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(04/03/09 4:33am)
Public art is meant to bring artwork into the lives of those who would not normally take time to go to a museum. For this reason, the Committee on Public Art chose to place the sculpture “Tripes” by Alexander Calder in front of Peabody Hall in Central Grounds. The setting and the minor controversy about photography of the piece started a conversation about the artwork around Grounds, and that is exactly what those responsible for bringing the sculpture to Grounds hoped for. In challenging the ordinary and the everyday, Calder’s artwork started a new dialogue at the University. Vice Provost for the Arts Beth Turner called public art “a dialogue and a process.” Turner called the sculpture “ideal for an entry point to public art,” because as an abstract piece, it allows for many different voices and reflections, changing the way students encounter the space around it. The sculpture certainly created a dialogue on Grounds, but it may not be the most beneficial to the University community. This is the first piece of artwork by a major artist brought in by the Committee and therefore it sets the tone for how future endeavors interact with their surroundings. University Landscape Architect Mary Hughes said two locations were proposed to the Committee: in the “Arts Quad” between the newly completed Architecture School and Culbreth Theater, and its current location in front of Peabody Hall. She said the Committee chose the Central Grounds location to share Calder’s work with those who do not already seek out art in their everyday lives. “It catches a large cross section of the University and there is potential for everyone to see it,” Hughes noted. Hughes also said the Committee was aware of how the sculpture would interact with the neo-classical architecture around it and considered the startling contrast a benefit to the location. Though the sculpture certainly is a startling sight on Central Grounds, its contrast to the rest of Mr. Jefferson’s University also can detract from public’s perception of the piece. Because passersby are not prepared to be confronted with such a modern work, their interaction with it may be limited to confusion and rejection of the unfamiliar, instead of the creative challenge and engagement the Committee desired.Another problem with the sculpture was the controversial photo policy initially in place. Turner said “the clause about photography was not fully vetted” and expressed regret that it was unclear at first that personal photographs would be allowed. That this oversight was quickly corrected speaks well for future public artworks at the University, and Turner said if nothing else, the controversy got people talking about art. The photo controversy initially brought negative attention on the piece, however, and therefore damaged the perception of public art at the University.If everyone viewing a piece of public art rejects it outright because it seems out of place or too controversial, the perception of public art will suffer. If those walking by, however, can move beyond the initial shock to interact with the artwork, public art will impact their lives for the better. The Committee should carefully evaluate not only the next piece of public art it brings to the University, but also the location and how that affects the impact the work will have.
(04/02/09 6:27am)
The Honor Committee is notoriously tight-lipped. In a well-intentioned effort to protect student privacy and abide by the FERPA privacy statute, the Committee shares very little information about trials or the students involved, even when those students are willing to share their own stories. As a result, The Cavalier Daily is only able to bring to light the information given to it by these students or what can be surmised from attending the open trials. Unfortunately, the Committee’s good intentions often deprive the student body of a comprehensive account of trial events and at times breed suspicion about the Committee, whose commitment to privacy may appear more alienating than honorable to some.In open trials, such as the most recently publicized case, The Cavalier Daily is able to report on information from the trial proceedings themselves. The reporter is able to physically attend the trial and report on the information he gathers while there. If students wish to share their sides of the story by speaking with The Cavalier Daily, that information is included in the story as well. The Committee itself, however, has a blanket policy to decline to answer all questions about specific cases. This is true even when the students involved wish the details of their cases to be made public by speaking to the newspaper or requesting an open trial. The dismissal of a juror for reading a book during proceedings, for instance, could not be addressed by the Committee, and was only covered because the recent trial’s openness allowed for a reporter to be on the scene.Though the Committee is right to decline comment in most cases, when the student on trial is willing to make his case public, the Committee should answer questions regarding the proceedings that were open to view. Some questions directed toward the Committee concern merely objective details and those certainly merit a response. In general, the Committee should reverse its policy of trying to say as little as possible, instead commenting except when federal privacy laws dictate it cannot. Because of the Committee’s tight-lipped policy, readers may see the process as overly secretive, viewing the Committee in a negative light. By relaxing its restrictive responses, the Committee might finally develop a more open and communicative relationship with the student body.Failing a change in Committee policy, the primary tool available to inquiring minds is the existing news coverage of open honor trials. Those who read these accounts, however, should be aware of the circumstances surrounding them. They should note that often only the accused student’s voice is heard while the Committee and the students who serve as honor counsels and in other official positions decline to comment. In some situations, this leads to a story where only one point of view is relayed to the reader. If readers realize this, they can get the full value out of the story, while being aware of the lack of comprehensive coverage that comes from the implicit bias of just one perspective.Even with these drawbacks, open trial coverage can still be valuable. Open trials represent the only reliable insight into how the honor system adjudicates its cases. Having a reporter attend an open honor trial allows the clearest view of the trial system. Without open trials and with the Committee’s refusal to comment, the only remaining accounts are from accused students who can only tell one side of the story. Though open trial coverage is far from ideal, if readers understand the potential drawbacks, it can be a powerful tool to help students understand their honor system.
