The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

Life


Life

Don't leave home with this...

It's mid-July, and hot summer days aren't the only thing descending upon the University. Just as Charlottesville nestles in a bit more snugly for its long summers' nap, it's beginning to look a lot like ... first years. In recent weeks, scads of first years, accompanied by their anxious parents, have flocked to Grounds for summer orientation.


Life

Diggin' it

By Adam Justice Cavalier Daily Senior Writer With sun-dried dirt smudged all over his T-shirt and khakis, Adam Vandervort painstakingly sifted the newly dug dirt.


Life

Pedal Pushers

It was only a few months ago that Stephen Bach had 100 bright yellow bicycles sitting in his backyard. The Charlottesville resident had no problem turning his personal space into a parking lot if it meant getting a pet project off the ground. Extend mass transit.


Life

Speeding down the sperm whale expressway

Sitting in traffic is bad. It's hard on your car. It wastes your time. And for those of us who choose not to read books, eat a five-course meal or give birth while driving, sitting in traffic is the most boring activity on the planet. Some of us seem to be more cursed than others.


Life

Graduates create

Maybe you've seen them sitting on the roof of Brillig Books around lunchtime. Six guys, only a year out of college, huddled together in what seems to be some sort of intense intellectual exchange.


Life

UTS shines in competition

By Adam Justice Cavalier Daily Life Editor John Rogers-Cotrone and his teammates knew the competition would be fierce. "It was kind of intimidating," the bus driver and fourth-year College student recalled. No, Cotrone wasn't anticipating a marathon or athletic competition. He, along with fellow University Transit Service bus drivers Damie Holligan, Chris Andino and Mike Goddard, was preparing for the Virginia State Transit Roadeo - the annual event inviting transit organizations around the state to compete in appearance judging (of the uniforms), safety quiz examinations, identifying problem with a defective bus and navigating an obstacle course. Cotrone placed 15th out of about 40 drivers in the obstacle course, and had to face down competitors from professional transit services across the state. Preparation involved reading through Virginia's commercial driver licensing manuals.


Life

Welcome to the jungle

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2006 - bring a blanket! Sage advice to visiting first years, from the 28 current students who are hard at work this summer as Orientation Leaders.


Life

The tradition behind Midsummers

By Adam Justice Cavalier Daily Life Editor The streets of Charlottesville usually grow quiet during the summer months after students pack their bags to head off to the beach or take on that lucrative internship. But one weekend out of every summer all that changes and the town once again is bustling with students. Midsummers - being celebrated this weekend - marks both a break between the two summer sessions and the midpoint of the summer. It seemingly is a hallowed University tradition and students flock to Charlottesville in droves to celebrate it. Yet few appear to know just how Midsummers got started or even what it is they're celebrating. "I think it had a lot more history, but now it's just an excuse to come back," Inter-Fraternity Council President Phil Trout said.


Life

Playful summer festival

It's not quite round-the-clock theater, but it comes close. July means it's time again for the Summer Theatre Festival at Live Arts, a whirlwind saturation experience that makes it possible to see 13 performances in about a week.


Life

Down and Dirty

With sun-dried dirt smudged all over his T-shirt and khakis, Adam Vandervort painstakingly sifted the newly dug dirt.


Life

Training the next pop sensations

K ids say the darndest things. "How old are you, 40?" one asked me not too long ago. The kid was 8 years old, and she obviously needed a pair of glasses, or some sort of medication, such as valium. I say this because she was jumping up and down, making pigeon-like noises and shoving her classmates all at the same time.


Life

Becoming a true

T he Bible has its Ten Commandments. Einstein had his theory and Jack Handey has his Deep Thoughts - which at times aren't so deep.


Life

STOPPING THE MONSTER

S pray-painted in black letters against a white wooden back ground, the message on the makeshift sign stuck in front of a house on Cameron Lane could not be clearer. "HELP STOP UVA GARAGE ON IVY BEFORE IT GETS YOU!" These types of signs along with emblazoned blue banners appear in the yards of many residents of the Lewis Mountain neighborhood, an area within a stone's throw of the University's proposed parking garage. On March 12 of this year, the University officially unveiled its plan for a piece of land slated for development down Ivy Road: a 1,180-space, five-story parking garage.


Puzzles
Hoos Spelling

Latest Podcast

On this episode of On Record, we sit down with Layne Parker, First Year Players director and third-year college student. Parker discusses the importance of building community through an inclusive space for new students, and looks ahead to FYP’s upcoming musical production.