Members of the Special Committee on the Nomination of a President met with members of the University community yesterday to hear concerns about the search for John T. Casteen III’s successor. Photo by: Iram Shaikh

The Special Committee on the Nomination of a President held two more forums yesterday for University community members to discuss the presidential selection process.
As before, the forums were open to the public so that the search committee could hear people’s opinions about a number of issues related to the search.
In particular, though, participants were asked to consider what opportunities and challenges they see the University facing in the next 10 years, and also what qualifications and leadership characteristics the next president should possess to deal with these opportunities and challenges.
Graduate College student Alexander Cohen, a former Cavalier Daily Opinion columnist, suggested that the next president would need to be committed to the University’s values. He noted though, that current University President John T. Casteen III’s successor should be careful to avoid being tied down by tradition to lead the University into the future.
“Another distinctive factor [about the University] is student self-governance,” Cohen said. “Some of the powers that would otherwise be exercised by a university president are … exercised by students.”
He noted that a new president could potentially hinder the amount of student authority at the University. As a result, Cohen said, the new president must respect the principle of student self-governance and should be willing to not sacrifice in the face of short-term goals.
Emma Edmunds, director of the Editorial & Design group in the Department of Public Affairs, said while she values global issues, the University should not lose sight of local concerns. Many of these concerns, Edmunds said, pertain to disparities among the commonwealth’s different populations and different geographic areas.
“I think that U.Va., although it receives very little public funding, admittedly, still has a public obligation to the state,” Edmunds said.
Third-year College Student Francesca Tuazon, meanwhile, said the administration must do more to support scientific departments. For example, she said the biology department has only added a few faculty members recently despite the fact that there are 300 or 400 more biology majors now than in previous years.
“I would really like to see the University grow as an innovator … especially since we’re one of the top universities [in the nation],” Tuazon said.
Leah Puryear, director of the Upward Bound program, said it will be very important to select a forward-thinking president. Puryear said the University’s commitment to diversity — as well as the University departments that seek to foster diversity — should be prioritized and respected more than they are now.
“I think if we are concerned about diversity and how we are perceived, I think we need to look at programs that are here and can assist you in bridging the gap, rather than saying they are small and don’t matter,” Puryear said.
Anthropology department Chair Susan McKinnon raised the concern that the declining level of public funding may be sending public higher education into a crisis.
For example, the pressure for private money often means that the University is overly concerned with the needs and desires of donors, McKinnon said. In addition, the pressure to raise funds may shift decision making from the faculty to the administration, she said.
Other speakers brought up concerns such as the University’s need to focus more aggressively on sustainability and research, as well as its obligation to address not only the positive aspects of its past, but also negative ones such as slavery.
University spokesperson Carol Wood said the forums in general have seemed to foster a valuable exchange.
“People who spoke came prepared, many were passionate about the issues that they thought the candidates for president needed to think about … [and] I think people were also grateful to be asked their opinions,” Wood said.
Another forum will be held Sept. 12 at Alumni Hall. Like the four that have been held thus far, the forum will be open to the public, but the University hopes to see attendance from alumni and parents who will be visiting for Saturday’s football game, Wood said.
In addition to the forums, the search committee is accepting responses from an online form. More than a hundred pages of responses have been submitted so far, Wood said.
Moreover, videos of the forums will be posted online, so that members of the University community can stay better informed about the discussion and progress being made in the search process. So far, audio recordings of the first two forums from last week have been posted on the University’s Web site, and anyone who missed the events can listen and submit their own thoughts, Wood said.

