38 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(05/14/20 7:16pm)
The Cavalier Daily was a central part of my experience at the University, and I am grateful to have been a part of it. People like former Executive Editor Jacob Asch and former Opinion Editor Audrey Fahlberg were wonderful to work with and showed fantastic leadership at the paper.
(04/23/20 7:09pm)
Over a year ago, Gov. Ralph Northam, D-Va., weathered a scandal that nearly ended his political career. Although he has retained his position as governor, the blackface scandal weakened him politically. Seemingly as a form of repentance, Northam has supported numerous pieces of legislation that indicate a sharp pivot to the left and represent a departure from his mostly moderate stances leading up to the events of January 2019. While the national spotlight has moved onto other issues, Virginians still suffer the consequences of being led by a governor who has lost all of his political capital and serves at the pleasure of the far left of the Virginia Democratic Party.
(03/16/20 12:17am)
Sen. Bernie Sanders’s candidacy invites criticism. His proposed spending agenda totals $68 trillion over ten years and he plans to increase taxes on the middle class. His infatuation with oppressive communist regimes in Cuba and Russia would make U.Va. Students United proud. For many conservatives, libertarians, independents and moderate Democrats, such aspects of Sanders’s candidacy render him utterly unpalatable. However, many non-college educated, working class voters on the left have supported him both in 2016 and during the current Democratic primary process. He has done an excellent job of branding himself as a populist candidate willing to stand up to corporate interests and fight for the common man and woman. Despite this, his immigration policy would undermine the economic security of many working class Americans.
(03/03/20 5:08am)
The release of the viral video taken at the University’s recently relocated Multicultural Student Center and the debate over multicultural spaces has galvanized the University community. Questions raised in the video — such as the appropriateness of white students gathering at the MSC — have plunged the University once again into the national limelight over issues surrounding race and ethnicity. The video has over 5 million views on Twitter, and conservative outlets such as the New York Post and Fox News pounced on the opportunity to highlight the decay of collegiate culture in the United States in their reporting of the incident. Colleges and universities — themselves often bastions of privilege — frequently provide fodder for conservative outlets to decry the growing divide between the complaints of students at elite institutions and the challenges facing various members of American society.
(02/11/20 6:05pm)
The University administration has recently announced several construction projects that will change the landscape of Grounds. Thomas Jefferson’s Academical Village has inspired generations of students, faculty, staff and visitors. Its forms — grounded in Federalism, Neoclassicism and Neo-Palladianism — embody the democratic mission of the University as a public institution. As the University community accommodates arising facility needs through additions to the architectural landscape of Grounds, it must maintain the forms of Jeffersonian architecture to not only preserve visual consistency but exemplify the spirit of the University.
(02/01/20 5:39pm)
The Virginia Citizens’ Defense League has often petitioned the General Assembly on Lobby Day. The event — which takes place alongside the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday — draws concerned Virginians to Richmond to petition their representatives over various issues. This year, however, the organization’s efforts to voice its support for protections outlined in the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights drew approximately 22,000 people to the Virginia State Capitol. After Democrats gained control of the legislature in November, Virginians have grown concerned over a slate of proposed gun control measures. Gun sales spiked in the weeks after the election over fears the state government would ban certain firearms, and the VCDL’s usually quiet Lobby Day event attracted not only thousands more participants than previously, but also national media attention.
(11/19/19 3:44am)
After the results for the General Assembly came in on Nov. 5, Gov. Ralph Northam, D-Va., proudly declared that Virginia “is a blue state!” The Commonwealth — once a Republican stronghold — completed its lurch left as it handed legislative power to the Democratic party. With the Governor’s Mansion and General Assembly now under Democratic control, Virginians can expect sweeping changes to the Commonwealth’s laws and economy.
