News

Disgruntled hospital employees protest cuts

Members of the Staff Union at the University of Virginia and their supporters staged a rally in front of the University Hospital's Primary Care Center on Friday. The roughly 45 participants at the rally criticized the University administration, saying officials refused to meet with SUUVA, and claiming University health system employees have unfairly lost their jobs as a result of employee realignments. "One hundred seventy-nine jobs have been eliminated through the hospital's realignment program, and this is while the University brags of 'no layoffs,'" said Elizabeth Coles, a hospital employee and a recruiter for SUUVA. University Health System employees have been transferred to jobs they lack the skill to complete and then have been fired when they fail to perform well at the new jobs, Coles said. University spokeswoman Louise Dudley said without the realignment plan layoffs may have been necessary, and that the plan was specifically designed to prevent layoffs. The Health System was "understaffed in some areas and overstaffed in others," Dudley said.

Third-year dies in car accident off I-66

Third-year Engineering student Jack Chen died Saturday afternoon in a car accident on I-66 when the Honda Accord in which he was riding struck a tree on the side of the road. The car struck the tree shortly after merging onto I-66 from Rt.

Even Solitude Can Be Mesmerizing

Ask yourself sometime, what are the most intrinsic fears from which humanity suffers? Surely fears of rejection and solitude would have to be at the top of the list, and it is these feelings that Sam Shepard primarily explores in his new collection of stories, entitled "Great Dream of Heaven." The stories within the collection are generally brief, running no more than 10 pages in most instances, and most are a mere glimpse into the solitary lives of the characters.

Pat Conroy

Some readers would say that it's incredibly easy to label Pat Conroy as a Southern writer -- another Eudora Welty, William Faulkner or Margaret Mitchell.

Porno:

It takes him almost 250 pages to get to the actual porno, but Irvine Welsh knows how to keep people reading: sex, drugs, vengeance and scam after scam.

Twain lives again

I am from southwestern Virginia. And, in my opinion, anyone who isn't from this often-ignored portion of the United States cannot understand the essence of the place I call home.

Four women, seven voices

There have been profound changes in the world over the past 100 years --a time span that amounts to just four generations.

Wit Equals Sharp Bite

"Dogwalker," a debut novel by Arthur Bradford, is an abrasively honest and original book. The actions and stories are absurd, but Bradford forces his reader to reflect upon and empathize with his characters and their situations. The book is a series of short vignettes.

Perhaps

Since the King announced his impending retirement, "Everything's Eventual" has gained a newfound significance -- it's probably the last collection of his short stories that ever will be published. But this doesn't change the fact that the work isn't one of Stephen King's best collections.

Stephen King

Stephen King -- it's a household name. From "Carrie" in 1974 to "From a Buick 8" in 2002, King is heralded the world over as the "king," so to speak, of fictionalized horror.

Swish!

Frantically, the fans are riding the edges of their seats. Those who waited in line to be the very first inside, well, those fans are waving their arms frenetically behind the opponent's basket in a well known attempt to prevent scoring.

Irvine Welsh

Described as the "poet laureate of the chemical generation," Irvine Welsh is perhaps best known for "Trainspotting," published in 1994 and adapted for film in 1996.

University Library puts Washington texts online

An archive of letters written by George Washington now will be available through the University Library's Electronic Text site -- the result of a collaborative effort between the University's E-Text Center and the Papers of George Washington, a modern scholarly editing project. The Web site will make thousands of George Washington documents available for the general public to browse. "We provide the technological expertise and guidance," said Matt Gibson, associate director of the Electronic Text Center.

Fatalities prompt new traffic measures

Motorists can expect to see more traffic enforcement on the streets of Charlottesville in the coming months, Albemarle County spokeswoman Lee Catlin said. According to Catlin, the number of annual traffic fatalities in Albemarle County has reached an all-time high. "This year's number of traffic fatalities to date is 20, and the total fatalities last year were 10 -- this is very distressing," Catlin said.

News in Brief

Police investigate assault at Poolside Cafe University police currently are searching for a 5-foot-10 black male who allegedly attacked an employee outside of the Poolside Caf in the Aquatic & Fitness Center.

Admission changes show no impact on diversity

In a recent report, University of California faculty found that changes to their school's admissions policies had no significant impact on the racial makeup or academic quality of its incoming freshman class. The study, made public this week, examined the repercussions of a new policy in effect at the university's six most selective campuses: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego and Santa Barbara. Under new policies adopted in November of last year, the admissions criteria of these institutions have been expanded to include non-academic factors, such as special talents and encounters with adversity. Called "comprehensive review" by the university's admissions officials, the policy already has sparked controversy as a potential means of averting Proposition 209, which outlaws the use of race in University of California admissions.

Assault victim requests safety changes

A victim of an October assault is voicing her concern about safety in the University Health System through letters to University authorities. Heather, who requested that her last name be withheld, was the victim of an Oct.

Virginia Senator elected to serve NRSC

Virginia Sen. George Allen was elected Wednesday to serve as the new chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, placing him in a key Senate leadership position. "It's an important post," Allen spokeswoman Carrie Cantrell said.

Good Eats

Privatization of University finds sparse support

Despite Virginia's statewide budget crunch, almost no officials in state government or at the University say they want to end permanently the relationship between the state and higher education. Even in tough financial times, when relations between government and school officials often are strained, support for privatization of the state schools is nearly non-existent among both top elected and University officials. Privatization has "been mentioned, particularly over the last year," Board of Visitors Secretary Alexander "Sandy" Gilliam Jr.