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Articles by Mara Guyer
Women & Politics with Kristina Bosworth and Anna Jones
Women & Politics presents: Kristina Bosworth – Dentist and Owner, Eight Creeks Dental Dr. Kristina Bosworth, DDS, is the heart of Eight Creeks Dental, where she and her team are dedicated to making every patient feel comfortable, cared for, and valued. Originally from Miami and raised in Virginia and Maryland, her passion for dentistry began early, inspired by her aunt’s example and her own volunteer work at Free Dental Clinics and Mission of Mercy events.
Women & Politics with Ariel Wood, Kris Brown, and Nickia Bland
Women & Politics presents: Today’s episode of Women and Politics considers the devastating role of gun violence in our communities. The show includes re-aired interviews with Kris Brown of Brady United and Nickia Bland of Bland Funeral Homes in Petersburg, Virginia. During the introduction, Sheri and Carol are joined by VCU’s Ariel Wood for a short discussion about violence intervention and an overview of contemporary statistics about gun violence in Richmond. (Intro recorded Tuesday, September 9).
Women & Politics with Maureen McNamara Best and Maggie Creech
Women & Politics presents: Maureen McNamara Best – Executive Director, Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP) Maureen McNamara Best is the Executive Director with Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP), a 501c3 non-profit based in Roanoke, VA. Founded in 2009, LEAP strives to nurture equitable food and farming systems that prioritize health and abundance.
Women & Politics with Emily McMillen and Sheba Williams
Women & Politics presents: Emily McMillen Emily McMillen is a dedicated educator with fifteen years of experience primarily in urban public schools. She is deeply committed to advocating for equitable educational opportunities and outcomes for all students. Beyond education, Emily is an active and passionate member of the Richmond community, which she has proudly called home for over a decade.
Women & Politics with Shanteny Taylor, Stephanie Carrington, and Sarah Palazzolo
Women & Politics presents: Shanteny Jackson – Executive Director, Virginia Community Health Workers Association Shanteny Jackson is an Afro-Latina mother, wife, community advocate, and leader. As an immigrant and a young mother, Shanteny had to learn to navigate and understand the US healthcare system due to a traumatic and life-changing event. Her middle child suffered an asthmatic attack as an infant.
Women & Politics with Kaylin Cecchini and Jen Taylor
Women & Politics presents: Kaylin Cecchini – Attorney, Richmond Community Legal Fund Kaylin is a dedicated and passionate advocate with a strong background in criminal defense and public interest law. She brings a wealth of experience from both the courtroom and policy arenas, having worked extensively with indigent clients and justice-involved youth.
Tenant Town Halls 2025 - Virginia Poverty Law Center
Learn your rights. Share your ideas. We don’t need to tell you: Virginia is in the middle of a housing crisis. Lawmakers, courts, and funders need to do something. But what? VPLC fights for better laws, policies, and funding to improve access to safe and affordable housing. We need to hear from you. Join us to share your experience and your ideas for change. At these sessions, attorneys will also share information about tenants’ legal rights and how to protect them.
In April: Help Families Thrive - Virginia Poverty Law Center
By Valerie L’Herrou Every April, Virginia and the nation observe “Child Abuse Prevention Month.” At VPLC, we call it “Supporting Families Month,” because often, what harms children isn’t abuse—it’s policy choices that leave families without support. Child abuse is rare. In fact, over half the calls to Child Protective Services (CPS) turn out to be invalid; only a small number of investigations find any abuse or neglect.
Women & Politics with Carra Rose, Nicole Jones, and Rosalyn Gibson
Women & Politics presents: Carra Rose – Candidate for City Council, 3rd District Carra Rose, a longtime resident of Richmond’s Third District, the mother of two RPS elementary school students, a member of the Richmond City Democratic Committee, VP of Battery Park Civic Association and a former HR professional, has been a longtime organizer and activist in this part of Richmond. Professionally she was an HR consultant so has important experience managing systems and working with people.
Women & Politics with Lawson Wijesooriya and Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger
Women & Politics presents: Lawson Wijesooriya – Danny Avula for Mayor, Campaign Manager Lawson Wijesooriya moved to Richmond, VA in 2004. She lives in an historically under-resourced neighborhood with her husband, two sons, and often several others in need of housing. After growing up in New Jersey, Lawson graduated from the University of Virginia as a Phi Beta Kappa Jefferson Scholar, and enjoyed her honors interdisciplinary major in the Political and Social Thought Program.
Women & Politics with Congresswoman Spanberger and Valerie Washington
Women & Politics presents: Abigail Spanberger – United States House of Representatives, VA-7 Abigail Spanberger represents Virginia’s 7th District in the House of Representatives, an office she has held since 2019. She is currently running for Governor of Virginia. You can keep up with Representative Spanberger at @repspanberger on social media. Her House homepage is https://spanberger.house.gov/. Information about her gubernatorial campaign can be found at https://abigailspanberger.com/.