(11/04/19 4:41am)
Virginia Democrats — who expect to take control of the General Assembly after the upcoming elections on Nov. 5 — have put forth a progressive agenda to make significant changes to the Commonwealth’s laws and economy. Former governor and shady businessman Terry McAuliffe, D-Va., recently asserted that Democrats “are going to make Virginia a new state.” However, such a radical change demands some form of justification — which progressives have yet to articulate in any logical manner. Policy initiatives including increasing gun control, ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment and raising the minimum wage would damage the character and economic climate of the state. Come Election Day, Virginians must reject efforts to model our Commonwealth after the failures of California, New York and other progressive strongholds. Incursions into the freedoms of Virginians will invariably prioritize the interests of progressive elites over the needs of the Commonwealth and its people.
(10/14/19 3:35am)
As the University has re-examined its historical landscape over the past couple years, the administration and Board of Visitors have decided to make several changes regarding the memorialization of certain individuals and groups on Grounds. Some of these revisions include the construction of the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, the removal of the Confederate plaques on the Rotunda and the re-dedications of Yen House and Pinn Hall. These decisions figure into a much larger national discussion on the memorialization of certain figures and institutions with complex legacies — and the lack of recognition for others.
(09/27/19 7:40pm)
The New York Times recently published an article regarding an allegation of sexual misconduct against now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. However, shortly after the story’s publication, readers and commentators criticized the paper for leaving out several details about the sourcing and substantiation of the material. As the paper has reported on the Trump administration and other conservatives over the past several years, The Times has established itself as an agenda-driven newspaper and has consistently failed to deliver objective reporting. Its most recent failure only highlights its unwillingness to approach reporting with any semblance of candor.
(09/17/19 2:10pm)
As the University reinvests in its football program, Virginia fans have already come to expect more from the Cavaliers. After defeating the University of South Carolina in the Belk Bowl last season 28-0 and a solid start to this year with victories over the University of Pittsburgh, William and Mary and Florida State — which saw the largest crowd since 2015 for a Saturday game — Wahoos are cautiously optimistic that Virginia football has moved past its darkest days. However, victory is never certain. The Cavaliers can expect especially tough competition as the season progresses from Notre Dame and Virginia Tech.
(06/14/19 11:52am)
Immigration reform has consistently emerged as a key issue in political campaigns for decades, but partisan politics have consistently blocked needed change to our current immigration policy. A thorough review of the processes by which those seeking legal and citizen status obtain such approval from the United States government is long overdue. However, given the bickering from both Democrats and Republicans that has persisted election cycle after election cycle, such reforms are unlikely to take place in the near future.
(04/17/19 2:03am)
Professors have rightfully been thought of as an essential part of the college experience. They lead and influence students as they discover and refine their interests and grow intellectually while at college. Given the increasingly polarized political climate, many feel compelled to advocate for issues they think deserve attention. Professors and administrators — like every citizen — hold convictions about certain issues. Given their position of influence in the intellectual development of college students, they also have access to a platform that allows them to express those ideas. However, to best serve their students and make the college experience as worthwhile as possible, professors must seek to provide students the tools to form their own opinions and conclusions instead of indoctrinating them.
(02/18/19 4:25am)
Within the scope of a week, all three of Virginia’s top Democratic leaders became mired in scandal. Gov. Ralph Northam’s (D) comments on abortion and racist epithets and photographs found in his yearbooks have caused politicians and voters across Virginia and the nation to call for his resignation. Among those was Attorney General Mark Herring (D), who himself confessed to donning blackface in 1980 at a party while attending the University. Meanwhile, Justin Fairfax (D) is accused by Vanessa Tyson and Meredith Watson of sexual assault and rape. These revelations have impaired their ability to lead, and yet they hold onto power out of apparent self-interest. These revelations themselves are concerning. However, the response at national level, particularly from Democrats, also contributes to the damage that Northam’s, Fairfax’s and Herring’s choices have caused. The shame that has engulfed Virginia politics has exposed the hypocrisy plaguing the progressive cause. This hypocrisy has impaired leaders of the liberal movement’s ability to advocate against issues including race and sexual assault.
