Since the beginning of the academic year, numerous injuries and one death have occurred at Virginia Tech parties, all but one of which were the result of falls from balconies and windows. Officials at both Virginia Tech and the University said these incidents serve as a reminder for students to care for their personal safety.
Students, faculty and administrators gathered in the Newcomb Hall Ballroom last night for the Inter-Greek Committee's first annual State of the Greek System Address. The IGC is comprised of representatives from the University's four Greek governing councils:the Inter-Fraternity Council, the Inter-Sorority Council, the Black Fraternal Council and the Multicultural Greek Council. IFC President Ryan Ewalt, ISC President Cahill Zoeller, MGC President Melody Han and BFC Co-Chairs Jason Bell and Darren Kelly each discussed significant past, current and future initiatives of their respective councils. "One of the things we want to accomplish through the [address] is to show the University community where the Greek system has been, where it is now and where it is going," said Ann Thorne, the undergraduate intern for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, who helped plan the event. The event was open to all members of the University community to provide an opportunity for both involved and uninvolved people with the Greek system to voice any questions or concerns, Thorne said. The address commenced with a brief synopsis of the history of the Greek system given by Aaron Laushway, associate dean of students and director of fraternity and sorority life. "The students have heard me say for many years now that fraternities and sororities are the best vehicles for student self-governance," Laushway said. The IGC originally had planned for the first State of the Greek System address to occur in November 2002, but it was canceled in part as a result of the death of Jack Chen, a member of the Lambda Phi Epsilon Fraternity, he said. Following Laushway's presentation, each Greek council leader addressed issues specific to his or her council, beginning with Bell and Kelly. Bell discussed BFC social events and both local and nationally-mandated service projects. Kelly then addressed some of the BFC's goals for the future, including an increased sense of presence and awareness of BFC organizations.
As the Supreme Court evaluates campaign finance reform this term, University students face an election reform of their own. Following a series of controversies during last spring's Student Council elections, Council instigated a restructuring of the election process that will culminate with a student vote to take place November 11-12. When they vote, students will face a series of referenda that will ask them to approve constitutional changes and the formation of a new organization to oversee elections called the University Board of Elections.
In the wake of recently approved statewide tuition hikes, University of Maryland students are garnering support for a new political action and advocacy group dedicated to increasing state higher education funding. Born of student government activism at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Students Citizens Action Network is an independent organization created to fundraise and contribute money to the campaigns of state politicians. "It's a way to really be a serious part of the whole budget debate," said Drew Vetter, Network treasurer and a Maryland junior.
Beginning in the spring of 2005, a score of 1600 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test will not be quite the ego trip it is today. The changes to the test announced by the College Board last summer, in the second overhaul of the test in less than a decade, will be enacted in a year and a half. Modifications to the SAT will include the addition of an essay writing section and more rigorous math testing.
Many voters heading to the polls this Nov. 4 to determine Virginia's next General Assembly will not be faced with a particularly difficult decision.
Polish First Lady Jolanta Kwasniewska will visit Grounds Oct. 24. As part of her American cultural visit, she will make a stop at Alderman Library's Special Collections section. Kwasniewska, who will be accompanied by Slavic professor Darius Tolczyk, plans to view the papers of Tadeusz Kosciuszko.
Student Council Vice President for Administration Will Sowers informed the University Police Department yesterday afternoon that an undisclosed amount of cash awaiting deposit had been removed from his desk in the Council offices. Although neither the University Police Department nor Council members would disclose the amount taken in the alleged theft due to the ongoing investigation, Council Chief Financial Officer Peter Ackerson said "the loss will have no material impact on the financial strength or operating ability of Student Council." Ackerson made a statement to Council last night regarding the incident. The statement said Sowers noticed the funds were missing before fall break and attempted to locate the money himself before informing any of the other executive officers.