Virginia Rep’s “Misery” is Gripping Entertainment and a Rich and Resonant Story
There’s finally a chill in the air in Richmond, and Virginia Rep is ushering in the fall with an iconic horror story inspired by the pressure to write horror stories. Stephen King’s 1987 novel Misery repackaged the author’s angst at feeling pigeonholed as a genre fiction writer into a twisted study of the dynamic between a writer and his self-proclaimed number one fan.
Solomon Shines in Thought-Provoking and Entertaining “Satchmo at the Waldorf”
The popular music industry requires artists to balance a complicated set of interests: Do you play for the crowd, for other musicians, for yourself? How do you define the terms of your own success – and how do your business partners, critics, and fans? Satchmo at the Waldorf, a one-act play offering a glimpse of Louis Armstrong in his late career, examines these questions in the context of Armstrong’s status as one of the United States’ most visible and influential Black musicians.
“POTUS” from Virginia Rep: At Times, Cathartic … Above All, Hilarious!
It’s hard to pull off satire centered around stereotypes – recognizing, or even disrupting, those categories isn’t necessarily a funny or meaningful pursuit by itself. Selina Fillinger’s POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive smartly avoids many of the pitfalls of political comedy and resists the temptation to over-explain its social themes.
Keep on the Sunny Side Playing at Swift Creek Mill
The story goes that A.P. Carter’s mother, Mollie Bays Carter, was almost hit by lightning eight months into pregnancy. She would point to that moment when she explained A.P.’s nervous energy and the tremors he experienced throughout his life. The family said he was “marked.” It sounds like a tall tale – fitting for one of the artists most responsible for bringing folk music to a mass audience and cementing its legacy in popular music history.
Intramural and Recreational Sports hosts inaugural ‘Ladies Night’ at the Aquatic & Fitness Center
The soundscape of the weight room echoes with effort. People grunt through difficult final reps, weights slam to the ground, barbells squeal as they roll across the pins. While anyone can make these sounds, Natalia Perez, Intramural-Recreational Sports personal trainer, says they reinforce the weight room’s reputation as a gender-segregated space.
Student-athletes play it forward through ACE
Sophomore swimmer Connor Killion knows what to expect from his stringent schedule — morning practice, class, afternoon practice, homework — but the pea plants were an unusual surprise. The first-grade students at Venable Elementary were always energetic when Killion arrived for his hour-long shift as a volunteer through the Athletes Committed to Education program, but he remembers a day in the garden with particular fondness.
Hoos on First - Touchdowns and the Toast
Hoos on First — Touchdowns and the Toast Episode 3 invites sophomore safety Joey Blount on to talk about the football season so far, the Pitt game tonight and more Hoos on First hosts Mara Guyer and Zach Zamoff invite sophomore safety Joey Blount on the podcast. Blount talks Virginia football and the Pitt game tonight.
Field hockey defeats Boston College 1-0, advances to ACC semifinals
The No. 5-seed Virginia field hockey team (9-8, 2-4 ACC) defeated No. 4-seed Boston College (10-9, 2-4 ACC) Thursday in the opening game of the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Championship. The 1-0 win secured the Cavaliers’ eligibility for an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament, which requires that teams have at least a .500 record. Virginia fell to Boston College, 2-0, when the teams first met in Newton, Mass. this September.
No. 23 field hockey upsets No. 2 Maryland and No. 15 Wake Forest
The Cavaliers completed their home slate with a pair of impressive victories over the weekendBy Mara GuyerFreshman midfielder Annie McDonough scored the game winner against Wake Forest Friday. Courtesy Virginia AthleticsThe No. 23 Virginia field hockey team (7-8, 2-4 ACC) defeated No. 15 Wake Forest (8-8, 2-4 ACC) Friday and No. 2 Maryland (16-2, 7-1 Big Ten) Sunday, finishing their home schedule with a pair of key victories over ranked teams.
No. 23 field hockey upsets No. 2 Maryland and No. 15 Wake Forest
The No. 23 Virginia field hockey team (7-8, 2-4 ACC) defeated No. 15 Wake Forest (8-8, 2-4 ACC) Friday and No. 2 Maryland (16-2, 7-1 Big Ten) Sunday, finishing their home schedule with a pair of key victories over ranked teams. Freshman midfielder Amber Ezechiels put Virginia on the board early against the Deacons, with a shot off a corner around the 10-minute mark.
Hoos on First - Wolfpack and (Lil) Wayne
Hoos on First hosts Mara Guyer and Zach Zamoff invite Sports editor Alec Dougherty on the show to talk about the state of Virginia football after the loss to N.C. State. This week’s episode includes Mara’s “Mood” of the Week and Zach’s “Beat” of the Week, which look at a positive and negative, respectively, from the week in Virginia sports. This episode pays a special tribute to the Twitter prowess of former Virginia basketball player Evan Nolte.
