The end of the semester is a time of reflection. You might be reflecting on nights of fun with friends, old flames or some of the information you will be tested on in a few days.
People say the best part of studying abroad is the amazing experiences you have or the great places you see.
For the past month, someone has been following me. I don't know who or where he or she is. All I know is that someone has been monitoring my every move since the day I arrived in London, and to tell you the truth, I'm a bit freaked out. London is known as the most "watched" city on the planet because of the high threat of terrorist activity.
A girl on my study abroad program has a long-term boyfriend -- I've been hearing about him since the first day I met her in London. He seems like a pretty good guy.
London is really cold. The weather in London is terrible. London is so expensive. You will get mad cow disease if you eat the meat. These are just a few of the frankly horrifying stereotypes of London I heard before leaving for my semester abroad. While my other friends were hearing, "You'll love Valencia," or "Sienna is the most amazing place on earth," I was bid farewell with completely mixed reviews about a city I had never visited. Through my column this semester, I hope to dispel or confirm these stereotypes by relaying some of my personal experiences to my faithful audience (cough, Mom and Dad, cough). This week's stereotype is a more positive one: "British people are so nice." Upon hearing this statement, I was a little more uplifted before my departure to the Motherland, but one of my first encounters with a Brit was not so pleasant. After queuing up (the British version of getting in line) at a local pub, I was waiting to place my order for a nice cold Guinness when two bartenders simultaneously became available.
After years of periodic security breaches and community concern, the University will replace Social Security numbers with randomly generated ID numbers for identifying students, faculty and staff. Beginning next month, members of the University community will be able to pick up their new ID cards and receivenew, randomized nine-digit ID numbers, which will be printed on the back of the card, according to Facilities and Systems Engineer Gary Conley. The implementation of these new ID numbers and cards is "really a first step in a University-wide [plan] to work on eliminating Social Security numbers from everyday use," he added. The new ID cards and numbers will be used for everything the old cards were used for, such as access to housing and recreational facilities, meal plans, Cavalier Advantage and University Bookstore charges, according to Valerie Larsen, program manager for the Social Security Number Initiative. In addition, the libraries will be affected by this change, according to Charlotte Morford, director of communication for University libraries.
At about 11:20 p.m. last night, the police dispatch received a call from a female student at Wilsdorf Hall reporting a sighting of a male with a gun. University and Charlottesville police dispatched approximately a dozen officers, who evacuated and searched the building.
The gunshots at Virginia Tech not only reached the ears of the immediate Blacksburg community yesterday, but also rang in the ears of politicians in the national and international arenas. President George W.
Last Friday more than 92 percent of the University's 18,068 applicants clicked a button online to see if they were offered a spot in the University's class of 2011 -- 5,095 were greeted by the coveted message of "Congratulations." With a 10.5 percent increase in applicants over last year, the University saw the largest applicant pool in its history this year, Dean of Admissions John Blackburn said. He said it is difficult to know the true reasons behind the increase, but it is possible that the press the University received in past months concerning the abolishment of its early decision policy could be a factor in the influx. "We were in a lot of newspapers about this [decision], which increased visibility," Blackburn said. He added that he saw interest in this decision from European and Asian newspapers, which could be a factor in the 23 percent increase of international applicants. Other notable trends were increases in the number of minority applicants.
A change to the Pavilion Assignment policy at last month's Board of Visitor's meeting would enable Bob Sweeney, senior vice president for development and public affairs, to reside in one of pavilions soon eligible for reassignment.
