There are a lot of things I won’t miss about this University, but then there are also a lot of things I will. For example, I won’t miss the tag lines so universally touted by those at this school: honor and student-self governance, two ambiguously defined ideas that for some reason we’re all supposed to embrace as the keys to what makes us so unique. As if that’s not enough to make us unique, I also won’t miss the unnecessary nicknames we apply to the most basic of terms: our campus and our year. I’m sorry, but even after four years, I have trouble not feeling pretentious when I tell people that I did not live on campus as a freshman, but on Grounds as a first-year.

But then, pretentiousness is something we seem to pride ourselves on, too. After all, who other than University students delights so much in referring to this place as Mr. Jefferson’s University? We’re crazy to want so badly to live in a tiny room on the Lawn devoid of a private bathroom and susceptible to constant intrusions on our privacy by tourists who want to see how students “really lived” back in Jefferson’s time. Yet we do it for the same reason we find it so necessary to wear dresses and ties to football games, or spend a day drunk and dressed up at a horse race. We embrace pretentiousness.

Enough, though, of what I won’t miss about my time here. There is plenty to make up for the popped collar craze and the ill-defined buzzwords that supposedly make our University great.

When I took a tour here as a high school senior, I heard more about athletics, social activities, and tradition than I did about academic opportunities and professors. But the classes I have taken and the people who have taught them are what truly define a student’s experience here. From my first semester to my last, I have been inspired, challenged, encouraged and supported by numerous professors. As the students of such qualified and curious scholars, we have been given the opportunity to indulge our own curiosities and to seek out what interests us the most. The breadth of choices we are given each time the course offerings are released, and the depth of scholarship we are met with each time we attend a lecture are what truly make this University stand out.

Before my first year, I knew little about Charlottesville’s art and cultural scenes. Yet the artistic, musical, and overall creative culture that is Charlottesville goes well beyond the Dave Matthews Band and will hopefully continue to grow and flourish years from now. That we, as students, have access to so many creative opportunities around town makes the one-size-fits-all nature of Grounds much more bearable. For every pair of Seven jeans walking around Newcomb Hall, for every frat house blaring DMB songs throughout the day, there are any number of Charlottesville locations where students can go for relief from the monotony.

I will miss the Cavalier Daily not only as a source for University news, but also, and much more importantly, as a means for expressing my anger, appreciation, confusion, and/or disbelief, depending on what kind of news the previous week has brought. At a place where the party line is hard to escape, the student newspaper — especially the Opinion page — allows students to express their thoughts, whatever they may be. Criticism of University policies or of decisions made by student-run organizations is productive. It begins and sustains the kind of dialogue that will ultimately — hopefully — lead to change. I will miss having such a venue for free expression.

It practically goes without saying that I will miss my friends immensely. They more than anything or anyone else have made my time here meaningful and fulfilling.

And so four years have passed since the first day I walked on campus — Grounds, I mean — as a freshman — first-year, whatever. Much of that time has unfolded like a sitcom, and all too often I’ve had to take a step back and laugh at the sheer zaniness of it all. Listening to a University Guide telling prospective students about the community of trust while standing in front of a sign at the library reading: “Guard your belongings. Thefts have been reported.” Watching intoxicated fans tumble down the hill at Scott Stadium while the football team blows another lead. Watching classrooms deteriorate while the athletic department budget continues to expand. Mindlessly adopting U.Va.-speak and engaging in random ritualized practices all in the name of tradition.

So I can’t say I will miss guys in ties and girls in pearls or worshipping the school’s founder along with the rest of the TJ cult. Nor will I miss listening to administrators mindlessly babble on about student self-governance and upholding hundred-year-old traditions. What I will miss is something like a blooper reel of the University experience — the stuff the directors don’t really want the audience to see. Therein lie the most worthwhile moments of the past four years.

Amelia Meyer’s column appeared Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at a.meyer@cavalierdaily.com.

Those lucky students who participated in the mass migration Spring Break rituals most likely found that the beach resorts and towns that hosted them were fully prepared to tolerate and even encourage the mass mayhem and chaos in exchange for lively profits. Nevertheless, there are still many who view the Spring Break phenomenon as a vile societal flaw, and are taking radical methods to stamp out what they view as lascivious immoral college life. These people are known, ridiculed, and feared as the “Crazy Christian,” and the Fire and Brimstone preacher, whose impressive vocal chords are only outdone by their aggressive religious message: “You are going to hell, if ye do not repent!” University Police Captain Michael Coleman explained that because of the First Amendment, these preachers are within their legal rights to appear on Grounds, so there is nothing that the University can do to keep them out. However, their open hostility, anger, and disrespect to students mark them as intruders in our academic community. As such they should be obligated to follow certain rules of decorum, such as using acceptable language and volume in their sermons.

