The University struggles to provide more diversity among students

Posted on February 25, 2008 by Rachel Beanland

By Gabbie Capriles

Students often transfer and the administration struggles to bring in more diversity at a school with little socio-economic variety and 70 percent white students.

The University of Richmond, severely lacking in both ethnic and socioeconomic diversity, has a retention rate of 88 percent and a partially unhappy student body. Compared to Boston University, College of William and Mary, George Washington University, University of Virginia, and Wake Forest University, the University of Richmond has the second highest percentage of white students and the lowest retention rate, according tro Collegeboard.com.

Wake Forest has 82 percent white students, making it the only other school from the list above with a higher percentage. The rest of the schools had a white-student percentage in the high 50s or low 60s. All of the colleges listed above have a retention rate between 91 percent and 97 percent, compared to the University of Richmond's 88 percent.

Many students at the University recognize the lack of diversity, but don't have adequate resources to change the problem.

But, the Westhampton College Government Association decided to make diversity the theme for this year. Jess Ruzic, the class president of the Westhampton College Class of 2010, said that diversity was an important part of campus and the students and administration recognized it and were working on it this year.

"We explore different avenues in terms of how we can bring in more diversity or bring the diversity that there is into light," she said. For example, the WCGA is trying to put more diversity into the CORE course.

Although the CORE faculty thinks that it is good as it is and it fulfills its intended aims, the students perceive a lack of diversity in the selected works and are pushing to increase the diversity, she said.

The WCGA is also looking into aspect of socio-economic diversity, she said. It is attempting to make textbooks more affordable because they are such a financial drain, she said.

"It's an ongoing project and concern," she said. "We need to look deeper into each of the areas to see what everyone can do."

The University of Richmond website has its own section for diversity, called Diversity in Action. Here the administration tells prospective and current students, "At Richmond, we foster a culture of diversity and open dialogue in which every voice is represented and in which everyone is able to maximize his or her potential while maintaining their individuality."

The Diversity in Action page has a link to another page, which further defines Richmond's definition of diversity. The website reads: "No matter who you are, where you come from or what you believe, you’ll find an environment at Richmond that values diversity in all of its forms–ethnic, socio-economic, geographic, sexual orientation, political, religious and others."

Also included on the diversity website are links to services and programs on campus that support diversity. These services include the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, Common Ground, the University Chaplaincy, and the Office of International Education.

The Student Development Division has a mission statement that states, "€¦Foster personal development among students in an environment that champions diversity€¦." Also, one of the division's objectives is to "Respect the importance of inclusive diversity in the implementation of all Student Development services and initiatives."

Steve Bisese, the vice president for student development and former dean for Richmond College, said that he did not think that there was a lot of prejudice on campus, but that there was more bonding among people of color, which made them stand out as separate.

There is a big problem with economic diversity because there are people here with a lot of financial aid and people with none and even though the students with a lot of financial aid are able to attend the school, they can't afford everything that the wealthier students can, he said. There is a pre-orientation that is open to anyone but focused on people of color and an international orientation, both of which students find helpful and enjoy, he said.

But even with these resources, some students still are not optimistic about the campus' diversity. Some choose to stay at the university and find their own diversity, while other students transfer. Senior Leslie Gleue said that although she noticed the lack of diversity at the University of Richmond, she met a lot of international students, became friends with minority students and had a good experience with other backgrounds.

A first-year student, Karen DeBonis is considering transferring. "It's basically the lack of diversity here," she said. "Not the lack of, but the scarcity of €˜real people.' When I went to visit the University of Mary Washington, I was in the dining hall and I saw a kid with tattoos all up both arms. There's no one at UR like this."

She defined real people as people with self-expression, those who did not feel it necessary to adhere to a certain code of what was fashionable and appropriate to wear, but instead made their own rules.

Another first-year student, Gracie Aghapour, is transferring at the end of this year to the College of Charleston. Although part of her decision to transfer was homesickness, she also noticed the lack of diversity on campus.

Charleston is a bigger school and will, by default, have more diversity, along with better departments for environmental science and art, both of which are subjects she is interested in.

When describing a personal experience with the lack of diversity on campus, she said that in the beginning of year she felt extraordinarily Asian.

"I've never seen myself as anything before," she said. Coming from an extremely diverse Charleston, S.C. high school, Aghapour said she encountered ignorant and bigoted statements on the UR campus.

Another student, Laura Caruso transferred out of Richmond after her first semester. "I feel the student body as a whole lacks cohesion and unity," she said in her transfer application. "The campus is divided into many cliques (by Greek affiliation, sports teams, race, etc.). Unfortunately, few of these groups mingle or befriend others."

Caruso, who is home this semester, hopes to transfer to either Bucknell University or Gettysburg College. "Both campuses seemed more down-to-earth and had a more visible minority population," she said.

Diana Mergiotti of Langhorne, Pa., also transferred after her first year at the University of Richmond. "My distaste for the snobby student body and the fact that the school was so tiny led me back home," she said.

She transferred to Villanova University and said she was much happier there. "Being here [at Villanova] is more like being part of a unique and increasingly diverse family and less like being in a small pool of overly competitive people who all look and act exactly the same," she said.

Another student, Toba Hellerstein, left Richmond because it was too expensive. After she left the University, she took a year off to learn Arabic and live in various countries such as Morocco, Syria and the West Bank, she said.

Next year she will attend the City University of New York: Hunter College both because it is less expensive and because there is an extremely diverse student body. "This is not to speak simply of ethnicity, social class or religion," she said. "Other considerations include age. I love the fact that I can take International Relations 306 with a single mother and a graybearded man going through a midlife crisis."

At the University of Richmond, she said the lack of diversity both amused and bothered her. When asked if she noticed the lack of diversity, she said, "In every sense except the remarkable variety of pastels."

