News

ITC battles with 'blaster' worm on U.Va. network

The first week of classes can be hectic enough, but for students whose computers have been infected by the "blaster" worm or other computer viruses, functioning without bedroom access to ISIS or AOL Instant Messenger has become increasingly frustrating. As of yesterday afternoon, ITC had found 340 infected computers in dorm areas and 903 throughout rest of the University. These latest numbers represent the first noticeable decrease in compromised computers since the outbreak of the blaster worm, which affects many newer versions of Windows, including 2000 and XP, on Aug.

File-sharing alternatives grow

Picture this: An online music service where music plays instantly without downloading time, song information is always accurate, files are always of good quality and personal music libraries can be pulled up on any computer. Does it sound too good to be true?

VA to merge Smart Tag, E-Z Pass toll systems

Smart Tag holders driving north next fall will no longer fumble for change on northeast toll roads, after Virginia's electronic toll-paying system joins the E-Z Pass Interagency Group, the automated toll-collecting organization currently used in nine northeastern and mid-Atlantic states. Gov.

Virginia Film Festival offers students a sneak peak of festival schedule.

University students got a first look at the Virginia Film Festival's schedule Tuesday, a month before its release to the general public. United under the theme of "$," classic films including "Citizen Kane," Buster Keaton's "Second Chances," and "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," will be shown. Scheduled celebrity appearances include Paul Junger Witt who produced 1999's military treasure hunt "Three Kings" starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube and screenwriter Frank Pierson who wrote the bank heist Al Pacino vehicle "Dog Day Afternoon," for which he won an Oscar.

Reduction in file-sharing follows industry crackdown

As soon as third-year Commerce student Scott Howard heard that 1,000 people faced multi-million dollar lawsuits for sharing music online, he shut off his Kazaa service. "I don't have enough money to pay $250,000 per song," Howard said. His action illustrates a global trend: fewer users logging on to peer-to-peer networks in the wake of the Recording Industry Association of America's June 26 announcement that it planned to file lawsuits against individuals distributing copyrighted music. Nielson Net Ratings reported a 15 percent decline in traffic on Kazaa and Morpheus in the week immediately after RIAA announced its pursuit of individual users. Traffic on the largest service, Kazaa, continued to decline for the next seven weeks, from a peak of seven million unique users per week to below five million.

Area police receive $190,000 grant

Charlottesville and Albemarle County police were granted a total of $190,000 this week for emergency communication equipment. The money will be used to purchase new in-car cameras and new communications tools for the area police forces. The cameras usually are used to monitor the behavior of both police officers and suspects, especially in cases of police brutality accusations. Rep.

Capacity upgrades do not alleviate ISIS woes

Despite recent efforts to improve the efficiency of ISIS, many students experienced delay and frustration while accessing the system on the first day of class. Third-year College student Brandon Kemp said he spent 45 minutes trying to get onto ISIS in the Clemons computer lab before turning to fellow female students for aid. "Go flirt with some guys who are on ISIS -- get them kicked off so I can get on," he said. According to ITC, administrators increased system user capacity from 80 to 100 users.

Construction delays leave tenants without homes

Although he signed a lease for an apartment advertised "only two blocks" from Grounds, second year College student Hunter Flint now has to bike two miles to get to class. Flint is one of 75 people, mostly University students, forced to temporarily relocate due to construction delays at Camden Plaza apartments. Construction of the six-story complex on 14th Street began last fall and was supposed to be completed for move-in August 22. On August 6, Woodard Properties emailed residents that occupancy on that date was uncertain. "We're just trying to catch up from when we got behind because of inclimate weather," Joy Waring said, Woodard Properties Property Manager. According to Waring, as of Monday the earliest completion date was estimated at Sept.

WORST SEAT IN THE HOUSE

Virginia Film Festival offers students a sneak peak of festival schedule. University students got a first look at the Virginia Film Festival's schedule Tuesday, a month before its release to the general public. United under the theme of "$," classic films including "Citizen Kane," Buster Keaton's "Second Chances," and "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," will be shown. Scheduled celebrity appearances include Paul Junger Witt who produced 1999's military treasure hunt "Three Kings" starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube and screenwriter Frank Pierson who wrote the bank heist Al Pacino vehicle "Dog Day Afternoon," for which he won an Oscar.

Animal deaths lead to House probe at National Zoo.

The United States House of Representatives Administration Committee, in its role as steward of the National Zoo's $23 million budget, has initiated an investigation into the zoo's administration after a series of mishaps left four animals dead. Two pandas died in January after ingesting rat poison and two bald eagle's died last year as well

National, local average SAT scores rise

College-bound high school students nationwide saw a six-point increase in average total SAT scores this year as compared to 2002 scores, according to results released today by the College Board. The average SAT math score rose three points from 516 to 519 and the average verbal score rose three points from 504 to 507, for a national total average of 1026. Virginia students' scores had a slightly higher increase than the national average, with the average total Virginian score rising eight points.

City Police deal with underage drinking, recent vandalism

A mammoth piece of construction equipment sits in the middle of a deserted lot on Gordon Avenue.

Pease tapped to serve as first marching band director

A University search committee selected William E. Pease last week to head the University's efforts in developing a new marching band for next fall's football season.

Building a better University

Red construction walls, busy workers in hard hats, cranes, bulldozers and half-finished buildings are greeting students at the start of the 2003-2004 school year, the sight and sounds of which Wahoos will continue to live with for months to come. The construction is costing the University tens of millions of dollars and some of it is behind schedule, due mostly to inclement weather, but officials say that over time it will make the University a better place to live. Among the many projects the University currently has in the works are a special collections library in front of Alderman Library, a multi-purpose arena, a parking garage behind the Cavalier Inn and a footbridge over Emmet Street.

RIDING OFF INTO THE SUNSET

State continues to face budget problems

Although the Commonwealth is heading towards economic recovery, the next two years still hold the threat of a difficult budget crisis, Gov.

University regains No.1 public school ranking

After two years in the runner-up spot among the nation's top public universities, the University regained its No.

Drive to end illegal file-sharing intensifies

Hundreds of songs downloaded from services such as Kazaa and Grokster may not be as innocent, and students may not be as anonymous, as they once appeared.

Online Council application system leaves groups without CIO status

As student groups attempt to entice first years into membership with free cups and promises of fun and fellowship, approximately 150 student groups find themselves surprisingly bereft of their status as a Contracted Independent Organization.

Weathering the weather

As students prepare to return to the University this fall, they would be well advised to bring their umbrellas along as the summer's continual rainfall is expected to continue through the semester.