(04/02/09 6:11am)
The No. 9 Virginia women’s lacrosse team dropped its second straight game last night to unranked Old Dominion 13-10. The home win for the Monarchs (6-2) was their first victory against Virginia (7-5, 1-3 ACC) in 33 games, breaking a losing streak that dated back to 1980. The Cavaliers got off to a quick start — going up 3-0 to start the game — but the Virginia defense could not hold back the Monarch attack as freshman midfielder Lisa Bernardini and junior attack Ashley Kellogg each tallied four goals apiece for the host team.The Cavaliers fought back — senior midfielder Blair Weymouth notched her 30th career hat trick, and senior attack Jenny Hauser added two goals and two assists — but Old Dominion kept pace and ultimately sealed the win. Virginia will continue its current four-game road trip this weekend, travelling to face Boston College and Harvard.—compiled by Ben Gomez
(03/31/09 5:43am)
Inflexible adherence to policy and lack of communication help explain a recent incident at the X-Lounge, which has come under fire for denying a Sikh student entrance to an Indian Student Association party because of his refusal to remove a head covering worn for religious purposes. The events that followed expose the complexity of a situation in which both parties had good intentions, and the actions of ISA members and of the X-Lounge’s staff suggest ways the University community can deal with similar challenges in the future.Last Thursday’s incident at the X-Lounge brings to light old problems; in 2006, University students protested a controversial dress code implemented at Jabberwocky (now No. Three) that prohibited plain white t-shirts and baggy jeans and seemed to discriminate against individuals who dressed a certain way. Clearly, the establishment of dress codes has been problematic in a college town that brings together people of many different backgrounds and cultural traditions.Dress codes exist to ensure the safety and comfort of a venue’s patrons, and fundamentally, an appropriate dress code will make sense. Yes, weapons can be concealed in certain articles of clothing, but unless t-shirt manufacturers begin designing shirts with hidden pockets or other ways to disguise one’s intent to do harm, banning white t-shirts to “protect” customers or “preserve an atmosphere” wouldn’t make sense.In this particular case, the X-Lounge’s policy itself made sense, but the staff’s application of the policy was misguided. Like many other venues, the X-Lounge’s policy targets hats. X-Lounge staff explained the policy in an e-mail, saying, “We have a no head wear policy in place after 9pm as we feel that it was appropriate for the style of our establishment.” The policy goes on to clarify that head wear is prohibited in all circumstances “unless it is absolutely apparent that it is required for religious or medical reasons.” The current policy makes room for the appropriate exceptions, but X-Lounge staff and management demonstrated a regrettable lack of common sense in applying their own rules Thursday night. Here, application — not clarity — was the root of the problem.Despite everyone’s good intentions, such incidents are unlikely ever to disappear thanks to murky phrasing and misinterpretation, but students can continue to make progress toward preventing similar problems by taking preemptive action and asking for full disclosure of a venue’s rules so that they do not face the same predicament when hosting a party. Proactively working with a third-party venue in advance of an event is preferable to reacting to a problem once it has occurred, and the best way to do this is to be fully aware of what a restaurant or club’s rules and regulations entail.ISA members demonstrated wise judgment by responding to the situation in a composed manner; most students at the party indicated their dissatisfaction with the X-Lounge’s policy by promptly leaving the event and by making the incident known to the broader student body in the next few days. By engaging in dialogue with the X-Lounge and the University community, the ISA has set up a structure for positive change. Neither the ISA nor the X-Lounge set out to make trouble for the other party Thursday night, but both groups have responded to the situation with admirable speed and action. If such an incident happening again is indeed inevitable, the fallout from Thursday’s event offers guidelines for improvement both sides could learn from.
