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(04/27/10 5:22am)
After living in London for several months, I feel qualified to analyze various assumptions about Britain and its people - at least, enough to confirm or reject some widely-held stereotypes.\nMany questions I received during my stay regarded drinking and fast food, probably because I'm in college and have friends who are also in college. Go figure.
(04/13/10 5:08am)
Although I had a great time during my Spring Break trip to Europe, I quickly realized keeping my guard up was the best strategy while visiting foreign countries.
(03/30/10 4:50am)
It is fair game to judge a book by its cover. Right now, I am not talking about books. I am talking about classifications of people.
(03/16/10 5:51am)
Throughout the process of traveling, I have been continually reminded of the saying: If you want it done right, do it yourself."
(02/23/10 6:51am)
They may be their pals within the United Kingdom, but many English people have told me that it is considered acceptable to make fun of the Welsh. None of them - including my British politics and culture professor, who endorses the practice - could say exactly why, just that it's OK. I have not personally partaken in this national pastime, mostly because I don't know enough about the Welsh to make a judgment either way. I feel like I should probably be here for a few months before I take that plunge.
(02/09/10 6:37am)
During my time in London so far, I have noticed a higher degree of sensationalism than I am used to in print media - from advertisements and PSA posters at bus stops to the most popular newspapers in the country. I will not be addressing "quality papers," though, because they just aren't as humorous. Before I bought any newspapers, I was very amused by some of the safety messages and law reminders I saw plastered on the sides of bus stop shelters and inside tube stations. The scare tactics are amazing. Even though it relates to a very serious issue - the abduction and possible assault of passengers who take rides from unlicensed cabs - I still started laughing on the street when I saw one particular poster. At first glance, it appears to be a horror movie advertisement. It shows a close-up of what appears to be a college-aged woman with a face of absolute terror, eyes wide with fear and signs of weeping, with a mouth screaming for help. The message below the picture reads "No, no, please, stop, no, please, stop, stop taking unbooked minicabs." In theory that should not be funny, but it most certainly is. It's not the problem itself or the efforts at educating the public that are entertaining; it is the method by which the official Transport for London PSA is presented. It absolutely blows my mind that a poster that disturbing is plastered all across the city, next to Burger King ads in the name of public safety.
(01/26/10 5:54am)
The answer to the question "What is one of your greatest fears about studying abroad?" is usually something along the lines of "being homesick" or even "getting mugged in a dangerous city." Not for me. In the months preceding my departure to London and continuing into the present, I have trembled at the thought of returning to Virginia with even a tinge of a British accent.
(01/30/09 9:09am)
David Slutzky, chairman of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, recently announced his decision not to challenge Del. Rob Bell, R-Charlottesville, for his seat in the General Assembly.Though Slutzky expressed interest in the position, he has decided to focus on his work on the Board of Supervisors, where he represents the Rio District. “I looked hard at the idea [of running] because I would enjoy serving in the General Assembly,” Slutzky said. “At the moment it would take a lot of time and energy to wage a campaign against an entrenched incumbent.”Bell, who was first elected to his position in 2001, said he has a proven track record of serving his constituents and said he is confident that voters would have acknowledged that should Slutzky have decided to run.Slutzky also noted that the effort would be a “distraction” to his work on the board, as there are now several pressing issues facing the board. Expanding the transit system in Albemarle County, Slutzky said, is among the board’s concerns. Additionally, Slutzky emphasized the importance of acting as a “spokesperson for the needs of the poor.” The board is part of a joint task force including the city, county and the University dedicated to addressing the issue of affordable housing in the area. Another issue that needs to be addressed at a local level is climate control, Slutzky said. He noted that he has experience dealing with this issue; he served as a surrogate speaker for then-New York Sen. Hillary Clinton during her run for U.S. president, speaking about climate-control issues. Slutzky also served as a senior policy adviser for environmental issues under President Bill Clinton.Slutzky said he is unsure whether he will pursue the General Assembly seat in the future, noting “I kind of take it one election at a time.”Meanwhile, though no new opponent has risen to run against Bell, the incumbent delegate said he remains ready to be challenged.“There are thousands of people in this district, and any one of them could decide to run against me,” Bell said, noting that he aims to win his current seat again regardless of who might challenge him.
