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(01/28/09 6:39am)
The School of Continuing and Professional Studies’ evening classes normally held in Charlottesville were cancelled yesterday afternoon because of the inclement weather, University spokesperson Carol Wood said. Classes at the Falls Church campus were also cancelled.SCPS Senior Administrative Assistant Carol Brown said many SCPS students live farther from the University and drive to class, making it difficult for them to reach Grounds.“They aren’t just walking from their dorms,” Brown said.The rest of the University, however, remained on a normal operating schedule. Wood said it is rare that University classes are cancelled.“We are here to serve the academic institution,” Wood said, noting that classes usually are cancelled only when Facilities Management personnel are unable to get to the University.—compiled by Laura Hoffman
(01/28/09 5:28am)
There are at least two reasons students drop classes. The first is that after attending one or two classes, they realize the class is not for them. Either because it seems like too much work or because the subject matter is not what they expected, they decide the class is not worth their while. For these students, the current system is sufficient. They should be forced to decide quickly whether they want to continue in a course or leave, opening a seat in the class for someone else who wants it. The current system does not serve students dropping classes for the second reason. These are the students who did not initially get into their first-choice classes but were admitted off a waitlist. Unless these students banked on their ability to get into the class from the waitlist, they registered for a back-up course. They always intended to drop this course if they were admitted to the one they wanted, and taking both would put them over the number of credits they want or need. These students, if they did not get off the waitlist until after the drop deadline, are stuck in their second-choice classes even if they add their preferred ones. It’s not hard to imagine this happening. If a student already in the class waited until the drop deadline to drop it, it’s very likely. Even if the spot was open for a few days, it could have been offered to one or two other students who decided not to take the class after all. The student on the waitlist who wanted the class wouldn’t be offered the seat until it was too late to drop his backup.The size of the waitlist can give students some idea of whether they will make it into the class, and most professors take care to encourage students to drop classes as soon as they can to make room for those on the waitlist. This guessing game still leaves some students unsure of their ability to join a class at the time of the drop deadline, which forces them to stay enrolled in their second-choice courses.This is not a problem that can be solved simply by collapsing the two deadlines into one. Though the University is right to suppose that students need to add classes after others have made the final decision whether to drop them, those same students who add new classes likely also need to drop some. The current system does not allow for that. What is needed, essentially, are two drop deadlines.After the first drop deadline, which should remain roughly as it is, the University needs to allow students who are adding courses in response to other students’ leaving them to drop their own backup courses. And it also should allow anyone on the waitlist for the courses those students drop to do likewise. The result should be a second drop period, during which students can only drop a course if they are simultaneously adding a course for which they have been on the waitlist. In other words, students should be allowed only to swap courses rather than drop a course outright. This should not be technologically difficult. Allowing this for one or two weeks after the drop deadline — and making it advertised policy to do so — should accommodate everyone, including the students the current system fails.