Although a number of students transfer, those who study abroad at Richmond experience ample diversity.

For example, Virginia Bunker, a senior, traveled to Ghana, Africa, her junior year. She chose to go to Ghana because her boyfriend at T. C. Williams High School was from Ghana and she had always heard that it was a beautiful and friendly country.

She said that she learned many different things non-academically while studying abroad. "There are life lessons–being able to function outside of your comfort zone," she said. "I learned to appreciate things that people take for granted. It reaffirmed my passion for Africa."

Some 60 percent of UR students go abroad, which brings back more awareness of diversity, Bisese said.

On campus, Bunker said she noticed a big lack of ethnic and socioeconomic diversity. At her high school, there was much ethnic diversity and she was the minority as a white person. She said that coming to the University of Richmond was shocking and she almost transferred because of it.

"I went through extreme culture shock," she said. "I went from being the minority to being the majority." But she didn't transfer because she had nowhere else to go.

This summer Bunker is traveling through Africa to do volunteer work, she said. Next academic year, she will be a substitute teacher and help coach her high school track team, she said.

Sasha Parr, who graduated from the University of Richmond last year, is currently working as a paralegal in Intellectual Property Law in Washington, D.C. She said that she saw much more diversity in the workworld than during college.

"I have to say that the people I've met since graduation and the people I currently work with are a lot different than the people I met at UR," she said.

"I have met people from a wider variety of backgrounds and with different sorts of experiences.

"Not to say that this is for better of for worse, but by way of example one of my coworkers left college early because she became pregnant. She raised her daughter, who is now 13, as a single mother and now works full time and is finishing her degree. I had definitely never met anyone at Richmond with any sort of experience like that.

"Between my job and meeting people in my building, I've come to see myself as a sort of minority–the fact that I was raised by both my parents who then were able to pay for at least part of my college education before setting out on my own is not exactly the norm that I had considered it to be back at UR."

Parr attended a New England prep school that was incredibly diverse, she said. A fundraiser that was popular at her high school was a "dragdance," where students paid $3 and went dressed in drag, she said.

Her sophomore year, she suggested the same thing to the on-campus group, New Directions, but the attendees consisted mostly of their own members and several students were harassed on their way to the event for dressing in drag, she said. "Not exactly the most welcoming campus ever," she said.

Posted in News writing | Comments Off on The University struggles to provide more diversity among students

Ruckus Network provides students with free music

Posted on February 25, 2008 by Rachel Beanland

By Barrett Neale

University of Richmond students can legally download free music from the Ruckus Network, which Information Services hopes will decrease violations of the Recording Industry of America's policies.

About two years ago, students began asking Information Services about the possibility of a free music downloading service for students, according to Kathy Monday, vice president for Information Services. She researched the possibilities, but she said at the time most companies were charging universities a fee for each student, which was too costly.

Balu Chandrasekaran, a senior, said he was a member of the Richmond College Student Government Association Senate for two and a half years, and for a year and a half he acted as vice president of student advocacy. In the spring of his sophomore year, he heard about other schools that provided free music for their students, and said he wanted to see if the University of Richmond could provide a similar service.

He first brought it up at a forum at The Pier with Len Goldberg, the former vice president for Student Development, President William Cooper and Provost June Aprille, and he said he continued to mention it at different times to different people. Although he understood the students' desire for affordable music, Chandrasekaran said he was concerned about the legal issues of sharing music.

He talked to Monday last fall and said this was something a lot of students wanted. She said she went to a conference for information technology professionals, conducted by an organization called EDUCAUSE.

According to its website, "EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology." It invited various software vendors to show their products, and Monday said representatives from the Ruckus Network announced that they were changing their licensing model. The only cost to the University of Richmond, she said, would be to buy a server and the time to administer it.

Steve Bisese, the vice president for student development, said the appeal of Ruckus was its affordability, the fact that it was voluntary, free for undergraduate students and could be instituted quickly. Although academics always come first, he said he believed that a certain part of the university's responsibility was to provide amenities to students that give them a time to relax.

Ruckus had a good record, and he said the only complaints were that it was incompatible with Apple products and the security issue of giving students' names and email addresses in order to create their student profile. Scott Tilghman, help desk manager, said Ruckus offered the widest range of music and had good reviews from other colleges.

It seemed to have the most opportunities for the future based on its potential and what it had already accomplished, he said. There weren't many competitors, but he said some of the competitors did have problems. Ruckus allowed the University of Richmond staff to test its product for free, and he said the browser was easy to use.

Students should take advantage of this opportunity to legally get free music, Tilghman said. Information Services researched the options, and he said they waited until it found services that had a good reputation and met as many student needs as possible.

Ruckus is tailored specifically to the needs of college students, Monday said. It is financed by advertisements, which she said allows its members to download songs for free. It is already partners with more than 100 schools, according to a Ruckus press release from Feb. 28, 2007.

There are more than 1.5 million songs in its library, and she said users could go to ruckus.com to create a profile, download the player and share music with other Ruckus users. The songs have a 30-day license that means they expire after 30 days, but she said the license renews each time the student connects to the internet.

The license renews even when the student is connecting to the internet offcampus, which she said means that even when students are gone for extended periods of time, such as winter or summer break, they can continue to play all of their Ruckus songs.

A Ruckus representative came to campus last semester to talk to Bisese, she said.
Monday and Bisese talked to student governments to assess whether it was a worthwhile investment, and she said despite the limitations the students seemed excited about it.
Each song has digital rights management (DRM) information, which is encryption software that legal download services use to ensure media files are not illegally shared, she said. Apple does not license its DRM technology to any company because it works solely with its own music service, iTunes, which she said means that students can't transfer the music to their iPods.