(12/02/08 6:49am)
The nation’s current economic woes will affect the number but not the variety of jobs available in Virginia, according to the most recent “Stat Chat” by the University’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.The most recent edition of the Stat Chat, which outlines Virginia’s population and workforce statistics three times per year, also noted that despite a shrinking job market “employment in Virginia will continue to span a broad range of occupations and will require education at all levels.”The study used data published by the Virginia Workforce Connection, the Virginia Employment Commission, the U.S. Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, said Meredith Strohm Gunter, the center’s outreach director for demographics and workforce. Research associate Achsah Carrier said the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Virginia Employment Commission both completed analyses of about 800 occupations to determine how many people are employed and how the economy is changing. On the basis of these analyses, the Weldon Cooper Center is able to make projections about the job market, Gunter and Carrier said.Carrier noted that because of the struggling economy there will be less growth than previously anticipated, but no shift in the range of occupations available. Gunter emphasized that a broad range of jobs are necessary to sustain Virginia’s economy, despite the interest in technological and other “high-end occupations.” She said she believes many people place a greater weight on technology-based careers because technology is necessary in every field and at every level of education, from “full-time computer people” like engineers to auto mechanics. Additionally, careers in technology, especially those requiring a higher level of education, provide a foundation for growth in other areas. Gunter said area-populations with technological skills tend to attract business and economic opportunities to that region. According to the report, though, more traditional jobs will remain important — if not more important — in the coming years.Financial and political leaders also emphasis the “fastest growing jobs,” Gunter said, but this emphasis is not necessarily an indication of whether there are openings in a field of choice. For example, the occupation of “Gaming Surveillance Officer” has grown at a rate of 72.5 percent during the past year but only five openings are available annually, Gunter noted. The only other job with a higher rate of growth in Virginia is the “Home Health Aide;” however, there are almost 1,000 annual job openings for that position. The Stat Chat report states that the occupation with the most job openings is retail salespersons, a position with an average of 6,161 annual openings. In regards to job openings across the board, though, Carrier added that professional and related careers make up about 20 percent of employment in Virginia, which is only comparable to the service sector in size. With sales, office support, management and service occupations, the professional and related careers field is among the largest areas of employment and will continue to be so, Carrier said. Some of the smallest areas of employment, meanwhile, include farming, construction and transportation. “The 20 largest occupations in Virginia take a very large portion of the pie for all of the occupations in Virginia,” Gunter said.The breakdown of employment among various fields, however, goes beyond counting which occupations see more job openings. Level of education also has a great deal to do with the breakdown, Carrier noted.“About one-third of jobs are jobs for which a bachelor’s degree seems to be the most significant source of post-secondary training,” Carrier said, adding that “training at the university and college level is very important, but the majority of employment is not” based on the attainment of a post-secondary degree. Other areas of interest in the Stat Chat are the status of two changing demographics in the commonwealth, young males and immigrants entering the workforce. Men ages 25 to 34 are not achieving bachelor’s degrees at the rates of their parents or at the same rate as women of the same age range, Carrier said, adding that “this is an issue people are going to have to look at more seriously.” Additionally, Virginia’s immigrant population has seen a significant gap between the number of educated and the number of uneducated people entering the workforce, according to the report. Gunter noted that there is a fairly high number of immigrants with a bachelor’s degree or higher, but there is also a fairly high number of immigrants without a high school degree. She said “regardless of educational attainment in [their] home country,” immigrants may need help with recertification and language training to gain employment in their field of choice. “We can’t afford to let swaths of our workforce be unemployed,” she said. One’s level of education attainment and one’s particular career should not be the most important aspect of employment, Carrier said, adding that the success of Virginia’s workforce depends on having qualified employees in all fields.“We need to plan to have the best possible opportunities across the board,” she said. “We are going to need all of these people.”
(11/20/08 8:06am)
A number of University groups held two screenings of the documentary film “HAZE” in the Newcomb Hall Theater last night, highlighting the dangers of alcohol poisoning.The film, set to coincide with Substance Abuse Awareness Week, was co-sponsored by Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team peer educators, the Inter-Fraternity Council, the Inter-Sorority Council and the University Programs Council, said Susan Bruce, director of the Center for Alcohol and Substance Education. “HAZE” was presented by the Gordie Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to Gordie Bailey, who died of alcohol poisoning related to fraternity hazing during his freshman year at the University of Colorado, according to the foundation’s Web site. The film, produced by Bailey’s parents, “mostly tells the story of Gordie’s life and how he died,” Bruce said, noting the film includes interviews with some of Bailey’s pledge brothers and his friends from high school.“The importance of this movie is to educate University of Virginia students about the dangers of alcohol abuse,” said ISC President Stuart Berkeley, Bailey’s high school classmate. She said the story is significant because Bailey was not a person prone to binge drinking. “The most important fact about Gordie Bailey’s life was that he wasn’t a crazy partier,” Berkeley said. “The dangers of alcohol can touch anybody ... He was subject to the peer pressure to the extent it caused his death.”The ultimate goal in showing the film is to educate students about the signs and symptoms of alcohol poisoning, Bruce said. “Don’t just leave it to luck,” she said. “Make the call. You might lose a friend because you didn’t call to get help.”Bruce noted that the film shown last night had University input due to CASE’s relationship with the Gordie Foundation. CASE previously received funding from the foundation for a conference that served as a “model of alcohol use prevention [for] athletic departments.” As a result of this established relationship, Bruce said, “we were able to have a group of 60 U.Va. students see the rough cut of the film.” The student viewers gave the director feedback, she said, some of which was incorporated into the final version shown last night.Following the film, the sponsors held a short discussion, “a brief opportunity for students to reflect on what has been presented for them,” Bruce said. Facilitation materials were also available “if there’s a group that wants to talk about it in a more structured way,” including purchased authorization to the film so other student groups can have the opportunity to show the documentary.While leaving the theater, students reported mixed reactions to the film’s content.Second-year College student Miriam Kaplan said the film was not exactly what she was expecting it to be, noting that she was anticipating a more statistical approach to the consequences of binge drinking rather then a personal story.Second-year College student Meredith Peake also noted she was surprised by the film’s story.“I mostly thought it was going to be the kind of thing you’ve heard before, but it really forced you to think about things you sometimes try not to think about,” Peake said.Fourth-year Engineering student Ken Ohnishi, meanwhile, noted that he does not think the film will really change the behavior of University students.“I didn’t feel like it made a big enough of an impact,” Ohinishi said, adding that students will still be willing to take risks to have fun.Bruce said the movie was primarily publicized in the Greek community, and viewers last night received Fraternal Organization Agreement credit for attending.
