New head football coach Mike London hopes to build men of character on and off the field. Photo courtesy Virginia Sports.

It’s the height of recruiting season, but Mike London was generous enough to spend an hour of his time with me. Recruits are walking in and out the building every day.

So while we settled into his office and made some small talk, I tried to think of what we have in common … which led to the following exchange:

Me: “So, I assume with recruiting you haven’t gotten a chance to see Tony Bennett’s team yet?”

The 49-year-old football coach: “No, no — I went to the Miami game, and the make-up game.” (Apparently the basketball players weren’t the only ones who considered UNC-Wilmington, which followed the win against Miami, somewhat of an afterthought.)

We found our common ground. Excellent.

Later, as I got ready to leave London’s office at the conclusion of the interview, he turned to me and asked, “Are you going to this?” He showed me a ticket for ‘Step Up to the Plate,’ the annual fundraiser for the Virginia baseball team.

The message was clear: Mike London wants to immerse himself in the Virginia community. He talked about trying to plan a meeting with the presidents of all the fraternities and sororities to try to create some new traditions at home football games.

He suggested orange afros.

He stressed that he can’t bring Virginia back to prominence by himself and needs the full support of the community. He even tried to solicit my help before the interview had started; I have soft hands.

In yesterday’s edition of The Cavalier Daily, London talked about his life experiences and how they shaped him as a coach. Today, he unveils his master plan.

What did you learn about Virginia football in your six years as an assistant and coordinator here, and what do you think has changed since you left or needs to change now that you’ve returned as head coach?

I’ve learned that outside of these walls that, nationally, there are people that respect and acknowledge a Virginia education — the degree, the opportunities and the doors that it can open for you. I’ve come to learn that, from a football standpoint, there’s tremendous history here — from the George Welsh days, in terms of taking a program of nothing and turning it into a program of significance. That, in the years that coach [Al] Groh was here and we were here and having winning seasons and bowl games, capped off with the Gator Bowl, which is one of those Jan. 1 bowls — something you always try to get to.

And then having stepped away on the outside looking in, just seeing that the state of Virginia is big enough for two teams to be really good, you know what I mean? The state of Virginia has enough talent and enough opportunities here that two teams can do well. I believe that. They’re two different kind of schools — the profile of the student-athletes that we recruit are different, although both schools educate the student-athletes who go there. We’re just different, and that’s the bottom line with that — you can be successful. And you can enjoy the best of both worlds opportunity here — it’s being done at Stanford, Northwestern, Cal and it was done at Richmond. So, that’s the goal.

I’m a high school senior, and Frank Beamer just visited my house a week ago. I’m thinking about going to Virginia Tech. Now, Mike London comes to my door. What does he tell me? What does he say about Virginia football and why I should come to U.Va.?

If I’m coming to your door, obviously there’s two things that you have: You have the academic capabilities to do well here, and you have the athletic abilities to help us win and for us to help you materialize and develop your skills. Whatever preconceived notions that you might have had about Virginia football — I would say that was then, this is now.

Hopefully reflective of the type of men that I’ve hired on staff here. Reflective of the culture that’s gonna be created in terms of what I believe that you have to have in order to be successful. And not just on-the-field things. There’s off-the-field things that can take priority, which will lead to on-the-field success. Building young men of character: Go to class, show class and treat people with dignity and respect … We’re not entitled to anything, we don’t belong here just because we’re this and that. I’m a product of a military man, 25 years Air Force. My dad always believed that what you do speaks so loud, I can’t hear what you say.

What role do you envision for coach [Jim] Reid as ‘associate head coach’ in addition to being defensive coordinator?

He’s been a head coach before, couple of different places. You learn this only when you become a head coach and when you’re an assistant: A lot of times the head coach makes a decision that maybe as an assistant you don’t quite get it or understand it — but there’s a perspective that he has, when you have to make decisions like that, that he can also echo those sentiments … Having been a head coach, he can make suggestions in the matters of recruiting, or the practice schedule, or whatever, because he’s had to make those evaluations and decisions himself. So, I value that type of experience he has — so that’s why we gave him the title that I think he deserved.

