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Articles by Sean Rumage
PARTING SHOT: When I grow up
It was at 9:08 p.m. on April 24 when it first happened. After a tragic loss ended our storied intramural careers, my teammates and I parted ways, and I realized that I may never see some of those friends again. After spending all of college dreading the day, my first goodbye occurred without me even recognizing it for what it was. Since that moment, finality has become a palpable part of daily life.
Tri-Service ROTC competition honors fallen soldier and unites branches of armed forces
University students from the Army, Navy and Air Force joined together this past Saturday for their annual Tri-Service Competition. This year, the Air Force took home the trophy. The competition began in the morning with the RJ Hess 5k where each service sent six members — two women and four men. The 5k was a memorial to honor aviation officer and First Lieutenant Robert Joseph “R.J.” Hess, who received his commission from the Army ROTC program at the University and died in Afghanistan in 2013.
I was wiser in middle school
Before my Cavalier Daily life column, there was my middle school think piece, “The Gospel According to Johnny Boi.” I didn’t play any sports, so I needed some way to spend my time. Naturally, I turned to the hobby of gospel writing. Every week or so, I would write down a page’s worth of bullet point life lessons and email it to a couple of my friends. My reader demographic was almost entirely girls, and I was ok with that.
Why we should look beyond 'requirements' when choosing courses
This year, as my course registration appointment loomed, I spent hours on the CourseForum, SIS and Lou’s List, trying to perfect my schedule. After hours of research, I knew that Intermediate Macroeconomics should be taken with Westerfield, and I had nearly memorized the English course requirements for the major — and my schedule was almost perfect. But it was like a game of Tetris, trying to find a “fun” class to perfectly fit in between all of my other, major-related classes and discussions.
Squeezing four years of friendship into four weeks
Don’t look now, but it is officially less than a month until graduation. Yikes. It seems like just yesterday that I was at summer orientation wondering what the Downtown Mall was and why so many kids were from “NOVA,” which I assumed was slang for transferring from Villanova. I had no clue what I was getting myself into. The end of college evokes a number of emotions. Excitement. Anxiety. Fear. Happiness. But perhaps the most prominent feeling is sorrow.
A definitive account of everywhere to study near Grounds
As finals approach, those of us who have managed to avoid the library throughout the semester are suddenly faced with the looming choice regarding where to spend the next month. In order to make this decision a little easier, I have compiled a list of places that you can choose from. Instead of flocking straight to Clem or Alderman, consider the breadth of choices available to you in walking distance of Grounds.
Embracing change and the 2-step login: A saga
My life permanently changed March 13 at exactly 9 a.m. The University’s Chief Information Security Officer, Jason C. Belford, emailed me, John F. Patterson, to tell me my way of logging in, my way of life, was finite just like the rest of us. It would soon die and be replaced by a stronger, hotter login with more steps. My one-step login and I tried to cherish our last month together.
I promise, your TA isn’t from Pluto
In an introductory email at the beginning of the semester, my TA for a Batten class about humanitarian crises implored us to visit her in office hours.
The magic of small towns - and rattlesnakes
Like many other college students, my friends and I headed south to find warmth during spring break. Less typically, however, we did not seek out any beaches — we drove to Sweetwater, Texas in order to experience the world’s largest Rattlesnake Roundup. What is a Rattlesnake Roundup, exactly? Well, 60 years ago a small town in western Texas had a rattlesnake problem.
The Golden Age of phone games is over
When I was in 11th grade, I got very, very good at an iPhone game called Four Letters. The game was simple — four jumbled letters appeared on screen, and the player had to connect them into a word as fast as possible. Speed was key — connecting words quickly earned streaks and bonus points. I got hooked and racked up countless hours playing the game, mostly during high school band class. I essentially had all the puzzles memorized. At my peak, I was in the top 1 percent of 1 percent of all players.
Roots opens new location, launches new app
Roots Natural Kitchen has come a long way since its humble beginnings.
