teammates. They are hard workers. They are titans of the sport. They are some of the greatest Cavaliers of all time. And, of course, their names will forever be synonymous with victory and Virginia.
MARIAM SESHAN THE CAVALIER DAILY
How ‘U.Va. turned me into a sports fan’
Virginia Athletics led some members of the Class of 2025 to an appreciation for sports
Theo Moll | Staff Writer
The University is a prestigious place, home to dozens of world-renowned academic programs — and one of the nation’s top athletic departments. All students interact with the academic component, of course. As for sports, some students engage deeply with Virginia Athletics, while others seldom cross paths with it. In the middle of that spectrum, however, is a set of students who say that their time at the University strengthened their preexisting but smaller relationship with sports.
Consider Feb. 11, 2023. No. 8 Virginia men’s basketball played host to Duke in front of a sold out crowd. In true Tony Bennett fashion, the Cavaliers held ACC Rookie of the Year Kyle Filipowski scoreless en route to a thrilling overtime victory. But the celebration extended beyond just the Commonwealth — 3,878 miles away from Grounds, in fact.
Class of 2025 alumna Sophia Ditty was studying abroad in Spain at the time. She and her friends watched the game from a European club, elated when the final buzzer sounded.
“I just remember being in the middle of Madrid, and me and my friend were so excited that U.Va. beat Duke,” Ditty said. “And everyone around us was like … ‘Who are these people? What is U.Va.? What is Duke? What just happened?’”
If her Madrid experience was any indication, Virginia Athletics played an important role in Ditty’s college experience. She and her friends frequently attended men’s basketball games over the past few years. However, Ditty did not grow up as a hardcore sports fan.
A native of Hershey, Pa., she grew up playing lacrosse. But after she tore her ACL in high school, she drifted away from sports.
At Virginia, things turned around. While a prominent sports scene is far from the primary reason Ditty attended the University, it certainly added some extra joy and community to her four years.
Fourth-year College student Nathan Snow had a similar experience. He also dropped sports in high school, to play in the marching band. Football was a much bigger deal at his Salem, Va. school, and Snow was always present because of the marching band. But he never found himself engaging with what was happening on the field.
“The atmosphere of the stadium, the fans around me, them being excited for the team ignited the same excitement in me,” Snow said.
For both Ditty and Snow, this relationship with sports was quick to change upon their respective arrivals in Charlottesville. And they cite similar rationales for the renewed interest.
“Once I came to U.Va., I really
wanted to immerse myself into the culture and all that [it] had to offer,” Ditty said. “So I started going to a lot more football games, basketball games, baseball games, all of that, which I never really did in high school.”
Meanwhile, Snow joined the Cavalier Marching Band, meaning that he would once again be attending every home football game. But he looked at the experience with more enthusiasm and engagement than he did in high school, mainly because of the more lively atmosphere.
“We score a touchdown, everyone sings the ‘Good Ol’ Song,’ and it’s this moment of unity of an entire stadium of people,” Snow said. “It’s this school pride — this type of unity that occurs in collectively cheering for a team of our fellow classmates.”
For Snow, this sense of camaraderie is epitomized by the 2021 Virginia Tech football game. In that game, the 6-5 Cavaliers were hosting the 5-6 Hokies with a chance to win just the second of the programs’ last 18 matchups. Although Virginia lost a close one, Snow still looks upon the memory fondly.
“There were a lot of [Virginia] Tech fans … [and] a lot of U.Va. fans,” Snow said. “And so there was just this very intense environment. I feel like
the unity within that environment of U.Va. fans were very strong.”
Snow is not the only sports fan converted by the CMB, either. Fourthyear College student Emily Mortman also ended her interscholastic athletic career in high school to pursue the marching band. But the sports interest that had begun as a product of her band involvement, as well as a way to support her boyfriend — a Virginia student sportswriter, himself — quickly blossomed into a serious fandom.