(01/27/09 6:24am)
The No. 14 Virginia women’s basketball team topped Clemson last night 75-67. The Tigers were led by junior forward Lele Hardy, who tallied 17 points. The Cavaliers (16-4, 3-2 ACC) had three players match or better Hardy’s scoring pace: senior center Aisha Mohammed with 17, junior guard Monica Wright with 19 and senior forward Lyndra Littles with 22.Virginia out-rebounded Clemson 49-35, including 11 from Mohammed, who put up her seventh double-double of the season.Wright and Littles remain first and second in scoring per game among all ACC players. Mohammed trails only three players in rebounds per game, including Hardy, who totaled eight boards for the Tigers.Virginia kicks off a four-game homestand Friday against Maryland. The game against the Terrapins is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. in John Paul Jones Arena.—compiled by Dan Stalcup
(01/27/09 6:23am)
The Virginia House of Delegates is currently considering several bills affecting the percentage of in-state students a public university must enroll to receive funding from the commonwealth. One bill would set the percentage at 70, and another proposes to increase in-state enrollment by 1.3 percent each year until it is 80 percent of the student body. These measures remove control of admissions from public universities, which has the potential to harm a university’s academic standing. In the long run it is in the best interest of the University to be able to determine the makeup of its student body — as it has been doing thus far.Currently in-state students comprise 69 percent of all University undergraduate students. At Virginia public universities the majority of students should come from the commonwealth, and the University has done an excellent job of selecting its student body using the current policies. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University second among public institutions in the United States, and the University of California Berkeley — ranked number one — only enrolls 8 percent of its undergraduate student body from out of state. Since California has more than 36.4 million people, the quality of the student body does not suffer at Berkeley although in-state students make up almost the entire school. Virginia only has about 7.6 million residents. Though many Virginia residents are highly qualified, a smaller in-state applicant pool means the student body benefits from a greater percentage of out-of-state students. University spokesperson Carol Wood stated in an e-mail, “A broader cross-section of students from around the country and around the world makes for a richer educational experience.” The University should not be forced to decrease out-of-state enrollment as this will negatively affect its academic standing over time.Another consideration is the cost of increasing in-state enrollment. According to Wood, “out-of-state students pay 150 percent of the costs of their education, effectively subsidizing in-state students.” It is strange the Virginia House of Delegates would consider increasing the burden on itself at this time of economic hardship. Decreasing the proportion of out-of-state students by 10 percent would have a negative impact on the University’s finances. The University competes with some of the best schools in the country for students and professors. It will not be able to maintain its current level of competitiveness if it is forced to reduce its budget so drastically. For the University to maintain its high level of academic credibility, out-of-state students should continue to be a significant part of the student body. The University has been able to recruit outstanding students and maintain a large proportion of in-state students without oversight from Richmond. The proposed increases to in-state enrollment would limit the ability of the University to maintain and improve its academic standing and should not be passed by the House of Delegates.
(01/26/09 5:46am)
The 41st-ranked Virginia women’s tennis team pulled off a dramatic upset Saturday, knocking off No. 25 Texas Christian University in a 4-3 victory. Virginia (2-0) swept the three doubles matches to earn the point, then received contributions from the middle of its roster at the No. 3, 4 and 5 slots to secure the victory in singles.Freshman 3-slot Lindsey Hardenbergh had the most impressive win, topping TCU’s Anna Sydorska by a 6-1, 6-0 score. Senior 4-slot Amanda Rales also earned a two-set victory, taking down Katarina Tuohimaa 6-4, 7-5. Sophomore 5-slot Neela Vaez prevailed in her singles match.No. 12 Nina Munch-Soegaard, No. 49 Macall Harkins and Idunn Hertzberg won singles matches for TCU.Virginia will next face Tennessee Jan. 31 in the ITA National Indoors Qualifier.—compiled by JP Stroman
(01/26/09 5:46am)
The Virginia wrestling team wasted no time recovering from a tough loss against North Carolina in a decisive 32-9 victory against Campbell.The afternoon belonged the Cavaliers (8-8), as the wrestlers dominated almost every weight class. The senior trio of Peter Ferrara (149 pounds), Mike Sewell (165) and Rocco Caponi (184) showed their leadership as the three all recorded victories that helped the Cavaliers get back toward a winning team record. Sophomore Chris Henrich (174) and junior Brent Jones (197) joined Ferrara and Sewell in notching major decisions. The Cavaliers did not stop there. The efforts of freshman Matt Bonson (133) and junior Calvin Cardillo (285) helped Virginia maintain control over the match. Bonson posted a technical fall, and Cardillo shut out his opponent 4-0. Freshman Jedd Moore (157) also contributed to the victory by defeating his opponent 8-2.Campbell’s only wins came in the 125- and 141-pound weight classes. Junior C.J. Gittens won 8-3, and senior Kelin Bidelsbach won by forfeit as the usual 141-pound Cavalier wrestler was injured. The Cavaliers must now turn their sights to next weekend, when they will face two more quality opponents in the Richmond area. Virginia travels to Hopewell High School to face George Mason Friday, then will compete against Virginia Tech in the Rumble on the River at Deep Run High School Saturday afternoon.—compiled by Matt Diton
