The agreement to make water more accessible for students at home football games marks another significant step in a growing relationship between the athletic department and the student body. Thursday's coverage well-documented the procedures related to water distribution, but fell short in recognizing the tremendous student efforts that brought the initiative to reality. Pete Petersen, Isaac Wood, and Sterling Elmore all voiced concerns with administrators well before the current first- and second-year classes even arrived on Grounds. More recently, Petersen and Neal Fox were instrumental in creating a referendum which overwhelmingly passed and demonstrated widespread concern amongst our peers. Members of last year's athletic affairs committee made the referendum come to life, spending hours collecting over one thousand signatures to earn it a spot on the spring ballot. This summer, Jamie Mulhare and John Nelson led the final push to strike an agreement with the athletics administration. Many not mentioned have also helped by supporting the initiative in other key roles.\nThe Cavalier Daily has often criticized the athletic department's past shortcomings in its interaction with the student body. In this case, a dedicated team of students persisted over several years to forge a positive relationship and provide a service which is hoped to improve student safety and the gameday experience supporting our football team. Not only is the launch of the program newsworthy because of its presence at games, but also because the efforts of the individuals noted above provide an example for all of us that student self-governance remains alive at U.Va. Congratulations to them and the athletic department for what we hope to be a large success.
David Hondula\nGSAS IV\nChair, Athletic Affairs Committee
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