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Perfect, for a night

Never this season have I been prouder to be a fan of the Virginia men’s basketball team.Unbiased, professional journalism be damned – last night’s 75-61 victory was awesome. As bad as both Virginia and its fans had been in the home game against Florida State Jan. 24, the Cavaliers and their fans were collectively brilliant against the Hokies yesterday.Let’s start from the top: freshman Sylven Landesberg. He’s been phenomenal all year, averaging 18 points per game going into yesterday’s battle; taking a casual glance at the box score from last night, one might consider Landesberg’s 19 points on 6-17 shooting to be simply the norm – perhaps even a bit sub-par, given the 11 missed shots.The difference between Landesberg’s production last night and his 20-point night the first time around against the Hokies Jan. 10, however, illustrates just how much he has grown. On top of the 19 points, he also had six assists – and they weren’t of the Greg Paulus to J.J. Reddick variety. They were of the type that Landesberg had been somewhat less inclined to make a month ago; rather than putting his head down and thinking of nothing but the rim, he kept his head up and found his bigs, or found a shooter in the corner. Nearly every decision he made in traffic was the right one. Hence the lone turnover last night, compared to the 3.3 per game he averaged coming into the evening and the six he had against the Hokies at Cassell Coliseum. Throw in the nine rebounds that he pulled down, and you’ve got yourself a complete ball-player.Next: the defense. For the first half of the season, nothing worked; Leitao tried man-to-man, 3-2 zone, 2-3 zone, full-court pressure, all to no avail. Then, after trailing by 20 to Boston College at halftime, Leitao finally found something that worked in his unconventional 3-2 zone. Then in the upset win against Clemson Sunday, the man-to-man worked for nearly the full 40 minutes for the first time.“We know we can play defense any way we want now,” Baker said.With both of those weapons at Leitao’s disposal, he bounced back and forth between the two defenses — and it worked to perfection. Going into the evening, all I hoped for was to keep Hokie sophomore guard Malcolm Delaney under 20 points; he shot 3-of-13 for 11.Of course, fans should give a healthy thank you to Jeff Allen for his unique display of affection for the Maryland crowd — flipping the bird — resulting in his one-game suspension last night. Allen or no Allen, though, Virginia gets props for holding the Hokies to 61 points, and in particular, for holding Delaney to 11.“I thought Calvin [Baker], Jeff [Jones], Sylven [Landesberg] — all the perimeter guys — did a terrific job on two of their big three guys, especially Delaney,” Leitao said. “We did a good job of taking his space away.”Then there was the offense, which was, for once, a joy to watch. The offensive rebounding was great — Virginia had 15 for the night — but that’s never been the problem. Rather, movement, whether it was with the ball or of players off the ball, and finding openings below the free throw line were the issue; at times, none of that had happened in the past, and the Cavs had been, well, pathetic.Quite the opposite happened last night, though. Case in point was the sheer number of dunks. Can you remember the last time Virginia had that many throw-downs in a game this season? Or even half as many?“Everybody joined the dunk party,” sophomore guard Jeff Jones said.Finally — the fans. For those of you who read my column every week — in other words, Mom and Dad — you may remember that, the last time we played Virginia Tech, I laid into both Virginia athletics and the fans. In particular, I said that Hokies are better fans than Hoos. If it came solely down to sports, I claimed, I’d rather be a Hokie.First, the disappointing part: I have yet to change my mind. One game doesn’t make a difference, folks.But significant progress was apparent. It wasn’t just that students turned out in droves; that should be a given for Virginia Tech. It was the atmosphere of the game. It was the fact that fans arrived to the game educated enough in the opposition to chant, “Doc-tor Pepp-er!” in honor of A.D. Vassallo, who was charged with shoplifting a 12-pack of the beverage from a convenience store. (Even more impressively, this was despite the Hoo Crew’s failure to include Vassallo’s escapade on the hype sheet e-mailed to all students before the game — the Hoo Crew ought to take a look in the mirror for that faux pas.)All in all, it was perfect. Who knows where Virginia can go from here?“You can win the [ACC] Tournament,” junior Calvin Baker said. “You never know what can happen.”Hold the phone. I’m all for optimism, but let’s just take this win as a positive sign.On the other hand, a positive sign is, in itself, a complete 180 from where Virginia was in January.

Cavs toe rubber in first action of spring Saturday

The Virginia softball team will begin its 2009 campaign this weekend, and judging by the Cavaliers’ 15-39 (6-15 ACC) record last spring, the team will need to play very differently if it is going to see more success on the diamond this year.The team will face Middle Tennessee and East Carolina back to back Saturday and Sunday at Greenville, N.C. While neither opposing team is nationally ranked, East Carolina received votes in both the USA Today and ESPN preseason polls and is expected to contend for the Conference USA title. Middle Tennessee may not be on the national radar, but it should also challenge Virginia during the Cavaliers’ first weekend.One positive for the Cavaliers will be the experience, albeit with a lack of victories, that they boast this year. Seven of last year’s starters are returning, including junior Kelly Haller and senior Carly Winger, who led the team in batting average in 2008. Five other team members were letter-winners last season as well. Captain Casey Steffan is one of four seniors that will lead the squad as it attempts to shake the 2008 team’s losing habits despite its similar roster.“The main problem [last season] was just getting everyone on the same page,” Virginia coach Eileen Schmidt said.Team members hope that they have generated better chemistry during the past year. If the returning players cannot find the solution to last year’s struggles alone, the team hopes that a new batch of freshmen will provide needed energy. The two starters who graduated in 2008 ranked third and fourth on the team in batting average, but Schmidt said she believes two freshmen receiving immediate playing time will fill the void. Clara Kendall of Jacksonville, Fla. — who was named to Florida’s All-State team as a senior — will start at shortstop and Giannina Cipolloni from Philadelphia, Pa. will likely play center field. Two other freshmen, utility player Rachel Harvey from Bluemont, Va. and pitcher Stephanie Coates from Gloucester, Va., could also play a crucial offensive role on the team, Schmidt said.“We’ve moved the infield and outfield around a lot and put [former starting shortstop] Winger behind the plate,” Steffan said. “The first years have also helped a lot.”Additionally, players also believe the team has improved its talent on both sides of the ball. The team enjoyed an abbreviated winter holiday so that it could come back and start training, Schmidt said, and the team should be physically well-prepared for the season ahead. Because all three starters from last year are returning to the mound, the pitching appears to be more well-rounded, and this season’s hitters also added that they, too, have improved and are looking to become more consistent this year. “We need to perform at the highest level,” Schmidt said, noting that the team cannot perform as it did last year. In this regard, this weekend’s match-ups should provide an early look at how the rest of 2009 might play out for the Virginia softball program.

