UVA Today News Blog

This could well be the coolest thing that has happened at U.Va. since — well, I’m not sure.

A group of students and faculty from across the University have gotten together and are producing what they are calling “the first fully interactive online musical theater production.”

We’ll be writing more about this next week on UVA Today, but here’s the basic idea: They have written about 10 minutes of a musical theater production, called “Musical: The Online Musical,” which they plan to videotape and post on the Web Monday night at 8.

They then plan to take viewer suggestions for what should happen next. The following Monday, they will post another 10 minutes, and so on.

They’ve got their own YouTube channel here. Below, I’ve embedded their 69-second promo spot (and there are some outstanding voices).

Arts, Student Life | Thursday, September 9th | By: Dan @2:47 pm | 0 Comments     

The Dave Matthews Band is returning to U.Va.’s John Paul Jones Arena on Nov. 19 and 20. An “online ticket request period” for members of Warehouse: The Official Dave Matthews Band Fan Association begins Thursday at 6 p.m. EDT; ticket sales to the general public begin Sept. 24.

For newcomers to Charlottesville and the University, DMB formed in Charlottesville way back in 1991 (before most of this year’s first-year students were born - gulp!) and played regular gigs around town before hitting it big. Charlottesville is still their home base, and they have played several sold-out shows here in recent years, in both the JPJ (which they opened with a concert in 2006) and Scott Stadium. They are also known for their generous philanthropic support of many local and national causes.

DMB violinist Boyd Tinsley even spoke at the 2007 Valedictory Exercises.

The November shows will benefit the Local Food Hub and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Central Blue Ridge.

News, On Grounds, Student Life | Wednesday, September 8th | By: Dan @3:55 pm | 0 Comments     

We get a lot of e-mail here at UVA Today headquarters seeking publicity for this or that — well, maybe not a lot, but some — and it rarely makes it verbatim into the News Blog. But today, we make an exception.

This from the very enthusiastic Nick Rubin, over at WTJU (with a couple of minor edits):

U.Va.’s eclectic community radio station WTJU — on the radio at 91.1 FM and streaming live on the Internet at wtju.net — welcomes students back with a free concert in the U.Va. amphitheater, featuring three bands from Charlottesville whose reputations far exceed the boundaries of the World-Class City.

Andrew Cedermark , U.Va. class of 2008, made his name with indie rock heroes Titus Andronicus, and is currently getting slobbered on by the likes of Pitchfork.com. Catch his perfect slacker shoegazer anthems locally while you still can!

Invisible Hand, led by C’ville native Adam Smith, have been called the best, best-looking and hardest-working band in town, infusing tight, catchy, art-rock hooks with furious energy. They will rock your face off, grow you a new face, and rock off your new face.

Caninos are a bona-fide U.Va. band! Fresh-faced gentlemen who seem like your unassuming classmates until they transform into irresistible pop-country-rock charmers. Show up to wish them well before their NYC gig opening for Pavement! No lie!!

Kick off your Labor Day weekend with free rock in the amphitheater, this Friday, Sept. 3, from 5-7:30 p.m.!!

No word yet whether Student Health will offer face transplants afterward.

On Grounds, Radio, Student Life | Wednesday, September 1st | By: Dan @9:33 am | 2 Comments     

Meredith Woo, dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, made some interesting remarks to  incoming students and their families on Saturday, which she has posted on her blog.

She recalled the experiences of noted American historian Henry Adams, and his observations about the quickening pace of American life at the turn of the 20th century. Adams fancied himself as being more of a creature of the 18th century than the 20th, and wondered about his place in the world — much as the students’ parents may be marveling at the pace of change in the 21st century and wondering if they will be able to keep up with their children and their children’s children.

“Adams heard the roar of the rushing waterfall at the turn of the last century. I hear it today, coming even faster, bringing with it a similar fear, terror, and exhilaration at the speed of new knowledge,” Woo said. “In what complexities will the Class of 2014 think? We don’t know, but we do know they will be twenty-first century men and women, people for whom (quite unlike us) the twentieth century is of the past.”

There’s much to ponder there.

Arts & Sciences, On Grounds, Student Life | Wednesday, August 25th | By: Dan @10:47 am | 0 Comments     

A couple of interesting stories in the education media today that did not make it into Headlines@U.Va., but are still worth a read.

From the New York Times: Parents sometimes find it tough to say goodbye after moving their first-years into their dorms, and some schools are being much more intentional about sending them home.

Here’s something that should reassure those “Velcro parents” a little bit, from the Washington Post’s “Campus Overload” blog: A new study from the National Communication Association finds that more than three-quarters of peers would at least try to prevent a female friend from embarking on a drunken sexual encounter with a stranger, and in some cases would directly try to prevent it.