Dealing with being the cause of others’ anger
Even now, as a 21-year-old college student, I am afraid of other being people being mad at me. It may sound exaggerated, but I have grown so averse to it that even the slightest bit of an argument or the most insignificant of body gestures causes me to jump to the worst conclusions. I begin to analyze my actions from the past couple minutes, picking apart everything I’ve said, the tone I’ve said it in, the way I had been standing, where I was looking and my breathing pattern — you get the picture.
Kardinal Hall: Something old, new, borrowed and brewed
Charlottesville’s beer scene is almost as well-known as its food, and because of it, the beer garden concept is a growing phenomenon in town. With a beer garden comes the influence of the alpine region — the world capital of beer. The alpine region, and especially Germany, has a well-recognized restaurant style of festive atmosphere, hearty food and a dizzying array of drink selections.
Why you should eat at Armando’s
Armando’s, the newest restaurant to open on the Corner, is the perfect place to indulge in endless chips and salsa. Located on 14th Street, right next to Basil, Armando’s is especially attractive because it is much closer to all the action on the Corner than Guadalajara, Mono Loco or El Jaripeo. The food is affordable and really great quality for the price. I predict Armando’s Mexican Restaurant will be an instant success.
An ode to Alderman Café
If I had a dollar for every time I have been asked to name my favorite building on Grounds, I wouldn’t be graduating with thousands of dollars of student debt in May. Nonetheless, this question seems to make its way into every icebreaker at the University.
Short throws, spin moves and Donovan McNabb: an American love story
When I was around nine years old, I fell in love for the first time. I fell in love with the National Football League. There’s no sight in the world quite like a quarterback dropping back, waiting, searching, waiting, tensing his shoulder, leaning into it and heaving the ball into the sky. There’s no suspense like watching the ball fly as the receiver and the defender race underneath it, jockeying for position, arms outstretched.
The surprisingly essential ingredients of my social life
I figured a successful college social life relied on coffee shops and parties, which concerned me because neither is my natural habitat. I’ve patched together a healthy network on my own though, and I’ve found that a couple unexpected happenstances have become staples of my socializing. The greatest advantage I have is my meal plan, but at first, I thought it was my greatest weakness. Once my second-year hit, most of my friends made a mass exodus from the dining halls to their own kitchens.
There are three types of Valentine’s Day on Grounds
Roses are red, violets are blue. The month of January seemed to go by at an incredibly slow pace, but now we are nearing mid-February, and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. For some students, this realization is an exciting one — an opportunity to make plans with a significant other for a romantic Wednesday night. For others, this realization brings anxiety and dread — another Valentine’s Day alone.
Just ask them to get coffee, already
Friday is my favorite day of the week. Actually, that’s a lie — Thursday is my new favorite day of the week solely because of karaoke at Pizza Hut. Yes, you read that correctly, and yes, it is just as incredible as you are imagining it to be. But anyway, back to Friday. Friday is my second-favorite day of the week because — with the exception of the German 1010 class I decided to enroll in as a second-semester fourth-year — my day is completely empty.
Feeling at home in your new chapter
For many students at the University, coming back from Christmas vacation means reuniting with friends, scheduling classes and most prominently, rush! Anyone who has participated in rush knows it is an exhausting task — you will never talk to so many humans, ward off so many illnesses or wear so many presentable outfits as you do during those daunting weeks. It’s a trying time for all, with Bid Day painted as the shining beacon of hope at the end of the process.
Recruitment is the worst and I am horrible at it
Last year, I hated “sorority recruitment.” Truly, I can’t think of a situation more nerve-racking than walking into a house full of strangers, all of whom are there with the intent of judging and scoring you based on a five-minute conversation. But it wasn’t until going through the whole process again, this time on the opposite side, that I realized just how bad I was at it. In retrospect, I think my biggest issue was that I saw recruitment as more of an interview than a way to get to know people.
