Author: c-ville-weekly-writers

 I spotted my accountant in front of her office this spring, planting perennials to spruce up the parking lot. I liked seeing her away from her desk, and it struck me as further proof of the way Central Virginia is just so packed with people who know and care about growing plants. Gardening is truly part of the culture here, like ranching in Wyoming and plastic surgery in Hollywood. I’m glad this is my place. When I meet someone new here, I find I can often connect with them by talking pea trellises or a good place to get horse manure.

If the local horticulture conversation is one aspect of Jefferson’s long shadow, it’s appropriate that it usually centers on the nurturance of things we can eat and drink. Earlier this year, a friend said she’d heard Charlottesville called the epicenter of the locavore movement. (How ’bout that, Madison?) I was only a little surprised. We’re not Berkeley, but we’ve got an amazing wealth of farmers, at least a couple of them famous. And Berkeley notices: Alice Waters came here to visit last month.

It’s a hospitable climate for growing many kinds of food, but it’s the small scale of our local agriculture that makes this such a welcoming place for humans to live. See the new Buy Fresh Buy Local guide, just mailed by the Piedmont Environmental Council, for listings of dozens of family farms. Such operations are good for the land and the landscape; they’re great for community, too. They give us all kinds of ways to connect with each other, body and soul.—Erika Howsare

BULLETIN BOARD

Give an earful: May 19 is the last of three chances to rap with a city councilor about the future of City Market, while shopping at City Market! Dave Norris will be at the Market Central booth, 9-10:30am, ahead of the council’s May 21 discussion of the recommendation by a City Market Task Force that the site be developed as part of a permanent “market district.”

No nukes: Preservation Virginia has come out against proposed uranium mining in Southside Virginia by including the Whitehorn-Banister Rural Historic Area on its list of the state’s most endangered historic sites for 2012. “If the mining and milling processes are allowed to take place, many acres of this historic landscape will be spoiled and its historic context disrupted,” said the group.

For fruit nuts: Local master grower Michael McConkey of Edible Land-
scaping teaches a three-hour, $35 fruit production course at Scottsville’s Maple Hill Farm on May 17, 4-7pm. McConkey will discuss what kinds of fruit grow around here (going well beyond apples—think kiwi and pomegranate!), plus site preparation, pest management, and propagation. Contact 286-2176 or info@localfoodhub.org.

On May 7, an indoor vermiculture workshop taught worm composting skills to the curious at The Bridge/PAI. The session was the latest of Transition Albemarle/Charlottesville’s monthly “skill share” workshops, which aim to re-equip people with “basic skills our grandparents took for granted.” (Photo by John Robinson)

Breathing easy?
Summer sun can mean great beach and barbecue weather, but also comes with certain hazards. The dangers of UV rays are well known, but the state wants people to be aware of another warm-weather worry: ozone.

Ozone is an important component of the upper levels of the Earth’s atmosphere, because it deflects some of those harmful UV rays, but ground-level ozone is a manmade phenomenon. This “bad” ozone forms when certain components of car and industrial emissions undergo sunlight-induced chemical changes. The resulting toxic compound is the main ingredient in smog, and on sunny summer days, it can reach concentrations dangerous to people with respiratory problems.

“Those are the people who are going to notice any problems first,” said Dan Salkovitz, a meteorologist with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

The DEQ keeps tabs on the levels of ozone and a number of other pollutants all over the state, including here in Charlottesville, Salkovitz said. Data is fed to the DEQ website (www.deq.virginia.gov—check out the most recent Green Scene story on c-ville.com for more links) so residents can log on and check out how their area is faring on any given day.
The ratings go by color: Green means levels of ozone, particulates, carbon monoxide and other pollutants are low, and the air quality is good; yellow means it’s moderate. Orange is the level where more people need to start paying attention, says the DEQ, because it means those with asthma and other lung diseases and heart disease could be affected, and should avoid prolonged strenuous outdoor activity. Then comes red, when even healthy people could feel the effects if they spend too much time exercising outside, and purple—just stay inside if it gets that far.

The DEQ also issues night-before air quality forecasts for several metropolitan areas in Virginia throughout the summer. Residents can sign up to be alerted via e-mail if an area is expected to see unhealthy conditions.

Salkovitz said Charlottesville sees few orange-level alerts these days. There were only three that hit the threshold in 2010, and none in 2009—a relatively cool, wet year with fewer of the hot, sunny days that lead to ozone spikes.

Indeed, while Virginia’s skies are far from being totally clear, the current state of air quality in the commonwealth is something of a regulatory success story. Since restrictions on industrial emissions in the Mid-Atlantic region and Pennsylvania were put in place years ago, the number of ozone alert days in Virginia has dropped dramatically, Salkovitz said.

