While the Board of Visitors broke ground on numerous buildings this year and finally approved plans for the highly anticipated South Lawn Project, it also continued its efforts to create a more diverse University community.

According to Rector Thomas F. Farrell, II, there has been an ongoing program within the Board to implement diversity initiatives. This year, the Board was introduced to Bill Harvey, newly hired vice president and chief officer for diversity and equity.

“We’re very pleased about that,” said Farrell.

According to Harvey, who was presented to the Board in October, he works with the Special Committee on Diversity in order to construct the agenda and present information on the state of the University in terms of its diversity and how that situation might be improved.

“It’s an important way to keep them informed,” Harvey said.

Harvey added that, so far this year, the main focus of the committee has been on the lack of administrative diversity within the University.

“Last time we talked to [the Board] about the diversity of the faculty and how to use more university resources to engage minority entrepreneurs,” Harvey said.

In order to fully assess how faculty diversity might be improved, experts in this area have been hired to evaluate each school in the University.

“We have external experts that will start in the fall meeting with deans, faculty and students, and from those meetings, they’ll make reports that will include some observations and recommendations to try to get a more diverse faculty here,” Harvey said.

In addition, each expert will be from a specific background.

“The expert for Arts & Sciences will be from an arts and sciences background,” Harvey said. “So rather than one massive report, it will be a series of papers they will be developing for me.”

According to Farrell, the University has made great strides in its procurement of minority women contractors.

“We had a successful year this year and last year,” he said. “We have a long way to go but we’re making progress.”

At its next meeting this June, Harvey said he will present information regarding the public relations of the University.

“At that meeting we will talk about communication strategies and ways to get messages out to community and nation about activities taking place on Grounds that promote diversity,” Harvey said.

Farrell noted that this summer, the Board will also be evaluating its strategic planning process, which is an attempt to “identify where the University should be in 10 years compared to its peer institutions and its underlying missions.”

According to Farrell, the Board will hear a preliminary report in July from the Special Committee on Planning and will then hear a final report in January.

The goal of the strategic planning process is to “identify differences, how to change the differences, and how to fund this,” Farrell said.

The Board is scheduled to meet June 8-10 and will have a retreat July 28-29.

An increasingly large number of students have been taking advantage of the University’s alternative class opportunities, including the Summer Session, January Term and Study Abroad programs.

January Term, which began in 2005 with about 200 students enrolled, nearly doubled to around 400 students in 2006, according to Vice Provost for Academic Affairs J. Milton Adams.

Summer Session has remained relatively steady over the past several years with about 4,000 students enrolled, but the first session this summer beginning May 15, is larger than ever, Director of Summer Session Dudley Doane said.

“We have over 400 courses each summer and a number of them change,” Doane said. “There’s a mix of core courses, [however], that are important to students, that we need to offer every summer,” such as organic chemistry.

Study abroad programs also boast a significant increase in student participation from 1,427 students during the 2003-2004 academic year to nearly 1,700 students in the 2004-2005 academic year, Associate Director of Study Abroad Marina Markot said.

“We are constantly revising the offerings and making sure we have as many different offerings as possible,” Markot said.

Currently the Study Abroad program offers semester-long visits to unusual places such as Leon in France and Valencia in Spain, she said.

Markot added that the University’s program in Tibet is completely unique, and it is really “a badge of honor that University faculty [was] able to initiate it.”

Summer study abroad sessions include studying in Morocco, Southern Africa and Jordan, with intensive Arabic studies, Markot said.

Doane said benefits of the three summer sessions are numerous.

“One benefit is students have access to courses not offered in the spring or fall,” Doane said. “Another benefit is the intensive experience — studying one or two subjects exclusively day after day– the immersion possibility. And probably the third greatest strength is student-faculty ratio.”

The January Term also shares many of these benefits, along with the option of traveling to domestic and international locations, Adams said.

During the 2006 January Term, there were three study abroad opportunities for students, but that number has increased to seven projected for the 2007 term, Markot said.

Students pursue these alternative opportunities for a variety of different reasons, Doane said.

He added that the reasons students cited for enrolling in the Summer Session were to complete a requirement for their major, lighten their course load during the academic year, improve their GPA, learn about a unique topic not taught during the academic year or take advantage of the intensive learning environment.

Markot said many students utilize the University’s study abroad program to be exposed to internationally renowned faculty, learn about different cultures and cross-culture competency skills and for personal growth such as self-reliance and flexibility.

“You have to be able to navigate a system of circumstances that you’re not familiar with” while studying abroad, she added.

One of the great things about the University’s study abroad program is its accessibility for students, Markot said. The University is one of only three schools where students can apply and register for study abroad classes online, which simplifies a very complicated process.

University officials agreed that all three programs are expected to grow in the upcoming years and will hopefully continue to gain the appeal of students.

