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Pragmatic, not proportional

Adding two representatives from the College to the University Judiciary Committee would give the College slightly more power within the organization, but it does not pose the threat some imagine to the committee’s diversity of opinion. UJC should increase the number of College representatives not because it is fair, but because it would provide the organization with more and better judges and committee members.Every school has two representatives on UJC except for the College, which has three. Creating two more seats for College representatives would not create anything near proportional representation. The ratio of students in the College to students in the Architecture School,including graduate students, is not 3 to 2 — it’s more like 19 to 1. If UJC were to create a system of proportional representation, the number of representatives from the College would outnumber those from all other schools.That’s not the best system. There’s no particular reason UJC needs to be representative. Major decisions, like amending UJC’s constitution, are made by a popular vote of the student body, not by the committee members. Giving the College less than a proportional voice makes sense, because as long as every school has a significant voice on the committee, special concerns will be heard. Committee members should bear in mind, however, that though they were elected by their schools’ students, the non-representative structure of UJC means they should act with the interests of all students in mind.The reason to add representatives from the College, then, is not a matter of justice but of pragmatism. Far more students from the College typically run for positions on the committee. If UJC is looking for the best candidates for their organization, it makes sense to apportion more seats to the school that has the largest pool from which to draw candidates. A few of the races for other schools’ seats went uncontested last year, while four candidates for the College seats had to be turned away. Establishing a couple more seats will give UJC access to two more representatives and judges, both of whom are likely to be at least as qualified and motivated as committee members from other schools. UJC has had trouble this year keeping up with the volume of cases brought before it. It would be foolish to turn down this extra help.Though proportional representation on the committee is not important, providing accused students judges from their own school is. Two more judges from the College would ease the burden on UJC, since the College’s large number of students generate a larger number of cases.The biggest problem with proportional representation is that the College would essentially have a veto over any UJC decision. But adding two representatives would not create such a situation. The College would still make up only a plurality of committee members, and other schools’ representatives would have to sign off on UJC’s decisions.Some committee members expressed a fear that with five representatives, the chair and three vice chairs who sit on UJC’s Executive Board could all come from the College. It is not clear why this is a problem, however. The Executive Board is elected by the committee members. If the committee feels that four College representatives are the best candidates for the board, they should be able to elect them. The current arrangement of seats makes it much harder for a student from the College to be elected to UJC than it is for any other student. Adding two more seats would not completely even the playing field, but it would allow UJC to have two additional qualified students on its committee.

Rowing wins three races on Rivanna

The Virginia women’s rowing team capped off a full day of racing Sunday with three victories at the Rivanna Romp held on the Rivanna Reservoir in Charlottesville.The host Cavaliers emerged victorious in the Varsity 8 race, as Virginia “A” crossed the line with a winning time of 13:06.55 to outpace second-place Ohio State “A” by four seconds. Virginia “B” placed third in 13:30.07 to give the Cavaliers two of the top three spots in the 19-team field.In both the Varsity 2 and Varsity 4 races, Virginia also snagged first-place finishes. The Cavaliers’ top four-person crew easily beat Ohio State by 22 seconds for the win, while Virginia “A” and “B” two-person boats worked to a 1-2 Cavalier finish.—compiled by Cayce Troxel

Wrestling goes 1-2 at ACC/Big Ten Clash

Though the Virginia wrestling team won just one of three dual matches Saturday to open the dual-match season, the team had a strong performance at the ACC/Big Ten Clash. The Cavaliers (1-2) beat Michigan State 23-15 after falling to No. 12 Wisconsin 25-15 and No. 9 Illinois 37-9. Virginia was the only ACC team to defeat a Big Ten school this weekend.No. 15 sophomore Chris Henrich continued his dominating performance this season, winning all three of his matches, improving to 7-0 on the season. Both junior Brent Jones and senior Rocco Caponi won two matches, with Jones moving into a fifth-place tie on Virginia’s career falls list with 23 after recording a pin in the Michigan State match.—compiled by Ben Gomez

