News

News

Legacy admissions ban sparks debate in Texas

By Natasha Altamirano | January 15, 2004

Although Texas A&M last week eliminated its policy of giving admissions preference to relatives of alumni, or so-called "legacies," the university's admissions policy remains a controversial topic among area politicians. The university's ban on legacy admissions preferences did not quell the concerns of local politicians who were angered with the university's favoring the predominantly white legacy applicants over minority applicants. Some local legislators are calling for the reinstatement of affirmative action in order to promote diversity. "The new policy takes away the advantage of some students, but it does not remedy the obstacles faced by students of color and women," said State Rep.

---

News

Freezing temperatures cause pipes to rupture

By Alexis Unkovic | January 14, 2004

Many Charlottesville residences and businesses, such as The Virginian restaurant on the Corner, were forced to cope with water line ruptures last weekend because of cold temperatures which caused pipes to freeze and subsequently burst, as reported in The Daily Progress. Jerry Stenger, research coordinator for the State Climatology Office at the University, told The Daily Progress that such freezing of pipes typically can occur when temperatures drop below 10 degrees or if three or four days of below-freezing weather occur in a row. Warm temperatures early this week allowed pipes to thaw, but if cold temperatures return this weekend as anticipated, more problems could occur.

---

News

U.Va. black graduation rate highest in peer group

By Katie Montgomery and Jason Amirhadji | January 14, 2004

Black students at the University had the top graduation rate among major public institutions for the 10th year in a row, according to a report in the Autumn 2003 Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. The graduation rate for black students at the University was 85 percent, according to NCAA statistics cited in the report.

---

News

ITC implements anti-spam e-mail service

By Whitney Garrison | January 14, 2004

In addition to the usual inundation of beginning-of-the-semester e-mails, many University students and faculty must deal with the increasing number of junk e-mails -- or spam -- which crowd their inboxes. To combat this growing problem of unwanted spam in University e-mail inboxes, University Information Technologies Communications now offers an anti-spam service.

---

News

Bowl proceeds to benefit music festival

By Corinne Shamy | January 14, 2004

Thanks to Virginia's appearance at the second annual Continental Tire Bowl Dec. 27, the entire University community will benefit from a gift given by the athletics department. University Athletic Director Craig K.

---

News

University seeks autonomy from state

By Anthony LaMesa | January 14, 2004

With private funds surpassing state funds in the University's operating budget and the prospects for a significant infusion of higher education dollars meek across Virginia, the University plans to ask for fewer state tax dollars in the future in exchange for more fiscal and procedural autonomy.

---

News

General Assembly to debate tax reform

By Kara Rowland | January 14, 2004

The debate over tax reform in Virginia will heat up today as the General Assembly convenes for the new legislative term, charging members with the task of agreeing to a state budget for 2004-2006.

---

News

Democrats look for votes in Dixie

By Josh Goodman | January 14, 2004

As the Democratic presidential campaigns kick into high gear in preparation for the first primaries and caucuses later this month, candidates must reach out to voters in all corners of the country, from the cornfields of Iowa to the snowfields of New Hampshire and eventually to the South. South Carolina holds its presidential primary Feb.

---

News

Warner to lead National Governors Association

By Alexis Unkovic | January 14, 2004

The National Governors Association announced yesterday that Virginia Gov. Mark R. Warner will serve as the next chair of the association, according to the Associated Press. Warner will serve as chair for a one-year term, replacing current chair Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho. Warner was elected to serve as vice chair in December and will assume his new position as chair at the association's annual meeting this summer.

---

News

Semester in review: Top headlines from the term

By Cavalier Daily Staff | December 4, 2003

With final exams lurking and winter break just around the corner, it is easy for students to forget the events of the past semester. Just as the Cavalier football team prepares for a return trip to the Continental Tire Bowl, some important headlines from last year have remained in the news while others have been replaced by a new crop of issues and concerns. The extreme droughts and water shortages of 2002 were overtaken this semester by record rainfall and a hurricane which caused the cancellation of classes and significant damage to Grounds. Diversity remained a hot topic on Grounds this semester, following several racially-charged incidents last year.