Additionally, students who use Mac computers cannot download the Ruckus player, and she said Information Services has no way to resolve that issue. But on the Ruckus site, it lists that if students with Mac computers run Windows XP or Parallels Software International Inc.'s Parallels Workstation, they can download the Ruckus player, she said.

Freshman Leigh Donahue has a Mac computer, and said she was disappointed to learn that she couldn't use Ruckus. "I thought it would be a good way to preview CDs," she said. "I went to sign up and went through the process and realized I couldn't get it."
One of the advantages of the university is that it supports a wide range of computer companies, Tilghman said, and the cost would have increased in order to get a music service that accommodated Macs as well. "Music downloading is not an academic purpose," he said.

He understood that students with Macs would like access to this service, but he said this was an extra service that the university was providing. If there was a method for delivering music that was inexpensive and included Macs, he said they would have chosen that instead.

Information Services received between 10 and 20 complaints a year from the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry of America about students downloading movies and music illegally, he said. The RIA has a certain number of students it intends to prosecute, he said, and it is happy if it catches students.

Even though it's tempting and easy to download music illegally, he said students should weight their odds. It's traumatic for Information Services to get letters from the RIA, he said, because of the severity of the laws involved.

Chris Faigle, security administrator, said the RIA can subpoena universities for information of students downloading illegally. "We are not a defense for the students," he said, and Information Services has an obligation to give that information to the RIA, even if it means that they will use it to sue students.

Freshman Dan Raimondi used to use a service called Ares, which he said allowed him to get free music to put on his iTunes. Certain songs are tagged by the RIA, and he said he unknowingly downloaded one of them.

The RIA called him, and he said he had to remove all the songs that he had gotten through Ares, and do 10 hours of community service at an off-campus site. "All my iTunes files got messed up," he said.

He had very little music to listen to without his iTunes, and said he often resorted to watching music videos on YouTube. When he got an e-mail from Bisese that Ruckus was available, he was happy because he knew it was legal, he said.

He signed up for it right away, and said within the first week he had already downloaded 600 songs. He has 1,800 songs now, and he said even though he is running out of songs to download, he still listens to the albums he has every day.

His favorite part about Ruckus is how easy it is to find songs and download them, and he said the quality was superior to what he got with Ares. He didn't like that certain songs on some albums aren't available, but he said he liked that it could do everything that other downloading services do.

Freshman Sarah Dinces does not have a Mac computer and could use Ruckus, but she said she prefered to use services that allowed her to put music on her iPod. "I think the idea is really cool," she said, "but why would I get music just to play it on my computer?"

Faigle said even though Ruckus was available to all college students, there were benefits students receive because the University of Richmond was one of Ruckus' partner schools. The proxy server that the University of Richmond purchased allows students to download songs at a faster speed, he said, and Ruckus' movie content is only available to students at partner schools.

Freshman Mike Albares said he used to get music using iTunes, and had to pay for his songs. He was excited when he heard about Ruckus, he said, because he could type in any song, get it for free and listen to it right away.

He uses it anytime he wants a song that he doesn't already have, and said it didn't bother him that he couldn't put the songs on iTunes. "I have my iTunes collection and my Ruckus collection," he said.

The selection of music could be better, but he said his favorite part about Ruckus was receiving e-mails about new music. "It's a young, new thing," he said. "They'll improve it."
Chandrasekaran said he liked Ruckus because it benefited everyone. The students got free music, schools could offer a great service at minimal cost, Ruckus got more business and artists got paid to have their music on Ruckus, he said.

He was impressed with its collection of music, and said he liked being able to download music from the 80s and 90s. One of the drawbacks he noted was that a student's music library does not transfer if he or she uses a different computer, but he said that laptops help that.

Doug West, University of Richmond's director of Telecom, Media Support and User Services, said an advantage of having Ruckus was that the university could manage the process of student music downloading. There will be information for incoming students about Ruckus in the booklet, "Making the Most of Your Richmond Education," that they receive in the summer, he said.

Bisese said that in addition to summer publications, there would be information about Ruckus at orientation. "Ruckus provides promotional services as part of their relationship with us," he said.

Students who have feedback about Ruckus should contact him because he wants to work on behalf of the students, but he said if they have questions about the technological aspects they should contact Information Services because they know how the system works.

Monday said that she would continue to inform students about updates with Ruckus through Spider Bytes. The dean's office, student government and word of mouth were other ways to spread news about Ruckus, she said.

Incoming students can register for Ruckus as soon as they have their e-mail address, she said. When the students graduate, they may continue to use Ruckus, but she said they must subscribe for a fee of $8.99 per month.

Chandrasekaran said he would probably continue to use Ruckus after he graduated in May because he didn't use his CD player and didn't want to pay a dollar per song with iTunes. The download speeds might be slower without the UR proxy server, but he said he would still use it.

Ruckus could be a way for the school to keep in touch with alumni, and he said that it might encourage alumni to give back to the university. He is excited about the possibility of getting free movies as part of the Ruckus service, he said.

Ruckus' movie agreement is with the MPAA, Tilghman said, and it would tell the University of Richmond if free movies became available. Chris Lawson, Ruckus' director for corporate development, said in an e-mail interview: "We have some long-standing relationships with media companies, and are forging new relationships all the time. Both should provide a lot of new and entertaining video content for our student users. We are working right now to make films, TV and other forms of video available to more students as soon as possible."

The video content would include Hollywood films, indie films, foreign films, current television shows, sports and music videos, and he said much of it would be supported by advertisements like the music service. Ruckus would let its users know when it becomes available, he said.