Field hockey season ends with loss to Wake Forest

Though the Virginia field hockey team avenged an early season loss Saturday when it beat James Madison 2-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Cavaliers fell to Wake Forest 4-3 in round two to end their season yesterday. The Cavaliers got off to a quick start against JMU when Virginia freshman back Floor Vogels scored off a penalty corner in the ninth minute. Junior forward Traci Ragukas was able to squeeze her 16th goal of the season past JMU’s junior goalkeeper Kelsey Cutchins late in the first half to seal the victory for the Cavaliers. The hard-fought game featured three green cards and three yellow cards, which were given to players from both teams.Against Wake Forest, Virginia improved upon its previous performance against the Demon Deacons when the Cavaliers lost in decisive fashion 6-2 Oct. 25 at home. Virginia again had a quick start but could not hold Wake Forest off. Freshman forward Paige Selenski scored in the 14th minute and then added her second goal of the game 15 minutes later, putting Virginia up 2-0. Wake Forest rallied back to tie the game by the 58th minute, however, and scored the game-winning goal with less than five minutes left in the game. For the second time in three years, the Demon Deacons knocked the Cavaliers out of the NCAA Tournament.—compiled by Ben Gomez

U.Va. knocks off Wake, loses to Terps in Championship

The Virginia men’s soccer team lost 1-0 yesterday to No. 4 Maryland in the ACC championship game in Cary, N.C.The single goal came in the third minute from junior midfielder Jeremy Hall.Though Virginia (11-8-1, 4-4 ACC) lost to the Terrapins, the Cavaliers picked up a huge, 3-2 double overtime win against No. 1 Wake Forest Friday in the semifinals of the tournament. Wake Forest scored first during the 53rd minute on a goal by senior forward Marcus Tracy, but Virginia surged ahead with two straight goals, one by junior midfielder Jonathan Villanueva during the 69th minute, and one by sophomore forward Chase Neiken during the 82nd minute. The Demon Deacons refused to go down without a fight, knotting the score at 2-2 during the 89th minute when freshman defender Danny Wenzel scored his first goal of the season. The two teams battled through a scoreless first overtime before Virginia senior midfielder Matt Poole netted a penalty kick during the 106th minute to clinch the win for Virginia and hand the Demon Deacons their first defeat of the season.Virginia now awaits a possible invitation to the NCAA Tournament, which begins this weekend.— compiled by Aaron Perryman

Correction

The Thursday, Nov. 13 Sports page incorrectly identified the dates of the most recent men’s and women’s basketball games in headlines. The men’s basketball team played yesterday, while the women’s team played Friday. The Cavalier Daily regrets the errors.