Health and Safety, News, Student Life | Tuesday, August 24th | By: Dan @12:00 pm | 0 Comments     

The first classes of the 2010-11 academic year are now under way!

Happy new year, students and faculty! Remember, this is the goal:

Student Life | Tuesday, August 24th | By: Dan @8:12 am | 0 Comments     

In case you missed it on today’s UVA Today, Parking and Transportation has a new weapon against parking ticket deadbeats.

Something like that could ruin your whole day.

Community, News, On Grounds, Student Life, Traffic | Thursday, August 12th | By: Dan @3:13 pm | 0 Comments     

Céline Heckel-Jones, a rising third-year civil engineering major from Atlanta, is taking part in the University of Virginia Engineering School’s Science and Technology Policy Internship Program, which places students in policymaking organizations at home and abroad. Heckel-Jones is working at the French Ministry of Education in Paris. She has agreed to share her weekly reports with us.

July 23, 2010: My two-month stay in Paris has quickly come to an end.

I decided to visit my family in Strasbourg my last weekend and see them one last time before heading back to the United States.

I took the train to Paris early Monday morning and was back in time to start my last week of work at the Ministry. I spent most of the week revising my final report for my policy analysis. I worked closely with Jean Luc Clément, who has served a as a wonderful resource, providing contacts and information. My research gave me the opportunity to visit one of the site of the CNRS, a large French research institution, in order to conduct an interview with a research director. He was able to answer some of my last-minute questions and provide additional insight on my policy subject.

The office at the Ministry held a small gathering to wish me farewell and conclude my two-month internship. I can’t believe how fast the two months have passed!

I am glad I had the opportunity to drill my French, but I know it is a sign for me to return home when English begins to sound like a foreign language. The other day I spoke English on the phone and started the conversation speaking slowly before getting back into the groove. As one friend pointed out, I have been entirely immersed in the French language for the past two months. I have been constantly communicating in French at work and at the boarding house with the exception of occasional visits with American friends.

Through this summer internship, I have become familiar with the setting of a work environment and have learned in which ways to adapt while speaking different language and following the habits of another culture. My newly gained insight is an invaluable tool for me to bring home to be used as a reference point. The skill in learning to adapt to a different culture in a working environment is important as I hope to work with people and in offices of various cultures. My future objectives also include returning to France to work and/or work with French partners.

International, Student Life, engineering | Thursday, August 5th | By: Dan @3:57 pm | 1 Comment     

Lauren White, a rising third-year biomedical engineering major, is taking part in the University of Virginia’s Engineering School’s Science and Technology Policy Internship Program, which places student interns in policymaking organizations at home and abroad. White is working at the Pan American Health Organization and the Institute of Epidemiological Studies in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has agreed to share her weekly reports with us.

Week 9: My final week in Buenos Aires was surreal – a mixture of excitement, anticipation and sadness. Even though at times I had disparaged the city for the difficulties it presented and even though I was ready to return to D.C., I still felt melancholy on my last day as I rode in the taxi to Ezeiza International Airport.

At the beginning of the week, I met with Silvina Ramos, a member of el Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad (CEDES), a very prestigious think tank in Argentina. She and other members of CEDES have been working with the Centro Rosarino de Estudios Perinatales to found el Observatorio de Salud Sexual y Reproductiva (Observatory of Sexual and Reproductive Health). The purpose of the organization is to reduce maternal mortality rates in Argentina by providing a platform for educated social debate in reproductive health and by providing research-based evidence to policy- and decision-makers.

In Argentina, maternal mortality rates remain very high in comparison to other countries of similar economic and social status (the current rate is twice that of Chile and almost three times that of Uruguay). We also discussed the views of Ramos as they pertain to “advocacy for research” and how to encourage policy decisions based on research.

I spent the rest of my week finalizing the details of my paper, incorporating suggestions from my various mentors and focusing especially on the problem definition and the appendixes. The days sped by until it was already Friday and I was suddenly packing, cleaning the apartment and saying goodbye to my mentor and the staff at the Instituto.

I dedicated Saturday afternoon to bidding farewell to the Recoleta area, wandering around the artisan fair in the nearby plaza, looking sporadically for souvenirs. On Sunday evening with my nose pressed against the glass of the airplane, I thought of a quote by Borges: “Sólo aquello que se ha ido es lo que nos pertenece,” which translates to something like “only that which has gone belongs to us.” So I counted my memories of Buenos Aires, as I watched the twinkling lights beneath the wingtip fade into darkness and mist.