Brendan: For many fourth years, this will be the last Life column they read as students. We want nothing more than to end their illustrious Cav Daily-reading careers on a high note, and really go out with a bang. Unfortunately, we can’t do that.

Dan: The Cav Daily enforces a strict quality limit for each issue. This explains not only the lack of interesting news headlines but also the entire “tableau” section.

Brendan: In the spirit of mediocrity to which this paper so boldly adheres, we hereby present a moderately compelling recapitulation of the year’s highlights.

Dan: “Recapitulation?” I thought this was a “Year in review.”

Brendan: Same thing, dumbass.

Dan: Oh. Then we’ll start from the beginning. The University was founded in 1819, and the first students desce-

Brendan: Idiot! This is supposed to be about the past year only.

Dan: Fine. The year kicked off with a performance by everyone’s favorite incredibly creepy hypnotist, Tom Deluca. And man, I haven’t seen an act quite like that since I saw THE EXACT SAME ACT last year. But the year also featured the oft-delayed grand opening of the new Observatory Hill dining hall.

Brendan: Students who missed the old O-Hill were saddened to see it go but were consoled by the familiar sight of Dean’s ponytail, though embittered by his familiar self-righteous attitude.

Dan: Students who missed the Treehouse were also happy to see their tuition dollars go to good work, as the former Alderman Road landmark was replaced by a barren field.

Brendan: The first real news event of the school year, if you remember, was Hurricane Katrina’s destruction of New Orleans. The University witnessed an influx of students from several Big Easy schools. Coincidentally, during this period the University’s “Sleaze” rating in the Princeton Review skyrocketed.

Dan: It really makes me hope for a devastating avalanche in Sweden, so that some of their sexy college chicks would transfer here.

Brendan: … Inappropriate.

Dan: I’m just glad Louisiana residents could finally pay their due respects to Thomas Jefferson, who purchased their land way back in 1803.

Brendan: Speaking of really old things that America has taken from Europe, The Rolling Stones made an appearance at Scott Stadium last semester, to much fanfare.

Dan: Yeah dude, tell me about fan fare. I spent like 400 bucks for 3 tickets! What a rip-off.

Brendan: You’re gonna tell me that it wasn’t worth it to see Mick Jagger and Keith Richards up close and personal?

Dan: If by “up close” you mean “from really, really far away.” I’m pretty sure my seats were somewhere in Fluvanna County.

Brendan: Come on, they’re living legends!

Dan: Barely living. They’re so old they played the halftime show at the Second Continental Congress. I hear they get senior citizen parking for their tour bus.

Brendan: I think that 50-minute break for the “bomb threat” was just a cover so the band could go take a nap, as well as change Keith’s diaper.

Dan: Moving on, Scott Stadium was host to another landmark event last October — Virginia’s upset victory over the Florida State Seminoles.

Brendan: That was exhilarating. I really liked the part where I got my neck stomped on by 300 drunken, stiletto-clad sorority girls.

Dan: Marques Hagans put on a truly awe-inspiring performance, connecting for 27 of 36 pass attempts and throwing for 306 yards. Afterwards, the quarterback expressed his glee, saying, “I felt like a god out there. I felt like I was six feet tall.”

Brendan: What’s really great is that the rest of the Cavaliers’ season lived up to the high standard set by that stellar game. Al Groh sure is earning his $1.7 million contract.

Dan: Wait, $1.7 million?! Wow, apparently money does Groh on trees.

Brendan: …

Dan: I — I’m sorry.

Brendan: Oct. 27, the stalking world was changed forever when Mark Zuckerberg added a groundbreaking feature to Facebook, namely the ability to post online photo albums and see additional pictures of friends. Since then, I’ve lost all will to engage in social interaction and am no longer considered a son by my parents.

Dan: Oct. 27, 2005: The last time Brendan Collins saw the light of day. Damn you, Mark Zuckerberg! Brendan was a good man!

Brendan: Well, decent, at least. Anyways, that covers the fall. Nothing particularly exciting happened for the rest of the semester, and winter break was especially useless this year.

Dan: That’s not true, I bought … stamps.

Brendan: Stamps? Really?!

Dan: Well, no. I was exaggerating. See, I meant to buy stamps, but then I decided to wait until the price goes down.

Brendan: Moving on, those who stayed in C-ville for the January term got an extra special treat when absolutely nothing happened.

Dan: Second semester started off with that time-honored University tradition, Greek Rush.

Brendan: Ahhhh, Rush. I really liked the part where I got my neck stomped on by 300 drunken, popped-collared frat dudes.

Dan: You’re a bitter man. You’re bitterer than a skunked keg of Natty. And what’s with you always lying down in front of alcohol-induced human stampedes?

Brendan: I have my quirks.

Dan: Man, Rush was insane this year. Do you remember that one party?

