Sai Kulkarni ‘23
Culture Editor
Unlike a few other members of this distinguished paper, I did not happen to skip my Thursday classes. I only used the traditional length of break. Very surprising and an off-brand move for me, I know.[1] But during my brief sojourn from the wonderful town of Charlottesville, I happened to stop in the big city before making my way back home. The real heart of the south and the fastest-growing city in America.[2] I’m talking Raleigh, North Carolina. I went down there to visit my best friends who are now engaged. Aside from the existential dread and the knowledge that I need to grow up soon, I managed to tour the local eateries and cultural hotspots while there. That town boasts an amazing mixed food scene. I sampled some South American and Southern American fusion that made me wonder why no one had made me try something like that before. Dipped ice cream and custard helped drown the aforementioned dread. I even managed to find my way into a speakeasy that blasted oldies, boasted remarkably expensive libations, and had people dressed up fancier than an underground fake Barrister’s Ball event. We finished up my time there by going to a nice local brunch spot where I further drowned my happiness[3] in cinnamon rolls. I spent the next few days at home in Florida where I got to spend time with my newly retired parents. In sum, I spent my entire break with people in a new place in life and realized that I haven’t changed in a year and a half. Clearly, I thrived over fall break.
Nathan Wunderli ‘22
Sports Editor
Over the break, I was able to experience nature in many forms. First, I took a trip to Luray, Virginia, where I visited the largest caverns in the Eastern United States. My review of the caverns is mixed. If you’ve never experienced cave viewing before, it is definitely something you should try. It is unbelievable what nature can createthrough geologic processes. While I have nothing bad to say about the caverns themselves, which are spectacular, the commercialization of the caverns takes away a lot of the mystery and thought-provoking tone caves usually inspire. The man-made walkways, extensive lighting, guardrails, and man-made wishing well at the end almost made it seem like man is trying one-up what Mother Nature already completed to natural, rugged perfection. There was also the employee who kept trying to tell us what he thought the cave structures look like: “that one looks like a dog,” or “that one looks like a dragon.” Nice guy, but dude, I’m not a 6-year-old at Disneyland looking for Mickey Mouse. We also had to deal with a claustrophobic lady, who made it a point to tell us how claustrophobic she is feeling, and that she is making a beeline for the exits, before she seemingly forgets her ailments and stops every five minutes to take pictures.
The Rescue Zoo, also located in Luray, offers another paradigm of man and nature. While trying to decide if these animals are better off in the zoo, in nature, or wherever they were “rescued” from is too fact-intensive and subjective for me to wrap my head around, the entertainment value of the zoo was undeniable. While the number and type of animals were less than a typical, large commercial zoo, the liveliness of the animals made up for it. One monkey even thought it was funny to throw a piece of food at me, which I took as a token of friendship.
Shenandoah is the most natural of the spots I visited. Being able to look out in the distance and see only rolling hills, perched on a rock formation that provides a glimpse of Shenandoah’s mightier past as one of the highest formations in the world, never disappoints. I also visited Walnut Creek Park and Ragged Mountain. While I went there to mountain bike, they are also great hiking trails not too far from Charlottesville around a fun lake. Walnut Creek is a great spot for a picnic, to relax, or to take a swim. Ragged Mountain provides a similar opportunity close by to hike, enjoy great views, and relax, but does not allow swimming.
Jonathan Peterson ‘23
Satire Editor & Photographer
While last year’s fall break substitute of apples was certainly appreciated, I must admit, it did not compare to a real fall break. This year, some friends and I made the four-and-a-half-hour drive down to Lake Norman, about thirty minutes outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. The trip consisted of, in the main, activities. The house was equipped with ping-pong, a dart board, a cornhole set, two kayaks, and two stand-up paddleboards. While some of us were weighted down with cite checks, and others with grading contracts exams, these obligations never brought spirits down.
Ping pong competition was furious: late-arrival Graham Buck ’24 clearly outclassed Megan Phansalkar ’23 and myself, although I personally attribute this to his young, limber 1L joints, and a brain unsullied by the ins-and-outs of property rights.