Glasvegas glitters and fades

I feel like I need to start out by giving myself a pat on the back for coming into this review with complete and utter neutrality. Before hearing the first notes of the opening song of Glasvegas, the first full album of a band by the same name, I had absolutely no knowledge of their genre, their popularity or their nationality (other than a vague notion that the band was from Nevada).Their nationality, in fact, is one of the most fascinating aspects of Glasvegas. The band is Scottish, yet vocalist James Allan certainly is not the watered-down British rock singer whose accent dissipates into instrumentals and melody. To the contrary, his verbal articulation is so determinedly Scottish that lyrics are often unintelligible to the American listener. By the album’s second track, “Geraldine,” I had to refer to an online lyric database to make sure the verses actually were in English.Allen’s accent manages to complement and hinder the band’s work simultaneously. A grown American man yearning for a “kick-a-bout in the park,” as does the singer in the track “Daddy’s Gone,” would sound absurd. Coming from Allen’s boyish pipes, however, the cry is heart-wrenching. Somehow, a British accent seems to make every lyrical faux pas seem excusable.On the other hand, if the band’s lyrics are in fact moving, those of us on this side of the Atlantic are to remain (at least without the help of information technology) oblivious. To the untrained ear, the opening lines of “Polmont on My Mind” (which apparently repeats the phrase “fate fatal fate”) sound alarmingly like a shout-out to a man named Phil. Of the lyrics on the album that can be distinguished, a noticeable percentage are of the type that likely would be censored from public radio.Allan’s vocals, though often charming, are unfortunately the band’s most notable idiosyncrasy. Though their sound is far from punk-rock hackneyed, the album, coupled with its dramatic instrumentals and mournful melodies, reminded me immediately of a less experienced, much more Scottish version of Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” record.Calling Glasvegas inexperienced, of course, is hardly unfair — this album is their first full work. Like many other bands at this stage, the Glasvegas songwriters have found what they deemed as their own sound, perfected it and reproduced it until they had enough tracks to fill an album. If you’re not careful to note track changes, the album’s 10 songs could easily be mistaken for one nearly 45-minute track.That may be an exaggeration. That the tracks hold little variety, however, is not. Aside from several melodies that reappear throughout the album, the 10 tracks also seem to be unified by a common theme: sorrow, regret and a depressing childhood. In some tracks, such as Glasvegas’ single “Daddy’s Gone”, the despair conveyed by the singer and his lyrics are quite potent. On the other hand, at other points in the album it seems as though singer Allan is just looking for something to cry about. Hearing the phrase “I’m gonna get stabbed” in the album’s eighth track “Stabbed” chanted atop a background of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” is little short of disturbing.Basically, if you need to sob for 45 minutes straight without a concrete reason, then Glasvegas’ album is the one for you. If you’re just looking for a good listen, however, “Geraldine,” “Go Square Go” and “Daddy’s Gone” will more than suffice.

The true meaning of Christmas

There are questions that have baffled scientists for millions of years: What the heck is eggnog? Better yet, what the heck is “figgy pudding?” And why do the carolers who sing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” always force their listeners to get in the kitchen and fix them several batches of it? Talk about rude! I mean, let’s get real — if the main ingredient in this stuff truly is figs (I don’t know what they are, either), can it really be that delicious?These important issues naturally lead into a slightly less important, yet equally relevant question: What is the true meaning of Christmas? To find out, let us examine a few of this holiday’s most cherished traditions.According to the disciples of Jesus, the most important element of Christmas is the depletion of one’s bank account via purchasing gratuitous numbers of gifts for one’s parents, siblings, friends, cousins, second-cousins, second-cousins’ cats, ex-spouses, and ex-spouses’ brothers’ nephews’ pet sheep. For years humans, particularly of the female gender, have been wandering aimlessly into stores and buying random cute, little items in bulk, which they then cover in cute wrapping paper and couple with cute Christmas cards depicting fat, bearded men and large, antlered mammals. This strange practice, one that many women begin as early as July, apparently originated in biblical times, when shepherds got sweet deals at Best Buy and were able to buy the baby Jesus an Xbox 360 and Call of Duty: World at War for the price of just two arms and a leg. As the infamously incoherent Little Drummer Boy so eloquently explains in his famous song, “Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum, to lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum...”One particularly heart-warming Christmas tradition centers on holiday commercials, without which families would be unable to gather together in their living rooms and yell obscenities at their television sets, which regardless of channel will not stop re-playing those timeless holiday lottery scratchers commercials or those ever-realistic Lexus commercials. And without the annual December invasion of hundreds of nauseating jewelry commercials, what would become of the sacred yearly ritual of diamond hunting? This tradition witnesses hundreds of men across America guilted into buying their wives outrageously priced fake diamonds at Kay Jewelers, where, as we all know, husbands are required by law to buy something before being able to kiss their wives.And what would Christmas be like without all the fake Santas gallivanting about malls all over the world? Well, probably a bit less ridiculous and a lot less creepy, to be honest. Every year thousands of nervous mothers stand in line for hours in anticipation of seeing their innocent little children climb onto the lap of a middle-aged, overweight, possible ex-sex offender named Joe, whose blatantly cotton beard, empty promises and body odor leave even the children wondering, “Holy s$!#, why is this smelly old dude caressing my arm?”Speaking of Santa Claus, just who is this mind-bogglingly magnanimous old-timer anyway? I mean, here’s a guy who, in the midst of freezing his ass off in inhospitable weather conditions and having to put up with all Mrs. Claus’s crap in the kitchen — where she can’t seem to bake her way out of a shoe — is forced to spend every waking moment of his day fixing countless toys broken by his incompetent worker elves, a species of obnoxious, tiny-handed little brats who — let’s face it — have absolutely no business putting together your Xbox 360. Then, after all his toil in the shop, he is faced with the daunting task of single-handedly delivering gifts to every single Christian in the world via an average-sized sleigh that must hold not only his obese tub of lard but also, by my count, more than two billion presents! And who else to lift this severely elephantine vehicle into the sky but a species of Subarctic-dwelling deer whose genetic makeup renders them just as capable of flying as former President William Howard Taft was capable of running the mile in less than 10 minutes? Poor Santa. Even when he gets back home to the North Pole, the most appreciation he gets is from his drinking buddies, who shout at him, “Hey Kringle! Thanks for the toy! Too bad I’m 40, for Christ’s sake! Now get me another beer!”There are still many other Christmas customs whose meaning and importance have yet to be fully understood. Take the Christmas tree, mistletoe and Frosty the Snowman, for example. Who in the name of Moses came up with this screwball assortment? It will perhaps always be a mystery, just like the true meaning of Christmas, which from where I’m sitting appears to involve love, friendship, togetherness and, hopefully, an Xbox 360.Nick’s column runs weekly Fridays. He can be reached at n.eilerson@cavalierdaily.com.

The United States of Awkwardness

So, I finally have to say it: people from the U.S. really don’t know how to behave when they are abroad. I don’t know what it is, but we just can’t help embarrassing ourselves or, if we aren’t embarrassed, everyone else is.After two months, I have a few stories that make me want to claim Canadian status. I have to accept that some people just don’t realize that the world is heterogeneous and that people have different ways of living. I have also come to realize that the word “respect” is not well known in the U.S. and is especially forgotten by American students abroad. Somehow, people are more demanding, more obnoxious and more oblivious the farther from home they get.For instance, the first week I arrived at my program, I was appalled to find that most of the students took “free evenings” to mean bar time. This would not be so bad seeing as this is common university student behavior; however, a few people felt that going to the bar meant getting totally smashed.One story, which I only heard about but seems valid, shows why you should enjoy the buzz and not the binge. A girl got very drunk, started yelling in Italian in a bar, left all of her things to be retrieved by another group member, walked down the street screaming and yelled at her taxi driver and threw U.S. money in his face. Not the best impression you can give in the first few days of your stay.While I now realize that my view of studying abroad as a time to learn and live among Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman ruins and an awesomely different culture was naive and idealistic, I did not know that for most people, going abroad meant partying. In Turkey, luckily, this seems somewhat tempered by the social climate, but I was still surprised.It seems to me that once outside the U.S., people think everyone should understand them and bend to their whims. You really need to pack some flexibility and adventure in your bags, especially if you go to a country that is not particularly “Western.” The great thing about going abroad is finding differences and reevaluating your expectations.Additionally, while I don’t think people should try to behave exactly like a native, a little understanding of the cultural situation goes a long way. For instance, while visiting Istanbul and standing outside the Greek Patriarchate (the Vatican for Eastern Orthodox Christians), one of the guys started dancing and singing. The guard asked what kind of behavior that was for such a place. It pays to know a little bit before you arrive to avoid extremely awkward and embarrassing faux pas.While these were pretty awkward for our group and definitely don’t portray U.S. students as the most polite and aware in the world, the most awkward situation so far was at a concert. I ran into a group of U.S. musicians who were doing a blues tour in Turkey. They invited me to their concert in Ankara. Of course, I went because being on the VIP list is just that cool.The concert was good and one song was particularly awesome. In the middle of the song, however, the woman stopped singing and started talking. Now, it is important to be aware of your audience, and the audience’s comprehension of English was limited. Secondly, it is important to have some cultural awareness. To avoid being like Richard Gere kissing an Indian movie star, it’s important to know what is overtly incorrect. But, this musician missed that part of the prep talk.She started off rather nicely by saying she loved Turkey. She then said she loved the call to prayer because it sounded beautiful and because “Turks have five set times to get on their knees and pray to God.” At that sentence, my friend and I cringed. To make matters worse, she continued talking about the subject for five more minutes.Know your audience. Know the country you are visiting. Ankara is Ataturk’s capital of modernity. Religion is a hot topic in Turkey, and people just wanted to hear some blues.So, all I’m saying is, if you want to go abroad — be it for a week or a year — know a little about where you’re headed. Have respect for people’s ways of living and try not to be obnoxious. Life is awkward as it is. Throw in a different language, a different culture and a little U.S. ethnocentrism, and everything just goes to hell. Jessica’s columns ran biweekly Tuesdays. This is Jessica’s last column. She can be reached at j.walker@cavalierdaily.com.