Brendan: No, I don’t.

Dan: Exactly!

Brendan: As the semester progressed, students were pleased to hear that the University was endorsing the Semester at Sea program, allowing Wahoos to circle the globe and take classes simultaneously.

Dan: I spent a semester at sea once. I was looking for the ITC Help Desk and wound up hopelessly lost. That was rough.

Brendan: You mean the ITC Help Desk located at 2015 Ivy Road, first floor, room 116?

Dan: I hate you. Anyway, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the program this semester, either. Unfortunately for second-year Gilligan Smith and others, their three-month tour turned out quite tragic indeed. They will now spend eternity in syndication.

Brendan: The Virginia men’s basketball team posted a remarkable season in their own right, defying everyone’s expectations and making it all the way to the NCAA Final Four.

Dan: Dude, that was George Mason.

Brendan: Perhaps.

Dan: New coach Dave Leitao really turned some heads around the Athletic office, as his team won some key upsets early in the season.

Brendan: The “Last Ball in U-Hall” ended with disappointment, however, as the Cavaliers lost to Virginia Tech by one point. The Hoo Crew closed out their own season with their “Last Bawl in U-Hall” following the loss. They’re a little dramatic.

Dan: The spring months mean only one thing for many students: the arrival of Springfest. By many students, of course, I mean a few select members of the University Programs Council. Nobody else.

Brendan: What are you talking about? Everyone goes to Springfest. It’s by far the best attended of the seasonal fests. Besides, when else do you get to see a person eat five gallons of ice cream as fast as they can, outside of Louie Anderson’s birthday party?

Dan: Did you actually just make a Louie Anderson reference? As in the former host of “Family Feud” and the fat kid from “Life with Louie?”

Brendan: He did the dad’s voice, too.

Dan: Can you leave?

Brendan: Not yet, we haven’t gotten to the biggest topic of the year: the “living wage” controversy.

Dan: Ah yes, the campaign that seeks to establish an hourly wage of $10.72 for entry-level University employees. It has met with strong resistance from University officials.

Brendan: I have a message for all the protesters: The 60s called, and they want their activism, hair and bathing schedules back.

Dan: Seventeen students even managed to stage a sit-in inside Madison Hall before they were arrested for trespassing. President Casteen was incensed, as the sitters relentlessly blocked the path from his office to his private sauna, massage chambers and champagne fountain.

Brendan: See, even Casteen is suffering. But there’s an easy solution to all of this: All Casteen has to do is accept the wage increase and then immediately fire all entry-level employees. Everybody wins!

Dan: You are the most callous, heartless person I’ve ever encountered. You are flat-out dumb. Have you ever even heard of economics?

Brendan: Of course not. I hadn’t even heard of the “living wage” until about 10 minutes ago. I have no idea what either side of the debate stands for; I just really like to type. Type type type.

Dan: I don’t know how to respond to that.

Brendan: So how are we supposed to wrap up this recapitulation?

Dan: Hmm … What would Eric Cunningham do?

Brendan: Probably use some sort of pop culture reference to make a self-deprecating remark.

Dan: Classic. Let’s just go with the standard sign-off:

Dear U.Va.,

We’ve had some good times this year. You’ve taught us a lot — you’ve taught both of us how to be men. And apparently, being a man means paying hundreds of dollars in parking tickets per week and pathetically trying to break even by snatching fruit from Newcomb dining hall. Most of all, though, you’ve taught us how to love.

Love,

Brendan & Dan

Dan’s column runs biweekly on Fridays. He can be reached at dooley@cavalierdaily.com. Brendan’s column runs biweekly on Mondays. He can be reached at collins@cavalierdaily.com.

Walking through the old wrought iron gates of the University Cemetery on a sunny afternoon in April, students are met with a peaceful calm. A few yards away stands the gravestone of Edwin Anderson Alderman, the first president of the University, for whom Alderman Library is named. In the cemetery, the familiar names of Clemons, Bonnycastle, Tuttle, Minor and Newcomb are all interred next to the McCormick Road dormitories.

The University of Virginia Cemetery was founded in 1828 and is the final resting place for 937 University officials and faculty, as well as their families. The cemetery is partitioned into two sections, one of which is the University Cemetery and the other is a separate Confederate Cemetery. The Confederate Cemetery is the mass gravesite of 1,097 confederate soldiers from 11 states, most of whom died in Charlottesville, according to the Alumni Association. A prominent statue of a Confederate soldier, erected in 1893 as a memorial, stands at the gates of this part of the cemetery inscribed with the words, “Fate denied them victory but crowned them with glorious immortality.”

With such historic ties to the times of the Civil War, the Confederate Cemetery connects the University community today with important figures of American history, while the University Cemetery serves as a connection to University history. History Prof. Phyllis Leffler took her first stroll through the cemetery this week, which she said was both beautiful and powerful.