(03/31/09 5:38am)
Virginia’s search for a men’s basketball coach is finished.A source close to the team confirmed yesterday multiple reports that Tony Bennett, the men’s basketball coach at Washington State last year, will coach the Cavaliers next season.According to the reports, Bennett turned down offers from Marquette, Indiana and LSU before accepting the post in Charlottesville.The 38-year-old Bennett served as the head coach for three seasons at Washington State, compiling a 69-33 record. Bennett guided the Cougars to 26 wins in each of his first two seasons as well as consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, making a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2008 before being bounced by top-seed North Carolina. The Cougars faltered this past season, going 17-16 and losing to St. Mary’s in the NIT.Bennett took command of Washington State after serving as an assistant and associate coach for his father, former coach Dick Bennett. Tony Bennett immediately exceeded expectations; in his first season in 2006-07, the Cougars were picked to finish last in the Pac-10 before winning a program-best 26 games and finishing second in the conference at 13-5, as Bennett was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year.Prior to coaching Washington State, Bennett served as an assistant at Wisconsin, also for his father; the Badgers retained Tony Bennett after his father retired. Tony Bennett then joined Washington State’s staff in 2003 when his father came out of retirement to take the head coaching job with the Cougars.As a player, Bennett played for his father at Wisconsin-Green Bay before three years as a guard with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.Bennett replaces former Virginia coach Dave Leitao, who resigned March 16.—compiled by Paul Montana
(03/31/09 5:32am)
The Virginia men’s swimming and diving team achieved its preseason goal of placing in the top 10 at the NCAA Championship this weekend with a ninth-place finish, the highest finish in program history.Virginia coach Mark Bernardino emphasized relay performance throughout the season. This focus was evident during the weekend as all five of Virginia’s relay teams raced to All-American honors or received honorable mention, a feat not accomplished since the 2001 Championship meet.The team’s school-record finish also showcased individual records from several swimmers, including senior Ryan Hurley’s performance in the 200 breastroke. Hurley touched in 1 minute, 53.93 seconds to barely surpass Ed Moses’ former conference and school record of 1:53.99, which was worthy of first place at the 2000 NCAA Championships.Sophomores Matt McLean and John Snawerdt earned honorable mentions in the 1650 free, finishing in 12th and 14th, respectively. They were not the only sophomores to contribute, as sophomore Scot Robison secured fifth place and All-American honors in the 200 freestyle. Robison, who holds the ACC and school record in the 100 freestyle, earned 14th place in the event. He also swam for the 400 freestyle relay team, which finished 11th with a time of 2:53.29.Virginia’s sophomores were not the only swimmers integral to the Cavaliers’ ninth-place showing. Sophomore Taylor Smith, along with junior Darren Ankosko and seniors Hurley, Pat Mellors, Pat Reams and Lee Robertson, all placed in their individual events.—compiled by Chloe Newschwander
(03/31/09 5:29am)
Q: Can you tell me about your experience at the University so far, what you have liked and what you haven’t liked? A: That’s a tough question. Unrelated to sports, there’s not much to tell. I wouldn’t be here for a fifth year if I didn’t love it. There’s nothing I can really complain about. I’ve played in a great place. Everything related to lacrosse has been awesome. Q: Who would you say your favorite athlete or sport is at Virginia other than lacrosse?A: I go to all the football games. I was friends with Chris Long from high school. It was great playing against him in sports in high school and then watching him come and play. I guess you could say he was the guy I watched the most.Q: When did you start playing lacrosse for real?A: I started playing when I was in seventh grade.Q: At what point did you realize you were good?A: Probably about 10th or 11th grade in high school. It was a pretty slow start. Lacrosse is tough to pick up if you’ve never done it before, so it took me a couple years. It grew on me. My friends played and that’s the only reason I started. I started getting a little bit better, and as I got better, [lacrosse] started getting more fun. I started thinking that I had a chance to play in college, and it gave me a way to get here. Q: Can you tell me something most people don’t know about being an athlete. A: I think most people realize it takes a lot of time but I don’t think people realize how mentally straining it can be at some points. You just have a lot hanging over your head that a lot of guys don’t have. And aside from the hours you put in, it’s always on your mind.Q: Tell me about any plans you have after college? Do you want to play in the MLL? A: I might. After this year is over, I’m actually going to Europe for six weeks as part of the graduate program I’m in right now. After that I’m planning to go to New York. I was up there last summer working for Merrill Lynch so I have a job offer from them.