“I started getting really into it,” Mortman said. “It’s like, ‘Sure, I’m supporting my partner’s interests,’ but also, ‘Wait, I really like this, too.’”
The “I really like this” moment came for Mortman at her first ever men’s basketball game. Virginia hosted Pittsburgh in early December 2021. Then-senior forward Jayden Gardner threw up a midrange shot to win the game at the buzzer. It rattled, and rattled, and rattled around the rim before falling. John Paul Jones Arena erupted.
“That moment, it kind of hit me,” Mortman said. “I was like, ‘Oh, if I’m not actually watching and following and paying attention to these games, I’m losing so much of the experience’ … If I’m going to be here anyway, I might as well have fun and get really into it.”
Though each one of these experi-
ences looks different from the next, there is something to be taken away from Ditty’s, Snow’s and Mortman’s connections with Virginia sports — the community, the atmosphere and
the excitement of Virginia Athletics are enough to make an individual’s time at the University the best four years of their life.
ANNAGRACE PARMER THE CAVALIER DAILY
From men’s basketball to women’s swimming and diving, the University is the perfect place to become a sports fan.
U.Va. Class of 2025
Grace Thrush
Congratulations Grace on your UVA graduation and all your accomplishments, including an amazing journey as managing editor of the Cavalier Daily. Go fly and embrace all the possibilities! We love you so much!
Mom, Dad, Anna, The Boys and Queen Stella
ADVERTISEMENTS
“So tell me about yourself. What have you done at the University?”
This was the first question I faced at a meeting with an advisor to prepare for post-grad job applications a few months ago. After four years of a busy schedule that had me leaving my house before my roommates woke up and returning after they had gone to sleep, I drew a blank. What have I really done at U.Va.?
Even though I originally drew a blank, I know the answer is undoubtedly that I was on staff at The Cavalier Daily. My long days of meetings, long nights of editing and even longer nights of putting together print editions mean that I have easily spent more of my time at the University on The Cavalier Daily than anything else. So, why was I hesitant to claim the work I had poured so much of myself into?
Looking back, I think my hesitation traces back to how I got my start on the paper. In the fall of my second year, wanting to feel more connected to a club on Grounds, a good friend of mine recommended that I apply to write for The Cavalier Daily. That friend also happened to be the editor-in-chief of the paper at the time.
Confessions of a nepo baby
After being accepted to the news desk, I felt completely out of my league during staff training. What is a lede — and why is it spelled that way — and how does Notion work and why am I being yelled at for using an Oxford comma and why does everyone else already know the answers to all of these questions?
Still reeling from the stresses of my first few weeks on staff, I sat in my friend-slash-editor-in-chief’s Lawn room for Friday morning Bodo’s as people filtered through, talking with her about issues and events at the University of which I was completely unaware. Smiling and nodding along with their conversations, I felt like the little kid crashing her older sister’s slumber party — desperate to fit in but painfully aware that I didn’t belong. A wave of self-consciousness hit me. I wasn’t here because I was talented or capable — I was a nepo baby. If I had only got here by accident, why should anyone care about what I write?
Beyond this lack of confidence, I was also hyper aware of the fact that The Cavalier Daily engaged personally with people and stories in the community, which often came with criticism from those
who disagreed with its coverage. I often felt like people’s frustrations with the paper affected how they viewed me as a person, as if I embodied every expository news article or controversial editorial.
Consequently, I occupied a weird in-between space where I spent most of my time working on the paper and almost all of the time when I wasn’t working on the paper trying not to draw attention to the fact that I worked on the paper.
I disappeared regularly on Tuesday nights to cover the Student Council General Body meeting, locking myself in the library afterwards to get an article to my editors the same night. When asked why I couldn’t attend dinner or watch a movie with my friends, I kept it vague — “Oh, I just have a meeting.” Even when my close friends introduced me to others with, “Grace is really high up in Cav Daily,” I deflected, rolling my eyes or saying that the job was my biggest headache.