You’ve stated your intention to use the 4-3. What advantages do you see in that particular scheme and how difficult do you think it will be to convert a defense that has operated in the 3-4 to the 4-3?

The stand-up outside linebackers can now become the down-rush defensive ends. The players that were head-up now can get on the edge and rush the passer and do different things. So, I think from a mindset, it changes. I know it’s hard to recruit high school players to be a 3-4 defensive lineman because of the prerequisite of size, bulk, things like that. It’s easier to find a high school young man who might be at 215 now, and you project him as a “Will” linebacker in a 4-3 scheme. Or, you know what, he’s gonna gain 25 more pounds, and project him as a down-lineman in a 4-3 scheme — he can rush the passer. So, that process, too, will change as we go ahead and recruit. It goes back to recruiting — all the commitments that held firm, and obviously there were some recruited for the 3-4 defense, but I think in looking at them, at the transition from where they were projected to where we think they can be in a 4-3 scheme, we think we can make that transition seamlessly … I recruited Cam Johnson as a defensive end — I think he could do well. I recruited Nick Jenkins. I was here when Matt [Conrath] was like Bambi — he was like all sticks and bones — and now you watch him grow and develop, imagine him getting on the edge and doing some things. He played with a high-ankle sprain the last couple games, and now is getting himself back healthy. So, just excited about opportunities for guys like that to hopefully be able to put him in position to make plays.

Can you talk about what you’re going to do with the offense? Shawn Moore was on the phone recently and talked about how U.Va. tried to use a spread offense last year, but just didn’t have the personnel.

You think about this school in years past, you’ve had first-round draft pick offensive lineman — this is a place [with] offensive linemen, tight ends, good running backs, quarterbacks that can handle the play action pass and manage the game — things like that. And rely on some toughness and athleticism on the edge, talking about the wide receivers. I think we have to be able to run the ball, run the ball with authority. You have to be able to keep the clock moving at the end of the game by running the ball, but you also have to be able to protect the quarterback and say, ‘You know what, we got one of the best wide receivers, let’s block it up and throw it down deep. Let’s get the ball out in space to the playmakers’ … Everything will be new. There’s nothing that’ll be the same offensively and defensively, so the terminology, the play-numbering, the play-calling, all that — so there’s a learning curve for everybody. Michael Strauss is here — he’s a mid-year quarterback from Gulliver Prep, he’s here. Of course Marc [Verica] is here. Ross Metheny is the other quarterback. Riko Smalls is another quarterback prospect. So, the thing now — to find out who can do what, and who can do it better than who and then go from there.

Quite simply, what are your expectations for next year’s team?

First and foremost, my expectations are to make sure that those three things I talked to you about, going to class, showing class — the change in the culture from that standpoint — we gotta do a better job of being students. We gotta do a better job of being athletes. I think the first part of this is to set those expectations back in motion again that you’re here to get an education, but we’re also here to compete and play. So I think you can take care of foundational things, as I did at Richmond, I think what you’ll see on the field will speak for itself. And I’m excited about that. I’m excited about the talent that’s here, the mindset about who we’re gonna recruit, those things like that. The positive energy that we’ve gotten since we’ve gone into some of these households. We’ve been all over — from Florida to Georgia, to Jersey, to Connecticut, but particularly in-state in Virginia — the positive feedback that we’ve gotten … To be reflected in not this year’s class, although this year’s class is a good class, but next year’s class will be my first recruiting class.

Coach Groh was defensive coordinator last year, so clearly he had a lot of influence on play-calling. Can you speculate right now how much influence you will have on play-calling?