(11/19/08 5:00am)
The Institute of International Education announced Monday that the University is ranked 14th among U.S. colleges and universities for the highest general study abroad participation.IIE’s report shows that the University sent students 1,807 students to 77 countries and every continent except for Antarctica in 2006-07, said Marina Markot, University associate director of study abroad. Markot noted that study abroad has become part of the undergraduate experience.“U.Va. is offering the best education it can,” Markot said. “In this day and age one cannot offer the best possible education without exposing students to the world.” Markot said she believes the ranking and the rising number of students studying abroad is a testament to the global outlook common among members of the University community. Dudley Doane, interim director of the International Studies Office, noted that the University has made global education a priority. He cited the Commission on the Future of the University initiatives as proof of the importance of this global education; international programs are listed as one of the top three priorities for the University in the future.Faculty involvement and interest is also a catalyst for overseas studies, Doane said, as professors strive to integrate global perspectives into their courses.A variety of program opportunities across all fields and in many countries make studying abroad an option for all students, Markot said. “U.Va. has probably every kind of program you can possibly imagine,” she said. Student exchanges — in which a University student switches places with a student at a partner institution abroad — provide the greatest opportunity for complete immersion, Markot noted. There are also field study programs and programs designed to be more intensive and less immersion-focused. For example, one program in Valencia, Spain is designed specifically for Americans seeking “to maximize their exposure to Hispanic studies and the Spanish language,” Markot said.Other study abroad opportunities allow students to travel to a specific location to study a specific topic. For example, during January Term, students will be traveling with faculty from the Medical School to study emergency response systems in the Caribbean. Some programs are specifically designed to teach a foreign language. Trips currently are available for those seeking to learn Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish and Italian, Markot said, adding that Russian will be available in the future.If none of the available programs are suitable for a particular student, Markot said “partner institutions and program providers” can help set up an alternative option. There also is one other opportunity for students unsatisfied with their overseas options, Markot noted. “If they still cannot find what they’re looking for, they can petition to have a program of their dream approved,” Markot said. “If it is a solid, good academic program and it’s safe, then we’ll approve it on a one case-by-case basis.”In the recent past, Engineering students have been frustrated with their inability to find programs suitable to their majors and have been “very proactive” about “asking for more options,” Markot said.Some Engineering students developed an advising tool that allows students to enter their major and classes they have taken. The program then calculates the best time for them to plan their travel. Study abroad is especially important for American students, Markot noted, since they may not have experienced travel to other countries as a European student might have done. “If you want to perform competently and confidently, you really have to gain firsthand experience,” Markot said. “You have to really study [abroad] and not just travel.”
(11/17/08 6:08am)
Student Council has allocated about a quarter of its available University Unity Project grant money, $2,700, to student groups working within the Charlottesville community.With the help of a $10,000 donation from the University Bookstore, Student Council developed the initiative with the hope of creating a stronger connection between the student community and the Charlottesville community, University Unity Project Chair Rob Atkinson said. The goal of the project, he noted, is to emphasize all that these two communities have to offer one another.The source of the funding The University Bookstore tries to donate money annually — typically between $10,000 and $30,000 — to Student Council, University Bookstore Executive Director Jon Kates said. Although the money comes with “no strings attached,” Kates said the bookstore encourages Council to use the money to help as many University community members as possible or to help those most in need.“We don’t dictate how they use the money,” Kates said, though Council informs the bookstore administration of its plans in advance and regularly gives reports on how the money is spent. Council leaders meet with bookstore representatives in the summer to give “their vision” for how the money will be used, Kates said. When Student Council President Matt Schrimper came to him with the idea for the University Unity Project, Kates said, “it seemed like an extraordinary idea.”Kates said the size of the gift depends on the bookstore’s financial situation.“If your business is down, your ability to be philanthropic diminishes,” Kates said.This type of initiative would be impossible without the financial support from the bookstore, Atkinson said, noting that because the money for the University Unity Project does not come from student activity fees, there are fewer restrictions on how it is used.Who gets whatWith flexibility in how it can use the grant money, Council has been overseeing a grant-awarding process throughout the fall.“I think that we’re all pretty happy with where we are so far, chronologically relative to how many applications we have received,” Atkinson said. Michelle Henry, a University Unity Project committee member, said the project will continue throughout the academic year.“It’s a rolling application process, and we’ve been delegated $10,000 for the year, so we are managing that to last until the end of the spring [semester],” she said. Council has been receiving more applications lately, Atkinson said, a phenomenon he attributes to publicity efforts that included sending e-mails to “a pretty broad swath of groups.”So far Council has evaluated 22 applications for grants, 11 of which have been approved and four of which did not need funding and received only publicity or other support. Seven were rejected, but “some might be back,” Atkinson noted. An additional four proposals are still under consideration, Atkinson said.The committee in charge of awarding grants, Atkinson noted, has sought to distribute funding in an ethical manner. For example, Atkinson said, “the Environmental Sustainability Committee of Student Council sent us an application, but one of the concerns we had was that it’s not best for the Unity Project to be funding other areas of Student Council.”Similarly, when Third-Year Council applied for a grant, its members who have been involved in the grant approval process did not participate when their own application was evaluated.Groups that have received grants either heard about the Unity Project and then decided to do a project as a result or already had projects that qualified for Unity Project funding, Atkinson said. Although most projects are service-oriented, often helping disadvantaged members of the Charlottesville community, Atkinson said Council is also receiving proposals for relationship-based projects such as mentoring programs.Specific projectsSeveral groups have seized the opportunity to reach out to the Charlottesville community with the support of grant money from the Unity Project. Iberedem Ekure, president of the Organization of African Students, said his group mentors African refugees within the Charlottesville community.