---

News

City Council settles Adelphia dispute

By Christopher Jones | December 4, 2003

During its meeting Monday, the Charlottesville City Council settled a dispute over fees with Adelphia Communications and is set to reach a new 10-year franchise agreement with the company. Under the terms of the settlement, Adelphia will pay the city $21,632 in unpaid franchise fees from 1999 to 2001, instead of the $41,037 the city asserted the company owed.

---

News

Online course evaluations to operate this week

By Matt Galati | December 4, 2003

Starting this week, students have a chance to turn the tables by grading their professors. Online course evaluations, available to students on the Toolkit Web site, were opened for operation Monday. Director of Advanced Technology Timothy Sigmon said the online evaluations carry a new innovation this fall. "For the first time, the faculty has the ability to add questions to the evaluations," Sigmon said. The evaluations will be opened for specific time intervals determined by each department, Sigmon said. "About a half or so will close at 9 a.m.

---

News

Committee seeks to reinvigorate arts

By Carling Boyles | December 4, 2003

A lack of interest for the University art department has sparked concern throughout the surrounding community.

---

News

Food demand surges at local pantries

By Anthony LaMesa | December 3, 2003

While those in charge of emergency food assistance for Charlottesville's neediest citizens are experiencing unparalleled demand for their services, officials at the city's food banks and soup kitchens say they are meeting the demand. The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network, which includes the Thomas Jefferson Area Food Bank serving Charlottesville and surrounding counties, has seen a 25 percent increase in food requests each of the last two years, and this year's numbers should prove similar, said Sarah Althoff, Charlottesville area supervisor for the Thomas Jefferson Area Food Bank. Althoff said the increase is due to a number of factors, including recent layoffs at local manufacturers and Hurricane Isabel, which caused needy citizens to lose much of their perishable food because of power outages. Last year, the food bank network distributed eight million pounds of food and it is expected nine million pounds of food will be distributed this year.

---

News

Everything pre-meds should know, part #1

By Patrick Jones | December 3, 2003

Today will be the first of a series of articles looking at the choice to go to medical school. What I hope to offer is a few simple observations as I look back on the process that I went through to become a doctor and maybe even offer a little advice.

---

News

An American in London

By Nick Caldwell | December 3, 2003

LONDON -- A recent rise in support here for the war against Iraq adds another facet to the complicated perception of the United States overseas. According to a Guardian Unlimited poll dated Nov.

---

News

Videogames: A different kind of addiction

By Andrew Lorenzo | December 3, 2003

Addiction is a major problem these days, and a rather new kind of addiction has emerged as of late.

---

News

Council official removes two representatives

By Whitney Garrison | December 3, 2003

As of last night's Student Council meeting, the Council is two College representatives short of a full, proportional representative body.Council Executive Vice President Rebeen Pasha announced his unilateral decision to end the terms of College representatives Ben Hicks and Curtis Ofori last night, citing the fact that both had transferred to the Commerce School and thus no longer represented their College constituents. "My initial reaction was that if you're full-timed enrolled in both [schools] than it would be fine," Pasha said.

---

News

The Human Chimera

By Omid Fatemi | December 3, 2003

For a mother, having a child seems to be a sort of genetic crap shoot. Sometimes, the mother hits the jackpot (i.e.

---

News

Study depicts 'dog-eat-galaxy' world

By Peter Cleary | December 3, 2003

It's a dog-eat-dog world in intergalactic space.University of Virginia astronomers recently discovered that the Milky Way galaxy is slowly consuming multiple neighboring galaxies in a cosmic battle where size matters most. In a paper to be published in the December 20 issue of the Astrophysical Journal, the astronomers show that, in what may be a common occurrence in the universe, the Milky Way galaxy is eating up the nearby Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. As Sagittarius orbits around the more massive Milky Way, the gravity of the larger galaxy pulls stars towards it."You get too close to the center of the galaxy and tidal forces tear you apart," said University Astronomy Prof.