And while in many ways the job was my biggest headache, I also loved it. I loved learning about developments at the University and racing to share that information with the community. I loved putting together arti -
cles like a puzzle, figuring out the best order in which to present information. I loved holding information sessions for prospective staffers where we got to share the paper’s accomplishments. I loved seeing a finalized cover of the print edition on a Mac in the office at 2 a.m. on a Wednesday night.
I think most of all, though, I loved the people.
To the objective literary editors, thank you for encouraging me not to take myself too seriously. To Naima, your intelligence and compassion are a constant reminder to me of how to be a great leader and person. To Charlie, thank you for always having everything together when I very much did not. To Honor, thank you for keeping me sane and constantly entertained with your stories. To Nate, thank you for being an amazing mentor and an even better friend.
There are about a hundred other people I could thank — Eva, for introducing me to this amazing community and encouraging me to keep with it, Lexi, for pushing me out of my comfort zone, my friends for being patient with me when I needed a few extra minutes (or hours) to edit and Emma
Asked and answered
I have been asked many questions over my four years on The Cavalier Daily.
Some questions I could answer easily — “How many reads did we get on that article?” “What is the username and password to this account?” “Can you write this Instagram caption?”
Some questions I could not answer as easily — “Why is Notion not letting us onboard new staffers?” “Why are the cartoons not on the website?” “Why did FileZilla crash and lose the newspaper en route to the printer?”
However, the question I received the most, the one that I struggled the most to put into words, always came from people outside of The Cavalier Daily — “Why do you do this?”
After attending a small allgirls school in Texas for 14 years and serving as editor-in-chief of the yearbook, I went from knowing everyone on campus to feeling insignificant in the back row of a 500-person lecture hall. Needing an outlet for the skills I picked up in high school and wanting to connect
to the vast community around me, I decided to join the production staff of The Cavalier Daily and help design the biweekly print issues of the newspaper. Perhaps this would be the solution to making my newfound surroundings — excuse me, Grounds! — less foreign.
My first-ever shift, I arrived at the doors of the office 10 minutes late because I could not for the life of me find the stairs to the Newcomb basement. The door opened, releasing a wave of popcorn and mildew, and I stepped into the depths of print night. Perhaps it was the Managing Board members who smiled at me, or the photo editors who actually asked for my opinion on a decision for the cover, but that night I discovered a sacred second space that would offer me asylum for the next four years. Looking back, that initial introduction was just a glimpse of the supportive and dynamic community in store for me. After one semester, some encouragement and an uncontested election, I found myself
as a newly minted production editor on the Junior Board. Walking into my first JB meeting, I was both nervous and excited. Everyone around me seemed so experienced, giving me complete imposter syndrome. When the production desk merged with graphics, my role expanded to design editor, despite having no artistic background. It was a challenge, but one that pushed me to develop new skills, adapt quickly and gain a real sense of self-sufficiency along the way.
The revolving door of characters I met that day — and every Sunday, A1 meeting and print night following that — welcomed me in as an equal, becoming my mentors, confidants and closest friends. I met third-years who never sleep, second-years with squirrel obsessions and fellow first-years just trying to figure it out like me. We came from all over, pursued different majors and held opposing opinions, but we were bound by this meeting time and a common love for The Cavalier Daily.
So, design editor turned
for letting me take mid-day naps in her room during print weeks.
While I can’t point to one specific “aha” moment where I finally started to dispel my self-consciousness and claim my pride for the paper, I got there gradually over the course of my term as managing editor. Even the little things — like telling people outright that I’m involved in The Cavalier Daily or reposting articles on my Instagram story — felt like monumental ways in which I was showing confidence in myself.
While I can certainly admit I made several mistakes in my time at The Cavalier Daily and throughout college more generally, my biggest regret over the past four years was not owning my involvement as much as I should have. I realize I don’t care how I got my start on the paper or what other people thought about me for it — I can still be good at what I do and proud of it. So, as I sit writing this today — nepo baby or not — I am a proud CD alum.
