Student Council’s proposed resolution supporting partial access to athletic games for part-time graduate students aims to encourage a greater sense of belonging to the University community among those students. It also seems fair to graduate students who are forced to contribute to the athletic department through mandatory fees. Allowing part-time graduate students part-time access to athletic events, however, would be a logistical nightmare not worth the benefit.
The resolution before Council would allow part-time students who pay a smaller fee than full-time students to attend a number of athletic events proportional to the fee they paid. What is not clear is how this proportion of events would be calculated and how students would be prevented from attending too many events.
The first problem lies in counting the events. This is only a problem with basketball and football, since even part-time graduate students have access to all other sports. Would each student get a proportionate number of games in each sport? Or could a student choose to forego the struggling football team in favor of season tickets to John Paul Jones Arena?
Enforcing a limit on games attended would also be prohibitively expensive. The SHOTS system would have to be re-worked to keep some students from attending too many games, while still rewarding others who attend as many as possible. Someone would also have to keep track of how many times each of these students attended a football game — a calculation for which no one currently has responsibility.
There is also no reason part-time graduate students should be offered this partial fee for partial access when other students are not. A full-time undergraduate student with no taste for football or basketball might also opt for this lower fee, but Council’s plan would not offer it to him.
Current athletic department policies already allow a fair solution. Those part-time students wanting access to all of the University’s athletic events can simply pay an extra $455: the difference between the smaller fee they already pay and the fee required of other students. They can pay the same price — still far cheaper than market prices — for the same access.
In fact, part-time graduate students already pay less than a third what other students pay and have access to all but two University sports: football and basketball (though technically not allowed to attend soccer games for free, simply showing a student ID at the gate will get them in). Those students who choose not to pay the entire fee still have that access, and cannot have the fee eliminated. If Council’s beef is with students being charged mandatory fees for events they might not want to attend, that is an issue that should be addressed for all students, not merely this subsection.
When asked how this policy would be enforced, David Hondula, the graduate Arts & Sciences representative who proposed the resolution, said Council has not yet figured out the details. It is exactly these details that make the resolution unfeasible. If it approves this resolution, Council would be advocating spending a lot of resources to solve a problem that does not exist.

MY FIRST trip to Clemons this semester was a little like living a bad dream. Half dazed at half past eight, I dragged my feet to the temporary back entrance only to discover that it was no longer in use. Fluster turned to bewilderment when I stumbled past the brown doors of the newly restored front entrance and eyed two fish tanks with my droopy eyelids (had I sleepwalked into a pet shop?). And the new group stations, with one snazzy LCD screen for every six sleek seats, were something out of science fiction.
Returning University students probably had a less dramatized but equally shell-shocked reaction to the Clemons revolution. The once endless rows of desktop computers were now thinned to the brink of extinction. New fish tanks were flanked by futuristic, mobile group work stations. And observant patrons might even have spotted the 200 new power outlets or the ultra-fast computer stations which log in within 15 seconds (a record by University standards). Any returning upperclassman could not help but feel old, backward or mortified. And any sharp Opinion columnist might have scribbled a mental note in his head about another ill-advised, shocking administrative change made without proper and adequate student consultation.
But however much old hats might grimace at the newly-fashioned Clemons, it is a student-rooted and future-driven transformation that embraces the spirit of technological innovation. And when it comes to assessing policy changes, tangible boons ought to outweigh incoherent boos.
Finger-pointing students anxious to scapegoat the administration ought to look a little closer to home. The Clemons transformation was in fact a product of three student focus groups of 12-15 each, from various years and majors, that met last year. The top concerns, in order of priority, were: more power, greater flexibility for group stations, new, enclosed cubes, a more pleasant environment and printing.
The library responded to these demands comprehensively by installing more power outlets, throwing in trendy chairs and LCD screens, placing a new fish tank for pleasure and useful software for laptop printing. Intriguingly, Clemons Library Outreach Coordinator Matt Ball also told me that the fish tanks were the most conservative option mentioned during the focus groups to “enhance the library environment” – the more colorful options being a petting zoo and a waterfall. In short, this appears to be a case of grassroots reform rather than force-fed change.