Love Connection

DomenicFirst-year College studentWhat extracurriculars do you participate in?Nothing at the moment really. I signed up for a bunch of things early in the year, but then the college workload got the best of me and I had to set those aside. I’m looking forward to joining fencing, martial arts clubs and taking a more active role in the ACM [Association for Computing Machinery].What do you like to do in your free time?When I’m hanging out in the dorm, you can usually find me playing video games (I’m currently addicted to Team Fortress 2), trying to install Linux or practicing bass guitar. I also play a lot of Settlers Of Catan (think Risk meets Monopoly) with the rest of my hall.What are the physical and personality attributes you are looking for in a date?Physical appearance is not that important to me, but it is important for me to be able to tell someone does care about themselves and their body. It’s a side effect of my mom being a personal trainer. I’d like to be with someone who is a bit of a nerd, and I like strong, outgoing personalities. What are your religious affiliations?None. I wish I could be religious, but I simply don’t have any faith to believe in anything. I believe in the power of religion, and I don’t want to muck that up by having my lack of faith tarnish its name.What are your favorite TV shows?Essentially the entire Adult Swim lineup. “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” is another favorite of mine, partly because I grew up near Philly.What are your favorite movies and actors?“The Dark Knight,” “Shoot ‘Em Up,” “Spaceballs,” “Manos: The Hands of Fate,” “Kung Fu Hustle,” “Kung Pow: [Enter the Fist],” “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” and “Shaun of the Dead.” What music do you like?Metal, progressive rock and techno are my bread and butter. Favorite bands include Megadeth, Black Sabbath, Trivium, Coheed and Cambria, Basshunter, Rush and Iron Maiden. Absolute favorite band of all time for me is The Mars Volta.What’s your favorite food?Thai and Chinese food. I love spicy food with a passion, and all the bland stuff O-Hill and Newcomb serve drives me nuts. Nothing can beat a nice, juicy filet mignon though.What are your favorite books and authors?My two favorite books are “Nuklear Age” by Brian Clevinger and “House of Leaves” by Mark Z. Danielewski. Some favorite authors are Max Brooks, Alan Moore and Douglas Adams.Describe your ideal date.We go out to a nice meal at Lemongrass, where we both poke fun at our waiter and I order something too spicy and have a burnt mouth the rest of the night. Then we go to the Downtown Mall to see a movie, but get caught in the rain and end up soaked by the time we sit down. Afterward, we discuss the movie as we walk back to the Lawn, and watch the storm clouds disappear over our heads as intoxicated first-years streak by on our way home. The best dates are never perfect, but that’s what makes them great.What are your deal breakers?An unhealthy obsession with Johnny Depp or Korean pop singers. I’ve had bad experiences with those before. No smokers either, I can’t stand the smell.Are you outgoing or shy?A bit of both. I’m initially shy, but very outgoing once I get to know people.What do you want to do when you graduate?Graduate school at MIT, then after that I would love to get a job with Marshall or Ampeg and design the electronics for amplifiers.Where do you see yourself in 10 years?I would love to move out of the East Coast; I’ve spent my whole life here. Probably somewhere in California, that’s where the good tech jobs are anyway. That or a foreign country like China or Japan. If you were a member of the circus, who would you be and why?World’s Strongest Man. I’d get a sweet mustache, leopard-skin loincloth and all the ridiculously oversized dumbbells I could need!Describe yourself in one sentence.I’m verbose.SydneyThird-year College studentWhat extracurriculars do you participate in?Undergraduate Research, Brown College Governance Board.What do you like to do in your free time?Read, listen to music, hang out with friends.What are the physical and personality attributes you are looking for in a date? I prefer slender guys. I like clever guys with a great sense of humor. Being brunette and tolerating my bad jokes are pluses. Sarcasm is also good.What are your religious affiliations?Agnostic/Nonreligious.What are your favorite TV shows?“Good Eats” and “Project Runway.”What are your favorite movies and actors?Favorite Movies: “Brazil,” “No Country for Old Men,” “Closer,” “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” “The Lives of Others.”Favorite Actors: Morgan Freeman, because I like his soothing voice. On the same note, Michael Caine.What music do you like?I mostly listen to rock and some rap and electronic music. Some of my favorite bands/artists are Girl Talk, Hot Chip, King Crimson, Kanye West, the Pixies, the Police, Rickie Lee Jones, Voxtrot and Wilco.What’s your favorite food?Pho, which is a Vietnamese beef-noodle soup. What are your favorite books/authors?Some of my favorite books are “The Sun Also Rises,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Crime and Punishment,” “Ender’s Game.” In general, I tend to like post-WWI American and 19th-century Russian literature.Describe your ideal date.It doesn’t really matter as long as the conversation is good. Since I’m an astronomy major, though, I’m going to go ahead and say stargazing would be awesome.What are your deal breakers?Fat. Or dumb.Are you outgoing or shy?Outgoing.What do you want to do when you graduate?Go to grad school.Where do you see yourself in 10 years?Hopefully not still in grad school.If you were a member of the circus, who would you be and why?The elephant because that would be awesome and I have no redeemable circus talents.Describe yourself in one sentence.I’ve been described as both endearingly awkward and a vicious ho.Date: Friday, October 31Time:  5:30 p.m.Location: LemongrassDomenic: We went to Lemongrass to eat. I guess it’s kind of like the cliché spot to go to because it’s in every article.Sydney: He was there first, and I noticed him standing outside Lemongrass, and I figured it was him, and I was right.Domenic: I have no estimation of time. For some reason, I thought it would take like 40 minutes to get from McCormick to Lemongrass. Not really. Sydney: We both took the menu, even though I usually just get the same thing. I got curry and got the 10-spicy [level], but he was kind of a wuss. So we talked about that for a while. Domenic: I was really happy when we ordered food because she got the 10-spicy. I didn’t want to order something spicy and break some sort of date convention. She and her dad have jalapeno eating competitions though, so I couldn’t really stand up to that. Sydney: We had a lot in common. He’s an engineer and I’m an astronomy and physics major, so I guess a lot of the physics classes we take are the same. And we’re actually in the same computer science class, as it turns out. It was kind of funny, and we just never noticed one another because it’s a fairly big class. Domenic: We got over the initial awkwardness of a blind date pretty quickly, which was good. There were never any awkward pauses or anything. Sydney: He was a first-year, which was kind of weird, and a little bit shorter than me, so that was interesting, I guess. It was kind of a turn-off. I generally prefer people taller than me, and I don’t know, the first-year thing was a little weird.Domenic: I thought she was really nice and someone I’d like to get to know. Sydney: We were there for about an hour. I had been spending the whole day working on Hauntings, so I was kind of pressed for time and tired after barking orders all day. So when I got there, I did things like order dessert for two before I was like, oh wait, I’m not supposed to do that. Domenic: We got mango sticky rice for dessert. It wasn’t very good. It was strange — kind of good, kind of bad, kind of made you want to throw up after. Sydney: I was kind of a glutton with dessert, but I thought it was good. Domenic: I had been looking at the fried ice cream and told her after, and she was like, “Why didn’t you say anything?” I think I was a bit too quiet. She was talking a whole lot, and I didn’t want to screw anything up because I say a lot of outrageous things. Sydney: He seemed like he might have been a little on edge. I think he was a lot more nervous than I was. I was more in it for the fun factor instead of the connection factor. Domenic: I actually went to Hauntings later that night.  Sydney: He walked me to the door after dinner. Aside from “bye,” I don’t think he said anything particularly interesting. But I think he recognized me when he stopped by Hauntings later that night, even though I was covered in makeup and, OK, I was dressed as a fairy. Domenic: She was a reason I went. I told her I’d go see her. She was covered in makeup and goo though, and was holding some sort of stuffed cat in her hands. Sydney: I think he’d be a good friend. I think it’s mainly the height and age difference. He didn’t seem to have a bad time though. I hope I didn’t unnerve him too much. Domenic: I didn’t ask her enough questions all night. That’s my biggest regret. On Monday, I’m actually going to ask her out again. Plus, that follows the three-day rule. Sydney: He seems like a really nice kid. Where they are now: Domenic and Sydney sit next to each other in class now and once watched a live webcam of puppies together. Still, he ended up not asking her out. “When we met up in class on Monday, I dunno, the feeling just wasn’t there,” Domenic wrote in an e-mail. They’re not Facebook friends yet, but Sydney anticipates this happening sometime in the future.

