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(09/06/18 3:15am)
While many businesses, government agencies and other universities cancelled classes on Labor Day, the University declined to do so. Instead, services continued as they would have on any regular weekday. The decision to continue nonessential services undermines the University’s relationship with its employees, and demonstrates a missed opportunity to unite the community in gratitude towards those who work to maintain and improve the school. As a public school, the University should be required to adhere to the national holiday calendar because of its close financial and managerial ties to the federal and state governments.
(05/17/18 3:13am)
From Steve Jobs’ 2005 address at Stanford University, to Stephen Colbert’s 2011 speech at Northwestern University, speakers at college graduations send messages of motivation and accomplishment. At the University, graduation speakers have shared similar messages, with speakers such as William Rehnquist, John Grisham and Katie Couric taking the podium to implore students of their mission beyond the University — their responsibility to society and also their potential for success. During Final Exercises this year, University President Teresa Sullivan will give the commencement address. While these speeches often give students a sense of pride or determination, they fail to give students one important thing — a sense of community. In addition to offering valedictory and commencement speakers, the University should institute a student speaker at graduation to create continuity between the class itself and the speakers.
(04/30/18 5:13am)
The Honor Committee is considering changes to its support officer system in an effort to make the Committee more representative of the entire student body. These changes present the Committee with an opportunity to shape their support officer pool into a body that represents a more diverse set of viewpoints and backgrounds, while still maintaining its quality. As the group most intimately involved with the Honor trial process, support officers must be informed and receptive to multiple points of view — implementing the proposed changes would help the body better accomplish this goal.
(04/26/18 2:40am)
The City of Charlottesville's attempts to rename Emancipation and Justice Parks have been contentious. Controversy was again sparked this week when an analysis published by The Cavalier Daily revealed that individuals outside Charlottesville were attempting to influence the results of the initial community poll seeking input on the renaming process. These outside respondents accounted for nearly two-thirds of the poll’s respondents. This overwhelming proportion is troublesome, as the initial survey was meant to gather essential information from local residents on what names they would prefer for the parks. The renaming of the parks should remain a task and privilege of Charlottesville citizens, as they hold the most interest in the issue. City Council should take initiative to ensure that these surveys represent citizens' interests without outside interference.
(04/23/18 3:43pm)
At its upcoming general body meeting this Tuesday, Student Council will vote to approve the organization’s summer budget. In its current form, the budget allots $22,121 between committees and Executive and Administrative Operations costs. Funding for the budget comes from two sources, including the Student Activities Fee — which every University student must pay — and is used to fund the operations of Contracted Independent Organizations and other student groups on Grounds. Non-SAF funds are raised by Student Council by other means, such as the Activities Fair and the organization’s endowment.
(04/19/18 1:45am)
The world of higher education is grappling with how to prevent and prosecute sexual assault on campuses. Two federal laws currently exist to protect individuals against discrimination on the basis of sex — Title IX — and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, which mandates that universities remain transparent about their crime statistics. While both laws intend to protect and empower survivors of violent crime, specifically survivors of sexual assault, the Clery Act has the potential to harm survivors.
(04/16/18 4:23am)
With the Virginia Fifth District Democratic Convention fast approaching, candidates and elections officials are gearing up for a busy season. Four Democrats are running for the party’s nomination to challenge incumbent Rep. Tom Garrett (R-Va.) — Leslie Cockburn, Ben Cullop, Roger Dean Huffstetler and Andrew Sneathern. The Virginia Fifth District Democratic Committee has opted for a convention process in which registered voters caucus throughout the month of April to choose delegates from their precinct, who will then attend a convention to nominate one candidate to take on Garrett in the general election. Despite the flaws of the caucus nominating system, students should make their voices heard and participate.
(04/12/18 1:58am)
As the University celebrates Founder’s Day — Thomas Jefferson’s birthday on April 13 — it is important to keep in mind the complex legacy he left behind. The University has kept its Jeffersonian values — discussion, collaboration and enlightenment — since its inception. Jefferson’s ideals remain relevant today as we move forward into the University’s third century. Adhering to these values will help the University maintain its world-class academic experience, while also continue to address Jefferson’s — and by extension, the University’s — legacy of racism.
(04/09/18 5:27am)
In an effort to align Derby Days — the Psi Chapter of Sigma Chi’s annual philanthropy — with the Inter-Sorority Council’s goals of “inclusivity, sisterhood, service, and women’s empowerment,” the ISC proposed 10 tangible changes to the week-long event. Every spring, sorority chapters around Grounds participate in a series of competitive events in an effort to win Derby Days and cosign the donation Sigma Chi makes to the Children’s Miracle Network and U.Va. Children’s Hospital. While the philanthropy has been immensely successful — raising over $100,000 in the past four years — some aspects serve only to divide women in the Greek community. Sigma Chi should modify Derby Days to reflect the ISC’s proposals in an effort to make the philanthropy more financially impactful and inclusive.
(04/05/18 4:38am)
A police report about the use of stop and frisk in Charlottesville was discussed last month in a City Council meeting. The implications of the report are stunning, with African-Americans making up a disproportionate number of citizens stopped — 71 percent in 2017. This mirrors the racial disparity found in stop and frisk policies in other cities around the United States, such as New York and Los Angeles. In response, the Daily Progress Editorial Board lamented these troubling statistics and the state of race relations in this country, stating that, “As a society, and as a law enforcement community reflecting society, we’ve got to do better than we’ve done in the past.”
