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(10/25/18 12:29am)
The open letter brought forward by Hispanic/Latinx students at the University has sent shockwaves through our community. The issues highlighted in the letter demonstrated how Hispanic/Latinx students experience undue burdens in living out their identities on Grounds. In particular, the students’ request for translated documents showcase the vast dearth in resources for families that do not speak English. Students from multicultural backgrounds should never have to jump through excessive hoops to acquire an education on account of their minority status. Because of this, the University should promptly translate all necessary documents into Spanish, as well as other languages demonstrating a representative need for accessibility purposes.
(10/18/18 6:10am)
In recent years, the University has increasingly sought to diversify its student body in terms of race, ethnicity and national origin. This year’s class was considered the most diverse to ever matriculate into the University with 34 percent of the class identifying as a racial minority, which is more diverse than the Commonwealth of Virginia — where the minority population hovers around 32 percent.
(10/11/18 12:48am)
Since the start of this Fall Semester, there have been several reported cases of attempted robbery, sexual assault and pickpocketing around Grounds, most of which have occurred during evening hours. These numerous safety threats have caused students to fear walking home at night, raising doubts about the effectiveness of the University’s commitment to student safety. While the University has implemented many measures to improve campus security in recent years, the fact that serious crimes are still regularly being perpetrated against students clearly indicates that the administration needs to do more to improve the safety of Grounds.
(10/04/18 1:07am)
City of Charlottesville spokesman Brian Wheeler said Monday that former Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas will continue to receive his salary until July 15, 2018. Following the release of an independent report criticizing the Charlottesville Police Department’s performance surrounding the “Unite the Right” rally in August of 2017, Thomas announced his retirement. Yet over the past 10 months, he has continued to receive regular installments of his salary of $134,514, according to Wheeler’s comments to Rob Schilling, a conservative radio show host. Upon his decision to retire, Thomas entered into contract negotiations with the City, the result of which apparently included his continued payment.
(09/27/18 2:46am)
The University’s mission statement articulates that the University “serves the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world by developing responsible citizen leaders.” To this end, the University has recently hosted several forums and debates for elected politicians. This Friday, several University-affiliated organizations are co-hosting a debate between the Republican and Democratic candidates for the Fifth Congressional District, Denver Riggleman and Leslie Cockburn. What could otherwise serve as an informative event for hundreds of University students will instead be limited to select lottery winners, due to space limitations. Although large scale events such as these pose logistical challenges to the groups organizing them, the groups should strive to make them as accessible and accommodating as possible. These higher standards of accessibility and accommodation should apply not only to events of national significance, but also to events concerning local candidates and political figures. Raising these standards is important because it will allow students to engage with the politicians that most directly represent their concerns.
(09/19/18 9:48pm)
Every year, students clamor to find housing as early as September and October. In the competitive Charlottesville housing market, there’s an underlying pressure to find and sign a lease as soon as possible. However, in this scramble to sign leases, it’s easy to prioritize securing housing early over choosing compatible roommates. We encourage students, especially first-years, to pump the brakes when it comes to securing leases. Your roommates will impact your college years much more than the places you live.
(09/13/18 2:50am)
Fred Scott Jr., a former member of the Governing Council of the Miller Center of Public Affairs, recently resigned after the University discovered several blatantly sexist emails he sent to fellow employees last year. In an alleged attempt to thank his female colleagues for their work at the Miller Center, Scott offered to take them on a “luxury shopping trip,” which was perceived by the women addressed in the email as discriminatory. Despite the offensive contents of Scott’s email, the scandal was handled internally and was not disclosed to the public until after POLITICO published a report detailing the email obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request last month.
(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.
