Opinion

Opinion

An open letter to the Class of 2017

By Russell Bogue | August 22, 2013

Going to college is a period in your life unlike any other. At no other point will you have such freedom to set your schedule, pursue your passions and educate yourself as a human being. That last bit is important, not because majoring in chemistry and taking all the pre-med requirements makes you an uneducated blockhead, but because if you leave U.Va having never considered J.S. Mill’s political philosophy, having never tried out a new language, having never Aristotle or Shakespeare or even the Bible, how can you call yourself an “educated” person?

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Opinion

Quiet magic

By Sam Novack | August 22, 2013

Newcomb Hall and O-Hill may not serve pumpkin juice, but students from first to fourth year will soon be packing into these buildings for feasts aplenty. New students will have a few days to get themselves situated, and then they—and all of us returners—will be heading to class. And while the University does not feature the winding staircases and secret passageways that crisscross Hogwarts, first years will still take a wrong turn here and there. I remember trying to figure out the numbering system for rooms in New Cabell my first year and thinking frantically that I could not be late for my first class in college.

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Opinion

The view from Topkapi

By Denise Taylor | August 22, 2013

“Can” (pronounced “jahn”) has no direct English equivalent. It’s one of the several Turkish words for “life,” intended to describe “life” as the thing that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter. It’s more associated, however, with the soul and compassion independent of the conscious mind. In Turkey, it’s understood that there is “can” in every living thing—my grandmother once told me not to eat food while walking outside because “If even a bird saw it out of the corner of his eye, his ‘can’ could want it.”

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Opinion

Idealizing college

By Walter Keady | August 22, 2013

If you spend your time in college looking for the best four years of your life, you will not find them.

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Opinion

Scrubbing up

By Ashley Spinks | August 22, 2013

Many students make the same mistake of committing themselves to a course of study before they’ve given themselves time to change and grow. This early and unyielding decision makes a change of heart more challenging to deal with.

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Opinion

The case for moderation

By Alex Yahanda | August 22, 2013

Sometimes, too many interesting outlets can cause students to lose sight of their initial goals.

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Opinion

Access denied

By Thomas Madrecki | August 6, 2013

At a time when college costs are rising and economic uncertainty poses additional challenges to already low-income families, the Board of Visitors’ decision to scale back AccessUVA for the University’s most needy students is—at best—a step in the wrong direction. At worst, it threatens to put an end to the program’s loftiest goals, as envisioned by the late Dean of Admissions John Blackburn and former University President John T. Casteen III.

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Opinion

Big data, redux

By Managing Board | July 22, 2013

The madcap mailing mishap has all the elements of farce.

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Opinion

Trading blows

By Managing Board | June 14, 2013

Because Jones’ views do not equal the University’s views, and Jones has issued a public apology of his own, the administration is not committing a grave error by considering the matter settled. But by opting to remain silent, the administration missed an opportunity to do two things: first, affirm its commitment to fostering women’s potential in a range of fields; and second, show that the school is not unduly beholden to donors.

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Opinion

Old rhymes, new times

By Managing Board | May 7, 2013

Four years ago the Class of 2013 Came to Grounds bright-eyed and green. They learned to question and think And to mix a strong drink. At reunions they’ll all reconvene. Many students think of graduation As an intellectual emancipation. No more blue books or notes Time to sow some wild oats And eventually find a vocation. Congratulations, graduates!

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Opinion

Being black at U.Va.: a reflection

By Hallie Clark | May 7, 2013

I was always black. My grandparents told me about Angela, Muhammad Ali, Spike, etc. at an early age. There was never any doubt before that I was black. But when I came to U.Va., my experiential blackness became something I even now have trouble explaining.

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Opinion

Being black at Mr. Jefferson’s University

By Adair Hodge | May 7, 2013

I must admit that during my stay at one of the nation’s most prestigious universities, my “blackness” never went unnoticed.

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Opinion

Fossil freedom

By Jackie Morrogh | May 5, 2013

Divestment means, first, eliminating U.Va.’s investments and ties to these corporations in order to start a movement against these immoral corporate actions, and furthermore reinvesting in responsible companies, such as local sustainable farms or wind and solar power.

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Opinion

Slow and steady wins the race

By Irene Y. Kwon | May 5, 2013

On my seventh birthday, I received a birthday present from my parents that I will always cherish. This birthday gift was not a toy, a doll, or an awesome Game Boy that most “90s kids” asked for. It was a book of Aesop’s fables.

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Opinion

PARTING SHOT: Cutting through the fog

By Krista Pedersen | May 5, 2013

By virtue of my position on the staff, I conducted research for The New York Times Magazine, stayed in the Rotunda until 2 a.m. waiting for the Board of Visitors to emerge with a decision that failed to reunite the University community, and sat in a courthouse listening to a video recording of George Huguely recounting how he killed Yeardley Love, while the real Huguely wept into a tissue 30 feet in front of me. I also spent far too much time in Newcomb basement with some of the people who are my best friends. I can’t find a single theme that threads through this rollercoaster of experiences, but each was exciting in its own way and each helped to cushion the other blows of these past few years, like the morning I awoke, dazed, to find my foot broken and my friend hospitalized. I would hardly be arrogant enough to call myself an “adult,” but I am no longer a child.

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Opinion

April showers

By Managing Board | April 25, 2013

Each year brings changes in the University’s intellectual landscape. The academic makeup of a school is contingent upon the students and professors it attracts and retains. This community is nothing more than the people who are a part of it and the ideals that shape it. These ideals, from student self-governance to honor, require continual buy-in from students, faculty and staff. The semester’s end reminds us of this contingency. We’ve weathered a year together — and in the fall, we’ll do it all again, somehow.

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Opinion

PARTING SHOT: My final roll

By Katie Urban | April 25, 2013

This column marks my final roll. It’s the last time my name will appear in this paper and the last time a piece of my writing will be — digitally, of course — rolled up and sent to the printer. Even though my career of writing columns and attending final rolls ends here, this paper will march on long after I am gone because it is bigger than me, bigger than anyone else writing a parting shot this week and bigger than any of us combined. And that’s just one of the reasons why I have always loved this paper — even when it had that terrible masthead featuring Thomas Jefferson’s bust.

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Opinion

PARTING SHOT: Turning the page

By Matthew Cameron | April 25, 2013

Many people don’t realize that The Cavalier Daily is more than just an extracurricular activity: It is a student-run business. The five students on the managing board are charged with running the paper’s financial, legal and editorial affairs, and there are no professionals, faculty or other “adults” at the newspaper to offer assistance.

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Opinion

PARTING SHOT: Fitting in and growing up

By Abbi Sigler | April 25, 2013

And somehow, after those first two experiences, I wasn’t fired or even politely asked to find a place I may better thrive. It wasn’t by some miracle, but by the fact that the editors took an interest in getting to know me and helping me to be better. They were people who took a chance with me and took the time and effort to help me improve. This is what I love about The Cavalier Daily.

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Opinion

An honorable alliance

By Luis Ortiz | April 25, 2013

On Monday night, the Cavalier Daily published an article to highlight the failed attempt by the Office of Dean of Students and the Honor Committee to engage the Hispanic community in dialogue about the honor system … The Latino Student Alliance cannot be held responsible for this failed event.