On campus
Student-athletes give back to towns The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's volunteer outreach service program has been a leader in volunteer work in the community, according to The Allston-Brighton TAB. Almost 500 of the 720 student-athletes have been a part of SAAC-sponsored events, which range from hospital visits to food drives. Athletes have visited the Franciscan Hospital for Children in Brighton and the Children's Hospital of Boston. They are holding fund-raising raffles and bake sales to purchase a television set for the recreation room at the Franciscan Hospital for Children. Also, canned goods were collected in the first Thanksgiving food drive, with 655 pounds coming from the women's ice hockey team.
Kronos makes online comeback University employees can now use the Internet to record work hours or approve timecards. In an effort to bring all departments onto the web, Human Resources has made the Kronos system available in Agora. With Java installed, employees can sign into Agora and click on "Employee Time Reporting." Depending on the department, times can be viewed or changed. Over winter break, managers were trained in operating the program on the web, employees upon return. "The changes have been going very well," said Diane Cronin, timekeeper at the Human Resources Service Center.
Local
Newton are renovations postponed The Board of Aldermen decided to postpone a vote backing plans to renovate Needham Street, according to The Newton TAB. Some aldermen were displeased about not receiving copies of the plans, while others voiced concerns about omissions in drawings, such as a proposed traffic light in front of the entrance to the Avalon Bay apartment complex. The traffic light would be built between a light at the intersection of Winchester and Dedham Streets and one other at Tower Road. Alderman Christine Samuelson opposes the traffic light and noted that already slow-moving traffic would become more problematic with the plans approval.
Residents lobby for sound barrier Residents of Allston who live along the section of Lincoln Street parallel to the Massachusetts Turnpike have lobbied for a sound barrier for years, according to The Allston-Brighton TAB. The state agency in charge of the highway has not made the barrier its top priority. This year, the MTA has made plans to repave a section of the highway located in between the Newton and Allston-Brighton tolls. Officials from Allston have proposed that the barrier along Lincoln Street will be a part of this project. MTA Chairman Mattew J. Amorello met with legislators from Allston to discuss plans for construction of the sounds barrier.
Universities
Texas admissions exclude ethnicity State universities in Texas will no longer factor ethnicity into the student admissions process if a new Texas House Bill passes, according to The Daily Texan. House Bill 589 would not allow state agencies to specifically mentioning state universities obtain racial information from its citizens. "Currently the state mandates that we collect this kind of information," said Michael Orr, associate director of admissions at the University of Texas. "If we didn't have racial information, we wouldn't be able to consider that variable or the racial equality of the University." If passed, the bill would go into effect at the beginning of the next school year.
U. of Chicago sets up school in Britain This summer, the University of Chicago will become the first American college to set up a campus in Britain, according to The Telegraph. The department will allow British graduates to study for their masters degree from the University's business school in London, which is relocating from Barcelona after 10 years there. The program will recruit about 90 grad students for a 20-month course, costing participants about $65,000. "Our competitors will not confine their activities to their own borders. Just as some British universities have become multinational, with branches or franchise operations abroad, so foreign universities will be setting up in the UK," said professor Ivor Crewe, president of Universities UK.
Nation Couple fights ban on gay marriage One homosexual couple in Santa Anna, Calif. is fighting the law that bans gay marriage, according to MSNBC News. Currently, California and federal laws ban same-sex marriages. Only marriages between men and women are recognized as legitimate. The lawsuit was filed by Christopher Hammer and Arthur Smelt. After hearing the case, the judge announced that he would not declare an immediate ruling, but would take time to consider all aspects of the case. In 1997, the two had a personal commitment service. But when applying for a marriage license in Orange County last year, they were turned down. Groups advocating banning gay marriage argue that the couple has not proved that its constitutional rights have been violated.
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