Highly touted recruit makes unofficial visit

Following the commitment of Tristan Spurlock and Jontel Evans to the Virginia 2009 recruiting class, many fans were already satisfied with the work Virginia coach Dave Leitao had done in the offseason. Now, however, Leitao has the potential to make one of the biggest signings in the program’s history.A source close to the Virginia men’s basketball team who wished to remain anonymous said Renardo Sidney, the No. 5 recruit in the country according to ESPN.com and a five-star recruit according to Scout.com, will be making an unofficial visit to the University this weekend. The visit will include taking in the team’s season-opener against VMI Sunday at John Paul Jones Arena, the source said.This information was confirmed by another source close to the situation.Sidney, a 6-foot-9, 260-pound senior from Fairfax Senior High School in Los Angeles, has already been given an offer by Virginia according to both Scout.com and Rivals.com. Considered by many experts to be one-and-done — one year of college basketball before turning pro — Sidney also has received offers from LSU, Mississippi State, USC and UCLA, according to Rivals.com. Scout.com only shows offers from USC and Arizona State in addition to Virginia, but also shows that Sidney’s only official visit was to USC Sept. 13.Fairfax Senior High School coach Harvey Kitani said yesterday he was not aware Sidney was planning a visit to Virginia.Signing day for the Class of 2009 begins Wednesday. The Daily Progress reported that it is possible that Sidney could be signed in the early signing period, but that Sidney may also be considering plans to go straight to professional basketball overseas.— compiled by Paul Montana