(01/26/09 5:42am)
The No. 5 Virginia men’s tennis team continued its regular-season dominance this weekend, easily cruising past No. 15 Illinois Friday by a 6-1 count and dispatching No. 30 Notre Dame and unranked Belmont yesterday 7-0 and 5-2, respectively.Against Illinois (3-1), Virginia (4-0) picked up the doubles point, winning all three matches, though not without a fight. At the No. 1 position, the No. 3-ranked team of sophomore Sanam Singh and junior Houston Barrick downed its opponents 8-5, while at the No. 3 position, freshman Drew Courtney and junior Lee Singer defeated their opponents by the same score. The No. 2 position saw a closely contested battle between No. 27-ranked duo senior Dominic Inglot and sophomore Michael Shabaz and the Fighting Illini duo of freshmen Dennis Nevolo and Ruan Roelofse, with the Cavalier pair emerging with the 9-8 win following a 7-3 tiebreaker.In singles, Virginia claimed the win against Illinois with straight-set wins by No. 43 Inglot, No. 24 Singh and No. 68 Barrick. No. 11 Shabaz was the only Cavalier to need three sets to win his singles match, and Courtney was the only Cavalier to lose.In addition to Virginia’s success, fans were treated to a jersey retirement ceremony between singles and doubles play for Cavalier great Somdev Devvarman, who was on hand to witness the occasion. Devvarman is the first Virginia men’s tennis player to receive that honor.The doubles point against the Fighting Irish (1-2) saw more of the same strong Cavalier play as Virginia claimed the point with an 8-4 win by Singh and Barrick and an 8-2 win by Courtney and Singer. Again, the No. 2 spot was closely contested, but Inglot and Shabaz pulled out the slim 8-7 win after a 9-7 tiebreaker.Virginia carried its momentum in singles play, in which the Cavaliers won every match. Only one, Inglot against No. 20 senior Brett Helgeson, went to a third set.Against Belmont (0-0), Virginia had little trouble coasting to a win, sweeping all three doubles matches. Shabaz, Singh, Barrick and freshman David Nguyen all won two-set victories in singles. Sophomore Felipe Cirne-Lima and freshman Rodrigo Amaral both picked up wins for the Bruins.—compiled by Aaron Perryman
(01/26/09 5:37am)
Like out-of-state students were in November, students currently enrolled in the College but admitted to the Education or Batten schools are legitimate members of two different constituencies. Though U.S. election law forces students to choose a state in which to vote — as it should — the University Board of Elections changed its rules this semester to allow students to vote in both the College and their new schools. Though at first glance this change may seem to grant these students twice the representation as others, it is in fact the best possible way to grant them the representation they deserve.Because student elections take place in the spring, students who will be starting in the Education or Batten schools in the fall are enrolled in the College when they go to vote, and the Integrated Student Information System is not capable of distinguishing them from other College students and excluding them from the College elections according to UBE Chair Alisa Abbott. UBE thus decided to allow those students to vote in College elections, and then to hold two separate voting periods for Education and Batten students after this round of voting.The students in question are formally students in the College until the end of this semester. The student officers elected in this election will take office before then, meaning these students will be represented by College officers for at least a couple months. They are in essentially the same position as a graduating fourth-year College student, and like those graduating students, they deserve a voice in their representation, no matter how brief that representation is. If these students are to be denied a vote in College elections, fourth-year College students should be, as well — and there are few students who would advocate that view.They also have a right to vote in their new school, however. For the bulk of the new officers’ terms, these students will be a part of their constituency, though they are currently in the College. They deserve a chance to elect the students who will represent them for roughly a semester and a half. Since these schools are far smaller than the College and typically — like the rest of the University community — have low participation in student elections, excluding an entire class from voting for their representatives shrinks the electorate significantly, meaning the group of students who elected the officers would be very different from the group of students they will represent.Abbott said UBE noticed its policies last year denied Education students and fourth-year Batten students the right to vote for their peers. For example, other fourth-years running for Batten positions representing those schools relied on the votes of fifth-year students, since the fourth-years were relegated to voting only in College elections.The new system is complicated — especially since even Education and fifth-year Batten students must vote in the first round of elections if they want to vote on student referenda — but it serves the interests of all students. Abbott says she is working with student leaders in the two schools to make sure their students understand when to vote. “I’m the wrong person to ask why ISIS does what it does,” Abbott said, “I’m just responding.” UBE officers were smart to notice the problems ISIS caused with the current procedures and to find a way to solve it.