While it is healthy to challenge one’s personal belief system, these preachers eschew honest, open self reflection in favor of a strongly judgmental and antagonistic approach. The preachers know their crowd, and they revel in attacking controversial subjects that they know will quickly enrage and engage people. While the favored message of these preachers is, “You are going to hell, you heathens!,” other topics discussed — well, shouted — include homosexuality, lust, sin, pre-marital sex, drinking, dressing promiscuously, and cursing. The preachers do not hesitate to call girls “whores,” which seems to cross the line from preaching to sexual harassment. Christians often espouse the acronym, “W.W.J.D.?” for, “What Would Jesus Do?” Yet a recent scene could not have been more drastically opposed from my idea of Jesus preaching the gospel. Battle cries erupted, with the self-proclaimed, hot-blooded preacher screaming, “Whore! Whore!” Expletives then followed from the booing crowd.

Students’ reactions are mostly divided into two groups: the infuriated and the amused. “You have to come check out the crazy preacher!” a girl told her friend as they walked down the Lawn. Mark Goldberg, a first-year in the College, said that he thought the preacher was “interesting and fun to watch. He knows how to keep an audience.” These preachers are most often transformed into objects of ridicule and mockery. Even the very space that many of these preachers use, the Amphitheater, is traditionally a place for performers and entertainers. Yet by clustering around the preacher, the audience is enabling the foul mouthed and hostile entertainer. Alexander Gurney, a third-year visiting from Georgia Tech, said in response to an open air pastor on March 16th, “It’s an embarrassment to religion. He’s ostracizing himself, in spite of his claimed purpose, because everyone is against him.” Indeed, the pastor’s particular religious views seem to separate him from even the most zealous Christians. According to the pastor, drinking on St. Patrick’s Day, masturbation, wearing mini skirts, and wasting time watching movies or TV are all sins. When someone asked, “What about the film, The Passion of Christ?” the pastor responded, “What of it? I am a good Christian, a pilgrim in fact. I pray, go to church, and read the Bible. That is all.” The preacher maintained his ‘holier than thou’ act from morning until sunset, and never ceased his condemnations.

To perhaps make the preacher’s unpreventable spring visits more productive and bearable, I would like to suggest a few ground rules. Name-calling such as “whores,” “godless fornicaters,” or “demon worshippers” should be permitted only in the context that the preacher is not singling students out with his offensive remarks. Girls, homosexuals, smokers and other students are often verbally attacked through this method. In addition, there should also be some noise regulation rules. Since the Amphitheater is near Bryan, Minor and Maury, the preachers indefatigable vocal chords can sometimes be heard through thin windows and walls.

The amphitheater is intended to be a place for students: a restful sanctuary where one can study, take a break between classes and catch up with friends. It is then quite distracting and perturbing when in the place of friendly student chatter an otherwise beautiful University day is pierced with the incessant calls of, “You’re going to burn in hell for that, you unrepentant whore!” While these preachers are protected by the right to free speech, when their obnoxious calls invade our classrooms and Grounds, it might be time to relocate the fanatical Bible thumper if they can’t adhere to some basic Miss Manners’ rules of politeness.

Kendra Kirk’s column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at k.kirk@cavalierdaily.com.

The historic election of Barack Obama this past November has reinvigorated the debate over race in America. It is obvious that great strides have been made in America in terms of race relations, but it would be a grave misjudgment to think that tensions have been completely dissolved with the election of our first black president. The Supreme Court has recently added a number of civil rights cases to its docket, the most publicized being the case of a group of white firefighters who have filed a lawsuit against the city of New Haven, Connecticut because they were denied promotions after passing the department’s promotion examination. The promotions were denied in favor of investigating why none of the black firefighters who took the test passed. This and other cases coming up the long ladder of the American court system indicate the changing nature of race relations. As race relations in America begin to transform, it would be wise for legislators to adapt policies to accommodate those changes while continuing to promote equality and avoiding discrimination of any individual, whether black or white. Legislators should begin battling racism from a socio-economic standpoint by revamping the American education system.  

When discussing issues of race in America, it is important to keep in mind the full history of the struggle of black Americans to become fully incorporated into American society. From the unforgivable institution of slavery, to the struggle for emancipation, to the fight against segregation, all the way to the Oval Office, blacks in America have been fighting the steepest of uphill battles. On the one hand, it is important to realize that the struggle is not over, but on the other hand, that the nature of race relations in America has transformed dramatically. Institutional forms of explicit racism are at their lowest point in American history and larger portions of each generation since the Civil Rights Movement are being taught that all citizens in America are equals, regardless of race. This is not to say that racist people are non-existent, nor that institutions which propagate racism do not exist, but it must be acknowledged that great strides have been made, and that the forces which wish to hold back dialog, understanding, and brotherhood amongst people of different races no longer have the upper hand.

