COVERING THE CAVS
Going into Thursday night’s game vs. Clemson, Virginia was undefeated in its first four games and ranked 10th nationally in the Associated Press poll. Yet the team rarely cracked the front page of the Sports section — dominted, when it comes to college football, by the 23rd ranked Terrapins of the University of Maryland and the Hokies of Virginia Tech, who did not make the top 25. And the U.Va. Cavaliers never seem to merit one of those nice and newsy inside features called Terrapins Notebook or Hokies Notebook. Now the team is No. 6, and finally getting some coverage from the Washington Post. (Washington Post, Oct. 10)

U.VA. STUDENTS HELP HOMELESS REGISTER TO VOTE
This November, some people will take time from searching for food and shelter to show up at the voting booth, according to three U.Va. students who brought registration forms to the Salvation Army last week to promote voting. The effort to get homeless people registered has worked, according to Sherri Iachetta, Charlottesville’s registrar. “Tons” of people have been registered to the Salvation Army address, as well as a few to Belmont Bridge. The University students, members of the Informed Voters Foundation, said that they hope to get the message out that just because you’re homeless doesn’t mean that you don’t have the right to vote. (Daily Progress, Oct.4)

SCHOOL ARCHITECTS BUILD ON IDEAS TO HELP BOLSTER STUDENT LEARNING
Architects have a role in designing schools that encourage strong academic performance, though they need to do a better job selling school administrators and the public on their ideas. This was one of the messages delivered to about 100 school architects and district facility planners, who met Sept. 26-28 for a twice-yearly conference sponsored by the Washington-based American Institute of Architects to discuss ways that architecture can influence learning. Two U.Va. faculty members working on a school leadership project for principals in 10 schools across the state presented the conference attendees with scenarios in which schools were undergoing dramatic leadership and academic changes. Under the scenarios they presented, the structurally sound buildings needed quick physical changes to impress upon students, staff members and parents that a transformation was under way. (Education Week, Oct. 6)

ADULT STEM CELLS FROM DISCARDED FAT MAY ONE DAY COMBAT DISEASE
Members of the International Fat Applied Technology Society, including researchers at U.Va., gathered in Pittsburgh earlier this month to discuss how they might someday recycle adult stem cells captured from a patient’s discarded fat to replace diseased cartilage, muscle and bone. The scientists want to turn unwanted fleshy jiggles into new treatments and bring new appreciation to the term “love handles.” According to one estimate, a pint of liposuctioned fat can yield up to 200 million adipose-derived adult stem cells ready to renew and revitalize. (Richmond Times-Dispatch, Oct. 6)