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Discussion addresses minorities in education Collegiate activists from across the country joined together to prove their commitment to achieving their goals "by any means necessary" this past weekend at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Members of the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary held their second national conference on what they consider the new civil rights movement. The conference focused primarily on issues facing minorities in education, including affirmative action policies in college admissions and funding shortages for public school teachers' salaries. In a Michigan Daily article yesterday, conference participants said that they are not fanatics or revolutionaries, but working to modernize and expand the fight for civil rights for all people. Conference attendees claimed capitalist corruption serves as the root of many social problems plaguing American society. "If we have to destroy some things, we'll destroy some things," University of Tennessee student Dumaka Shabazz said in the Michigan Daily. Students from the University, University of Kentucky and the University of Cincinnati attended the event. Psychologists join law professors in conference The University's Center for Children, Families, and the Law will host a conference on resolving child custody disputes Feb.

Ayers redesigns structure of College administration

College Dean Edward L. Ayers announced his reorganization of the College administration at the Board of Visitors meeting in late January.

House of Delegates approves bond bill

The Virginia House of Delegates followed the Senate in passing a sizeable bond package Feb. 7 that could benefit state universities throughout the Commonwealth. "The purpose of the bonds is to provide funds for financing the costs of capital projects for the Commonwealth's institutions of higher education," states the Virginia Educational Facilities Bond Act of 2002. The majority of the bond's funds go toward capital construction projects at state universities.

Lawn notifications arrive

Third-year College student Joy Tongsri received a surprise in her mailbox last Friday: a letter congratulating her on being selected to live on the Lawn next year. Tongsri was given the honor together with 46 other students who will receive their notification letters by Feb.

Inflation of grades spurs questioning nationwide

Grade inflation is most frequent at the nation's most selective schools, according to a study released earlier this month.

Casteen reinstates fellowship funding

University President John T. Casteen III announced the restoration of funds for summer undergraduate research fellowships last week, spurring a positive reaction from students and faculty alike. The program's funding, which comes from both a private endowment and funding from the Provost's Office, was slashed earlier this year when the state portion was withdrawn due to budget cuts.

News in Brief

University scientists have identified a protein that may provide insight into the cause of hearing deficiencies.

Survey shows Americans value public higher education

While Gov. Mark R. Warner considers cuts to the state budget which may force a tuition increase at Virginia universities, an American Council on Education survey shows that the public is concerned about the effects of similar cuts on the quality of education at the national level. The study, which was released last week and only addressed public higher education, showed that 77 percent of Americans view higher education as more important than they thought it was 10 years ago.

Planning for the future: building a portfolio

Allocating enough money to support a Friday night bar bill at Coupe de Ville's may be easy enough.

Yoest makes appearances on talk shows

While perusing her research in Alderman Cafe on Wednesday, Charmaine Yoest is interrupted by her cell phone.

State considers adding faculty to BOV

The Education Committee of the Virginia House of Delegates approved a bill Wednesday that would add a non-voting faculty member to the University's Board of Visitors. With a vote of 13-9, the committee advanced the legislation, which was sponsored by Del.

Democratic candidates for City Council debate local issues

Six Democratic candidates for this year's Charlottesville City Council election squared off in a forum Wednesday night at the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library, focusing on the issues of transportation, regional planning and the environment in Charlottesville. The candidates present at the forum were former deputy city manager Bern Ewert, University nurse David Simmons, businesswoman Joan Fenton, photographer Alexandria Searls, Web site designer Waldo Jaquith and Mayor Blake Caravati. Two seats on the five-person council are up for election May 17, Caravati's and retiring Council member David Toscano's. "Given the record of Democratic nominees going on to win local elections, it's very likely that the two candidates that emerge from the Democratic convention will effectively be our future City Council members," said Maurice Cox, Council member and Architecture school professor. Currently, all five members of the City Council are Democrats. The forum was the second of three leading up to the Feb.

Next year's on-Grounds housing costs rise

While politicians in Richmond consider increasing tuition because of a budget crisis, for many students the costs of attending the University will rise next year for another reason. The Board of Visitors approved Jan.

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University professors are using the Internet to help Virginia high school students pass the 11th grade U.S.

IFC representatives elect PiKA member Trout president

Nine new leaders emerged from last night's Inter-Fraternity Council elections to take the helm of the 2002-2003 IFC executive board. Pi Kappa Alpha member Phil Trout, a third-year College student, was named president. Trout said he had many goals for the IFC, including a strong turnout for rush. "We had a good year, and I hope to continue with that success," he said.

Staff union to merge with CWA

The Staff Union at U.Va. signed an agreement yesterday to merge with the Communication Workers of America. The organization will be renamed the SUUVA-CWA. The SUUVA is a labor union representing the classified staff of the University, including hospital employees.

Two thumbs down on fingerprinting

In countless cop shows and detective movies, juries routinely convict suspects based on fingerprints left at the crime scene. The verdict always seems so simple - a doorframe, a window and the murder weapon all bear the invisible mark of the suspect's distinctive fingerprints. And just as in real life, these simple prints often are considered enough hard evidence to put someone behind bars. "Fingerprinting is a routine forensic tool," said Law Prof.

Vagabonds of the night sky

From the musings of the ancient Chinese to the construction of the modern Hubble Telescope, space always has fascinated the human mind. Through NASA's Comet Nuclear Tour mission, scientists now have an unparalleled opportunity to study what some consider the most striking objects in the sky. The mission's goal is to catch a glimpse of the inner workings and complex structure of comets, the flying balls of dust and ice that glimmer in the night, according to Laura Lautz, NASA's education and public outreach coordinator. "Comets are basically bodies in the solar system identified by their characteristic tails," said Ken Siedelmann, a University professor of astronomy who conducts research on the solar system and is considered an expert on comets.

Governor's budget cuts may up tuition

In his struggle to balance the state's deficit-stricken budget, Gov. Mark R. Warner has both students and faculty in public colleges across Virginia clamoring against his proposal to hike in-state tuition 5 percent while slashing funding by Virginia's public colleges. Warner's tuition proposal, designed to rectify a projected $5 billion shortfall in the state's budget over the next four-and-a-half-years, lifts a five-year-old cap on in-state tuition and allows for a 5 percent increase.

News in Brief