Grace Thrush was the Managing Editor for the 135th term, a senior news writer for the 134th term and a news staffer for the 133rd term.
into assistant operations manager, and assistant operations manager turned into operations manager. Articles were published, issues were printed, newsletter subscribers grew and all the while I received the same question — “Why do you do this?”
Only those on The Cavalier Daily understand what it is like to get life-changing advice from Nate, or how Grace is strikingly honest without dealing any blows. Only those on The Cavalier Daily have witnessed how Naima leads with kindness and strength, or how special it is to make Charlie laugh.
Only people who have experienced a print night could know that Lexie makes spending hours in a room with no windows feel like a walk in the park, that Mariam and Sarah provide the best company and Adaire and Leon always match your energy. Likewise, only people who have been part of The Cavalier Daily will understand how infectious Leigh’s dedication and smile are, or how Olivia’s patience
makes learning to lead feel less daunting.
During my tenure on The Cavalier Daily, people asked me many questions. Sometimes I had an answer, sometimes I did not. However, now I can confidently answer the question, “Why do you do this?”
In my search to make sense of Grounds, I discovered something even better — a community.
Looking back, the answer has been abundantly clear all along. I did it for the people.
Honor Wood was the Operations Manager of the 135th term, the Assistant Operations Manager of the 134th term and a Design Editor for the 133rd term.
Coming into the University, the steps I had to take to feel successful as a pre-commerce major seemed to be laid out for me already. I quickly realized that there was a conventional path that everyone followed. People told me I needed to join X or Y club to improve my chances of getting accepted to my major. As such, I joined a few popular business organizations and began to craft the “ideal” resume.
The college newspaper was nowhere on my radar, and I had no previous experience with journalism. However, I realized that following the exact same path as everyone else wouldn’t be as fulfilling as exploring something different. The idea of doing what was expected, rather than what genuinely interested me, made the process feel transactional.
Through The Cavalier Daily, I saw an opportunity to take on something unfamiliar and challenge myself by stepping into a world I knew nothing about.
I first heard about The Cavalier Daily through my first-year dorm’s Senior Resident, who had a copy of the print edition on his kitchen table during our hall’s orientation. He informed me that the paper was the largest student organization on Grounds with over 300 members. He had also heard that they ran
Risk and reward
print nights until two or three in the morning just to consistently publish the news for this community. Naturally, I was immediately curious about the operations and business behind how the paper functioned and achieved such ambitious outcomes.
To align with my interest in business, I chose to join the finance desk. I saw it as a bridge between the skill sets that were familiar to me and a completely new environment. After joining, I quickly realized how little knowledge I had about how a newspaper operates. It seemed like it would be an uphill battle to learn the ins-and-outs of the paper’s budget, insurance, taxes and more. However, I was excited by the challenge and initially figured it would be a great way to bolster my finance skill set.
Each week, I learned a bit more about how The Cavalier Daily does what it does. At first, I saw my role narrowly — the goal was to strengthen my skills and stay focused on building expertise in the area of finance. Through that process of learning the hard skills, I grew to appreciate the importance of providing news that inspires thoughtful conversation around Charlottesville. I saw how each ad sale or financial decision, no matter how small or in-
significant it seemed at the time, directly influenced the literary team’s ability to deliver meaningful journalism.
I remember spending weeks on a grant application for new computers for our office space. We outlined the necessity for the upgrades and the significant impact it would have on the staff, and we ultimately were awarded the money. Then, every time I was in the office I saw firsthand the difference it made in our design team’s ability to create covers or visuals that ended up in the hands of my classmates and professors. I quickly learned how to see the bigger picture.
Beyond the practical importance of the paper, the people within The Cavalier Daily have amazed me with how passionate and welcoming they are. As Chief Financial Officer, I was able to work more closely with all desks and leaders within the organization. Beyond just managing finances, I met weekly with the Managing Board to decide on larger initiatives and how it would impact the paper as a whole. Doing my work in the office allowed me to have casual conversations with the literary team, hearing what challenges they’re facing and how we could improve the paper at the Managing Board level.