The changes are also rooted in futuristic trends at the University and the broader technological world. According to Ball, ITC surveys conducted last year concluded that almost all first-years carried their laptops on grounds, while most of the desktop usage in libraries was only for non-research surfing and e-mail. Why have desktops when everyone carries their laptops nowadays and uses desktops for non-academic purposes?
The various reforms are also part of a  mobile computing initiative launched in consultation with President Casteen to ensure that the library system is keeping abreast with contemporary technological developments. In the laptop world, the top concerns are power and mobility, not rigid desktops and bulky wooden tables.
But while it is refreshing to see an innovative streak in an institution too often drowned in its own traditions, the manner in which the well-meaning changes were formulated and then introduced was opaque and unrepresentative. The focus groups were formed from a sign-up sheet at the library last year when most students probably had not heard of the process at all. This is important since focus groups are only as effective as their representativeness, which in turn is a function of publicity and transparency. Had more painstaking efforts been invested in advertising, one might think (or hope) that there would have been some reasoned voices to counter zany initiatives like petting-zoos or fish tanks.  And this attention to publicity need not be backbreaking task either — advertising the survey on the Library website or a simple editorial by external relations in The Cavalier Daily would have been sufficient.
It is equally perturbing that the library staff thought it would rather put students through shock-therapy than advertise a comprehensive list of changes to allow patrons to learn about and gradually adapt to reform. I had to schedule a meeting with Ball just to learn about all the changes made, and more than half of them were ones I had neither heard about nor seen. Opaqueness also raises eyebrows and doubts among students regarding the wisdom of the initiatives. For instance, Karl Philippoff, a third-year environmental science major, is convinced that “the new group stations are meant for Commerce students”, a perception echoed by several other Clemons users I interviewed. These concerns could have been addressed with a simple link on the library Web site entitled “new library changes”.    
Fish tanks aside, returning students probably should have had less of a problem with the inevitable and futuristic transformation of Clemons library that truly had their interests at heart. But then again, such a cool, level-headed response presumes that students participated and were well-informed of the scope, pace and extent of the reforms. But even for a forward-thinking library of a top-notch public university, this was too much too ask.
Prashanth Parameswaran’s column appears Wednesday in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at p.parameswaran@cavalierdaily.com

Though your comfortable desk chair may sound like an unlikely source of exercise motivation, the health-conscious community at the University is beginning to turn to the Web as a source of information and advice about diet and fitness. As part of a growing online trend, personal Web sites and blogs have emerged as an significant contributor to the body of online knowledge regarding health and wellness issues.
Registered dietician Paula Ciavarella Caravati, Ph.D.,  the University’s resident nutritionist, collaborates with the University Dining Program to provide pertinent nutrition information about the University’s meal plans, making this information available on the University Dining Web site. She views the Internet as a valuable resource for students to use, in conjunction with the guidance of a medical professional, in devising a personal wellness plan.
“The Internet abounds with nutrition information sites, and if the information is reliable, it can definitely assist students with health and wellness goals,” Caravati said.
She cautioned students, though, to take a “buyer beware” stance when it comes to information found on the Internet. Just as the conscious consumer must weigh the legitimacy of those quick-fix diet and exercise products pushed on television infomercials, the online browser must take certain precautions when approaching a health Web site. Caravati encouraged students to investigate what sorts of professional medical licenses and certifications a Web site author has and to weigh the information or advice from a Web site based on the legitimacy of its author.
Second-year College student Lilly Frost said she prefers getting health advice from an in-person source whose authority she can trust. Frost said she continues to rely on the advice from her high school sports coaches because they offered a variety of health opinions that she felt she could trust because of their backgrounds in athletics.
“I don’t think [health] is some exact science that one person on a Web site somewhere can possibly know,” Frost said. “Every body is different.”
Frost said she favors a customized health plan that comes from personal interaction with a health professional. Caravati also noted the benefits of such an approach.
“There is still a lot to be said for sitting down face-to-face with a nutritionist or medical professional,” Caravati said. “It’s just that it is no longer the only route.”
Despite the lack of personal interaction, the Internet is offering more and more ways to access various health-related information. The Internet can bring groups, such as vegetarians, together in a scale that would not be feasible otherwise. Personal blogs devoted to specific dietary needs, such as gluten-free diets or kosher diets, or certain interests can serve as tools to trade tips and information. This information always needs to be assessed for medical legitimacy, though, and as Caravati cautioned, students should not conclude that publication automatically grants an individual authority.