(04/05/18 4:59am)
The Minority Rights Coalition’s decision to prevent the Jewish Leadership Council from joining their organization ignited a justified firestorm on Grounds. Many Jewish students at the University saw the MRC’s vote against membership status as yet another display of anti-Semitism on Grounds. The MRC cited the JLC’s inclusion of Hoos for Israel under their umbrella organization as a group endorsement of Israel. We condemn this decision by the MRC to exclude the JLC as short-sighted. By failing to incorporate one of the University’s most disenfranchised minorities, the MRC invalidates itself and its mission to ensure “the minority voice is heard at UVA.” Looking to the future, the MRC must act to correct this disservice.
(03/26/18 5:03am)
As part of the 2008 Grounds Plan, the University identified Brandon Avenue as an opportunity to further the commitment “to offer superior environments for future learning and research endeavors.” The Brandon Avenue Master Plan, developed by the Office of the Architect in November 2016, plans to transform the area into “a vibrant, mixed-use, sustainable district that links the Health System to Central Grounds.” Included in the renovations is an updated Student Health Center, new student housing and green spaces. Redeveloping the area is an important step in the process of unifying distinct areas of Grounds — the increased pedestrian and green spaces will help members of the University community see the Health System and Central Grounds as a single entity.
(03/22/18 3:06am)
City Councilor Wes Bellamy recently proposed during a City Council meeting to provide public housing residents of Charlottesville with high-speed fiber optic internet service at a significantly reduced cost. The plan calls for an allocation of $150,400 to subsidize installation and hardware costs, with public-housing residents paying only $10 a month for fast internet. The service would most likely be provided by Ting. The Council should take the steps needed to address the inequality crisis in Charlottesville and approve this subsidy.
(03/19/18 3:43am)
As tuition has risen at the University and state funding for higher education has fallen, federal student loans have become increasingly important to many students’ ability to attend college. The system of federal student financial aid requires constant collaboration between the public and private sectors — and with the students receiving the aid. The many players in this process can often confuse consumers, unnecessarily complicating one of the most necessary elements of students’ college attendance. New policies imposed by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos may further complicate that system — to the students’ detriment.
(03/15/18 3:01am)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested 10 men in September 2017, in relation to fraud and bribery charges in Division I basketball. These charges surround a scheme where coaches, executives, travel agents and financial advisors attempted to move high school talent through college programs and then on to lucrative careers in the NBA in violation of NCAA rules. Those arrested in this scandal include assistant coaches from Arizona and Oklahoma State. The University of Louisville even fired their Hall of Fame member Head Coach Rick Pitino in relation to this investigation.
(03/11/18 12:43am)
Student Council prides itself on providing a direct avenue for involvement in student self-governance at the University. Through committee membership and elected office, students are given an equal opportunity to participate in the process that helps to define University life. Equality in Council elections allows different viewpoints across the University community to contribute to the policymaking process — a vital component in a system meant to represent the entirety of the student body.
(03/01/18 5:26am)
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting on Feb. 14 joins the long American tradition of gun violence. No other country’s civilians own as many guns or suffer as many domestic gun-related fatalities. Yet even after the wake of this most recent deadly shooting in Florida, lawmakers at both the state and federal level have been complacent. Because of their political inaction, Stoneman Douglas high schoolers have organized to push for significant reforms, generating over 2.8 million dollars in fundraising for the March For Our Lives as well as creating a significant social movements on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board endorses their #ENOUGH National School Walkout campaign, and encourages University students to participate in local events coordinated by Student Council and the Minority Rights Coalition.
(02/26/18 2:48am)
Pro-Palestinian protesters Thursday night disrupted a peaceful event hosted by the Brody Jewish Center and Hoos for Israel. In a reserved classroom in Clark Hall, a panel of reserve Israeli Defense Force soldiers discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with students of a variety of religious and political backgrounds — the event was an opportunity to reach across barriers and engage in meaningful discourse about a controversial topic. The protesters who disrupted the event epitomize the degrading civil discourse on our Grounds. If people of opposing beliefs cannot sit together and have an educated and respectful conversation, we will never progress beyond the polarized beliefs we hold now. By refusing to engage constructively at the event, the pro-Palestinian protesters undercut their credibility and wasted an opportunity to listen to opposing views.
(02/21/18 6:36am)
Individual endorsement interviews and the Student Council Presidential Candidate Forum provided The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board with rich insight into the platforms of Alex Cintron, Jalon Daniels and Eddie Lin. Each candidate expressed a distinct vision for the Council’s role in the University community, and the board was impressed by several aspects of each platform. The board evaluated each candidate’s goals and concrete policy proposals enumerated in their platforms, interviews and participation in the forum. The board is endorsing Cintron in light of his vision for a more accessible and action-oriented Council.
(02/21/18 6:35am)
The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board has chosen to endorse Sydney Bradley for Student Council Vice President of Administration. In selecting the VPA, the board looked at several factors, such as a thorough understanding of the position and organization, clear goals for the upcoming term and dedication to the role. We believe that Bradley is the candidate who most thoroughly fulfills these qualities.