Head Lawn Resident Ben Chrisinger yesterday announced the revised procedures for social activities on the Lawn and Range before home football games. The new rules are the product of a meeting between Lawn and Range residents and Dean of Students Allen Groves.
Chrisinger said many of the rules are similar to the guidelines put in place after last fall’s football game against Southern California, which resulted in a short tailgate ban because of disorderly behavior on the Lawn.
According to the guidelines, Lawn residents are allowed no more than 40 guests — identified by colored wristbands — to their rooms before each football game. Though wristbands were used even before last year’s home game against University of Maryland, some additional changes to the policy also have been enacted.
“One of the major changes is that wristbands are reusable,” Chrisinger said.
Lawn residents receive only 40 wristbands for the entire season, and “distribution [to guests] is up to the Lawn resident.”
He also said it is the resident’s responsibility to collect and redistribute the wristbands after each event.
Certain students, however, expressed dismay with the new wrist-band policy. Lawn resident Gardner Bell said the policy carries “the stigma that the privileged few get to enjoy the Lawn.”
Second-year College student Daniel Furman echoed Bell’s views.
“It’s like identifying VIP’s,” he said.
The new procedures also discuss the legal restrictions of consuming alcohol in the Lawn area. The guidelines state that “alcohol is not to be consumed in public areas of the Lawn and Range,” in accordance with both University policy and state laws. Chrisinger’s procedural guidelines did note, however, that alcohol may be consumed “on the patio space immediately outside of a Lawn or Range room.”
Groves also emphasized the restriction on alcohol.
“There is no liquor license for the Lawn,” he said.
Lawn residents will also be held responsible for their guests’ behavior, according to the guidelines.
“The primary drivers of compliance need to be the residents of the Lawn and Range,” Groves said. The residents are also “solely responsible for ensuring that any invited guest who is provided a wristband and served alcohol by that resident is legally permitted to consume alcohol,” according to the procedure.
Third-year College student Jacques Farhi said he believes the new procedures are unfair toward University students.
“Visitors are generally the people who have caused property damage,” he said, questioning whether there was a way to keep the trouble-makers out without punishing the University community at large.
Similarly, Bell said although he understood the rationale behind the policies, he is concerned about unintended effects of the new procedures.
“It’s legally tricky,” he said. “I thought tailgates were [a] great way to bring people to the Lawn, and it’s sad to limit that.”
The restrictions exist solely to prevent negative and disorderly situations from arising, Groves said.
“In the last two years we have had bad situations that resulted in cancelling all social activities [on the Lawn prior to home football games],” he said. “We can’t let that happen as a community.”

Student Council President John Nelson, along with the rest of Student Council, met last night at the first meeting of the year to pass this year’s budget. Photo by: Bennett Sorbo

Student Council debated and ultimately passed its 2009-10 budget proposal drafted by Council Chief Financial Officer Amanda Jenkins and Council President John Nelson last night at its first meeting of the academic year.
Council’s total budget for the year is $74,698 in Student Activity Fee and non-SAF funds — down from a combined total of more than $116,000 last year, including a notable decrease in the amount of non-SAF funds, Jenkins said. Last year’s budget featured $52,451 in non-SAF funds compared to $20,202 this year, a 35-percent decrease.
Jenkins said sources for these non-SAF funds are drying up.
“We’re … trying to be more conservative with SAF funds because things are getting kind of tight right now,” she said.
The money will be used to fund initiatives of Council’s individual committees and for everyday operational purposes during the school year. Council members spent a good deal of time reviewing budget requests submitted by each committee and assessing how best to allocate the available funds, Nelson said.
Law Rep. Corey Clay questioned the $30,757 allocated for Operational and Executive Expenses.
Jenkins said these costs include an initiative launched in conjunction with the Arts & Sciences Council that will be announced later this week, while the “rest are the general needs to keep the office running.”
Some students, including Graduate College Rep. David Hondula questioned the necessity of some aspects of these day-to-day expenditures, such as the $3,500 phone service for Council’s offices.
In response, Nelson said the phone service is necessary given that there is no mobile service in the first floor of Newcomb Hall where the Council office is located. Nelson also noted that phone service is an annual fee that must be paid in accordance with Newcomb Hall policy.
Regardless of this sort of debate about specific budget items, both Jenkins and Nelson noted that though the amount of money allocated has decreased, the quality of Council’s initiatives has not. Nelson said Council’s goal was to maximize what it could accomplish with less funds.
“While our [budget] totals are much lower, the number of initiatives is actually higher than before,” Nelson said. “We’re actually doing more — we’re just spending less.”
Nelson remained optimistic that Council will have a successful year despite the decrease in allocated funds.
“In the past, Student Council has never actually [spent] the money that’s been allocated,” he said. “We’ve actually spent less.”

