Renaissance men

Football coach Mike London’s emphasis on fostering players’ academic and personal development fits neatly with the University’s core values

It has been a month and a half since Mike London took over as Virginia’s head football coach, and the process of building his first staff is nearly complete. The assistants brought aboard thus far seem to reflect one of London’s core beliefs about collegiate coaching, namely that a player’s character and off-the-field success are every bit as important as his football performance.

Of course, most coaches give lip service to such ideals, but oftentimes their actions do little to mirror the rhetoric. Although former coach Al Groh seemed genuinely concerned about all aspects of his players’ lives, off-the-field issues plagued Virginia’s program repeatedly during his tenure. Some also thought Groh was too reluctant to accept responsibility for his team’s conduct.

It goes without saying that fans are anxious for a winning football program. London’s national title at the University of Richmond demonstrates his ability to win — even if in a lower division. That said, it certainly reflects positively on the University when coaches also take an active interest in their players’ conduct, academic performance and personal development. At a school with more stringent academic requirements for its athletes than most, it makes perfect sense to attract players and coaches who truly embrace the “student” half of the student-athlete label. To do otherwise is not simply in bad taste, but it can also lead to off-the-field distractions that detract from the program’s long-term success.

With a new president taking over in August and a new men’s basketball coach currently in his first season, now is a compelling time to focus on building revenue sports programs that are more in line with the University’s overall mission. Although it is true that doing so may jeopardize the ability to land certain recruits whose values and personal ambitions do not align with the University’s, it seems unlikely that these players would thrive in this environment regardless. Moreover, if Virginia coaches can demonstrate that the athletes here benefit from their holistic college experiences, more recruits should find the University to be an appealing option.

Sixth man

Lowering basketball ticket prices for upper-level seats is a prudent move, but must be promoted ardently to bring in more fans

After a thoroughly lackluster couple of years in the revenue sports, it is highly encouraging to see the men’s basketball team once again compete successfully in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Though plenty of basketball has yet to be played this season, Virginia is 3-0 in the conference for the first time in 15 years, and at 12-4 overall, the team has already surpassed last year’s total victory count. In a year marked by parity, the Cavaliers quickly became the ACC’s sole undefeated team.

Fans’ energy and excitement accompanying the strong start is palpable. Accompanying this positive news came word last week that the athletic department decided to lower ticket prices for the uppermost seats at John Paul Jones Arena from $30 to $10 for each of the remaining home games, excluding the Duke contest next month.

Just two years ago, the department alienated some longtime fans when it changed its football season ticket policy to prioritize seating based on donation levels to the Virginia Athletics Foundation. Offering reduced price basketball tickets sends a signal that the department is committed to increasing the turnout at JPJ. “We believe it’s important for this program to experience a loud and supportive home court advantage,” said Jon Oliver, executive associate athletics director.

Still, the reduced price tickets will only accomplish that goal if they are properly marketed to alumni and members of the local community. Word-of-mouth travels fast, but the University must advertise this promotion energetically through its established channels of communication, such as alumni newsletters.

All in all, the policy makes good business sense. After fans become accustomed to attending games and becoming part of the excitement, they will likely be more willing to shell out a few extra bucks when ticket demand rises again in the future. Given basketball coach Tony Bennett’s emphatic start to his ACC career, that time may be upon us sooner rather than later.

America’s airport security is a failure, and a complete failure at that. One would think that after the disastrous events of 9/11, our country should be at the global cutting edge of airport security. Unfortunately, it is almost the complete opposite scenario. Recent failures include an attempted bombing on a Christmas day flight, multiple (yes, multiple) security breaches at our nation’s top airports, and colossal oversights such as guards leaving their posts and video cameras recording, well, nothing. Aggressive security measures, especially full body scanners, need to be implemented in our nation’s airports.

The Christmas day bomber, Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, managed to go through security scanners with a bomb strapped to his underwear and then attempted to ignite the bomb on the plane, which fortunately did not fully detonate. President Barack Obama recently released his report on the incident, citing a “failure to connect and understand intelligence.” American intelligence knew that an al-Qaeda terrorist intended to attack America, but because of a “larger failure of analysis,” the intelligence failed to connect the dots and thwart the bomber. Abdulmutallab was also somehow not placed on the no-fly list, although all evidence indicates he should have been. Ultimately, this was an American security lapse that could have had far more dire consequences.