The case of the firefighters in Connecticut highlights the changing dimension of race relations in America. When the test results showed that no blacks had passed the exam, it was a legitimate cause for concern for the city, wondering if perhaps their test had been unintentionally biased against blacks. At the same time though, it shows a fear on the part of government officials to, ironically, stop discriminating based upon race. Assuming the test was not inherently biased against blacks, it raises an interesting question in terms of how the government should account for and correct disparities in ability between blacks and whites. It is time for the government to acknowledge that the disparity between the abilities of whites and blacks is in large part tied to socioeconomic status and that the solution is to correct those disparities by providing the tools necessary for people to maximize their potential.

According to 2007 US Census statistics, 8.2% of non-Hispanic white Americans live in poverty while 24.5% black Americans live in poverty. This means a disproportionate number of blacks are not able to access the same resources which allow whites to perform to their maximum potential in society. Poverty means poor education as well as increased crime, drug use, and gang activity. All of these factors work together against people who would otherwise be competitive individuals, able to get into schools and careers based upon their own merits. It can be assumed that blacks and whites who are placed in a positive environment from their youth onwards have an equal opportunity to maximize their potential, barring remnants of discriminatory thought and practice which still exist. When economic hardship is disproportionately affecting one ethnic group more than another, it will obviously manifest itself in decreased diversity in higher education and professional careers. Thus, the solution is to raise the living standards of the poorest citizens so that Americans of all races can have an equal opportunity to maximize their potential. In this way, government and school officials will not be forced to correct disparities between races at the end of the line, but rather, the problem can be taken care of before it even begins. In concrete terms, this means that the American education system needs to be revamped. Schools must be well-funded and teaching must become a profession that is held in high regard and which receives hefty compensation. This will attract the best and brightest individuals to become teachers and guide the nation’s youth toward fully realizing their capabilities. Affirmative action programs may continue in the short-term, but it is important to consider the long-term implications of such a practice and come up with a long-term solution to America’s ills.  

Race relations in America have transformed radically since the days of our founding fathers. Blacks have made amazing strides to better their lives and a life of diversity is slowly becoming the preferred image of American society. It is important to respect the struggles of past individuals, both white and black, in creating a society in which whites and blacks can live amongst one another on an equal basis. The disparity between whites and blacks in the current day is no longer solely based upon institutional forces preventing people of different races from competing on an equal basis, but is rather tied in with economic disparities that exist in America and disproportionately affect blacks. Thus, the government should shift some of its focus on race relations from trying to balance the number of blacks and whites which are represented in institutions of government, education, and business, to creating an environment in which all Americans, regardless of their race, are able to maximize their potential. Revamping the education system is the next step in the struggle to provide equality for all Americans.  

Michael Khavari’s column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at m.khavari@cavalierdaily.com.

It happens to all guys; and, no, I don’t mean getting kicked in the crotch or being called the “A” word.

You’re sitting in class taking notes. The professor is lecturing; Cabell is stuffy and smells like an armpit. You’re counting down the minutes that seem slower each time you check the clock. Then, the hot classmate who has been the star of your wet dreams turns around and asks for an “extra” pencil, pen or something phallic shaped to borrow. Un-kosher thoughts enter your imagination, but it’s too late. Suddenly, that tingling sensation in the nether regions begins to stir. As you dumbly hand over the writing utensil, your jeans become uncomfortably tight. You begin to sweat; you wish you didn’t wear those triple popped collars and you feel something move between your thighs. Yes, gentleman, (sorry, ladies, you’re ill-equipped) I’m talking about that erection.

An erection begins with something that can cause sexual stimulation — depending on the person, anything from touch, to erotic memories, to food smells to crayons can stimulate an erection. A part of the brain called the paraventricular nucleus sends out a signal that passes through automatic nerves in the spinal cord, the pelvic nerves and the cavernous nerves to reach the corpora cavernosa — two cylindrical tissues inside the penis that function as sponges. Once received, the nerves also release nitric oxide, which relaxes the muscle fibers in the corpora and allows blood to fill in the spaces between the tissues. The increased blood flow expands into the corpora, stretching the surrounding tissue sheath called the tunica. The tunica blocks the veins from draining blood away from the penis, maintaining pressure. When the muscles at the base of the penis contract, blood is prevented from draining, which keeps the erection, well, erect. After orgasm or the end of sexual stimulation, the pathways are reversed; pressure within the corpora drop, forcing the blood out of the arteries and away from the erectile tissue.

Although an erection is natural, walking around on Grounds with the junk out of the trunk can be an embarrassing and a rather uncomfortable experience. An erection can be exposed to dangers like getting caught in tree branches or nicked by a passing bicyclist. When packed together on the trolley, the person in front may not enjoy being poked in the waist by your other head, which might even be considered a UJC violation. Just imagine being expelled from the University or made to participate in community service because of an uncontrollable libido.

Worry not, gents, there are many ways to put Excalibur back in its sheath. No doubt, men since ancient times have tried many techniques, with mixed success. The most obvious technique is to think of something boner-shrinking. Imagining a complex math problem or a C-SPAN presentation is effective. Picturing an elderly relative wrapped in Saran Wrap in provocative positions usually does the trick for me. Thinking of your professor and/or teaching assistant in the same regard could backfire if you secretly have the hots for them and then they ask you to volunteer in front of the class. Another technique is to flex the leg muscles; this helps divert blood flow away from the erection while exercising your calves at the same time. If your head is still in the gutter, try pinching yourself. The pain may help keep things at a — ahem — minimum.