McKnight in shining armor

The preseason basketball pundits ask again and again if the Virginia women’s basketball team — which tips off its season Friday at 7 p.m. against High Point at John Paul Jones Arena — can overcome the hole left by recent graduate Sharneé Zoll, as if she’s the only player the Cavaliers will be missing. Please! Let me tell you about another player Virginia will wish was still on its roster.My experience with this player began last year. I attended nearly every Virginia women’s basketball home game last season, from the preseason blowout against Team Concept to the emotional senior night double-overtime victory against Georgia Tech. From the start, several players caught my attention: Monica Wright, with her dominant court presence, the now-graduated Zoll with her bullet passes and Aisha Mohammed with her ability to dominate the post and grab a rebound against anyone. But there was one player who didn’t really catch my attention until the Cavaliers’ matchup against the Richmond Spiders last Nov. 18.Among the giant Aisha Mohammeds and Lyndra Littleses, I remember seeing a tiny guard. Someone passed the little guard the ball, and — as soon as she got it in her hands — the orange sphere leapt from her fingers and swished through the net. For a brief moment, she had a smile on her face so utterly convincing that even my own troubles evaporated. From that moment on, I knew I liked this No. 21, whoever she was.As the season progressed and I became more familiar with the team, I learned this Cavalier was named Tara McKnight, that she was a team captain and a walk-on. I also learned that, as much as I enjoyed seeing Tara putting up threes on the court, she always played the backup role, getting only a few minutes per game, if any.But Tara never seemed disappointed to be on the bench. In fact, she seemed just as fired up keeping seats warm as she did playing guard. She was always hopping off the bench and high-fiving her teammates during time-outs, smiling and encouraging them, cheering when they scored.But every once in awhile, Debbie Ryan would put Tara in the game again, and Tara would be ready. It seemed every time her white sneakers hit the court, a new life sprang into the Cavaliers. The ball very often ended up in Tara’s hands a little bit outside of the 3-point arc, and nearly every time this happened, the ball soared into the hoop. Count it. Her season 3-point completion percentage was an astonishing .542, a number that topped the ACC by more than 10 percent.I wasn’t the only one who cheered every time Tara sank a three: The whole crowd ate it up. When Morehead State played at JPJ last year, Tara sank three 3-pointers in all, and when that last one went in, the team might as well have just won the national championship. The rafters echoed with jubilant cheers and the PA sounded like a muffled cough in the roar of the crowd.Not satisfied with being an afterthought, Tara continued to light the court up from long range whenever she received playing time. In the away game against Rider, she put up six 3-pointers and sunk five of them.Tara is Virginia’s version of Rudy. Her story is an example of the power of the human spirit. That’s why it’s so appealing and universal. Tara overcame a small body and a small window of opportunity using her big dedication and big heart to play D-1 basketball at a top-25 program. With each of her successes, she forces us fans to ask ourselves what we might be able to conquer with a similarly big dedication and heart.Every 3-point basket that Tara sank wasn’t just a score for her team; it was a score for the little people with big dreams everywhere. Her persistence and passion, whether she was patting a teammate on the back or celebrating a shot she just drained, empowered us and gave us something to emulate.When the buzzer sounded on the Cavaliers’ loss to Old Dominion in the second round of the NCAA Tournament this past March, and Tara walked off the court as a Cavalier for the last time, the team didn’t just lose a leader and a motivator. It lost a little beacon of hope.I think the team will miss Tara. You don’t make a player a team captain two years in a row, an honor bestowed on only 13 players in the program’s history, unless she’s an important component of the team. Senior point guard Britnee Millner said Tara had the most heart of anyone who played for Virginia last year and noted a team of 13 might have difficulty replacing the passion of one.And I know that I’ll miss Tara, too. I always had a blast chanting “Put in Tara!” and seeing her remind everyone on the court and in the seats what makes sports important in the first place.No. 21, Toots, T-Mac — whatever nickname you want to give her — constantly reminded Charlottesville that the secret to success isn’t making the most headlines but making the most of every opportunity and not letting your status as a walk-on prevent you from sinking lots of 3-pointers.P.S. Today is Tara’s birthday! Maybe your present to her should be coming out this Friday to support her old team. Happy 24th, Tara!

Gotta travel on

Amsterdam. Rome. London. Barcelona. These are just a few of the many weekend destinations of my fellow study abroad cohorts. Confident in the invincibility of our youth, the permanence of our generous cash flow and our undeniable American charm and joie de vivre, we travel across Europe during our leisure time. A new generation of savvy jet-setting American youth is breaking boundaries, and sometimes laws, with its fast paced excursions.  Films such as “Eurotrip” and “L’auberge Espagnole” touch on this new phenomenon of impulsive student travel.Bored?“Hey dude, let’s go to Morocco this weekend!” “Dude, yeah!”It seems like such a quaint, antiquated notion that study abroad previously encompassed only one country, rather than 10. Cheap discount airlines such as Ryanair or Easyjet make the seemingly impossible possible, and now my carefree friends have the means to support their increasingly dependent travel addiction. Indeed, some view it as the only means to cure themselves of the trying school week, which, for me, consists of 25 to 30 solid contact hours of intensive French class. While I’ve not yet noticed a considerable leap in my French ability, I have observed that I am not cut out for hard wooden chairs without cushions. Already highly predisposed to daydreams, it is undeniably even more difficult for me to refrain from taking tantalizing imaginary trips when seated in these severe, rigid chairs of doom.  While I completely sympathize with my fellow study abroaders’ travel urges, I cannot entirely support the lackadaisical manner in which they flit from country to country according to mere flights of fancy. In moderation, visiting different countries is an enriching, culturally enlightening experience, but many of my friends are now diehard addicts. I have one friend, who while studying abroad in England for a semester, visited France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Switzerland and Belgium. I’m torn between admiration, jealousy, disbelief and disapproval when I consider her feat. It seems somehow almost disrespectful to the primary study abroad country, which is routinely passed up on weekends for more exotic destinations.  I must admit, however, I am just as tempted by travel as my peers. Ryanair’s 20 euro fare for a roundtrip ticket to London broke down even my reservist notions, and I jubilantly set off for “The Smoke” with two friends. Our hostel was well worth the 25 pounds we dropped for two nights. Though it was a large hostel and inhabited by several hundred weary, sleep-deprived young folk, it was largely a positive experience, minus the copulating Norwegian couple in our room of 12. I would have to say hostel hanky-panky is one of the top travel faux pas, stealing the top spot from fanny packs, Hawaiian shirts and forgetting to drive on the left side of the road when in the U.K.Fortunately, we were soon able to put the hostel out of our minds and with food from Cheap-Cheap Chinese — the actual name of a restaurant we frequented — in our bellies and all-day Tube passes, we had a splendid tour of the city’s attractions with a reasonable price tag. Total cost of weekend: About $100 to $175, depending on how much willpower you had to resist such treasures as teddy bears in royal guard garb.  Although cheap travel is possible, many spontaneous student travelers are not so careful, and some dish out vast amounts of money unflinchingly, even at a time when gas prices and exchange rates are at an all-time high.“Hmm, I’ve spent just a bit over a thousand dollars,” one of my friends commented casually two weeks after arriving in France. “Is that bad?” Flabbergasted, I tried to stifle my shocked, “Whoaaa!” “Whoa — well,” I corrected myself. “Perhaps that is a teensy bit high? But at least you’re doing your part in reversing the economic crisis!”As the weekend approaches again, I hear the familiar country cries of my peers. “Rome! Salzburg! Ireland,” they cry, as they slowly awaken from their sluggish school day despondency and morph into lively, indefatigable creatures. This weekend in particular promises to be a high travel weekend, due to our two days of break Monday and Tuesday. Suddenly, even the most remote destinations are being legitimately considered. In fact, I have to go pack my suitcase for Lyon.Kendra’s column runs biweekly Tuesdays. She can be reached at k.kirk@cavalierdaily.com.