In the wake of the failed bombing, agencies around the world have called for more advanced security measures to protect the skies. One of the most prevalent reforms involves the use of controversial full body scanners that essentially reveal passengers’ naked bodies. So far, only the United Kingdom has officially decided to institute these new scanners in their airports, starting next week. However, these scanners are an integral aspect of any proposed security overhaul. Many people claim that the full-body scanners, with their ability to screen a person’s naked body, violate a fundamental right to privacy. Passengers are concerned, rightfully, about this overt exposure of their body to airport security. But quite frankly, this issue of privacy shouldn’t override the much more serious issue of threats to national security. I for one would much rather give up my right to privacy in favor of much more stringent and effective airport techniques. When it comes down to it, would you rather have a few seconds of uncomfortable airline scanning or would you rather board a plane with the knowledge that not every available measure was taken to ensure your security? Granted, America has beefed up security since the attempted bombing. I experienced this when I traveled back into the country after spending winter break abroad. While boarding in Dubai, all flights to the United States required that you be at your gate at least three hours before departure time, for “advanced security measures.” I came to the gate expecting the worst — a couple body-scanners, maybe a full body pat down, bomb-sniffing dogs, basically the works. However, the new measures, though somewhat exacting, weren’t the high-tech terrorist thwarting procedures I was expecting. Arriving at the gate, I merely presented my passport and boarding pass, underwent a cursory pat down and had my bag checked. Hardly an intense search.

Another aspect of increasing security needs to involve more airport personnel accountability. In one of the most prevalent recent security breaches, a security guard at Newark Airport was videotaped leaving his post, allowing a civilian to duck under the barrier to the secure side of the airport. When the Transportation Security Administration attempted to review the videotapes, they discovered that the security cameras only recorded live images and couldn’t provide valuable recorded images of the event. This is, quite frankly, absurd. How can we expect to have any sort of advanced security when guards are leaving their posts and video cameras don’t allow for any sort of review? Another recent incident saw a civilian actually walk through a restricted door at John F. Kennedy airport, prompting a massive security shutdown as the terminal was evacuated and police searched the building for the perpetrator. Evidently, no one was watching this door and there were not enough measures put into place to make sure that access to restricted areas was minimized.

Terrorists are getting smarter and more innovative. These colossal breaches and security lapses truly illuminate America’s failing airport security system. We need to take every measure possible to ensure the safety of the thousands of passengers who fly every day. It is completely unacceptable to risk the lives of innocent people by omitting important procedures in the name of either privacy or efficiency. Simply put, America needs to take a far more aggressive stance on airport security.

Danny Di Guilio’s column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at d.diguilio@cavalierdaily.com.

Basic Info:

English professor
Bachelor of Arts from The New School
Teaches fiction writing and studies in the short story

Q: What are you most proud of in receiving the 2009 MacArthur Fellowship award?

A: Of course it’s incredibly gratifying to be recognized in such a whole-hearted way. My writing is peculiar, and lots of people don’t like it. I’ve just kept doing it year after year after year in spite of the fact that I’m bound to have a small audience, so it’s very moving to me. And what is most particularly moving is that I really don’t know who is responsible for my getting this. There are many people involved, so I think there’s a benign conspiracy that has conspired to benefit me and make my life easier and happier.

Q: What do you plan to do with the grant money? Are there any major changes in your future?

A: No changes. I’ll just worry less for half of every year. I teach a semester a year and live in New York City the other. I’ll hopefully be able to actually get some work done with some peace of mind.

Q: I understand you joined the U.Va. English Department in 1994. What brought you to the school?

A: I was invited. And I immediately felt happy here. I loved the writing program and English department. I loved the feeling of good morals and seriousness of purpose; it’s a very high-minded department. The campus is ravishingly beautiful, sort of ennobling in a way. It’s a pleasant town — lovely and comfortable.

Q: What or whom have been your biggest influences?

