Life

Boutique Bonanza

It is a near-perfect day in downtown Charlottesville, and Chrissy Miller is spending it indoors. After all, she argues, she still can feel the warmth of the sun's rays through the windows of Eloise, where she is delicately tracing the pastel stripes of a CK Bradley belt between her thumb and forefinger. After deciding to add it to her collection, the fashion-conscious third-year College student grins when she notices Eloise's powder-blue guest book, inscribed with the words, "Play Dress Up." Miller isn't the only one who has fallen head-over-her-kitten-heels for chic boutiques like Eloise, Scarpa, O'Suzannah and Dixie Divas.

Open market

"Like a taste, sir?" If you hear this call from under the Big White Tent in Newcomb Plaza, it might be your chance to cure the middle-of-the-week blues with a dollop of balsamic strawberry pepper sorbet. At the Wednesday farmer's market outside Newcomb Hall, the wares range from handmade jewelry to orchids to fresh produce to goat cheese. "It's something to look forward to in the middle of the week," fourth-year College student Shelia Laderberg said. Laderberg is chair of the community affairs committee of Student Council, and also is in charge of planning the farmer's market. "It's working out well," Laderberg said.

Thong thing

You've heard of Days on the Lawn. Now get ready for Thongs on the Lawn, brought to you by the Baptist Student Union? That's right -- the BSU is running an "underwear drop" to benefit homeless shelters and the women's prison in Fluvana County.

Rotunda Stop...

Q: What makes you a regular at Clark? A: I usually get my work done here a lot better than I do at Clemons, but not now because it's so noisy with the construction.

Amnesty Abroad

Starbucks turned me down, thereby dissolving my grandiose plan of spending my weekday 9-5 slots doling out frappuccinos and iced lattes to the Northern Virginia elite. Unable to fulfill my retail aspirations, I struggled to find a job in the right field with adequate pay and relatively interesting work.

After the events of Sept. 11 last year, lines to donate blood stretched out the doors of University Hall and area clinics.

Serving Time

The week before making his U.S. Open debut, Brian Vahaly's workday began at 8 a.m. in Boca Raton, Fla. Vahaly was on Andy Roddick's turf -- his backyard tennis court.

Out of Bounds

Before arriving in Lyon, France, I thought I was good at French. I could write better than I spoke, but I could definitely get by.

Professor Profile

School Of Engineering ENGR 162: Introduction to Engineering Workshop SYS 453: Systems Design I SYS 730: Time Series Analysis and Forecasting Q: Where did you attend college? A: I was an oddball -- I finished college a little early.

Encroachment

Egads! Look out for roaches! The diminutive creatures seemed to swarm first-year dormitories this year as students moved in for fall semester at the University. While smiling RAs attempted to interest the first years in ice-breakers for their first night on Grounds, 3-inch cockroach beasts stared up at the fresh faces with their curious looking eyes, and then quickly scurried away.

Easy access

It took some whining and negotiating to make it happen, and it might not remain after all is said and done.

Enrique wears a yarmulke, so I want to too

After hefty deliberation and five bowls of granola, I decided that I was heading toward a metaphoric abyss -- and that I needed a haircut.

ON FIRE

Ears perk up, eyes widen and conversation halts as the latest 911 call is dispatched through the radio system at the Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department.

Shabbat Shalom

The Chabad Jewish Heritage Students Association tonight is hosting a "Shabbat Dinner Like Your Bubbe Used to Make" at 8:30 p.m.

Charlottesville's own Little Italy on Ivy -- Vivace

Whether looking for a place to impress a date or entertain your parents, look no further than Vivace. This elegant Italian restaurant has a heartwarming ambiance and serves a delicious, traditional cuisine.

Sound Bytes

"So I'm sitting next to this like blatantly 15-year old kid at the South Carolina game trying to pass himself off as a first year and he insists on coming on to these first years in front of me and yelling the 'Not gay' chant which, you know, is stupid enough, but at least if you go to U.

Style File

When I was in eighth grade, I woke up one morning and made a rather startling realization: I had a pink room!

Singing Their Hearts Out

Congregated at the base of the Rotunda steps beneath a stormy sky last week, hundreds of onlookers gathered to watch theUniversity's many a cappella groups perform in the annual Rotunda Sing. Every year, a cappella groups use the event to showcase their ability and to attract talented newcomers into their musical families. Unfailingly impressed by the talent they see at the Rotunda Sing and at other performances around Grounds during the first few days, first-year students always are eager to audition and quickly throw themselves into competition. Vying for a coveted spot in one of the groups, students begin the trial process by signing up for an audition time and preparing a verse and chorus to a song of their choosing. For first-year Engineering student Sol Eskinazi, that song was "Breakfast at Tiffany's." "I just kind of chose it out of the blue," Eskinazi said.

Odds and Ends

For every bare space on a wall, there is a poster. In fact, the University Bookstore's poster sale has a selection of over 1,000. Under the little white tent in Newcomb Plaza, encased in those heavy black plastic sleeves, are posters whose topics range from art to movies, from music to scenery. First-year College student Daphne Allen already had two posters picked out well before she was ready to go to the cash register.

Rotunda Stop...

First-year College Student What is the best trip you've ever taken by bus? The best trip by bus would have to be when I went to Washington, D.C., last year.