The cemetery “speaks to the depth of history here [by allowing individuals] to see so many of the people who spent their productive lives here” at the University, Leffler said.

Leffler said the choice to be buried in the cemetery showed the extent to which they valued the University during their lives. Leffler, who teaches a course called “History of U.Va. in the 20th century,” said her students do not study the University Cemetery.

However, Leffler said she might incorporate the cemetery into her curriculum in the future.

The University Cemetery is known for being the “who’s who of University faculty,” according to Board of Visitors secretary Sandy Gilliam. One notable man buried at the Cemetery is John A. G. Davis, a former law professor at the University. In 1840, Davis was fatally shot by a student during a student riot on the Lawn. While on his deathbed, Davis famously said an honorable man would come forward, while a dishonorable man would not.

Although no student came forward, the incident sparked the basis for the University’s honor system, according to the University Cemetery.

Confederate soldier Carnot Posey was a student at the University before being wounded in battle in 1863. He is buried within the Davis family plot in the University Cemetery. Carnot’s friend Dr. John Davis, a descendent of John A. G. Davis, took the wounded soldier into his Pavilion VII home, knocking down the adjacent wall of a Lawn room combining them. Carnot lived in the adjoining Lawn room until he died due to poor medical treatment. In the fall of 2003, the student who occupied the Lawn room Carnot lived in went to visit his grave. To his surprise, fresh flowers were on his stone, and there was no indication of their origin. In recent renovations, the door connecting the two rooms was discovered within the interior wall, according to Gilliam.

Another individual resting in the cemetery, Jesse Wakefield Beams, worked on the Manhattan Project, which produced the first atomic bomb. Gilliam said he remembers seeing armed guards manning an annex off of Rouss Hall as a child and later discovered that Beams had been doing his research there, along with his assistant, Frank Hereford, who became University presiddent and was recently buried at the cemetery.

The list of famous and prominent University figures goes on to include Basil Gildersleeve, who Gilliam speculated might be the greatest American classicist of the 19th century; Paul Brandon Barringer, who founded the University Hospital; seven soldiers who fought in the War of 1812; and four out of the five dead presidents of the University.

Many students are drawn to the cemetery to study or just stroll through because of its serene quality, yet its history is unavoidable. When students find that many of the individuals for which University buildings were named are buried here, interest is sparked.

“It’s neat to see all of the grave sights of the people that all of the buildings and dorms were named after,” first-year College student Leigh Rayfield said.

Rayfield is a resident of Echols Hall, which is named after William (“Reddy,” for his red hair) Echols, Jr., who is buried at the University Cemetery. Echols received two degrees from the University, was later an adjunct professor of mathematics and ultimately was proclaimed the hero of the Rotunda Fire in 1895, when he dynamited part of the structure in order to prevent the fire from spreading, Gilliam said.

Third-year Graduate Arts & Sciences student Alberto Todeschini said he comes to read in the cemetery twice a week in between his classes because he doesn’t like the other study areas at the University. Todeschini said cemeteries in his native Italy are completely different. Todeschini said American cemeteries are more like parks with grassy areas, trees and flowers.

“In Italy, you don’t go to a cemetery to read a book,” Todeschini said.

Although all of the in-ground plots of the cemetery have been purchased already, in 1987, the University Board of Visitors approved the creation of the cemetery’s Columbarium, which is a wall where the urns containing the ashes of the dead are stored. There are two memorial walls of the University Columbarium, each wall containing 180 vaults which hold a maximum of four urns each. Individuals qualified to purchase a vault must be a University official, alumnus, professor, retired professor, friends and students of the University (based on service to the institution as determined by the Cemetery Committee) or relatives of any of the eligible candidates. Memorial plaques can also be purchased without the ashes actually being housed in the Columbarium wall.

Today, the Cemetery Committee, chaired by Medicine Prof. Dearing W. Johns, oversees the Columbarium and distinguishes if individuals meet the criteria for a vault.

“The purpose of the cemetery is to have a final resting place for those faculty, students and alumni to whom the University has meant so much,” Johns said.

Sounding off … to the Races!

I wanted to begin my column with an apology to a very special reader, whose feelings I accidentally hurt two weeks ago. So, to copy the one and only Eric Cunningham:

Dear Orange Spandex Girl,

I’m very sorry for hurting your feelings. It’s not your fault that you wear orange spandex, and I shouldn’t have mercilessly made fun of you. You could wear way worse. Plus, at least they are orange — no one can mock your school spirit. Wahoowa. I hope you have a merry summer.

Sincerely,

A. S. Jospin

P.S. I’d appreciate it if first years would stop threatening my life.