Part of the process of that is getting together with your staff prior to spring, during spring as to how I envision we need to play both offensively and defensively. I think the benefit of being a defensive coach for such a long time — you have an idea of how offensively what things can hurt you defensively, and vice versa. Being able to interject the way you think we have to play … We’re gonna have one of the best corners in the country, and that’s Ras-I Dowling. He’s gonna be a first-round draft pick before it’s all said and done. Don’t wanna put too much pressure on him, but he’s a tremendous talent. And when you have corners and safeties like Rodney McLeod, guys like that, then you have the ability to do things. That’s why it’s exciting to see going into spring practice as I watch winter workouts, and then as we’re in spring practice as I’m watching to see how we craft this thing.”

What do you plan to do differently from coach Groh to transform a program that’s had three losing seasons in the past four years to be more successful?

One is I’ve talked to more media people than I can remember in the last — Look, I understand that I want people to get to know the team. I want the team to know the community. I want the students to get to know the team, people to know the coaches. And I think providing a window like that — and to see we’re just regular guys like you, I think that’s important. Hopefully the style of play and the attitude and the energy is something that catches on, wanting to get involved out there in the sororities and the fraternities — things like that. It’s something that probably hasn’t been done before, but that’s part of my nature — to be inclusive. Also do my job, win games, educate these guys so they can graduate.

What is the ideal ‘Mike London Player’ like?

The ideal? A guy that’s focused and committed, a guy who loves, loves the game and has a lot of energy and passion. When you turn on the tape, the film and you say, ‘The prototypical, alright, he’s 6-foot-6 and blah blah blah.’ Turn on the film and look at that guy play, and you can tell he loves to play football. And that’s me — I’ll take a bunch of those guys like that. In the end, when it’s a tough game, you gotta give everything you got. Sometimes, that talented player, if things are kind of tough — all that talent he has — he didn’t rise to the occasion. But you got a guy who loves to play and has passion and energy — you can win a lot of games with that.

Coach Reid said he had a conversation with coach Welsh a few years back, and Welsh said, ‘We did it right, we can win a national championship.’ In your view, what does it mean to do it the right way?

Not sacrificing your principles or morals, in terms of recruiting a young man. You don’t have to cheat to do things. There are a certain set of NCAA rules and regulations that you live by. You go in the homes of people and parents and you rep them with integrity and honor. You look a parent in the eye and say, ‘I’m gonna take care of your son,’ and mean it. And then in the end, the greatest accomplishment will be in the development of that player and that person … And then win games along the way, have fun and win games along the way.

Jason Kidd attended the University of California, Berkeley for two years, which sits one spot ahead of the University of Virginia in the U.S. News and World Report’s rankings of the best public colleges and universities in the country.

That’s my connection between this column and Virginia.

Why write about Jason Kidd? It’s pretty rare that you get the chance to meet your athletic idol. It’s even rarer that you get that chance while you hold a columnist position at a college newspaper.

But I just happened to get lucky — I met Kidd a week ago, when the Mavericks played the Wizards — and I’m taking advantage of it. So shoot me.

(Disclaimer: Kidd hit his ex-wife on several occasions, which naturally I do not condone. Note that the key term is “athletic idol.”)

But the reason for which Kidd is my athletic idol is worth reading. He is the definition of the true point guard. There’s a reason why Kidd started on the 2008 Olympic team instead of Deron Williams and Chris Paul. There’s a reason that Mavs teammate Jason Terry said the Mavs were Jason Kidd’s team — not Dirk Nowitzki’s — just a year after he arrived.

I am tired of hearing about how Kidd is “on the decline.” Is he past his prime? Sure he is — his points and rebounds are way down from the pinnacle of his career, though it’s worth pointing out that his assists and minutes are not, and that his turnovers have never been lower. He will likely never win another NBA All-Defense award, which he won nine times during his career.

But “on the decline” makes him sound like he’s withering away, limping into retirement on his surgically repaired knee. And that is just not the case. “J-Kidd” is still one of the best point guards in the game. Case in point are his assists, in which he ranks fifth in the league (9.2 per game). But the numbers aren’t the half of it.

