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Council bill restructures committees

By Timothy Lee | March 25, 2004

Student Council passed a bill to streamline its current committee structure Tuesday night, reducing the 16 existing standing committees in the presidential cabinet to nine. According to the bill, the new structure will combine committees that have similar goals and handle related issues. "This legislation will allow committees to be more flexible and take up issues normally given to ad hoc committees and efficiently allocate limited Student Council funds," said Will Sowers, Council vice president for administration and a co-sponsor of the bill.

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Students arrive for scholarship finals

By Kathleen Meyers | March 25, 2004

Ninety-five high school seniors competing for the University's Jefferson Scholarship arrived in Charlottesville yesterday for the final round of this year's competition.

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Forum addresses budget

By Christopher Jones | March 25, 2004

Virginia state legislators held a forum on the 2004-2006 state budget last night at the Albemarle County Office Building, allowing citizens to speak their mind on the unprecedented impasse between the House of Delegates and Senate. Sen.

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SAB holds mock sexual assault hearing

By Matt Galati | March 25, 2004

The University Sexual Assault Board held a mock sexual assault hearing last night in Wilson Hall, depicting the schematics of a "he said/she said" assault case. The mock hearing, led by SAB Chair Shamim Sisson, pitted a date rape scenario complaint brought forth by first-year "Cindy Elliot," played by second-year College student Cecilia Perez, against second-year "Rob Hicks," played by second-year College student Will King. The scenario depicted the two at a party where both had been drinking.

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Minority Greek councils seek permanent housing

By AJ Frank | March 25, 2004

The Multicultural Greek Council and the Black Fraternal Council recently have begun making strides toward establishing permanent housing facilities.

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Group organizes conference to mobilize youth

By Cavalier Daily Staff | March 25, 2004

Over 100 college, university and high school students gathered at the U.S. Capitol yesterday to meet with congressional leaders about political issues pertaining to young people. The event was sponsored by Mobilizing America's Youth, a nonprofit organization aimed at promoting political participation among young people, according to Selena Shilad, the group's spokesperson. "Youth are often underestimated and discounted in politics," said David B.

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MGC votes to sponsor gay student fraternity

By Kathleen Meyers | March 25, 2004

The Multicultural Greek Council voted Tuesday to give the student interest group Out on Rugby permission to pursue the establishment of a chapter of Delta Lambda Phi fraternity at the University.

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Police ask residents for DNA samples to aid serial rapist hunt

By Corinne Shamy | March 24, 2004

In its continuing effort to catch the serial rapist, the Charlottesville Police Department is utilizing a database of contacts -- primarily black men -- to eliminate potential suspects. "The description given by the victims of the serial rapist is of an African-American male, so the database specific to this investigation is full of contacts that are African-American males," Police Chief Tim Longo said. The department has asked some of these contacts to voluntarily consent to a DNA test -- also called a buccal swab test -- in order to eliminate their names from the database. Graduate Education student Steven Turner recently criticized the investigation method as a violation of privacy in an article he submitted to "The Hook," a weekly Charlottesville newsmagazine. The Charlottesville police asked Steven Turner for a DNA sample in August and again March 18. "The Charlottesville police department has created a list of young black men who have not submitted to the DNA test and has instituted a disturbing tactic of home visits to those men with buccal kits in tow, as if they were selling benign door-to-door.

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Ever Expanding

By Shannon Sturcken | March 24, 2004

While some students voice concern over ever-present red barriers surrounding the University's seemingly endless construction projects, the University's enrollment continues to increase along with the need for expanded research facilities, affecting the landscape of both the University and its surrounding area. The University Architect, David Neuman, who was hired in February, said he plans to balance such varied expansion projects as housing and dining construction while maintaining the University's original landscape integrity. "One of the aspects of importance about the original Jeffersonian plan is how well it is connected," Neuman said.

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Festival of the Book returns to Charlottesville

By Cavalier Daily Staff | March 24, 2004

The 10th annual Virginia Festival of the Book, held each March in Charlottesville, begins today and will run through Sunday. Every year, the festival draws hundreds of authors and publishers to discussions, book signings and readings, Program Director Nancy Damon said.

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NAS seeks access to admissions policies

By Sarah R. Gatsos | March 24, 2004

In an effort to promote scrutiny of the use of race and ethnicity in higher education admissions policies, the National Association of Scholars sent letters to presidents at top public institutions in 20 states requesting information about admissions processes and data, NAS Executive Director Bradford Wilson said. "We asked for information about admissions policies with respect to how they group people when they are considering them for admissions," Wilson said.

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Council to advocate for greener Grounds

By Jayni Foley | March 24, 2004

As the University continues to expand, a group of concerned students are working to integrate some "green" into the new red brick buildings that are being built on Grounds. Last night, Student Council unanimously approved the creation of a Green Grounds Committee.

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Council EVP apologizes, retains role

By Timothy Lee | March 24, 2004

Student Council Executive Vice President Rebeen Pasha retained his position as EVP last night despite rumors of a possible motion to impeach him.

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NCAA panel recommends stricter academic standards for sports teams

By AJ Frank | March 24, 2004

The Board of Directors for the National Collegiate Athletic Association is considering a proposal to institute a more rigorous system of academic incentives and disincentives for Division I athletic programs at colleges and universities across the country. The new system will evaluate several aspects of student-athlete academic performance, including graduation rates, and will punish schools that fail to graduate at least 50 percent of its athletes, according to the Board's report. The University, however, does not expect to be impacted by a stricter system, said David Storm, Athletic Department director of compliance.

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International students fees fund tracking

By Kathleen Meyers | March 23, 2004

Since the Department of Homeland Security mandated the creation of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System after the Sept.

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University students break into Monticello

By Cavalier Daily Staff | March 23, 2004

Police charged two University students with felony breaking and entering after they were found walking away from Monticello early Sunday morning, according to Albemarle Police Lt.

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Industry panel debates file-sharing future

By Jason Amirhadji | March 23, 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Representatives from the file-sharing, film and recording industries are still at odds over the future of Internet downloading. A group of industry executives -- including leaders from the Recording Industry Association of America, the Motion Picture Association of America, Verizon Communications and major file-sharing software companies -- and consumer advocates held a panel discussion yesterday at the D.C.

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Parent creates Web site for rape victims

By Lauren Todd Pappa | March 23, 2004

The parent of a University student created a Web site Sunday titled uvavictimsofrape.com in response to what she said she considers an inadequate response from the University administration after her daughter was allegedly sexually assaulted. The 50-year-old mother, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said she created the Web site to address what she said was the University "turning a blind eye" to sexual assault. "My goal is for the students to finally raise the point to the administration that sexual assault should be an honor code violation and that the only acceptable sanction would be dismissal from the University," she said. The parent said her daughter contacted the appropriate authorities at the University through several phone calls and e-mails but received responses that questioned her desire to file charges. "She has verbally spoken with the correct office and has sent e-mails, yet they have continued to come back and ask her if she wants to do this," she said.

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Golf invitational, culinary weekend to be held in Williamsburg

By Cavalier Daily Staff | March 23, 2004

Colonial Williamsburg is scheduled to hold its first Celebrity Golf Invitational and Culinary Weekend April 1-4, reported The Richmond Times-Dispatch. The event is co-sponsored by Bon Appetit magazine and the James Beard Foundation.

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Transportation plans revised for graduation

By Shannon Sturcken | March 23, 2004

Transportation adjustments as a result of the construction of the Emmet/Ivy parking garage and the John Paul Jones Arena will likely affect the traffic flow at Final Exercises May 15-16.