Posted in Arts, News writing | Comments Off on Ruckus Network provides students with free music

Exchange students rooming with Americans learn much about their cultures

Posted on February 25, 2008 by Rachel Beanland

By Emily Baltz

As she prepared for her first year at Richmond this summer, Elizabeth Boone was excited to receive the mailing that would introduce her to her new roommate. She tried to guess what state she would be from and what her name would be, wondered if they would become friends, and envisioned their first phone conversation.

"I'm from a part of the country where all the girls get matching comforters and furniture for their dorm rooms so every room looks like it came from a magazine," Boone said. "I'd imagined that when I called my roommate, we would talk about a color scheme."

When the mailing arrived, Boone was surprised to learn that she would live with Babui Salsabil, an international student from Bangladesh.

"I was excited, but I didn't know what to expect," Boone said. "I researched Bangladesh, but I didn't really know anything about it, especially the Muslim religion. My first question was definitely not about comforters."

According to the Housing Office, international students like Salsabil, who make up 6 percent of Richmond's student body, are almost always paired with American students during their first year to help them make a smooth transition to life in the United States. This is a common practice at other schools, whose international enrollment is similar to Richmond's. The College of William and Mary's website indicated that 340 of its undergraduate students, or about 6 percent, are international. At the University of Virginia, about 5 percent of students are international.

Though a January 2007 General Accounting Office forum report indicated that international enrollment was slipping at colleges and universities throughout the United States, Office of Admissions records show that international enrollment has been consistent, a statistic that may help attract international students.

"I chose Richmond because of its thriving international community, and because I felt comfortable here," first-year Bulgarian student Virzhiniya Lekova said.

In addition to assigning them American roommates, the university sponsors several other programs designed to help international students feel at home in Richmond.

One such program is international orientation, which takes place in the days before most firstyear students arrive on campus and includes programs about adjusting to American culture and a trip to King's Dominion amusement park.

"Richmond really tried to make school like home," Lekova said of the program. "At international orientation we were all new and kind of scared, but we got to do a lot of new things and make a lot of new friends. I was already kind of familiar with the culture but had problems adjusting, and international orientation was very helpful."

Salsabil agreed. "International orientation was great; it really helped me adjust to college," she said.

Veronica Seguin, an American citizen who attended an international high school in Beijing, did not attend international orientation, but said that Richmond still made efforts to make her feel comfortable.

"Going to an international high school helped prepare me for the transition to college and Richmond make that transition even easier by checking in with me and offering international events," she said.

Lekova and Salsabil said that other programs, including the International Club and dinners for international students had improved their experience as well.

But, Lekova said, "The thing I love most is my host family."

Lekova said her host mother, Charley King, who works in Student Accounts, does all the things her family would do if they were in Richmond, including driving her to and from the airport, taking her to explore the city, and storing her belongings for the summer.
Salsabil, who returned to Bangladesh before the end of the semester to tend to her sick mother, said her host family was "incredible."

Though international students were pleased with the University's efforts to acclimate them, Boone said that her struggle to adjust to life with an international student was largely ignored by the university.

"The administration goes to great lengths to recognize the struggles the international roommate will have, but the American roommate has to make just as much of an adjustment, and that experience is not being validated," she said.

Boone said that, though her overall experience living with Salsabil had been positive, she feels that American students assigned to international roommates would benefit from "any gesture, even just an e-mail or pamphlet, preparing them for life with an international."

Under the current system, "the [international] roommate gets more attention and you feel disadvantaged," she said.

Another first-year student, who asked to remain unnamed because of the nature of his comments about his roommate, said that living with an international student was a "nightmare."

"I wish I had received some warning about how different it was going to be," he said. "All my friends were adjusting to different music or different sleep schedules, and I was trying to figure out a new culture. It wasn't fair."

An international student, who also asked to remain unnamed, said that she and her roommate also did not get along, and that her roommate moved out after first semester.

"Some of the problem was culture, but it was mostly her personality," she said. "She was really difficult, and just didn't appreciate my feelings, cultural and otherwise. We just didn't click."

Though these students described problems with their roommates, both Boone and Salsabil said their living experience has been positive. Boone said she had enjoyed learning about her roommate's culture, including Indian music. She also enjoyed watching an international cricket tournament game in which Bangladesh defeated rival India.

"Babui was really excited, so it was easy for me to get excited too," she said. "We hung up Bangladesh's flag, and we were screaming and cheering."

She said that Salsabil was anxious to learn about American culture as well. "If you care about what I care about, I'm likely to be as supportive of you as possible," Boone said of her relationship with Salsabil.

Salsabil said, "I've really, really enjoyed living with Elizabeth, and I've learned a lot from her."

Even before Salsabil returned to Bangladesh, she and Boone did not plan to live together next year because Salsabil was going to work as a resident assistant.

"But," Boone said, "I would definitely keep Babui in mind as a possible roommate for junior year." Salsabil plans to return to Richmond for the spring 2008 semester.

Lekova also said she had enjoyed living with an American student.

"It's beneficial because you can ask cultural questions," she said although she and her roommate get along well they will not room together next year. She wants to live in the Global House with other international students. "I want a more international environment" she said.

Aside from her roommate and boyfriend, both of whom are American, Lekova said that most of her friends were international.

"Americans are always very nice and genuinely friendly, but most of my friends on campus are Bulgarian," she said. "It's just more comfortable for me to be with them because we have more in common."

Nevertheless, Seguin said that although she arrived at Richmond expecting to be friends with a lot of international students, most of her friends are American.

"Surprisingly, not many of my friends are international," she said. "I thought they would be because I thought American teens would be totally different from me and not understand me, but only a few of my friends are from other countries, and I identify really well with the American kids."

Seguin said she was surprised that even though she had lived oversees for most of her life, she had not attended any International Club events, mostly because many of her American friends had not shown any interest in attending them.