In explaining why Kidd’s 9.2 assists per game are particularly impressive, I first have to slam him a bit. He’s not much of a scorer. Though he improved his jumper late in his career, he’ll only take it if left open. Additionally, he’s not a threat to shoot off the dribble, and he penetrates to pass, not to shoot. You won’t hear teams talking about “stopping” Kidd. Disrupt, pressure, attack, sure, but not ”stop” in the way you would talk about a scorer.

That he does not make a living as a scorer, however, makes his assists all the more unbelievable. For example, take LeBron James — seventh in the NBA with 7.8 assists per game. He also leads the league in scoring, with 29.9 points per game, and ranks second on his team in total rebounds with 7.2 per game. He’s the best player in the league, and the numbers show it. Kidd even admitted that if there’s one player who could average a triple-double for a season, James is “the only guy that could do it.” And that’s saying a lot coming from Kidd, who is third all-time in career triple-doubles.

But, let’s isolate James’ assists for a moment. When you’re a dominant scorer like James, assists come easily — just find the open man. He gets double-teamed, and defenses over-help. The guy guarding Delonte West is half guarding West, and half worrying about James. Teams have to respect James so much, that most of the passes he makes are potential assists.

Kidd, on the other hand, doesn’t have that luxury — he earns his assists. Sure, he has the benefit of some shooters, like Nowitzki and Terry. But they need a catalyst, someone who can get them the ball on time every time. And Kidd does that and more. For every one dazzling assist collected by James, I would venture to say that Kidd has three assists that are at least as high in difficulty. When Kidd has the ball, the entire arena knows he’s not going to shoot, and he still gets close to double-digit assists every night.

“My job is to get [the other] guys going,” Kidd told me. “For me, in my career right now, that’s my job, is to find the open guy, especially when you’ve got offensive weapons like we do here.”

But even the assists don’t tell the whole story. Everyone who has ever coached or played with Kidd has called him the master of the intangibles — the little things. The little things, for example, represent the only reason that Will Sherrill gets significant minutes for Virginia, despite the fact that he is nearly always the least talented player on the floor.

So what are the little things for Kidd? One is anticipation — although he isn’t as quick as he used to be, Kidd still gets 1.68 steals per game while not taking needless gambles defensively. He is one of the best rebounding point guards of all-time (6.7 per game for his career), and not because of sheer athleticism — he just has a knack for knowing where the ball is going to come off the rim, and unlike many other guards in the league, he is not shy about going and getting it.

There are his leadership skills too — Mavs’ coach Rick Carlisle has frequently said Kidd directs the Mavs on both ends. There are the so-called routine plays that he makes that others don’t. Kidd is perhaps the best in the game in a stat that isn’t taken, what I think of as hockey assists — a pass that leads to a pass that leads to a bucket. His decisions in transition are as good as they come in the league; he might not get a basket or an assist, but you often can say, “Man, that bucket wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for J-Kidd.”

Here’s what Carlisle thinks about Kidd:

“He’s got a real pulse on the team, and a good hand on the controls,” Carlisle said. “It’s really key. He does a lot of directing of things — defensively, too — and he gives the rest of the guys a lot of confidence.”

If he’s such a great leader, one might naturally ask, then why has he never won a championship? Just look at the teams with which he’s played. In his prime with the New Jersey Nets, Kidd played with the likes of Keith Van Horn, Kerry Kittles, Kenyon Martin, Todd MacCulloch, Lucious Harris, and a young Richard Jefferson, and made the Finals twice, in 2002 and 2003. The second time, the Nets took Tim Duncan’s Spurs to six games before falling. As ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons writes in his Book of Basketball, Kidd “turned chicken shit into chicken salad in his first two years” with the Nets. After that, he teamed up with Vince Carter, and in doing so helped fans compare and contrast one of the most team-first players of all time with one of the most me-first players of all time. Not exactly a winning combination.