(02/04/19 4:39am)
Virginia received good economic news from Old Dominion University’s 2018 “State of the Commonwealth” report. For the first time this decade, economic growth in Virginia will meet or surpass the national average, with federal tax cuts and spending contributing heavily towards such growth in tandem with private activity. However, the Commonwealth’s dependence on federal spending and contracts can hurt as much as it helps. Robert M. McNab, ODU economics professor and report director, argues that the growing federal deficit portends an uncertain future for government spending vital for economic sustainability. To safeguard against such uncertainty and extend economic opportunity to more Virginians, policymakers and business leaders should explore further avenues to diversify and grow the Commonwealth’s economy. Texas provides an example for Virginia to follow in transforming an underperforming economy into one of the nation’s most dynamic.
(01/18/19 9:06pm)
The Daily Progress published an article last December detailing the fractured relationship between Charlottesville residents and the city’s police department, among other issues facing local law enforcement. According to the report, police officers are leaving the department at increased rates, and its leadership is having difficulty hiring new officers to fill vacant positions. In exit interviews, former officers often cite hostility from Charlottesville residents and non-competitive pay as reasons for their departure, in addition to others factors such as the lack of affordable housing in the area. Such conditions pose a threat to public safety in Charlottesville, and city officials should work with residents and officers to address these challenges — with particular focus on fostering better relations between the the police and Charlottesville community members.
(11/20/18 5:58am)
U.Va. Students United — a left-wing activist group at the University — recently released a statement criticizing a display set up by the student organization “Towards a Better Latin America” to increase awareness surrounding the current Venezuelan migrant crisis. In their statement, U.Va. Students United sought to defend former president of Venezuela Hugo Chávez and current president Nicolás Maduro and endorse their governing record. The group claims that both “were democratically elected by the Venezuelan people,” and that “imperialist” nations like the United States hold responsibility for the current economic and humanitarian crises facing Venezuela. However, their defense of Chávez and Maduro represents either a loose interpretation of the facts at best or blatant dishonesty at worst. In their crusade to advocate for socialist economic policies and structures, the group is ignoring inconvenient facts about the Chávez and Maduro regimes — and the destruction they have wrecked on Venezuela. The entire University community should condemn their defense of authoritarian despots who disregard human rights and continue to oppress the Venezuelan people.
(11/13/18 1:13am)
Mandating a set curriculum for students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences has been a long-standing practice at the University. By establishing area and competency requirements, the administration seeks to expose students to a variety of academic disciplines at the college level and equip graduates with the skills necessary to adapt in an evolving economy. Effective in the fall of 2017 for certain first years, the University introduced a New College Curriculum focusing on engagements, literacies and disciplines. While the courses offered under the both the traditional and new curricula offer valid approaches to a liberal arts education, the decision to maintain a burdensome level of requirements fails to serve College students as effectively as possible. The University should instead institute an open curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences to foster a more constructive educational experience.
(10/29/18 5:07am)
Charlottesville residents consistently vote Democrat at the state level and nationally, and those same political leanings are reflected in local policy and elections. Current mayor Nikuyah Walker is the first independent to serve in that position since 1948. Since 1960, every mayor except Walker and two Republicans have been Democrats. The Charlottesville Democratic Party claims that they “opposes all forms of discrimination that promote division, suppress equal opportunity, and deny anyone living in this country the right to equal protection under the law.” Unfortunately, Charlottesville’s black residents consistently face unequal treatment in the public sphere. A recent report conducted by the New York Times and ProPublica details persisting racial divides disadvantaging black students in Charlottesville’s public education system. Additionally, affordable housing also remains a problem in the city, disproportionately affecting its black community.
(10/12/18 12:12am)
With election day a month away, voters across Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District will soon need to decide which candidate they will support to represent them in the House of Representatives — if they have not done so already. Republican Denver Riggleman — an Air Force veteran and distillery owner— and Democrat Leslie Cockburn — an investigative journalist — are the nominees to fill current representative Tom Garrett’s (R-Va.) seat after he announced he would not seek re-election. Between the two, however, Riggleman embodies the pragmatism and leadership needed to best serve the University community, Charlottesville residents and the Fifth District as a whole.