Fair-weather fans

As our football season comes to a close, the usual tension has returned over the quality of Al Groh's coaching. In my four years here, I've noticed a certain quality in most Virginia sports fans: selective memory. We are quick to ask for Groh's head after two losses but quick to shake his hand after four wins. We curse him for losing to Wyoming and praise him for taking us to nine wins in the same season. The fact of the matter is that our football program is simply inconsistent. And so are Virginia fans.
Sadly, Virginia will never be a powerhouse in football. We don't have the history, and we don't have the fan base. Every time I go to a football game, I look around me with disappointment. There are literally empty seats everywhere, and most fans seem more concerned with wearing sundresses or ties than supporting our team. Do we like to win? Sure. But do we really care about our team? No.
The same can be said for basketball. Today's season opener was exciting, especially for fans who wanted to see what our team will be like without Singletary. But JPJ was probably half empty. The fans that were there were louder than usual, but the atmosphere at our home games is hardly intimidating.
Virginia fans just need to keep one thing in mind when complaining about the mediocrity of our major sports teams: We have beaten FSU in football and Duke in basketball. We have also lost to Duke in football and Appalachian State in basketball. There will always be highs and lows, but our fan base must be consistent. There is nothing worse than a fair-weather fan. So stop complaining and get out and support your Hoos.

Celebrating the arts

To my great surprise, I received two e-mails last week from the University celebrating the week-long residence of Tony Award-winning dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones. These e-mails elicited surprise because, simply put, the University does not often place such importance on the arts.
As an English major and Art History minor, I know how strong the liberal arts are at the University. To most of my pre-Med, Engineering, or Comm School peers, however, this is probably not so apparent. I know how great the Comm School is (and I only need to walk into Rouss Hall to see its apparent value to the University), but most students either do not know much about the individual College departments or do not care. The fact that the University is advertising its Inaugural Assembly for the Arts so aggressively tells me that the times are a-changing for the arts.
Most students probably know nothing about Bill T. Jones. I know I had no idea who he was until I started seeing Facebook invites and flyers all around Grounds. But it really wasn't until the e-mail I received from President Casteen that I finally figured out why exactly he was coming and how great this is for the University.
See, having someone like Bill T. Jones here is just as important as having someone like Larry Sabato. It shows that the University can attract the best of the best in all areas of education, and it shows that the University values a wide-range of interests and talents in its student body. Perhaps the best part of his residency, however, is simply the fact that University students can be a part of history in their involvement with "100 Migrations," the exploration part of Jones' new major work, "'Fondly Do We Hope — Fervently Do We Pray ...,' a dance/theater piece that he is creating to premiere at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago in September 2009 to commemorate the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth."
For many students, getting to be a part of a major work of art, while also learning from a leader in the field of dance and theater, could be the highlight of their college experience. It could inspire students who know nothing about dance to get out and try something new or it could simply reinforce the love of dance in others who feel discouraged by a dismal future in the arts. It could show students that the arts are an integral part of our everyday lives, from the music we listen to on our iPods on the way to class to the posters we choose to plaster on our apartment walls. Overall, Bill T. Jones' residency could really just be a fun and creative break from the sometimes mundane work we do in our everyday lives.
The arts may not bring in the dollars like the Comm School or athletics, but they still play an important and invaluable role in all of our lives. Bravo to the University for finally acknowledging this...Now, let's all get out and dance!

Q.E.D.

"Quod erat demonstrandum" - it's Latin for "that which was to be demonstrated." It's also the name of the Cavalier Daily Opinion section's new blog. Here, the editors of the Opinion section will discuss some of the same issues you read about on our pages, and some you don't — and you'll discuss the issues with them. Just post a comment and look for responses from the editors and other readers.