A number of students visit these types of Web sites as a way of connecting to the health-conscious community. Third-year College student Tinbite Tamiru said she visits health Web sites at least once a week, noting she has turned to the Internet to find new vegetarian recipes.
Although neither Tamiru nor Frost actively participate in posting health information on the Internet, many health-conscious people contribute information through various Web sites. Jenna Weber, maintainer of the blog, “Eat, Live, Run,” is certified as a nutritional and wellness consultant by the American Fitness Professionals and Associates and is currently a student in culinary school. She blogs about her daily life, focusing on her commitment to a healthy, yet feasibly sustainable, lifestyle. For Jenna, maintaining a health-focused blog “really isn’t about weight loss, it’s about reality,” keeps her on track with her overall health goals.
“I definitely feel a lot more motivated to work out and eat right knowing that I am influencing other young women,” Jenna said. “Certainly there’s times when I want to splurge, and I feel like the blog appreciates the fact that I am just another woman — I’m not perfect!”
In this sense, participating in an online dialogue, whether through a personally maintained blog or by discussing issues with a dietitian in an online forum, can provide a level of motivation and support different from the sort of guidance medical professionals provide.
Jenna’s Web site makes a disclaimer emphasizing the importance of consulting a medical professional before embarking on a diet or exercise regime, but her blog introduces an array of health information, such as exercise moves and nutritiously wholesome recipes, that one could bring to a meeting with a certified health or medical expert. Advice found on such sites can be attractive to students, as it from a student perspective, pressed for time and budget, which offers a viewpoint that may not be a part of the traditional health advice offered by medical professionals who are removed from the student culture.
There is no magic, 10-seconds-a-day answer to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But with the availability of nutrition and exercise resources growing, an active conversation about health issues, whether through a traditional, in-person consultation with a certified professional or a virtual dialogue, could help students reach their goal — if they are properly skeptical about the source of their advice.
“I think that it is important to be open to the expanding delivery of nutrition information … However, caution must always be exerted,” Caravati said.

When you’re in college, there are an endless number of reasons for missing out on your nightly Zs. From rowdy neighbors to last-minute cramming, frat parties that go too late to classes that come too early, it’s no wonder that college students come up short when it comes to sleep. Going strong 24/7 seems to be the norm in our over-caffeinated and over-programmed culture, but research suggests skimping on sleep can have some serious consequences.
First of all, how much sleep do you really need? The average adult gets just under seven hours a night, and college students probably get even less. Sleep experts generally recommend that you shoot for eight, but the reality is that everyone is different, and young adults may require up to 10 hours a night. Unfortunately, each night that you fall short on sleep, you are actually accumulating a sleep “debt” that is cumulative and doesn’t resolve itself. Most of us make up for lost sleep on weekends, but in doing so, throw off our sleep-wake schedule and make ourselves even more tired. Basically, if you find yourself waking up in class covered in spitballs or your friends have nicknamed you “Sleepy,” it may be time to clean up your sleep act.  Hey, at least they’re not calling you “Dopey”.
So what’s the big deal? You probably know that trying to get through the day when you feel like a zombie isn’t exactly ideal, but experts nowadays are realizing it might be worse than we think. Sleep can obstruct our attention, memory, coordinated tasks and mood regulation. Sound like drinking a six-pack? Indeed. A 2000 study published in the British journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine compared being sleepy to being intoxicated, and noted that after being awake for 17 hours, drivers in the study performed worse than “buzzed” drivers with a blood alcohol level of 0.05. The study claims that 16 to 60 percent of accidents on the road involve sleep deprivation. Unfortunately, the odds may be even further against you. In the United States, more than half of automobile crashes that result from driver sleepiness are caused by drivers under age 25.
As if that wasn’t enough, sleep can also weaken your immune system. Burning the candle at both ends could land you in the doctor’s office sooner than you would think. Rats that are intentionally sleep-deprived have a shortened life expectancy, usually because of infection. New research suggests sleep deprivation may affect the function of your white blood cells, which usually fight off infection and keep you healthy.