Lekova said she felt that there was a gap between American and international students because Americans did not attend international events.

"American students would really benefit from getting more involved in the international community," she said. "Americans that do come to the international socials seem to be very, very fond of them."

Andy Feltzin, a sophomore from Philadelphia has many international friends. In fact, both his girlfriend, Lekova, and his roommate, who is Ethiopian, are international. He said he chose to associate with international students because, "they are just on my wavelength."

Feltzin said that he came from a high school that consisted of a mostly white student body, so when he arrived at Richmond he wanted to learn more about other cultures.

"I really hadn't had much chance to branch out, and international students gave me that opportunity," he said. "I was really interested to find out other people's stories from their homes, and learn about other places."

He said other American students would benefit from becoming part of the international community, but that their involvement should be their choice, not something the university forces upon them.

"I think it should be completely natural, but I think it's an incredible opportunity that many students choose not to take" he said. "I've learned so much about the world from my international friends."

First-year student Jordan Trippeer, who said she had attended a lot of international events, from social dances to club meetings, echoed Feltzin's sentiment.

"They're really awesome people, and the whole school could learn a lot from them," she said. "I'd encourage American students to try and make international friends."

Lekova said that while she wished there were more interaction between Americans and international students, she was not surprised by the division.

"I think it's just a matter of comfort," she said. "The Bulgarians here are like my family, and I think American kids probably find that kind of relationship with other American kids. But, I wish there was a way we could all come together. We're different culturally, but we're also really similar."

Boone agreed that international and American students could learn a lot from each other.

"The most important thing I learned from living with Babui wasn't about cricket or being
Muslim, it was about learning to live and get along with someone different, and that they might not be so different after all," she said. "I didn't get a matching comforter set, but I did get an absolutely awesome experience."

Posted in News writing | Comments Off on Exchange students rooming with Americans learn much about their cultures

Transportation Issues

Posted on February 25, 2008 by Rachel Beanland

BY SUMNER WIDDOES
STAFF WRITER
THE CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

RICHMOND – Imagine the Northern Virginia road network as a system of extensions off a major highway, much like the human body's collection of arteries and capillaries stemming from larger highways of blood coming from the heart. Now imagine how devastating and far-reaching an effect a blood clot in one of the major arteries has on the smaller roads throughout the body.

Such is the daily dilemma of Northern Virginia residents, who are consistently faced with one or two options their commutes, all of which lead to nothing more than gridlock and frustration.

And it may just seem like an unaesthetic trend throughout Fairfax and Prince William Counties, but the rising grass levels in medians is likely the sign of a much larger, more pressing issue. Road maintenance and land development have been neglected for the last few years, and, as the Virginia General Assembly begins its 2007 session, it is apparent that transportation issues will be near the top of the agenda.

Sen. Toddy Puller (D – Mt. Vernon) and Del. David Bulova (D – Fairfax) both agree that it is imperative to address the strains on the transportation budget during this winter's session. Both see the wide range of detriments of a department whose trust fund has not been updated in more than two decades. According to Bulova, if the Virginia Department of Transportation continues to operate at its current budget without further supplements to its trust fund, it will run out of money by 2010.

In Puller's eyes, this legislative session is crucial in getting new funding for Northern Virginia's roads and public transit because it is an election year. After helping to pass a hefty transportation package in 2004 that was eventually defeated in the House of Delegates, Puller believes that delegates will finally be put on the spot to fix these pressing issues, or face a defeat at the polls.

"Many delegates have sworn to never, ever raise taxes, no matter how dire the circumstances," Puller said.

The last time taxes were raised, in 2004, when sales taxes were increased half a cent, "many people did not pay any more on taxes, and most people didn't even notice it," she said.
Puller, who is in her second term in the Senate after serving in the House from 1992-2000, believes that "most senators feel like if we pass something over there (to the House of Delegates), it will die." This is mainly because of the statewide funding, as opposed to local fundraising, that she believes is necessary to properly rehabilitate the transport system.

Along with senatorial pressure, Puller said many Fairfax- and Arlington-based companies are pressuring those who remain opposed to tax increases for road maintenance.

"If those companies can't get their employees to work," she said, "then they are going to leave."

Bulova, though, sees the transportation issues affecting more than just the Northern Virginia economy. He is concerned with the environmental impact of more cars sitting in traffic longer, and the impact of longer commutes on the quality of his constituent's lives.

"We need to have the ability to step up to the plate," Bulova said. "There is trepidation statewide to let us raise and keep money locally [for transportation issues]."

While he recognizes that road maintenance and construction is a problem across the state, Bulova contends that the statewide plans "don't fit Northern Virginia's needs." For example, Fairfax needs to build roads, complete the construction of unfinished roads, and completely revamp its public transport system, while Arlington is more concerned with accommodating mass transit and road maintenance.

Bulova commended the Northern Virginia Transit Authority's TransAction 2030 plan, which it approved last September.

"It was a great example of everyone sitting at a table and hashing out a good regional plan," he said.

The plan calls for "more than $16 billion in unmet transportation needs," according to an NVTA press release.

Bulova also supports a constitutional amendment recently introduced by Del. David Albo (R – Springfield) that would appropriate funds to necessary transportation projects and prohibits borrowing transportation funds for other purposes. This bill has been referred to the House Committee on Privileges and Elections.

But for all of the necessary repairs and maintenance on existing roads, there is still the blood clot analogy that paralyzes Northern Virginia towns. Bulova stressed that planning and development is directly tied to transportation funding, and that "the money will all go to waste if we don't fix land use planning." He aims to empower localities to refuse rezoning from state or county legislatures if it can prove that it will disrupt transportation.