Kevin Garnett needed teammates like Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to win a championship, and Kobe Bryant couldn’t do it without Shaquille O’Neal and Pau Gasol. Only now, as Kidd is beginning to fade does he have players like Nowitzki and Shawn Marion to help him — and, by the way, Dallas is now third in the Western Conference. And, it’s worth mentioning that, in his 15-plus-year career, Kidd has failed to make the playoffs only once: his rookie season. And, in that year, he won co-Rookie of the Year along with Grant Hill. So don’t tell me that the guy doesn’t know how to win.

Is Jason Kidd the best player in the league? Not even close — in fact, he probably never was. (Even in Kidd’s prime, I’d give the nod to Duncan.) He once was the best point guard in the league, but now he’s not even that.

But, if you asked guys around the league, “With whom would you most like to play?” I’d be willing to bet Kidd is in the top five. And, in my book, that’s the kind of player worth calling your idol.

Sophomore guard Whitny Edwards notched 10 points, including back-to-back three pointers late in the second half, to help Virginia top N.C. State at home. Photo by Fred David.

As the clock wound down to six minutes remaining in the second half, No. 20 Virginia saw its lead against N.C. State dwindle from double digits to a mere three points.

Just as the Cavaliers were losing control of the game, sophomore guard Whitny Edwards released a wild shot from the top of the three-point arc. It banked off the backboard and fell through the net.

After grabbing a rebound on the Wolfpack’s next possession, sophomore guard Ariana Moorer hurried down the court and passed to Edwards, again open in three-point range. This time, Edwards’ shot was a perfect swish, putting the Cavaliers up by nine and quieting a Wolfpack comeback attempt. Virginia ultimately prevailed, 73-60.

“Those back-to-back threes were huge — absolutely huge,” Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said.

For the third straight game, however, the Cavaliers emerged with a victory despite entering the second half down a few points. The Wolfpack, who took a three-point lead into halftime, were led by sophomore forward Bonae Holston and senior guard Nikitta Gartrell, who combined for 37 of the team’s 60 points.

“We were in attack mode in the second half,” senior guard Monica Wright said. “I feel like if we can turn that into a first half thing, we would not have to dig ourselves out of that hole.”

Edwards, who has played the role of the Cavaliers’ sixth woman in recent weeks, finished the night with 10 points and six rebounds, but those two baskets were her biggest contributions of the evening.

“They were exactly what we needed after getting stops, and even better being in transition,” Wright said.

Edwards has quietly put together a solid sophomore season, ranking third on the team in scoring and rebounds. Only Wright has played more minutes than Edwards this season.

She still struggles to be aggressive on a consistent basis, though, and she was one of many Cavaliers to struggle in the early portion of last night’s game.

“I do not feel like I played very well in the first half,” Edwards said. “I was not aggressive enough on the boards and on defense. Coach Ryan talked to me at halftime about not being enough of a threat, so I tried to focus on that coming into the second half.”

Edwards was not the only player to show improvement during the course of last night’s game. The Cavaliers shot 16-for-28 in the second half after going only 9-for-27, including 0-for-7 behind the arc, in the opening period.

Though Wright again lit up the scoreboard — totaling six steals, five rebounds, and 26 points on 9-for-20 shooting — she missed several easy baskets, particularly when the game was close.

As her shots struggled to fall, several Virginia underclassmen managed to pick up the slack. Freshman guard Lexie Gerson, starting for the fourth straight game, put up 11 points, while sophomore forward Chelsea Shine and Edwards added 10 each.

“It is comforting to know that if my shot is not falling and we need points then someone else will step up,” Wright said. “That is a confidence every scorer wants.”

It’s that time of the year again, when I’m wrestling myself out of a movie-going coma and somehow getting in shape for class. Since coming off a semester abroad, I had some serious catching up to do — starting with awesome fall flicks The Hurt Locker and Zombieland, as well as this slew of winter films below. There are some I haven’t gotten to yet, like Precious and A Simple Man, but hey, a guy’s gotta eat.

