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News

UJC Rep. allocation to be examined

By Riley McDonald | February 27, 2003

As the newly elected Judiciary and Honor Committee representatives prepare to take office in April, two Judiciary support officers are spearheading a committee to examine the number of representatives allotted to each school at the University. "It seems a little favorable to the small schools," third-year College student Eli Dejarnette said. Dejarnette and third-year College student Angela Carrico, both Judiciary Committee investigators, said they began discussing the issue of representation last semester. Currently, the committees have three representatives from the College and two representatives from every other school, although the Judiciary Committee does not have representatives from the School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

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Unanimously-approved resolution expresses support for living wage

By Whitney Garrison | February 26, 2003

Student Council unanimously passed a resolution last night in favor of a living wage for all full-time, direct and contract workers. Resolution sponsor and Council President Micah Schwartz said he was excited about Council's endeavor to assert a higher moral standard for the University. "I think it's a moral choice and we will do what we can to ensure that a living wage becomes a reality for all University employees," Schwartz said. A generous turnout for the community concerns portion of the Council meeting encouraged Council members to seriously consider the resolution. Charlottesville Vice-Mayor Meredith Richards began the community concerns forum by providing Council with background poverty information. "Charlottesville has for years and decades been at the center of the social services for the region's poor," Richards said. She added that Charlottesville passed a guaranteed living wage for all city employees in 1999 and would like to see the University follow suit. Richards, however, also cited the stumbling block to passing a living wage. "In 2000, the state General Assembly passed a law which said that contracts for city services can include a 'best value' clause which is interpreted in several different ways," Richards said. Board of Visitors Secretary Alexander "Sandy" Gilliam said, due to several past opinions of the state Attorney General, "it would be illegal for us to be involved" in the Living Wage campaign. Richards said she thinks otherwise. "We respectfully disagree and would and could pursue this in court if challenged," she said.

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Finance concentration cut by economics dept.

By Nathan Vassar | February 26, 2003

Beginning in the 2003-2004 school year, the economics department will no longer offer a concentration in finance for economics majors. Due to the recent hiring freeze and a temporary research leave by a University finance professor, next Spring the department will not offer the primary course required for a finance concentration, ECON 436: Topics in Quantitative Finance, according to Economics Department Chair David Mills. Professor Massimo Guidolin plans to take a research leave for the 2004 spring semester.

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Slonaker's Libertarian Beef

By Cavalier Daily Staff | February 26, 2003

Some were toting miniature American flags. Others proudly displayed wartime decorations on their jackets.

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Drug programs cut from state budget

By Angela Manese-Lee | February 26, 2003

Many of Virginia's 14 drug court programs likely will be forced to spend time this year fundraising, taking away resources from drug treatment and counseling.

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Lundy receives intimidating calls

By Christine Wallace | February 26, 2003

Student Council Presidential candidate Daisy Lundy filed a police report Monday after receiving obscene phone calls in her room Sunday night and early Monday morning. "The filed report stated that Lundy was receiving calls between 10 p.m.

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Honor now will oversee Council run-off elections

By Mary Pumphrey | February 26, 2003

In the wake of a discovery that members of Student Council accessed the elections database during last week's University elections, Council agreed Sunday to allow a member of the Honor Committee to oversee the run-off election for Council president and to change the access code to the voting database. The run-off election between Council presidential candidates Ed Hallen and Daisy Lundy began yesterday and will conclude at 8 p.m.

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Daisy Lundy assaulted behind West Lawn

By Alexis Unkovic | February 26, 2003

Shortly before 2 a.m. this morning, Daisy Lundy, Student Council presidential candidate and second-year College student, was assaulted in Poe Alley, directly behind the West side of the Lawn. According to several sources who were nearby at the time, Lundy had just left the Lawn room of Tim Lovelace, student member of the Board of Visitors, to retrieve her cellular phone from her car, which was parked at the end of the alley, near Lovelace

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Madison House seeks funding alternatives

By Jason Amirhadji | February 26, 2003

Three years after Madison House and Student Council made an arrangement to phase out the service organization's Student Activity Fund allocation, Madison House officials say they have struggled to find outside sources of financial support. In order to move toward self-sufficiency, Madison House agreed to have its Council appropriation cut by 5 percent a year from 1999 to 2008.

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Board rejects appeal of election day vote docking

By Jon Breece | February 25, 2003

The Student Council Rules and Ethics Board rejected an appeal yesterday filed by Council presidential candidate Daisy Lundy, who claimed that she was unfairly penalized for campaign violations in last week's election. Last Thursday night the Election Committee deducted 2 percent of Lundy's vote total because of illegal campaigning on her behalf in first year dorms. The decision, coupled with the election committee's interpretation of by-law rules, which also was appealed, led to a margin of victory for Lundy slim enough to force a run-off election. Polls opened this morning at 8 for the run-off, and will remain open until tomorrow night at 8. The four-member board deliberated for over an hour before ultimately upholding the decision of the election committee.

