News

Consensus clause fails to garner 60 percent of vote

The University Board of Elections last night announced the results of student votes on nine referenda included on the University's spring ballot. Eight referenda passed on the spring ballot. Two of the referenda put forth to the student body pertained to the single sanction. The consensus clause referendum, which was put forth by members of the student body, was one of the most controversial referenda on this year's ballot.

Undergraduates vote in record numbers

Voter turnout among undergraduates in the University election results announced yesterday is the highest in recent memory, according to University Board of Elections Chair Steve Yang.

KEEPING FINGERS CROSSED

2005 Candiate Expenditures

Office Title First Name Last Name Final Expenditures Arts & Sciences Council President David Reid $0.00 Arts & Sciences Council Secretary Erica Siegmund $0.00 Arts & Sciences Council Secretary Ahmed Almudallal $0.00 Arts & Sciences Council Treasurer Daphne Garcia $0.00 Arts & Sciences Council Vice President John Koerner $28.74 Arts & Sciences Council Vice President Kate Wise $56.07 Commerce Council Fourth Year Representative Stephen Burgess $20.00 Commerce Council Fourth Year Representative Lucia Offutt $0.00 Commerce Council Fourth Year Representative Shane Smith $20.00 Commerce Council Fourth Year Representative Bridget Barry $0.00 Commerce Council Fourth Year Representative Brendan Jordan $0.00 Commerce Council President Sarah Marchetti $103.57 Commerce Council President Ryan Gurney $18.56 Commerce Council President Christopher Golden $5.00 Commerce Council Secretary Jennie Averbook $0.00 Commerce Council Service Chair Elizabeth Jetton $0.00 Commerce Council Service Chair Gurleen Tiwana $0.00 Commerce Council Social Chair Jenny Hammond $0.00 Commerce Council Social Chair Eric Stangarone $0.00 Commerce Council Treasurer Michelle Polo $0.00 Commerce Council Vice President Ipek Soylu $0.00 Commerce Council Vice President Travis Triplett $1.28 Education Council EDLF Representative Eric Carbaugh $0.00 Education Council President Betsy Ackerson $0.00 Education Council Vice President Crystal Goodman $0.00 Engineering Council Fourth Year President Thomas Randolph $3.44 Engineering Council Fourth Year President Kara Parsons $0.00 Engineering Council President Suparna Navale $0.30 Engineering Council President Rachel Adams $0.00 Engineering Council Secretary Dexter Galozo $0.00 Engineering Council Treasurer Pavan Gupta $0.00 Engineering Council Treasurer Javed Mondal $0.00 Engineering Council Vice President Emily Ewell $20.00 Fourth Year Trustees President Jordan Levy $0.00 Fourth Year Trustees Vice President Brooke Yamakoshi $0.00 Honor Architecture Representative Morgan Miles $103.00 Honor Architecture Representative Patrick Woods $5.00 Honor Arts & Sciences Representative Andrew Siegel $56.56 Honor Arts & Sciences Representative Brandon Walsh $0.00 Honor Arts & Sciences Representative Stewart Ackerly $361.15 Honor Arts & Sciences Representative Brock Saunders $691.07 Honor Arts & Sciences Representative Matt Nicholson $38.01 Honor Arts & Sciences Representative Steven Krueger $259.03 Honor Arts & Sciences Representative Shawn Casey $26.45 Honor Arts & Sciences Representative Lauren Ross $358.71 Honor Arts & Sciences Representative Brendan Connors $10.60 Honor Commerce Representative Matt Miller $50.00 Honor Commerce Representative David Hobbs $34.50 Honor Commerce Representative Anand Kanoria $53.00 Honor Continuing & Professional Studies Representative Jake Benner $0.00 Honor Continuing & Professional Studies Representative David Perez $0.00 Honor Education Representative Sarah Outten $5.00 Honor Education Representative Marc Shook $0.00 Honor Education Representative Sean Jenkins $0.00 Honor Engineering Representative Amir Shahien $18.50 Honor Engineering Representative Louise Montgomery $13.52 Honor Engineering Representative Alison Tramba $4.09 Honor Engineering Representative Chris Transier $0.00 Honor Engineering Representative Dan Bowman $8.64 Honor Law Representative Trevor McFadden $30.45 Honor Law Representative Randall Warden $0.00 Honor Law Representative Will Doffermyre $0.00 Honor Medicine Representative Alexander Hawkins $0.00 Honor Medicine Representative Alaina Brown $0.00 Honor Medicine Representative Kari Lassen $0.00 Honor Medicine Representative Allyson Morman $0.08 Honor Nursing Representative Mandy Cocke $0.70 Judiciary Architecture Representative William Mitchell $0.00 Judiciary Architecture Representative Eric Battino $0.00 Judiciary Arts & Sciences Representative Raleigh Blank $85.83 Judiciary Arts & Sciences Representative Phil Aigrain $94.17 Judiciary Arts & Sciences Representative Ellen D

Rising loan debt: the 'no need' needy

While the University has moved aggressively to make education affordable for the most financially needy students, some students with little or no demonstrated financial need increasingly bear the brunt of heavy debt to attend the University, mirroring a national trend of increased borrowing by middle class students. Only 18 percent of the student body took out non-need-based loans this year, yet these loans comprise 67 percent of the $29 million borrowed by undergraduates and their families through Student Financial Services.

IFC seeks to strengthen internal organization

With the recent institution of the new Inter-Fraternity Council officers, chapter presidents and their fraternities can expect a new set of goals for improving the internal organization of the Council. "The main goals for this year's IFC are to internally strengthen the system by giving the presidents a stronger voice, as well as educating individual chapter members," IFC President Ross Kimbel said. To reach these objectives, IFC has begun to make plans for several changes to the internal makeup of the IFC system, Kimbel said.