“Charlottesville is one of the resettlement cities [where] the International Rescue [Committee] resettles refugees,” Ekure said. “There are a lot of refugees from war-torn countries.”The group’s Unity Project grant money goes toward a training-day event for the 51 mentors as well as toward books and various activities that the mentors do with the refugees, OAS Community Service Chair Selam Asihel said. Ekure said the University Unity Project’s theme of “Beyond our Grounds, Within our Community” is “perfectly aligned with what we’re doing this year,” adding that the project provided OAS with a great opportunity to work with Student Council.The Latino Student Union also has received a Unity Project grant, which Latino Student Union President Chris Blank said has been used for the Latino Health Promoter Program. This program involves a series of dinners focusing on health and wellness issues for 20 to 30 members of the Latino community. Blank said he was initially skeptical about working with Student Council, noting that many minority groups do not feel Student Council has reached out to them. Blanks said, however, that he was “pleasantly surprised with the outcome.” He said Student Council did a good job publicizing and getting participation from groups that are not usually involved.“We asked for money for the cost of the dinner and we got the exact amount for which we asked,” Blank said.Another group, the Virginia Alpine Ski and Snowboard Team, sought to bring together skiers and snowboarders in the Charlottesville area, VASST Vice President Meggie McArthur said.After a company from Wyoming approached VASST to screen its film as a fundraiser, she said, VASST decided to open the event to the community as well as to its own members.“We wanted to get a venue that did justice to the film ... an actual theater setting,” she said. The group eventually chose Live Arts, which cost $500 for the night, McArthur said. VASST applied for, and subsequently received, a Unity Project grant to cover the theater expense. McArthur said the event was a success — the group sold tickets for 199 of the 200 seats.In terms of monitoring how the money was used, Council met with VASST after the group received the grant but did not pursue any formal accountability measures, McArthur said.“They didn’t say anything about auditing us or anything like that,” McArthur said.Atkinson said the committee checks up with groups following their events.“As far as oversight, depending on when the event [or] project is scheduled, we schedule a follow-up meeting to get feedback on the event and on how the money was used,” he stated in an e-mail. “This is also partly to help us evaluate ways to help groups execute their events or projects more effectively in the future.”Henry said the process for reviewing money granted by Student Council remains consistent. “With any [Student Council] grant at the University, there is not exactly a per-line check on budget spending,” she said.In the futureWith the University Unity Project well underway, Atkinson said Council now is looking to the future.“We’ve gotten a lot of good feedback from [contracted independent organizations],” he said. “We want to make the general student body more aware of what’s going on — the ideas behind this, how they can participate.” Atkinson said this will be accomplished through publicity efforts, both for the University Unity Project as a whole and associated events. Some current projects are intended to extend beyond the term of the sitting Student Council. The “Don’t Sign It” campaign — which seeks to eliminate pressure to sign leases for the next academic year as early as October — is one such long-term initiative. “It has to do with the interaction between the University and the Charlottesville community,” Atkinson said. “It’s one of those things that’s going to be a year-over-year thing, and it’s not necessarily going to achieve everything that we want it to achieve this year.”Ultimately, Council wants to “create valuable relationships that go beyond service,” Atkinson said. “We’re really looking for a much more relationship-based and long-term connection.”Henry noted that the idea behind the University Unity Project has staying power.“The Unity Project in general is a growing structure,” she said. “I don’t think that mission will necessarily die in any form. The goal is to bring the University community together.”
(10/23/08 5:23am)
Despite lobbying by some students, the University will not cancel classes on Election Day, because it believes students’ flexible schedules allow ample opportunities to vote. Student Council, however, is continuing efforts to contact faculty members, requesting that they grant leniency to students who are unable to attend class because they cannot vote at another time.Council has joined up with the University Democrats, College Republicans and third-year College student Colleen Clark, who is circulating a petition about the issue, to spread the word about student concerns regarding their ability to vote on Election Day.Recently, Council passed a resolution granting Council members permission to contact faculty members about the issue, and in the past week, members have been getting in touch with the deans of each school, said Patrick Dorsey, legislative affairs committee chair and author of the resolution.“We’d like to enlist the support of the deans if we can,” Dorsey said. “A message from the dean carries a certain amount of weight. We’re also going to approach faculty members at the individual level if that becomes necessary.” Dorsey noted that Architecture School Dean Karen Van Lengen has sent out a letter to all of her faculty, notifying them of the issue. He said he has not received word from anyone objecting to the resolution at this point.Clark, whose petition initially called for classes to be cancelled on Election Day, has changed her stance to follow the position taken by Council’s resolution. Student Council President Matt Schrimper said all those who had already signed the petition were notified that the language of the petition had changed, but few people retracted their signatures. As a volunteer, Clark said she finds the petition important as part of a broad effort to spread the “get out the vote” message to students. The petition also serves the purpose, Clark said, “to make a statement to the faculty and the administration as a formal means of being respectful,” she said. “We might miss your class, but we want to do so in a respectful way.” She said a rise in voter registration and student activism led her to start the petition. “I like the fact that we are starting to show more passion [about politics],” Clark said. “I see college students as a potential untapped resource for volunteering and helping out in the electoral process.”She also noted that students are on their honor to sign the petition honestly. For those who might not do so, Clark said, filters have been put in place so no e-mail or names can be repeatedly added to the petition. Clark said her long-term goal is to have classes cancelled on Election Day by the next election, readjusting the academic calendar to do so. University spokesperson Carol Wood said the academic calendar is determined by a committee, usually two years in advance, noting that unless there is a hurricane or a bad snow or ice storm, classes are not cancelled. Even in those cases, “we rarely cancel classes,” she said.Wood also noted that most students’ schedules are more flexible than the schedules of people with full-time jobs, including much of the faculty, who must vote before or after work.“It is unnecessary to cancel classes because students have so many options for getting to voting locations on Election Day either through fellow help from student groups or from the flexibility of student schedules,” Wood said, adding that students could also vote ahead of time or by absentee ballot. Fourth-year College student Marta Cook, a former Cavalier Daily Opinion columnist, has been working since the summer to ensure students are able to get to polling locations on Election Day. She said a bus will be running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., stopping at the Alderman Road and McCormick Road residences and the University Chapel before traveling to Alumni Hall and University Hall, both of which polling locations.Cook said she believes offering students some leniency is a good compromise.