News :: Washington and Lee University

Pit Bull of 10th Street

Jeff Hanna — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:27:01 +0000

Rick Williams, of Washington and Lee's Class of 1977, has dubbed himself the "pit bull of 10th Street" because of his passionate pursuit of issues in that Roanoke, Va., neighborhood. The Sunday, Feb. 19, edition of the Roanoke Times wrote about Rick's latest efforts to alter the Roanoke landscape. He recently purchased a three-acre plot of land in [...]

Washington and Lee Professor Finds that Reading Fiction Leads to Empathy, Helpful Behavior

Sarah Tschiggfrie — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:07:53 +0000

A study by a Washington and Lee University psychology professor has demonstrated that reading a short work of fiction can lead readers to empathize with the work’s characters, to detect subtle emotional expressions more effectively and to engage in pro-social behavior. Dan Johnson, assistant professor of psychology at Washington and Lee, published the results of [...]

Small World Department

Jeff Hanna — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:37:51 +0000

When Laura Henson, a 2008 graduate of Washington and Lee, began graduate studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) in Monterey, Calif., she found herself in a challenging quantitative-modeling course required for all incoming students. Turns out, her professor was Jim Williams, of W&L's Class of 1980. Laura aced the course. “She got 100 [...]

Top endowments in state now exceed pre-recession levels

Jeff Hanna — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Three Virginia universities with elite endowments have recovered from the recession, and Virginia Commonwealth University wants to join their billion-dollar ranks. The public University of Virginia and the private University of Richmond and Washington and Lee University say their endowments exceed where they were before investments took a hit four years ago.

Six National Titles for Nicki Ross '15

Jeff Hanna — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:15:02 +0000

When Nicki Ross, a member of the Washington and Lee Class of 2015, and her teammate, Corey Delaney, captured the 2012 Girls 18 and Under Junior National Platform Tennis championship in Franklin Lakes, N.J., last month, they compiled a number of firsts. Nicki and Corey, who are from Chatham, N.J., have dominated their age groups in [...]

Ken Auletta Addresses W&L's 12th Institute for Honor

Jeff Hanna — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:50:39 +0000

Ken Auletta, one of America's premier media critics, will present the keynote address to Washington and Lee University's 12th annual Institute for Honor on Friday, March 2, at 4 p.m. in Lee Chapel. The institute is exploring "The New Conversation: How Are the News Media Shaping Our Political Beliefs." The title of Auletta's speech is [...]

W&L Black Lung Clinic Files Amicus Brief in Supreme Court Health Care Case

Peter Jetton — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:54:00 +0000

The Black Lung Clinic at Washington and Lee University's School of law has filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to protect two provisions of the Black Lung Benefits Act that are included in the Affordable Care Act.

Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor on W&L Mock Convention on Fox News

Jeff Hanna — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

After giving his speech to the W&L Mock Convention, House Majority Leader and Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor appeared on Greta van Sustern's show on Fox News.

An Elephant's Memory

Jeff Hanna — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:01:43 +0000

On Valentine's Day, a column in The Lima (Ohio) News headlined "Stray thoughts on life and love" carried the byline of Tom Harrison, of the Washington and Lee Class of 1983, a reporter with that newspaper. The second part of the two-part column was a love letter to the W&L Mock Convention and especially to [...]

As colleges obsess over rankings, students shrug

Jeff Hanna — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

When US News & World Report debuted its list of "America's Best Colleges" nearly 30 years ago, the magazine hoped its college rankings would be a game-changer for students and families. But arguably, they've had a much bigger effect on colleges themselves.

College Endowments: Why Even Harvard Isn’t as Rich as You Think

Jeff Hanna — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

We all assume schools are sitting on a big pile of cash that they could use to lower tuition. Here's why that's not true.

Questioning college

Jeff Hanna — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Economy, rising debt prompt new attitudes about necessity of a degree, though studies show benefits, including not-so-obvious ones.

Claremont McKenna's inflated scores bring new scrutiny to college rankings

Jeff Hanna — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Claremont McKenna College reported that an admissions dean inflated freshman SAT scores for six years to boost its standing in U.S. News.

Beyond SATs, Finding Success in Numbers

Jeff Hanna — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Today the Posse Foundation selects about 600 students a year, from eight different cities. They are grouped into posses of 10 students from the same city and go together to an elite college; about 40 colleges now participate in the program.

Gifts to Colleges Rose 8.2% in 2011, Survey Finds

Jeff Hanna — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0000

After two lackluster years, donations to U.S. colleges and universities rose last year by a healthy 8.2 percent, to an estimated $30.3-billion, according to a report by the Council for Aid to Education.