A: It’s hard to say who influences you, or at least for me because it happens on an unconscious level. When I was a child, I was a very big reader. I read indiscriminately and voraciously.

Q: When you’re not teaching, how do you like to spend your time?

A: Writing. I live in New York City.

Q: If you could backpack across any country, which would it be and why?

A: Gee, it’s hard to imagine any country I wouldn’t want to backpack through, particularly if someone else were carrying the backpack.

Q: If you hadn’t decided to teach, what job do you think you would be holding today?

A: I can’t say I really did decide to teach. I was offered a nice teaching position. If I wasn’t teaching, I’d probably be waiting on tables, which is a good combination with writing. In my next life, I plan to be able to sing and be a cabaret singer or a lead singer.

Q: What has been your favorite part of teaching?

A: I love my colleagues and I’ve been very fortunate in getting wonderful students.

Q: Who or what is your favorite author or book?

A: My favorite book is frequently the one I’m reading. Last book I read is what I happened to be teaching: “A Summons to Memphis” by Peter Taylor.

Q: What’s your favorite piece you’ve written?

A: I suppose most of us like to think of their most recent book as their best work. I write what’s called short stories; they’re not really very short. It does mean there are a great number. There are some that I feel, yes that is exactly what I intended it to do, it fulfilled its purpose. Writing is always a bit of an experiment, so all of these stories are different kinds of explorations and all [are] satisfying to me whether they succeed or don’t wholly.

-compiled by Jessica Modi

Driving for me is absolutely agonizing. The red lights, the stop signs, all of the laws, my passengers always yelling, “Slow down!” or “That was a stop sign!” or “Quit reading that book!” And, of course, all of the other drivers are totally confused. I mean, if I was the only one ignoring rules, then everything would be fine. But we can’t all do it at once. Come on, everyone, don’t be selfish. The whole experience, in total, is just not my cup of tea. Unfortunately, I live two hours away from Charlottesville, and in a smaller town with not very much to do, so I must drive. And I must drive often.

During my reluctant vehicular journeys, I have witnessed some truly terrible driving. But I also have come across hilarious driving (See “Sadistic Driver”) and some driving that is just downright sad (See “Lost Driver”). But mostly it’s pretty terrible. For reasons that may or may not involve my need for a column this week, I have compiled a list of the worst of the worst, which I will now present to you. You’re welcome.

The Driver Going Slow in the Fast Lane

This goob is killing me. He knew getting into this lane that he didn’t have what it takes to be in the fast lane. Yet here he is, blocking traffic with his stupid haircut and probably terrible music. Disgusting.

Sadistic Driver

This person laughs while you struggle to get around them. Slowing almost to a stop if you tailgate, and speeding up if you change lanes so there is practically no chance you will pass them. If he’s feeling especially creative, he may readjust his rearview mirror so that your headlights are reflecting back into your eyes, after speeding up to jump back in front of you, of course. If by some miracle you manage to pass them, he will be smiling satisfactorily at the rage he has just inspired in you.

Driver Filled with Rage

The enraged driver is a complete psycho. He’s all over the place switching lanes haphazardly, jumping in front of people at random, screaming out of his window. It’s almost funny how angry this person is. I mean, it would be funny, if you weren’t in fear for your life.

The Totally Lost Driver

He’s not even sure what state he’s in. Can be identified by the scared look on his face and the awkwardly folded map covering just the center of the steering wheel. As he holds the largely useless map in place with his thumbs, he frantically searches for the exit he missed 40 minutes ago. Sad, really.

Out-of-town driver

Automatically terrible.

The “I would rather perish in a fiery car accident than put down my cell phone” driver

Everything is clearly a struggle for this person. His wheel slipped out of his hand while he was making a U-Turn, the phone dropped and he almost ran over an entire family while reaching down to feel around for it, and on top of that, he can’t even manage to stay in his lane. You’d think he could tell the person on the other line to hold on for two seconds so as to not veer off into a ditch. You would be wrong to think that. Apparently it is the most important conversation that anyone has ever had, anywhere, at any point in history.