There are a number of potential solutions to the Northern Virginia transportation crisis. But for Puller and Bulova, it all begins with convincing a majority of delegates who hold the keys to the necessary funds of the region's dire circumstances.

Posted in Virginia Assembly | Comments Off on Transportation Issues

Newcomer to Assembly

Posted on February 25, 2008 by Rachel Beanland

BY CATHERINE AMOS
THE CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

RICHMOND – This year's General Assembly has welcomed many new members to the House and Senate, but one newcomer is already a regular with the Virginia legislative session.

Ryan McDougle, 34, a lawyer from Mechanicsville, is serving his first General Assembly session as a senator this year after switching from the House of Delegates.

McDougle, a Republican, served as a delegate from 2002 to 2005. He defeated Democrat Roger Cavendish Jan. 3 in a special race for the seat left vacant by the election of Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling. Even though he has three years of experience in the legislature, serving in the Senate is different, McDougle said.

"If you walk down the hallway," McDougle said, "House Courts is still meeting, and they're probably going to still be meeting for another three, four hours. We debate issues [in the Senate], but it's more deliberative in the House."

Five of McDougle's seven House jurisdictions are included in his senate district, which comprises Caroline, Essex, Hanover, King William, King and Queen and Middlesex Counties, and part of Spotsylvania County. As a delegate, he didn't represent parts of his native Hanover County.

"There were people that I grew up with, lived across the street from, worked with, who were not in my House district, and so it was the opportunity to represent them," McDougle said. "My grandmother, my best friend in high school, all of them, literally a stone's throw from the lines of my district but not in the district. So being able to do that was a tremendous opportunity."

Being one of 40 members of the Senate, rather than one of 100 in the House, allows each senator to have a substantial impact, McDougle said.

"One of the things I've noticed is because you're one of a smaller number, more people try to get individual time with you to go over their bills and issues," he said. "The number of requests for individual meetings is substantially greater than anything we experienced last year."

Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County, made the same move from the House to the Senate in 2001. Before leaving, Deeds spent 10 years in the House as the Chairman of the Democratic Caucus.

Deeds agrees with McDougle that the Senate decides on matters more quickly.

"The House is more partisan and more likely to debate longer on issues," he said in a phone interview.

Deeds said it took some time to adjust to the Senate after his tenure in the House.
"It's a different culture," he said. "Ryan is fortunate because he hasn't spent but a few years in the House, so he can make a better transition."

Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis(cq), R-Fairfax, was the most recent delegate to move to the Senate. She was elected in 2004 after serving in the House since 1998.

"It's been two years," Davis said in a phone interview. "I think I'm pretty broken-in now. But it took me at least a year to make the transition. I left a lot of friends in the House."

Davis said she missed the relationships she built with her fellow delegates.

"The collegiality is very different," she said. "In the House, several members will go out to dinner together after a long day of meeting. But since the Senate gets done quicker, people tend to go their separate ways."

Davis (cq), who sits next to McDougle on the floor, noticed his smooth adjustment.
"Ryan is adapting really well," she said. "He's smart and has picked up very quickly the rhythm of the Senate. He works well with the leadership without compromising his philosophies."

McDougle said he looked forward to spending more time working on long-range projects since the Senate terms are longer.

"There are some things, criminal justice issues, that aren't always so quick to address that I'd like to work on, " he said.

A strong advocate for the punishment and rehabilitation of criminals that commit crimes under the influence of drugs, McDougle said he wanted "to provide the tools and skills needed in order to not repeat those crimes."

"It's not a €˜or,' it's a €˜and;' punishment and improvement to make sure they're not coming back into the system," he said.

Deeds and Davis both said there was a greater responsibility in the Senate, but both have faith in the new senator.

"[McDougle] is going to do really well," Davis said.

Deeds agreed, saying "Ryan will be fine."

Posted in Virginia Assembly | Comments Off on Newcomer to Assembly

Internet

Posted on February 22, 2008 by Rachel Beanland

BY KATE CONNOLLY
THE CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

RICHMOND – Some of us may not know our neighbors as well as we would like, so we may make an effort to stop and have a quick conversation when we pass another dog walker or wave as a familiar face drives by while we're outside in the yard.

What about looking our neighbors up on the Internet, though?

Violent sex offenders are required to register on an online database operated by the Virginia State Police. Internet users can search the Web site for a list of those registered in their area, along with the offenders' addresses, photos and information about their convictions.

A recent search found that Franklin County is home to 35 registered sex offenders. A bill that is now in the House would prohibit those individuals from living within 1,000 feet of any primary, secondary or high school.

"Children should be able to enjoy their youth without having to worry about being violated," said Sen. Charles R. Hawkins, R-Chatham.

Franklin County Sheriff Quint Overton said his department has not had problems with sex offenders or complaints from residents regarding sex offenders in several years.

"We monitor these people pretty closely and keep an eye on what is going on though," he said.

Another proposed bill that is awaiting approval in the Senate Finance Committee would require all those who commit sex offenses after July 1, 2006 to register on the Web site; currently only violent sex offenders are required to register.

The bill includes other measures that make the punishments for some sex crimes more stringent. It is accompanied by multiple other bills in both the Senate and the House that are aiming to revamp legislation regarding sex crimes. For example, a bill that is currently under consideration in the House would allow anyone to request electronic notification from the State Police each time a new sex offender registers or reregisters.

The main Senate bill would require a mandatory minimum prison term of 25 years for certain sexual offenses against a child under 13 years old. Following imprisonment, those offenders would be required to undergo at least a three year probationary period that includes electronic GPS (Global Positioning System) monitoring.

Some proposed legislation would change the presumption of ineligibility for bail to the first time an individual is charged with certain grave sexual offenses, rather than the second charge, as the law stands right now.