(01/23/09 7:01am)
The Winter Activities Fair was held yesterday in the Newcomb Hall Ballroom, but if you didn’t know that, you’re not alone. The event was sparsely attended, no doubt because of a limited advertising campaign. Attendance at the winter event is always lower than at the Fall Activities Fair because of the large number of first-year students looking to find activities when they first arrive on Grounds. Students, however, are still looking for new activities after they have adjusted to University life. It is a shame so few students were aware of the opportunity to connect with new organizations.The winter fair already faces some challenges getting noticed. For one, the event is inside, rather than in the Amphitheater. Students might happen across the outdoor event in the fall while exploring Grounds and decide to find out what the commotion is about — the Winter Activities Fair cannot rely on people chancing by. The Fall Activities Fair also can rely on resident advisors in first-year dormitories to let their residents know about the event; many of them likely use the fair to fulfill their “programming” requirement.In the winter, more deliberate advertising is needed. This semester, the event did not even appear in the Connections@UVa e-mail newsletter, probably the easiest form of advertising available. Only students advertising their own organization at the fair were likely to know about it. An announcement appeared on the University’s Web site, but the description of the event left something to be desired: “This event is for all the CIO’s [sic] to recruit first years in their organization.” More details — including the fact that everyone is invited — would have made the event more welcoming for the few people who bothered to read the description.If the Fall Activities Fair relies primarily on the curiosity of passersby, it makes sense for the winter fair’s organizers to advertise in a similar manner. Students may not often wander through the third floor of Newcomb Hall, but the second and first floors are always filled with students. Perhaps some signs or students encouraging dining hall patrons to attend the fair would have made the event more successful.
(01/23/09 7:00am)
Many factors influence voters in student elections held every spring, but the placement of the candidates’ names on the ballot should not be one of them. Recognizing that the names at the top would receive more votes from lazy voters and that an alphabetical ordering of names would give an unfair advantage to anyone named Aaron, the University Board of Elections and the Information Technology and Communication staff that runs its Web site shuffle the names on the ballot, presenting them in random order to each voter.They do not do the same, however, for each referendum. It may seem trivial, but even when the choice is between “yes” and “no,” the option on the top might also have the upper hand — especially if voters are reluctant to read the referendum. Presenting the choices in random order is a quick fix to a problem that may be distorting students’ views.