The Driver Doing the Speed Limit

You’ve got to be kidding. What is this? If the sign says 55, that does not mean do 50. A sign that says 55, should be interpreted as saying “55 is the minimum, but 65 is what you should really be doing.” Fact.

The Hummer Driver

The driver everyone hates, regardless of skill.

The Driver Who Never Actually Learned How To Drive

Probably from New Jersey. Easily spotted, driving for too long in the merge lane and ending up in the emergency lane. Or speeding up too much and having to veer off … into the emergency lane. This person also changes lanes without looking, and stops when getting onto the highway, instead of yielding, like the sign clearly says. Also, his car was probably built without an accelerator, turn signals or the ability to move in a straight line.

The Only Driver Who Isn’t Endangering Your Life

This person is me. True story.

Although I spend a lot of time bad-mouthing other drivers and pointing out their many, many shortcomings, I am willing to admit I am sometimes prone to extreme rage, and so-so driving. I am also commonly lost and driving slowly in the left lane because I know it bothers the people behind me. But don’t we all have our problems?

So the next time I’m tailgating with my high beams on because I forgot to turn them off, instead of giving me that incredulous “What the hell are you doing?” look from your rear mirror, you should wave, because you were probably doing the same thing 10 minutes ago. And after waving, feel free to get out of my way immediately.

Belle’s column runs biweekly Thursdays. She can be reached at b.gamble@cavalierdaily.com.

As Haiti copes with the strongest aftershock since last week’s destructive 7.0 earthquake, former and current members of the University and Charlottesville communities have continued their efforts to aid the devastated nation.

Friends of deceased Batten student and College alumna Stephanie Jean-Charles confronted their personal loss at a vigil Sunday night, where they shared memories of their friend and erected a shrine in her honor in front of the French house, where Jean-Charles used to live, fourth-year College student Frederika Braun said. Jean-Charles’ friends also expect a big turnout — especially from members of the classes of 2008 and 2009 — at her memorial, which will take place in Newcomb Ballroom today from 4 to 7 p.m.

On Grounds, the response to the disaster has been strong. Minority Rights Coalition Co-Chair Neal Fox said he believes as many as 100 student organizations may have been present at a meeting last night that was held to coordinate the efforts of the many groups concerned about the earthquake’s aftermath.

At the meeting, Hoos for Haiti decided to collect donations from individual students and organizations in a HoosOnline fund. The money will be sent to the Red Cross, Partners in Health and UNICEF. Donors can pledge to contribute their money to another organization, as well, and that money will still be considered part of the sum raised by the University community. Hoos for Haiti hopes to raise at least $100,000 by Feb. 14.

“It’s not a surprise that the University community has embraced this event,” Asst. Engineering Prof. Lisa Colosi said, noting that the community’s generosity is probably driven by the culture of service on Grounds.

Additionally, a Hoos for Haiti concert will be hosted Saturday evening by Engineering School faculty and students at Fry’s Spring Beach Club. The event will feature both a silent auction and local bands such as 180 and Acme Swing Manufacturing Company, all of whom will play for free, said Colosi, who helped plan the event.

All proceeds will go to the relief agency Partners in Health and to the non-governmental organization GHESKIO — the Haitian Group for the Study of Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections — which provides clinical service and conducts research on diseases such as HIV/AIDS, she said. These organizations were selected because they have specific, focused goals, as well as lower overhead costs than groups such as the Red Cross, she added. GHESKIO also has strong ties to the University’s Global Development Organization, and its facilities in Port-au-Prince have been damaged by the earthquake, Colosi said.

Local businesses and student groups such as Engineers without Borders have also helped promote the concert, and Colosi said this activity may be critical to the event’s success, especially because most students have been out of town during the past few weeks.

“There’s some research that suggests that with emergency relief, it’s critical to be on people’s minds in the first 10 days,” she said. “After that they … sort of lose that sense of urgency — that they have to help.”

Graduate Arts & Sciences students Wendy Hsu and Peter Traub have also made a move to quickly organize Love4Haiti, a charity event that will feature a silent auction and live music performers. The funds will be divided among UNICEF, the International Rescue Committee Partners in Health and GHESKIO. The event, which will also feature food donated by local restaurants, will take place at Random Row Books on West Main Street Saturday evening.

