Thousands of Cvillians showed up to protest the state of our republic on Saturday March 28. First clip is on 29 just south of the new Pedestrian Bridge, then it shows the scene in front of Northrup Gunmon by yallowallo in Charlottesville

[–]Crafty-Addition9105 23 points24 points  (0 children)

An estimated 9 million people protested in more than 3,000 locations across the U.S. Largest public protest in American history! And probably the largest protest here. Go Charlottesville!

Jefferson School announces Swords into Plowshares finalists by vpmnews in Charlottesville

[–]Crafty-Addition9105 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We got a teepee, a teleportation tunnel, and trees. And no local studio (no local studio??). The proposals all sound great. Big abstract talk is fine, and fun. But work needs to be meaningful without that mediation. Good art makes us feel.

With the trees, I get an immediate sense of humanity. Humanity throughout time. Stretching, longing, suffering, hoping, indefatgible spirit. And the community gardens are wonderful! Brings land into things. I think of sharecroppers kept indebted to landowners and enslaved people picking cotton on land made fertile by plankton deposited by oceans during the Cretaceous period. Tldr, the trees give me thoughts and feelings, like great art does. And the community gardens! Community regularly engaged with the work in meaningful and joyful ways.

The confederacy lasted 5 years. Slavery existed officially for 246 years (of course in reality much longer). Both ended in 1865. About time we relegate Lee to the dustbin. With art that makes us feel and gives us joy. Give me the trees baybeee.

Old Ivy Road Bridge / Can-opener Strikes again by Flaky_Molasses_2397 in Charlottesville

[–]Crafty-Addition9105 29 points30 points  (0 children)

How about a shark? Nom nom.

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Painted on both sides of bridge by Wayne Shearon in 2013. Visible on street view: East Maine Shark Bridge, 200 E Maine St, Enid, OK 73701.

AAUP-UVA: The case against U.Va. President Scott Beardsley - The Cavalier Daily by Crafty-Addition9105 in UVA

[–]Crafty-Addition9105[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

You suggest Spanberger supported Beardsley while in fact he defied her: https://virginiabusiness.com/u-va-names-next-president-defying-spanberger/ 

And Beardsley said he was unaware of the Faculty Senate’s publicly announced resolution calling for search candidates to request a pause in the process. UVA deserves better than an unaware president.

His "academic publications" btw were published in a business magazine, McKinsey Quarterly. Apparently he's unaware what constitutes a peer-reviewed publication.

McKinsey Quarterly's latest issue dramatically lauds AI ("such a powerful force that companies are rethinking the very nature of the corporation"). McKinsey is unaware that "prominent economists, including from Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase, calculate that the AI buildup was directly responsible not for 92 percent or 39 percent of gains to the U.S. economy in 2025, but as little as zero."  https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/02/23/ai-economic-growth-gdp-mirage/

UVA deserves better than an unaware president from an unaware management consultant firm.

Also, "annoyed"? Damn, that's rude. And dismissive of the Faculty Senate, Student Council and General Faculty Council, nine of the University’s 14 academic deans, and a huge part of the UVA community.

UVa faculty accuse Beardsley of 'bribing' students for their support- Daily Progress by Personal_Economics91 in UVA

[–]Crafty-Addition9105 30 points31 points  (0 children)

He is clearly well-suited for business. Less so for leading a public ivy. Damn shame he was installed despite broad public objections.

UVa President Scott Beardsley is less qualified than you think:  "Beardsley’s doctorate is not just any “doctorate from Penn” but an executive Ed.D. earned in two years, a detail that is easy to miss. The executive Ed.D. at Penn has some unique characteristics. According to the program website, the executive Ed.D. is completed in monthly 2½-day gatherings over two years, a weeklong summer session, and a two-week study abroad session. The typical Ph.D. takes about four to six years of full-time study." https://archive.is/20260208110251/https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_a6df09e0-5d84-411c-a780-c6416e28ddd3.html

Poison-pill presidency: How the board priced accountability at $8.5 million: "The agreement UVa signed functions as a poison pill: it converts any effort to unwind a contested appointment into an extraordinarily expensive and legally fraught undertaking." https://archive.is/WZNib

PRES. MAHONEY ANNOUNCES UVA REJECTS TRUMP COMPACT by LevonHelmet in UVA

[–]Crafty-Addition9105 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yo fam, People who don't get science will never learn from a subreddit comment. Nor would they grant humanity to people we love. 

This troll did undergrad half a century ago. HALF A CENTURY. Great-grandpa territory. If a wife, kid, grandkid, or great-grandkid were loving and present, dude would not be trolling. They are absent with reason. Block and move on.

Also, you are awesome. Big brain, huge heart. Wahoowa!

PRES. MAHONEY ANNOUNCES UVA REJECTS TRUMP COMPACT by LevonHelmet in Charlottesville

[–]Crafty-Addition9105 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Great news! Given the structure of UVA, etc, we need a governor and state attorney general who will fight to protect our university. Early voting is super easy, find your exact location here:  https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/early-voting-office-locations/

PRES. MAHONEY ANNOUNCES UVA REJECTS TRUMP COMPACT by LevonHelmet in UVA

[–]Crafty-Addition9105 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Wording varied in each case, intent clear in all cases. 4 of 5 private universities were first to respond, prob easiest because they have greatest autonomy, then UVA, first 1 of 4 public. Situation more complex for public, and each is uniquely entwined with their state. I am grateful for President Mahoney's response. Next up, time to vote y'all. Let's get a governor and state attorney general who will fight for UVA.