If your lower half is not cooperating and you’re beginning to bruise from continuously pinching yourself, the next option is to hide it. Button-down shirts, long-sleeved sweaters and hoodies are obvious choices. Wearing baggy jeans or khakis also can do the trick; and by sliding your hands into the pockets, you can walk comfortably without anyone knowing the difference. Backpacks, messenger bags or puppies can be strategically placed around the crotch to hide the evidence; people will be more inclined to admire a man-purse rather than your other accessory. Briefs or boxer briefs will keep an erection snug against the body. For the true daredevil, an erection can be gently tucked under a belt or waist band; this presses it against the gut and away from pedestrians. Running shorts and nylon pants should be avoided for obvious reasons.

If the snake is still out of the cage, desperate times call for desperate measures. If possible, turn off the lights to darken the room. Unless your erection glows in the dark, you should be safe. Other options include distracting everyone by shouting, “Look over there! It’s Brangelina!,” and taking the time to hide. Wearing a muu muu also can help conceal everything from the chest down. If all else fails, put your hands in your pockets, stand up slowly and walk with a slightly hunched back like Quasimodo. People will be too occupied judging you to notice any bulge.

Hiding an unwanted erection is one of the most uncomfortable male experiences. Although it’s easy to be proud of one’s endowment, there is no need to flaunt it in public. With these procedures, even a teen boy can become the master of penis disguise.

Alex Truong is a fourth-year College student. He will graduate in May and can be reached at a.truong@cavalierdaily.com.

About one month ago, for the first time in three years, a University student was admitted to the University hospital and diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. Although the student has since recovered, meningitis remains a dangerous infection, especially for college students, who are four to five times more likely to contract bacterial meningitis than the general population.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meningitis, also known as spinal meningitis, is an infection of the spinal fluid and the fluid that surrounds the brain. There are two types of meningitis: bacterial and viral. Viral meningitis is the more common type of meningitis and is more benign, usually lasting between four to six days, University Student Health Director James Turner said. Bacterial meningitis, however, is known to be much more severe than the viral variety and requires hospitalization and antibiotics. It can sometimes leading to hearing loss, brain damage, learning disability or death.

According to the CDC, Haemophilus influenzae type b used to be the main cause of bacterial meningitis before the 1990s, until new vaccines were developed and administered to children during routine immunizations. Today, the CDC names Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis as the leading causes of bacterial meningitis.

“There are much milder symptoms with viral meningitis,” University Student Health Director James Turner said. “The patient does not look as sick clinically, does not have as much of a headache or stiff neck that comes with bacterial meningitis. People with bacterial meningitis are usually very ill. They can develop confusion, go into coma or shock and have low blood pressure.”

The CDC also notes that some common signs and symptoms of meningitis include, but are not limited to, high fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, discomfort looking into bright lights, confusion and sleepiness. It has been suggested that these signs are not as noticeable in children less than two years of age, however, and other symptoms in younger children may include inactivity, irritability, vomiting and poor eating. Another indication of meningitis may be seizures, which are more likely to occur as the infection progresses.
“If you think you have symptoms consistent with meningitis, you should see a doctor immediately,” Turner said.

A doctor determines whether a patient has contracted meningitis by performing a spinal tap procedure, through which a long needle is inserted into the lower back to remove spinal fluid, according to the CDC. The doctor will prescribe certain antibiotics depending on the specific strand of meningitis; beginning treatment early can reduce one’s likelihood of death by 15 percent. Turner noted that the individual cannot distinguish between viral and bacterial meningitis, so it is necessary that one visit a doctor if he or she is experiencing any meningital symptoms.

Delaying an appointment with the doctor can also cause meningitis to spread more rapidly to others as some types of bacterial meningitis are contagious.

“Five to 10 percent of healthy people carry it in their nose and throats, yet never get sick,” Turner said. “They can pass it to other people through kissing, coughing, sharing drinks and cigarettes. When someone is exposed, it gets into their bloodstream and causes them to become sick.”

Bacterial meningitis, however, is not as contagious as the common cold or flu, according to the CDC. Thus, those at high-risk only include people in the same household or close contact — meaning those in direct contact with the infected person’s oral secretions.

According to the CDC, there are vaccines available for many types of meningitis; these vaccines prevent four types of the meningococcal disease, including two of the three most common in the United States. Vaccination is recommended by the CDC at the routine preadolescent visit, high school entry and college.

“Immunization only prevents 70-80 percent of strains of bacterial meningitis,” Turner said. “Meningococcus has five strains, and only four are prevented by immunization. There is no vaccine available for viral meningitis.”

Turner said Virginia state law requires the immunization. A University-wide e-mail sent to students and faculty after the student was admitted into the hospital reported that 95 percent of University students have received the vaccine.