(01/23/09 6:45am)
In an effort to improve voter turnout in University elections this spring, the University Board of Elections is making several procedural changes.The University-sponsored 11-member organization that oversees elections for Student Council, the University Judiciary Committee, class councils, the Honor Committee and school councils aims to battle past years’ low voter turnout with a more aggressive advertising campaign, UBE Chair Alisa Abbot said. UBE will “advertise through as many mediums and as many outlets as we can,” the fourth-year College student said. “The bulk of our advertising right now will be for referendum proposal.”In 2008, only 36 percent of eligible students in the College voted for school representatives, down from 42 percent in 2007, according to election results released by the UBE. The overall University voter turnout was even lower: 22 percent in 2008, down 6 percent from 2007. Abbot said that along with encouraging people to vote, the UBE will hold University-wide elections across three separate time periods.This will combat a technical problem and allow Public Policy and Education students to vote for representatives in their appropriate schools for next fall, Abbot explained. She said these students will also have the chance to vote for candidates in the College as well, as they have not yet made the transition from the College into their new programs.“Until they are in their fifth year, ISIS lists them as College students,” Abbot said, explaining why the decision was made. She said students affected by the change will not be able to vote twice in non-school races, and added that without the separate voting periods, students would be restricted to voting in elections for just one school. “These changes have been made so that all students are able to vote for the positions that will be representing them,” Abbot said.Besides encouraging people to vote, UBE is working to encourage members of the University community to run for leadership positions.“We award campaign grants so people don’t have to rely on their own funds,” Abbot said.Candidate information sessions will be held Jan. 27 and 28, and voting begins Feb. 16 at 8 a.m.—compiled by Bethel Habte
(01/22/09 7:50am)
This week, Student Council’s Diversity Initiatives Committee raised concern about the small number of minority students in the Echols Scholars program. Its proposal to bring greater publicity to the Echols application for first-year students is a possible solution to this problem; however its second proposal to add a financial component is not as practical. The Echols program is a merit-based program designed to give an academic advantage to those who have proven their ability to benefit from it. The University already offers merit-based scholarships, and the Echols program should not be turned into a scholarship program.According to Associate Dean of Admissions Greg Roberts, “For minority students one of the top reasons they list for not attending is finances, whether need- or merit-based.” However, the University was recently rated the best value by the Princeton Review in large part because of the expansive commitment of AccessUVa to meeting financial need. Therefore no student should be in a position in which he has to turn down an invitation to the Echols program due to financial need. Many top minority students are offered merit scholarships by other universities, and this is part of the reason Student Council believes the Echols program is lacking in diversity. The two greatest advantages of the Echols program are priority registration and freedom from area requirements, allowing students to pursue an accelerated course of study. It is unnecessary to combine financial and academic awards as the Diversity Initiatives Committee has suggested. Handler added that the program has been working to obtain research money for its scholars, adding a incentive to attend the University, but there is no intention to turn the program into a need-based scholarship.The second part of the Committee’s proposal makes more sense. Richard Handler, director of the Echols program, said he has been working with Student Council and the Minority Rights Coalition to reach out to diverse student organizations and to promote the Echols program. According to Handler, “Echols is competing for the most successful high school students. Each year it is getting harder to fill up an Echols class. This means we have more room to take on first-year students.” Roberts told The Cavalier Daily Tuesday that only 3 percent of Echols Scholars are minority students. This does not reflect the diversity of the student body, and efforts to include more minority students in the program are wholly justified. The University’s strong commitment to meeting financial need makes a financial component an unnecessary addition to the Echols program. Outreach to minority groups is a sensible way to increase minority participation. Though offering financial incentives to minority students might increase the number of those students who accept an offer to participate in the Echols program, it would violate the purpose of the program. Students’ financial needs should be met through AccessUVa, and merit-based scholarships should be handled through designated programs.
