Wanted: teachers of all types
Educators throughout the state say Virginia public schools continue to experience difficulties filling vacant teacher positions, while classes continue to be overcrowded and teachers continue to be overworked.
“About seven years ago, we all assumed there would be a teacher shortage because people who had been in the classroom for 20 and 25 years would be retiring, and we weren’t sure there would be enough teachers to replace them,” said Leila Christenbury, chair of VCU’s Department of Teaching and Learning.
Weird News
Elderly lawn care
Seventy-two-year-old Paul Mueller took his daughter and son-in-law to court in an attempt to force them to cut his grass. The two had been living with the man who argued that he was too old to cut the grass. The judge dismissed the case, saying the old man should be responsible for his own lawn care.
Forget your parking decal?
The parking and transportation office can be reached 24/7. Subscribers who forget their hanging decals can call the office to avoid a ticket anytime of the day or night.
Officials with the parking and transportation office and the business services department said submitting information right away helps avoid a ticket.
Campus group’s adviser shares her passion with others
“God told me to come here,” said Nicole Schutte while discussing her reason for coming to America. Since becoming a Christian 10 years ago in South Africa, Schutte said she has been listening to God’s voice.
A student mentor at VCU through Victory Campus Ministry for five years, Schutte left South Africa for America with the pastor who spoke at her church in Johannesburg while on a mission trip with college students in summer 1998.
VCU to offer new Bioinformatics major
Bioinformatics = the combination of biology and computer science.
If that interests you as a student, then go see Hershchell Emery, director of undergraduate curricula for life sciences, in the Eugene P. and Lois E. Trani Center for the Life Sciences.
“It’s the first undergraduate major in bioinformatics in Virginia,” Emery said.
Your Turn: Letters to the Editor
In defense of VCU
Dear Editor,
This letter is in response to John Hewitt’s Mar. 28 letter entitled “Why I came to VCU.” Although I agree that Richmond – like other major cities – does have its violent sections, I reject the implication that VCU itself is unsafe.
Opinion in Brief
End of a great man
The death of Pope John Paul II this week – or Karol Wojtyla as Poland knew him before he was elevated to the rank of Pope – marks the passing of an era. Was there ever a Pope in history who was so universally admired, so faithful in living up to the ideals of his faith?
Religion and the environment
As Earth Day 2005 approaches, I feel it relevant to note that the seeming majority of Christians invariably insert a specific caveat whenever quoting passages from the Bible which condemn the taking of life. Perhaps you know of the caveat to which I refer.
End of a political exploit
One of the most polarizing political events in the modern history of America came to an end last Thursday in Pinellas Park, Florida as Terri Schiavo passed away. As the eyes of America’s media examined this battle of the law between the government and the courts, the most vocal critics were extremist members of the Religious Right.