Virginia downs Duke with late goals

The Virginia men’s soccer team slipped by Duke 4-2 in the first round of the ACC Tournament with two late goals last night in Cary, N.C. The tight victory not only avenges the Cavaliers’ regular-season loss to the Blue Devils but also earns the team a date with Wake Forest, the top-ranked team in the country, in Friday’s semifinal.Led by two goals apiece from senior midfielder Matt Poole — his first two goals of the season — and freshman forward Brian Ownby, the Cavaliers (10-7-1, 5-4 ACC) put an end to their recent conference scoring woes. Virginia’s four scores against the Blue Devils (10-7-2, 3-4-2 ACC) marks the first time the squad has tallied more than one goal against an ACC opponent since its 2-1 win against Virginia Tech Sept. 26.Although Virginia struck first when Poole found the back of the net in the 18th minute, the Blue Devils managed to score twice before halftime. Senior defender Darrius Barnes headed a ball past Virginia junior goalkeeper Michael Giallombardo in the 31st minute, while senior forward Mike Grella scored from 12 yards out in the 36st minute to give the Blue Devils a 2-1 edge heading into the locker room.Duke wouldn’t find the net again, however, as the Virginia defense stifled the Blue Devils’ attack in the second half. The Cavalier offense rattled off three of its four goals late in the game; Poole scored on a penalty kick in the 57th minute, while Ownby beat Duke senior goalkeeper Brendan Fitzgerald twice in a six-minute span, finding the lower left corner both times to secure the victory for Virginia.—compiled by Cayce Troxel

The Pulse

University Dance Club presents fall showThe University Dance Club, an entirely student-run club of dance enthusiasts, is presenting its fall show Sunday at the Newcomb Ballroom. The club has explored music styles as eclectic as jazz, hip-hop, ballet and tap ­— students choose to take classes in their genre of choice. A choreographer is then selected, and each group has about eight weeks to perfect its routine before participating in this end-of-the-year show. Doors open at 1 p.m., and the show starts at 1:30 p.m.—by ethan hamlinLocal bands unite for local causeTonight, in the Tuttle Lounge, three local bands will perform in exchange for canned goods. Organized by Phi Sigma Pi, Concert for Cans looks to benefit Charlottesville’s Emergency Food Bank. The Major Majors and Soiree open up for The Sometimes Favorites, the subtle but powerful Charlottesville “it” band — which just found one of its songs featured on the pilot for a local reality television show, Run for Your Life. Attendees are asked to bring a canned good donation before getting their groove on. Opening bands start at 7:30 p.m.   —by stephanie garciaOutKast to release three albums in 2009...?Big Boi, one half of the acclaimed OutKast duo, has long been planning his forthcoming solo album (titled Sir Luscious Left Foot... Son of Chio Dusty). However, it turns out that the album won’t be the only thing OutKast releases this year. As revealed in a recent MTV.com interview, Andre 3000 is also planning his own solo release, and a full-fledged OutKast record is slated to be released later in the year. Ever the dilettante, Big Boi is also scheduled to appear on the Nov. 25 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.—by ethan hamlin