“It doesn’t make any sense for the university founded by Thomas Jefferson to dissuade students from getting involved in what is the biggest political day of every four years,” she said. Economics Prof. Kenneth Elzinga, who will give a test to more than 1,000 students on Election Day, said students have opportunities to vote, noting that there are not classes before 8 a.m. and that he will personally be going to vote at 6:30 a.m. He said he does not “have a lot of sympathy” for those who are unwilling to inconvenience themselves in such a way as getting up early. Elzinga cancelled his normally scheduled class because of his 5:30 p.m. test, and he said students could vote during that time. He noted that of his many students, hardly anyone has voiced any concern. “In one sense, for me this is a non-issue,” he said. “I have had no one come up to me and say, ‘This is preventing me from voting.’” Art History Prof. Paul Barolsky expressed a sentiment similar to Elzinga’s. “Why would a student not have taken care of absentee ballots since this is something that has been known forever,” he said; however, if it came down to voting or not, Barolsky said he would offer some leniency.“If some student said to me ‘Oops I screwed up, I didn’t register for an absentee ballot’ and then they wanted to go off and vote, I wouldn’t stand in their way,” Barolsky said.According to the Charlottesville Voter Registration and Elections Web site, absentee ballot applications must be received by the Voter Registration Office by 5 p.m. Oct. 28, and the polls will be open Nov. 4 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
(10/21/08 5:08am)
Throughout the past year, a number of dining establishments frequented by University students and other community members have been cited for health code violations.Jeff McDaniel, environmental health manager for the Thomas Jefferson Health District, said commonwealth health inspectors show up unannounced at restaurants to get a genuine idea of day-to-day operations and procedures. The violations inspectors issue are categorized as either critical or non-critical violations, he said. According to the Virginia Department of Health Web site, a non-critical violation is one “not directly related to the cause of food-borne illness, but if uncorrected, could impede the operation of the restaurant.” The Web site also states that “non-critical violations, if left uncorrected, could lead to critical violations.” McDaniel said dirty walls or floors in an establishment are examples of non-critical violations, which are given so a situation can be rectified before a critical violation develops. The Department of Health Web site defines critical violations as those that are not immediately related to the cause of food-borne illnesses but “if left uncorrected, are more likely than other violations to directly contribute to food contamination, illness, or environmental degradation.”Storage of food at an incorrect temperature is an example of a critical violation, McDaniel said, adding that “some [critical violations] are much more risky than others.” When violations are issued, the operators of an establishment receive a letter stating that they must correct the given problem and that inspectors will be back again in 19 days to check, he noted.“If the problems continue, then we have several enforcement actions that we can take that end up in suspension of the restaurant’s permit,” McDaniel said. “We’ll suspend them until they can get it corrected. Whenever we see restaurants with several repeat violations, it’s apparent to us the management is not taking control of the violation.”In Charlottesville, violations have been issued for a number of restaurants and other dining facilities. Newcomb Hall received two critical and five non-critical violations during its last inspection in September, according to the Virginia Department of Health Web site, but Observatory Hill Residential dining hall received no critical or non-critical violations in its last inspection in July. University Dining Director Brent Beringer said the University conducts daily sanitization checks and also hires a third-party firm to examine the establishments once a month. Regarding the higher number of violations at Newcomb Hall, Beringer noted that the inspections serve only as a single-day snapshot and that the University strives for cleanliness at all dining locations. He added, however, that Observatory Hill’s newer facilities may help account for the difference in violations.Beringer added that the University takes violations seriously and aims to deal with them quickly and effectively.Establishments on the Corner, meanwhile, also try to ensure violations are taken care of as quickly as possible.Critical violations were found at recently opened Boylan Heights Sept. 25 regarding improper cooling temperatures. “One of our sauces was two degrees too warm — bean salsa,” owner J.R. Hadley said. He added that, because the restaurant recently opened, the health inspector comes once a month. Closer to Central Grounds, Little John’s New York Delicatessen received six critical and six non-critical violations in May. Little John’s owner Chris Strong said his restaurant is responsive to issued violations. When Little John’s has received violations in the past, Strong said, the restaurant was usually able to fix the problems in a relatively quick fashion.“We are highly trained and ServSafe certified,” Strong said. ServSafe training is done to guarantee that personnel have received food safety training regarding general sanitation practices and specifics, such as the safe temperatures at which to prepare foods.“We take food safety very seriously,” Strong said. “We’ve never had a food safety problem with an employee or a customer, with someone getting sick from Little John’s food, and that’s for 33 years. We’re proud of that record.” Christian’s Pizza on 14th Street received six critical violations and three non-critical violations during an Oct. 8 inspection. The restaurant received two of its critical violations for having “different types of raw animal foods stored in such a manner that may cause cross contamination” and for having pizza out that was “not labeled or otherwise marked with a four-hour cook, serve, or discard by time.” Nearby Arch’s Frozen Yogurt on 14th Street, meanwhile, had more violations. According to the Virginia Health Department Web site, Arch’s on 14th Street received five critical and seven non-critical violations during its most recent inspection in June. Managers of Arch’s and Christian’s were unavailable for comment as of press time.Other Charlottesville restaurants served with at least one critical health code violation during their most recent inspection include Asian Express, The College Inn Restaurant, Marco and Luca’s Noodle Shop, Mellow Mushroom, Michael’s Bistro and Tap House, Sakura Sushi & Noodle, Splendora’s Gelato Cafe, The Virginian, Waffle House and Yuan Ho, among others. Coffee shops, McDaniel said, are inspected less frequently because of a perceived lower potential for violations.McDaniel also explained that inspections are performed so that proprietors and employees know how to prevent future violations and potential safety risks — not to scare away potential diners or threaten restaurants.“When we’re able to work effectively with restaurant management to identify risk areas and to ensure that they put controls in place to minimize those risks, we can really apply additional protection to the public,” McDaniel said. “Our goal is to protect the people eating at the restaurant; we really count on operators to learn and understand and apply the health rules while we’re not there — because they’re there all the time. The more we can get that out there the better off we’ll be.”