(03/31/09 5:28am)
The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field teams finished another successful weekend on the track, winning several races and putting forth five NCAA regional qualifying performances.Junior Ayla Smith performed well Friday, posting two of Virginia’s all-time top-three performances in the 100-meter- and 400-meter hurdles. Smith won the 400 hurdles in an NCAA qualifying time of 58.28 seconds, marking the program’s third fastest time and the nation’s top time this season. She also finished fifth in the 100 hurdles with another regional qualifying time of 13.77 — the second best mark in Virginia history.Junior Trey Miller finished sixth in the 5000-meter race with 14:11.68 to qualify for regionals. Fellow junior Stephanie Garcia, a tableau editor for The Cavalier Daily, qualified for regionals with a win in the 3000-meter steeplechase.The men’s and women’s 4-by-800 meter relay teams gave impressive performances as well. Each earned first-place finishes, with the men coming in at 7:28.26 and the women at 8:52.69. The relay team of Garcia, freshman Morgane Gay, senior Sara Casscells and senior Lauretta Dezubay was victorious in the 4-by-1500 meter relay. The men’s 4-by-1500 meter relay also saw success, coming just behind a Duke team. In the field, senior Caitlin Kelly notched a win with a discus throw of 160’5”. Freshman Tara Karin and junior Meghan Briggs each qualified for the NCAA Regional meet in the javelin. Briggs finished runner-up in the event with a throw of 150 feet, while Karin threw 143 feet, 2 inches.The Cavaliers will head to Columbus, Mo. to take part in the Missouri Jefferson Dual Friday and Saturday.—compiled by Nick Eilerson
(03/31/09 5:26am)
The No. 3 Virginia women’s golf team placed eighth Sunday at Georgia’s Liz Murphey Classic in Athens, Ga. After rain cancelled the first two days of play, the 18-team tournament — which featured a dozen teams ranked in Golfweek’s top 25 — was reduced to just 18 holes. No. 7 Auburn won the tournament with an 11-over 299, seven shots ahead of the Cavaliers.Sophomore Calle Nielson and senior Jennie Arseneault led Virginia and tied for fifth-place individually, shooting 2-over 74. Senior Lene Krog finished 30th at 77, and junior Whitney Neuhauser shot 81 for 67th place. Senior Kristen Simpson rounded out the Cavaliers in 75th place with an 82, and sophomore Joy Kim — playing as a non-scoring individual — placed 88th with an 85.Virginia will play its last regular-season tournament this weekend at Brown Summit, N.C. at the Bryan National Collegiate. —compiled by Nick Eilerson
(03/30/09 5:54am)
The No. 1 Virginia men’s tennis team traveled to Florida this weekend and defeated No. 36 Miami and No. 15 Florida State, each by the score of 4-3.Against Miami (8-7, 4-2 ACC), the Cavaliers (22-0, 7-0 ACC) grabbed the doubles point and the first two singles matches, jumping out to a 3-0 lead. The Hurricanes, however, stole the next three, including a 6-4, 6-3 upset in the No. 1 spot by No. 29 Daniel Vallverdu against No. 15 senior Dominic Inglot. Virginia sophomore Sanam Singh’s 6-2, 6-4 victory against David Rosenfeld in the No. 2 slot broke the tie, sealing Virginia’s 4-3 victory.Although the Cavaliers won by the same margin against Florida State (15-6, 5-1 ACC), the match was decided after only four singles matches. After claiming an initial 3-1 lead, freshman Drew Courtney clinched the Virginia victory in three sets, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4. Inglot continued his troubles in singles, however, as the senior lost in three sets to No. 20 junior Jean-Yves Aubone, 6-7, 7-6, 2-6. The Seminoles grabbed the final point of the match in No. 2 singles, as No. 57 sophomore Clint Bowles defeated No. 23 Singh, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Sophomore Michael Shabaz, meanwhile, won both his singles matches, holding opponents to five games in four total sets.—compiled by Andrew Seidman
(03/30/09 5:39am)
Given the University’s overburdened bus system and goal of making Grounds increasingly environmentally friendly, a bike sharing program could be beneficial for the community. A group of University students is considering the feasibility of establishing such a program that would allow students and faculty to check out bikes. The group has many progressive ideas, like relying on the honor code and an ID-tracking system to ensure bikes are cared for and returned. Issues such as the scale of the program, funding and sustainability, however, will need to be considered more thoroughly before deciding whether the project should be pursued.For any transportation initiative at the University, scale is an issue worthy of careful evaluation. The bike-sharing program would be large enough to meet the community’s needs, easy to access and well-publicized. The student group rightly is taking time to gather information about other bike-sharing programs as well as about the interests and needs of community members. Another factor that needs to be considered in more detail before developing specific plans is the cost — both short- and long-term — of this project. Though a bike-sharing system could eventually save the University money that otherwise would be spent on gas or bus maintenance, a significant amount of funding will be needed to purchase the bikes and to maintain them. It also is necessary to recognize the potential for safety hazards that might arise with the implementation of a