Columbus Day Quiz: Process of Discovery

So you’ve all heard about Queen Isabella selling the crown jewels to finance Columbus’ valiant trek across the ocean blue, right? And how he discovered America, met the natives, yada yada yada. But how much do you really know about the guy?

Sex offending Spivey to serve 21 months

Jonathan Spivey, the 47-year old Charlottesville High chorus teacher who pleaded guilty in June to four charges of sexual misconduct with CHS students, will serve 21 months of a 20-year sentence, the rest of his time being suspended. Wait, you say—only 21 months for having sex with underage students in the chorus room closet during […]

Child porn can be tough to define

Many sex crimes involving children and the Internet can appear similar, at least in terms of sentences. Former Western Albemarle High School teacher Richard Neal Willetts has pleaded guilty to coercion of a minor and is potentially facing 10 years in prison. Stephen Michael Fortney, Bryan Petersen Malmstrom and Walter D. Gregory, all of Albemarle […]

Kings of Leon, with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Simple Kid

music Popularity is related to visibility, right? Example: A majority of high schoolers have seen the homecoming queen, even if they don’t know her personally. Using the same logic, “Law & Order” must be the most successful crime drama in history, because I am yet to find an hour during the day when I can’t […]

North Carolina Dance Theatre

dance There can be no arguing with the technical prowess of North Carolina Dance Theatre. They were in town, playing their “American Masters” program (to a very sparse audience), which meant a dose of jazz-heavy Alvin Ailey (“Night Creatures,” to music by Duke Ellington), neo-classical George Balanchine (“Who Cares?” to George Gershwin), and ballroom-witty Twyla […]

Staff concerned about trust, pay

“I like my job here at UVA,” Brad Sayler, an outspoken employee in the civil engineering department, told the large crowd assembled in Newcomb Hall. “I just don’t like the way employees get treated around here a lot of the time.” The crowd had gathered for a “town hall” that was both an overview of […]

The death of Arthur—and insomnia

At the risk of incurring yet more angry letters from Ph.D. recipients we’ve (gently) mocked in the past (see: Michael Hightower’s response), it is time again for our recognition of dissertations sedulous UVA students have written that we admire but that we happen to have absolutely no interest in reading. This time around, John Ivor […]

Is it hot in here?

With little fanfare and almost no attention paid, state climatologist Patrick Michaels quit his post at UVA this past June, Bob Gibson of The Daily Progress reported last week. Michaels is perhaps best known for his very vocal skepticism of global warming, arguing that humans had no effect on climate change. “We know how much […]