Field hockey triplets make for Jennings family affair at U.Va., Duke, Princeton

Tennis has the Williams sisters, and football had the Barber twins. These sibling rivalries, which must have made for a highly competitive home environment, seem to be the recipe for success. Each of these families has been in the public spotlight and has seen huge accomplishments. Three siblings — let alone triplets — who are also talented athletes, on the other hand, seems almost impossible.Meet the Jennings sisters: Rachel, Tara and Erin attend Virginia, Duke and Princeton, respectively, and play on their schools’ field hockey teams. They attended Emmaus High School in Macungie, Pa., a state that has come to be known as one of the field hockey hubs of the United States. The women’s success on the field and in the classroom can be traced back to their childhood and growing up with each other.“I think they feel that [competition] made them get where they are,” their father, John Jennings said. “If they didn’t have the other two that they were competing against, they might not have achieved everything they have achieved.”They are about as close as any siblings can get; they shared the same room for nearly their entire lives. This has helped them remain close and competitive.“It [competition] caused so many fights,” Virginia freshman back Rachel Jennings said. “We weren’t normal sisters who loved each other; we competed over everything.”Before the Jennings sisters started playing field hockey, they played soccer and basketball competitively. They went to the AAU Nationals in basketball and won the State Cup in soccer. Up until college, their father said his daughters did not lose 15 total games throughout their lives in all the sports they played. For most people, this is enough success to encompass a lifetime, but not for the Jennings sisters. They have been surrounded their entire lives with the success and positive influence of their family and friends. As they progressed through high school, they decided to try something new and gave field hockey a shot; the rest is history. Despite being triplets and similar in many ways, each plays a different position.“We are all at the same [playing] level,” Rachel Jennings said. “We play different positions so it varies. We all [worked] together really well [in high school]; none of us really stuck out.”Among the many accolades the girls collected throughout high school, one of the most noteworthy was a state championship for Emmaus in 2006. As a result of their athletic and academic achievements in high school, they were not limited in their choice of colleges. Rachel and Tara were both two-time All-American selections, and Erin was an Academic All-American.“Since they were 6 years old, they said they were going to different colleges,” John Jennings said, noting the sisters’ friends were surprised when the triplets decided to split up and go to different universities. “The girls always wanted to be separate and more unique.”College would be the first time the girls would spend an extended period of time apart.“It’s weird right now not playing with them because I’ve played with them for 18 years now and all of a sudden we are playing against each other,” Duke freshman midfielder Tara Jennings said.Tara and Rachel play in the ACC, while Erin plays in the midfield in the Ivy League at Princeton. All three schools are currently ranked in the top 15 in the country. Coincidently, Duke and Virginia will play each other this weekend in Durham, N.C. Tara and Rachel are looking forward to being on opposite sides of the field for the first time in their lives.“It’s going to be really competitive when we play each other,” Rachel Jennings said. “We already have a bet on the game.”Erin said she hopes to face either Duke or Virginia in the NCAA Tournament later this year.Despite going to three schools that are relatively far away from each other, the sisters stay in contact and enjoy keeping up with their sisters’ teams and personal statistics.“We all follow each other’s records and make fun of each other, like who has the better record,” Erin Jennings said. “It’s more competitive now, now that we are on different teams.”As the girls experience collegiate success on and off the field, they will not forget where it all started. They developed their desire to be the best they can be by pushing one another and supporting one another for 18 years.“They are three driven girls who are very bright and excel at whatever they do,” John Jennings said. “They will tell you that if it was not for each other, they might not have achieved as much in field hockey and they might not have gotten the grades they got.”

Keystone State losses continue recent trend

The Virginia field hockey team failed to record a win in two road matches in University Park, Pa. over the weekend, dropping decisions to then-No. 5 Iowa 3-2 and then-No. 13 Penn State 1-0. The Cavaliers (10-5) have dropped four of their last five games after starting the season 9-1.The Cavaliers lost first to the Hawkeyes Saturday after falling behind 0-2 in the first half, the largest margin they have faced all season. Freshman back Floor Vogels and junior forward Traci Ragukas tallied two consecutive goals for Virginia to knot the score at 2-2, but Iowa sophomore Amy Baxter’s goal off a penalty corner early in the second half put Virginia away.The Cavaliers were unable to take advantage of several opportunities throughout the game as they out-shot and out-cornered the Hawkeyes. Inefficiency has been a common theme in Virginia’s four losses, as Virginia dominated these opponents statistically but was unable to come up with the win. The missed opportunities against Iowa rolled over to Sunday’s game against Penn State. Once again the Cavaliers failed to capitalize on many opportunities and were shut-out for just the second time this season.The game against Iowa Saturday saw the return of freshman midfielder Michelle Vittese, who had missed the previous eight games because of injury after scoring four goals and two assists in the first six games of the season. Just as Vittese returned to the lineup, however, junior forward Lauren Elstein exited. Elstein was injured in practice last week and missed both games during the weekend.The Cavaliers have had a hard time putting the same starting 10 on the field because of injuries in recent weeks. Elstein’s absence certainly contributed to the two losses over the weekend, though the team made no excuses.“I think teamwork is more important in situations like this,” senior midfielder Lucy Meyers said.Over the weekend, Virginia unexpectedly was able to gain the services of freshman midfielder Paige Selenski. Selenski had been with the junior national team for the Junior Pan American Cup in Mexico City; it was anticipated that she would not play in the weekend games, but she was able to return at the last moment. While in Mexico City, Selenski was able to score a hat trick in Team USA’s victory against Trinidad and Tobago.Even with Selenski and Vittese, however, Virginia was unable to reverse its fortunes on the road. Four out of the Cavaliers’ five losses have come away from the friendly confines of the University Hall Turf Field.Virginia is fortunate to return home and face Longwood Thursday. The Lancers (6-7, 3-2 NorPac) stumble into the game having lost three of their last four games, two of which were to ACC teams No. 3 Wake Forest and No. 7 North Carolina. The Lancers have struggled away from home as well, posting a 1-2 road record.Virginia should be favored to win handily because the game is at home; the Cavaliers have won the last five decisions against Longwood, dating back to 2003. Virginia hopes to continue the trend of offensive dominance: As a team, the Cavaliers have outscored their opponents 47-22, already surpassing their 2007 total of 41. Selenski currently leads the team and is tied for third in the ACC with 13 goals.Virginia coach Michele Madison’s group has played like a team that wants to win a national championship so far this season. The Virginia offense also will receive a boost to its roster with the return of senior forward Liz Hiltz, who rejoins the Cavaliers after one year away from the team. Hiltz is the older sister of sophomore forward Kaitlyn Hiltz, who has scored three goals thus far this season. Liz Hiltz has played in 24 career games for the Cavaliers and has tallied one goal and three assists.“We are still trying to see; a lot of people are stepping up,” Madison said, noting that seniors Lucy Meyers, Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn, and Amy Desjadon “are the only ones that have been with us for four years, so they know what we want and they are just communicating that to the young ones over and over again.”

