News

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.

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.

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.

News in Brief

Cardinal makes historical visit

Cardinal Avery Dulles, the first American theologian to be named a cardinal, delivered an address in Minor Hall last night on the role of theological studies in public universities. Dulles, the highest-ranking Catholic cleric ever to speak at the University, argued that a department of theology would be inappropriate for a secular university, "especially one that seeks to stand in the tradition of Thomas Jefferson." However, Dulles urged that theology should be taught as one component of a religious studies course. "Professors should be permitted and encouraged to teach from a perspective of faith, while carefully avoiding proselytization," Dulles said. Dulles said that while the terms religious studies and theology often are used interchangeably, they actually have different meanings. "Religious studies do not require a personal commitment to the truth and value of the religion being studied," Dulles said. However, to study a faith theologically, "one would normally have to share in that faith," he added. Cardinal Dulles is the second cardinal to be invited to speak at the University, but the first actually to do so, said Father Gerald Fogarty S.J., a University religious studies professor.

University to use grant for nurses

In response to a nationwide scarcity of certified geriatric medical professionals, the University will use a $90,000 grant from the John A.

The Hook debuts as rival to C'Ville Weekly

Less than a month after former C'ville Weekly editor Hawes Spencer was fired by his two co-owners, Spencer's new weekly paper, The Hook, will publish its first issue today. Spencer lost his job at C'ville Weekly as the result of a dispute over profit handling.

Students petition for informed retraction

After the Honor Committee rejected a proposed constitutional amendment to add informed retraction as an alternative to expulsion, a Committee member is fighting to put the proposal before the student body. College representative Michelle Jones is circulating a petition that would add the informed retraction amendment to the ballot for the upcoming student elections, to be held Feb.

News in Brief

A Virginia House of Delegates committee modified and then approved a bill Monday, establishing guidelines for the posting of the Ten Commandments and other historical texts in schools. Facing strong objection, Del.

General Assembly considers two bills on abortion

Stricter polices soon may govern Virginia's young women seeking abortions, if the General Assembly approves two measures submitted Monday by the House Courts of Justice Committee. The committee voted 16-5 in favor of a parental consent bill, sponsored by Del.

California universities may replace SAT I test

Concerns about the accuracy of the SAT I in measuring students' preparation for college-level study have prompted the University of California system to look into the creation of a rival test. As a part of this ongoing process, the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools of the University of California's Academic Senate released a discussion paper Wednesday that outlines preliminary recommendations for a new standardized test to replace the SAT I. UC President Richard Atkinson first suggested the elimination of the SAT I from the admissions process in a speech delivered to the American Council on Higher Education last February. At that time, he said he favored the development of a new test that would focus more on high school course material than on the assessment of academic potential. The Web site of the UC's office of the president states that a new test would allow teachers to focus more on expanding the knowledge of their students rather than just improving test scores. BOARS's paper released Wednesday was the first faculty comment on the issue, said Hanan Eisenman, admissions media coordinator for the UC office of the president. Eisenman said the release of the paper is just one step in a long process to enact the proposal into policy.

Freedman speaks against bisexual discrimination

Singer/songwriter Skott Freedman knew there was something wrong with sexual labels when he found himself hiding his straight pornography from his college boyfriend.

Faculty offer service to community, country

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, various groups have come together to try to offer services in the wake of tragedy.

New Interdisciplinary Studies seminar class takes on issues of service in America

Immediately following Sept 11, an unprecedented number of Americans volunteered to aid communities in need.

University gives $50,000 to Spanish department to ease enrollment woes

In order to ease the enrollment crunch in Spanish classes, the Spanish department received a $50,000 grant from University President John T.

Sept. 11 gives a new focus to local volunteer efforts

In his State of the Union address last week, President Bush called on all Americans to commit two years, or 4,000 hours, over the rest of their lives to volunteerism and community service.

Professor publishes book on divorce

Professor Emeritus of Psychology E. Mavis Hetherington's new book is challenging recent research about the effects of divorce on individuals. "For Better or For Worse: Divorce Reconsidered," released Jan.

Rep. Goode plans to run as a Republican in 2002

From Democrat to Independent to Republican, Rep. Virgil Goode has been all over the political map.

Students anticipate elections

Flyers and neon chalkings soon will envelop Grounds - spring elections are approaching. Positions are up for grabs in school councils, class councils, the Honor Committee, the University Judiciary Committee and Student Council. Mandatory interest meetings will be held from Feb.

Activists address women's issues

Behjat Dehgan witnessed the execution of her two best friends before leaving her homeland of Iran in fear of her own life. Now, she and Homeira Hesami are part of the Association of Iranian Women, an organization dedicated to educating an international audience about the treatment of women in Iran. In conjunction with the Women's Center, Dehghan and Hesami delivered a presentation yesterday evening that outlined the history and specifics of the fight for Iranian women's rights. Both speakers were quick to point out that the fundamentalist regime controlling Iran is responsible for the lack of human rights, not the Islamic religion. "You can't find [such atrocities against women] in Islam or the Qur'an," Dehghan said.