The Washington Post recently unearthed Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell’s 1989 controversial master’s thesis, possibly endangering his 8 to 10 point lead in most polls against Democratic candidate Creigh Deeds.
McDonnell expressed controversial views about gay rights, working women and abortion in the thesis, written during McDonnell’s time at Regent University in Virginia Beach.
“Every level of government should statutorily and procedurally prefer married couples over cohabitators, homosexuals, or fornicators,” McDonnell wrote in the thesis. The “trend of working women and feminists … is ultimately detrimental to the family.”
He also opposed the decisions of several 1970s U.S. Supreme Court cases, which he believed failed to uphold marriage standards, noting that they helped create “the perverted notion of liberty that each individual should be able to live out his sexual life in any way he chooses without interference from the state.”
Politics Prof. Larry Sabato said while aspects of the thesis are still being scrutinized, the impressions conveyed thus far upon the voting public already have had a detrimental effect on McDonnell’s campaign.
“It potentially damages him with moderate swing voters, independents, working women and young people,” Sabato said.
McDonnell, though, claims to have since distanced himself from many of the views expressed in the thesis. In a conference call with the press Monday, McDonnell said he was very supportive of women working and noted that both his wife and daughters work.
Nevertheless, Deeds’ Press Secretary Jared Leopold maintained that the thesis illustrates key differences between the two candidates.
“Creigh Deeds has focused on economic issues,” he said. “Bob McDonnell has been pursuing a narrow social agenda, and this really brings it into sharp focus.”
Deeds’ campaign raised several criticisms against certain points in the thesis. Leopold said Deeds “trusts the women of Virginia and supports their right to choose,” noting that Deeds supports equal pay for equal work, whereas McDonnell voted against equal pay for equal work and sponsored bills opposing abortion rights.
“What Bob McDonnell wrote in a blueprint in 1989 was the exact thing he pursued as a legislator and Attorney General,” Leopold said.
In Monday’s press conference, McDonnell replied to Deeds’ criticisms, stressing that Deeds was focusing on “former governors, former presidents, and a decades-old term paper.”
The Republican Party of Virginia also issued a press release that stated there is an unfair difference in how people treat “decades-old writing” by Republicans and Democrats, highlighting the fact that Democratic Senator Jim Webb’s 1979 article for Washingtonian Magazine included controversial statements about the capability of women in combat.
Furthermore, although Sabato acknowledged that McDonnell’s thesis could sway some voters, he said he remains skeptical of the large-scale relevance of it in this year’s gubernatorial race.
“The real question is what does he still believe and what would he do as governor,” Sabato said, noting the thesis’ age. “This is not the only issue in the governor’s race.”

Despite this year’s decrease of jobs in the private sector, the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2009 Job Report reports that the number of government jobs increased, including a rise in the number of employment opportunities at the University.
Since 2008 there has been a decrease of 1,054 jobs in the private sector and a simultaneous increase of 627 government jobs, said Bryan Thomas, chairman of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The cuts in private sector employment opportunities have hurt a number of local businesses, he said, adding that service, retail, construction and manufacturing jobs particularly have declined.
“In the past 10 years leisure and hospitality jobs have increased in addition to local and state government jobs which include some, but not all, of the professors at U.Va., and some, but not all of the medical staff,” Thomas said.
Susan Carkeek, University vice president and chief human resources officer, said there was an uptick of several hundred job openings, which is “modest” but not “unexpected.” To prevent future layoffs, Carkeek said the University is taking several precautions.
“The major initiative has been to fill as many positions [as possible] by internal promotion,” giving current employees the opportunity for promotions and salary increases, she said. “Before any position is posted it goes through fairly rigorous evaluation to see if we should even refill it … By evaluating all vacancies that way, we avoid layoffs”.
Moving forward, both Carkeek and Thomas said they expect positive trends for both the Charlottesville and University job markets. Carkeek noted that the University in particular benefits from increased student enrollment and increased positions in the research field.
“There is always a need for health care,” she said, noting that this persistent demand equates to stable employment at the University Medical Center.
Despite the decrease in available private sector jobs, Thomas similarly remained positive about the state of Charlottesville’s economy.
“Even though our numbers are down, if you look at Charlottesville and our area in relation to other similar areas, we have fared much better in the nation,” he said.
Thomas also said the Chamber of Commerce anticipates an opening of 800 jobs in late 2010, a potential increase that he said could be attributed to the soon-to-be-completed construction of a government Joint-Use Intelligence Analysis Facility in the area.

The caption accompanying Monday’s Focus article, “AEPi national body closes chapter for reorganization,” wrongfully stated that the Mu Chapter’s charter had been revoked after allegations of hazing, less-than-acceptable recruitment levels and house disrepair were brought against the fraternity by the Alpha Epsilon Pi national organization. The caption should have instead stated that the Mu Chapter was put on suspension with an intent to reorganize for those same reasons, but retained its charter. The Cavalier Daily regrets the error.