(01/22/09 6:56am)
Oliphant cartoons and sculpture from Bush yearsWith Barack Obama officially sworn into office, George W. Bush is one step closer to the history books. Those nostalgic for the last eight years may be interested in an ongoing exhibit sponsored by the U.Va. Art Museum entitled “Leadership: Oliphant Cartoons and Sculpture from the Bush Years.” The exhibit will feature various works — cartoon drawings, pencil sketches, charcoal caricatures and sculpture — from Pat Oliphant, currently the most widely syndicated political cartoonist in the world and arguably the most influential. The exhibit will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays until March 8.—by ethan hamlinSundance offers promising rockumentariesWhile the Sundance Film Festival is usually known for offering up somber indies or hyped-up whackjobs, this year there are two intriguing rock-docs up for the studio bidding. When You’re Strange is a pic about The Doors directed by Tom DiCillo, who got his hands on some rare footage shot in the late 60s and early 70s by a film school friend of Jim Morrison. Meanwhile, Davis Guggenheim, who helmed An Inconvenient Truth, also had a documentary premiere in Utah: It Might Get Loud. Loud features Jimmy Page, Jack White and the Edge, mixing commentary about the greatness of the electric guitar with various jam sessions. Both sound like great films—we’ll see if they live up to the hype. —by david replogleLocal band ignites Gravity Lounge with new EPLocal rock quintet Trees on Fire meld their love for the smooth, natural sound of acoustic instruments with a fascination for the burgeoning electronica genre with their latest EP, Organica: Volume One. A three-track release, Organica is just the beginning of Trees on Fire’s exploration into the dynamics between machine-driven, electronic sounds and the instrument-based acoustics. Join the band Saturday night at Gravity Lounge for a release party, hosted by 106.1 The Corner. While tickets are $10, the show includes a free copy of the EP and a chance to say, “I knew them when...”—by stephanie garcia
(01/21/09 6:48am)
The Virginia men’s tennis team started its season on the right foot last night, topping No. 64 William & Mary 7-0 at the McCormick-Nagelsen Tennis Center in Williamsburg. The victory extended the Cavaliers’ regular-season winning streak to 35 straight matches and also marked the third consecutive year the squad opened its spring season with a shutout of the Tribe.The Cavaliers stymied any William & Mary upset hopes early, sweeping the doubles point. At the No. 1 doubles spot, junior Houston Barrick and sophomore Sanam Singh easily cruised past the Tribe pair of junior Keziel Juneau and sophomore Sebestien Vidal 8-2, while the Cavalier duo of senior Dominic Inglot and sophomore Michael Shabaz managed to squeak out a 9-8 win in the No. 2 position. Junior Lee Singer paired with freshman newcomer Drew Courtney to earn a win at the No. 3 spot for Virginia.On the singles side, the Cavaliers were just as impressive, winning all six of their matches while failing to drop a single set in five of those six contests. Inglot led Virginia with a hard-fought 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win against Juneau in the No. 1 spot, while Shabaz, ranked No. 11 in the ITA singles’ polls, easily dispatched senior Marwan Ramadan 6-3, 6-1 to earn a victory at the No. 2 position. Singh (No. 3), Barrick (No. 4), Singer (No. 5) and Courtney (No. 6) also added individual victories in the Cavaliers’ win.Virginia opens its home season this weekend with matches against No. 15 Illinois Friday and No. 30 Notre Dame Sunday at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.—compiled by Cayce Troxel
(01/21/09 5:00am)
Anyone who has ever argued with a roommate via Post-It notes on the fridge could have laughed at the passive-aggressive argument between the administrators in Garrett Hall and the 21 Society that took place over the last week. When a sign announcing that the office had no Course Action Forms and that students should print their own appeared in front of Garrett Hall, the 21 Society responded by placing a box of forms in front of the building, next to a sign questioning the wisdom of the College’s decision to print a sign rather than supplying students with forms.The problem with that accusation is that the College did not decide to stop providing Course Action Forms. According to Assoc. College Dean Richard Handler, that was a University-wide decision with which the College had to comply. “It is frustrating to the staff to be attacked when they have no control over it, but students don’t think about that,” Handler said. If it is going to take issue with policies publicly, the 21 Society should make sure it is criticizing the right people. It is clear the 21 Society did not contact anyone in the administration before placing its sign — if it did, it should have gotten its facts straight. Had the society bothered to do some research, it may very well have found the policy of posting forms online for students to be an improvement over the old system. As Handler put it, “Ask before you denounce.”The decision to have students print their own forms does impose a small cost on students. The convenience of printing the forms in one’s home instead of trekking to Garrett Hall to pick them up, however, probably compensates for the cost of a piece of paper and a little ink. The same number of forms have to be printed either way, so the environmental impact of the two policies is essentially the same.The new policy probably does save some money for the University, but that is not something to which students should object. With state budget cuts coming down the line, all University departments are looking for small ways to save money without seriously cutting back the services they provide to students. When the University can reduce costs, it should pass those savings on to students — or at least slow the rate at which student fees increase.The 21 Society also took issue with the money spent on the large sign announcing the change, but the sign was a cost-cutting move as well. The staff at Garrett Hall are annually assailed by thousands of students asking for Course Action Forms, Handler said. Without a sign, the staff would have lost a significant amount of time simply telling students where to print forms. The cost of the sign would be made up for in regained productivity.Perhaps Garrett Hall should provide a few Course Action Forms, for emergency situations in which students need forms right away. If the 21 Society had wanted to make that point, however, it should have found a better way to do so than an inaccurate, inflammatory diatribe.