And the kicker: Staying up late can actually contribute to the “freshman (or sophomore/junior/senior/post-grad) 15.” Not only will late-night snacking pack on the pounds, when you’re sleep-deprived, your body may make less of a hormone called leptin. This handy hormone is responsible for making you feel full after you eat. Without it, your appetite may grow, and as a result, so may your waistline.
So how can you make sure you stay alert, healthy and svelte to boot? First of all, try to keep the same schedule each night. Pulling all-nighters or sleeping in late throws your brain for a loop and leaves you feeling tired. Even on weekends, try to stick to your normal schedule so your body isn’t constantly having to adjust.
If you have trouble sleeping (and even if you don’t), exercise is a great sleep aid. Even moderate exercise can give you more restful sleep. Avoiding booze and caffeine, especially in the evening, can also help. Both are very disruptive to sleep (not to mention the early morning hangover from the latter). If you have trouble falling asleep, make sure you are only using your bedroom for sleeping and not as a study space or TV room. Otherwise, your brain will associate the bedroom with other activities and, by extension, staying awake. Lastly, if you absolutely can’t fall asleep, get out of bed! This might seem counter-intuitive, but moving to a quiet, dark room and reading until you’re sleepy can keep you from getting frustrated and can give you another chance to fall asleep.
All in all, keep in mind that sleep is important for your health. And if life gives you lemons, it never hurts to sleep on them.
Emily is a University Medical student. She can be reached at e.graham@cavalierdaily.com.

Everyone took health class in high school — we’ve all seen some afternoon special either with the pink Power Ranger or Tracy Gold and we know that being obsessed with attaining the perfect body can have dangerous consequences. Nevertheless, eating disorders still happen.
While no longer at the forefront of many people’s minds, or hip-enough fodder for Lifetime movies, eating disorders are very real diseases that affect about 2 percent of the population, or 8 million Americans, most of whom are teens and young adults. While the victims of eating disorders are 10 times more likely to be female than male, more than a million men and boys suffer from eating disorders each day.
The common image of someone with an eating disorder is a deathly skinny young woman with dark, sunken eyes and bones protruding from under her skin. Or the girl who eats what she wants and is then discovered in the bathroom after lunch throwing up her meal. While anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, respectively, are the most common eating disorders, there are other options for the body obsessed. Excessive exercising, for example, is another manifestation of a distorted body image and is the manner in which most male eating disorders manifest themselves. Additionally, even though not traditionally thought of as eating disorders, binge eating and obesity, indicators for low self-esteem and poor self-image, are eating disorders. Thus, an eating disorder is any inappropriate relationship with food stemming from a poor self/body image.
One of the tricky things about eating disorders is that, since they are an outward manifestation of an inner process, people don’t often fit into one single definition. A bulimic can become an anorexic, or exhibit aspects of both, for example. An eating disorder can even begin with normal dieting that spirals out of control. Though I am hesitant to blame a “body obsessed” society, there are certain activities young people are involved in that force them to become body conscious and can result in eating disorders. Sports such as gymnastics or wrestling are just two examples. There are other individual and family psychologies that play roles in the development of eating disorders as well, since many teenagers who feel controlled by their parents take control of the only aspect of their lives they feel they can: what they put in their mouths.  
Eating disorders arise for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways, and unfortunately, many sufferers become very adept at disguising their weight changes and denying a problem, so they are difficult to diagnose. Unfortunately, eating disorders can produce serious health problems and even result in death. Without proper calories and nutrients, the body begins to alter its physiology and slowly begins to shut down. As a result of anorexia, the body switches to starvation mode and can result in a decreased blood pressure, hair loss, loss of periods, light-headedness and brittle bones. Bulimics suffer from damage to the stomach and kidneys, dental damage from stomach acid eroding the teeth, esophageal ulcers and bleeding, and decreased potassium levels that can damage the heart and result in death. Eating too much can obviously result in obesity, but it also increases the risk of developing type II diabetes mellitus and heart disease.
