News

Council hears elections proposal

Last night, Will Sowers, chair of the Elections Reform Ad Hoc Committee, presented the final recommendations for reforming the elections process to Student Council. After five weeks of meetings and discussion, the Reform Ad Hoc Committee comprised, of 12 student leaders and deans recommended two major structural changes to the system. The first and primary concern was to create a University Board of Elections as a body independent of Council. Council Executive Vice President Ronnie Mayhew sponsored a resolution that supports the ad hoc's recommendations and the founding of the UBE as a provisional organization deriving power from Council until a larger structural change could be proposed on a referendum. "We have to stay in line with our constitution," Mayhew said.

Experts assess Iraq's political future

Following the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, President George W. Bush's administration faces the task of helping to rebuild Iraq physically, economically and politically. "In having decided to go to war against Saddam Hussein's regime, we have taken on a very big obligation," Vice Provost for International Affairs William Quandt said.

University to honor distinguished faculty

Outstanding University faculty members will be honored at the thirteenth annual "In Celebration of Teaching" awards banquet to be held in the Rotunda May 1. Marva A.

HOT WHEELS

Marriott offers compromise to end protests

The Courtyard Marriott-University Medical Center hotel on Main Street, a longtime target of living wage protesters, has agreed to provide its employees with a hospitality training course at Piedmont Virginia Community College.

Reassessing diversity at the University

Diversity: it has been the buzzword at the University for the greater part of this semester in the aftermath of recent racially-charged events, including the "blackface" incident in the fall and the February assault on Student Council President-elect Daisy Lundy, then a candidate for office. University administrators and students have been wrestling with racial issues since last semester, when three people with their faces painted black attended a Halloween fraternity party co-sponsored by Kappa Alpha and Zeta Psi fraternities.

University report finds mixed results on climate of communication, black student satisfaction

University students engage in relatively widespread dialogue between races, but "pockets of dissatisfaction" exist among African-American students, according to a report released last month which used data gathered in 2002 and earlier. The information was collected as part of the National Survey of Student Engagement.

News in Brief

Following months of above-average precipitation this winter, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors will consider revoking its emergency water declaration. The Albemarle County Service Authority, which provides water to Charlottesville and Albemarle County, has recommended the issue be considered at the Board's May 7 meeting. Though the declaration currently remains in effect, emergency water restrictions were lifted at the end of 2002.

Student Health to continue offering pill

The University Student Health Center will continue to issue prescriptions for emergency contraceptives despite calls from Del.

Omicron Delta Kappa honors University faculty and students

Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society, initiated into its ranks more than 60 University students and two members of the faculty in a ceremony at the Rotunda March 31.

JMU bans emergency contraceptives

Prompted by a letter from Rep. Robert Marshall, R-Manassas, James Madison University's Board of Visitors voted Friday to prohibit the distribution of emergency contraception at its Harrisonburg campus student health center.

Black Fraternal Council elects new executive board

Representatives of the University's historically black fraternities and sororities met Sunday to elect the Black Fraternal Council's new executive board.

Cal Poly staff asks for ban on obscene downloads

An executive committee of the academic senate at California Polytechnic-San Luis Obispo plans to introduce a resolution today that would impose a ban on the personal use of university computers to view or download digital material classified as pornography. The "Resolution to Enhance Civility and Promote a Diversity-Friendly Campus Climate" also would prohibit access to hate literature and obscenity through the Cal Poly information technology network. Linda Vanasupa, head of the Materials Engineering Department at Cal Poly and a chief proponent of the resolution, said the ban addresses the hostile and aggressive tendencies provoked by sexually explicit material. "If we vote this down, what kind of climate does it create?" Vanasupa said.

Local prevention group hosts forum for parents and children

In a forum entitled "Just Say Yes! Parents Building Healthy Youth Behavior," local speakers will discuss parental roles and responsibilities in helping their children avoid drug and alcohol abuse. The event, which is sponsored by the Charlottesville-Albemarle Prevention Coalition, will take place Tuesday, April 29 from 6:30 to 8:00pm at ACAC Adventure Central.

Suspect admits guilt in murder of grad student

April 18, two years after College graduate student Alison Meloy was murdered in her townhouse off of Hydraulic Road, 20-year-old Albemarle County resident Jamie Jovan Poindexter pleaded guilty to capital murder and robbery in the case. A circuit court judge sentenced him to two life terms in prison without the possibility of parole. "It was a horrible, horrible murder," Albemarle County Commonwealth Attorney Jim Camblos said.

Fourteen computers stolen from Alderman

Fourteen Dell laptop computers, on loan from the Dell corporation as part of the ITC computing program, were stolen from Alderman Library between Sunday, April 13 and Monday, April 14, according to University Library spokesperson Charlotte Scott. The laptops were taken from a secured area of the library, possibly while the library was closed after midnight Sunday -- the only time the computers were not in use by students. "They went to the locked area where they were kept and the lock had been broken and the machines were gone," Scott said.

Panelists debate affirmative action

University faculty discussed the timely and contentious issue of affirmative action in college admissions last night during a panel discussion held in Wilson Hall. Panelists included Politics Professors Ned Moomaw and Gerard Alexander, Law Prof.

A JOHN ON THE LAWN

Group claims Tech policy violates civil rights act

A Northern Virginia-based group known for criticizing affirmative action policies yesterday asked the U.S.

Three CIOs appeal funding allocation

Three of seven Contracted Independent Organizations who plan to contest their budget allocations from the student activities fund appealed for a second time before the student activities committee yesterday.