Author Archive for Waldo Jaquith

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Students Don’t Support Honor Code

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 27, 2006 in UVa. 7 Comments

A UVa committee has conducted a survey of 257 students and their beliefs about the honor system, and the results are disappointing, Melanie Mayhew reports in today’s Daily Progress. Only 39% of respondents said that they would be willing to report a clear violation of the honor code. Half of respondents are unwilling to report because they simply don’t want to be involved with it. It should be noted that the respondents are self-selecting — the survey was sent to 1,000 students, and only 257 replied.

03/29 Update: In their lead edit today, The Cavalier Daily takes aim at The Daily Progress for their editorial condemning UVa students.

Caravati and Schilling At It Again

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 24, 2006 in Politics. 25 Comments

City Councilors Rob Schilling and Blake Caravati are waving their penises about again, John Yellig writes in today’s Daily Progress. (To be fair, that’s my metaphor — no need to blame Yellig for that.)

At a March 9 work session, Councilor Kevin Lynch told Schilling that it was tough to cut the real estate tax by 4% last year, and that Schilling would know that if he’d bothered to participate in the budget process. Schilling, on the paranoid side, responded: “Oh, so we have a secret little cabal going on behind the scenes. We’re dealing with the city manager outside of the public eye composing a budget. I’m glad that you admitted it because I knew that was what was going on.”

At a work session yesterday, Caravati went after Schilling for the comment, saying: “It’s an extremely serious charge, and it has political penalties to it, for sure, and actual criminal penalties. To be accused of criminal behavior and dishonesty is beyond the pale of anything that I’ve ever been accused of in my now eight years of service. Unless this type of thing can be proved and substantiated, I think that a retraction is definitely in order.”

Schilling’s not returning the Progress‘ phone calls, so it’s not altogether clear what he’s talking about. But I’m calling up now that if there’s a vast left-wing conspiracy, I want in.

03/25 Update: Oh, nevermind. Schilling claims that he never said it, audio recording and a half dozen witnesses notwithstanding. Besides, he thinks that this secret cabal only has two people in it — Lynch and City Manager Gary O’Connell. It’s very exclusive.

Staunton Clock Tower History

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 24, 2006 in General News. 4 Comments

I’m a fan of downtown Staunton, particularly its signature clock tower — it gives their downtown a certain iconic flair that downtown Charlottesville lacks. In this week’s Hook, Dave McNair has a nice piece describing the history of the Clock Tower Building on Beverley Street, built in 1890. The clock itself still operates with most of its original parts from when it was built over 120 years ago, and requires just a cleaning and a greasing once a year.

Blogging Round Up

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 23, 2006 in Blogs. 1 Comment

Here are some of my favorite Charlottesville blog entries from the past week.

Bob Gibson memorializes his daughter Stella’s dearly departed chicken, Funky. Michael continues his ongoing story of his recent week in Spain. Cory tells us all about Buddhist filmmaker Takashi Miike. Patience is “pissed off that two of [her] kids live with the threat of violence every school day”. Anoop Ranganath ate an apple and it really hurt. Mike relates the story of a friend who is the literal poster child for UVa’s financial aid program who just left school in his fourth year because he can’t afford tuition. Bill Emory provides the history of one particular piece of land in the Woolen Mills, tracing it back to 1870. Scott Johnny had one of those small-town moments that are obvious to locals, shocking to newbies. Sally’s neighbor on Stribling has feral pit bull puppies that wander around the street foraging for food, and animal control won’t do anything. Maiaoming names five blogs she’d create if only she had the time. Jennifer, inspired by Anne Metz’ recent Starlight Express trip, took the shuttle herself, and judges it so-so. Ryan is a little freaked out by Mark Warner’s visage. Mayor David Brown is digging the changes at Reid’s. (Side note: I once saw a candidate for office take a swipe at Reid’s; the audience turned on him at that very moment.) Tim McCormack consumed the most disgusting-smelling fruit in the world, the durian, and lived to blog about it in excruciating detail. Jordan Conley, new to town, doesn’t know what to make of the crazy guy’s signs on Park Street. And, finally Bryan McKenzie figures that neither Vance High nor Joan Schatzman come off well in their spat.

This week’s reading was great. I really liked all of the people writing about things of local interest. If you’ve read or written a particularly great blog entry recently, please feel free to e-mail me about it sometime Wednesday or Thursday, and I’ll include it in the weekly blog carnival when I put it together late Thursday.

School Shinola Showdown

Published by Waldo Jaquith on March 23, 2006 in Education. 6 Comments

This story from the Waynesboro News Virginian is awesome:

A student who defecated in a lunchroom bowl triggered a series of events that culminated in the recent walkout by four workers in the Fort Defiance High School cafeteria, The News Virginian has learned.

[…]

It all began Feb. 9 when two Fort students — including a guidance counselor’s son — bet a third student $15 he would not defecate in a bowl.

You can see where this is going, but you’ve got to read it anyway.

If this were in Charlottesville, I’d be outraged. But the fact that it’s in Augusta renders it merely hilarious. Extra bonus points to the News Virginian for the title (“Poop prank leads to uproar” — I love the alliteration) and the great word substitution in this quote:

“This is the first I’ve heard of the [feces] incident,” Shiflett said. “I hope you have your facts straight.”

Who can come up with some alternate headlines?

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