Players prepare for Iowa, Penn St. without Selenski

The Virginia field hockey team will hit the road this weekend, traveling to University Park, Pa. to take on Iowa and Penn State.These non-conference foes will be a change of pace for the Cavaliers (10-3, 1-1 ACC) as they make their second road trip to battle ranked opponents. The Cavaliers will miss the contributions of freshman midfielder Paige Selenski, who is currently competing with the Junior National Team in the Pan American Junior Championship tournament in Mexico City. She was named National Rookie of the Week Monday by womensfieldhockey.com for her performances against Richmond and Maryland last week. Selenski’s team-high 13 goals this season are good enough to tie her for third in the ACC, usually considered the best conference in the country. Virginia coach Michele Madison noted, though, that the team has other players that are likely to make strong contributions this weekend.“Paige is improving every day,” coach Michele Madison said, but “it’s not just Paige; it’s [junior forward] Traci [Ragukas], [junior forward] Lauren Elstein and [sophomore forward] Kaitlyn [Hiltz].”The Cavaliers will have to rely on their experience and depth to carry them through the weekend since they do not have Selenski’s aid. Nine Cavaliers other than Selinski have scored this season, and Ragukas and senior midfielder Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn are tied for second on the team with seven goals apiece.The Cavaliers will first battle No. 5 Iowa  (10-2, 2-0 Big Ten) tomorrow in a competitive matchup. Iowa’s only two losses this season have come at the hands of Wake Forest and Duke, both of whom play in the ACC. Virginia will clash with both of these schools later this season. The two teams share several coaching links. Madison served as an assistant coach at Iowa from 1982-89; the Hawkeyes advanced to four NCAA semifinals during her time with the team and won their first national title in 1986. Iowa assistant coach Meridith Thorpe, meanwhile, had a successful field hockey career at Virginia from 1995-98. Thorpe, a four-time All-American, became the seventh player in the history of Division I intercollegiate field hockey to achieve the 100-goal mark and is still the all-time leader in goals and points at Virginia and in the ACC. Additionally, Thorpe led the team to its only two national semifinal appearances in 1997 and 1998, was named Virginia’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1997 and was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary Team in 2002. She served as an assistant coach for six years at Virginia.Though Thorpe is widely considered the best player in Virginia field hockey history, tomorrow she will stand on the opposite sideline with the Hawkeyes, whom the Cavaliers defeated 1-0 in the 2006 NCAA Tournament in the teams’ last meeting.Virginia will wrap up the weekend playing No. 13 Penn State (7-4, 1-0 Big Ten) Sunday. The Nittany Lions not only beat the Cavaliers in the first game of the 2007 season but also ended their season with a 3-2 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cavaliers, however, are not intimidated by top-ranked opponents, having already faced many ranked opponents this season. Virginia is 1-1 outside of the commonwealth this season.“We get prepared for every single game the way we get prepared for every game,” redshirt freshman midfielder Pien Hulsebosch said. “It’s not a difference between away and here. We are going to play our own game. I am pretty confident about it. We have a good team.”

How to Lose Friends is flat but mostly enjoyable

There is a pretentious young filmmaker in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People who Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) finds particularly loathsome. He’s self-absorbed, he “thinks cinema began with Tarantino,” and Sidney wants to tear him apart in an article for his magazine. Unfortunately, that kind of biting criticism goes against the magazine’s policy of pandering to the stars and their high-powered publicists. Luckily for me, tableau is a bastion of journalistic integrity, and I am under no such restrictions. Hours after leaving the theater I am still struggling to scrounge up some strong feelings about this movie. How to Lose Friends isn’t a terrible film, but it isn’t especially impressive, either.Sidney Young has idolized movie stars since he was a young boy, so when he is given the opportunity to work for one of the most popular magazines in the world under his hero, Clayton Harding (Jeff Bridges), he jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, Sidney is an enormous idiot who commits faux pas after faux pas. He quickly ruffles the feathers of his serious-minded co-worker Alison (Kirsten Dunst), and an influential publicist (Gillian Anderson). Somehow, he also draws the attention of Sophie Maes (Megan Fox), the new It Girl and star of a critically acclaimed, racy biopic about the young Mother Theresa. Sidney must decide between professional success and his principles, the writer and the starlet.As you might expect in this fish-out-of-water story about celebrity journalism, Simon Pegg stands out from the sea of beautiful faces. Pegg is best known for his comedic collaborations with friend Nick Frost — namely, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Those films take place in an alternative universe where zombie attacks and slow-motion shootouts are the norm. How to Lose Friends is set firmly on recognizable New York asphalt, and because of that, Pegg seems a little out of place. He is just as hilarious, and he still executes over-the-top physical humor with ease, but he lacks the immediate believability that came with his previous roles. Maybe I’m just too used to him in his nerdboy action flicks, but seeing him as the love interest of attractive actresses seems like a bit of a joke.The actresses in question are well-cast. Fox looks like a mannequin assembled by magazine photographers, and she acts like one too. Whether this is her natural state or the result of months of intense character preparation remains to be seen, but she is well-suited for the role. Dunst’s character is clichéd, but her performance makes Alison much funnier and more interesting than the writing probably deserves.How to Lose Friends takes a few notes from The Devil Wears Prada, and like the Anne Hathaway film, it’s a mixed bag. The actors are funny but the story has been done many times before. At nearly two hours, the film is too long, but it picks up steam as it progresses. The movie is generally enjoyable, if occasionally painful, and if you’re a fan of its stars or the memoir upon which it is based, it is worth the price of a matinee ticket.

Getting to know y

I’m from Philadelphia. You know, where this country was born? Ben Franklin? The Phillies? Cheesesteaks? Any of this ringing a bell? A Liberty Bell, perhaps?Okay so I lied a minute earlier. I’m not actually from Philadelphia, but from a really close suburb about 15 minutes from the edge of the city. But when you’re away at college and you are asked about 80 billion times a day where you’re from, “Philadelphia” becomes a far better response than “Bucks County, Pa.” Because let’s face it: When people think of Pennsylvania, they envision a wide, rural landscape interrupted only by the occasional horse and buggy, and maybe some people churning butter. That actually sounds quite nice, when you think about it. Plus, “Bucks County, Pa.” involves a whole lot of vocal effort, whereas “Philadelphia” seems to roll off the tongue.So after spending the entirety of my childhood above the Mason-Dixon Line, coming to the University was, quite frankly, a wee bit of a shock. Back in the world I knew, people never held doors open for those behind them; the only sounds louder than the horns in a traffic jam were the shouts of the drivers; and days were divided into hours, minutes, seconds, and, usually, milliseconds. Ha, you think I’m joking.Now, don’t get me wrong, kids. I love Philadelphia. I love visiting Independence Hall, cheering on the Eagles or even just strolling down Broad Street, taking in the sights. The City of Brotherly Love will always hold a special place in my heart. And for the longest time, I was convinced Philly would always be where I felt most at home, that it could never be replaced. Then I came to Charlottesville and realized that Philadelphia didn’t have to be replaced at all — it just had to scoot over a smidge.The initial transition was hard. I remember getting lost in seas of polo shirts, khakis and vineyard vines patterns. Everywhere I turned, I was confronted by plaid, paisley and seersucker. I even developed a temporary phobia of floral sundresses. And then there was this whole football game tradition. Guys in ties? Girls in pearls? With curls? And maybe something about squirrels? I was a Yankee who simply could not adjust. For a little while, that is. I’ve had my time to adapt, reader, and you know what? I think I like it. That’s right. I simply cannot get enough of this Southern culture. I couldn’t beat them, so I joined them. Not that joining the other side is always a good thing, kids. Don’t try this at home. Peer pressure is bad, bad, bad.Let’s talk about “y’all,” the lovely contraction between “you” and “all” that exists as a staple in the southern region of the United States. At first, I didn’t get it. I would force myself to say “you guys” even though “y’all” was really so much easier. Now, I use the term without thinking, and I am delighted when I do so. Laugh at me if you must, even though I know that secretly you are wildly jealous.Oh, and then there are monograms — whoever thought having your initials stitched out of order onto everything you own could be so fantastic? Sounds like good clean fun to me. And cowboy boots: Every time I slip them on I want to say crazy things like “This town ain’t big enough for the both of us.” I imagine tumbleweeds rolling by me wherever I go. In fact, the only critical element of Southern culture that I haven’t yet been able to accept is — dare I say it — country music. Ick. I give an involuntary twitch every time I hear it. But that’s another story for another time.I’m sure some of you are reading this and thinking that Virginia is hardly Southern compared with the rest of the South, and that I haven’t seen anything quite yet. Not to worry: I realize this, and I look forward to learning more in the future. So while I love running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and pretending I’m Rocky, or visiting the former residence of Betsy Ross, I can still appreciate the Southern hospitality I find in so many of you. So thanks. I owe y’all.Lauren’s column runs biweekly Thursdays. She can be reached at l.kimmel@cavalierdaily.com.