Treating eating disorders is difficult and a long process involving medical care for the physical ailments and psychiatric or psychological care and counseling for the psychological aspects of the illnesses. Sufferers of eating disorders require intense therapy to improve their self esteem and body image; otherwise the medical treatments are ineffective if the person fails to understand the harm they are doing and continues to engage in unhealthy eating behavior. Many times, these patients require admission to a hospital for initial treatment to ensure they first stop the unhealthy behavior, then receive the necessary treatment for medical complications and diet to a healthy weight. This is followed by, and in conjunction with, intense therapy to address psychological issues and internal and external stressors that might induce the behavior. Often, people are treated with anti-depressants to address the psychological aspects of their illness. When deemed appropriate, they can be discharged and followed closely in an outpatient setting.
Eating disorders are often difficult to detect in someone, but if you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, seek help at Student Health or from other medical professionals.
Katie is a University Medical student. She can be reached at k.mcbeth@cavalierdaily.com.

Last night Student Council discussed a resolution that would work to allow part-time and research-only graduate students partial access to athletic events, proportional to the fees these students currently pay.
Part-time and research-only graduate students pay a $189 athletic fee per semester as a part of their tuition costs, while full-time students pay $644, said Graduate Arts & Sciences Rep. David Hondula, who sponsored the resolution. Despite the fact that part-time and research-only graduate students pay an athletic fee, Hondula noted, these students do not have free access to any athletic events that require a ticket, such as baseball, soccer and football games.
Currently, part-time and research-only graduate students who want to attend ticketed events regularly without purchasing individual tickets must pay the difference between the part-time student athletic fee — which they already pay — and the full-time student athletic fee, Hondula said.
“If these students want to see what games are about, then they should be able to be a part of it,” Hondula said. “They’re a part of this community and they are paying a fee, even if it’s not as much as everyone else is paying.”
Council President Matt Schrimper said it is important to remember that Hondula and members of the Graduate Arts & Sciences Council are not asking for permission to attend all ticketed athletic events at a discounted rate. Instead, they are requesting that graduate students be permitted to attend the percentage of ticketed sporting events equivalent to the percentage of the full-time student athletics fee they currently pay. Schrimper noted that the current part-time graduate athletics fee only goes toward athletic facility maintenance and does not benefit students personally.
The issue of allowing part-time and research-only graduate students some access to sporting events relates to larger Council concerns of creating a united University community, inclusive of both undergraduate and graduate students.
“There has been an ongoing concern that the graduate school community is distinct and separate from the undergraduate community,” Schrimper said, “It leads to the idea that graduate voices not being heard as loudly as undergraduate voices.”
Hondula agreed, noting that graduate student integration is a challenge that the University currently faces and adding that athletic events are an excellent way to promote the community.
“I think athletics [are] one of the best ways to welcome graduate students to the community,” Hondula said, “I can’t imagine a worse welcome than a graduate student showing up to a football game and being told ‘no,’ that they can’t get in.”
John Burke, Graduate Arts & Sciences Council president, spoke at the beginning of the meeting to encourage Council members to support the measure.
“We’re asking you to join us in this effort and to support this resolution,” Burke told Council memberes. “We’ve been talking to the [athletic] department for a year and a half and we haven’t received any real response at all.”
Vice President for Organizations Kayla Wherry expressed some concern with the proposed resolution, pointing out that part-time undergraduate students, like part-time graduate students, are also not allowed any access to certain athletic events.
Hondula, however, said Council intends to look into incorporating part-time undergraduate students into the resolution.
If the legislation is passed, Hondula said, Council will look into ways to give part-time and research graduate students limited access to events.
Schrimper said the issue deserves further focus from Council.
“I was very pleased to see this proposal, and it will be backed up by a series of meetings and coordinated efforts to ensure that this is something we can provide for graduate students,” Schrimper said.
Council will vote on this legislation at next week’s meeting.

According to a report released Monday by the American Lung Association, tobacco use among college students has declined to its lowest level since 1980. The report stated, however, that tobacco companies continue to have a strong presence on college campuses and target college students.
Janice Nolen, ALA assistant vice president of national policy and advocacy, said the report did not conduct original research, but instead compiled research done by other organizations and presented it as an overview for the general public in order to show a comprehensive view of national trends.
In 2006, 19.2 percent of college students were regular smokers, Nolen said. According to Nolen, this figure is encouraging because it is lower than the average of all adult smokers — 21 percent — and lower than the average of college-age smokers — including both college students and smokers of the same age — which is more than 35 percent.