Former Gatorade National High School Player of the year Chris Agorsor missed most of the 2008 season due to injury. The sophomore particpated in practice Monday, and may play in the season opener against Portland. Photo by: Jason O. Watson

For the Virginia men’s soccer team, there are plenty of causes for concern: the team finished the preseason without a win, several players are battling nagging injuries, sophomore forward Chris Agorsor is still a question mark and nobody seems able to find the back of the net. Despite being outscored 6-1 in their past three contests, though, the Cavaliers’ regular-season record remains unblemished — perhaps the only thing going in the team’s favor.
“We’re still undefeated at this point,” redshirt sophomore midfielder Jimmy Simpson said. “We’re still 0-0 right now.”
While some may view the squad’s rocky preseason display as a sign of forthcoming losses, Virginia players and coaches insist that their three exhibition losses, while disappointing, translated into a positive learning experience. The team’s upsetting play and losses, members said, has provided them with a renewed focus, as well as extra motivation to prepare even harder for the upcoming regular season, which begins Sept. 4 against Portland.
The preseason “was definitely positive, no question,” Virginia coach George Gelnovatch said. “They’ve never worked so hard over the summer, they’ve never been so fit reporting to camp. We tried some guys in new positions with new concepts that we’ve never worked on … we didn’t get the results … but I think we learned a lot about ourselves, and those new concepts probably weren’t the best thing for our team.”
On the injury front, the Cavaliers said they are better off than before. Sophomore forward Brian Ownby, who pulled his groin early in the preseason and sat out against West Virginia, is healthy once more and ready to re-enter the starting lineup this weekend. Simpson, who is fighting off a tweaked hamstring and recovering from knee surgery that took place a month ago, said though his knee swelled up after 25 minutes of play against West Virginia, he expects to play in the season opener. Sophomore midfielder Tony Tchani re-injured his knee also against West Virginia but hopes to be ready to play this weekend.
The biggest question mark after the West Virginia exhibition seemed to be senior captain Ross LaBauex, who went down after a collision late in the first half writhing in pain and needed assistance coming off the field. What looked like a potential season-ending injury, however, turned out to be only a bruised ankle.
“I’ll be all right,” LaBauex said. “I’m just day-to-day, but it feels good, so I think I’ll be ready to go by Friday.”
Even Agorsor, the former Gatorade National High School Soccer Player of the Year who tallied four goals last year before a season-ending injury, is poised to make a return to the lineup. After clearing up all his compliance issues with the NCAA, the Virginia coaching staff finally put him back into practice with the team Monday. While the team will work as hard as possible to get him back on the field, Gelnovatch said it could take time because he has missed two weeks of team practice.
No matter who is on the field, though, there still remains the issue of finishing scoring opportunities, something that has stood out as the team’s Achilles heel in the preseason.
“Just having guys like Brian and Jimmy back is some of the answer,” Gelnovatch said. “And some of the answer is just doing a little bit more finishing [in practice]. It’s something we have worked on and that we need to get better at.”
Goals or no goals, the team is ready to put the past behind them and meet the regular season head on.
“The losses weren’t good, but at the same time it really brought the team together,” Simpson said. “It gave us a lot of motivation to come back. We’ve been working very hard in practice now, and taking it to the next level. We’ve actually changed up our formation a little bit and using the players we have better. It will be a lot better.”

All-American Danny Glading led the Cavaliers to a 13-1 season. His career ended in disappointment, however, after a 16-5 loss to Cornell in the NCAA tournament. His loss leaves a big hole to fill on offense. Photo by: Bennett Sorbo