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UJC sponsored hazing bill adopted by Virginia House

By Riley McDonald | February 25, 2003

In one of the final steps of a process initiated by members of the University Judiciary Committee, the Virginia House of Delegates unanimously adopted the final version of legislation Feb.

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South Florida prof. charged in terror allegations

By Jason Amirhadji | February 25, 2003

The recent arrest of University of South Florida Professor Sami Amin Al-Arian, who was indicted last Thursday on terrorism-related charges, has raised concern in the academic community over issues of academic freedom. The charges, part of 50 levied against a group of eight conspirators, allege that Al-Arian was directly involved with Palestinian suicide bombings in Israel, naming him the North American leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In September 2001, Al-Arian was placed on paid leave from South Florida when he made a controversial appearance on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor." Three months later, South Florida's Board of Trustees voted to remove Al-Arian from the university. Al-Arian's arrest on Thursday prompted South Florida to request permission from a federal judge to formally fire the professor.

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Ralliers turn out to support Bush, military

By Anthony LaMesa | February 25, 2003

Brandishing posters proclaiming "Bush is "'da man" and "Support our troops," a diverse group of students and Charlottesville residents gathered on the north steps of the Rotunda yesterday afternoon to support President Bush and the nation's armed forces. A handful of dissenters with anti-war and anti-Bush messages also attended the rally. The College Republicans and the Jefferson Leadership Foundation sponsored the rally, which lasted approximately 30 minutes and drew around 150 people, according to estimates by the College Republicans. "Our purpose was to respond to some of the more anti-American tones that the [anti-war] rallies have done," College Republicans President Ben Beliles said.

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PETA petitions national fraternity for suspension

By Natasha Altamirano | February 25, 2003

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for the disbanding of the Davidson College chapter of the locally-based Kappa Sigma fraternity Thursday, according to Stephanie Boyles, wildlife biologist from PETA's Research and Investigations Department. Davidson police arrested seven members and pledges of the Davidson, N.C.

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Dave Mathews Band helps Health Center with grant

By Christine Wallace | February 25, 2003

The Dave Matthews Band indirectly donated $10,000 in January to the University's Teen Health Center Education program, a gift that will help keep the program available to all schools in the Albemarle area. "We applied to the [BAMA Works] program in August and we found out about the grant in December," said Dyan Aretakis, Teen Health Center project director. The Center asked BAMA Works, a charity fund for the Charlottesville-Albemarle area founded by the band, for $10,000 in grant money, which they received in January. "We are very happy to receive that money," Aretakis said.

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County, University evaluate flood risk

By Mary Elizabeth Warren | February 24, 2003

Because of this weekend's rain and higher temperatures, which caused last week's accumulation of snow and ice to melt, minor flooding has been reported across the region and continues to be expected for the beginning of the week.

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Four Crozet teens charged with first-degree murder

By Natasha Altamirano | February 24, 2003

Albemarle County police arrested three suspects late Friday night and early Saturday morning accused of murdering their neighbor and setting fire to her Cling Lane home in Crozet Wednesday, killing a 3-year-old boy believed to be her son. Staunton police arrested one other suspect, according to count Police Chief John Miller. The suspects, two men and two juveniles, were charged with several felonies resulting from the fire. Police charged William Rockland Fugett Jr., 19, Robert Paul Davis, 18, a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy with two counts of first degree murder, two counts of attempted first degree murder, arson, robbery and breaking and entering, according to police officials. The two victims have not yet been identified, although police suspect the victims are Nola Annette Charles, 41, and her 3-year-old son. Both Fugett and Davis, along with one of the juveniles, lived on Cling Lane.

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Libertarians hold property rights rally

By Kara Rowland | February 24, 2003

Undeterred by freezing rain and cold temperatures Saturday afternoon, local residents gathered to express their frustration over what they claim is an unfair Albemarle County bureaucracy. Sponsored by the Charlottesville-based Jefferson Area Libertarians, "Rally 'Round the Flag" was held in support of businessman Tom Slonaker, who has been engaged in a zoning dispute with county administrators since August. Slonaker, owner of the Arby's restaurant in Forest Lakes, was issued citations for flying an Arby's flag on a flagpole outside his store, posting store advertisements in windows and parking an Arby's van in view of Rt.

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Appeal challenges election results

By Josh Goodman | February 24, 2003

Student Council presidential candidate Daisy Lundy will bring two appeals before the Rules and Ethics Board at 9 a.m.

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Virginia judge upholds Hampton expulsion policy

By Natasha Altamirano | February 24, 2003

Officials at Hampton University, in Hampton, Va., expelled two students this month who were charged with the murder of a former student, according to Hampton Spokesperson Sarita L.