bike-sharing program. Students working on the initiative are considering a mandatory safety class for users, but this may not be adequate. Accidents involving bikers are fairly common around Grounds, and a large increase in biker traffic would only increase the potential for such accidents, even with safety training. Bikers can also be dangerous to pedestrians, so if this initiative is developed, its planners may want to consider working with University and city officials to establish more bike paths on Grounds to ensure everyone’s safety, even though this would require extra funding.Dealing with the aforementioned issues will take time. The group of students interested in a bike-sharing system, therefore, must also deal with a more immediate concern: the continued existence of a group of students willing to dedicate their time to pursuing this initiative. This program will not be implemented overnight; a significant amount of time and energy would be required to prepare for the system’s launch. The current group of interested students, therefore, should take action to ensure that their planning efforts will not fizzle as many student ideas do during the summers between academic years. Despite the difficulties and complexities of creating a bike-sharing system, such an initiative — if thoroughly planned — could be a viable way both to address transportation shortages and environmental issues on Grounds. Everyone involved with the project must keep in mind, though, that safety — not only sustainability and convenience — must be kept in mind. While this program could make the University greener, it might not make Grounds safer for bikers or pedestrians without careful planning.
(03/27/09 5:59am)
A fourth-year male University student was admitted to the University hospital Wednesday afternoon with bacterial meningitis.“He is in serious condition and stable,” University spokesperson Carol Wood said. The disease is contagious, Wood said, but only those who have been in close contact with the student are at serious risk of contracting the disease.Wood said the University administered antibiotics to all those who had been in contact with the student.The University sent a statement notifying students of the case via a mass e-mail yesterday afternoon. Wood said the University made the decision to notify all students “because it is such a rare and serious disease.”This year’s case is the first seen at the University during the past several years, Wood said.Since 2001 the state has required all students to be vaccinated before enrolling in college, and as a result 95 percent of undergraduates and 77 percent of the entire student body are already vaccinated, Wood said, noting that the precautions have dramatically reduced outbreaks at the University.Bacterial meningitis, specifically meningococcal meningitis, occurs in college students at a rate 4 to 5 times that of the general population, according to a University press release, and has a mortality rate of 15 percent.Symptoms of meningococcal meningitis include high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, confusion or sleepiness and a red rash that starts on hands and feet. Anyone who has these symptoms should seek medical assistance immediately, according to the release.—compiled by Matt Conover
(03/27/09 5:52am)
The Virginia men’s and women’s track teams will look to build off last weekend’s success at the U.Va. Spring Swashbuckle as they compete in two separate meets Friday and Saturday. Some Cavaliers will travel to Palo Alto, Calif. to compete in the Stanford Invitational, while others will head to Raleigh, N.C. to take part in the Raleigh Relays.Eighteen Cavaliers won their respective events at the Swashbuckle, including four whose performances qualified them for the NCAA Regionals. Next week, Virginia travels to Columbia, Mo. for the Missouri Jefferson Invitational before returning home to host the Lou Onesty Invitational. —compiled by Nick Eilerson
(03/27/09 5:51am)
The No. 6 women’s rowing team will compete in its second regatta of the season this weekend in the Pac-10 Challenge hosted by No. 4 Stanford. The Cavaliers will race against both UCLA and No. 5 California Saturday and Stanford Sunday before returning to the East Coast.The team heads into the tournament boosted by its solid victory against Bucknell last Saturday. The squad finished ahead of Bucknell in the Varsity Eight, Second Varsity Eight, Varsity Four, Novice Eight and Second Novice Eight divisions. Key rowers returning to the Varsity Eight squad include junior Desiree Burns, senior Augusta Stratos, junior Lauren Hutchins and junior Jennifer Cromwell. The Second Varsity Eight, meanwhile, will look to continue its bid for another successful season after winning the ACC Championship and finishing fourth at the NCAA Tournament last year.—compiled by Lindsey Hardenbergh
(03/26/09 5:57am)