Hearing Naima and Nate have lengthy debates about the inclusion of the crossword in each print edition showed me how deeply people care about the small details that ultimately shape the larger outcome of the newspaper. Seeing Grace work tirelessly to get out a news article on time or Honor finalize the newsletter at 4 a.m. showed me a level of commitment I’ve never seen in any other student organizations. Even though I did not have a direct role in the literary side of the paper, people still valued my judgment and contributions nonetheless. By the end of my term, I could have meaningful discussions with News editors about the literary future of this paper and how our finances could impact it. In the process, I created lifelong friendships with some of the most hardworking, passionate and genuine people I have met at the University. There were also many unique challenges throughout my time on the paper that taught me a lot about critical decision making and leaning on others for support. I remember feeling overwhelmed opening up the first annual non-profit tax form, not knowing at all where to begin. Filled with panic, I emailed Stuart Jones, a CD alum who volunteers his time as a board member to The Cavalier Daily. Anytime, day or night, he was
always willing to answer my endless questions with patience. The eagerness of alumni to donate their time to helping this organization succeed says a lot about the impact it has on people.
The Cavalier Daily encouraged me to take risks I normally wouldn’t have. Besides the risk of joining something brand new alone, making crucial financial decisions in an unfamiliar environment challenged me to learn a large amount very quickly. With such a limited background in journalism, I was surprised how quickly I became invested in the success of the paper. It is an incredible community filled with welcoming people who I am glad to call close friends. I’m grateful my first-year self took a chance on The Cavalier Daily. No matter if you’re interested in news stories, photography or even doing our taxes, there’s a place for you in The Cavalier Daily.
Charlie Healy was the Chief Financial Officer for the 134th and 135th terms and Finance Manager for the 133rd Term of The Cavalier Daily.
Some things were meant to be left behind
We all have limits in our heads. Limits on who we can be, set by who we think we are. Limits on what is possible based on what has already been done. Limits we put in place because we are afraid of finding out what our actual limits are. Limits others put onto us because they know no better, because we’ve shown them no better.
We forget, however, that limits can be changed. We forget that they are meant to be tested. To be moved. Erased and redrawn. We forget that they are malleable — more of a guideline than a rule.
My limits didn’t account for me becoming a humor columnist, let alone the humor editor at The Cavalier Daily. They didn’t account for what those roles meant or what they entailed. Maybe my limits were caught off guard because, as I remember it, it all just sort of happened.
Limit #1: I am not a writer.
I came to the University wanting to be an English major but had absolutely no confidence to take on such a task. Sure, I liked writing, but I was no writer. I could craft coherent sentences — sometimes — but couldn’t anybody? This led me down the STEM route, destined to become a doctor like my siblings. Writing could stay a hobby.
However, in a turn of fate, I became a humor columnist in a panic-filled frenzy during the spring semester of my first year. After realizing that I had joined no communities on Grounds, I decided to apply to this thing called “The Cavalier Daily.” Having no experience with any form of journalism, I decided to give the humor desk a try.
My limit said I couldn’t be. It never said I couldn’t try. But trying, as I’ve come to learn, is doing. And doing, more often than not, is what leads to becoming.
I did apply. I did get in. And I did write. I am a writer.
Limit #2: I can’t say something important.
A semester went by, and this whole humor columnist thing was kind of fun. Still now, my woes as a first year are immortalized and published for all to see. Who knew that my experience would be so similar to that of others? You’re telling me I wasn’t the only one who had a sleep talking roommate? Or the only one falling in love with someone they barely knew?
Relatable humor is what they call it — the type that makes us realize that we’re not so different after all. And that is something, in a world full of chaos and division, that matters.
But don’t get me wrong. While my experiences were relatable, they were still unique to me, and that’s what made them mine. In the past I held my tongue, unsure of what my words could add to the eternal void of what had already been said. However, each tongue twists words in its own way, and each keyboard is covered with its own set of fingerprints.