Now, onto a subject that really gets my blood boiling. Well, not really, but I had to write about something. Boys in designer jeans. Most people would think that I would like that. Guys who know how to dress well, put together outfits, etc. — we could go shopping together! I really do like people to wear cute outfits — I don’t like to hate, but sadly sometimes I’m forced to. Honestly, though, guys who know about Citizens, Sevens or True Religion jeans? Or who are actually wearing them? If your outfit cost more than mine, that is not a turn-on. I find it strangely demoralizing if a boy can tell where I got my jeans from by studying the back pockets. After all, that’s my job. Therefore, do I like boys in designer jeans? NO! For fear of ruffling many double popped collars and gelled heads, I’m going to have to follow Cher in “Clueless” who begs the question, “After all, what would I bring to the relationship?”

Now, to the most important matter at hand: Foxfield clothes. So the standard Foxfield uniform is girls in sundresses, pearls and big hats, guys in ties, etc. That’s all good and well, but the major dilemma is that my AccuWeather tells me the high on Saturday is going to be 59. 59! As in Saturday will be in the fifties. For you Virginians that might be acceptable weather, but as a legitimate Southerner, I’d have to say that is just not practically-May weather. Who seriously wants to wear a sundress when it’s that cold outside? Not me, and I live for this kind of thing. So, what’s the solution? If you aren’t a wimp like me, you can still wear your sundress and just brave the cold. But I think that sounds pretty miserable, trekking in the mud and cold in a dress. So here are some solutions to this conundrum. I’ve been pondering these alternatives through many a boring class. Enjoy:

A Long Skirt. This is pretty much a boring option for girls, but if you’re Scottish, a long kilt would work in more or less the same way. Fairly self-explanatory, but this way you’re semi-dressed up, and you can still wear a big hat.

A poncho. A huge, bright yellow poncho with Crocs. If everyone wears this, maybe it won’t rain. Sure, we’ll all look like a bunch of crazies in a cult waiting for a tsunami, but liquid-proof attire is always a good plan at Foxfields.

A bathing suit. The positive to this outfit is that you can make use of the natural Slip-N-Slide that the fields will become. The downside — you’ll freeze your butt off.

Uggs. I know they’re out of style, but I still like them. They’ll be completely ruined, but it’s probably time. And you’ll be warm.

Jeans. That’s right little freshmen ****** (sorry, I don’t really hate first-years, I’m just a big “Dazed and Confused” fan). You can wear blue jeans and no one will stone you. Wear them with a big floppy hat, maybe a seersucker blazer — I think that totally works. Or you could put your sundress on top of your jeans. Probably not the most attractive option, but at least you won’t freeze to death. Plus, seersucker is always attractive — so it will redeem virtually any outfit.

And that’s all folks. I know you guys will probably wear sundresses anyway, but I had to try.

P.S. If you send me a Facebook hate message, I will be sad. I would probably like to make fun of you in my next column but sadly(ish) the year is practically over. This is my last (and second) column of the year. So keep it classy, U.Va. Don’t get mud all over your cute Foxfield clothes, and make sure to go streaking at least once before summer. I’ll see y’all at the Lawn.

Alex’s column runs biweekly on Fridays. She can be reached at jospin@cavalierdaily.com.

As usual with our last issue, The Cavalier Daily gives out some special end-of-semester awards:

The “Titantic” award goes to Semester at Sea, for the most ambitious exposure of hubris since 1912.

The “Oh ‘Queatta My Queatta” award goes to Jequeatta Upton for always having a good attitude, even when we pull her hair.

The “Silent Protest” award goes to Meng Tan, for never provoking one, despite several close calls.

The “Spice Girls” award goes to the Living Wage Campaign. Because a lot of people really really really want you to go away, ahhh.

The “Speed Reading” award goes to David Banh, whose graduation after one year is truly a shocker.

The “Pierre” award goes to Cal Trepagnier. If you want to know who buys ads from us, look in the newspaper.

The “Hot Topics” award goes to the Consensus Clause, which has sustained resistance to multiple wooden stakes through its heart.

The “Most Explosive Student” award goes to John Sweeney. Just remember, Drano is for cleaning drains.

The “Lifetime Ad Revenues Achievement” award goes to Okey Udumaga. We’re hiring in the ads department next year…

The “Winston Churchill” award goes to Jeff Frank and Ezana Teferra, because the best man doesn’t always win.

The “You Booze You Lose” award goes to Zeta Psi. You’re lucky this isn’t the last nail in the coffin.

The “The Purloined Profile” award goes to Edgar Allan Poe, for having his popular Facebook profile unfairly deleted.

The “12-0″ award goes to the Cavalier Men’s lacrosse team, for their record and for outclassing other lacrosse teams.

The “Free Expression” award goes to the City of Charlottesville for the new monument on the Downtown Mall. Maybe someone should try this experiment on Grounds.