“Overall, I see the event as a start for a long-term engagement with the Haitian people,” Hsu said.

Away from Charlottesville, community members also are working together to raise support for the Haitian people, and in doing so, have exceeded their own expectations.

2005 College and Commerce alumnus Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of the social news Web site reddit.com, noticed that many of the site’s users wanted more transparency from the organizations that receive funds from relief efforts.

“It was clear the community was not only interested in helping but they also wanted to do it as effectively as possible,” he said. “Based on that first day of discussion, I thought, ‘Hey, we could really do something there.’”

Ohanian sent a “tweet” to an old friend from his University days, College alumnus Jim Prosser, who is now the manager of media relations at the medical charity Direct Relief International. Ohanian believed the charity would provide the transparency that donors desired, and so last Thursday, the two organizations created a page at which Reddit users could make donations.

As the page opened, Direct Relief International prepared to update it with photos showing how those donations were being spent, so as to encourage more donations. Within four hours, the page surpassed its initial goal of $31,450, Prosser and Ohanian said. After 12 hours, donations had already doubled the amount of initial goal. As of press time, the amount had surpassed $150,000.

Though Direct Relief International updates the page, the actual funds have been generated solely with the generosity of the donors, Prosser said.

“There’s no incentive other than it’s just the right thing to do,” he said.

Moreover, Ohanian believes this type of transparent fundraising is both effective and a good example for the future of philanthropy.

“It’s going very well beyond the ‘Here’s a photo of the child you’ll be feeding’ scenario,” he said. “At best, they were inefficient, and at worst, they were outright frauds … Now with technology the way it is, there really is no excuse not to [continuously provide photo and video updates.] To know that my $20 is an important part of the $1,000 that bought a case of syringes goes a long way.”

—Kate Colwell contributed to this article

Scott May, third from right, overcame many hurdles to return to the University in his 40s after years in the work force. Photo courtesy Natalia Rodriquez.

Fourth-year Commerce student Scott May died this past weekend from natural causes.

May battled many health problems, including juvenile diabetes and kidney problems, said Rebecca Leonard, associate dean for student services.

May was a non-traditional student, as he attended the University in his 40s after having been in the work force for many years. He earned an associate’s degree from Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke before transferring to the University’s Commerce School in fall 2008.

“His father said the happiest years of his life were at U.Va.,” Leonard said.

May was closer in age to many of his professors than his classmates, Assoc. Commerce Prof. Jim Burroughs said, and had to overcome many hurdles to return to the classroom as an undergraduate student.

“It really spoke volumes about his commitment to furthering his education and bettering his life,” Burroughs said, describing May as kind, gentle and quiet.

“But when he offered an opinion in class, he had something to say,” Burroughs said. “He represented the best of what the McIntire and U.Va. community is about.”

Asst. Commerce Prof. Janette Martin, who taught May for three semesters, referred to May as the anchor of her classes.

“He had a very steady presence,” Martin said, also lauding May’s integrity and abilities as a student.

Fourth-year Commerce student Natalia Rodriguez remembered May as good-tempered and a hard worker.

“He never had a bad thing to say about anyone,” Rodriguez said. “He was always joking around.”

Fourth-year Commerce student Tracy Dunn also noted that May was easy to work with and well-liked.

“Scott was one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met,” Dunn said.

May interned with the Coast Guard last summer, and Leonard said he would have worked for the Coast Guard or Navy in a management position after graduating in May.

May’s family will hold a private burial in West Virginia next week.

The University received 22,396 applications for admission to the University this year, an increase of about 600 applications from last year. Photo by Iram Shaikh.

The Office of Admissions reported a record number of applicants for the incoming class of 2014. The University received 22,396 applications, an increase of about 600 applications — or about 3 percent — from last year, Admission Dean Greg Roberts said.

Several of the University’s schools saw a rise in interest, with the Nursing School recording the most dramatic increase in applications. The number of students applying to the Nursing School increased by more than 20 percent, from 439 to 536. The Engineering School similarly saw a 10 percent increase in applications.