(01/21/09 5:00am)
Yesterday’s article “Overkill in Gaza” was not written by Najwa Doughman, as the article originally stated. The author was actually fourth-year College student Manal Tellawi. Doughman’s article appears in today’s Opinion section. Yesterday’s article also mentioned an Israeli attack that killed one civilian. The attack killed two civilians. The Cavalier Daily regrets the errors.
(01/20/09 5:26am)
The Virginia’s women’s basketball team fell 103-74 to No. 2 North Carolina Friday night at Chapel Hill, N.C.Junior guard Monica Wright led the then-No. 12 Cavaliers (14-3,1-1 ACC) in scoring with 24 points. Senior center Aisha Mohammed put up a double-double, scoring 13 points while senior guard Lyndra Littles contributed 21 points.Despite Virginia’s best effort, North Carolina (17-0, 3-0 ACC) led the entire game as five Tar Heels scored in double digits, including senior forward Rashanda McCants, who led the group with 23 points. The Tar Heels made 19 of 20 free throws in the second half to ruin Virginia’s hopes of upsetting the preseason favorite to win the ACC.Friday’s loss marked the end of Virginia’s eight-game winning streak, which included a perfect record in December. The Cavaliers resume play tomorrow at 7 p.m. with a game against rival Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.—compiled by Dan Stalcup
(01/20/09 5:21am)
The University’s creation of an endowed scholarship in honor of Dean of Admissions John Blackburn is a small gesture compared to the enormous contributions Blackburn has made in his nearly 30 years in the admissions office. As students who have had the privilege of knowing him professionally, we are pleased with the University’s decision to honor him.Blackburn’s priorities as dean of admissions have been to increase the diversity of the University’s student body and to expand access to the University for students who have not had that opportunity in the past. He fought in the late 1990s to continue the University’s affirmative action policies and to ensure the students admitted through those policies succeeded at the University. “Through depositions and articles and suits, I have never seen Jack ever hesitate one iota in his commitment to making the University a place that not only welcomes African-American students, but prepares them for future success,” Parke Muth, associate dean of admissions, wrote last year when Blackburn won the University’s Thomas Jefferson Award. Blackburn’s recruitment of highly qualified black students is one of the reasons the University’s black students graduate at a higher rate than any other public university in the country.The battles over affirmative action policies pointed to the problem of socioeconomic diversity, which Blackburn helped address through his promotion of the University’s AccessUVa program, a financial aid program that is still unrivaled in many ways among public universities. Blackburn’s recruitment efforts encouraged many students with limited financial means to attend the University.The AccessUVa program was not Blackburn’s only contribution in this area, however. In recent years his office made several policy changes that made applying to the University easier for low-income students. He was closely involved in the University’s decision to end early admissions, a program that provided convenience for some but was found to favor privileged applicants. He adopted the Common Application, making the application process less time-consuming. He also created a program guaranteeing admission to graduates of Virginia’s community colleges.Through all of these changes, Blackburn has also continued to promote the University as one of the nation’s most prestigious institutions. Joining Ivy League schools such as Harvard and Princeton on tours of the country, Blackburn made sure prospective students knew of the opportunities available at the University. As a result, the University has steadily become more and more selective over the course of Blackburn’s career.Beyond his professional accomplishments, however, Blackburn deserves recognition for the way in which he interacted with other administrators and students. “Not only has he done wonderful things for the University, there’s just a personal aura about him,” University spokesperson Carol Wood said. The staff members at The Cavalier Daily who have worked with him agree. A few of our writers recall Blackburn helping them with a story while he was driving through the hills of North Carolina on a recruitment tour, calling back every time his cell phone reception cut out. All of our writers who have spoken with him have found him eager to discuss important issues honestly and candidly.Though most students tend to forget about the admissions office after they matriculate, the office’s policies affect everyone at the University. Blackburn’s leadership has ensured those policies continually improved.