The “Student Self Governance WOO!” award goes to Patrick Harvey for embarrassing The Cavalier Daily, much like what happened last semester at Northern Exposure.

The “Loyalty” award goes to our receptionist Sharon Bradly. The Cavalier Daily wouldn’t be the same without you. Thanks for all your hard work, once again.

EDMUND Burke once commented, “The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion. ” Instead of worrying about the pressing issues of the state, the Virginia General Assembly wiled away the hours of session talking about the all- important marriage amendment referendum being put on the ballot in the fall. Many conservatives in Virginia will probably check off “yes” on the ballot, thinking that they are saving marriage from the malicious onslaught of gay people trying to undermine and overthrow the institution of marriage. But the amendment will not affect marriage in Virginia. The amendment’s only realistic potential is to limit not only gay people’s civil rights, but — God forbid! — upstanding straight people’s, too. Lest Virginians make the innocent assumption that defining marriage is harmless, this amendment needs to be exposed for its unconstitutionality, needlessness and wanton prejudice.

In Virginia, marriage has already been defined as a relationship only between a man and a woman for the past 30 years. This crystallizes the utter foolishness of the amendment on the surface level, before even approaching the real issues. The General Assembly simply should not waste taxpayer money writing up amendments about what marriage is and what it is not.

In any case, let’s entertain the marriage amendment for the moment because the politicians and media certainly will for the next several months. The amendment defines marriage as between one man and one woman, with the added corollary that the “Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effects of marriage. Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities or effects of marriage.” This obviously is a thinly disguised attack on gay couples, but at the same time, it poses a threat to any Virginian who wishes to enter into a contractual relationship with someone else.

Democrats surely want to claw their eyes out after reading this amendment, but Libertarians and Republicans should oppose this amendment, too. From the Libertarian perspective, the government does not need to create more laws that restrict private decisions which pose no threat to anyone, especially if laws already exist governing relationship recognition, as is the case in Virginia.

Business-friendly Republicans should oppose this amendment because the state will then be able to choose who corporations will be able to provide health care and other benefits to. Virginia business may not be able to attract the best candidates for a job if they cannot offer competitive benefits for their employees’ partners, regardless of sexual orientation.

Furthermore, the marriage amendment disgraces one of the core beliefs that Virginians have upheld since the dawn of the nation: the separation of church and state. More than likely most legislators supporting this amendment do so on religious grounds. But they are denying the church its moral authority in defining what marriage is according to their particular beliefs. The amendment would thus further limit the church in Virginia and give more power to the state. Members of the General Assembly should stop hiding in their pews and leave religious issues to the churches, synagogues and mosques.

Even Gov. Tim Kaine, who openly states he believes marriage should be a union limited to one man and one woman, denounces the amendment on the grounds that it goes too far. In a statement to The Washington Post, Kaine commented that he urged Virginians to reject the proposed amendment on the ballot in November because it threatens “the constitutional rights of individuals to enter into private contracts, and also … the discretion of employers to extend certain benefits, such as health care coverage, to unmarried couples.”

Regardless of its economic ramifications, this amendment simply illustrates the Virginian neurotic complex about homosexuality. The Commonwealth should not join the nefarious ranks of other states that stem the tide of civil progress with their hidebound, irrational fear of gay people. The state government should only be concerned about ensuring civil equality, and this amendment undeniably violates people’s rights — and not only gay people’s rights.

On Nov. 14, 2006, Virginians have the opportunity to catch their legislature in a bigoted ruse by voting “no” on the marriage amendment referendum. Or they can look like fools willfully limiting their own rights.

Marta Cook’s column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at mcook@cavalierdaily.com.

COLUMNISTS have a tendency to end up looking like weathermen when they make big predictions: caught in the rain without an umbrella. But even with presidential elections more than two years away, I’m ready to take a gamble. The Democratic presidential nominee is going to be Sen. Evan Bayh and their vice-presidential candidate will be Virginia’s very own former Gov. Mark Warner.

These predictions probably come as a surprise to most readers. Many Democrats and Republicans have the forgone conclusion that Sen. Hillary Clinton will get the nod. Already Clinton is seen as the candidate to beat since she has tens of millions of campaign dollars already in the bank and many top Democratic fundraisers locked up. But as the 2004 election made painfully clear, the January front-runner rarely gets the party nomination.

Simply put, Hillary cannot win a national election. She does not have the broad-based support that a Democrat needs to secure victory in 2008, as recent polling data makes clear. A WNBC/Marist poll from February saw that only 47 percent of registered voters want Clinton running for president with the majority of voters, 51 percent, actually opposing her nomination. Furthermore, Sen. McCain trounces her in a head-to-head match-up with 52 percent of the vote compared to Clinton’s measly 42 percent. Granted, these numbers must be taken with a grain of salt as campaigns have yet to begin and world events have yet to unfold, but they are telling of the mood of the voters. For McCain to have a double-digit lead over the Democrats’ supposedly top nominee before even spending a campaign dollar, there must something that voters see. The obvious reasons are her gender, her philandering husband and the abysmal legislative failure that was her idea for socialized medicine. Clinton will have a hard if not impossible time preventing Republicans from portraying the Democrats as the “Mommy party.” It won’t take Democrats until the Iowa Caucus to realize that they need a more moderate candidate to win undecided voters.