The Jefferson Literary and Debating Society hosted a panel discussion last night entitled "Blackface and the First Amendment" to address both historical and constitutional issues surrounding blackface. The panel was purposely timed to occur just prior to Halloween, about one year after the controversial blackface incident at a joint Halloween party thrown by Kappa Alpha and Zeta Psi fraternities, said Wyeth Ruthven, programming director for the Center for the Study of Race and Law and Jefferson Society member. The Center, founded last spring to facilitate discussion of racial issues and the law, and to increase dialogue between the Law School and the rest of the University community, co-sponsored the event along with the Law for Us Student Mentoring Program, Ruthven said. "The panel is meant to explore two questions: The historical context of blackface and why it is offensive and [whether or not] blackface is considered protected speech under the First Amendment," he said. Panel organizers said they aimed to frame the debate on blackface and provide some background to contextualize the controversy. "If not malice, then there is a lot of ignorance surrounding blackface," Ruthven said.
In a unanimous decision, the chapter presidents of the Inter-Sorority Council's 16 sororities voted last night at their weekly Presidents Council meeting to reform ISC Executive Board election procedures in order to expand the pool of women eligible to become ISC leaders. The changes were primarily focused on the top five positions of the ISC Executive Board: President and Vice Presidents for Judiciary, Recruitment, Finance and Administration, ISC President Cahill Zoeller said. Prior to last night's decision, only ISC Executive Board members, chapter representatives and ISC Judiciary Committee counselors and investigators were eligible to run for all five Executive Board positions, said Chris McGill, program coordinator for the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. In addition to those four classes of eligible candidates, chapter presidents now can run for ISC president and chapter treasurers now can run for vice president for finance, McGill said. The candidate pool also expanded for the position of vice president for administration.
As the country continues to combat terrorism at home and abroad, Virginia launched a statewide bioterrorism drill Sunday to test the overall readiness of regional hospitals and health departments in the event of another terrorist attack on Virginia soil. States are required to perform antiterrorism drills in order to receive federal grant monies from the Centers for Disease Control.
Theta Chi fraternity members (from left) Tom Perez-Lopez, Greg Hurst, Dave Morais and Tristan Davis gathered on a couch in the Amphitheater yesterday as part of an ongoing philanthropic event to raise money for the homeless.
As local roads and highways struggle to accommodate an increasing regional population, area leaders are looking to streetcars and roundabouts as potential solutions while long-term road projects continue to inch toward fruition. At a Oct.
The University of Virginia Health System recently opened the Commonwealth's first adult congenital heart disease program.
University employees will be asked to choose between two University healthcare plans next month
The Recording Industry Association of America is now notifying suspected music sharers of its plans to file a lawsuit in order to avoid legal action. Those who receive warning letters are given 10 days to contact the RIAA and discuss settlement options.
After two years of contentious debate, the University Judiciary Committee voted down a proposed referendum to extend the statute of limitations -- the amount of time following an alleged crime during which a person can file a complaint -- from 45 to 180 days in cases of physical assault. The change would have required an amendment to the committee's constitution, a move that must be approved by a majority of students in an election. The committee's judge pool voted 10-4, with one judge abstaining and six judges absent, not to send the proposal to the fall election for a student vote.
Mixing heated anti-Bush rhetoric with visions for the future of America, Democratic Presidential Candidate Rev.
If Saturday's football game against Florida State is any indication of the future, the time-honored tradition of ties, jackets and sun dresses may be competing with a new "sea of orange" in the stands. With a record-setting attendance of 62,875, University athletic officials said they were pleased by the turnout and acknowledged student responsiveness to their ongoing campaign to get students to wear orange at games. "It's something the players can see, something they can hear and something they can feel," Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said.
Members of the Inter-Sorority Council executive board, sorority presidents and other ISC representatives held a forum yesterday to discuss the purpose of Big Sis Week, address concerns and propose potential reforms to improve the event. ISC President Cahill Zoeller said ISC board members and sorority sisters voiced similar issues and concerns with the event. Big Sis Week takes place about a month after pledges accept bids but before they are initiated into their sororities.