City of Charlottesville spent $921K on Unite the Right anniversary
The City of Charlottesville spent approximately $921,000 on the one-year anniversary of the violent white supremacist Unite the Right rallies this past August, according to a press release from the City. Comparatively, the City spent $319,723 during the Unite the Right rallies in August 2017. Virginia State Police over the weekend. The University $422,000. Police-related actions — above and beyond what would normally be happening from Aug. 10 – Aug.
FERGUSON: Identity politics, the alt-right and their impact on Charlottesville
Last September, The Cavalier Daily published an opinion arguing that the Democratic Party should not move away from identity politics, which are “politics in which groups of people having a particular racial, religious, ethnic, social or cultural identity tend to promote their own specific interests or concerns without regard to the interests or concerns of any larger political group.” While the author articulated a valid argument in favor of using identity politics to advance advocacy for...
HENDEL: The University administration shows little support for voting
In an earlier this month, University President President Jim Ryan stated, “the polls are open from six in the morning until seven at night and I would hope that that would be ample time for someone to exercise the right to vote.” It’s good to see the president’s support for civic engagement, but his words betray a basic fact: the administration lacks awareness of the obstacles that students face when voting and won’t take the necessary steps to remove them. Students are busy.
Weekend previews: Sept. 28-30
What: No. 11 Virginia (4-0-2, 1-0-1 ACC) at Pittsburgh (4-4, 1-2 ACC) The Skinny: The No. 11 Virginia men’s soccer team (4-0-2, 1-0-1 ACC) will face Pittsburgh (4-4, 1-2 ACC) Friday night on the road. The Cavaliers have not yet lost a game this season, while conceding only one goal. Virginia is one of only nine unbeaten teams left in the nation, and Virginia sophomore goalkeeper Colin Shutler leads the NCAA in goals against average and save percentage.
Joyce Manor’s ‘Million Dollars to Kill Me’ dips into maturity with spotty results
After their 2016 release, “Cody,” there was never any doubt that Joyce Manor would continue to evolve their sound to be more poppy and mainstream. Their fifth LP, “Million Dollars to Kill Me,” is exactly what to expect from the California four-piece punk group — an album that indicates a full-fledged transition similar to that of Weezer’s discography. This change in music is easy to miss considering the fact that almost all of their releases are short, sweet and energetic.
EDITORIAL: Make political debates and discussions more accessible
The University’s mission statement articulates that the University “serves the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world by developing responsible citizen leaders.” To this end, the University has recently hosted several forums and debates for elected politicians. This Friday, several University-affiliated organizations are co-hosting a between the Republican and Democratic candidates for the Fifth Congressional District, Denver Riggleman and Leslie Cockburn.
CHARGE program makes efforts to reduce gender disparity in academic departments
At the University, female professors comprise less than a fourth of total faculty members in various science, technology, engineering and mathematics departments in the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. University professors are attempting to address gender equality in various STEM fields through ongoing diversity efforts, including the CHARGE initiative.
No. 15 field hockey loses contest 3-0 at No. 1 North Carolina
The No. 15 Virginia field hockey team could not pull off an upset against No. 1 North Carolina Wednesday in Chapel Hill, N.C. Though the Cavaliers (4-5, 1-2 ACC) led UNC (9-0, 3-0 ACC) during the second half in shot attempts and penalty corners, they were unable to convert offensively against a Carolina team that has only allowed three goals this season. North Carolina pulled ahead early with a goal by senior midfielder Malin Evert at the 5:48 mark.
PUBLIC EDITOR: Arts & Entertainment should more aggressively pursue the search for meaning in art
The Cavalier Daily’s Arts & Entertainment section has a specific ability that other sections don’t — its writers can tell deeply profound stories that come from the arts. The section should utilize this calling and follow the path its new column has forged to better serve its readers. A&E recently released a new column called in which Mark Felice — a fourth-year in the Architecture School and a Cavalier Daily Production Editor with a cinema affinity — delves into his favorite underrated movies.
Hoos on First — starting off Season 2 with a look at football’s progress, a summer recap
The Cavalier Daily Sports podcast, Hoos on First, was started by writer Emily Caron last year. Emily now works for Sports Illustrated. Last year, the podcast drew a wide audience base and featured various guests, such as former Cavalier basketball player and now-NBA player . Associate editor Mara Guyer and senior associate editor Zach Zamoff will now lead the podcast into Season 2. This season, the “Wahoo Weekly” update on Virginia sports will continue.
ASCH: Smearing Leslie Cockburn in Virginia
In October 2017, The Wall Street Journal an editorial lambasting the treatment of then gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie entitled “Smearing Ed Gillespie in Virginia.” In the article the Editorial Board lambasted the treatment of Gillespie during the campaign, stating he had been unfairly attacked by the Democrats.