Ozone levels are down across the state, including in traffic-choked Northern Virginia and along the I-95 corridor, he said, where vehicle emissions ensure a steady supply of locally generated ozone. The real indicator of the effectiveness of regional regulations is the fact that rural areas, including Albemarle County and Shenandoah National Park, now see few to no orange alert days in the summer.

In those locations, most ozone floats in on air currents from industrial and heavily populated areas to the north, Salkovitz said. Cleaner-burning fuels and tighter byproduct rules have improved emissions all over the region, which has in turn kept that migrating ozone in check, he said. The improvement is especially noticeable in the park, where the number of high-ozone days has dropped from 47 in 1999 to zero to three over the last five years.
“The high elevations like that are kind of the canary in the coal mine,” he said.—Graelyn Brashear

Junk food
You may never have heard the word “excitotoxins.” More likely you’ve heard of MSG, aspartame (NutraSweet® and Equal®), hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or yeast extracts.
Russell Blaylock, M.D., defines the term as any substance that causes brain cells to become very excited. “When neurons are exposed to these substances, they become very excited and fire their impulses very rapidly until they reach a state of extreme exhaustion. Several hours later these neurons suddenly die, as if the cells were excited to death.”

Some scientists believe certain human brain cells may respond this way after you ingest these additives, which are used in food as flavor enhancers. In recent years, many researchers and clinicians have come to suspect excitotoxins have a role in the increased development of a wide range of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, migraines, seizures, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease), autism, Parkinson’s disease, and certain types of obesity and hormonal disorders.

At this point, you may be saying “Yikes!” or wondering where these additives are found. Look for them in store-bought sauces, diet foods, soups, soda, gravies, even some cigarettes, and other processed (think boxed or canned) foods. If you want to reduce your intake of toxic chemicals, begin looking at the food labels of foods you have on hand. Perhaps consider substituting one food for another one without chemical additions on the label.

Though it may be difficult to find a processed food without unnecessary ingredients, you can always choose more fresh fruits and vegetables! When the reality of busy lifestyles and “no time” come into play, consider gathering with a few friends or neighbors to discuss ways to incorporate more homemade meals into your weekly or monthly routine.

Would it be possible for each family to cook one large meal (shared by you and your friends) on a weekend? Switch off weekends and before you know it that could be two to four meals a month (or more depending upon how many friends can participate).

See the Green Scene blog at c-ville.com for a list of additives (noted on food labels) that frequently and/or always contain excitotoxins.—Wendy Vigdor-Hess

Wendy Vigdor-Hess is a local dietitian and the author of Sweetness Without Sugar: A Resource Guide for Delicious Dairy-, Egg- and Gluten-Free Treats Made with Healthy Sweeteners.

 

A student hunger strike aimed at pushing UVA to adopt a living wage for employees and contracted workers attracted national attention in February, but failed to bring about the change activists were seeking. (Photo by John Robinson)

UVA made headlines around the country more than once in the past year —and the spotlight wasn’t always welcome. Here’s a look back at 2011-2012 in headlines.

Filling in faculty gaps
UVA President Teresa Sullivan has pushed the importance of expanding the University’s faculty since her arrival in 2010, and in October, the College of Arts & Sciences announced a major commitment to that effort: the hiring of 200 new faculty hires over the next 6 to 8 years, starting with 10 new professors funded by a $2.9 million Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant. It’s an ambitious goal in an era of shrinking state support, but Sullivan has continued to emphasize the importance of recruiting more top-notch educators to UVA. Faculty will see an end to an extended raise freeze soon, with up to a 3 percent bonus at the end of this year and a 2 percent raise next year—though Sullivan said that’s part of an “aspirational” budget that may not come to pass.

“We’re asking a lot of loyalty from that faculty member to stay here when they’re leaving money on the table,” Sullivan said in an interview in March. “So that’s certainly a risk.”
Meanwhile, a recent report from the American Association of University Professors ranks UVA at number 82 in the country for college faculty salaries.

Murder trial mayhem
In February, reporters from news outlets across the country descended on UVA and Charlottesville to cover the murder trial of former UVA student George Huguely, arrested in 2010 in the off-campus beating death of his then-girlfriend, Yeardley Love, just before the two star lacrosse players were set to graduate.

The trial was closely watched here and nationwide, as defense attorneys tried to make the case that Love, whose on-again, off-again relationship with the hard-partying, heavy-drinking Huguely had seen violent moments before, was asphyxiated to death in her bed after an altercation with Huguely, but that his blows didn’t definitively kill her.