(01/16/09 9:11am)
The Virginia wrestling team will make its home debut this weekend as it takes on UNC-Greensboro, Rutgers and Appalachian State.The Cavaliers have had a rough start to the season, beginning 5-6 (0-0 ACC) while wrestling against five top-25 opponents and sustaining several key injuries. Sophomore Chris Henrich leads the team with a 23-1 record on the season. Junior Brent Jones (17-4) and freshman Jedd Moore (19-8) have helped shoulder the load, stepping up their performances in recent weeks.Following this weekend’s home match, the Cavaliers will hit the road, not returning to Charlottesville for a match until the middle of February.The Cavaliers take on UNC-Greensboro (2-7, 2-0 Southern Conference) at 1 p.m. Saturday, Rutgers (12-4, 5-1 EIWA) at 3 p.m. Saturday and Appalachian State (4-9, 0-1 Southern Conference) at 2 p.m. Sunday. All three matches will take place at Memorial Gymnasium.—compiled by Ben Gomez
(01/16/09 9:08am)
If you’re a Law student who picked up this newspaper on Monday, Jan. 19, you’re probably wondering why there is not a current edition of the paper on the stands. The answer is simple: Most of the University has a holiday. In this space, we have already applauded the University’s decision to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in its class scheduling. Unfortunately, that decision did not apply to all of the University’s schools, including the Law School, whose semester begins Monday. If the University wished to honor King’s legacy, it should have done so for all of its schools.The administrations of each of the University’s schools have different considerations to make when setting their calendars, so it is reasonable that different schedules would result. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, however, is a new addition to the University’s schedule. Last year was the first time the University honored the holiday since at least 1995 — the first year whose calendar is on the University’s Web site. The second week of classes is an awkward time for the University to take a holiday, so the decision to do so must not have been based on a desire to give students a break. If students are tired of their classes already, they might want to consider taking different ones. The University must have meant for students, faculty and some staff to enjoy a day off to reflect upon and remember a hero of the civil rights movement.If the University wished to honor King, it should have made sure all members of its community had that opportunity. Though the Law School, Medical School and Darden School all operate on different schedules than the rest of the University, the University president still signs off on all of their schedules. The message those schedules convey about the importance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day should be consistent.Of course, the University cannot give everyone the day off. The dining halls, Medical Center and police department clearly have to remain open. The University never completely shuts down, even when classes are not in session.Cancelling classes does allow students to take the day off, as well as most faculty and even some staff. The impact spreads beyond those students and faculty whose classes were cancelled. The University Bookstore, for example, will be open on Monday. If the Law School were not holding its first classes that day, there would be no reason for the Bookstore not to give its employees a holiday as well.Most scheduling decisions are practical matters of time and convenience. Recognizing King’s contributions to American history has implications far beyond that, however, and the University’s decision to do so reflects its priorities. It should ensure those priorities are consistent in all its schools.