Enter Mark Warner. He is a rare sight in American politics — a popular Southern Democrat. Having left office with an over 70 percent approval rating, Warner can do something no other politician can do: hand the Democrats the Commonwealth of Virginia. Even if the Republicans run Sen. George Allen, it is doubtful Virginians will forget who saved their state’s finances. Anyone can count to 270, but the Republicans cannot get enough electoral votes to win the presidency without Virginia. On top of that, Warner is a very articulate speaker, has business connections available to few if any other Democrats and is not afraid to utilize his personal fortune for his campaign. Since finishing his tenure as governor, Warner has been flying around the country trying to drum up support for his candidacy and elicit campaign donations. However, Warner has no foreign policy experience. With security concerns and the Iraq War topping voters’ priorities in the 2004 elections, it is highly doubtful that a one-term governor can look tough on terror. This makes Warner the ideal vice-presidential candidate.

As this week’s Economist rightly observed of the Democrats: “Their weakest issue has long been national security.” However, Evan Bayh, Indiana’s junior senator, is the Democrats’ best chance to rise above this label. The hawkish Bayh has been a staunch supporter of the Iraq war and serves on both the Armed Services Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence. While this may anger some of the fringe left, the failure of Howard Dean in 2004 demonstrated that Michael Moore and MoveOn.org do not run the Democratic Party. Furthermore, Bayh will be able to appeal to many across party lines with his record of reining in government spending. Even the Wall Street Journal stated that Bayh’s record as governor of Indiana “is one of a genuinely fiscally conservative Democrat.” Bayh is a truly moderate Democrat who can appeal to blue state registered Democrats as a long-standing party insider (he is former Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council) while appealing to both undecided and Republican voters. He does not carry Clinton’s northeast stigmata and can be expected to deliver in Midwestern, battleground states. The Democrats’ best hope for the 2008 presidential elections is to repudiate the far-left and reach into the middle. A Bayh-Warner ticket will be very tough for Republicans to beat in 2008.

Josh Levy’s column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at jlevy@cavalierdaily.com.

THE IDEA of free speech and expression is one of the most cherished and controversial freedoms we share as Americans. This idea has recently been challenged both by larger events in the world — in the form of the Danish cartoon controversy which gripped both the Middle East and the Western world — and right here within our University community. As already expounded upon in an Opinion column last Thursday, (“A Lesson in Free Speech,” April 20) Prashanth Parameswaran commented on the fallacies in tactics implemented by Mark Hopke and the Queer Student Union. While the debate in the methods of free speech are ages-old by our current generation, what we seem to have forgotten amidst this controversy is the fact that free speech is based upon a mutual understanding of tolerance. Without such tolerance, free speech cannot exist in any of the forms that we as Americans enjoy today.

Parameswaran was indeed correct in concluding that we “should accept [the] legitimacy” of even the forms of speech that are hateful or intolerant. Where he was not correct, however, was in unabashedly attacking such expression as inherently wrong, as he did when he called such messages part of the “uninformed minority.” The QSU stooped to this same level in the e-mail campaign which helped to spark the controversy, even asserting that anti-gay signs such as that which Hopke implemented “should not be socially acceptable in our University community.”

How can a single sign expressing one student’s beliefs be “socially unacceptable” if an entire campaign launched against such a student and attacking him or her is not? Such hypocrisy in its purest form is nothing short of intolerance against a single set of beliefs. Just as we should allowstudents to openly express their sexuality, so should we allow students to display their homophobia. For that matter, any attempt at the suppression of peaceful expression should be that which is deemed “socially unacceptable,” rather than the message itself.

No form of expression should ever be unacceptable to society, if only because its own whims and beliefs are subject to change, as history has often shown. Gays declaring that homophobia is unacceptable is tantamount to a Democrat saying that of a Republican, or of a Christian saying so to a Muslim or a Jew. At one point any of the groups may have been the “uninformed minority” compared to the other, but changes in society dictated they become the prevalent belief or ideology. However, while each is assuredly trying to protect their respective beliefs on occasion, they cannot, and should not, try to suppress others for having the opposite point of view.