Hawkins said that legislators want to send a message that says, "If you violate our laws and violate our citizens, you will pay with incarceration."

Posted in Virginia Assembly | Comments Off on Internet

Helmet Law

Posted on February 22, 2008 by Rachel Beanland

BY MEGAN CUMMINGS
THE CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

RICHMOND – The House voted 57-42 against a bill sponsored by Goochland Del. Bill Janis that would have given motorcyclists over the age of 21 the choice of whether to wear a helmet.

Del. Paula Miller, D- Norfolk, who voted against the bill in the Militia, Police and Public
Safety committee last week and again on the floor, said many riders provided convincing testimony about helmet safety.

"Del. [Frank] Hargrove held up his helmet and said, €˜I never ride without my friend.' I thought it was a powerful statement," Miller said. Hargrove, a Hanover Republican, is a longtime rider.

Janis, a Republican, said he introduced the bill – the latest in five years that was defeated on the House floor – because riders should have the choice of whether to wear a helmet.
"It's a good policy," Janis said. "I think it's going to come back."

He said that he thought most riders would still choose to wear a helmet, but that an individual, not the government, should be able to decide.

"No one is arguing that a helmet makes you safer," Janis said. Helmets can actually reduce peripheral vision and impair hearing, he said.

Janis said many riders were experienced enough to judge the safety and conditions of roads. The risk level of riding without a helmet on Skyline Drive is very different from riding in the rain on I-95 without a helmet, he said.

Miller said the current law regulating helmets was a common-sense measure that would save lives by preventing spinal and head injuries.

Janis stressed that the number of motorcyclists registered in Virginia is small, and that the state would not have to pay more money in liability insurance if riders did not wear helmets.

There are 139,000 registered motorcyclists in Virginia, according to Jim Cannon, director of the Virginia Coalition of Motorcycles.

Penny Adams, the legislative officer for Virginia Freedom Riders, also addressed concerns that insurance rates would rise. In Pennsylvania, where a helmet law was repealed, insurance rates have risen. She said that increases in automobile accidents and in the cost of living have had more of an impact on insurance rates than the helmet law repeal.

"The bottom line is I should have a choice," Adams said. "I don't think it's the government's role to keep us safe.

"Adults are the riders. They are the most knowledgeable on the subject."

When asked if the partial repeal of the helmet law would be more likely to pass next year,
Cannon said that "anything that moves us across the field" would be positive. But he noted that helmet requirements would still leave "a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths."

If another attempt to repeal the helmet law is presented next year, Miller said she would vote the same way.

"It may be a question of choice, but it's also a public safety issue," she said. "It cuts both ways."

Posted in Virginia Assembly | Comments Off on Helmet Law

New College of Virginia

Posted on February 22, 2008 by Rachel Beanland

BY KATE CONNOLLY
THE CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

RICHMOND – The dream of the New College of Virginia is edging closer to reality now that a bill to support the program has passed two key General Assembly committees.

The bill was approved last week by the House Education Committee and Appropriations
Committee. If the bill passes the full House and Senate, the school would be based in the
Martinsville-Henry County area and allow students to finish a four-year degree after completing two years at a community college.

The initial financial support for New College came from a $50 million challenge grant from the Harvest Foundation, which urged the state to create a four-year baccalaureate college in Martinsville-Henry County area. A recent report by the State Council for Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) also offered support for a program in this region.

"It is an exciting venture and one that can make a difference in the lives of so many people in the Southside region if it becomes a reality," said Dr. Leanna Blevins, who has been working with the New College Planning Commission since 2004.

According the SCHEV report published last year at the request of the General Assembly,
66 percent of students graduate from high school in the Southside, compared with 78 percent of students statewide. The SCHEV studies surveyed Southside students and found a strong interest in attending a local college.

The SCHEV report defines the Southside as the cities of Martinsville, Danville and South Boston, as well as Henry, Pittsylvania, Franklin and Patrick Counties.

The purpose of the New College Institute is not just to increase educational opportunity,
however.

"There is an economic development component as well," said Del. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, the chief co-patron of the House bill.

The SCHEV report and Hurt both emphasized the need to boost the struggling Southside economy since the tobacco, textile and furniture industries have crumbled, leaving many local residents without jobs. This initiative would create jobs in the area and "diversify the region's economy by engaging the resources of other institutions of higher education," according to the text of the bill.

Hurt said if the bill were to pass, it would not create a four-year university.

"This is much more along the lines of a higher education center," he said. "It draws on existing institutions. It is about collaboration with existing institutions."

There is the potential for it to become an independent university or a branch campus of another public college someday, Blevins said.

"Initially, New College would offer the third and fourth years of a baccalaureate program," Blevins said.

Blevins said the bill does not include specific plans for how to decide what New College may become in the future.

In about 2012, Blevins said, the New College board would likely reevaluate if that model is still adequate, or if the school needs to provide a full four-year program. If that were the case, it would probably become a branch campus of another state school.

Posted in Virginia Assembly | Comments Off on New College of Virginia

Illegal Immigrants

Posted on February 22, 2008 by Rachel Beanland

BY CHRIS HAMBY
THE CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

RICHMOND – Hanover Del. Frank Hargrove is skeptical about the future of his bill that would bar illegal immigrants from state public colleges and universities.

The bill, HB 262, won a 67-33 vote in the House, but it faces an uncertain future now in the Senate, where similar legislation was killed last year.

"The composition of the Senate hasn't significantly changed," said Hargrove, a Republican. "It would not surprise me to see the Senate kill it again. I think it would be wrong if they did."

Opponents of the bill say it would unfairly punish children of illegal immigrants and limit career advancement opportunities for immigrants. Some also believe it is bad for Virginia businesses that rely on immigrants for labor.