A band trying to judge its success stares out into the crowd. If the room is crowded, it is doing well. Last week’s religious proselytizer who preached from the pulpit of the amphitheater likely operated on the same principle. Although bad music drives concertgoers away, as last week’s series of sermons grew more offensive, the crowd at the amphitheater only grew larger.This University is no stranger to religious fanatics. The University makes for an ideal forum for those who seek large groups of people in public places where free speech rights are respected. Brother Micah and other proselytizers have come here in the past to condemn fornicators, masturbators, homosexuals, Jews, atheists, and women — groups which collectively include almost any student who happens to walk by. Presumably, students want these people to go away, but when they engage the fanatics by yelling back, it only exacerbates the problem. Fanatics, like small children, feed off attention. The best response from students is to simply walk away and ignore and ignore the tantrum. If they don’t receive any attention at the University, they’ll move on to the next college.Yet there are situations that call for student response. When Westboro Baptist Church, a radical hate group who rose to prominence by protesting United States soldiers’ funerals, announced its intention to protest a performance of The Laramie Project last November, students rightfully organized a counter-protest. Students created posters to support the play and held a vigil outside the Chapel as a way to show student solidarity against this sort of hate speech.What is the substantive distinction between these seemingly similar groups? Due to the sensitive nature of the Laramie Project, the creation of a controversial, tense atmosphere would have discouraged some students from going, especially those venturing out of their comfort zones by attending the event. The effect on those who choose to come but are harassed as a result, is even worse. The reason for counter-protest against organizations like the Westboro Baptist Church is that their actions can reduce attendance and threaten attendees at student events. Students, therefore, should be there to show their support and solidarity.Those proselytizing in the amphitheater, on the other hand, are not intimidating students with their actions. They are merely exercising their rights to free speech. There is no need to engage with these evangelists, as it will only encourage them. While many students may find these viewpoints distasteful, being exposed to them does not infringe on a student’s right to attend class or another event. So long as students are not negatively impacted by such speakers, there is no reason to protest their presence. Student energies would be better saved for a time when a real protest is needed.Unintentionally, these religious fanatics have provided students with an opportunity to think critically about the proper response to extremism. Students need to distinguish between when it is worthwhile to engage polemic speakers and when it is counterproductive. When protesters threaten student space, it is proper and indeed necessary for students to respond. When fanatics come to Grounds simply to draw as large an audience as possible, the best response is for students to keep walking.
(03/25/09 7:00am)
Virginia bounced back from its two-game losing streak with a dominant 13-4 win against Towson yesterday evening at Davenport Field.The No. 8 Cavaliers (20-2, 5-2 ACC), who dropped only one position in the national polls after losing two of three games in a thrilling series against No. 4 Miami, were led by sophomore Phil Gosselin, who played left field instead of his usual position of second base. Gosselin batted 3-for-4 and drove in four of Virginia’s runs.Starting for Virginia yesterday on the mound was senior right-hander Robert Poutier. Poutier earned the win on the evening, striking out six batters and allowing three runs in five innings.Freshman righthander Jeff Randolph took the mound at the beginning of the game for the Tigers (12-11). After giving up one run in the first inning and five runs without earning an out in the second, he was replaced with freshman right-hander Sean Bertrand, who stayed in the game for six innings. Though Bertrand was mostly able to keep the Cavaliers in check — both Towson and Virginia scored four runs after the third inning — the early deficit was too much for the Tigers.Virginia and Towson face off again tomorrow at 5 p.m.—compiled by Dan Stalcup
(03/25/09 6:58am)
The No. 10 Virginia women’s lacrosse team topped No. 18 JMU 18-9 last night in Harrisonburg, Va., ending a three-game losing streak against ranked opponents.The Cavaliers (7-3, 1-2 ACC) scored 12 goals in the second half and were led by senior midfielders Blair Weymouth and Ashley McCulloch, along with junior attack Whitaker Hagerman, who each scored a hat trick. McCulloch also led the team with three assists.Virginia played impressive offense and defense against the Dukes (4-4). The Cavaliers limited JMU to 21 shots in the game, compared to 38 for the Cavaliers, including 22 in the second half.The Cavaliers also dominated draw controls — an area both teams have performed well in throughout the season. Junior midfielder Brittany Kalkstein, who ranks as one of the top draw control players in the nation, grabbed a game-high five.Senior attack Jaime Dardine and sophomore midfielder Mary Kate Lomady, meanwhile, both led JMU. Dardine and Lomady each scored two goals and notched an assist.With the win, Virginia improved to 2-3 against ranked opponents this season. The Cavaliers defeated No. 8 Syracuse Feb. 27, then fell to No. 2 Maryland March 6, No. 4 North Carolina March 14 and No. 7 Princeton Saturday.Virginia continues play Saturday at 3:30 p.m., when No. 5 Duke comes to Klöckner Stadium for Virginia’s last conference game of the regular season.—compiled by Dan Stalcup
(03/25/09 6:56am)
