I HAVE to admit, I was a complete skeptic regarding democracy's chances in Iraq. And to be frank, I still have my doubts about just how well the democratically elected government there will be able to handle the problems facing the country.
THE UNIVERSITY has the phrase "we envision a community of understanding, tolerance and respect" emblazoned across its Diversity Web site.
THIS PAST week, Connecticut became the second state, following Vermont, to officially sanction same-sex civil unions.
WITH PUBLIC education serving as the learning body of the state, lawmakers and school administrators have long disputed the secularization of education.
OVER THE weekend I had the misfortune to find myself watching CNN on a grainy public television in a crowded Midwestern airport terminal, waiting for a connecting flight back to Charlottesville.
IT'S SPRINGTIME -- the time of year when longer days and warmer temperatures seem to entice dormant high-schoolers out of hibernation.
AS YET another class registration period comes to a close, the University is abuzz with all the same old complaints that always come up around this time.
IT'S LATE on a Saturday night and you're at an off-Grounds party.You've had a couple beers but are getting ready to head home after a long night.
WHENEVER the subject of judicial reform is brought up, people start getting nervous. Some falsely believe that every procedural aspect of our nation's judiciary is spelled out in the Constitution, and that any interference is thus "unconstitutional." Others resist court reform on the strength of the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." However, there is one aspect of our court system that is fundamentally flawed: life tenure for Supreme Court justices.
EVERY student has at least a second-hand story of GPA-wrecking miscommunications. There are plenty of variations on the same tale: The teaching assistant who holds an advanced degree in political theory in his native tongue yet is incapable of explaining "separation of powers" in English, the students forced to create a Statistics-TA-to-English dictionary, or the entire Calc III class that doesn't realize until November that, "Aha!
ONE OF the major problems with writing for a student newspaper is that every once in a while, that little thing called "schoolwork" interferes.
ON THURSDAY, April 7, Jalal Talabani was sworn in as Iraq's interim president. This week, his government plans to fill the remaining Cabinet positions, most importantly the defense minister, who will help coordinate the transition of security responsibilities from U.S.
SCREW you, world. This is the message that President Bush has conveyed in his selection of nominees to fill high-level intelligence and security positions.
WHEN YOU think about it, the human capacity for inaction in the face of violations of the principles we say we cherish most is quite astounding.
WHEN it comes to guaranteeing equality for its citizens, the Virginia General Assembly fails dismally.
RECENT community discussions and several articles about racial incidents at the University have suggested that many students don't know how the University responds, where to report incidents or where to turn for support.
WHEN GOVERNMENT officials misbehave, the media should report on it. This is a no-brainer. However, when our beloved Fourth Estate decides to cover one side of the story, instead of seeking out all the facts, it moves from being a news dissemination business to a propaganda spin machine.
AS I WAS enjoying the beautiful weather last Sunday, it was the simple click of a link that brought down the proverbial rain on my day.
THE NATIONAL Cherry Blossom Festival came to a head in Washington, D.C. this weekend with the blooming of the trees surrounding the Tidal Basin.
LAST WEEK marked a week of awareness for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence with Take Back the Night programs at the University.