Ultimately, the jury didn’t buy it. They found Huguely guilty of second-degree murder, recommending 26 years in prison. He’s been in jail since, awaiting a sentencing date that’s been pushed to August 30, but the saga has continued. Love’s mother Sharon Love has filed wrongful death claims against Huguely, his coaches, the UVA athletic director, and the University itself. Meanwhile, a group of media companies that petitioned for access to trial documents kept from the public have won a small victory, and have been offered two-day access to some of the evidence used to convict Huguely here in Circuit Court today and tomorrow.

Hunger games
Shortly after the trial wrapped up in February, UVA news went national again, on yet another issue administrators would probably rather not highlight: a student-led hunger strike over the University’s failure to pay some workers a living wage.

Students have been battling the UVA administration on the topic since the 1980s, demanding that the University offer its employees and contracted workers wages that support basic needs, like food and housing. Here, living wage supporters put that number at $13 an hour. Some UVA employees make $10.65 an hour, while other contracted workers make as little as $7.25.

In February, UVA’s Living Wage Campaign informed the school administration that they were set to take action to bring national attention to the wage issue, and when the response fell short of their demands, a dozen students publicly kicked off the fast. While 14 more joined in over the days that followed, only two stuck with it until March 1, when they declared the fast over.

The University had refused to budge, though CFO Michael Strine promised to review University policies on hiring contracted workers. The hunger strikers declared a partial victory, though, pointing out that their efforts gained national media attention.

“If nothing else, we’ve absolutely raised the issue of employee treatment at a university that has historically seen incredibly little student activism,” UVA grad student David Flood told a C-VILLE reporter.

Loss of a landmark
The shuttering of a beloved breakfast joint might not make major waves outside Charlottesville, but the closing of The Tavern just before Christmas certainly had an impact on the legions of hungover students who have long flocked to the Emmett Street eatery.

Manager Shelley Gordon said steady rent increases instituted by owner Clara Belle Wheeler pushed him out; Wheeler said the restaurant, built in 1954, needed a major overhaul. Gordon’s lease on the landmark was up at the end of last year, and he and Wheeler couldn’t agree on an extension. So patrons crowded the place for final goodbyes in December, and the Tavern closed its doors December 24.

Calculating costs
While the 4 percent increase in undergraduate tuition announced by UVA’s Board of Visitors in April wasn’t exactly welcome, the hike—far higher for some graduate programs, and made even more onerous by rising fees—was the lowest since the 2001-2002 school year.
Total cost of tuition, fees, and room and board for in-state undergrads is up to $25,000, and adds up to $51,600 for those coming in from out of state. An engineering graduate degree costs 7.2 percent more in state, while a public policy master’s will be 11.8 percent more expensive. A significant spike in lab fees will also hit some students square in the wallet next year.—C-VILLE writers

JUMP TO: A Q&A with Teresa Sullivan "What I’ll miss:" Grads share their favorite local spots "The tension is tangible:" A finals week diary Top jocks: Star athletes from 2011-12 A family affair: Father and son walk the Lawn together Construction ahead: What’s happening on Grounds this summer News of the year Start saving: Finance advice for graduates

With every end comes a new beginning. For the class of 2012, that means the start of job searches in a still-unstable economy, real-world bills and responsibilities, and a host of lessons not found in a textbook. But who are these kids we’re about to unleash on polite society? In the following pages, UVA President Teresa Sullivan talks about the school that shaped them in an exclusive interview, and you’ll also meet a few of the grads themselves. Plus, you’ll find a fourth year’s Finals Week diary, a review of major UVA news stories from the past year, and meet a father and son who will walk the Lawn together come Sunday. Welcome to the big, bad world, class of 2012.

 

The class of 2012 at a glance

Its members were the first to apply using the online Common Application, or “Common App.” Applications totaled 18,776, with 97 percent applying electronically.

They were the first to be admitted after the demise of “early decision,” which was ended to promote economic diversity. (Early decision did not allow students time to compare financial aid offers.) The number of low-income students and students demonstrating financial need rose modestly among incoming first-years.

They were the last to be admitted under long-time Dean of Admission Jack Blackburn, who died of cancer in January 2009. A revered member of the University community, Blackburn is remembered for efforts to make a UVA education accessible to more poor and minority students.

Of first-year students who enrolled in 2008:
The median SAT score was 1322
88 percent finished in the top 10
percent of their high school classes
57 percent were female
27 percent identified themselves
as minority
14 percent were children of alumni

 

Final exercises by the numbers

2,000 pounds of grass seed are sown onto the Lawn starting in early spring to prepare for Finals weekend.