Despite these significant increases at certain schools, Roberts noted that the overall increase for the University as a whole was much smaller compared to past years. Exactly 21,831 prospective students submitted applications last year for admission into the class of 2013 — representing an increase of 17 percent from when 18,526 students applied for admission into the class of 2012.

“We received a significant increase last year [for the class of 2013]; this year’s application increase is more modest,” Roberts said. “However, we are excited because nationally there are fewer students graduating from high school this year. We are thrilled that so many students are interested in the University when some other schools’ application numbers are down this year.”

Roberts added that he believes that prospective students consider the University because it combines a premiere education with relatively low tuition prices and assistance from the University’s touted financial aid program, AccessUVa.

Student Financial Services Director Yvonne Hubbard agreed that AccessUVa makes the University an attractive choice for many prospective students.

“We know that students often decide not to go to school because of loans.” Hubbard said. “Loans are an issue. That is why we have a loan cap which has slowed down the amount of borrowing for our students.”

AccessUVa offers loan-free packages to students whose family incomes fall below the poverty line by up to 200 percent. Additionally, AccessUVa promises to meet the need of every accepted student to the University, as defined by federal government need analysis.

“We want families to be aware of resources available to them when it comes to paying for their education,” Roberts said.

Hubbard said she expects a greater number of students to apply for financial aid this year.

“We have a full staff ready and feel confident in handling this increase,” she said.

The Office of Admissions does not expect the increase in applicants to affect the number of offers for admission or wait-list spots, Roberts said, meaning that the University’s overall selectivity will again increase. University officials estimate they will make 3,240 offers of admission.

The University has again bolstered its reputation as one of the country’s best bargains in higher education, recently receiving high marks from two national publications.

For the second consecutive year, The Princeton Review ranked the University the No. 1 “Best Value Public College,” while Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine rated the University third in its similar list for the fourth time in five years.

In compiling its annual list, The Princeton Review considers academics, tuition costs and financial aid from surveys by school administrators and students from nearly 700 institutions, said David Soto, Princeton Review director of college ratings.

“The list combines selective schools that offer strong academics with a relatively low sticker price or offer a great financial aid package,” Soto said. “These schools eliminate a lot of the worry for students in the paying for college process; they’re true to their word and title. As far as academics go, U.Va is up there with the top private colleges.”

Soto also noted that the University’s financial aid program, AccessUVa, was one of many factors that drove it to the top of the list. AccessUVa promises to meet 100 percent of a student’s demonstrated need.

“U.Va has a very solid academic reputation,” Soto said. “They rank in the top 96th percentile in terms of selectivity, and once you get in, U.Va does a good job in providing financial aid for those students who need it … The average student graduates with only $19,000 in debt over four years.”

Director of Financial Aid Yvonne Hubbard also attributed the University’s high ranking partially to the school’s AccessUVa program, which has received national attention since its debut.

“It’s not a single-dimensional financial aid program,” Hubbard said. “It looks at the student holistically and looks at different students from all backgrounds and is designed to meet needs of all low-income students.”

Leonard Sandridge, University executive vice president and chief financial officer, noted that AccessUVA helps make the University a more attractive institution to attend, adding that the recent magazine rankings serve as valuable resources for prospective students and their families.

“These rankings are important because of what they mean for our students and applicants and their parents: That these students will have access to a superior education at a good price, with the financial support they need to be able to graduate without a burdensome loan,” Sandridge stated in an e-mail. “I think that students appreciate this opportunity, judging from the record number of applications U.Va. received for the class of 2014.”

Rankings such as those found in The Princeton Review are important resources to counter the often negative coverage of the costs associated with higher education, Hubbard noted.

“When they talk about being affordable, it’s about changing the perception that students and parents have about institution costs,” she said. “Often students from lower-income families self-select themselves out of the process because they think they can’t even look to coming to the University. These types of surveys … promote the idea that it’s worth looking into and that it’s possible to be here.”

Some students, however, such as second-year College student Marcus Hall, did not put much weight on college rankings before deciding to attend the University.