Blake Wilding, one of the contacts for the press release which began the free speech controversy last week, argued in an exchange that “intolerance of my inherent qualities should not be condoned by society.” However, free speech is nothing if not condoning all peaceful forms of intolerance. Just as it is our right to form our own opinions, it is our right to stick up for them in the face of others, which often leads to disagreement if not outright intolerance. Such a proposition is not to suggest that intolerance is inherently benign, because it is not. While “agreeing to disagree” may only lead to self-segregation, that is still better than the hostility that would ensue if society were to embrace one set of controversial beliefs outright over another that is equally as prevalent.

We here at the University unfortunately have much bigger problems than those suggested by the controversy over the “Gay? Fine By Me” campaign. This is still a place where, for example, students must still endure hateful, targeted taunting in public, as the hate crimes of only last fall have evidenced. Also not uncommon is the sight of a car’s passengers randomly harassing students for seemingly nothing more than walking down the sidewalk, something which even this author has experienced firsthand. These are the forms of hatred which our society should not tolerate, rather than focus on simple matters of free speech. As soon as we realize that all opinions are equally valid, so long as they are peaceful, may we confront the real issues.

Alex Hannagan is a third year in the College.

TWO contradicting and intriguing phenomena came to my attention last week. The first was the dedication of a monument to the First Amendment on the Downtown Mall. The monument is essentially just a wall on which visitors are encouraged to write whatever they want. It is a beautiful and courageous show of faith in freedom and an open market of ideas. The week also bore witness to an attack on that freedom in the form of a call for increased censorship in The Cavalier Daily. Specifically, some students criticized the paper for printing a comic that it saw as offensive to Hindus. The criticism is undue, and the paper’s Managing Board should be applauded for its refusal to apologize in the face of protest.

The comic itself, the April 14 installment of “TCB,” may have been offensive. That is not the issue. Offensive content is a staple of Cavalier Daily cartoons. On April 11, “TCB” mocked Jesus’ crucifixion, offending Christian students. There was a response, but it was not as widespread as the outrage over the cartoon that poked fun at a Hindu deity.

The pattern of offensive comic followed by outrage from a minority group has been constant this year. On April 13, “Redux” poked fun at Mormons, provoking criticism in the form of letters to the editor. That event occurred less than two weeks after the same strip came under fire for mocking the prophet Mohammed, a comic for which The Cavalier Daily eventually apologized. Last semester, the comic “Self-Proclaimed” caused indignation after insulting the University’s own deity, Mr. Jefferson. The comic’s reference to slavery offended African-American students, although I never understood why.

In light of these episodes, the Managing Board of The Cavalier Daily felt the need to explain the process of approving a questionable comic in the lead editorial this past Monday. The policy that they expounded was both responsible and just. Naturally, the paper will not publish anything false, nor will it publish direct attacks at a specific group for anything other than their opinions or actions. Since the comic is a work of fiction, the first criterion does not apply. Religion, the editorial correctly argued, is an opinion and is open to both criticism and ridicule. This policy rightly errs on the side of freedom, a goal for which the press should strive.

Critics of the “TCB” comic and the other offensive comics often claim that the cartoons are not even funny. It as if many believe that an offensive comic is less offensive if it is also funny. It is safe to say, however, that if The Cavalier Daily only printed funny comics, the Comics page would consist most days of a Jumble, crossword puzzle and Sudoku. As Monday’s lead editorial stated, the comic artists’ sense of humor “will always be a mystery.” Perhaps, following the lead of television shows like “South Park” and “Family Guy,” the artists have decided that offensiveness is inherently funny.

A point central to most of the criticisms is that religious beliefs must be respected. The claim is tied into the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of religion. However, the Constitution does not insist on respect for any religion. It states that the government may not impose religion on its citizens, but it also allows citizens to say whatever they want about the religions of others, including what may be considered heresy. It was intended to allow citizens to question religious authority without fear, but it reserves no special treatment for minority groups, which is what some are implicitly demanding.

That the First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech does not mean that The Cavalier Daily was required to print the offensive comics, of course, but the paper should not censor their artists or writers based on possible offensiveness. In his letter to the editor printed on April 19 (“A heretical comic”), Aadit Bimbhet argued that “a line must be drawn somewhere.”

Freedom of speech, however, means that no lines are drawn. It is too easy to imagine true political expression being stifled in the name of political correctness to allow for any censorship on those grounds. The Opinion, Life and Comics sections of The Cavalier Daily exist in part to give students something to talk about. If an offensive comic or column serves to spark debate, it can only be viewed as a good thing.

The monument downtown has no rules regarding what can be written on it. One can insult or praise whatever god, minority group or politician one wishes. If the town of Charlottesville can be so sure of the value of free speech, certainly we at Mr. Jefferson’s University can be equally convicted. Let us not be so afraid to “tolerate any error” that we risk sacrificing our freedoms — and printing a boring, politically correct newspaper in the process.

Daniel Colbert’s column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at dcolbert@cavalierdaily.com.