It took me a long time to figure out that my subjective thoughts and feelings were worth speaking, and even reading.
Limit #3: I am not a leader. I was appointed humor editor. No opponent, no race, no nothing. Six hours of my Saturday spent on a Zoom with my camera off and stomach growling. And all they did was call my name at the end. I had been endowed with a title I barely knew anything about.
And sure, in hindsight, I’m thankful for the editing, publishing, managing and — insert other LinkedIn buzzwords — experience being a humor editor gave me.
But, if I am being honest, the biggest thing the role taught me was responsibility. And not the be home by 9 p.m. and do your dishes kind of responsibility, but the type that requires TLC. The type that makes something,
the desk, become a whole bunch of someones — the writers. It’s like looking at a finished puzzle long enough to make out each of the individual pieces. These weren’t just humor desk writers anymore, they were my humor desk writers. My responsibility.
I wasn’t perfect though. Trust me, I made plenty of mistakes. Let people down. Disappointed writers. Disappointed myself. But the thing with these mistakes is that they hurt. They made me realize that these weren’t just silly little mistakes because I could emotionally feel each one. Not only because the work was important, but because the people were. Every mistake forced me to do better, be better.
Responsibility makes you change, but no one changes alone. I couldn’t have done what I did without the patience and support of my writers, as well as my little buddy — I mean the 135th executive editor, Naima.
Being an editor, as I slowly learned, is not about who you are. It’s about who you can become.
Limit #4: I can’t enact change. Many people look at the humor desk and say it’s not the “most important” part of the paper. I am not one to get upset over a subjective take or argue the contrary, but I do wonder some-
times why it matters if it’s not the “most important.” As I see it, there are still people putting out articles, repping the humor desk, squirrel obsession and all. The Cavalier Daily was never about the importance of the humor desk. It was about community.
And even though the humor desk might change in the future and everything I put in place might be removed, at some point in time, we were there. Me, my staffers, we were there. And it happened. And I think that is important enough.
Limit #5: I can only reset my limits momentarily. Change only lasts as long as required.
Retiring from the humor editor position, immediately, felt like a relief. No more needing to worry about what needed to get published when. But as time went on, as it so often does, I found that I couldn’t look at the humor desk the same as I did before I became editor. In my eyes, something about it was still mine. Even if just for a little bit.
This May, The Cavalier Daily is sure to be on my mind as I toss my graduation cap up. Sky’s the limit.
Wardah Kamran was the Humor Editor for the 135th term and a humor columnist for the 133rd and 134th terms of The Cavalier Daily.
15 “To Live and Die ____” (1985 movie)
16 11-Down, for one 17 Area of potential conflict 19 Permanent UN Security
20 Pet protection org. 21 CBS military series
22 Popular spot to celebrate
Patty’s Day at U.Va. 23 That, in Spain 24 Diamond heist?
26 Sign of sadness
Aphrodite’s son
Barbecue side dish 33 Mozart work 37 Actress de Armas
41 Hoodwink
Presto or largo
Poker pot starter
Electrically balanced, in the Chemistry Building
There are 8,760 in a yr.
“Joker: Folie à ____”
Warning about a dog
CROSSWORD
Max Goldberg | Puzzlist
34 Sustainability prefix
35 Not a column
36 ___ Arbor, Michigan
39 Rabbit’s favorite food 40 Margarine
43 Motel amenity
Place to Panic!?
Disentangle after a fumble recovery, perhaps
9 2017 Chainsmokers hit 10 Skin pic
11 High-end Honda 12 Desert stopover 13 Common origami
18 Catch 22 Cookbook abbr.
24 Room in a casa
25 43-Down floatie
27 Motorcade leader
29 Bus system you can “catch” at U.Va.
30 Bill with Washington on it
31 On the ___
32 Part of WWW
45 Scottish city mentioned in the opening of ABBA’s “Super Trouper”