Hargrove defended his bill, saying priority in admission to the commonwealth's public colleges and universities should go to Virginians.

"Our public colleges and universities are created to serve Virginia citizens and other legal residents of this country," he said.

Del. Chris Peace, R-Hanover, co-sponsored the bill, which he described as "common sense."

"If we're already dealing with space issues for Virginians, then we certainly should not be letting people who are here illegally be admitted to our colleges and universities when the sons and daughters of Virginians are having a hard time getting in as well," he said.

Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, a lobbyist for the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations, said the coalition opposed the bill because, among other reasons, it was bad for the economy, it encouraged immigrants to join gangs and it sent a "strong message against inclusion."

"A bill that denies opportunity is a bad bill," she said. "It (HB 262) denies opportunity to a whole set of children who came here with their parents. It punishes children for the decisions their parents made."

Hargrove acknowledged the bill's negative impact on some children of illegal immigrants.

"It's sad, but you can't go picking and choosing," he said. "I grant you that there are some unfortunate circumstances, but I'm not going to willingly water down my legislation. I know it's going to affect some people who are relatively innocent."

Del. Kristen Amundson, D-Fairfax, voted against the bill. She said she heard strong opposition of the bill from the northern Virginia business community.

"It's bad for public education, and it's bad for business," she said.

Gov. Tim Kaine has said he would not sign the bill unless it is amended. His proposed changes include a provision that would allow college admission for immigrants age 18 and older who are in the process of becoming legal residents.

Amundson said she would likely support the bill with Kaine's proposed changes.
Hargrove said he might consider supporting Kaine's changes, but he would have to see them spelled out first.

An editorial in the University of Virginia's student newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, with the headline "Overreaching from Richmond" said, "Without touching on the larger issue of illegal immigration, decisions about whom to admit to colleges should belong to the institutions themselves and not to politicians."

In response to this editorial quote, Hargrove said: "I think that's a lot of b.s. They come down here wanting money. Where does the money come from? It comes from the citizens. You bet your life we've got something to say about it. We set all kinds of rules for our colleges and universities. This is just another one."

Amundson and Gastanaga both said they fully expected the Senate to kill the bill.
Even if the bill is killed, Hargrove said, the issue won't be dead.

"If I live to come back here next year, I'd do it again," he said. "Sometimes you have to do this type of legislation that creates a lot of public interest several times before it gets through."

Posted in Virginia Assembly | Comments Off on Illegal Immigrants

Safety Corridors

Posted on February 22, 2008 by Rachel Beanland

BY ASHLEY MANTON
STAFF WRITER
THE CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

RICHMOND – A bill proposed by Del. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, would raise the minimum fine for excessive speeding in highway safety corridors.

The bill, HB 2763, is currently under review by the House Committee for Courts of Justice after referral from the House Committee on Transportation. A minimum fine of
$500 would be assessed for anyone convicted of driving 20 or more miles per hour above the speed limit in highway safety corridors.

The General Assembly passed a bill in 2003 establishing the corridors, which can be found along three different stretches of two of Virginia's major North/South highways. A 15-mile stretch of Interstate 81 between mile markers 127 and 142 was designated a safety corridor in 2004, and two stretches of Interstate 95, one through Richmond and one through Prince William County, became safety corridors in early 2005.

Criteria for developing a highway safety corridor was established after the Virginia Department of Transportation assessed the crash rates and fatalities of 1,100 miles of interstate highway. Public hearings must be held at least 30 days prior to a corridor's establishment. The criteria required include the vehicle crash rate of the designated area, the types and amount of traffic on the road, and the quality of lighting, the frequencies of speeding violations and the topography of the area.

"Safety corridors on I-95 and I-81 were found to be areas with a lot of crashes, and crashes that caused injuries," said Jeffrey Caldwell, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Transportation. "After going through the analyses and identifying any concerns raised during the public involvement period, we established these corridors to really concentrate our education efforts and enforcement with the Virginia State Police in making a tangible difference in the accidents in these areas."

Although current legislation increases the fines for traffic violations committed within the safety corridors, the fines associated with all traffic infractions that are not criminal offenses in highway safety corridors can be no more than $500. If House Bill 2763 is passed, the mandatory minimum fee for driving more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit will be raised to $500, which will not be eligible for suspension.

According to VDOT, 946 people died and 76,023 were injured during crashes on Virginia highways in 2005. Since highway safety corridors were first enacted in 2004, VDOT has collected data surveying the frequencies of property damage, crashes and fatalities in the corridors, and there have been decreases in the annual totals of fatalities and injuries along the stretches of these designated areas.

"Since the highway safety corridors have been implemented, we have seen a significant reduction in those numbers of crashes," Caldwell said. "We've seen that the awareness of those highway safety corridors causes drivers to change their driving behaviors."

According to Stephen Read, analysis programs manager in the mobility management division of VDOT, the number of crashes throughout the I-95 safety corridors decreased in 2005 by 13 percent. Data for 2006 is still being analyzed.

There are talks of adding more safety corridors to the three that already exist.

Specific traffic violation fines will be determined by whether Hurt is able to push his bill through the House before the crossover period, when the Senate and House can only consider the other chamber's bills.

"We're using these three corridors as programs to see how it goes and monitor the processes," Caldwell said. "There are ongoing efforts still to identify other areas where this tool could be implemented to improve highway safety. That's something we're still investigating."

Although members of the Virginia State Police Department cannot speak about pending legislation, VSPD spokesperson Corinne Gellar said a VSPD motor squad enforces laws in the corridors by targeting traffic on certain days and times.

"Usually police will patrol during high volume traffic time or even sporadically throughout the day to remind the public that enforcement will be stepped up in the area to slow people down," Gellar said.

Posted in Virginia Assembly | Comments Off on Safety Corridors