40 buses will transport students and guests around Grounds.

30,000-35,000 people are expected to attend.

36,000 chairs at 50 sites are needed for 6,000 graduates, their families, and guests.

UVA Catering plans to serve 500 pounds of hot dogs, 17,000 petite gourmet cookies, 500 jumbo cookies, 2,500 brownies, 400 gallons of lemonade, 200 gallons of iced tea, 4,000 bottles of water, and 400 pounds each of pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and strawberries.

Two Jumbotron television monitors will be set up on the Lawn for better viewing of the proceedings.

200 Facilities Management employees are involved in the preparation for Finals Weekend, which includes everything from setup to take down.

100 University police and security officers will be on hand for the event.

1,320′ of electric wire is used to power the monitors and speakers during the ceremony.

Tom Christensen (Photo by John Robinson)

Tom Christensen 
Leesburg, Virginia
Drama/American Studies

Some of my fondest memories from the past four years involve driving out to Four County Players in Barboursville for rehearsals, working with passionate actors at Live Arts, performing with some of my best friends in UVA’s Culbreth Theatre, and fine-tuning auditions late at night in the Drama Education Building at UVA. I’ve been part of small casts and large casts, younger casts and older casts, but each cast shared a special bond that I’m sad to say I may never experience again. And nothing can beat a good cast party.

Tatiana Matthews 
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Political and Social Thought

Finding the Southern as a UVA student felt like hitting the musical jackpot. They always have such great bands coming through. I’ll remember looking at the fall lineup every August and December and getting excited to come back to school just because of who I’d get to see play…Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Jessica Lea Mayfield, Langhorne Slim, The Futurebirds, Reptar. The Southern is small enough so that each show feels like a community effort—bands with ties to the Charlottesville community coming home, people going to see their friends play—but big enough to get a variety of up-and-coming artists. My friends and I try to take each other to see as many new bands as possible, and I have lots of memories of being blown away by groups I’d barely heard before the show. 

 

 

Molly Beauchemin (Photo by John Robinson)

Molly Beauchemin
Seekonk, Massachusetts
Environmental Thought and Practice

UVA: I’m going to miss the view of the Rotunda from the intersection of Rugby Road and University Avenue, just in front of Carr’s Hill. I know this is really specific, but that angle really manifests the grandiose vision of UVA that Jefferson intended. It rises from this perspective and, in many ways, from this angle the Rotunda sits as the symbolic gate of the University, welcoming visitors and the Charlottesville community to partake in its splendor. I have this ongoing joke with my dad, when he comes to Charlottesville, where every time we pass by the Rotunda on University Avenue, we sigh and casually say, “Oh Rotunda,” as if we are looking at any other everyday object. It’s sort of a ceremonial practice in irony—referring to a World Heritage site as a casual friend—because we consistently marvel that students at UVA get to engage with this space every day.

Charlottesville: I will miss Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar. (Of course, Beer Run, Vinegar Hill Theatre, Feast!, Cappelino’s Crazy Cakes, Sustain, HotCakes, Ragged Mountain Running Shop, Alexandra Dance Company, Daedalus Bookshop, O’Suzannah, Derriere de Soie, and the City Market are a solid 12-way tie for second place.) The Tea Bazaar was a place of comfort for me in Charlottesville. I’m from New England, and my parents both went to school in Amherst, Massachusetts, which is very crunchy and progressive, and has a preoccupation with “the local” just like Charlottesville. Tea Bazaar reminds me of the great Thorn’s Marketplace in North Hampton, because it’s so relaxed and relatively uninundated with students, which is great; it makes the place feel like my own. I have spent so many Saturday afternoons studying in the wind cubby, shoeless and sipping on a stiff pot of green tea while ignoring my homework in favor of people watching. Some of my fondest memories happened here. I am a dancer in the Alexandra Dance ensemble, and after long, late rehearsals on Second street, I would always walk to Tea Bazaar, get the Bazaar Salad and just chill on under the low lights.

Ella Wong
Hong Kong
Global Development Studies

I will definitely miss the Farmer’s Market a lot. It reminds me of my first summer that I spent in Charlottesville. It was a short, sweet, and relaxed summer: I would wake up, run to the market with friends on a nice, sunny morning, try all sorts of samples. It opened me up to a new world of local, organic foods. It was also the first time I felt totally comfortable here despite being so far away from home. Charlottesville is a small place compared to where I am from, but I have learned to discover all the amazing things that go on in this place, like restaurants, the music scene, local organizations, and the friendly, welcoming people here.