(10/16/08 5:22am)
Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin focused heavily on the economy when she addressed a largely red-shirted crowd at Richmond International Raceway Monday.Palin emphasized her belief that Republican presidential candidate John McCain could cure the recent economic woes if elected to the presidency, saying that Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama “would get us even deeper in debt.”Palin said her running mate “has a plan, and he doesn’t just talk the talk.” The plan for improving the economy under a McCain-Palin ticket would involve lower taxes and decreased spending in Washington, Palin said“Taxes are already too high, and [Obama] wants to raise them,” she said. “The government already spends too much, and [Obama] wants to spend nearly a trillion [dollars] more in government growth.”McCain and Palin, however, would enact a “spending freeze,” she said, in order to decrease government spending.Third-year College student Michael Feuerstein, communications coordinator for the University Democrats, said McCain and Palin like to “spout their numbers,” providing misleading information “to scare people.” “Obama’s economic plan will actually be a reduction in net spending,” he said.Palin said McCain’s policies would help families, making healthcare and education more affordable, and would “bring stability to the housing market.”Rodney Lance, an undecided voter and resident of Richmond said he attended the rally to hear about McCain’s economic plan.“I want a house,” he said. “I’m getting thrown out, [and] I really need some help.”Energy dependence is another issue critical to the economy and national security, Palin said. “We’re going to find better ways to tap into what we’ve got,” she said, listing nuclear power, clean coal and drilling for oil within the United States as avenues to be pursued, adding that an increased focus on nuclear power and clean coal would create hundreds of thousands of jobs.Palin repeated the “drill, baby, drill” chants of the crowd, adding, “and mine, baby, mine.” Feuerstein noted that he believes Republicans like to “play political word games with slogans like ‘drill baby drill,’” adding that, even if drilling began today, it would take at least five years for the gas to reach the pumps.“What we need to do is find a long-term solution,” he said. Palin also touched on what she sees as critical differences in the candidates’ military policies. McCain is “the only man in this race that talks about the wars that America is fighting, and he’s not afraid to use the word ‘victory,’” she said. ”Just once I would like to hear Barack Obama say he wants America to win.” Feuerstein said while no one could deny McCain’s bravery and the importance of his role in serving the country, “he’s not as good of a politician as he was a soldier.” Obama’s judgment, he said, is better for the country. “He exercised that judgment in 2002 when he came out opposing Iraq, predicting the indeterminate cause and length the war would bring,” Feuerstein said. Palin ended her address by emphasizing the importance of the upcoming election for both the American people and the world.Henrico County Fire Chief Edwin Smith said 12,000 to 15,000 people attended the rally.
(10/07/08 6:01am)
The Board of Visitors approved start-up funding Friday for six initiatives, four of which have been articulated, generated by the Commission on the Future of the University. The initiatives are meant to address some of the University’s primary concerns for the future: the student experience; science, technology and research; and international programs. A University press release stated that the Board has guaranteed $4 million for the current fiscal year and an additional $16 million for the next two years in order to fund initiatives stemming from the Commission report. This base funding ensures the initiatives will be implemented, University Provost Arthur Garson said, noting, however, that potential budget cuts could delay how quickly some of the projects “can be rolled out.” The Board’s decision to fund the initiatives comes with the provision that additional funds, totaling $130 million, will be raised by the University to further develop and expand the programs.The first initiative to receive seed funding calls for the creation of The Jefferson Public Citizens, a group of undergraduate students assembled with research and public service issues in mind, he said. According to the release, about 250 students are expected to enroll in new courses relevant to the group the during the program’s first year, and 100 students, or 20 teams, are expected to enroll into the Jefferson Public Citizens program during the program’s second year. Milton Adams, team leader of the project and vice provost for academic programs, said students will begin by taking service-oriented courses that span multiple disciplines, citing EDHS 289, an Education School course that collaborates with the Women’s Center to mentor middle school students, as an example. The teams of students will then submit proposals to procure funding for a service and research project in cooperation with a faculty advisor with ties to the concerned community. For example, Adams said, students could travel to a Guatemalan clinic to research health care issues.Garson noted that he anticipates most students would participate in the Jefferson Public Citizens program during the summer between their second and third year, adding that students will most likely receive credits for their participation in the program.The second initiative to receive funding will establish the Institute for Faculty Advancement, which aims to recruit diverse faculty as well as to support, retain and develop current faculty members through leadership programs, according to the press release. Garson specified that in the next decade, the University will recruit 200 additional faculty members in the sciences across multiple schools. Funding has also been approved to expand the Education School’s current Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning from a program that provides pre-K through grade 12 teachers with tools to “improve learning outcomes,” to include higher education, according to the press release. Additionally, a Center for Computation-Intense Research and Scholarship — incorporating two wings, one for humanities and social sciences and another for the natural and physical sciences — will be created, according to the press release. It will enable “a new way of thinking about how information can be visualized digitally and presented in the classroom and for research”, the press release stated.This center will categorize and catalogue immense amounts of information, Garson said. It will also encourage collaboration among faculty as well as between staff and students who are familiar with complex computer programming. The Commission’s report also includes initiatives to improve the University’s two other priorities for the future: science, technology and research, and international programs, although specific initiatives have yet to be fully articulated. “They’re very broad priorities,” Garson said.University spokesperson Carol Wood said the two initiatives will be more fully articulated in the coming months and year.Garson said one of the plans aimed at improving the sciences at the University includes building three 100,000 square-foot research facilities. Those buildings, though “are just the start to moving down the road towards a greater science initiative,” he said.The head of the science initiative is Thomas Skalak, vice president for research and graduate studies. According to the press release, Skalak, who was unavailable for comment, intends to build an interdisciplinary research culture at the University.Gowher Rizvi, vice provost for international programs, meanwhile, said the initiative he heads ultimately aims to integrate international perspectives into the existing curriculum and to ensure every student has had international experience by the time he graduates.“Today we can no longer think of things as ‘This is a foreign issue’ or ‘This is a domestic issue,’” Rizvi said. “Our students need to understand the outside world just as much as they understand their home.”The “philosophical underpinnings” for his initiative have been established, he said, adding that within the next year, consultations with faculty and students will be held. The ideas generated from these meetings will then be translated into concrete projects.Garson emphasized the multidisciplinary aspect of these two initiatives. “Each will help work within schools, across schools, and create pan-University initiatives as well,” Garson said, noting that the charge of the University’s report on the future was to find ways to further distinguish the University from its peers.
