The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

News


News

Youth political groups converge

Aiming to reach out to young students across the nation, three political and mentoring organizations, including Virginia's Youth Leadership Initiative, joined forces yesterday when leaders from the three groups met in Richmond. The Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI), a program sponsored by the University's Center for Governmental Studies, formed a partnership with Virginia's Future and the program America's Promise, of which Gen.


News

Robb, Allen clash over tax credit

RICHMOND -- U.S. Senatorial candidates Sen. Chuck Robb (D) and former Gov. George Allen (R) clashed over education and abortion issues Sunday night in the first televised debate of the campaign. "Both of them were very effective," said Robert Holsworth, debate panel member and chairman of international and public affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University, where the debate was held.


News

University refuses to ban Napster use

As the Napster war continues, University officials denied a request Friday from the lawyers of music artists Metallica and Dr. Dre to block on-Grounds access to the controversial Internet file-sharing service. Napster allows its users to share MP3 music files freely, often in violation of copyright laws.


News

Unexpected explosion strikes University building

A violent explosion rocked the University's Highway Research Council Building Sunday afternoon, causing a wall to crumble and possible structural damage. As of yesterday, the cause of the explosion remained unclear. The Edgemont Road building, although property of the University, is leased to the Virginia Department of Transportation and lies just off Alderman Road.


News

Use of DNA alters face of trials

(This is the first in a two-part daily series on the use of DNA evidence in criminal investigations.) The emergence of DNA evidence as an integral component in rape cases has revolutionized the justice system. DNA evidence has changed both the way police conduct investigations and how prosecutors and defense attorneys interpret and use evidence in a trial against an alleged offender, police say. University Police Detective Kim Pugh describes DNA technology as "the greatest advancement in law enforcement since fingerprinting." Detectives can use DNA to genetically match evidence collected at crime scenes with suspects, changing the face of law enforcement. &nbsp DNA Evidence Part One: Use of DNA alters face of trials Part Two: DNA evidence seals convictions in recent crimes The increased use of DNA profiling has changed the way regular street cops, who usually arrive first on the scene, handle evidence, because every item a suspect may have come in contact with has become even more important.


News

DAC draws attention to 'spotlighting'

Honor's Diversity Awareness Committee (DAC) is undergoing a restructuring process in an attempt to increase its visibility within the University community as a whole and within the honor system. The DAC, a sub-committee of the University's Honor Committee, used to be "too separate of a committee that didn't educate both faculty and students," said DAC Co-Chairwoman Lindy Blevins, a fourth-year student.


News

First year leaps from second-story window at Chi Phi

First-year Engineering student William Donovan jumped from a second-story window at Chi Phi fraternity during a party early Saturday morning, injuring his nose, cheek and a rib, police said. Witnesses told police that Donovan climbed onto a windowsill and leaped to the ground below.


News

U. Wisconsin admits to using doctored photo

Officials at the University of Wisconsin at Madison have come under fire for doctoring an admissions booklet photo in an attempt to portray a diverse student body. The photograph, which originally showed a group of white students cheering at a football game, was altered to include the face of student Diallo Shabazz, a prominent black student leader.


News

Darden achieves top-10 ranking

There are nearly 350 graduate business schools in the United States, and Friday, Business Week magazine ranked the University's own Darden School the ninth most prestigious of them all, moving up two places since the last survey in 1998. The University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School was ranked No.


News

Lawn residents robbed of three rocking chairs

On Thursday night, fourth-year College student Corrie Hall left her rocking chair and afghan outside 51 West Lawn, planning to retrieve them in the morning. But when she awoke, she found the abandoned afghan lying in a heap on the brick walkway and her rocking chair missing - making her one of three Lawn residents in the past two weeks to be victimized by a string of chair thefts. The students themselves are responsible for replacing the University-issued, handmade $280 wood-framed rocking chairs. "I am pretty disillusioned," Hall said, adding that if a student committed the theft, she feels it is a definite violation of the University's honor code, which prohibits stealing. Fourth-year College student Esther Bell, whose room lies directly opposite Hall's on the East Lawn, also found her chair mysteriously missing Friday morning.


News

Competition heats up on the Corner

Competition is brewing on the Corner. And the economics of it could affect the way many students eat. Tired of paying a cut of their profits to the Corner Meal Plan's service and dealing with fraudulent student accounts, a group of 12 restaurant owners formed the Core Account Meal Plan, an alternative for University students to the Corner Meal Plan that formerly had the monopoly on non-University meal plans. Not having a middleman "is the basic core of it all," College Inn Restaurant owner George Mastakos said.


News

Council to debate housing resolution

Student Council is scheduled to vote next week on a resolution protesting a plan to eliminate entering first-year students' ability to choose to reside in either old or new dorms. An enrollment committee of University officials proposed changing the first-year housing process to increase diversity in first-year dormitories. Council representatives Justin Pfeiffer, Adam Swann and Christina White drafted the resolution, which admonishes the lack of student involvement in drawing up the proposal and strongly opposes the proposal itself. Council will vote on the resolution after debate and the opportunity to make amendments Tuesday. Even if the measure passes, it may not change University policy.


News

Officials plan new dining facility

After nixing plans to revamp the first-year dining mecca on Observatory Hill, officials instead may tear it down and put up a brand new dining hall in its place. Originally, O-Hill was slated for a major renovation, but when construction bids came in at about $3 million over the budget, the Board of Visitors decided this summer to scrap the plan. At its October meeting, the Board will look at plans to level the facility, including the Tree House snack bar, to build a bigger, better dining hall on the same site.


News

Police apprehend suspect in Prospect Avenue shooting case

Following a 23-day search, Charlottesville police arrested Yuhanna Hafeez, 19, Wednesday afternoon for the shooting death of Charlottesville resident Benjamin Willis, 24. Police charge that Hafeez had been on the lam ever since he allegedly killed Willis outside a Prospect Avenue apartment complex Aug.


News

Research parks to expand in County

On its way toward becoming one of the nation's leading research universities, the University expanded the Fontaine Research Park Wednesday night, with the approval of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors. The office space contained within the park will increase from 389,000 square feet to 495,000 square feet with the addition of newly constructed buildings. Officials said they hope the expansion will cause the continued growth of the University's research programs. The University ranks as a Category One Research University, which signifies that the University is in the top tiers of research institutions, University President John T.


News

Senate committee votes to ban daytime TV violence

Gratuitous violence on television may never again see the light of day following a measure passed 16-2 Wednesday by the Senate Commerce Committee to ban the controversial material from daytime viewing. If the measure passes both the Senate and the House, the Children's Protection from Violent Programming Act could restrict the airing of violent programs during hours when children are likely to watch. "It would treat gratuitous violence the same way that we treat indecent programming," said Andy Davis, press secretary for Sen.


Puzzles
Hoos Spelling

Latest Podcast

All University students are required to live on Grounds in their first year, but they have many on and off-Grounds housing options going into their second year. Students face immense pressure to decide on housing as soon as possible, and this high demand has strained the capacities of both on and off-Grounds accommodations. Lauren Seeliger and Brandon Kile, two third-year Cavalier Daily News writers, discuss the impact of the student housing frenzy on both University students and the Charlottesville community.