Must See

Up in the Air

The triple threat of a recession theme (depressing), multiple love stories (cliché) and George Clooney as a rich, elitist guy who fires people (yikes) has rubbed some people the wrong way. But to me, the film was timely, cerebral, funny, cynical and sentimental — all at the same time. And the casting couldn’t have been better. Clooney still brings it to the table as one of Hollywood’s trustiest leading men, and both Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga will likely compete for the Supporting Actress Oscar. They taught Clooney’s cold character about the power of human relationships — and in today’s cultural climate, those are more important than ever.

Sherlock Holmes

Here’s another polarizing film, with yet another polarizing star in Robert Downey, Jr. If Up in the Air is a movie that makes you ponder your life and future, Sherlock Holmes is a downright guilty pleasure. The plot is out of this world, the characters — and most of Holmes’ lines — are over-the-top, and it shamelessly sets itself up for a sequel. But it’s fast-paced fun and leaves Holmes’ stiff and proper reputation behind in the dirty London dust.

The Blind Side

Talk about coming into a film with low expectations. The saccharine story line and Christian undertones did not have me enthused. Not to mention Tim McGraw — Tim McGraw?! — in a supporting actor role. But if you need a reason to see it, go for Sandra Bullock. She doesn’t just embody the real-life role of Leigh Anne Tuohy, who takes Michael “Big Mike” Oher, a teenager from the projects, into her home and transforms him into a sports phenom and her family’s adoptive son. Bullock becomes Tuohy, with her frosted blond hair, Southern drawl and rosary glistening in the scorching Tennessee sun. What a moving and unforgettable performance from an actress who hadn’t quite proven herself until this inspirational film came along.

Let Down

Avatar

Many readers would probably have me sacrificed beneath Pandora’s Tree of Life for writing that I despised James Cameron’s extravagant, self-indulgent epic. But the movie was too long, too colorful and packed way too many “crucial” messages — anti-war, pro-environment and pro-Native American — into one weak script, penned by Cameron himself. Not even 3-D could rescue me from my misery. Checking the time less than halfway in, there was no turning back. But my dislike doesn’t seem to be particularly common — Avatar has just become the biggest earner in movie history.

Invictus

Clint Eastwood in the director’s chair. A blond Matt Damon. And the always-lovable Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela. It’s a shame that not even this star power could save the feel-good story about South Africa’s world-winning rugby team that helped unite the post-apartheid nation. The story line sounded decent but was spread out way too thin and plodded on so very slowly. Even though Freeman’s probably going to be up for Best Actor — which he could very well win — the film taught me that even an acting legend like him can’t come close to capturing the awesome, larger-than-life figure that Mandela was.

Nine

Movies with one word in the title just did not sit well with me this break. Nine featured an excellent cast, one of the best I’ve ever seen: Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench and even Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. And all of them singing! Though most of the actresses gave it a game effort, they couldn’t help that two-thirds of the songs were terribly written. Everyone expected a lot out of director Rob Marshall, whose 2002 hit Chicago — also a musical — swept the Academy Awards. But it was not to be this year, when the film crashed and burned, and will likely fail to generate one nomination in any of the major categories.

Wait ‘til DVD

Crazy Heart

Jeff Bridges sheds his Big Lebowski skin to tackle this tough role as a boozin’ country crooner whose fame has faded faster that it takes The Dude to cut a check for 69 cents. It’s like The Wrestler with a guitar. The songs are pretty good, the dialogue’s strong and Maggie Gyllenhaal is as solid as ever. Too bad Bridges’ mumbling means you can’t understand half of his lines.

Broken Embraces

I had really high hopes from this latest collaboration between Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz. He calls her his muse; she calls him her mentor. And in 2006, when we last saw a film of theirs, Volver, on screen, Cruz was given a Best Actress nod. This Spanish film noir mystery/thriller features four plot lines, a great soundtrack and a stunning, charming Cruz, but it failed to fully capture my imagination.