Sijpesteijn, Madison provide spark for building program

The PA announcer at University Hall Turf Field has had to get used to saying Inge Kaars Sijpesteijn’s name a lot this year. The senior midfielder from the Netherlands is the backbone of the No. 10 Cavaliers, who are having one of their best seasons in recent memory.Sijpesteijn is playing her final season in Charlottesville, ending her collegiate career very differently from how she started it. Sijpesteijn began her collegiate career in 2004 in East Lansing, Mich. playing for Michigan State University under Michele Madison. In her one year at Michigan State, Sijpesteijn played in all 20 games for the Spartans, finishing second on the team in scoring with eight goals while also adding four assists. Following Madison’s hire at Virginia in 2006, Sijpesteijn made the decision to join her coach in Charlottesville. Madison is the only NCAA field hockey coach to take three teams — Michigan State, Virginia and Temple — to the NCAA Tournament, and this fact does not go unnoticed by her players.“She is the best coach I’ve ever had, [and] I didn’t want to leave her,” Sijpesteijn said of her decision to follow Madison to Virginia.Madison is more than just a coach to Sijpesteijn; she is a mentor and friend.“She gives me so much confidence in my game,” Sijpesteijn said. “And I have so much fun playing for her [because] she just wants to have fun [and wants you to] give it your all.”The addition of Sijpesteijn and Madison brought life to the Virginia program. In their first year in Charlottesville, Sijpesteijn and Madison helped lead the team to a 14-8 finish and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, its first appearance since 2001. Sijpesteijn was named a first team All-American by womensfieldhockey.com during her first year as a Cavalier, and her performance that year put her in the Virginia record books as well. Sijpesteijn netted 14 goals that season, which tied her for sixth all-time in goals for Cavalier sophomores during a single season.“Inge is just a brick wall,” Madison said. “She’s always there. She is always focused.”This season, Sijpesteijn and the rest of the Cavaliers are 10-3 so far this season, the best mark by the team after 13 games since Madison and Sijpesteijn have arrived at Virginia. Sijpesteijn leads a defense near the top of national rankings that has allowed just 1.31 goals per game.Sijpesteijn and the rest of the upperclassmen have played not only a key role on the field through their efforts to guide a freshman class that has been a big key to Virginia’s success this season.“The upperclassmen are great,” freshman midfielder Paige Selenski said. “They help us so much on the field and off the field. Our team grows so well together and we are so close. I couldn’t ask for better upperclassmen than I have.”

Sway, sway, U.Va!

What a difference a week makes.In Virginia’s 31-0 dismantling of Maryland Saturday, Cavalier fans cheered themselves hoarse, then scratched their heads trying to figure out what happened. Marc Verica was all of a sudden a veritable threat. The defense left Maryland defenseless. Cedric Peerman treated Scott Stadium to a running game that was fun and games. And, as for Maryland’s deep threat Darius Heyward-Bey — wayward he stayed.Oh, and Mike Groh is no longer a foe.The Cavs surely just leapfrogged out of the 119th spot of 119 Football Bowl Series schools in scoring offense. Now, Virginia fans will naturally try to answer the big question: Are Virginia’s early season troubles a hurricane or a monsoon? Did the Cavs just pass through the eye on their way to the other equally torrential side, or will the storm subside in favor of sunny skies?I am a fan, and I’d love to say the former. As I try to grasp this positive outlook, however, a quote from Groh about how his secondary managed to hold playmaker Heyward-Bey and tailback Da’Rel Scott to 69 total yards strikes a chord and puts me in my place.“Really all the credit goes to those guys [in the secondary],” he said. “They went out and made the tackles and beat the blocks.”Of course, Groh did not mean to speak of his players in the context of what this game means for the rest of the season; he simply did what all coaches would have done, which is to give credit to his group for a positive effort after they were hammered by both opponents and the media in recent weeks.And let me also add that Virginia showed a great deal of resilience Saturday. If you were like me, you came to Scott Stadium hoping the Cavs would make a game out of it against the surging Terrapins; winning by 31 points was such a fantasy it was laughable to think about.Groh’s quote, however, is a reminder of Virginia’s rather sizeable Achilles’ heel: talent. You can have all the team chemistry, determination and heart in the world; the intangibles, however, don’t win football games in and of themselves. It’s not the work Groh does pacing the sidelines that matters so much as his visits to Ma and Pa of a four-star running back; quite a bit of that work over the last few years has been unraveled by unexpected departures, and Groh knows it.“Our inventory is a little bit lower than what we expected at this time,” Groh said at his weekly press conference Sept. 16 following the team’s 45-10 loss to UConn. “If we had looked at some of these positions that were going to be stocked a year back and looked forward to this date, the inventory is not quite the same that we anticipated it was going to be, and when that happens, teams go through cycles, and we’re having to deal with those issues.”So, when I look at the depleted Virginia roster, my optimism becomes equally depleted. I tend toward thinking that this game is a blip on the radar screen.Let’s face it; as much as we would like to think Virginia deserves all the credit for raiding Ralph Friedgen’s “fridge,” it takes two to tango. Do you really think that the same Maryland team that won at Clemson a week ago and whipped California on national TV two weeks before that showed up to Scott Stadium Saturday? Don’t be blinded by your own loyalty to the Cavaliers.But, I plead inwardly, what about momentum? Can the Cavs build off a throttling like this to get on a little streak of their own?This point is even more ridiculous. If there’s anything that the last two games, and in fact the entire season, should teach us, it’s that momentum means zip. Reporters love to ask if Virginia can build confidence or momentum off a win or how the team will rebuild after a loss, and time and again, Groh responds rightly that regardless of last Saturday’s outcome, they simply move on to next Saturday with the same approach. And why? A bad loss might deflate fans, but we learned Saturday that the players get just as pumped the following week. By the same token, an explosive win one week doesn’t mean the Cavs have righted the ship. Duke was the perfect storm.  Maryland is the perfect rainbow that disappears all too soon.“This is over pretty quick,” Groh said of the win. “By the time we get in our car, it’ll be time to fully commit to next week.”Last week the Cavs were 1-3; this week 2-3. There’s not much more to it than that. They’ve still got the same deficiencies, the same flaws to try to overcome. This week, they got past those obstacles, but there are just too many “what-ifs” that Virginia has to satisfy on a weekly basis to put together a season that moves beyond mediocrity.Every once in a while, Virginia will give fans a reason to cheer as the team did Saturday. But in sports, like in life, you get what you pay for; the talent that you put on the field reflects output. The performance pendulum may sway from game to game, but talent will bring this team and its fans back down to earth.