(10/06/08 4:16am)
Within the next few weeks, Student Council will award grants of up to $500 to student and Charlottesville community groups as part of the University Unity Project to increase student interaction within the Charlottesville community, Student Council President Matt Schrimper said. The Council has $10,000 at its disposal, thanks to a donation from the University Bookstore.University Unity Project Chair Rob Atkinson said only certain types of projects fitting the theme of “Beyond our Grounds, within our community” will be awarded grants. “We’re not looking for this to be another round of appropriations,” Atkinson said, adding that the committee is looking for unique ideas and projects. “We just don’t really want something that’s already been done,” he said.Schrimper said there are no stipulations as to how the money can be spent and there are no rules against a group receiving multiple grants. Student groups can apply online and will receive a response from the committee within two weeks, Schrimper said.The Unity Project Committee, comprised of representatives from Student Council, class councils and the University Programs Council, will approve which groups will receive funding and what the funding level will be, Schrimper said.“[We will] give them money to start their project ... then we work with them to make sure that their event is a success,” he said.Currently, representatives from the Unity Project Committee are processing the first set of applications. Only three applications have been turned in thus far, but Atkinson said “more applications will be coming in the near future.” He added that he expects more applications once people “figure out how this works.” Impact Movement Treasurer Diamond Bruner said she remembers Council sending out information about the University Unity Project to the executives of student groups, but she does not recall a follow-up or other means of advertising. She said she thinks the grant is something her group might be interested in applying for. Latino Student Union President Chris Blank said his organization plans to apply for money from the fund. The Latino Student Union hopes to use the money to host a dinner with Creciendo Juntos, a Charlottesville organization that promotes healthy living in the Hispanic community, he said.“We are hopefully going to be using some of the University Unity Fund [for the dinner],” Blank said.Charlottesville community organizations are also able to apply, but they would most likely need to work with a University group for their application to be approved, Atkinson said.Atkinson did not want to comment on the quality of the applications and project proposals received thus far until he receives the input of other committee members. He noted, however, that one of the applications pairs a student and community organization.Both Atkinson and Schrimper stressed that the University Unity Project is a unique opportunity for student groups because, in general, Council comes up with its own ideas and tries to get people behind them.“We’re really making the resources available to students so that they can take ideas or initiatives that they’ve already wanted to do but haven’t been able to do because they aren’t [able] — let them enact their own initiative [and] come from a grassroots level,” Atkinson said. It’s a “different way of looking at Student Council.”Applications for project grants are being accepted on a rolling basis.
(09/18/08 5:27am)
Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, and Jill Biden, wife of Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, targeted undecided female voters at a rally in Newcomb Plaza yesterday. The duo attracted an eclectic crowd including Charlottesville residents, students, volunteers and a few protesters. According to an Obama campaign official, approximately 2,000 general audience members — “not counting those on the fringe” — attended the rally.All of the speeches during the rally, with the exception of the invocation and recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, focused primarily on women’s issues and the importance of community activism, especially regarding spreading word about the election and getting others registered to vote.Obama was the final speaker during the rally and immediately took on the issue of women in the workplace. “The truth is when women are paid unfairly, who pays the price?” she asked. “Their kids, their families pay the price, and we won’t stop fighting until women are paid fairly for the work that they do ... I’m talking about hardworking women like the Cavaliers here.”Second-year College student Leslie Janikowsky, however, did not feel that Obama’s speech had enough factual evidence to support her positions on women’s rights. Janikowsky noted that McCain has shown he focuses on women’s issues because he chose a female running mate.“He’s actually showing how he’s going to help women,” Janikowsky said, adding “that’s on his mind.”Obama also addressed the University students in the crowd during her speech, noting the impact that college students can have on an election. “You’ve been sharing your hopes and your ideas,” she said. “And it makes a difference when young people talk about the future that they hope to have.”Obama ended her speech by reminding those in attendance of how important each vote is in Virginia.“This is such an exciting moment in our nation’s history,” she said.Prior to Obama’s speech, a number of other speakers took the stage to address the crowd.Kristin Szakos, an Obama volunteer coordinator, told the crowd that Virginia could be a key factor in the presidential election.“This entire election could be decided by you, the people of Virginia,” Szakos said. “If Obama wins every state that Kerry won in 2004 and he wins Iowa, he will only need 11 more electoral votes to win. We have 13.” Szakos, who has been writing about community organization for 20 years, emphasized the importance of community organization and activism, reminding the audience that there are still seven weekends left to canvass before the election.Though Graduate Arts & Sciences student Adam Jortner, who is an Obama supporter, said the rally speakers did not focus on issues that are his primary concern, he noted that he “might actually volunteer now.” Shortly after Szakos spoke, Biden introduced the women’s issues that would be discussed in detail later, chiefly issues for women in the workplace. She noted that while women on average make an average of 70 cents for every dollar that a man makes, African-American women make an average of 62 cents and Latino women make an average of 53 cents for every dollar a man earns. “Equal pay is not just a woman’s issue,” Biden said. “It’s a family issue.” Biden then introduced Lilly Ledbetter, a woman whose claim the Supreme Court denied on statutory grounds in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., a case concerning women’s compensation in the workplace. After working for some time at Goodyear, Ledbetter found she was being given smaller raises than her male coworkers, leading to hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost wages. She was awarded her demands in Alabama court, but the Supreme Court ruled against her claim five to four. She noted that Barack Obama was one of her major supporters and a proponent of the bill, that would have “made sure what happened to me couldn’t happen again,” the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which was defeated in the Senate in April 2008.Ledbetter’s speech was the last before Michelle Obama took the podium.The rally, sponsored by Hoos for Obama but organized mainly by the Obama campaign, was not a University event but simply a campaign event the University allowed on Grounds, according to Hoos for Obama President Sam Shirazi, who is a former Cavalier Daily Opinion columnist. Students in attendance at the rally voiced a variety of opinions about the Obama campaign. Hoos for Life President Elyse Smith, who was holding an pro-life sign with several other protesters, said she wanted to remind those in attendance of an important issue.“We want people to remember that before you can have the right to vote you have to have the right to live,” she said.Third-year College student Tom Mitchell, meanwhile, who said he likes what Obama stands for, said he attended to hear what the “future first lady” had to say.Danny Steeper, Newcomb Hall assistant director of operations, said he and his staff helped to coordinate building-related issues for the rally, such as the rearrangement of tables and chairs, but noted they were in no way involved with security planning.“The Secret Service [came] in and [worked] hand in hand with the University Police Department,” Steeper said. “There was a great effort on both of their parts and the event was very successful.”University Police Officer Eugene Sandridge noted that no problems or security issues occurred during the rally.