A heated pong tournament also took place, with an unprecedented run by the last-place seed to oust the first-place seed in the finals. In short, Alexandra Kasper ’23 and I took home the win in glorious fashion.
The two pong winners also had a notable island experience; after making the grueling (for me) paddle out to a distant island, we spotted a black bear from a considerable distance. Rightfully fearing our pong-playing abilities, the bear fled on sight.
Finally, perhaps the most memorable experience was a murder mystery game, conducted in similar fashion to NBC’s hit The Office. Paige Kennett ’23 and Jeffrey Horn ’23 surprised us all with the mysterious death of Deputy Drinkwater. Ultimately, the killer was Dewdrop Pinn, played to perfection by Kasper, and rooted out by Casey Coalburner, played by Horn.
Julia D’Rozario ‘24
Staff Editor
Last Saturday, October 16, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see All Time Low live at The Ritz in Raleigh. Like many current twenty-somethings, I spent the ages of eleven to thirteen listening exclusively to boybands with Hot Topic merch— think Fall Out Boy,[4] Panic! at the Disco, My Chemical Romance… Enter All Time Low. There were entire months of middle school during which I listened exclusively to ‘Damned If I Do (Ya), Damned If I Don’t’.[5] Needless to say, I’ve been beyond excited for this concert.
The venue was great. Given the times, I was more than a little nervous about going to a concert; but The Ritz took every precaution to ensure a safe experience. Every concertgoer was required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test in order to get in, everyone was wearing a mask, and the venue was roomy enough to give breathing room to those of us who haven’t yet reacclimated to the squishiness of a mosh pit.
There were two openers, Meet Me @ The Altar and Nothing, Nowhere. Both are relatively new bands signed by Fueled by Ramen[6] — the label of a huge number of iconic musicians, including many alternative rock and pop punk artists. Neither opener struck me as reminiscent of All Time Low’s sound, but both are definitely worth checking out. Meet Me @ The Altar is a pop punk group in the truest sense, with heavy guitar and bass, heavy drums, a badass sound and amazing energy.[7] Nothing, Nowhere is harder to fit into a single genre; Wikipedia describes their sound as ‘emo rap’, ‘trap’ and ‘indie rock’, which seems about right to me. Their music is an interesting combination of dark and upbeat, with trap-music beats over minor-key melodies.
By the time All Time Low came on, everyone was properly hyped. The very second the band stepped on stage, girls and boys (read: adults, in our mid-twenties) across the venue reverted to their pre-teen selves, screaming and jumping at the very sight of the members.[8] Their setlist was great, but that wasn’t really the point; I went largely for the sentimentality— for the sake of my inner thirteen-year-old. They played a lot of music from their newest album, ‘Wake Up, Sunshine’, which I really love. But the highlights of the night were when they played their older music— the music that appealed to middle school nostalgia. I might have teared up a little during ‘Weightless.’
It was good to relive my teenage angst for a night— back to adulthood and civil procedure!
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omk6cg@virginia.edu
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jkd2dd@virginia.edu
[1] I blame Julia Grant ’23. She guilt-tripped me by talking about the “importance of classes” and “the value of academic achievement” and “saving your absences for when you are actually sick.” Smh. Where’s blind support when you need it?
[2] People there mention this a lot. Seriously.
[3] Yes, it was happiness for my best friends and nothing else.
[4] Fall Out Boy— where emo music meets lawyering: check out “I’m Like a Lawyer with the Way I’m Always Trying to Get You Off” and “Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued.”
[5] On my lime green iPod Mini.
[6] To name just a few bands: Paramore, Twenty One Pilots, and Panic! at the Disco are actively signed to the label. Alumni include Fall Out Boy and 3OH!3.
[7] The cherry on top is that the group is made up of women of color— a particularly underrepresented group in pop punk.
[8] I, like many others at the concert, have been fostering a decade-long crush on Alex Gaskarth.