After every Chicago Cubs victory at Wrigley Field, Steve Goodman’s song “Go Cubs Go” plays on the PA system throughout the stadium. Tens of thousands of fans stick around after the final out to sing the entire song, whether they know all the words or not. You may think it’s corny, but I can tell you that when you hear the song after the Cubbies win, you can’t help but sing along. Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, is also a die-hard Cubs fan. He recently recorded a song, “All the Way,” which is playing everywhere in Chicago. The song captures the dreams of all Cubs fans — that elusive World Series title — with the line “Someday we’ll go all the way.” This is another song that gives us Cubs fans hope (and maybe chills).But even those two songs don’t have the best lyrics around the North Side: Soriano, Theriot, Lee, Ramirez, Edmonds, DeRosa, Soto, Fukudome, Zambrano ... now that’s music to my ears.Every year I hear the same thing from all the haters. “Wait ‘til next year,” they say. Well — dare I say it? — this is the year. If the Cubs were ever going to have a legitimate shot at a World Series title in my lifetime, it would be in 2008. This is the best Cubs team assembled in my 20 years on this planet, and with home field advantage throughout the National League playoffs, the Cubs are bound to win the pennant and beyond ... right? Right. The Cubs went 55-26 at “The Friendly Confines” this year, by far the best home record in the National League. And, call it a Cubs’ fan bias, but I think the Cubs pitching staff was the best in baseball this year and is in great shape for the playoffs. Ryan Dempster and Ted Lilly each won 17 games. Staff ace Carlos Zambrano recorded a 14-6 record, and midseason acquisition Rich Harden went 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 12 starts. Not to mention the Cubs have a great bullpen, with young studs like Carlos Marmol and Jeff Samardzija, and veteran Kerry Wood holding down the fort with games on the line. The offense had a tremendous regular season: The Cubs hit into the top 5 in the National League in batting average, runs, RBIs, on base percentage, slugging percentage and home runs. Based on all stats known to man, the Cubs are the best offensive team in the playoffs this season, having out-produced the other seven postseason contenders. Also, the Cubbies have a great manager in Lou Piniella. Nothing spells doom for this team, unlike in previous years, so yeah, I’m going to be downright optimistic this October. When asked earlier this year about the fact it has been 100 years since the Cubs last won a World Series, Piniella said he told his players not to hold themselves accountable for the last 99 years but only for this season. This was a brilliant line, and most people really don’t understand just how important that statement was. Sure, it makes for fun conversation and Cub-fan heckling that the franchise hasn’t ordered championship rings since 1908 (if they even did back then), but how can Soriano and Co. be forced to bear the burden of 100 years? The 2008 Cubs didn’t fail to win a title in 1909, 1910, 1911, and so on. So, Cubs fans, don’t freak out about the 100-year thing. It really doesn’t matter. I’ve waited more than a year to write a column on my beloved Cubs, but I can wait no more. When the Cubs take on the Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs, I ask that you keep your curse jokes to yourself and let me and the rest of the Cubs fans enjoy the rest of the ride. For better or for worse, I’ve been a Cubs fan for 20 years, and this just might be the year that I can celebrate.  But, if I had to ask the Cubs players to win as a favor, it wouldn’t be for me. I’d ask them to win for Ernie Banks, “Mr. Cub” himself, who never had the chance to play in the postseason in spite of his Hall of Fame career and genuine enthusiasm for the game. I’d ask them to win for legendary broadcaster Harry Caray, who entertained the Wrigley faithful for years without tasting a championship. And, I’d ask them to win for Cubs fans who have been with the team since well before I was born, who deserve to see a championship in their lifetimes.As Vedder sings, “There’s magic in the ivy and the old scoreboard.” In 2008, there just might be enough magic to end the drought and bring joy back to Wrigleyville. And, you better believe I’ll be singing along with the Bleacher Bums (from Charlottesville) when they play “Go Cubs Go” at Wrigley.

City registrar asks for clarity in student voting

Charlottesville General Registrar Sheri Iachetta will appear before a U.S. congressional committee today to discuss college students’ voting rights in the towns in which they study and reside.In appearing before Rep. Robert Brady (D-Pa.), who chairs the Committee on House Administration, and his peers, Iachetta intends to clarify these rights as they apply to Charlottesville and the commonwealth of Virginia.Although students are allowed to vote in the city where they attend school, Iachetta said she feels that few students are aware of that right and that some cities may be discouraging students from voting.“I have heard concerns from [other registrars] across the state that students are registering in dormitories,” Iachetta said. The problem other registrars may have with this, Iachetta said, is that students may not plan on staying in the communities in which they attend school after they graduate and should, therefore, not vote in those districts as short-term residents.Iachetta added, though, that she believes “determining a voter’s intent [to stay in the state] is not our job to decide.” According to Iachetta, Virginia has had a history with voter disenfranchisement among minorities and should be careful of discriminating against students as a minority voting group.“You don’t want to create a special class of citizen, especially in a voting rights state ... Students are being categorized and segregated,” she said. “They are young adults, it is their decision.”Iachetta noted that students contribute significantly to the communities where they attend college through volunteer work and by stimulating the economy in their adopted towns. She said Charlottesville in particular is a “bustling metropolis nine months of the year.”“Have you seen the corner in the summertime? It’s dead,” she noted.Eugene Resnick, an out-of-state third-year College student from New York who is registered in Charlottesville, said believes he has every right to vote in Virginia. As a member of the University Democrats, Resnick said he recalls an e-mail the organization’s members received from Iachetta.“I got an e-mail from her letting U.Va. students know that [they] can vote here,” he said. “She was actively saying ‘Vote. Please vote. You will be allowed to vote.’”Resnick said he chose to vote in Charlottesville rather than via absentee ballot because of how significant he believes Virginia will be this election.“We have an important congressional race [and a] very close presidential race,” he said.As an in-state resident of Stafford, Va., second-year College student Joanne Lucas said she has chosen to vote in Charlottesville as well. Along with the convenience of voting in Charlottesville, Lucas said she does not trust the absentee voting system. “There’s a lot of controversy around [it],” she said.Fourth-year Engineering student David Horres, on the other hand, said he has decided to vote by absentee ballot because he knows he won’t be in Charlottesville after he graduates.Jordan Fix, a second-year Engineering student and a Florida resident, said he is also voting by absentee ballot because he registered prior to coming to Charlottesville.“I feel like they’re both pretty close states,” he said. “Either way I might actually make a difference in terms of my vote.”Iachetta said overall she hopes to make sure students know they have a choice about where to make their vote count this election, whether through the mail or at a community polling place.Iachetta added that after her meeting with Congress today, she will continue to work closely with the General Assembly on clarifying the rights of student voters.

That Lucky Old Sun rises again

When Brian Wilson’s new release came out last week, in all honesty — and may the gods of Rock ‘n’ Roll smite me for saying this — I wasn’t expecting much when I sat down to listen to the 66-year-old former Beach Boy’s latest work.Though generally well-received by critics (including this one), That Lucky Old Sun has its flaws. It’s good, but it’s not Wilson’s best. The scattered success of the album is not unique to Wilson — his contemporaries, big names of the 1960s who have forged new albums in the years since, have received similar reviews. Wilson’s musical creativity, like that of his brilliant contemporary Paul McCartney, has faded but still shows flashes of genius. McCartney’s last album (Memory Almost Full) simply wasn’t memorable, save a few excellent songs (please, rock gods, have mercy). Of course, when you have a reputation like Wilson or McCartney, your past work makes for some pretty tough competition.In the same way that Memory still has its gems, That Lucky Old Sun is, overall, a pleasant surprise. Despite Wilson’s long-running history of mental illness and depression (including more than three years during which he confined himself to his bed and overate), the album is chock full of bouncy and blissful tunes that remain strongly reminiscent of his Beach Boy days.In fact, the consistently bright mood of the album — which at times seems to tease the boundaries between cheerful and sickening — is among the album’s few flaws. Only “Midnight’s Another Day” gives any hint of the struggles that defined Wilson’s life for decades. Still, the song’s lyrics and dramatic piano part are truly affecting, providing more of a window into Wilson’s mind than any other song on the album. One particularly personal line reads, “All these memories / made me feel like stone. / All these people / made me feel so alone.”At the other end of the mood spectrum from “Midnight’s Another Day” are the four awkwardly gleeful “Narratives” ­— my main issue with the album as a whole — that surface occasionally between songs on the album. The narratives, which feature Wilson’s voice performing something like a poetry reading, successfully cross the line from sweet to sickening. The verses are odd and disjointed, as though words were chosen at random with no connection other than a rhyme scheme.Although the narratives’ lyrics may at times flirt with poetry, it’s hard to believe Wilson put too much thought into them. A line appears in “Narrative: Between Pictures,” for example, claiming that “‘To be or not to be’ / now is part of the heartbeat in L.A.,” inadvertently making the suggestion through literary reference that the entire city is suicidal.While Wilson’s evident enthusiasm here is admirable (aren’t we all glad to see him back on his feet, both literally and figuratively?), the way he delivers his pseudo-poetry is admittedly a bit over the top. His voice randomly fluctuates, adding emphasis to rhymes and attempted puns, making the tracks sound like a preparation for storytime with Mister Rogers.As for Wilson’s voice during the actual music, listener appreciation is dependent entirely on expectations. Those avid Beach Boy fans who hoped the new album would be a showcase for Wilson’s voice (despite the fact that four decades have passed since his days with the Beach Boys) will be mildly disappointed.Wilson’s pipes, like McCartney’s and those of every other 60-something-year-old musician (with the exception of James Taylor), occasionally show their age. In songs like “Forever She’ll Be My Surfer Girl” (which thankfully, given the singer’s age, turned out to be a nostalgic ode rather than a song about actually surfing), Wilson once again pulls out his 1960’s-esque falsetto. While the song is altogether successful, the high notes are quavering and a bit frightening.For someone his age and with his rocky psychological history, Wilson’s new album That Lucky Old Sun is a bundle of joy, despite the occasional vocal and lyrical faux pas. Given my preliminary expectations, the album is worth every second — excepting the horrendous narratives — it takes to listen to it.