Men’s BasketballThe performance of ACC teams in the NCAA Tournament the past weekend was mediocre, and they came nowhere near the success of representing teams from the rival Big East, which still has five of the eight teams it sent to the tourney. While the top two seeds from the ACC — one-seed North Carolina and two-seed Duke — both advanced, Wake Forest, Boston College and Clemson were upset by lower seeds in round one. The upset of the fourth-seeded Demon Deacons was the most humiliating, as they were manhandled by 13-seed Cleveland State 84-69. The six-seed Eagles were also crushed in round one, losing 72-55 to 11-seed USC; seven-seed Clemson at least kept its game close, dropping its contest by three to 10-seed Michigan.Ten-seed Maryland made up slightly for some of its fellow conference teams’ debacles, upsetting seven-seed California in round one. The Terrapins were outclassed by two-seed Memphis in round two, however, falling 89-70.Should Duke and North Carolina both advance through the next two rounds, they would meet in the Final Four in Detroit.Women’s BasketballThe ACC has also underperformed on the women’s side of the NCAA Tournament — while all of the six teams sent to the tourney advanced to round two, only one team remains in the Sweet 16: one-seed Maryland. Duke, also a one-seed in the Tournament, was stunned 63-49 last night by nine-seed Michigan, which, incidentally, is where Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie was formerly employed as the head coach.All three ACC teams that competed in the round of 32 Monday were also bounced — most notably, three-seed North Carolina failed to advance to the third round for the first time in five years, falling to six-seed Purdue 85-70. In addition, three-seed Florida State lost against six-seed Arizona State 63-58, five-seed Virginia was crushed by four-seed California 99-73 and nine-seed Georgia Tech was trounced by one-seed Oklahoma 69-50.Maryland advanced easily in its second-round game, defeating nine-seed Utah 71-56.Women’s Swimming and DivingAt the NCAA Championships in College Station, Texas during the weekend, N.C. State senior Kristin Davies won the Wolfpack’s first-ever national championship on the women’s side and first-ever diving championship for both the women or the men, winning the platform dive. Davies scored 339.65 in the finals, besting Texas senior Jessica Livingston’s runner-up score of 321.50.BaseballIn one of the biggest upsets of the season, unranked Duke defeated No. 1 North Carolina in two of three games over the weekend in Chapel Hill. The Blue Devils won the latter two games of the three-game series by a run each, handing the Tar Heels their first series loss since April 2007 and their first series loss to Duke since 2001.Clemson had a week with both a monumental high and a heartbreaking low. The Tigers first threw a no-hitter by committee Wednesday, as five pitchers in succession held USC Upstate hitless in a 14-0 victory, the first no-hitter for the Tigers since 1984.During the weekend, however, the Tigers lost a series to Florida State in dramatic fashion, losing on a walk-off homerun in the ninth Sunday to drop two games in the series to the Seminoles in Tallahassee. For Florida State, the series win marked its first of 2009.—compiled by Paul Montana
(03/25/09 5:55am)
The economics and politics departments will soon expect majors to fulfill different curriculum requirements, therein altering the expectations of both undergraduate programs. The way both departments retooled major requirements, however, illustrates why other University departments would do well to follow suit. Although the changes to the foreign affairs requirements stem from budget cuts, both departments’ changes have positive implications for majors and reinforce the importance of constant reexamination of department standards, regardless of the cause.The economics department’s revisions were brought about by department faculty identifying necessary improvements to the structure of the undergraduate curriculum. The new standards will hold students more accountable by requiring at least a C+ in major courses rather than a C. The new requirements will also better prepare students for real-world application of economics, which relies heavily on math, by requiring another statistics course. Ron Michener, director of undergraduate studies in the economics department, said in a separate interview that the modifications have been under consideration for several years, indicating that the department has dedicated time to ensure its programs remain up to par. The new requirements may deter students unwilling to sign up for a major now requiring better grades and more math, but that selectivity may be just what the economics department had in mind. Both changes could mirror success already achieved in the Commerce School: Requiring an extra statistics course echoes the Commerce School’s foundational basis in math, while making the major more academically rigorous should serve to curb the idea that the economics major is the second-best option for would-be Commerce School students. The politics department’s changes to the foreign affairs major requirements arose largely from concerns about staffing following budget cuts. Despite the regrettable situation that prompted the new requirements, foreign affairs majors will have more leeway to pursue their interests following the change. The department will relax some of its more stringent course selection requirements by allowing students to take any combination