“It wasn’t until I got to U.Va that I found out about their reputation,” Hall said. “I wouldn’t say that the rankings really made a difference in my decision, but I’m really glad I’m here right now. U.Va excels in academics as well as student life.”

Currently, there are about 3,600 students receiving aid through AccessUVa — about 31 percent of University undergraduate students, said George Stovall, University director of institutional studies.
“We’re dedicated to keeping loan debt down,” Hubbard said. “The Princeton Review’s algorithm is what the loan debt is at graduation and how much financial aid schools are providing. Our philosophy is to help students control their debt and keep them in control of their fiscal lives.”

Additionally, Hubbard noted that though the University administration provides the funding for AccessUVa, President John T. Casteen, III maintains oversight and makes changes to the program as he sees fit, such as the change from work-study to full-tuition grants. Hubbard also added that conversations with President-elect Teresa Sullivan about AccessUVa are in the works.

“She addressed that it’s one of her goals to ensure its sustainability,” Hubbard said. “I’m looking forward to see what she can do when she’s here.”

Senior guard Monica Wright was selected as a preseason All-American and was recently put on a midseason short list as a candidate for the Wooden Award. Photo by Bennett Sorbo.

The No. 22 Virginia women’s basketball team alternated between high moments and low moments during the winter recess — for every scrappy win, there was a crushing loss.

The high point of Winter Break for the Cavaliers came Jan. 11 against Maryland, when senior guard Monica Wright broke one of the program’s most storied records, surpassing Dawn Staley’s long-standing career scoring record of 2,135 points.

“To have her have this [scoring] record is tremendous,” coach Debbie Ryan said. “It is an awesome honor to how hard she has worked to put our program where it is today.”

Wright failed, though, to keep the magic alive throughout the entire night and struggled to get off a potentially game-winning shot during the closing seconds against the Terrapins. Maryland prevailed 61-60 and hurried off the court as crowds booed referees for not calling a foul against Terrapin defenders.

“As soon as I got the ball, I turned, and there were three people around me,” Wright said. “My first thought was to try and go [toward the basket]. Then I realized there was another person coming toward me. Who can I dump it off to at the last minute? There weren’t that many options with three seconds left. I tried to go up and draw the foul.”

Despite the disappointing loss, much of the attention from players and coaches after the game focused on Wright’s monumental career accomplishment.

“Obviously we didn’t want to see her break [the record] against us,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “At the same point, it’s also special to see her break it because of the player that she is. She is a world-class athlete in terms of her ability to score. I think the thing that separates Monica from a lot of players out there is her competitiveness, just her will to win. She’s a tremendous competitor.”

The loss was one of three during the break. The Cavaliers also fell 69-53 to No. 12 Georgia Dec. 20 and 68-50 to No. 11 Florida State Jan. 7. Virginia still managed to pull out five wins during Winter Break, however: 69-60 against Samford Dec. 28, 63-54 against Liberty Dec. 29, 74-59 against Colorado Jan. 2, 72-64 against St. Bonaventure Jan. 4 and a 70-56 win against rival Virginia Tech Jan. 18.

Since the end of last semester, Virginia has hovered around No. 20 in the national rankings, falling as low as No. 24 after the loss to Maryland before bouncing back to No. 22 after the Virginia Tech win.

The Cavaliers (12-5, 1-2 ACC) will be tested in earnest during the coming weeks, as the onslaught of difficult ACC matchups nears. Virginia takes on Boston College (11-7, 2-1 ACC) 7 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Mass. and Georgia Tech (15-4, 2-2 ACC), which received votes in the most recent ranking polls, at home 1 p.m. Sunday.

Though Virginia has yet to find consistent success this season, it has one of the nation’s most respected players in Wright, who has already been selected as ACC Player of the Week twice this season.

“Monica is a special player to me and to this program,” Ryan said. “She has given her heart, her soul and her body. She has given us everything that she has every single minute, whether we are on or off the court. She gives and gives and gives.”

New defensive coordinator Jim Reid hired Mike London at the University of Richmond 15 years ago. London recently returned the favor. Photo courtesy Virginia Sports.

When Jim Reid entered college coaching, he made a promise to his wife: Football would not be a “transient” profession. He spent the first 19 years of his collegiate career at the University of Massachusetts, where he planned to “live and die.”