Nolen said a goal of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is to decrease the percentage of college students who smoke to 12 percent. The national decrease, however, may not be a permanent one.
“The good news is that smoking rates among college students have dropped to the lowest level since the early 1980s, but they have been that low before and then spiked,” Nolen said.
Susan Bruce, director for the University’s Center for Alcohol and Substance Education, said the University has also seen a decrease in the number of students who smoke. Based on a survey conducted in February 2008, she said, 18 percent of University students had smoked within the last month, compared with 37.8 percent in 1998. She attributed this decrease to increased public awareness of the risks of tobacco use, in part because of efforts made by CASE and Student Health to educate students and provide resources for students who want to quit smoking.
University Policy Manager Lynn Mitchell said another way the University has encouraged smokers to quit is by forbidding smoking in any University facility or vehicle, with the exceptions of family and faculty staff housing units and “students who entered the housing system for the 2004-05 academic year or earlier with the expectation of being able to smoke and re-signed for their current residence space.”
She added that the University is in the process of changing its policies to prohibit smoking within 25 feet of the building.
In order to aid the continuing decrease in the number of college smokers, Nolen said the ALA encourages colleges to refuse money from tobacco companies and to become tobacco-free areas, noting that several colleges have already committed to becoming smoke- or tobacco-free by a certain date.
The University is, however, not against accepting monetary gifts from tobacco companies if the money is given under certain conditions, University spokesperson Carol Wood said. Wood cited the example of a $25 million gift the University received from Phillip Morris USA in February 2007 to support independent research within the Medical School and the Commerce School.
This research works toward reducing the harm of smoking, improving the effectiveness of smoking cessation efforts and preventing smoking among youth, Wood said. She noted that the University’s decision to partner with the tobacco company was made “thoughtfully” and under the stipulation that Phillip Morris would not have input into the research.

For the second year in a row, The Hartwell Foundation has named the University one of the Top 10 Centers of Biomedical Research.
This distinction continues to place the University biomedical department in league with institutions such as Cornell University, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Johns Hopkins University. All 10 institutions selected last year maintained their place on the list in 2008.
In choosing the top 10 institutions, “The Hartwell Foundation takes into account the shared values the institution has with the Foundation relating to children’s health, the presence of an associated medical school and biomedical engineering program, and the quality and scope of ongoing biomedical research,” according to the Foundation’s Web site.
Being named to this list qualifies the University to nominate four applicants to receive the Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award and allows the University to “choose an individual to receive a Hartwell Fellowship,” the Web site stated.
Narrowing the field to four nominees involves an extensive application process. An application comes from Vice President for Research Thomas Skalak, which goes out to all faculty, said Cheryl Wagner, the University’s executive coordinator to the vice president for research. Interested researchers then submit their applications back for internal review, and interviews will be held Sept. 15 to narrow the field to four. Finally, the president of The Hartwell Foundation comes to interview the four eligible candidates for a grant, she said.
Last year, Biomedical Engineering Assoc. Prof. Richard Price received the Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award of $300,000 to pursue his research in juvenile brain development in relation to brain tumor treatments. Price said his continuing research centers on the fact that the use of a gamma knife, a form of radiation, can effectively treat adults’ brain tumors, yet in children, can lead to “deficits in cognitive abilities and learning disabilities.”
Instead of using radiation, Price is exploring the use of ultrasound to destroy tumors.
“Ultrasound can cause heating of tumor cells to a point where they can be ablated [or] destroyed,” Price said.
Price’s research is still in the early stages, a fact that attracted The Hartwell Foundation to his work. The foundation wants to support “very early stage, cutting edge ideas” — which are a risk to invest in because they are “projects that have a high chance of failing” — in the hope that, with funding, some of them will be successful, Price said.
In 2007, the University also selected Cynthia Grimsley-Meyers, a post-doctorate research associate in the department of cell biology, as the recipient of the University’s Hartwell Fellowship, worth $100,000 over a two-year period.
“Our lab looks at how cells develop before birth, during embryo genesis,” Meyers said, adding that they examine “proteins that are involved in development of those hair cells,” which detect sound waves and different frequencies within the inner ear, or cochlea.