Other than vaccination, Turner suggests common sense and personal hygiene as a means of protecting oneself from meningitis.

“Get rest, take care of yourself, don’t smoke, don’t drink heavily,” he said. “Things such as having a cold, heavy alcohol consumption and exhaustion can weaken the immune system and make someone more prone to meningitis. People that are born with immune problems are also more predisposed to the disease.”  

Other high-risk persons include microbiologists frequently exposed to the bacteria, United States military recruits, persons with damaged spleens, persons with terminal complement component deficiency and those traveling to high-risk countries, according to the CDC. Although the U.S. is not a high-risk country, people traveling to foreign countries, like students studying abroad, are encouraged to receive vaccination one week prior to departure.

“From bacterial meningitis, there is an upwards 15 percent mortality and 20 percent of those that survive have complications such as an amputation, kidney failure or brain damage,” Turner said.

For more information, Turner suggests going to the American College Health Association website, ACHA.org.

I can hold a lot of things — and not just with my dexterous fingers. I can hold chopsticks properly, a sock with my toes and awkward conversations with former classmates. I’m a man of many talents, except when it comes to my bladder. I’m positive my bladder is the size of a walnut because nature calls every 30 minutes. To make matters worse, I’m stubborn and will hold it for as long as possible, which always culminates in a mad dash for the nearest urinal.

When a person drinks, the liquid flows from the stomach and small intestine into the bloodstream. The urinary system consists of four central parts: the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder and the urethra. The kidneys remove excess liquid and wastes from the bloodstream to make urine and maintain a balance of salts and other substances. Urine production depends on the salt content, volume of liquid consumed and the blood’s diluteness. Ureters are narrow tubes that transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder — kind of like the Slip-n-Slide of the urinary system. The bladder is a muscular, balloon-like bag that is capable of stretching as it fills. The bladder can hold about a pint to a quart of urine — amazing, but at the same time, gross. As urine fills the bladder, stretch receptor nerves tell the body when the bladder is reaching its limit, and then urine is emptied through the urethra.

Problems can arise, though, when a person decides to hold his or her bladder. This can happen for any number of reasons: being trapped in an elevator, not wanting to miss the crucial “kiss” scene at the theater or an unjustified fear of public restrooms. In some cases, holding it is necessary and the bladder is prepared for this situation. To prevent leakage, two sphincters on the bottom of the bladder keep the urine from emptying on its own; the involuntarily sphincter is controlled by the nervous system, while the other is controlled voluntarily, depending on a person’s willpower. Even a dubious looking porta-potty may look like an IKEA loveseat after a few hours of holding back the flood.

While irritating, holding one’s bladder is not necessarily considered dangerous or harmful for the body. The bladder is flexible and does not pop or explode if stretched; although a full bladder can be ruptured during an accident. The real problem occurs when the bladder gets too full; if urine cannot escape through the urethra, urine flow is reversed. When functioning normally, valves between each kidney’s ureter and the bladder prevent backflow; but if one (or both) of these valves isn’t functioning properly, then urine is able to travel back up the ureter tube to the kidney. Urine that overflows from the bladder can potentially cause serious medical problems. Too much backflow can damage the kidney’s central collection region (the renal pelvis and the calyces), possibly resulting in dilation — a condition called hydronephrosis.

Urine is sterile because it does not have bacteria, viruses or fungi; but it does contain fluids, salts and waste. If urine is held too long and flows in reverse, bacteria from the digestive tract that live around the opening of the urethra can grow and multiply in the urinary tract. Most infections are caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) which lives in the colon. This can cause a urinary infection in the urethra called urethritis, or a bladder infection called cystitis. If not treated, the infection can spread up the ureters and infect the kidneys — an infection known as pyelonephritis. Urinary tract infections are the body’s second most common infections and account for about 8.3 million annual doctor visits. Women are more prone to UTIs than men, as about one in five women develop an infection in her lifetime. Symptoms include foul smelling or cloudy urine, fevers, chills, pain while urinating, a sensitive stomach and pain near the kidney area. Like with any other bacterial infection, antibiotics should be taken as instructed to prevent further infection. UTIs can be prevented by staying hydrated, drinking cranberry juice and, of course, urinating plenty.

The average adult empties about a quart and a half of urine daily. I’m positive that holding that much liquid should make everyone a camel.

Even though public restrooms can look like scenes from a horror movie, it is better to empty a full bladder than risk a urinary infection or embarrassing leakage. As I was always told, better out than in.

Alex Truong is a fourth-year College student. He will graduate in May and can be reached at a.truong@cavalierdaily.com.

Like most University students, food is a fairly important part of my day. I always run, sometimes too literally, into people I know at the dining hall, and it’s a frequently exciting experience.

But recently, the invigoration was wearing off, and I was growing tired of the same chow day-in, day-out. It was time for a new and enlivening culinary escapade. Several people had mentioned Himalayan Fusion on the Downtown Mall to me, and I thought perhaps I might stretch myself and go a little further than my usual tactic of settling for the first place on the Corner I find that has a spare table.