Because the Virginia men’s lacrosse team spent the preseason atop most of the polls, subsequently posted a 13-1 season and entered the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed, it has been difficult for some team members not to express disappointment after failing to capture the championship.
“It’s a season I’ll look back on that the kids and the staff did a good job,” Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. “At the same time, I’ll tell you that quite frankly, we were certainly disappointed by the end of it and by our performance on the last day. These are the kind of things you hope to learn from and do it better the next time around.”
The Cavaliers finished just two wins short of a national championship when they fell 15-6 to the Big Red in the third round of the NCAA tournament.
“I’m still not completely over the end of the season for us,” Starsia said. “I think we were all disappointed in our performance against Cornell in the semifinals. You spend your summer wracking your brain trying to figure out why one thing happens or another.”
Cornell and Virginia met early in the regular season in Charlottesville for a game in which the Cavaliers notched an impressive 14-10 victory against the Big Red. It seemed that, heading into its semifinal matchup, Virginia would cruise past Cornell with the momentum it had built up during the tournament’s first two rounds. After devastating Villanova in the first round, the Cavaliers handed Johns Hopkins its worst loss in the history of the NCAA tournament.
“I think in athletics there aren’t always simple explanations,” Starsia said. “Coming off our performances against Villanova and Hopkins in the first two rounds, I certainly felt we were ready and prepared to play that semifinal game, and I’m not sure I would have changed anything going into the game. We just didn’t play at the level we needed to, certainly against an inspired Cornell team.”
Even before the NCAA tournament, Duke dashed Virginia’s hopes for an undefeated season in the Cavalier’s second-to-last game of the regular season.
“They are the type of team that can definitely play with our team,” junior goalie Adam Ghitelman said. “They have athletes, like us, at every position … they play great team defense and team offense. Virginia lacrosse sometimes, the way we play — if a team gets to you sometimes — it doesn’t go in your favor. Just because we are so run-and-run and they are just very … system-based.”
Two games later the Blue Devils also derailed Virginia’s shot at an ACC championship, dominating the Cavaliers 16-5 — their worst loss of the season.
“Sometimes it gets a little overshadowed by the very end of the season,” Starsia said. “We had a terrific season overall. We had some wonderful moments. For an athletic team to be No. 1 in most of the pre-season polls and be seeded No. 1 going into the NCAA tournament speaks directly to the quality of the effort overall over the four months of the season. On top of what this team went through in the fall with Will Barrow’s passing — it was a very emotional season overall for us.”
The emotional season included four games decided by one goal — an away win against then-No. 1 Syracuse, another away victory against Johns Hopkins, a seven-overtime win against Maryland and a win in the Meadowlands against North Carolina.
The Cavaliers must now begin to prepare for next season — without graduated senior attackmen Danny Glading and Garrett Billings.
“We are going to be a lot more midfield-oriented with that new attack coming in,” Ghitelman said. “Guys are going to have to prove themselves and compete for those three spots. So we’ll be young at attack but we’ll be very experienced at midfield.”

In anticipation of another Cavalier football season starting Saturday, I would like to share with you the top-10 Virginia games that I have experienced live. The list consists of mainly home games, but also one away game and one bowl game. The time frame spans from 1999 and 2000 — when I attended three games in each season — to 2001 — when my family bought season tickets — and to last year. In all, I’ve seen 58 Virginia games in person with an overall record of 43-15 (stats I became curious about once I started this column). I’ve missed two home games since 2001 — a surprise 34-21 win against No. 22 South Carolina in 2002 when Virginia was 0-2 and an even more shocking 31-0 trampling of Maryland last season the week after Virginia got blown out by Duke ­— yes, Duke.

Okay, on to the list. Unless otherwise specified, the game was played in Charlottesville.

10. Sept. 9, 2006; Virginia 13, Wyoming 12 OT

Had I not been going to Virginia games for seven years before this game, it would definitely be higher on the list. This was my first home game as a student. Although Virginia played a sub-par Wyoming team in a low-scoring game, it could not have induced more thrills. Wyoming used fake punts to convert on the fourth down not once, but twice. The Cowboys fumbled on the Virginia one-yard line in the third quarter, missing a chance to go up 13-3. Virginia scored on the first possession of overtime to go up 13-6. Wyoming answered with a touchdown, but missed the tying extra point. My, that kicker must’ve been sick after the game.

9. Sept. 15, 2007; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Virginia 22, North Carolina 20

During the fall of my second year, I had the opportunity to cover Virginia football games as a sports associate editor. This was one of two away games I attended (a 29-24 loss at N.C. State was the other). This game had it all, as explained by the opening in my Cavalier Daily article the following Monday: “In a wild game that featured a dramatic two-point conversion attempt to tie the game in the final minutes, a wacky field goal and a malfunctioning clock, it was clear that anything was possible — even a road victory — when Virginia traveled to North Carolina to take on the Tar Heels Saturday.” The “wacky field goal” was a long, 48-yarder by Chris Gould in the third quarter. The kick was clearly good, but was initially ruled no good. The Cavaliers challenged the play and the call was overturned. Running back Cedric Peerman ran for 186 yards.