An Education

A great coming-of-age tale, this Brit flick may not appeal to everyone. Like most films gearing up for awards season, An Education also features a varied ensemble cast — Alfred Molina, Peter Sarsgaard and Emma Thompson, to name a few. But it’s newcomer Carey Mulligan, portraying a young student intent on attending Oxford who falls in love with an older gent, that really lights the film aglow. She’s probably up for Best Actress, but even the most well-educated film buffs don’t know if she’ll pull off the upset and win.

As the 120th Managing Board brings its term to a close, we continue an annual tradition of recognizing individuals and groups who have made headlines this past year.

The “Politics of the Masses” award goes to Student Council for implementing Speak Up UVA as a tool for soliciting student concerns. Here’s hoping they can get that zip line up in Lambeth.

The “Surgical Mask” award goes to the H1N1 virus for likely bringing more fear than illness to Grounds this year. Those who have been vaccinated almost hope the next mutation of the virus brings about a zombie apocalypse.

The “Jefferson Never Would’ve Approved” award goes to the nearly-completed South Lawn Project. The fact that it’s under budget and ahead of schedule is nice, but we think students will find the Starbucks inside to be its most redeeming quality.

The “All-Star Recruits” award goes to Tony Bennett and Mike London. Both have yet to prove themselves, but there’s no question they’re seen as substantial improvements compared to their predecessors.

The “Technological Obsolescence” award goes to Corks & Curls, the University’s (former) yearbook, which ceased production because of debt and a decline in student interest. We hope the University’s newspaper isn’t next on the chopping block.

The “Regime Change” award goes to John T. Casteen, III and president-elect Teresa A. Sullivan. We’re not awarding any Nobel Peace Prizes yet, but the University’s future continues to look bright.

The “Slow and Steady” award goes to the Honor Committee. Although we greatly appreciated the careful consideration it gave to each issue presented to it, we hope next year’s committee can make a more concerted effort to address the system’s underlying flaws and decreasing relevance to student life.

The “You Don’t Need it Anyway” award goes to the Spanish department, which decided to include in its announcement suspending the Spanish minor a line about employers’ lack of interest in students having the minor. Though the department eventually retracted the statement, one has to wonder if it realized that its salaries are paid by students seeking a well-rounded liberal arts education.

The “Best Sorority?” award goes to Juicy Campus and CollegeACB, whose anonymous online message boards caused a stir this past year when they showed just how shallow University students can be. With Juicy Campus shut down and little activity on CollegeACB, students have gone back to keeping their hateful thoughts to themselves.

The “Infrastructural Support” award goes to Bill Ashby, Danny Steeper, Tony Santana and the housekeeping staff of Newcomb Hall. We’ll be lucky to have landlords as good as them during the next stage of our lives.

The “Financial Regulation” award goes to Toni Munch, Melissa Gormes, and Ann Schare for their continued assistance and patience in providing banking services during a difficult year. If it was up to us, we’d give them all some Wall Street-scale bonuses.

The “Making it Look Easy” award goes to the members of 120th staff of The Cavalier Daily, who through their tireless dedication have been a sincere pleasure to work with. We will sorely miss their contributions next year but know their immense talents keeps their futures bright.

Hans-Peter Lindstrøm’s collaboration with Christabelle Sandoo on his latest outing, Real Life is No Cool, is painfully disappointing for one reason: Christabelle’s vocals make or break each track on what is otherwise a masterfully produced dance-pop album.

From the very start of the album, one easily sees this to be the case. Opening track “Looking for What” is introduced with chopped, distorted and reversed vocal samples of Christabelle that don’t seem to serve any purpose but to distract the listener from the slow fade-in of Lindstrøm’s smooth and funky backing track that would not seem out of place on an LCD Soundsystem album. That is until Christabelle’s voice tries to steal the aural stage when she begins screeching and fails miserably while doing so. Fortunately, the rest of the vocal work on this track is acceptably serviceable, but the same cannot be said for every song on Real Life.

