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(09/17/04 4:00am)
I've got one question that I doubt you've pondered: HOOS ignorant? Just when we were ready to complacently forget the racial history of this University and laugh at the thought of racially motivated incidents, one happens. Have you heard about it? No? The fact that acts of malice and ignorance go heavily unnoticed in our community is almost as large a problem as the acts themselves.
(11/18/03 5:00am)
EVERY now and again, it is good to take a step back and just reflect upon life and what is really important. With the last rush of midterms over until Thanksgiving and final exams, now is the perfect chance to truly reminisce of how blessed we are here at the University. So everyone, as you read, take a moment to close your eyes, take a deep breath and bask in the wonderful lives we students get to live. Then make a choice this Thanksgiving season to encourage someone else's life that may not have the benefits that we all do.
(11/11/03 5:00am)
SOMEONE needs to tell me what in the world is happening to students at our university. In 2003, the University has witnessed too many malicious acts involving students. The incident last spring involving Student Council President Daisy Lundy was a horrific tale -- a student running for office allegedly being called a "nigger" and having her head bashed into her car steering wheel. Last weekend, after an altercation in front of Sigma Chi fraternity house, two students were charged with class three felonies after landing a fellow Wahoo in the hospital in critical condition. These were outlandish, uncharacteristic displays of unnecessary violence, but this past weekend has surpassed both of these incidents. On Saturday morning, a University student was charged with second degree murder for allegedly stabbing a volunteer firefighter multiple times in the torso, killing him. Somehow, hatred, pride, anger and malice have penetrated our community and in stressful situations, our university needs to make it known that violence of any kind is not acceptable to this community.
(11/04/03 5:00am)
IT IS FAIR to say that most Americans during their daily routines have more personally pertinent things to think about other than national security. After September 11, security for airports and national buildings was visibly upgraded, comforting the minds of concerned citizens everywhere. However, since September 11, the reigning fear of terrorist attacks in this country has significantly died down. Unfortunately, the efficiency of security in this country may have died down with it as well, meaning that peace and complacency have once again been falsely restored in the American people.
(10/21/03 4:00am)
THE EXPLOITATION of hip-hop culture in the mass media is so prevalent that many people have become numb to the fact that this is so problematic. This aspect of black culture has become so commercial that in almost any ad, anywhere, one can find the flavor of hip-hop somewhere in the mix. These gimmicks have done much for the advertising success of many companies, but now it has become crystal clear that the subjugation of hip-hop has spun out of control. The final line has been crossed by our very own U.S. Army with their "Takin' It To The Streets" campaign, using ideas of hip-hop to discriminately target low-income areas -- primarily comprised of minorities -- to recruit for the armed forces.
(10/07/03 4:00am)
THERE is no better word for uneducated situational compliance than sheer ignorance, especially with matters of race. Yes, we University students all have our own issues and are trying to figure out the issues of diversity in our community. The buzz word of the year on Grounds is diversity, and the debate on what that really means and requires remains heated. However, the University is not far off from being a microcosm of corporate America and, to some detriment, is probably more reflective of the "real world" than is easy to accept. In that, it is important to understand that the actions of an individual are probably going to express the ideas and attitudes of at least a few people.
(09/30/03 4:00am)
THERE I was, perusing the Internet news sites, when I came across the MSNBC Race in America page. Nothing was out of the ordinary, for with such fervent talk about diversity at the University, it is crucial to know what is really going on with races as individuals, not just assume the issues of one group's to be the issues of all. It was on Sunday afternoon that I ran across an article on "black names" and the new studies that have shown that resumes get more callbacks when they have "white sounding" names. Say what? This is yet another example of hidden cultural bias and covert racism in America and another reason for people to realistically think about diversity initiatives at the University.
(09/16/03 4:00am)
REMEMBER back in the day when your school teacher would bring in something fun, something new for the class? Perhaps an interesting science experiment, some fun magazines or materials for a new project that brought school to life? I most certainly do -- fondly. But who knew that those "good" teachers who always seemed to be able to better stimulate their students with outside materials were more than likely coming out of pocket for their class expenses? Apparently, most school systems knew, including Albemarle County, which means that depending on how dedicated and how financially free your child's teacher is may determine the quality of education the next generation receives. Though Albemarle County's new stipend policy seeks to remedy this concern by raising the dollar amount for maximum teacher reimbursement, the policy is actually only going to provide detriment to the public school system.
(09/02/03 4:00am)
SPEECHLESS. As unusual as it is, I have yet to be able to coherently express the experience I have had this summer and how my life has changed. And thus, I am -- to some of my friends' delight -- pretty speechless. After spending five weeks in Capetown, South Africa, I was confident that I would be overflowing with cultural insights and unique anecdotes. Yet, here I am, pen poised and with nothing to write.
(07/21/03 4:00am)
"C'MON AMEY," he said. "You know you don't belong at U.Va." Um, excuse me? Stunned, I interrogated him as to what exactly he meant by that. He -- a friend from Virginia Tech who spent one of his semesters at the University -- politely informed me that I was somehow not a member of the Cavalier family. He thought it to be a compliment that I had somehow risen above and was better than the rich, snobbish, arrogant flock of Wahoos he so vividly encountered during his stay. I chided him about stereotypes; he made a few more remarks and soon moved on in conversation. However, he left me not only with a bitter taste in my mouth, but with quite a few blazing thoughts about him and his words and a few realizations about where our mindsets must change.
