The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

Columns


Life

Of muffins and men

Fall break is a time for family. It’s a time for Halloween decorations and pumpkin lattes. It’s a time to shirk your studying duties in favor of “Sleepy Hollow” marathons and late night drives through the back roads of the hometown you secretly miss.


Life

Befriending my mother

Since when have our parents been people? Seriously. Even though we’ve known, lived and interacted with them for as long as we remember, did we initially perceive our parents in relation to others?


Life

The costume paradox

Though Christmas claims the title of “best holiday” for many people, I cannot help but wonder if they have ever genuinely enjoyed my favorite day of the year in the way I have for the past 20 years.


Life

Failing to be civically engaged

Plato once said, “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” Having spent the past weeks trying to increase civic engagement and register students to vote, I’ve seen this quote moving toward becoming a reality.


Life

A silent struggle

I am a chronic eavesdropper. As a result, when I am trying to work I need extreme quiet. If I take a seat next to people who are talking, no matter how hard I try not to, I will end up learning their dog’s name, how drunk their roommate was last night and why they didn’t deserve to fail their test. I find myself constantly seeking out quiet environments where I can read in peace without failing to block out the noise around me.


Life

The theology of FOMO

With the exhausting supply of fantasy football statistics proving ineffective in fueling my procrastination, I decided to check if Lou had posted the spring semester’s List, and proceeded to browse the course options for the next hour.


Life

A different kind of classroom

Most students spend their weekdays sitting in a classroom, listening to lectures or discussing readings for several hours with scattered CIO activity in between.


Life

Living in my parents’ home

Every morning, my mom swishes her slippers across the floor, wearing the flannel bathrobe that is half of a matching set, given to her and my father as a wedding gift.


Life

Cheers for beers

Charlottesville has never been a stranger to the libation scene. Thomas Jefferson set the standard with his love for elaborate parties and wine, and not much has changed in the past 200 years in that regard.


Life

Writing my own recipes

Out of the long list of things I feel like you’re supposed to have learned how to do by the time you’re out of college — including organizing your bedroom, paying bills, managing time and balancing work wisely — I still have yet to learn how to cook.


Life

A constant state of distraction

Calculus lecture. Friday, 10 a.m. – I’m trying to pay attention, but I keep nodding off. I glance around at my fellow classmates also trapped in the basement (read: dungeon) of Olsson — which smells like mold and is always at least 20 degrees colder than outside — to see if they are faring any better.


Life

Socked

I have to make a habit of carrying a spare sock with me everywhere. It’s not rooted in a desire to use them as mittens or to make cat toys out of — which, I have been informed, is actually a thing.


Life

Hook up or shut up

The University possesses a hookup culture, as any student will readily expound. I cannot count the number of times older friends have advised me to shake away the ridiculous notions of romance bouncing around my head.


Life

On missing Banksy

It wasn’t until I was standing knee deep in Bethesda Fountain, smiling manically at a submerged penny, that I realized I didn’t know what I was doing with my life.

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