MILLER: Committees can work
On Monday morning, The Cavalier Daily Editorial Board a piece that called on the Deans Working Group to subsume the role of the Advisory Committee on the Future of the Historic Landscape. However, I believe that the Advisory Committee is well positioned to create change. The Deans Working Group put serious thought into the creation of the Committee, and the extent of that foresight should not be underestimated.
Police investigating reported firearm incident at Boylan Heights
Early Sunday morning, the Charlottesville Police Department was notified that a man displayed a firearm when prevented from re-entering Boylan Heights on the Corner. The man had been escorted out of the bar by bouncers earlier in the evening. The reported incident occurred around 1:45 a.m. and the suspect left the scene prior to the police’s arrival.
Why travel sucks - but why we need it more than ever
“The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.” In all of my life, I have never found a quote or passage so relatable. I first discovered these words while reading “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho on a crowded bus to Cuenca, Ecuador. Trying to block out the extremely loud sound of the Spanish-dubbed Tom Cruise movie blaring from the television at the front, I read the line again and again, trying to soak up its meaning.
Cookies make sweet, tasty holiday traditions
No matter where you go during this time of year, it’s difficult to escape all of the lights, decorations and feelings of holiday cheer. One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is definitely the food — especially the sweets. And no matter how busy I may be this time of year, I like to take a bit of time to bake some of my favorite cookies to share with friends and family. My absolute favorite cookies of all time are my grandmother’s delectable ricotta cookies.
City Police Chief Al Thomas retires amid criticism of response to 'Unite the Right' rally
Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas announced Monday that he is retiring, effective immediately. A release from the city did not provide the specific reason for Thomas’s retirement, but the announcement comes just over two weeks after a highly critical report from former U.S. Attorney Tim Heaphy was publicly released and Heaphy’s report concluded that the Charlottesville Police Department had not been adequately prepared for the violent rallies on Aug. 11 and 12.
Dealing with the pressure to have a perfect fourth year
It was May 18, 2017 — exactly one year prior to the beginning of my graduation weekend May 18, 2018 — and my mom booked a hotel in Charlottesville so that my family can watch thousands of other parents’ babies and me walk down the Lawn in a likely-overpriced piece of fabric. It was on that day that graduation became a tangible reality in my future. Throughout my first three years at the University, it was easy to forget about the day when I would eventually leave it.
Budapest picturesque
My 10-day fall break backpacking trip began in the Escher museum, in Den Haag, the Netherlands. Den Haag is best described as a grown-up version of Amsterdam, a beautiful metropolis where everyone bikes everywhere and everything closes at 10 p.m. M.C. Escher is best described as the artistic manifestation of a geometry textbook on LSD. His drawings are mesmerizing tessellations — forms, animals and architecture twisting and mutating endlessly.
Don’t let school get in the way of college
When I think of friendship, I think of the back seat of my friend Cole’s car on a warm August night. I had just parted from someone I cared about very deeply, and while three of my friends drove me to the airport, I just couldn’t contain the emotion — I started crying. Thankfully, Lizzie — my best friend and favorite adventure buddy — was sitting next to me. Before I knew it, she was crying too.
Embracing that I’m kind of boring
“Halloweekend.” Woo-hoo. I’ve been disillusioned with Halloween ever since fourth grade, when I went trick-or-treating with the classic white sheet ghost costume inspired by Charlie Brown. I had trouble seeing through it in the dark, so the neighborhood boys left me behind to maximize candy revenue. As a hint to how I felt about this — my tears made the sheet stick to my face while my dad, somewhat concerned about my socializing abilities, walked me home.
Weezer goes full California on 'Pacific Daydream'
Weezer’s career has taken a fascinating trajectory. The band’s first two records are cemented as classics in the alternative rock canon. Those albums — 1994’s “Weezer” and 1996’s “Pinkerton” — were partially responsible for moving rock out of the moody grunge arena to the suburbs where nerdy kids were playing music in their garages.