8. Nov. 23, 2002; Virginia 48, Maryland 13

“Maryland easy.” These were the words I remember Kirk Herbstreit saying during College Gameday the morning before this game. The opposite was true, however, as the Cavaliers absolutely destroyed the defending ACC champion, No. 18 Maryland. Cavalier quarterback Matt Schaub completed 23 of 27 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns. While I don’t know if Herbstreit fueled any of Virginia’s fire, Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen did. In a virginiasports.com article following the game, Virginia linebacker Merrill Robertson said players were furious after Friedgen had said that he expected his team to beat Virginia, comparing the Cavaliers’ level of play to that of Duke’s. Oops, big mistake there, Fridge.

7. Nov. 3, 2007; Virginia 17, Wake Forest 16

Though there were a few close games in 2007, this one sticks out in my mind for a few reasons. The Cavaliers would simply not be denied a victory in this game. Yes, luck was involved. Wake Forest’s All-American kicker Sam Swank missed two of his three field goals. But on a couple of occasions, the Wake Forest offense drove deep into Virginia territory only to be turned back by a stellar defensive performance. I was in the press box for this game along with alumnus Ernie Washington, former Cavalier Daily Gameday Editor. You are supposed to remain quiet in the box and not show your allegiances and, at one point, a reporter told Ernie to keep his voice down. It was that type of intense game. When Swank missed the potential game-winning field goal wide right, we were holding on to each other and shaking to stave off the shouts of joy.

6. Dec. 28, 2002; Continental Tire Bowl, Charlotte, N.C.; Virginia 48, West Virginia 22

A complete drubbing of West Virginia concluded coach Al Groh’s first nine-win season at Virginia. It also ended a four-bowl game losing streak for Virginia. Cavalier running back Wali Lundy gained 239 all-purpose yards and scored four touchdowns. West Virginia fans were not the most cordial during that game. They used a “your mom” insult against my dad and actually took a sign away from a Virginia fan — a child, I believe — in a wheelchair. Yes, I saw it with my own eyes.

5. Nov. 6, 1999; Virginia 45, Georgia Tech 38

The incredulousness alone of this game should have landed it higher but competition is tough at the top. Georgia Tech came in ranked No. 7 with Heisman Trophy contender Joe Hamilton at quarterback. In the second game I ever witnessed live, Virginia quarterback David Rivers, starting for the injured Dan Ellis, made the most of his first and only start as quarterback, completing 18 of 30 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Thomas Jones was tremendous, rushing for 213 yards and two touchdowns.  Virginia stormed back to win the shootout after falling behind 17-0 after the first quarter.

4. Nov. 10, 2001; Virginia 39, Georgia Tech 38

This one is eclipsed only by field-rushes and a win against the arch rival. A lowly 3-6 Virginia team went blow-for-blow with the No. 20 Yellow Jackets, as the teams combined for 43 fourth-quarter points. Virginia quarterback Bryson Spinner completed 32 of 46 passes for 327 yards and five scores. The go-ahead touchdown in the final seconds was jaw-dropping. With Georgia Tech up 38-33 and Virginia on the Tech 37-yard line, Spinner hit receiver Billy McMullen around the 27-yard line, who tossed a lateral to running back Alvin Pearman, who caught the ball and went streaking up the sideline for the touchdown with 22 seconds left. After the seconds ticked off, pandemonium ensued.

3. Oct. 18, 2008; Virginia 16, North Carolina 13 OT

The game itself wasn’t spectacular until Virginia’s tying drive in the fourth quarter. Then it took off. With the Tar Heels up 10-3 and two minutes left, Cavalier quarterback Marc Verica completed seven of his eight passes on the tying drive and running back Cedric Peerman scored to make it 10-9. But then there was the extra point. No problem, right? Wrong. The ball got tipped in mid-air but still barely made it over the cross bar. I’m pretty sure at that point I had to sit for a minute in complete and total shock. Could I stand an overtime period? The Cavaliers made it look easy in overtime, though. They held North Carolina to a field goal and then Peerman scored his second touchdown to get the win. Rushing the field launches this game into the top three.

2. Oct. 15, 2005; Virginia 26, Florida St. 21

I missed my senior Homecoming dance for this one. Great choice. Ten years after Virginia handed Florida State its first ever ACC loss, the Cavaliers were at it again. Virginia’s scrambling quarterback Marques Hagans was so elusive; Seminole coach Bobby Bowden quipped after the game, “We couldn’t stop that dadgum No. 18.” The senior completed 27 of 36 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Virginia entered the fourth quarter up 26-10 and was able to hold on when Tony Franklin intercepted quarterback Drew Weatherford in the closing minute, preserving the win against the undefeated No. 4 Seminoles. With my parents in the nosebleed section, I told them I’d catch them later back at the car and ran down to the field.