International, Student Life, engineering | Thursday, August 5th | By: Dan @3:57 pm | 0 Comments     

Céline Heckel-Jones, a rising third-year civil engineering major from Atlanta, is taking part in the University of Virginia Engineering School’s Science and Technology Policy Internship Program, which places students in policymaking organizations at home and abroad. Heckel-Jones is working at the French Ministry of Education in Paris. She has agreed to share her weekly reports with us.

July 16, 2010: I spent the weekend visiting sites in Paris I had not had the chance to visit. I visited the Rodin museum with the famous statue, The Thinker, and Napoleon’s tomb in the chapel at Les Invalides, and I wondered around La Place des Vosges. I enjoyed looking at the paintings in the art galleries and left envious of the artistic talent. I finished my day with a guided tour of the Pantheon. The building with a unique historical story is now home to 28 “grands hommes” of France who lie in the crypt of the Pantheon.

Continue reading…

International, Student Life, engineering | Wednesday, August 4th | By: Dan @4:23 pm | 0 Comments     

Lauren White, a rising third-year biomedical engineering major, is taking part in the University of Virginia’s Engineering School’s Science and Technology Policy Internship Program, which places student interns in policymaking organizations at home and abroad. White is working at the Pan American Health Organization and the Institute of Epidemiological Studies in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has agreed to share her weekly reports with us.

Week 8: It was strange being out of the country for the Fourth of July. As chance would have it, this is the third consecutive year that I’ve been in a foreign country during the holiday, and I’m kind of starting to miss the fireworks. It’s always rather humbling to see how little your respective Independence Day means to the denizens of another nation.

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International, Student Life, engineering | Wednesday, August 4th | By: Dan @4:23 pm | 0 Comments     

Céline Heckel-Jones, a rising third-year civil engineering major from Atlanta, is taking part in the University of Virginia Engineering School’s Science and Technology Policy Internship Program, which places students in policymaking organizations at home and abroad. Heckel-Jones is working at the French Ministry of Education in Paris. She has agreed to share her weekly reports with us.

July 9, 2010: My brother came through Paris this weekend. I showed him where I worked and he joined me for lunch on Friday. On Saturday we visited la Conciergerie, which is the prison where people were held before being guillotined during the French Revolution marking the Reign of Terror. Some famous prisoners were Marie Antoinette and Robespierre.

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International, Student Life, engineering | Tuesday, August 3rd | By: Dan @12:01 pm | 0 Comments     

Céline Heckel-Jones, a rising third-year civil engineering major from Atlanta, is taking part in the University of Virginia Engineering School’s Science and Technology Policy Internship Program, which places students in policymaking organizations at home and abroad. Heckel-Jones is working at the French Ministry of Education in Paris. She has agreed to share her weekly reports with us.

July 2, 2010: On Friday evening, I enjoyed Les Champs Elysées with friends from Georgia Tech followed by a production of ‘Les Misérables.’ It was my first time seeing the show and we benefited from special student discounts.

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International, Student Life, engineering | Monday, August 2nd | By: Dan @3:09 pm | 0 Comments     

Lauren White, a rising third-year biomedical engineering major, is taking part in the University of Virginia’s Engineering School’s Science and Technology Policy Internship Program, which places student interns in policymaking organizations at home and abroad. White is working at the Pan American Health Organization and the Institute of Epidemiological Studies in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has agreed to share her weekly reports with us.

Week 6: As this was my final week to complete all my interviews, I spoke with 12 professionals during four days. Wednesday was my marathon day with five scheduled interviews. I finished my last interview on Thursday, and spent Friday beginning to compile and record all of the survey results.

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International, Student Life, engineering | Monday, August 2nd | By: Dan @3:09 pm | 0 Comments     

Lauren White, a rising third-year biomedical engineering major, is taking part in the University of Virginia’s Engineering School’s Science and Technology Policy Internship Program, which places student interns in policymaking organizations at home and abroad. White is working at the Pan American Health Organization and the Institute of Epidemiological Studies in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has agreed to share her weekly reports with us.

Week 5: Since Monday was un feriado (a holiday) in Argentina, I spent both Sunday and Monday exploring los Bosques de Palermo, a huge expanse of parks in the northern part of the city. On Sunday afternoon, I ensconced myself in el Jardín Japonés, a beautifully structured garden with many bridges, carefully tended flora and lots of running water. I enjoyed the challenge of depicting the plump and extremely tame koi with my watercolors. On Monday, I continued northward and visited the planetarium, and el Rosedal, a beautifully tended rose garden.

Continue reading…

International, Student Life, engineering | Friday, July 30th | By: Dan @4:18 pm | 0 Comments