Himalayan Fusion offers a variety of Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan dishes at student-friendly prices. Appetizers are $5 or $6, and most entrees are about $12. It seemed like my friend and I were not the only ones that found these prices attractive; the restaurant boasted a respectable crowd for a Thursday evening last week. We arrived around 7 p.m. and were seated promptly.

When we received our menus, we found that the majority of the dishes served are Indian. The dishes that are not Indian were labeled “Nepali style,” “Tibetan Specialty” and so forth. Because it is such variety that sets Himalayan Fusion apart from other restaurants, we decided to try Nepalese and Tibetan entrees, but we also indulged on Indian appetizers.

While waiting for our food to arrive, I could not help but look around and think that the space could be better organized. The furniture was not especially comfortable and the décor was somewhat unimaginative. Given the potential for Himalayan Fusion to integrate artwork from three different Asian nations, I was a little disappointed to see a plain brick wall with very little adornment. The candles and the background music were nice touches, though.

Our appetizers, the vegetable samosas (two for $4) and Papri Chat ($5) came out very quickly and were pretty tasty. The samosas were nothing exceptional, although they were very hot. Nothing could hold a candle, however, to the Papri Chat, which was our favorite food of the evening. And it was the only dish I had to take home! Best described as a chickpea salad with onions, tomatoes and corn wafers, the dish was tossed in a spicy dressing and topped with yogurt and tamarind sauce. It was served cold and in a generous portion.

Our entrees took slightly longer to arrive but nothing worth complaining about. We ordered the Nepali-style chicken curry and Tibetan Momos dumplings. The chicken ($13) was served with rice and a mild curry made of tomatoes, onions ginger and garlic. The chicken pieces were a little dry, and the spices of the curry were subtle but good, especially with the rice. The serving was not large, but the curry was satisfying. We certainly did not leave hungry.

The Tibetan vegetable dumplings (eight for $10) were served with a vegetable soup and dipping sauce. The dumplings were fairly large and steamed, but not too heavy. Ginger, the main spice, was clearly discernible and proved an excellent addition to the dish. The soup was a little bland, but we were not entirely sure how the dish was supposed to be eaten. The soup and dumplings were separate and the bowl was too small to put everything into.

Although our entrees were delicious, I can’t help but wonder if the Indian dishes would have been a better choice, given their dominance of the menu. I expected the dishes we chose to have stronger flavors than they did.

Service toward the end of the meal also became increasingly slower. The waitress only came by once during our entrees, compared to several visits during appetizers. We had finished eating for 20 minutes before I finally called a waitress to ask for our bill: $33 before tip. It is conceivable that because we hadn’t managed to finish all of the food, the waitress thought we were still eating, but by the time she returned, we had not touched our plates for several minutes and there were only a few people left in the restaurant.

We decided not to order desert, although we were intrigued by the carrot pudding flavored with rose water ($4) and the cottage cheese dumplings ($5).

Overall, the meal was enjoyable. Despite its flaws, Himalayan Fusion is a place I will return to in the future to try some of the other Indian options, including the Birayani — seasoned rice served with chicken, vegetables and lamb. The menu also featured a number of vegetarian dishes. But even if these prove disappointing, I will stick around, if only for more Papri Chat.

As I write this — my last column before I graduate and head off into the real world — it’s easy to reflect on everything that I’m going to miss about Charlottesville. Although the amazing people, spectacular sites and solid sense of community immediately come to mind, I also am going to miss the cuisine that Charlottesville offers, which has come to define the city for me during my time at the University.

In my experience, there are few things more influential than distinct local flavors in a strong connection with a place like Charlottesville. There is something about the unique restaurants and markets that I love to frequent with friends, or the little gems I stumble upon and return to time and time again because they feel like home. Charlottesville is truly blessed with an abundance of places like these. Whether you’re on the Corner, Downtown, in Belmont or on Emmet — just to name a few of the locations I’ve explored during my time here — you’re bound to find something that suits your tastes. Even though I’m leaving Charlottesville for New York, where unique and wonderful food abounds, I know I’m going to miss the restaurants I’ve come to know and love here, and even the ones I always wanted to try but never got the chance — which form a list that is longer than I’d like it to be … There’s still time!

Because I’m loath to let a gorgeous day pass unappreciated, I took the opportunity Saturday to visit some of my favorites, starting with the farmers’ market. I know that the hours before noon Saturdays are seldom seen by most college students, but if you’ve never made it to the Charlottesville City Market at the corner of Second and Water Street, I strongly suggest waking up early to explore it, at least once. Last summer I grabbed my cloth grocery bags and strolled down West Main Street every Saturday to buy many of the fresh, local foods I’ve since featured in this column: Swiss chard, cabbage, berries, apples, peaches, zucchini, squash, beans, tomatoes and even cheese. If I could buy it at the farmers’ market instead of the grocery store, I did.

