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Reno backs ruling

U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno defended the United States' decision to return Elian Gonzales to his native Cuba during her keynote address Saturday at a Law School conference celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Virginia Journal of International Law. "We are committed to doing what we believe to be the law," Reno said in regards to the Gonzales case. For several months, U.S.


News

Hutter receives 'good guy' room

So much for nice guys finishing last. A committee of students and administrators announced Friday that it has named third-year College student Eric Dean Hutter as the next resident of the Lawn's Gus Blagden Room. Often referred to as the "good guy" room, 15 West Lawn is privately endowed in memory of Augustus Silliman "Gus" Blagden III, a 1963 College graduate recognized by his peers as an exceptionally warm and caring person.


News

Group faces business challenges

There's more to forming an a capella group than blending voices and musical arrangements. As the University's newest team of singers is discovering, a capella groups trying to get off their feet also must worry a lot about finances. Hoo's in Treble, an all female group, started at the beginning of this year.


News

Judge signs custody agreement

Stafford County Circuit Court Judge James W. Haley Jr. approved an agreement Friday made between the families of two girls switched at birth in 1995 at the University Medical Center. The agreement determines the custody status of Callie Conley, the child residing in Stafford County.


News

District Court upholds student privacy

A recent U.S. District Court ruling stating that colleges cannot release files from student judicial proceedings endorses the University's conviction that student records from disciplinary proceedings should remain confidential. The Court ruled that student disciplinary files qualify as "educational records" under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which prohibits disclosure of student records that include personally identifiable information or that the students or parents have not authorized for release by the college. The decision emphasized that colleges will be expected to publish annual statistics on the number of crimes on campus, including data on murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault and hate crimes.


News

University graduate schools ranked with best in nation

U.S. News & World Report released its annual rankings of graduate schools yesterday, naming the Law School number eight in the nation. All the University's graduate schools were ranked in the top tier. The Nursing School was the only school whose rankings improved, moving from 24 in 1998 to 21 this year. The Darden School's number 11 rank was the same last year. The Law and graduate Engineering Schools each dropped one slot, from seven to eight, and from 35 to 36, respectively.


News

Symposium focuses on character

The two-day National Symposium on Character in Politics kicks off in the Rotunda Monday morning and will feature speeches and panel discussions with notable figures including former Independent Counsel Kenneth Star and Co-Director of Empower America William Bennett. The conference, sponsored by the University's Center for Governmental Studies, is designed to bring together a variety of politicians, journalists and authorities on the issue of personal character in politics. It will be "full of controversial speakers from both major political parties," said Larry J.


News

Oldham earns second

The University now can boast that it has not one but two Truman scholars in its midst. Third-year College student Andy Oldham, a Jefferson and Echols Scholar from Lynchburg, is the second University student this year to receive the $30,000 scholarship for students planning careers in government and public service. Oldham was told he received the scholarship after an interview in Washington, D.C., Monday where he said he met remarkable students from across the country, including two from the territory of Guam. As he walked into his room with his bag still on his back, he heard the phone ring.


News

VICS clash leads to second arrest

University Police arrested third-year College student Arun Jesudian last night on charges of assault and battery following an incident that occurred Saturday between him and third-year College student Richard Kim. "It was alleged that he [Jesudian] had assaulted Mr. Kim," University Police Sgt.


News

Democratic hopefuls share Council ideas

Three Democratic Charlottesville City Council candidates encouraged student activism in local politics and addressed city-University issues before the University Democrats last night. "I'm suspicious of those who say students are temporary citizens who have no role," incumbent Council member Maurice Cox said. Cox, fellow incumbent Meredith Richards and challenging candidate Kevin Lynch face election May 2 against three Republican candidates and two independents.


News

Study examines near-death episodes

"I relinquished my will and identification with personality and individuality, setting aside my sense of self," said Linda Stewart of Hamden, Connecticut, in an e-mail interview with The Cavalier Daily. Describing her near-death experience, Stewart said, "I felt a strange detachment from my physical body and the life I had created." Blurring the boundaries between science and religion, reality and dreams, the existence of near-death experiences is controversial.


News

Beta Bridge painting causes concern for University's Latino community

Members of the University's Latino community have reacted with anger to an early Monday morning incident in which a Hispanic Heritage Week message on Beta Bridge was painted over with an offensive message. The remarks included "Durty Sanchez, donde está?" and were accompanied by a painting of a Mexican sombrero. "As college students, we know better than to use racially-offensive language in a public venue," said La Sociedad Latina President Catalina Ocampo. Ocampo said a group of LSL students painted the bridge with the Hispanic Heritage Week message around 1 a.m.


News

Talks to include health, genetics

From cloning to euthanasia to managed health care, numerous important and complicated issues have surfaced recently in the field of bioethics. This Friday and Saturday the University will be hosting the second National Undergraduate Bioethics Conference, which brings together students and researchers from throughout the country to discuss these and other bioethics-related topics. "The point of the conference is to put undergraduates from around the country in touch with each other and encourage them to stay active in the field" of bioethics, said Jonathan Moreno, Professor of Biomedical Ethics and Director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics. In addition, the conference provides an opportunity "to bring attention to the fact that the University of Virginia has an excellent bioethics program," fourth-year College student Planning Committee member Shelley Cavalieri said.


News

Council approves new committee on housing

With the creation of a new ad hoc committee, Student Council will investigate safety in off-Grounds housing and provide prospective student tenants with pertinent information before they make their housing decisions. Council unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday night to create an ad hoc committee to research conditions in off-Grounds housing. College Rep.


News

Possible policy changes provoke faculty concern

General Faculty Council members yesterday expressed their displeasure over possible revisions to policies of retention requirements and notification of termination. Joyce Green Pastors, chairwoman of the Council's General Faculty Policy Committee, said a committee comprised of Provost's Office officials and the Council - a 16-member organization representing all non-tenure track faculty members - submitted the most recent draft of proposed changes to the Provost's Policy on General Faculty in December. But Pastors said certain problems within the revision look like they will prevent the draft from getting approval. Specifically, she said the Council finds problems with the clauses discussing standards of notice for releasing employees and expectations of continued employment. As the draft is written now, there is no expectation for continued employment, she said. The Provost's Office seems more interested in the best interests of the administration than that of individual faculty members, Pastors said. Questions were raised over whether the alleged lack of expectation for continued employment would deter people from accepting positions within the University and cause them to choose to accept positions at other colleges and universities. Assoc.


News

University to give USEM professors grants for research

The Office of the President will award new fellowships this fall, granting a semester's sabbatical research leave at full pay to two University Seminar professors. Vice Provost Barbara Nolan said fellowship recipients will spend the fall semester pursuing active research, which presumably will lead to scholarly publication.


News

Couric prepares for 2001 lieutenant governor race

State Sen. Emily Couric (D-25th) said she might run for lieutenant governor in Virginia's 2001 elections in order to have a chance to make a stronger impact on the government at the state level. "It's an exploratory effort right now," Couric said.

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The University’s Orientation and Transition programs are vital to supporting first year and transfer students throughout their entire transition to college. But much of their work goes into planning summer orientation sessions. Funlola Fagbohun, associate director of the first year experience, describes her experience working with OTP and how she strives to create a welcoming environment for first-years during orientation and beyond. Along with her role as associate director, summer Orientation leaders and OTP staff work continually to provide a safe and memorable experience for incoming students.