Warner education plan set to begin

Gov. Mark R. Warner is leading an effort by the National Governor's Association to improve the quality of the nation's high schools.

Virginia Film Festival theme announced

"Twelve Angry Men" and "Dirty Harry" are coming to Charlottesville Oct. 27 through Oct. 30 for the 18th annual Virginia Film Festival. The two movies are tied together by the festival's theme, "In/Justice." The theme was announced Monday. "We try to choose films that will generate a lot of great titles so that we can show some really great movies," Festival Director Richard Herskowitz said.

UBE holds meeting after alleged violations

Violations in the Student Council presidential campaign prompted the University Board of Elections to call all four candidates to a meeting Monday night. According to the candidates, the violations ranged from improper flyering to illegal mailings. "Everybody was accused of these violations in some form or another," candidate Jequeatta Upton said. Upton attributed the violations to misunderstandings and misinterpretations of campaign rules. UBE Chair Steve Yang said under the campaign rules, candidates were not allowed to send their literature out through the University e-mail lists. "There was at least one case when a candidate asked someone to send e-mails to lists," Yang said.

Rising tuition proves boon for bankers

Rising tuition and demand for college education has been a boon for the student lenders, which have seen profits soar in recent years and have become some of the most profitable companies in America. America's largest student loan provider, Sallie Mae, has seen profits jump from $384 million in 2001 to $1.3 billion last year.

Snow Sculpturing

Schools nationally expect enrollment stagnation

Many inner-Beltway Northern Virginia school systems are projecting their long-term enrollments to flatten and ultimately fall within the next decade, mirroring a national trend towards slower growth in the elementary school-aged population, demographers report. The effects of Northern Virginia population trends are magnified at the University, which draws heavily from that area.

Report shows more females than males in higher education

Females outnumber males in higher education enrollment and in their attainment of associate and bachelor's degrees, as indicated by a report released by the National Center for Education Statistics on Friday. The report, titled "Gender Differences in Participation and Completion of Undergraduate Education and How They Have Changed Over Time," is an analysis of studies and surveys conducted between 1970 and 2001. According to the study, enrollment of women in higher education has increased from 42 percent to 56 percent between 1970 and 2001 and is projected to increase to 57 percent by 2013.

Legislators reach compromise on Virginia budget

The version of the Virginia state budget that resulted from a week and a half of discussion and compromise by a joint committee of conferees was passed in both the House of Delegates and the Senate Sunday. The joint committee of conferees finished hammering out the differences between the House's and Senate's versions of the state budget a day over the scheduled session time. Vincent F.

Students victims of weekend assaults

Four assaults were reported in the University area over the weekend, three of which involved University students. An alleged robbery and sexual assault of a female undergraduate student occurred early Monday morning at 12th Street and Wertland Street. According to Francis Laushway, the dean on call that evening, the Charlottesville police are currently investigating the incident. Charlottesville Police Captain Chip Harding said a 20-year-old female was robbed and sexually assaulted by a tall black male while in her car. The weekend's first crime was an attempted strong armed robbery reported to University Police early Sunday morning. According to University Police Captain Michael Coleman, a student was assaulted near Fitzhugh Dormitory by two suspects, both black males between 18 and 20 years of age. The other three incidents took place off Grounds and were reported to the Charlottesville Police. An assault and robbery was reported early Sunday morning on the 300 block of 13th Street. According to Harding, the victim's purse was stolen after she was pushed to the ground by two black male suspects. Another purse snatching also was reported only a few hours before, late Saturday night on 8th Street Northwest. Police suspect there may be a connection between the two purse snatchings. "We don't know that they're related," Harding said.

Unauthorized midterm sent to biology students

Biology 204 students received an unauthorized e-mail from an unknown person purporting to have attached a file copy of the first midterm from the spring 2004 class last Friday. Using the pseudonym Pancho Sanchez, an unidentified person distributed a 6-page, 50-question biology midterm to the class. The subject line of the e-mail read "a little help on your first test." On Sunday, the course instructor, biology Prof.

DISHIN' IT UP AT RUNK

Honor debates referendum implications

At last night's meeting, the Honor Committee discussed the issue and implications of the consensus clause, a referendum on the spring ballot. The consensus clause is an amendment to the Honor constitution which specifies that any changes to the sanctioning power of the Committee be approved by a majority of the student body. The consensus clause was placed on the ballot through a student petition and consequently was not addressed by the Committee. "The Committee doesn't have a specific opinion either way," Honor Committee Chair Meghan Sullivan said. Most members of the Committee agreed that education about the consensus clause had been adequate. "We've tried our best to ensure that our educators know how to explain what it is and what it means to vote for or against it," Sullivan said. Sullivan opened the floor for representatives to discuss questions that have come up on this issue from their constituents. "The consensus is definitely that it's fairly transparent, that it's not about consensus -- it's about the single sanction," Committee Secretary Elisabeth Epps said.

Zelikow named State Department official

Miller Center of Public Affairs Director Philip D. Zelikow was appointed counselor of the U.S. Department of State in an announcement made by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Friday. "I think he was as surprised as anyone when Secretary Rice invited him to take this appointment," said George H.

Multicultural Greek Council alters bylaws

The Multicultural Greek Council currently is rewriting its bylaws to better cater to the needs of their member organizations, MGC members said. One important change already made is the MGC's election period, which was changed to a calendar year as opposed to a school year to allow for a better transition for executive board members.