1. Nov. 29, 2003; Virginia 35, Virginia Tech 21

No rushing the field in this one. Just a good old-fashioned beatdown of your arch rival. Senior quarterback Matt Schaub was brilliant on senior day, completing 32 of 46 passes for 358 yards and two touchdowns. Down 14-7 at halftime, the Cavaliers scored 21 consecutive points in the second half to take the lead. The Hokies pulled to within a touchdown, but a final touchdown drive that included a fake field goal pass to tight end Heath Miller clinched Groh’s only win against Tech. The feeling I had as I actually got to watch Tech fans walk down the aisles before the game was over was indescribable.

If you were lucky and actually attended Virginia’s epic 33-28 win against Florida State in 1995, the come-from-behind victory at Virginia Tech in 1998, or you’re a little bit older and were a witness to the Cavaliers’ first-ever bowl win — the 1984 Peach Bowl against Purdue — then let me know at amp9f@virginia.edu or write a letter to the editor. I’d love to hear about your experiences.
Well, that’s my Top 10 list of the best Virginia games I’ve seen live. Hopefully at least one during the upcoming season will make the list. A win against a particular team Nov. 28 would most certainly compete for the top spot. I’m crossing my fingers now.

In 2008, the Virginia women’s golf team lost to defending national champion Duke by one stroke at the ACC Championship. Despite the loss, the team’s performance in that final round helped give the Cavalier women the needed motivation to defeat other conference rivals.
“To be ahead of Duke for the majority of the tournament and just to lose by one made us say, ‘Hey, this is where our program is and where we are to be at all times,’” coach Kim Lewellen said. “It gave the girls the confidence and the goals to go out there and work hard for it, and they did and continue to do that,”
The team finished eighth at the 2009 NCAA tournament — the program’s best NCAA Championship finish ever. In April of last season, the team placed second at the Bryant National Championship, and junior Calle Nielson’s first place all-around performance at March’s LSU Classic helped the team to record its lowest score in history and finish atop the leader board.
“Calle is an outstanding ball-striker and overall has every component of the game,” Lewellen said.
The team ranked No. 4 in the final 2008-2009 poll, and with Lewellen’s determinist coaching qualities the Cavaliers do not plan to stop there.
Nielson attributes the Cavalier’s impressive performances to their specified training regimens, in which each player focuses solely on her weaknesses.
“One of [Calle’s] weakest points last fall was her putting, so through the off-season we worked extremely hard on her putting, gave her some putting drills, a little bit of a different way to think through her putting,” Lewellen said.
The results are telling: Nielson recently dropped an average of four strokes per round.
Nielson “had a stroke average of about 76 in the fall, and then in the spring it dropped significantly, which adds up to a 12-shot drop in every tournament,” Lewellen said. “Twelve shots is a difference between first place and 10th place. It can be a huge factor when you drop a scoring average of that magnitude.”
Senior Whitney Neuhauser also made significant improvements from the spring of her sophomore year to the fall of her junior year, dropping her scoring average by four to five strokes.
“Having her and Calle do that within the same year was one of the biggest contributions to improving that much in our NCAA finishes last year versus the year before,” Lewellen said.
Additionally, the squad’s scores in its inter-team qualifying rounds were some of the lowest Lewellen has ever seen in her time at Virginia.
Nielson credits the team’s growth to Lewellen. The 2009 East Region Coach of the Year brings a lot of energy to practice sessions and tournaments, which helps drive the team, Nielson said.
Nielson’s improved play and her No. 6 finish at the 2009 NCAA Tournament highlights Lewellen’s influence on the team.
“To have someone that’s coaching you to motivate you to that extent makes a huge difference,” Neilson said. Lewellen “took my game to the next level.”
After the departure of several seniors in the spring and the arrival of three freshmen in the fall, the 2009 Virginia squad will be put to the test this weekend at the NGCA Championship in Florida, one of only four of the team’s events this semester.
“You always miss the seniors,” Lewellen said. “They set a precedent of excellence, they set a precedent of work ethic. You can definitely see that in the girls that are here and they’re teaching that to the first years.”