Confronting hate

The Westboro Baptist Church, which plans to protest a play Queer and Allied Activism will perform Friday, is easily one of the most offensive organizations in this country. Rather than give the group a louder microphone through which to speak, we will devote only a small amount of space here to encourage those who plan to protest against it to do so carefully.QuAA, the Queer Student Union and the Minority Rights Coalition are planning to hold hands and form a physical barrier between the protesters and those attending the event, according to a QuAA press release. This is a common method of responding to the WBC, and since some members of the WBC have been convicted of battery in the past, QuAA is right to attempt to ensure students and others can participate in its event safely — so long as the counter-protest is peaceful and legal.The best way to defeat ignorance is to confront it with reason. When David Horowitz spoke on Grounds several weeks ago — and took out an ad in The Cavalier Daily — many Muslim students responded calmly and effectively by countering his false and possibly racist claims with sound arguments. Those responding to the WBC Friday evening should look to that effort as an example of how to react to offensive speech. Fred Phelps and the rest of the WBC have a right to express themselves, but they should be met with opposition from stronger voices — voices that do not need to shout to make a point.There is another important reason to ensure the counter-protest does not infringe on the WBC’s rights. When it feels its free speech rights have been violated, the WBC often brings the case to court. The money it sometimes wins helps to support its ministry. If the counter-protesters at Friday’s event deny the group its rights in any way, they could end up helping its cause.

Small victories

Student Council’s efforts to push back the date on which students can first sign their leases has been met from the start with resistance from local landlords, who reasonably do not want to hold off on signing leases and voluntarily put themselves at a competitive disadvantage. Given that its campaign is now limited to educating students about singing leases, the compromises Council managed to achieve with two major landlords are important because they ensure students will have ample opportunities to hear Council’s argument and every student will at least have to sign a document containing those points before signing a lease.That said, when it launches its joint publicity plan with those landlords, Council should be careful not to use student funds to advertise the landlords’ properties. Any advertisement containing the names of those landlords or their properties is an advertisement, even if it says not to sign a lease until later.The off-Grounds housing forum Council proposed is also redundant — a housing info session already exists, and Student Council should bring its campaign to that event, rather than providing more advertising for the few landlords participating in its forum.

Correction

The Tuesday, Nov. 11 News article “Slutzky may run against Bell in 2009” quoted Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle County as saying, “The transportation budget has grown; primarily the road budget has doubled in last 10 years.” The quote should have read: “The transportation budget has grown; the primary road budget has doubled in the last 10 years.” The Cavalier Daily regrets the error.

The importance of incentives

Student Council’s Building and Grounds Committee introduced a resolution last night encouraging the Housing Division and the Board of Visitors to charge students living on Grounds a flat fee for unlimited laundry services. The change is meant to allow low-income students to pay for laundry expenses through financial aid rather than out of pocket. That ability would likely be useful to many students, but there is a better way to accomplish it. Council should reject the current resolution and instead ask the University to offer an optional laundry fee to students living on Grounds that would be added to their Cavalier Advantage accounts.For the proposed plan to work, the Housing Division would have to charge each student the average amount spent on laundry. Council is conducting a survey this week to determine that amount. As Council President Matt Schrimper admitted, some students who would otherwise spend less on laundry would be charged a higher fee to pay for other students who use the laundry facilities more often.Students’ laundry needs vary widely. Some do laundry twice a week, while others make do with two loads a month. Some students who live on Grounds do not do laundry there at all, either by doing it at their parents’ on the weekends or by wearing the same hoodie all semester. Students should not be punished for being economical.In fact, laundry fees should be set up in a way that encourages students to do fewer loads of laundry. Charging students money to do laundry forces them to take into account the costs of the water and electricity they are using and helps limit the University’s environmental impact. If students were charged a flat fee to do as much laundry as they wanted, they would no longer have any reason not to waste those resources to wash a single outfit.Schrimper said Council’s environmental sustainability committee does not think this will be a problem, because new washing machines the University just installed are more environmentally friendly. Their use might mean the total resources used in laundry facilities will go down compared to last year, even if the new fee structure is implemented — but that does not mean the flat fee itself would not have an adverse affect on the environment. As anyone who has taken ECON 201 can tell you, reducing the cost of an additional load of laundry would increase the consumption of laundry services.Allowing unlimited laundry use would also invite students to abuse it. Students with friends who live off-Grounds could swipe them in to the laundry facilities at no cost to either of them.Instead of the current proposal, the Housing Department should keep the pay-as-you-go system and set up an optional laundry fee in addition to the normal housing fee. This would allow low-income students to pay for laundry through financial aid — the whole point of Council’s proposal. Rather than giving students who pay the fee unlimited access to laundry facilities, however, the Housing Division could simply deposit that fee in the students’ Cavalier Advantage accounts, or create a new account similar to Plus Dollars and Art$ Dollars that could be used only for laundry. This would give students an incentive to conserve resources — the fewer loads of laundry they do, the more late-night trips to The Crossroads they can afford. Because it would be optional, this system would avoid punishing students who do less laundry. Students who need to do more can simply pay for it themselves.Schrimper readily admitted the unfairness inherent in a flat fee but said, “We think the sheer convenience and the socioeconomic advantage will make up for that.” By tweaking its proposal, Council could achieve those goals without the drawbacks of its current plan.