Even if you don’t plan to buy anything, the atmosphere is not to be missed. Given the live music dancing on the warm air, the adorable children and the festive atmosphere of friendly vendors inviting you to try their products, I can’t think of a better way to start your day. It isn’t even necessary to eat breakfast beforehand because there is plenty to eat right at the market. A fresh bagel and cup of coffee are excellent companions while you meander down the aisles.

Carpe Donut in its iconic red trailer was an unexpected and delightful snack in between my farmers’ market breakfast and Timberlake’s lunch. Usually, one can only get these divine donuts Fridays across from the downtown library, so finding the cart Saturday was a wonderful surprise. To me, Carpe Donut was somewhat the stuff of legend after my friend Marie spoke of it with the utmost devotion and reverence. When I finally found it, I was rewarded with the most delicious donut I’d ever eaten. And though I could have felt guilty for consuming all those calories, the fact that the donuts are made with local, organic ingredients and that even the cups for cider are compostable helped my guilt disappear.

Timberlake’s Drug Store, with its authentic soda fountain and deli in back, is definitely a hidden treasure of the town. I stumbled upon Timberlake’s last spring in search of pie with my parents and have gone back many times since then. The combination of the historic architecture — it opened in 1890 and was last renovated in 1960 — the staff and the local regular patrons, including businessmen my grandfather’s age to school kids swinging their legs as they sit on the counter stools, always fill me with an inexplicable sense of contentedness and comfort. It makes one of the best and largest chocolate malts I’ve ever had, and the rest of the menu is just as good. During the past year, I’ve taken several friends to Timberlake’s and I’ve never known anyone to be anything but completely satisfied.

After my lunch during that lovely Saturday afternoon, I eventually made my way back to Carpe Donut for some apple cider, which I sipped as I wandered around the mall and eventually sat on a bench to watch the life of the city bubble on. It was a good day for a shady spot and a little reflection about the last two and a half years.

To conclude, I leave you with a list of my top-five all-time favorite Charlottesville food establishments, in no particular order:

Timberlake’s Drug Store (Downtown)

Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar (Downtown)

Mas Tapas (Belmont)

The Tavern (Emmet)

Carpe Donut (Downtown)

Runnerups include Enoteca, Fellini’s #9, Aromas Cafe, Revolutionary Soup, Splendora’s and Fox Park Coffee Bar. I will miss them all.

Sarah’s column ran biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at s.brummett@cavalierdaily.com.

Veritas Claret (Virginia), 2007
Price: $17.00
Grade: A

Veritas Vineyards is an inspiring place. It is located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains and has, without a doubt, the most beautiful vista of any winery in Virginia. It is one of those places that makes you say, “Wow.” Clearly, when Thomas Jefferson waxed nostalgically to Europeans about the splendor of the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah basins, he was talking about places like this one. As I ambled across its grounds, I immediately thought, “How is this place not a state or national park?”

The Veritas experience continues when you enter its tasting room, which is the largest and most beautiful tasting room in the region. The room is extremely welcoming. It has several leather couches, tables and chairs and a plethora of outdoor veranda seating. Outside, you can enjoy a glass of wine as you take in a view of the mountains. You can even have a tasting there, while comfortably sitting down — something I have not seen at any other winery.

My awestruck feeling at Veritas grew even more as I learned about the history of the winery and of its staff. Andrew Hodson, originally from Great Britain, decided that his 30-year career as a neurologist was no longer fulfilling. After visiting central Virginia for a medical conference and surveying some of the beautiful Blue Ridge vistas, Andrew had an idea. Acting on his lifetime passion for wine, he decided to retire from medicine and open a vineyard. Andrew and his wife, Patricia, a fellow oenophile, moved to Virginia, bought Saddleback Farm and turned it into a winery. Enrolling in a wine certificate program at PVCC, he taught himself viticulture and fermentation science.

But that is not the end of the story. As Andrew was building his vineyard — named after the Latin phrase, “in vinos veritas,” that is, “in wine, there is truth” — his daughter, Emily, enrolled in a graduate program studying infectious diseases. Feeling unfulfilled as well, Emily took a sabbatical and decided to help her parents set up their winery. Eventually, while working with her father, Emily fell in love with wine science and pursued a master’s degree in enology at Virginia Tech. She is now the main winemaker at Veritas.

Just when you thought that Veritas has more than enough motivated people who are following their dreams, you can then meet the tasting room manager, Thomas Roberts, one of the most impressive and knowledgeable wine enthusiasts I have ever met. At Veritas, he gives wine lectures and facilities tours. Working his way up from a dishwasher as a teenager, Thomas studied to become a certified sommelier and landed a job at a swanky hotel restaurant in Georgia. Through his cunning and enormous knowledge of fine wines and dining, Thomas worked to achieve a five-star rating for the restaurant. As for viticultural knowledge, Thomas is the Oxford Companion to Wine incarnate. He knows his stuff and then some. He is currently studying to achieve his Master Sommelier distinction. Remember when I recommended visiting vineyards to learn about wine? Because of knowledgeable and friendly people like Thomas Roberts, Veritas should be first on your list.