(07/03/03 4:00am)
DON'T CALL me. Ever. Maybe you are just tired of picking up the phone to hear a computer clicking on the other end. Or perhaps you no longer want to make excuses not to speak with those poor dears trying to sound so natural while reading a scripted sales pitch to you on the phone. Either way, you soon won't have to worry about that anymore. Such is the spirit of the newly employed nationwide "do not call" list. In the first few days that this service became available, millions designated themselves as full-fledged members of this anti-telemarketer club. The free service, offered by the Federal Trade Commission, grew to more than 10 million members in the first four days of its existence and apparently had 158 consumers every second rushing to sign up on the first day of its opening. Though the service is highly popular and was brought to the American public direct on demand, the FTC could have focused on some more realistic aspects before endorsing such a list.
(06/19/03 4:00am)
IT HAS been a while since my last column, which was written just before the incident involving the alleged assault on Daisy Lundy. Since then, the University's efforts to improve diversity and cultural awareness within our community have greatly increased. The Board of Visitors should definitely be commended for taking such strides toward awareness with such expediency, particularly with their decision to bring diversity training to all University students in an academic setting. However, the proposed plan for the soon-to-be mandated Internet-based diversity course has some foreseeable flaws that, if allowed to exist, could not only set back the goals of the program, but could possibly deter student support for the specific initiative.
(02/25/03 5:00am)
Disappointment. There is no other term that can better describe my feelings toward this year's election process and student self-governance here at the University, specifically concerning the upcoming run-off election for Student Council president. All University students should be appalled by the continued election controversy. The attention has created much suspicion that many of the allegations of the past few days may actually be rooted in truth. Due to the events that have occurred in the last two weeks, my faith in fellow students and the administration has been questioned. No longer do I feel confident in one of the most influential organizations on Grounds. We must recognize that our ideals of honesty and trust in student governance have not been fully realized or adhered to.
(02/11/03 5:00am)
A call for a boycott of anything at this point in our country's history would not be that surprising, considering the political climate in both the domestic and foreign realms. From the possible war with Iraq to the upcoming cases dealing with affirmative action, there is plenty for everyone to choose from to protest. Though these are noble topics, there is something brewing on the horizon dealing with commercialism and, very possibly, covert racism. Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons, CEO of Island Def Jam Records and the head of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, is considering calling a boycott of all Pepsi products by "all artists and supporters of hip hop culture." And the ultimate reason behind such a forceful call to arms? Pepsi hypocritically cancelled an ad featuring Ludacris last year, and a boycott is justified on the basis of racial preference in endorsement.
(02/04/03 5:00am)
It was the first day of February. At Temple University, a former student shot his ex-girlfriend while she worked inside a campus administration building, later killing himself. The second death by avalanche in Montana this year occurred in the afternoon. Another injured person died from a medical supply factory explosion in North Carolina. So many things meaning so much occurred in so many different places, but this weekend, the nation grieved with the news that seven astronauts met their deaths as the space shuttle Columbia broke apart in flames over Texas Saturday morning.
(01/21/03 5:00am)
YESTERDAY was a national
holiday, but one could bet that
everyone, except some faculty of the University, completely forgot about it. And who can blame one for forgetting, especially in the state of Virginia, the only place where the illustrious Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is garnished in remembrance of two Confederate "heroes." Even though we thankfully no longer share Lee/Jackson/King Day, the stigma of Southern pride and massive resistance are not so easily forgotten when Lee/Jackson Day is officially the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day. So if you weren't able to celebrate the Lee/Jackson/King holiday with a rebel yell followed by a rendition of "I Have A Dream," no one should really be that disappointed, right? Down in Georgia, this seems to be the case.
(12/03/02 5:00am)
THE CLOSE of another semester has once again arrived. With the
(11/12/02 5:00am)
BLACK people love them -- maybe. Before you read any further, go to the nearest computer and review the Web site http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com. Just as the name says, it is a Web site created by two white, upperclass, and presumably uncultured people named Sally and Johnny, describing just how much black people love them. Their simulated popularity is garnered by their stereotypical actions and mocking of black culture that all black people must look for in their white friends. This Web site has been spread around college campuses and beyond, producing a lot of tension and some serious reactions. Regardless of how harmless, playful or insightful this site may seem to be, there is a lot to be learned from this parody of cultural stereotype. In light of racial reconciliation at this particular university, this Web site actually provides a place to start facing the truth in our thoughts, images and facades that occur more often than we like to admit in black and white relationships.
(11/06/02 5:00am)
Baltimore, Maryland
(11/05/02 5:00am)
FLORIDA, the "sunshine state,"
may just be casting clouds into its
own forecast. With one of the closest gubernatorial races in the country reaching its climax in the polls today, we can't help but be reminded of the slight discrepancies in Florida voting that took place two years ago in the 2000 presidential election. With Jeb Bush attempting to defeat Democrat Bill McBride to become the first Republican governor to be re-elected in state history, the Democratic Party is squarely set against having Florida remain in the Bush family strongholds for any longer. The Florida Republican Party Web site has a photo of Bill Clinton and McBride along with pictures of the two Bush brothers -- the President and the Governor. Beneath this collage, the question "Who do your trust?" is indisputably rhetorical for members of the Republican party. However, for a growing number, especially within minority communities, the answer is very appropriately "Not the Republican party!" The reason? Florida seems to have had a problem of disenfranchisement, especially concerning voters who are black. Unfortunately, this year's election will take place without a change to the exclusionary.