Hong Kong driver kills SAS student

According to a press release issued by Semester at Sea’s Institute for Shipboard Education, which is academically overseen by the University, Kurt Leswing, a 21-year-old student participating in the program, was fatally struck by a driver while visiting Hong Kong last week. The driver, who was intoxicated, was arrested immediately on Friday morning, the release stated. The Institute for Shipboard Education is now investigating the incident along with the U.S. Consul General in Hong Kong.Lauren Heinz, director of communications for Semester at Sea, said other students participating in the program are currently able to receive support services from professional grief counselors and shipboard staff if needed in the wake of Leswing’s death. Leswing, from Milwaukee, Wisc., was a student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. According to the press release, Semester at Sea staff described Leswing, “as a gentle, kind, and easy-going person who cared about others and had a thoughtful and consoling nature.” Leswing is survived by his parents and twin brother.Jack Van De Water, executive dean of the fall 2008 voyage, stated in the release that Leswing’s death “reminds us of the value of every human life and how fragile it is. Each of us who knew Kurt must try to remember him in a way that honors his life and the contributions he made to our community.”—compiled by Tom Christensen

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D), a 1983 University Law graduate, has been named to the advisory board of the Obama-Biden Transition Project.“Governor Napolitano exemplifies the Virginia ideal of the citizen lawyer,” University Law School Dean Paul Mahoney said regarding the alumna’s appointment. “She has devoted her career to public service, and we are delighted that the new administration will have the benefit of her advice.”Mahoney added that an appointment such as this illustrates the training that the Law School attempts to provide its students. “It just reinforces the message that this law school does an exceptional job of training students for future public service,” Mahoney said.If Napolitano were to assume a larger role following the transition process and forgo her governorship, Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer (R) would replace her. A representative from Napolitano’s Arizona office was unavailable as of press time.—compiled by Emily Poe

Wrestlers battle in MSU Open

The Cavalier wrestling team left it all on the mat at the Michigan State Open Sunday as seven of Virginia’s wrestlers placed.The open included more than 500 wrestlers from about 40 teams. The most notable performances for Virginia came from freshman Matt Bonson, sophomore Chris Henrich — ranked No. 16 in his weight class — and junior Brent Jones, who won championships at the freshman 133-pound division, and open 174- and 197-pound divisions, respectively.The Cavaliers, who are ranked No. 23 in the country, will head to Chapel Hill, N.C. for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge this weekend to take on Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan State.—compiled by Ben Gomez

Virginia men lose to Tennessee; men, women squads sweep UK

The No. 13 Virginia men’s swimming and diving team lost to No. 7 Tennessee last Thursday with the final score standing at 128-172. Even with the upset road loss, the men stood out in three events, finishing 1-2-3 in the 1,000 free, 500 free, and 200 fly. The men found their stroke Friday, joining the women for an impressive victory by both squads against Kentucky. Again, the men went 1-2-3 in the 1,000 free. Junior Darren Ankosko placed first with a time of 9:17.43. Sophomore John Snawerdt finished second at 9:28.48, with junior Garrett Wren following at third with a time of 9:30.26. The relay teams proved to be strong for Virginia; both the men and women took first in the 200 medley relays. Clocking in at 1:42.76, the women’s team of juniors Mei Christensen and Katherine McDonnell, freshman Lauren Smart and senior Kristen Wallace blew the competition away by 2.5 seconds. On the men’s side in the same event, the team of junior Eric Olesen, seniors Ryan Hurley and Lee Robertson and freshman Peter Geissinger claimed a victory at 1:30.41.Both teams will host a three-team meet scheduled for Friday and Saturday against ACC competitor Florida State and Big Ten competitor Penn State. —compiled by Emily Bareford

