Well. It’s been quite the interesting start to the semester, huh?
Walking through Grounds the first day, knowing just days before it had been filled with torch-wielding neo-Nazis was a bit of a weird feeling.
As a fourth year, I can say that UVA being in the news is not a weird feeling. Class of 2018 has had some newsworthy scandal nearly every year since we’ve been at this University. Sometimes more than one in a year.
This one was a little different for me, this time, for some reason. You might think it’s because those “alt-right protesters” definitely wouldn’t have wanted me on Grounds. But no, it wasn’t the first time I felt personally affected. (That would’ve had to have been when Martese Johnson was brutalized.) Maybe it’s because I am a fourth year, and my last year feels rather bittersweet. Post-August 12th, the fact that I’m getting out of here is a little more sweet than bitter. Maybe it’s because what happened this time was scarier than everything else.
Regardless of how you felt about it, whether you were not surprised, like our lovely guest writer Rawda Fawaz, whether you were appalled, whether you were perplexed by the similarities between the neo-Nazis and students here, like our intern Laura Hinnenkamp- it is evident that the events on August 11th and 12th had an impact.
And yet, amongst the chaos, there is hope.
Last week, UVA announced the new President who will be taking over next year---James E. Ryan. I won’t be here, but I’ve been reading up on him, and I feel happy about the direction I think this University will move in.
Another harmonious note: for the first time in its history, the Cavalier Marching Band is being led by four women, as our intrepid Devin Garcia reports. That is something to smile about.
More than ⅔ of teenage girls are identifying as feminists, more than ever before. Babies are being born. Art is being made. Beyoncé is making public appearances, looking as beautiful as ever.
And Iris is back, to talk about all of it. We’re committed to our mission of celebrating and empowering young women through provocative pieces, as we always are, maybe more than ever before. We will continue to talk about the things we find joy in, the things that disgust us, and everything in between. You won’t always agree with us. In fact, if we’re doing our jobs correctly, you likely won’t. But hopefully we will make you think, and that is our job.
Enjoy the ride.
Special thanks to those who contributed to our art:
Above Photo by our amazing Digital Media Contributor, Kirsten Hemrich
Our Next-Door Neighbors: Photo of Rawda Fawaz by Richard Dizon
Sartorial Dissent in Charlottesville: Photo by Andrew Shurtleff, edited by Kirsten Hemrich
For the First Time In Its History, Four Women Lead the Cavalier Marching Band: Group Photo by Thomas Pajewski, Individual Shots by Hannah and Katherine Pajewski