Holes in your logic

It’s the picture of freedom in its most rebellious state: Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed pose on the cover of the movie “Thirteen” displaying suggestive tongue rings. OK, let’s get real. You’re at U.Va now, so that probably means that you were far too busy with the science fair at age 13 for a life of not above-the-influence sin.But now that you’re here, why not go out and get pierced and play the fun game of “how do I hide this from Mom and Dad” every time you go home? There are a couple of reasons not to, depending on the inconspicuous location you choose. While piercings can provide your body with extra flare, there are certain risks associated with them.Location one: The tongue. You know what they say about girls with tongue rings? Nothing. Everyone is too busy looking at their chipped teeth. Or, in the case of one young woman as reported by the Academy of General Dentistry, a second tongue — the woman found a massive lump growing adjacent to her piercing. While it was not harming her in any way, it was strange and it was growing. Ellis Neiburger, who conducted the study, recommended, according to Medical News Today, that if you must have your tongue pierced, you should wear a shorter bar so this type of scar tissue doesn’t form. He also recommended plastic balls capping off the tongue ring, rather than metal ones.Location two: The lip. Sure, it looks cute on Tom DeLonge. But you aren’t his dentist. Ask anyone in the dental profession, and they’ll have you know that lip rings create gum recession by irritating your gums. Your gums creep down, exposing more of your teeth and getting closer to the root — making your teeth more sensitive and susceptible to cavities. A study conducted by Dr. Dimitris Tatakis found that 40 percent of people with piercings experienced gum recession, while only 7 percent of people without piercings experienced it. One thing you can do if your lip is pierced is switch to a shorter bar so less of your bling protrudes onto your gum.Location three: The nipple. I am still unsure of the reasoning behind this one, but they are as prevalent on the Jersey shore as family-owned pizza joints. Risks include nerve damage, hematoma, nipple cysts, keloid scarring and more. Women with nipple piercings sometimes fear that they have cancerous lumps in their breasts, but that is probably just hardening around the piercing in reaction to the metal.Location four: The navel. Although I vowed never to have one of these after a girl in my class told the story of how her belly-button ring got caught in the ring of her binder, it is a very popular piercing in the United States. It takes about six months to heal, and if you’re not going to clean it, don’t do it. It is also a piercing — similar to an eyebrow ring — that is associated with rejection caused by the pressure created by an improper piercing. Rejection is rare if a piercing is done professionally.Location five: The genitalia. For men, the most popular one is the Prince Albert. They say boys shouldn’t cry, but I suppose this piercing is the one exception we’ll allow. During the first couple days of the healing process, it is actually normal to urinate and dribble blood from the penis. If a PA wearer decides to downsize or remove his piercing, he could experience two streams of urine (a fun party trick). Most men with this piercing report that it enhances sexual pleasure for both partners.For women, the clitoral hood piercing is one of the more common genital piercings. Despite what you may have heard in urban legends, these do not cause spontaneous orgasms throughout your day. One risk associated with this and all genital piercings is that the fresh wound makes you more susceptible to STIs during intercourse. While piercings are a decorative tradition that has been around for centuries, they carry a variety of risks that are often overlooked in the heat of rebellion. So before you decide to go out and anger your parents, make sure you’re prepared for the potential consequences.

Chwoong Hwa Woon: Head north for a Korean-style Chinese feast

Just two hours from Charlottesville, you can experience not just a taste, but a whole heaping platter of Korean culture. Annandale, Va. is home to a small-scale Koreatown, complete with Korean restaurants, bakeries, dry cleaners and tuxedo shops that line the streets, one after another.Nestled at the corner of John Marr Drive and Little River Turnpike/Route 236 ­— the heart of this Korean community — sits a Korean-style Chinese restaurant named Choong Hwa Woon that is well worth the drive — despite the limited parking you will encounter upon arrival.Inside, the bright, spacious single room of Choong Hwa Woon bore a striking resemblance to a hospital cafeteria. Just audible over customers’ chatter, servers called out “Ahn yung ha se yo!’ – Korean for “hello, how are you” – as I walked by. I sat down at an eight-person table in the center aisle, which various customers share when the tables along the sides of the restaurant are all occupied. As I waited for the waitress, I was quickly offered a cup of warm barley tea by a busperson. If barley tea is not your cup of tea, you can help yourself to a free cup of fresh coffee at the door.Selecting dishes is more challenging than choosing between tea or coffee: Specials are printed in Korean on signs along the walls, but when I asked a server what they meant, she replied simply that I wouldn’t like them since I’m not Korean. She offered no more explanation, and it seemed fruitless to ask any further questions. Though half in Korean, the menu proved more helpful; printed on a plain, one-sided sheet of paper, it offered brief descriptions of dishes in English.After the waitress took my order, a waiter set down four side dishes, or banchan: one of kimchi (seasoned, fermented cabbage), one of sliced raw onion and pickled daikon radish, one of black bean sauce, and one of soy sauce with thinly sliced jalapenos. Despite its chili flakes and alarmingly red appearance, the kimchi was relatively mild in spiciness. Its napa leaves instead burst with a bold garlicky flavor that momentarily numbed my senses. The sliced pickled daikon radish, or danmuji, complemented the kimchi with its sweet taste and crisp bite, similar to that of a pickle.Next came a plate of crescent-shaped fried dumplings ($4.99), still sizzling on a paper doily. Each dumpling bulged with a pork and green onion-based filling, enveloped in a dumpling wrapper and fried to a light golden-brown color. When paired with the jalapeno-soy sauce, each bite fused the sauce’s pleasantly mildly spicy kick with the rich, meaty flavor of the dumpling, ending in a satisfying crunch. Then, as Choong Hwa Woon prides itself as a “Korean-style Chinese restaurant,” I thought it was fitting to order a Chinese classic — the beef lo mein ($8.99), which was served with rice and a bowl of miso soup. The noodles, cooked a little past al dente, were sautéed with a colorful mélange of vegetables — including young broccoli, red pepper and onion — and tender slices of beef. This Korean flavor-infused dish had a bit of sweetness not found in its saltier Chinese counterpart. Together, the tantalizing blend of flavors led me, for once, to eat all of my veggies.The last of the three dishes to arrive was the Hae Mul Pa Jun ($14.99) — “assorted seafood pancake,” as its description read — which had been heartily recommended by the waitress. About nine inches in diameter and sliced into eight pieces like a pizza, this pancake looked vaguely reminiscent of the Chinese scallion pancake. The taste, however, was not. The description was slightly misleading – “assorted seafood” turned out to mean squid and tiny bits of shrimp. Each bite, however, seemed to bring only mouthfuls of jalapenos and strips of green onion loosely wrapped in greasy dough. The result was a spicy, yet dull-sweet oily chunk that falls apart both in your hand and in your mouth.Though the seafood pancake was somewhat of a disappointment, the delicious beef lo mein and fried dumplings more than made up for it. The generous portions were a bit overwhelming, but well worth their prices. All in all, Choong Hwa Woon has definitely won my heart.

... And this is the Rotunda ...

If there's one time during the year when the commonwealth of Virginia decides to put on its Sunday best and look gorgeous, it has to be the spring. You'd have to be blind to miss the numerous signs of the season: Trees and flowers of all colors are in bloom, jeans and sneakers give way to jean shorts and sandals and TAs decide to hold their discussion sections alfresco. Added to all these is one more telltale sign of springtime -- that great American ritual known as The College Visit.