Eighteen years and seven different coaching jobs later, it may be time for Reid to deliver on that promise.

After spending two years as the outside linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins, Reid bid the Florida sunshine goodbye and joined the Virginia coaching staff. New Virginia head coach Mike London named Reid defensive coordinator and associate head coach Jan. 7.

“Coach Reid brings passion and energy to the program and is an excellent people person guy,” London stated in a University press release. “He is a former head coach and is a well respected person throughout the state of Virginia. I feel confident our defensive players will come to love and respect him.”

The two coaches are quite familiar with each other. Fifteen years ago, it was Reid, then-head coach at Richmond, who brought London onto his staff as the recruiting coordinator and outside linebackers coach. And though London is known for taking Richmond to its highest peak — winning the Football Championship Subdivision national championship in 2008 — Reid had his own share of success during his nine-year tenure. A two-time Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year, Reid left Richmond after the 2003 season as the third-winningest coach in program history with 48 victories and captured the Spiders’ first-ever 10-win season in 2000.

Now subordinate to the man he once hired, Reid may be unsure as to what his position as associate head coach entails, but he said he is confident about working with London to fulfill his vision.

“Any coach I’ve ever hired has never worked for me — he’s worked with me,” Reid said. “I believe coach London has the vision, he has the plan, he has the detail, and now we’ll all work with him to make sure that plan gets implemented.”

Reid’s ties to the University extend beyond his relationship with London. As an assistant coach at Syracuse for two years during the early 1980s, head coach Dick MacPherson instructed Reid to observe “the finest coach in America” during Spring Break. Reid assumed he would travel to Oklahoma, Nebraska, Michigan or Ohio State to pick the brains of college football behemoths. To his surprise, Reid was sent to Navy, the then-home of future Virginia coach George Welsh.

Reid said MacPherson gave him several specific instructions: “‘I want you to watch coach Welsh. I want you to watch his organization. I want you to watch the detail with which he runs the program, the energy which the players play with. I want you to listen to him and I want you to observe that. You’ll become a much better coach.’”

When Welsh moved on to Virginia in 1982, he welcomed competition from Reid’s Spiders. Welsh’s successor, Al Groh, allowed Reid to work his camps and watch film.

“I was able to get a flavor of the University, up close and a little bit personal,” Reid said. “So you have a little bit more of a feeling for the University than just playing them and leaving or driving through, and you get a chance to meet some folks. It’s a terrific opportunity.”

But with this opportunity comes many challenges — first and foremost, converting a Virginia defense that operated in the 3-4 scheme under Groh to a 4-3, which London has said he will implement.

Reid has employed both schemes throughout his career. Though he used a 4-3 at Richmond, he worked most recently with the 3-4 while coaching for the Dolphins. He has not yet been able to look at tape of his new defense — which ranked sixth in the ACC in total defense in 2009 — but he did offer his general defensive philosophy regarding the front seven.

“The idea of defense and defensive line play is that you gotta be tough,” he said. “You gotta be able to use your hands and you gotta be able to get up the field — whether you’re trying to defeat a block in two-gap in 3-4 or whether you’re trying to one-gap and get up the field and defeat blocks on the edge. They’re interchangeable, and certainly from a technique standpoint, a 3-4 defensive lineman can be a shade 4-3 defensive lineman.”

Reid has added different defensive wrinkles to each team he has helped coach during the last 36 years — Massachusetts, Richmond, Boston College, Syracuse, Bucknell, VMI and finally the Dolphins. And at 59 years of age, he would like to think he has hit his final road stop at Virginia.

After this last coaching move, Reid received a reminder from his wife: “‘You remember that promise you made to me several years ago?’”

With a chuckle, Reid said he gave her his word — one last time.

“I had to make that promise again, so as long as we can do a good job here — no, no, I know we’ll do a good job — as long as I do a good job here for the University of Virginia and coach London and I’m able to stay here and win some championships — I remember George Welsh telling me when he redid the facility here, ‘We did it right, we can win a national championship,’” Reid said. “So, that’s the goal.”