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University alumni start online company

When planning a party, the list of things to do is always overwhelming. Sharad Daswani, a 1995 Commerce School graduate, said he knows how difficult it can be to mail out invitations and keep track of who has returned an RSVP.


News

Parents work to fix off-Grounds safety

The University Parents Program may collaborate with University police and the Office of the Dean of Students in jump starting an off-Grounds housing safety evaluation program. Parents Program Director Molly Bass said planning still is in preliminary stages, but that the three parties probably will meet before the end of the semester. One potential approach to the project would involve compiling a comprehensive list of off-Grounds housing options and their safety features, Bass said. The listing would not label housing "good vs.


News

Spring rush effects vary by fraternity

Although Dean of Students Penny Rue's unwillingness to negotiate rush dates still is upsetting, not all fraternity houses are suffering financial losses from the move of Inter-Fraternity Council rush from the fall to the spring, several house presidents said yesterday. Rue gave a letter to IFC President Wes Kaupinen Tuesday stating that formal rush dates will remain in the spring semester, after Kaupinen sent Rue a written request to open rush date negotiations for the 2000-2001 academic year. Many fraternity presidents and IFC executives have said houses incur significant financial losses because of deferred rush, as each brother pays a semester less in dues. But Pi Lambda Phi President Jack Warburton said the financial effects of deferred rush on his house have been negligent. "Our house doesn't have a financial problem," Warburton said. Delta Sigma Phi President Derek Burgess said the financial hit has not been hard on his house either. Delta Sig has had "no major problems, but [every house] is being hurt somewhat financially because of the semester loss," Burgess said. But for other houses, the financial blow may be devastating, so the IFC should continue its efforts to return rush to the fall, Delta Tau Delta President Brian Bernier said. "We're definitely not just going to leave the issue alone," Bernier said.


News

Seven students nominated for Rhodes program

"Truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship." This year, the University's selection committee decided that seven former and current University students possess these traits - traits that Cecil Rhodes chose as requirements in 1902 for all Rhodes Scholarship students. The seven University students were nominated to send in their applications to their state's Rhodes Scholarship selection committee.


News

Officials debate uses for tobacco money

Following a $206 billion settlement with the tobacco industry, officials in Virginia are figuring out how much of the Commonwealth's four billion dollar share to spend on cancer research, youth prevention programs and economic aid. Virginia's share of the settlement will be distributed over the next 25 years.


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Full FAFSA becomes available on Internet

A Department of Education plan is encouraging more college students to apply for financial aid online by enabling students to send in their entire Free Application for Federal Student Aid form electronically. Tony Starks, Federal Student Aid representative from the Department of Education, said that although the online FAFSA form has been available for four years, this is the first year electronic signatures could be used to fill out the application completely online. The new Electronic Access Code can be used by applicants as a personal identification number and will work as "a signature, an authorization," Starks said. University Financial Aid Director Yvonne Hubbard said that previously even online applicants "still had to print out a signature page, sign it and send it out." Hubbard said the University's Office of Financial Aid advocates online financial applications for a variety of reasons. "The key here is that [the online financial aid applications] make it very fast," she said.


News

Council denies runoff request

The Student Council Elections Committee voted last night 8-1 with one abstention not to hold runoff elections after a "discrepancy" was filed by candidate Prince Agarwal, who finished seventh in last week's College Representative election. The runoff election would have been held between sixth place finisher Kelly Harris and Agarwal, said Brock Jolly, vice president for administration and head of College elections.


News

CardioVillage offers new medical resources

The University Health System launched a new educational Web site designed to provide up-to-date information about all aspects of cardiovascular medicine to physicians, medical students and the general public last Saturday. The project, called www.


News

Music festival showcases technology

Hoping to bridge the divide between technology and the arts, the University is hosting Technosonics, a computer music festival featuring many leading performers and composers of digital music. Technosonics is a three-part series featuring concerts tonight and Saturday night, both in the Old Cabell Hall Auditorium.


News

Council adopts safety improvement proposals

Student Council put the finishing touches on a safety report last night, outlining both long- and short-term priorities and steps that the University should take to improve safety. The report, entitled "Assessing the Status of Safety at the University of Virginia," attempts to pinpoint specific areas on and off Grounds that could use safety improvements. The improvements being suggested "are not just to keep [students] safe from attacks but also safety [in] general," said Christie Amberman, Student Council chief of staff. Many of the suggestions in the report arose out of a "Safety Walk" project in September that involved Student Council members, other students, University officials, Charlottesville and University police and Housing officials. Student Council, which adopted the report late Tuesday night, is planning to present its findings to University officials and the Charlottesville community to address the safety concerns. The short-term goals put forth in the report include contacting neighborhood associations, property owners, fraternity and sorority houses and the City of Charlottesville to address the poor lighting problems that arise from improperly maintained shrubbery. They also plan to repair railings in the JPA parking lot and make "blue phones" more visible to students. Long-term goals include improving the emergency telephone system by adding phones to areas that now do not have them, such as the University Hall parking lot and the International Center.


News

Woodward takes on politics

Several hundred people flocked to the University's Miller Center yesterday morning to hear Bob Woodward, assistant managing editor for The Washington Post and author of eight national bestsellers, speak about issues ranging from the Watergate scandal and President Clinton's impeachment to the changing role of the media in today's society. But when one audience member asked Woodward if he would reveal the identity of Deep Throat -- the anonymous source who leaked the Watergate scandal to Woodward and his Post colleague Carl Bernstein in 1972 -- Woodward smiled and said, "Not this afternoon." Instead, Woodward focused on four key questions: "Why has Clinton been a successful politician," "Why was Clinton not removed from office," "Why do we have an economic boom" and "Why do people not like the news media?" Woodward, who wrote "The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House" in 1995, said interviewing the president has given him insight into Clinton's character. "I think the success of Clinton [is due to the] stark power of his personality," he said. Clinton made "eye contact that almost created its own gravitational force," he added, saying that such an ability to hold an audience is unusual for most people, including politicians. Even while drinking a glass of soda, Clinton was looking through the bottom of the glass at Woodward. "There were the two little beadies" staring through the soda and ice, Woodward said. Woodward's new book, "Shadow," deals with the legacies of the last five presidents. Although Clinton "does not tell the truth ... he has the intelligence capacity to be a really great president," he said. But the impeachment scandal has marred Clinton's place in history. It is "easier to describe the creation of the universe" than to describe Clinton's current political situation, he added.


News

It's a smaller world after all

Several leaders in the Internet world, such as Yahoo! CEO Timothy Koogle, will be at the University for the e-summit@virginia conference tomorrow and Saturday to discuss possibilities for and concerns about this growing communication medium. Many advantages of the Internet are obvious.


News

Florida governor plans admissions changes

Adding another chapter to the nationwide affirmative action debate, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) announced Tuesday that the state's higher education system must eliminate race as a factor in admissions -- a move that some say could be politically motivated. Although the State University System of Florida's Board of Regents still needs to vote on the proposal, Florida Chancellor Adam W.


Latest Podcast

From her love of Taylor Swift to a late-night Yik Yak post, Olivia Beam describes how Swifties at U.Va. was born. In this week's episode, Olivia details the thin line Swifties at U.Va. successfully walk to share their love of Taylor Swift while also fostering an inclusive and welcoming community.