Batten School hosts Constitution Day panel on community policing
The Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy hosted a panel of law enforcement and legal experts to discuss community policing for its annual commemoration of Constitution Day Monday morning. The panel focused on fostering trust and cooperation between police forces and the communities they serve. Approximately 80 students, professors and Charlottesville residents attended the event in Garrett Hall.
Men’s soccer to face Florida International
The No. 19 Virginia men’s soccer team will face Florida International at home Tuesday night. The Cavaliers (2-0-2) were initially scheduled to host Notre Dame on Friday, but that match was postponed due to the severe weather that was expected to be brought by Hurricane Florence. Last Tuesday, Virginia on the strength of the first collegiate goal by freshman forward Cabrel Happi Kamseu — a 44th-minute strike from outside the box.
Recycling on vs. off Grounds: What’s the Difference?
What is single-stream recycling? When should plastics and paper be separated from trash? Differing rules governing recycling on- and off-Grounds can make recycling confusing for students. The City of Charlottesville follows a single-stream recycling process, allowing all recyclable materials to be collected together in one bin, whereas the University follows a multi-stream process, requiring recyclers to sort items into separate bins prior to collection.
No. 7 field hockey falls short at No. 20 Liberty, 3-2
The No. 7 Virginia field hockey team fell to No. 20 Liberty Sunday, playing through the rain in Lynchburg. Though the Cavaliers (3-3, 1-0 ACC) shut out Liberty (4-2, 0-0 Big East) in the first half, they were unable to prevent a comeback including two goals off penalty corners. Both teams had few chances in the circle through the first half. Despite early penalty corners on each side, 35 minutes of play yielded only four shots from Virginia and three by Liberty.
GUYER: Young players are stepping up for Virginia
Last fall’s heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Princeton in the NCAA Tournament ended the Virginia careers of that team’s two top scorers. Transcendent midfielder Tara Vittese, the sport’s first three-time collegiate national player of the year, graduated and was added to the Women’s National Team roster. Forward and reigning ACC Freshman of the Year Pien Dicke did not return this year, deciding instead to play in the Netherlands. The 2017 Cavaliers’ high-powered offense defined the team.
Men’s soccer draws with Maryland 0-0
The No. 10 Virginia men’s soccer team played to a scoreless draw with Maryland in the first college soccer game ever played at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. on Monday night. Audi Field, which opened in July, is home to D.C. United of Major League Soccer. "Playing in a venue like this was great for both programs," Virginia Coach George Gelnovatch said.
Brasserie Saison serves quality many ways
In the European restaurant world, the local brasseries of small towns and sprawling cities alike are known for good food, lively and casual atmospheres, plenty of drinks and a connection to the community. Brasseries can be a good place to see familiar faces or to try something new, but always feel representative of their neighborhood through the food and atmosphere.
Virginia House Democrats propose a redistricting map to address racially-biased map
The Virginia General Assembly convened for a special session Aug. 30 to consider a House Democratic proposal to redraw 29 Virginia House districts. The proposal comes after the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia ruled in June that the state used race in determining state legislative districts, a violation of the Voting Rights Act.
Honor Committee debates proposed changes to contributory mental disorder process
The Honor Committee held its first meeting of the school year Sunday evening in Newcomb Hall in which members debated previously proposed changes to the contributory mental disorder process, including changing the name of the process, the removal of a student’s right to appeal a CMD decision and creating more explicit timelines for CMD requirements to be met.
No. 7 field hockey defeats Longwood 2-0
The No. 7 Virginia field hockey team (2-1, 0-0 ACC) defeated Longwood (1-1, 0-0 MAC) at home Sunday afternoon in its first game at Turf Field this season. The Cavaliers bounced back from a loss last week at No. 6 Penn State with early offensive dominance and a series of saves by senior goalkeeper Carrera Lucas. Upperclassmen led the Cavaliers in creating shot opportunities against a tough Longwood defense.
Track and field records five first-place finishes at Virginia Challenge
Virginia track and field hosted the seventh annual Virginia Challenge Friday and Saturday, taking first place in five events. The Cavaliers contested most, but not all, of the invitational’s 83 events. The No. 23 men’s team benefited from strong performances from its two All-Americans, junior Hilmar Jonsson and junior Pobo Efekoro. Jonsson finished first in the hammer throw, recording a season-best performance which earned him an eighth-place ranking in the NCAA.
Sprinting through the outdoors
When most seasons end, whether in triumph or heartbreak, teams will have months to prepare for their next competition. Track and field athletes only have days. “Track and field and cross country is the most unique sport that there is in the entire NCAA, and no one can argue that, because our student athletes are expected to compete in two or three championships,” track and field program director Bryan Fetzer said.
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