February 27, 2008NIU will tear it downNorthern Illinois University plans to tear down Cole Hall, where a former student killed five NIU students and then killed himself. Va. Tech decided not to tear down Norris Hall, the scene of most of the killing done the Tech campus on April 16, 2007. February 26, 2008Radford celebrates Women's History monthRadford University's celebration of Women's History Month begins Friday. Author Wilma Dunaway will lecture on "Never Safe in the Family Way: Challenging the Dominant Paradigm in U.S. Slavery Studies" at 4 p.m. in Hurlburt Auditorium. A complete list of happenings is here. February 25, 2008Hokie Cheer competitionIf the beach, tanned bodies and blaring sun of Panama gets too much for you during Spring Break, bust out the video camera and create a cheer for the Hokies. Starting March 10 (the day Spring Break ends), Hokie fans will be able to submit their homemade cheers to a YouTube group for a chance to have that cheer featured at football games in the fall. A panel of students will choose winners and award them prizes. Those winners are slated to be picked by April 19, in time for the spring football game. Ultimately, Virginia Tech's athletic committee, including Athletic Director Jim Weaver, will review the top entries. And, if they fit the "Hokie Respect," campaign and can be conform with the band and cheerleaders, a new Hokie Chant could be born. The cheers must be original and refrain from vulgarity. Pretty much anything that wouldn't violate the Hokies Respect policy. February 23, 2008Hokies on IceI checked out Virginia Tech's ice hockey team beat the skates off the University of Virginia last night at the ACC Hockey League tournament. The Hokies won 10-1, in what I thought had to be the highest-scoring hockey game ... ever. Tech takes on Duke tonight at 6 in the Roanoke Civic Center. From my experiences at the games, not a lot of people know about this club sport. The ones who do are loud and opinionated. The rants can do nothing but help you learn about the sport. For $10 you can see two hockey games, and while the refs are fairly stringent on the checking, fights do erupt. Watch video: February 22, 2008Photos document college transitionA rotting pumpkin, Wes Anderson film fest and half-naked protester are all a tell-all of sorts to the student experience. At least that's the idea behind a new exhibit at the University of Washington's Odegaard Undergraduate Library. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, a group of about eight freshmen took a photography assignment that peered into their first-year lives and now it's on temporary display. If you had to choose, what would the definitive freshman-year shots be to document your college life? Let us know here
Virginia Tech researchers study effects of April 16 shootings
Hundreds of people from the Virginia Tech community gathered for a candlelight vigil Monday to honor Northern Illinois students killed in a shooting there. I spoke with one of the researchers, psychology professor Jim Hawdon, today. Research has established that communities become closer after tragedies, such as Sept. 11. But what makes the work of Hawdon and his colleague John Ryan so unique is that they were studying the topic of community involvement and social capital of the Tech community before the shootings, giving them a serendipitous basis for comparison. Continue reading "Virginia Tech researchers study effects of April 16 shootings" » February 21, 2008A dearth of conservativesIt's generally accepted that there are hardly any conservatives in academics. February 20, 2008Wear red and blackRadford University wants everyone attending tonight's basketball game against UNC-Asheville to wear red and black -- the colors of Northern Illinois University. Members of the Virginia Highlands Pipe & Drum Band will play “Amazing Grace” just before the game, followed by a moment of silence to honor the victims and to show support for the NIU community in the wake of last week's on campus shooting that left five students dead. February 19, 2008RU West is going on the auction blockThe Radford University Real Estate Foundation is set to auction RU West, the former St. Albans property, in May. February 18, 2008RU responds to NIUHere's the announcement from the RU Web site: Radford University has sent a condolence message to our colleagues at Northern All members of the Radford University community are encouraged to wear red and We will observe a moment of silence on Wednesday evening in the Dedmon Center Two more RU candidatesMeet Ian Davison, candidate for founding dean of the College of Science and Technology Wednesday, Feb. 20, from 11 a.m. until noon and Feb. 21, from 9:15 until 10:15 a.m. in Hurlburt Hall Auditorium. February 14, 2008George Washingon who?Yes, there’s an institute for just about everything. This time, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute has found that today’s college student may not be all that prepared to select our next commander-in-chief. They’re pushing research completed this fall as many students take part in their first presidential elections. The closest school to us to take part in the survey was the University of Virginia, who scored pretty well (must the Thomas Jefferson thing). The youth vote is constantly up for debate. So, let’s do that. Give us your thoughts on how well prepared you are to choose leadership. Undying supportNow you can wear you school colors into the great beyond -- not by being buried in an authentic repica jersey sporting your alma mater's star's number -- by having the school's logo on your coffin. In Georgia, anyway. I've seen Va. Tech logos on toilet seats (which apparently isn't OK in Georgia) but not coffins. Cheer contest still in worksBack before holiday break, we wrote about two Virginia Tech students who jumped on an idea to help