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Warner signs majority of bills into law, vetoes two

Gov. Mark R. Warner took action on bills passed by the General Assembly last Thursday and Friday, amending two controversial bills but otherwise signing a large majority of them into law. Of the 1,035 bills to pass both the House of Delegates and Senate, Warner signed 980, amended 53 and vetoed two bills, one at the request of its sponsor and one because Warner signed a similar but more comprehensive bill into law at the same time. Warner amended a bill establishing "feticide," the unlawful and premeditative killing of an unborn fetus, as a crime by adding a sentence explicitly stating that the bill would not infringe on the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v.


News

Foxfield officials present annual safety education program to student leaders

The Foxfield Racing Association will present its annual "Safety Education Program" to University student leaders tomorrow night at the Sigma Kappa sorority house. Representatives from the University's Emergency Medicine department, the Charlottesville/Albemarle rescue squad, the Albemarle County police department, and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team will join Foxfield officials. Foxfield officials are planning to address rules and regulations at Foxfield, acceptable and unacceptable behavior and how to "plan ahead for a wonderful Foxfield experience and return home safely," according to a press release. Part of the program will also consist of a video presentation to demonstrate examples of unacceptable behavior. "Foxfield recognizes and appreciates that 99 percent of the student population at the races behaves in a responsible manner," the press release said. While the safety program has already been presented at James Madison University, Hampden-Sydney, Sweet Briar and Washington & Lee, Foxfield officials said that Virginia Tech did not respond to repeated requests to give its safety program.


News

Rally calls for domestic partner benefits

Chanting "What do we want? Equality. When do we want it? Now," University employees, students and local politicians rallied Friday afternoon on the lawn of Brooks Hall to encourage the University to provide domestic partner benefits for its staff and faculty members. Lasting roughly one hour and 15 minutes, the rally, dubbed "Rally for Equality," included two prolonged periods when demonstrators chanted outside the Rotunda, the site of the University's Board of Visitors meeting Friday. Protestors criticized the Board and the University for failing to stand up for the rights of its homosexual employees. The Board "claims to fear the vindictiveness of its conservative alumni and conservative benefactors in Richmond," Queer Student Union Co-President Luke Ward said.


News

Rugby Rd. fights lead to arrests

City police arrested 10 individuals on charges of disorderly conduct early Sunday morning, according to a jail official, following reported incidents of fighting in the Rugby Road area. The charges reportedly stemmed from altercations which took place around Beta Bridge on Rugby Road, near the Delta Upsilon House. Around 10 p.m.


News

BOV merges graduate programs

The University's Board of Visitors' educational policy committee approved reforms Saturday that will merge two graduate programs and dissolve the Applied Mathematics program over the next several years.


News

Council presents 34 CIOs with annual awards

More than two dozen student organizations were honored last night at the second-annual CIO Awards Reception in the Newcomb Hall Ballroom. The half-hour event was attended by more than 50 students and faculty members and hosted by Eli DeJarnette, Student Council vice president for organizations.


News

Charlottesville police halt DNA tests

In response to community criticism about the Charlottesville Police Department's months-long procedure of asking certain black men to voluntarily provide DNA samples in their search for the serial rapist, Police Chief Timothy Longo has temporarily stopped the practice. Calling it a "common sense decision," Longo said that due to the level of concern raised in Monday's Clark Hall community meeting, the police department stepped back to "re-engineer the process." "We decided to step back to look at our process to consider issues raised by the community and reach a common ground that is respectful of community values, but at the same time, allows us to continue our investigation," he said. Although the department has had the ability to use the DNA sampling procedure -- called the "buccal swab" -- since April 2001, the serial rapist case was the first chosen to include it. According to Longo, police have not acquired a buccal swab since Monday night. In a private meeting tomorrow, Longo will present specific future plans and changes for investigation procedure to a handful of community representatives. African-American Affairs Dean M.


News

Planned parenthood offers 'Plan B' pills

The Planned Parenthood "EC van" made its first visit to the University yesterday, offering the Plan B emergency contraception pill for sale to University students, faculty and community members. Members of the student group Voices for Planned Parenthood, or VOX, invited Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Virginia to come to the University.


News

BOV passes in, out-of-state tuition increases

The University Board of Visitors' finance committee approved a proposal yesterday that will increase undergraduate tuition and fees by $636 for in-state students and $716 for out-of-state students next year. The Board also approved a 17.1 percent increase in tuition and fees for in-state graduate students to $9,200.


News

Council finishes funding appeals

The representative body of Student Council heard a second day of appeals from 11 Contracted Independent Organizations Tuesday night. Decisions on appeals from two groups, Agape Christian Fellowship and the Virginia Pep Band, were held over from the first day of appeals April 6. Agape's appeal sparked debate with its request for travel funds to Big Break, a national conference over Spring Break held in Panama City Beach, Fla.


News

HOLD ON TIGHT

College Student Cedric Odom joined other students, faculty and staff of the College of Arts and Sciences who were treated to a carnival in the amphitheater yesterday sponsored by the student-run Arts and Sciences Council.


News

U. Missouri sorority member issues unapproved blood drive demand

Christie Key, a sophomore at the University of Missouri and the blood drive coordinator of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority chapter there, sent an e-mail to the chapter's 170 members April 6 demanding that they participate in the University's Greek Week blood drive, according to an Associated Press report. Key's e-mail encouraged sorority members to lie about health and recent tattoos and piercings in order to meet donor requirements and in turn earn points for the chapter in the campus's Greek Week blood drive. "We're not messing around," Key's e-mail read.


News

Assault reported near Lambeth

A female University student allegedly was assaulted near the Lambeth Colonnades Tuesday night, according to University Police, in the second such incident reported by students near on-Grounds residence areas in less than a week. University Police Capt.


News

Gov. Warner details state fiscal concerns

Since the House of Delegates passed a compromise tax bill Tuesday, Virginia now has the opportunity to enact a two-year budget to ensure a fair tax system, fulfill existing state commitments and maintain Virginia's fiscal integrity, Gov.

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Since the Contemplative Commons opening April 4, the building has hosted events for the University community. Sam Cole, Commons’ Assistant Director of Student Engagement, discusses how the Contemplative Sciences Center is molding itself to meet students’ needs and provide a wide range of opportunities for students to discover contemplative practices that can help them thrive at the University.