In particular, songs like “Let’s Practise” and “Never Say Never” suffer the worst from Christabelle’s lackluster vocal ability, with the former containing the weakest vocal work in general and the latter possessing familiar chopped and reversed vocals (think “Looking for What”) being layered on top of what could have been a clean and novel sounding (albeit reversed) dance tune.

Of course, the album isn’t all bad, mainly thanks to Lindstrøm’s creative musical ability that unfortunately jars with Christabelle’s vocal style and substance. The runaway standouts on Real Life are almost certainly “Keep it Up” and “Baby Can’t Stop,” which effectively channel and pay shameless homage to Prince and Michael Jackson, respectively, without sounding like derivative rip-offs. Another track worth mentioning is “High & Low,” simply because it seems to make the best use of Christabelle within a more original context. Vaguely reminiscent Mondo Grosso synth work accompanied by light echoes of Christabelle work better than almost all of the singing on the rest of the album.

In addition to the main, 10-track album, Real Life offers two other discs — one comprised of remixes and another housing the 43-minute, psychedelic behemoth better described as Lindstrøm’s re-envisioning of the Christmas classic, “Little Drummer Boy.” Though the remixes are thoroughly enjoyable, arguably more so than their original counterparts — most notably Aeroplane’s funked up take on “Baby Can’t Stop” — “Little Drummer Boy” is vaguely novel at best — and even that doesn’t last through its lengthy progression.

In sum, Real Life is a well-produced disappointment. Lindstrøm’s unparalleled creative style is matched poorly with Christabelle’s vocal inabilities, which is a true shame considering her lyrics seem thought-provoking, even if at times enigmatic. Unfortunately though, this project emerged through Christabelle’s improvisational songwriting during jam sessions with the Norwegian producer, making it difficult to slight Lindstrøm for his choice in vocalists, because otherwise, Real Life would no longer be a Lindstrøm & Christabelle album.

Editor’s Picks of the millenium thus far:

Albums:

1. Funeral – Arcade Fire (2004)
2. The Blueprint – Jay-Z (2001)
3. Merriweather Post Pavilion – Animal Collective (2009)
4. The Gllow, Pt. 2 – The Microphones (2001)
5. Black & Blue – The Backstreet Boys (2000) — come on, you know  how much BSB rocked. If you were alive in the late 90s, early 2000s, you listened to BSB.

Film:

1. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
2. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
3. The Departed (2006)
4. There Will Be Blood (2007)
5. The Dark Knight (2008)
6. (Because we couldn’t resist): O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)

TV Shows:

1. Arrested Development (2003)
2. Lost (2004)
3. The Office (2001- UK, 2005- US)
4. Freaks & Geeks (1999 – it counts!)
5. The Sopranos (1999 – also counts!)

­—stephanie garcia

I am disheartened to learn that the official flag of the Class of 2012 has been changed. It was recently decided that a vote would be held on whether to change the face of the Class of 2012. A mere 54.5 percent of the Class of 2012 voted in this referendum, and the result was the acquisition of a new, and in my opinion, generic flag to represent our class. And while I realize that there are some more pressing issues at the University, this new flag will represent the Class of 2012 class for decades to come; this will be the flag that flies at every class gathering from graduation to our 50th reunion.
After nearly two years of seeing the previous flag and proudly displaying the decal on my car, I am dismayed at the thought of adopting a new symbol for my class. Though some may have failed to see the beauty in the old flag, I adored every detail, from the font, which is used on other official University documents, to the door to the Pavilion Gardens. Its concept was created before we even first stepped foot on Grounds as prospective first-years. The door on the flag represents the figurative door we walked though to enter the Academical Village at Convocation, and the door that we will pass though at graduation, four years more learned and prepared to learn from out next endeavors in life. I close this letter with the hope to see another vote on the flag in which a greater percentage of the Class of 2012 participates.

Darlene Nnanyelugoh
CLAS II