1. Rat creates power outage in old dorms
Always bringing the hard-hitting news, The Cavalier Daily ensured that all University students knew exactly why they may have experienced a brief power outage in old dorms. While the 14 inch rat did not survive the incident, I like to think it is resting in peace, satisfied with its infamy. Now if we could find an explanation for the notorious Rugby Road power outages, the University community would be able to feel a similar sense of peace. (Technically not this semester.)
2. Virginia athletes shine at Rio games
While most students were relaxing and enjoying the summer, 18 current and former Virginia athletes headed to the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Fourth-year swimmer Leah Smith took home not only a bronze, but also a gold medal, in case you didn’t already feel bad about yourself. After these athletes competed in the Olympics, they returned to attend the same lectures and sit in the same desks as you — so by the transitive property you’re basically an Olympian too, right?
3. Rotunda, "active heart of the Lawn," returns
After $58 million and four years, the Rotunda finally opened to the public again. Streakers from all across Grounds were excited to complete the streak in its entirety, and Lawn room residents invested in even bigger spotlights. After all of that work, students knew keeping the Rotunda pristine was of the utmost importance, which is why everyone was shocked when a column was vandalized even before it opened. Well, maybe not that shocked.
4. Virginia surges past Central Michigan, 49-35
In the single home win of the entire football season — it’s fine, I’m not bitter — the University miraculously defeated Central Michigan. This one victory then proceeded to get everyone’s hopes up for the rest of the semester, resulting in false expectations for both our team and new coach. For those of you with siblings at universities with real football teams, this results in a lot of embarrassment when returning home and a half-hearted, “At least there’s basketball season.”
5. Trick or Treating on the Lawn 2016
Adorable and non-controversial, there’s not much to say about Trick or Treating on the Lawn, which in this case is ideal given environment on Grounds at the time surrounding the election. With the University together on the Lawn, students were even more appreciative to have the Rotunda back for all their TOTOTL photos featuring random children. For a nice little pick-me-up during finals, you should watch the video and enjoy the cute costumes.
6. Khizr Khan says U.Va. made his son the man he was
The father of late Army Captain Humayun Khan honored us with his visit and spoke at Old Cabell Hall. He received a standing ovation before and after he spoke. In light of incidents of hate speech on Grounds and across the country, his message resonates even stronger. Behind Clemons Library a garden is situated with a bench dedicated in the name of their son. The inscription reads, “From friends of Capt. Humayun Khan, whom he honored with his friendship.”
7. Jury awards Eramo $3 million in damages
Ah yes, the story that just keeps on giving. For two years we have faced the consequences of that fateful Rolling Stone article — namely endless Cavalier Daily articles on the topic. As indicated by the headline, Eramo was awarded $3 million by a jury. (Cue sighs of relief from University administrators.) For those of you who took lecturer Sherri Moore’s Commercial Law I class, you know how difficult this case was to win.
8. Trump wins presidency in unexpected upset
This is about when the semester fell apart and everyone started hating the world. Many didn’t realize the sheer number of supporters Trump actually had, and liberals lamented the amount of bigotry in the country. Conservatives, on the other hand, charged that liberals were out of touch. This mentality hasn’t ended yet, and moving forward, many are on the edge of their seat.
9. Eddy’s Tavern closes its doors
If you weren’t certain that the apocalypse was upon us, the closing of Eddy’s Tavern gave us confirmation. Not just Eddy’s, but also St. Maarten’s. This was devastating to me. As I told a former employee, St. Maarten’s was one of the only places you could have a conversation, because there weren’t too many people. She looked me dead in the eye and said, “Yeah. That was the problem.” Oops.
10. Lighting of the Lawn gears up for 16th showing
Marking the official beginning of the holiday season, Lighting of the Lawn brought large crowds to the Lawn Thursday, Dec. 1. This year the LOTL co-chairs targeted inclusivity as the theme, personally inviting all students in a University-wide email. The event did not disappoint, with former Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo reading the poem and a marriage proposal on the steps of the Rotunda in the middle of an a cappella performance. With that, student focus shifted toward finals and their impending return home for winter break.
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