Shabaz, Inglot take title; Stevens makes round of 16 before losing

Featuring players from more than 30 colleges across the country, last weekend’s ITA National Indoor Championships marked the first time Virginia has hosted an event of national championship caliber.On the men’s side of the draw, the doubles team of sophomore Michael Shabaz and senior Dominic Inglot headlined the weekend for the Cavaliers at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. The pair overpowered Michigan sophomore Jason Jung and junior Mike Scroczynski (7-5, 6-3) Saturday to earn a spot in the doubles backdraw finals. Shabaz and Inglot again emerged victorious Sunday, defeating junior Monte Tucker and freshman Michael Johnson of Auburn-Montgomery in straight sets (6-2 6-2) to claim the consolation crown.In the men’s singles bracket, Shabaz advanced to the semifinals of the backdraw before falling to Kentucky senior Bruno Agostinelli (3-6, 6-4, 6-7) in a tight three-set thriller Saturday.Junior Jennifer Stevens was the top individual performer for the Virginia women’s team, making it to the round of 16 before losing to Auburn junior Fani Chifchieva (4-6, 6-3, 3-6). In the women’s doubles consolation quarterfinal Friday, the Cavalier pair of seniors Amanda Rales and Maggie Yahner fell to USC junior Gabriela Niculescu and sophomore Maria Sanchez (3-8).—compiled by Cayce Troxel

Painting the town

Though it is not officially a part of the University Unity Project, a new initiative from Student Council’s Student Arts Committee is set to promote the project’s goal of interaction between students and the Charlottesville community more effectively than most of Council’s other programs. The Arts Education Program announced in a press release yesterday will create a volunteer program placing University students in local classrooms to teach the arts. Though it requires few resources, the program’s organizers made sure the program is sustainable.Too many of Council’s projects are planned and implemented by the people who are most interested in them, with no thought of what might happen if Council’s priorities change or everyone involved in the project graduates. The Student Arts Committee has taken several steps to institutionalize its program, giving it a chance to continue beyond the end of Council’s term.The committee has already formed partnerships with community organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and the Piedmont Council of the Arts. Teachers and administrators in the Charlottesville area have expressed their excitement about the program, as well, Student Arts Committee Chair Jenny Smith said. “Word got out faster than I wanted and faster than I was ready for at first,” she said.It’s not that students are incapable of running the program by themselves. These organizations have longer institutional memories and can help Council sustain the volunteer program across multiple Council terms. Rather than trying to go it alone, the Student Arts Committee was smart to coordinate its efforts with people who will still be working to improve arts education in Charlottesville long after Council’s current members have graduated.The committee’s plan to develop prefabricated lesson plans for students to use in the classrooms also helps establish a framework for future volunteers to carry on the current committee’s work. The committee seems to be taking care to leave as much documentation as it can behind, making it easier for other students to continue the program.Even more important is the committee’s hope to remove Council’s responsibility for the project eventually. Although Smith said the project was conceived by Student Council and will be exclusively run by Council in the short-term, she hopes the project will take on a life of its own and move beyond Council’s control. Either as a contracted independent organization or as a program run by an existing organization like Madison House, Smith said her committee intends to pass the project’s torch to an entity outside Student Council sometime next year. Student Council’s goals and priorities change with each new group of representatives, and it would be irresponsible to assume Council would continue to support this project. Planning ahead for its severance from Council’s support is important.Many of Council’s programs for its University Unity Project will need to be continued beyond the end of this school year if they are to be effective. Unfortunately, Council does not seem to have a plan to continue those programs outside of its own organization, and it is difficult to imagine them existing very long after the current Council officers’ terms end. Though it still needs to gather student volunteers, the Student Arts Committee seems to have taken a proactive approach to ensuring the viability of its Arts Education Program in the coming years. It seems likely to promote student involvement in the Charlottesville community longer than any of the Unity Project’s initiatives.