Book ’em

A Time to Kill (1988)Grisham’s first—and perhaps most critically acclaimed—novel, A Time to Kill was inspired by a court case the then-lawyer observed in De Soto County, Mississippi, where he maintained a law practice and held a seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives. He wrote the novel in his spare time between 1984 and […]

Statutes and Liberty

Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit organization based out of Orlando, Florida, but with offices in Lynchburg, has been proclaiming itself the religious right’s answer to the ACLU since 1989. Their recent intervention in the Albemarle School Board’s policies went no further than a letter insisting that two Hollymead Elementary students could indeed distribute flyers for their […]

UVA follows Harvard and Princeton in canning early admissions

Never one to be late to the party when Harvard and Princeton are involved, on September 25, UVA became the third school in the country and the nation’s only public school so far to abolish its early decision admissions program. After studying its early admissions program, the University concluded that it’s unfair to minority students […]

University fears mumps outbreak

Dr. James C. Turner, executive Director of student health, and the rest of his staff have been working hard the past week because of a potential mumps outbreak- but many students have yet to heed the warnings. Two recent mumps cases have sounded the medical alarms at UVA, and an additional Charlottesville-area resident has been […]

Board Of Visitors officially kicks off capital campaign

UVA President John Casteen says the $3 billion raised will put UVA permanently among the top universities in the world. The Board of Visitors held an unusually well-attended meeting September 29 as they voted to launch one of the most ambitious private fundraising campaigns in American higher education. Some of UVA’s wealthiest alumni and their […]

Robert Duvall headlines Virginia Film Festival

After tackling everything from “Speed” to “$$$” to “Cool” and “Caged,” it seems inevitable that the Virginia Film Festival would eventually find God. Indeed, festival organizers announced the theme for the 19th annual festival in early September: “Revelations: Finding God at the Movies.”

Film casting as art

Do you get a little excited every time Hollywood comes to Charlottesville? Did you drive out to Crozet this summer in hopes of catching a glimpse of Steve Carell as Noah in Evan Almighty? Camp outside John Cusack’s trailer while he shot True Colors at UVA? Does Damon Wayans still have that restraining order against […]

Marriage amendment: What’s the point?

Virginians across the state are talking about whether to vote “yes” or “no” on November 7 concerning the proposed amendment to the State constitution that would ban gay marriage and civil unions. But a fact often glossed over in such discussions: The amendment provisions are already explicitly written into State law.

Citizen lawmaker gets THREE bills passed

Greene County Investigator Les Cash has conceived five ideas now put into law by State Delegate Rob Bell. “It’s fair to say there are delegates who don’t have as many laws as Les Cash has,” said State Delegate Rob Bell at a low-key ceremony outside the County Courthouse September 25. Bell honored Cash, a Green […]

Post-“N-word,” Allen is on the attack

Those tired of "macaca"-gate can now move on to, um, "racier" ethnic slurs: Last week saw allegation after allegation published about racist comments and actions in George Allen’s past. Oh, to be a fly on the wall at the Allen-for-senate headquarters. What can notoriously volatile Campaign Manager Dick Wadhams possibly be thinking as Allen’s reputation […]