(09/17/08 7:29am)
The University’s search for the founding dean of the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy is progressing as the search committee narrows down candidates to a group of finalists who will be invited to Grounds next month.The finalists, whom University Provost Arthur Garson referred to in an e-mail as a “group of incredibly distinguished finalists,” were selected after a series of off-Grounds interviews, Batten School Director David Breneman said.The search committee, chaired by Garson, consists of a Board of Visitors member, a member of the Miller Center of Public Affairs’ Board of Directors, as well as various faculty members, Garson stated in an e-mail. He noted that the committee hopes to have a final candidate selected by early July.According to the University’s online invitation to apply for the position, the University has hired a national executive search firm called Isaacson, Miller to collaborate with the committee throughout the search process.The online invitation also states that “the Search Committee seeks a visionary Dean ... with a grip on the history of the field and a passion for its future,” as well as “a dean who will found and lead a nationally distinguished school, charting a new direction for the field of public policy and leadership education.”Todd Eley, a fifth-year student in the school’s Masters in Public Policy program, agreed that because the new dean will be the school’s founding dean, he or she will have a great deal of influence on the school’s future direction.Breneman noted that the new dean particularly will affect how the school infuses leadership into all of its courses.Breneman added that he believes the new dean should be a first-class academic who also has extensive experience outside of the academic world. Eley echoed Breneman’s thoughts, adding that the new dean needs to have knowledge of multiple areas within the political realm.“We obviously want someone who has experience in all levels of government, someone who has enough contacts with those areas to branch out beyond what [the master’s in public policy program has] been getting so far, which is largely a national focus,” Eley said.
(09/11/08 4:56am)
FAIRFAX, Va. — A crowd of 23,000 people gathered yesterday for a political rally for Republican presidential nominee John McCain and running mate Sarah Palin, making the Fairfax campaign stop McCain’s largest to date.McCain and Palin said maintaining Virginia a Red state will not be easy, but they stressed the fact that they believe a Republican victory in the commonwealth is achievable and important to the overall election. “The commonwealth of Virginia is a battleground state,” McCain said. “We must win it, and we will win it with your support.” The Republican candidates, introduced by former Tennessee Republican Sen. Fred Thompson, sought the support of the audience by reinforcing their stances on economic, environmental and national security matters, among other topics, and by discrediting Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama’s ability to lead effectively and responsibly in office. A major topic of discussion for both McCain and Palin was the controversial use of earmarks on bills. Palin said Obama, who campaigned in Virginia Tuesday, has requested nearly $1 billion worth of earmarks.In a post-rally Democratic Party response held at another location, Del. Kris Amundson, D-Fairfax, State Senator Chap Petersen and Iraq war veteran Brian McGough refuted many of McCain’s and Palin’s claims. Amundson said Palin is guilty of the same earmarking she rebukes, adding that, in Palin’s 645 days as governor, she accumulated $750 million worth of earmarks.In her speech, however, Palin detailed some of her actions as mayor and governor, describing how her financial responsibility would lead to dividends.Palin stated that she passed surplus money on to Alaskans, and noted that if elected she and McCain would do the same nationally, providing “tax relief for all Americans.” Another major talking point was the need for alternative energy sources, such as wind and geothermal energy. In an effort to decrease the country’s foreign dependence on oil, McCain said America must utilize alternative fuel sources and said the untapped oil in Alaska must be explored. “Drill, baby, drill,” McCain said, pointing to a sign with the same slogan. “We’ve got to do it right now.” McCain showed this same enthusiasm in his discussion of the situation in Iraq. McCain’s son currently serves in Iraq, and Palin’s son is soon to be deployed there. Both said they believe the war is not a lost cause.“I would much rather lose a campaign than to see our nation lose a war,” McCain said.Amundson said the nominees ignored important issues during the rally and only touched on the topics they normally cover. “It seems to me that what we heard just up the road was nothing but more of the same,” she said. “We didn’t hear about the kind of issues people call my office about every day — people worried about keeping their homes, problems with paying their bills. We didn’t hear any of that.”Despite disagreeing on many issues, Petersen acknowledged the importance of candidates visiting the area and giving voters the opportunity to be informed before choosing a candidate.“I’m glad [McCain’s] here,” Petersen said. “I’m glad Senator Obama was here too. This is where the voters are in this state.”