Veritas also has a remarkable selection of wines. The rose sparkling wine called Mousseux — made by Champagne native Claude Thibault — is a delicious juxtaposition of dried cherry, strawberry and cherry attributes with a creamy flavor on the finish. Two other white wines of note are Viognier and an ice wine called Kenmar. The former is a versatile wine with flavors of peach, apricot and white floral blossoms, while the Kenmar shows intense flavors of roses, violets, honey and melon. Kenmar is an awesome wine. At the Virginia Wine Expo held in Richmond, it was widely preferred in a blind tasting against a Grand Cru Clase Sauternes from Bordeaux, France.
For the purposes of this column, I chose to rate the Claret because I feel it is a great value. ‘Claret’ is an English word derived from the French ‘clairet’ to describe the wines of Bordeaux, France. The Veritas Claret is a blend of three Bordeaux grapes: Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The idea behind blending grapes is that a winemaker can put the best attributes of the grape into the mix while improving each grape’s shortcomings. Cabernet Franc and Merlot are both fruity and aromatic, but very light. Petit Verdot, in contrast, is ink-like and spicy and is used to thicken up the blend with body and flavor.

The Veritas Claret is a very elegant wine. It includes flavors of blackberry, black cherry, coffee, vanilla, caramel and roasted almond. Many of these flavors come from barrel aging in both American and French oak. The Claret is a good example of an emerging trend in which French and American Oak are used in tandem to create great wine. Although American Oak has delectable flavors of vanilla, roasted almond and even coconut, it often imparts overbearing attributes to wine. Those of you who have had a California or Australian red know that drinking a wine with American Oak is like being punched in the face with a vanilla boxing glove. A mixture of French and American Oak, however, can impart a balanced amount of vanilla and almond with light oak and cedar flavors. Such is the case with Veritas’ Claret.  

Veritas Vineyards is a world created by the Hodsons to bring them happiness and fulfillment. Whether you are outside watching the sunset behind the Blue Ridge or inside relaxing on a posh leather couch, you cannot help but be inspired. It’s what every winery should be: appreciating the good life with a glass of great wine in hand.

Jeff’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. He can be reached at j.katra@cavalierdaily.com.

Beta Theta Pi alumni are preparing to buy and renovate the Delta Upsilon house on Rugby Road, for which Beta Theta Pi lost its charter in 1972 because of a conduct infraction.

As part of the purchase and move, Delta Upsilon will receive a new house that will be built on Madison Lane. Beta Theta Pi alumnus Tim Akers said the pending purchase is motivated by nostalgia.

“The house by Beta bridge has a lot of historic relevance to our fraternity,” he said. “Many of our older alumni have warm feelings for the place, and so we wanted it back.”

Akers said the planned renovation will be an expensive undertaking because the house has not been refurbished since it was built more than 80 years ago. To help fund the restoration, the fraternity sold its current property to the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, he said.
“We’re fortunate enough to have solid financial resources,” Akers said.

The fraternity is planning to restore the first floor and divide the third floor into single bedrooms. Beta Theta Phi also will replace outdated systems, including the water boiler, Akers said.

Alumni who lived in the original Beta Theta Pi house would have attended the University before 1972 — the year the Beta Theta Pi national organization withdrew its support of the Virginia chapter for a conduct violation. Beta Theta Pi’s house was subsequently sold to Delta Upsilon.

Beta Theta Pi President Philipp von Marschall said he looks forward to the original house’s restoration, noting that the fraternity plans to remodel it in its original 1920s style. The fraternity plans to set up residence in the house in about three to four years, he said.
“For a long time the goal had been to get back to 180 Rugby,” von Marschall said.

Delta Upsilon alumnus Jay Hoover said Delta Upsilon agreed to the deal between the two fraternities for practical reasons.

“It was just too good an opportunity to pass up,” Hoover said, adding that the fraternity will receive a newly constructed home as a result of the deal between the two fraternities.

Hoover, like Akers, noted that the current Delta Upsilon house on Rugby Road is in a declining state. The current residents, though, lacked the funding to adequately restore the building.

“We’re getting a new house, debt free,” Hoover said. “We’ll have a secure house with central air-conditioning, wireless Internet, and all the technical features that are in demand with students today.”

Delta Upsilon President Ryan Cunningham, however, expressed mixed emotions about the future move to a new house.

“The transition is going to be bittersweet,” he said. “We have memories attached to this house [on Rugby] but we’re also excited about getting a brand-new place to live.”

Michael Citro, assistant dean of fraternity and sorority life, said the arrangement is a positive step forward for both Beta Theta Pi and Delta Upsilon.

“It’s an exciting development for the future and wonderful opportunity for the brothers of Beta Theta Phi to return to their roots,” Citro said.