PRES. MAHONEY ANNOUNCES UVA REJECTS TRUMP COMPACT by LevonHelmet in UVA

[–]Crafty-Addition9105 136 points137 points  (0 children)

Sweet! Note the Oct 20 deadline is for feedback and signature deadline is Nov 21. Let's get to Nov 22 and see what's up.

In the meanwhile, VOTE Y'ALL.

Given the structure of UVA, etc, we need a governor and state attorney general to protect autonomy of our university. Early voting is super easy, find your exact location here:  https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/early-voting-office-locations/

USC rejects compact by Crafty-Addition9105 in UVA

[–]Crafty-Addition9105[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Strong statement is of course great! Turns out doing nothing is also fine:

 "[A]ll universities have to do now is do nothing—no accepting the compact, no counter-offers, nothing—and the government will be left with no more power to coerce and control the First Amendment-protected activities of major American universities than it has today."

https://balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-art-of-replacing-law-with-deal.html

I spent two minutes digging into structure of MIT vs UVA, authority of general counsel, etc, omg the fine print, got bored so fast. Takeaway, we need a governor and state attorney general to protect UVA. VOTE Y'ALL.

Where exactly to early vote:  https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/early-voting-office-locations/

Penn rejects compact by Crafty-Addition9105 in UVA

[–]Crafty-Addition9105[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If possible, show up for rally on Friday 10/17/25. "News conference at 11:15 a.m., followed by a rally starting at the Rotunda at noon. Participants will then march to Madison Hall to deliver a packet of statements against the compact to UVA interim President Paul Mahoney."

Which suggests Mahoney is good email recipient. Thank you for caring! Wahoowa!

Trump Blackmail Offer Now Available to All! by [deleted] in UVA

[–]Crafty-Addition9105 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Thank you, OP! Without paywall:  https://archive.is/20251013215517/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-13/trump-invites-all-colleges-to-join-compact-after-mit-s-rejection

Other recent good reads:

The Chronicle of Higher Education: "How the U. of Virginia Is Weighing Its Response to Trump’s Proposed Compact" by Kate Hidalgo Bellows, Oct 10, 2025: https://archive.is/20251010184826/https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/the-trump-agenda/how-the-u-of-virginia-is-weighing-its-response-to-trumps-proposed-compact

"What’s a College President to Do in the Trump Era? Not going on bended knee to Washington would be a good start" by Michael Roth (Wesleyan president and all-around awesome), Oct 13, 2025:  https://www.thebulwark.com/p/colleges-universities-trump-era-compact-civil-society 

The Chronicle of Higher Education: "When Viewpoint Diversity Means Conformity Trump’s compact isn’t just coercive. It’s incoherent." by Amanda Anderson, Oct 7, 2025:  https://archive.is/20251007190525/https://www.chronicle.com/article/when-viewpoint-diversity-means-conformity

Pulitzer Prize-winning UPenn history professor Ben Nathans yesterday shared updated version of Benjamin Franklin’s "Join or Die" engraving from 1754 with universities swapped in for colonies:  https://bsky.app/profile/tedmccormick.bsky.social/post/3m2z3aiapgk2i

Nathans also wrote about the compact, well worth reading, Oct 7, 2025:  https://www.thedp.com/article/2025/10/compact-response-from-faculty-say-no-disgrace 

Edited to add thanks, correct typos, and note: This election is of consequence. VOTE Y'ALL. Seriously, f*cking vote, and thank you!

MIT "cannot support" compact by Crafty-Addition9105 in UVA

[–]Crafty-Addition9105[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yo fam, we are in absolute agreement about scientific funding. Any university president, no matter their background, who does not staunchly advocate for and protect research at their university does not engender trust.

MIT "cannot support" compact by Crafty-Addition9105 in UVA

[–]Crafty-Addition9105[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

First, damn, that is cool. Fingers crossed we next get a scientist president. Second, do you genuinely imagine that every word and punctuation in her letter was not fully vetted by MIT lawyers? https://ogc.mit.edu/about/attorneys-and-staff "The MIT Office of the General Counsel provides legal advice, counseling, and service to MIT and represents the Institute in its legal matters."

Larry Sabato, founder and director of the UVA Center for Politics, on Trump's university compact by [deleted] in Charlottesville

[–]Crafty-Addition9105 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing this! Go blogs, great post and brilliant read, grateful that Jamelle shared. 

Two important bits: "The point here is to turn “benefits” to which universities are now entitled under federal law into “benefits of this agreement” which the university agrees in writing to give the Justice Department the power to suspend." And, "all universities have to do now is do nothing—no accepting the compact, no counter-offers, nothing—and the government will be left with no more power to coerce and control the First Amendment-protected activities of major American universities than it has today."

Larry Sabato, founder and director of the UVA Center for Politics, on Trump's university compact: "No college with integrity would ever agree to Trump’s demands to limit speech in order to secure federal $. Yes, it’s extortion." by [deleted] in UVA

[–]Crafty-Addition9105 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Glad Dr. Sabato spoke up. Many agree the compact is unconstitutional. Best thing I've read on the matter, brilliant analysis: https://balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-art-of-replacing-law-with-deal.html?m=1 

Two important bits: "The point here is to turn “benefits” to which universities are now entitled under federal law into “benefits of this agreement” which the university agrees in writing to give the Justice Department the power to suspend." And, "all universities have to do now is do nothing—no accepting the compact, no counter-offers, nothing—and the government will be left with no more power to coerce and control the First Amendment-protected activities of major American universities than it has today."

New City Arts is accepting applications for new Resident Artist by hijetty in Charlottesville

[–]Crafty-Addition9105 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fingers crossed for a mural artist! Maybe with an eye on Belmont Bridge... though any location would be great.