Thanksgiving travel on a budget
As an international student, the notion of Thanksgiving is filled less with fond memories of sweet potato and pumpkin pie, and more with the looming reality of a week where everybody goes home to their families. Hence, when I was invited to Portland, Maine for the upcoming Thanksgiving, everything felt like it was coming together — for about five minutes, before I went to book my flights.
CHELLMAN: Let FOA educators evaluate their students
The Fraternal Organization Agreement, or FOA, claims to value education. Each year, fraternal organizations in the Inter-Fraternity Council, Inter-Sorority Council, Multicultural Greek Council and National Pan-Hellenic Council commit to an FOA to formalize their relationship with the University. Critical to this agreement is the requirement that fraternal organizations attend over the course of the year, learning about anything from sexual assault education to personal health and nutrition.
The claustrophobia of dating in Charlottesville
A man, his ex-girlfriend and her date walk into a bar. Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, right? I wish it had been. Every day I swear that the University gets a little bit smaller, and that Thursday night exemplifies my point. I migrated downtown with an eclectic group of friends to Jazz Night at Miller’s Downtown, completely unaware of the classic Greek comedy I was about to star in.
Skip Western Europe and fall in love with somewhere else
I hate to admit it, but I’m one of those people. You know, the ones who start sentences with “When I was in [insert exotic location here]” or always find a way to relate the conversation at hand to their favorite, annoyingly repetitive stories from their time abroad — or their cheesy blog. Yes, despite my best efforts, I do it, and I’m not proud of it.
American college stereotypes debunked - almost
It’s been over a month since I moved from England to Virginia for my year abroad. American chick flicks are my guilty pleasure. So, I automatically assumed I’d be walking onto the set of “Mean Girls” — navigating different cliques, figuring out American boys and desperately trying to find something pink to wear on Wednesdays. It’s safe to say my expectations were set relatively high.
Does 'I love you' actually mean anything?
Never have I fallen in love as quickly or deeply as I did the first day I stepped foot into Arabic 1010. From my first “marhaban” — “hello” in Arabic — I was hooked, and time only strengthened my feelings. Week by week, I began to appreciate its little quirks, trace its alphabet’s sleek curves, and feel ignited within me an unquenchable desire to know the language inside and out.
Why we need to move past small talk
Nothing is worse than trying to catch up with an acquaintance at a crowded bar. No matter how uncomfortably close you may be standing to your conversation partner to avoid being elbowed in the rib by someone trying to buy a drink, you must still shout whatever pleasantries you are trying to communicate if you want any chance of being heard.
What separates friendship from romance?
As a crotchety 80-year-old man stuck in the body of a college student, I am often far behind the times when it comes to new phrases and acronyms. When I landed back in the U.S. this past May after a year abroad, my friend’s little sister gave me a crash course in everything I had missed while I was gone. This ranged from “bet,” a pointless term that taught me just how much confusion could be packed into one syllable, to “extra,” a useless phrase running rampant all over the country.
The road most traveled
By now, the drive is an equation. At the inception of my fourth year of higher education, I suppose it isn’t too strange that I would start finding formulas in my everyday life, but I was still a little shocked to discover the calculations now come second-nature as we hurtle down the highway. If we stop for gas and snacks separately, we’ll have to incur increased probability of a speeding ticket to make it down in less than six hours.
What is a ‘real’ date, anyway?
I went on my first date at the age of four. Quite a cocky preschooler, I thought I was a catch. Not that I would let them catch me, of course — I wore a very specific pair of shorts on Tuesdays and Thursdays just so that I could outrun my pursuers on the playground. It was no secret, however, that my heart belonged to someone else. It was cooties at first sight. Of course, I was not the only eligible bachelor in our class with my eyes on her.
How I landed dinner with Sullivan
It may have started as a joke, but there was nothing funny about President Teresa Sullivan walking through the door of our apartment. Well, maybe it was slightly comical. It’s not every day the president of the University goes to a student’s apartment for a three-course meal. Though we had laughed about it all fall, it wasn’t until the beginning of this semester that we actually sat down and wrote Sullivan a note inviting her over for dinner.
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