of international relations and comparative politics courses and by broadening the area-specific regions available to count toward the major. While the economics department revised requirements to make its curriculum more stringent, the foreign affairs major might seem a little less so. In fact, the new requirements allow foreign affairs majors to remain generalists should they be less interested in concentrating in a particular geographic region. An unfortunate side effect of the new requirements leaves areas of vast cultural difference lumped into broad categories, but the old curriculum might have discouraged qualified students from studying foreign affairs if they were not prepared to limit themselves to a very particular region. Here, too, the changes will better prepare students for real-world application, in which a more comprehensive education might be desirable in the early stages of a career in foreign affairs. Additionally, opening the required course load to more student discretion retains the possibility for a student to specialize but allows him to make that choice on his own.As Commerce School Dean Carl Zeithaml noted in a separate interview, constant reexamination of departmental policy and course curricula is the key to consistent success. Although department heads will never be lining up for budget cuts and typically force administrators to cut the number of classes offered, the changes in foreign affairs major requirements look to be an improvement, perhaps making the major more appealing without diminishing its academic rigor. The economics department also implemented changes that will encourage stronger overall academic performance and help students apply their degrees after graduation. Other University departments would be wise to engage in the same sort of constant reevaluation, with real-world preparation and higher academic standards always in mind.
(03/24/09 6:28am)
With the new Executive Committee of Student Council freshly sworn in, it is appropriate at this time to express what The Cavalier Daily thinks Council should be working toward in the coming year. Council is in a unique position to address student concerns and ideas, and facilitate student involvement in the University community. It must use its position in the most efficient and effective way possible to accomplish meaningful goals in the coming year.First, Council is in the ideal position to bring student organizations together and should use its resources to channel students’ energy instead of creating initiatives that overlap with those of existing CIOs. Council should be a place for students and student organizations to come to get their own ideas off the ground, whether through logistical support, advertising assistance, or connections to administrators or other organizations that would be interested in a project. Because Council has so many of its own projects, its members are some of the most experienced students at getting new initiatives off the ground. This capability, however, should be focused on advising CIOs that can spend more time and effort on individual projects whenever possible. Council is also a great resource for connecting with other student groups, but many students do not identify with Council or find it relevant to their University experiences. For this reason it is difficult to get students to reach out to Council and tap its vast resources for facilitation of cooperative projects and dissemination of information. Council needs to have better mechanisms for feedback and communication directly with the student body. Council undoubtedly already knows this, but it deserves reiterating. The Cavalier Daily, along with all large organizations at the University, has similar problems with getting feedback. Council, especially, is an organization that should be reaching out to every single student at the University in a meaningful way. Student feedback and input are necessary for Council to do its job well, and students will not magically come to Council on their own. Council will have to find innovative ways to collect feedback from students. During the race for Council President, William Reynolds’ Web site proved an excellent forum for students to voice their concerns and identify those that were most important to them. This should be continued; Council must constantly look for ways to improve communication with students.The appropriations process also needs a complete overhaul. Typically student organizations request several times the amount of funding they actually need and this is no way to dole out appropriations. Obviously the funds Council is responsible for distributing cannot meet all the requests made, but requests should be evaluated on merit and how much effort a group itself has put into fundraising before going to Council. This might make the appropriations process more subjective; if the merit of a request is evaluated by a panel of Council members, however, it should not be a problem. Council cannot continue to use this dysfunctional system at a time when every cent counts. If Council is able to do all of these things, it will become a more efficient and effective organization that can better serve students. Last night Council President John Nelson spoke of getting back to the “core of what Council is about.” Decentralizing Council’s resources, improving communication with the student body and creating a new appropriations process will help Council reach that goal.