Meyers is currently involved in the process of identifying “components of the cells that are involved with the normal development of the cells” to get an idea of “what to look at in terms of what may be causing deafness.”
The research of both Price and Meyers has intimate connections with the values of The Hartwell Foundation.
“Most of the people who received funding are pursuing research that would benefit children’s health,” explained Amy Karr, senior director of development at the University’s Health System Development office.
As many members of the University apply in the coming weeks for the 2008 grants and fellowships sponsored by The Hartwell Foundation, faculty and researchers can reflect on past and present accomplishments.
“This is really a continuation of the strengths — last year we were able to show that we fit with [The Hartwell Foundation’s] values, and their inclusion of us again builds on what we did last year,” Karr said.

The uncertainty created by termination of the early decision program and financial constraints resulting from a declining economy led to an increase in the number of students admitted from many institutions’ wait lists this year. The University, however, saw a decrease after underestimating the number of students who would accept their admissions offers.
“I have certainly seen more students get into top-choice schools off the wait list [for the Class of 2012] than I have in 20 years in the admission business,” College Confidential Senior Advisor Sally Rubenstone said.
Steven Goodman, an education consultant and admissions strategist with topcolleges.com agreed, estimating that colleges are accepting 2 to 5 percent more students now from wait lists nationwide then they have in the past few years.
Both Rubenstone and Goodman said that the end of the early decision program in schools such as the University of Virginia, Harvard University and Princeton University likely caused the admissions uncertainty.
“Movement away from early decision has made it a much more uncertain admissions environment,” Goodman said, adding that it is no longer realistic to only apply to the University without the early decision program, pushing students to apply to more and more universities.
Associate Dean of Admissions Greg Roberts said that sense of uncertainty extends to the admission staff; because one-third of each previous incoming class was composed of students admitted through early decision, it was difficult to estimate how many students should be offered admission.
“We had to make offers without knowing how many students would accept our offer,” Roberts said.
The University was conscious of the admissions changes that the end of early decision would bring, Roberts said, and placed fewer students on the wait list than in previous years. The Class of 2012 had a wait list of 3,283 students compared to 2011’s 4,130, Roberts said.
This year, only 48 students were admitted to the University from the wait list as compared to last year’s 100, Roberts said, because admission officials underestimated how many students would accept admission.
The declining economy is also impacting the number of students being admitted from wait lists, Rubenstone said, noting that the current economy is causing students to think more carefully about the financial aspect of choosing a college.
“Families are making decisions about college choices based on costs more than they ever have,” Goodman said.
Rubenstone said students are applying to more and more schools in search of financial and merit-based aid, thus expanding the size of many colleges’ wait lists. According to Rubenstone, many colleges and universities are vague in describing the requirements for merit scholarships, forcing many into a “guessing game” for aid.
“Because of the financial climate,” Rubenstone said, “parents who five years ago thought they would be paying for their children’s education may have found that this [is] not the case.”

The Miller Center of Public Affairs’ two-day global conference on financial issues concluded yesterday after participants issued four main recommendations for future financial ministers worldwide.
The conference, “The New Financial Architecture: A Global Summit,” brought together former financial ministers from around the world to discuss issues such as the global financial architecture and the current credit crunch and to provide financial management advice for economies across the globe.  
Discussion centered around one important question proposed by David Wessel, global economics editor for the Wall Street Journal: “What practical advice can you give to your successors?”
Participants produced four recommendations to answer that question and to address issues brought to the table at the conference, said Lisa Todorovich, director of external relations for the Miller Center.
The first recommendation focused on improving enterprise risk management by fixing the “broken financial system,” which will require calling on institutions to manage their risks carefully. Secondly, the financial ministers recommended updating economic regulations by expanding and empowering existing global institutions to take some control over governance. The group also examined the role of international institutions such as the International Monetary Fund in global economic policies, deciding it is vital to establish “across-border investments to create jobs.” Finally, the ministers addressed how global markets should be regulated, suggesting they move to “sustainable growth policies.”
Conference participants noted, according to Todorovich, that because resources are limited, growing economies should be careful to maintain sustainable policies.
Todorovich also noted that a full report will be published in October, expanding upon these recommendations and the other findings from the conference.