replace the beleagured "Stick it In" chant. Ken Stanton, a student on the athletics committee of the Graduate Student Assembly and Adam Kress, an undergrad student government leader, plan to unveil complete details of their cheering contest sometime between Feb. 25 and Feb. 29, Stanton said this week.. Stanton's original idea for the contest, which he said he discussed with Athletic Director Jim Weaver, is to have members of the Hokie Nation send in their own cheers. Weaver has said that "Stick it In" will not be revamped, but rather a replacement chant is needed. Weaver's department would have final say over the cheer, he said. February 12, 2008Another potential deanReza Kamali, a candidate to become the founding dean of Radford University's College of Science and Technology, will be on campus Feb. 13 and 14. Move over White House hopefulsStudents at New River Community College are taking today (and the biggest part of Wednesday) to choose senators and a treasurer for the Student Government Association. Students (even part-timers it seems) can vote via their Blackboard connection. You'll get little bios of each of the candidates. Polls close at 6 p.m. tomorrow. But, most importantly, and for whatever reason, they want to know who you're hoping will wind up in the White House. Winners of the student races will be announced on Thursday (maybe they'll get some chocolate hearts, too). We'll have to wait a bit longer for the latter, though. February 11, 2008Forever facebookApparently, it's a little more difficult to erase your presence on Facebook than you may have thought. The New York Times said it took one man two months to remove his info, and even then, a reporter found him. Perhaps this should be a lesson for you folks who worry about life after college. Then again, I did just reopen a 10-year-old hotmail account, so maybe it's the same thing. February 8, 2008Lousiana students kills two, selfA Louisiana Technical College student has killed two of her classmates and herself. Here's one report Appalachian Awareness DayThat's pronounced apple-at'-cha. Radford University's annuanl Appalachian Awareness Day is Feb. 15. Everything is in the auditorium at the Bonnie -- also known as Hurlburt Hall. Things begin at 10 a.m. with storytelling by Jerry Vencil. At 11 a.m. there's a lecture by Mary Anne Hitt, an anti-mountaintop removal activist. There's music at noon, featuring RU's own: Ricky Cox, Ben Gilmer and Marshall Page. At 1 p.m. there's more music from The Wolfe Brothers String Band. Andrenna Belcher tells more stories at 2 p.m. And at 3 p.m., there's more music from Olen Smythers and Friends.
One more dean candidateThere will be open forums featuring Gary Johnson, candidate for dean of the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences, next week. The faculty open forums are scheduled for Feb. 11, 3p.m. to 4 p.m., and Feb. 12, 11 a.m.-noon. Students get their shot on Feb. 11, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. They're all in the Bonnie auditorium. Teach for MadameA group of Virginia Tech students plans to spend the next few Wednesdays teaching elementary school students French. The Teach for Madame after-school program honors slain professor Jocelyne Couture-Nowak. The instructors for the hourlong lessons include former students as well as some who were in the classroom with her on April 16. The idea is two-fold: giving Tech students a chance to give back as part of the VT Engage program, and to continue Couture-Nowak's legacy of working with youth. We'll be at the next lesson at Harding Elementary so check the Roanoke Times for more about it. February 6, 2008RU SGA leader quits ... againFor the second time this year, Radford University has a new student government leader. Regis McKoy, who took over as SGA president in the fall after the previous president quit the post, cited personal reasons for the change. McKoy said Wednesday that he was, "OK." Matt Shelor, who had acted as chief of staff, has been appointed president. McKoy has said he supports Shelor.
Another deanOpen forums for Judy Niehaus, candidate for dean of Radford University's College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences are almost here. (She's the interim dean, by the way.) Hokies flock to RichmondA group of about 20 Virginia Tech students was expected to lobby in Richmond today in favor of carrying concealed weapons on campus. Ken Stanton, a graduate student at Tech and member of the school's Graduate Student Assembly, said the student government associations chartered a van to take the group to the capital last night. Stanton and other traveled there on MLK day for another round of lobbying. February 4, 2008Warner at the BonnieIn a visit sponsored by the Young Democrats, former Gov. Mark Warner will speak and then invite questions from the audience in the dining area in the Bonnie at 9:45 a.m. Tuesday Feb. 5. Warner will also acknowledge the achievements of a pair of Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award recipients, Drs. Cliff and Donna Boyd. R.J. Kirk: Outstanding Industrialist
Meet the candidateJ. Orion Rogers, candidate for dean of the College of Science and Technology, will be holding open forums Tuesday, Feb. 5, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. RU day in Richmond
“The trip to Richmond was a great success,” Norleen Pomerantz, vice president for student affairs, said in a release. "The delegates and senators asked us great questions about Radford University and our students learned about the legislative process.” And President Kyle got a hug from the governor. Hokie Effect sloganThose hokies love their contests (hey, who doesn't?) Here's another one: Picking the Hokie Effect slogans. In about half an hour, voting will open on what the Orange and Maroon Effect slogans should be for 2008. Cast your ballot here by Feb. 15. Apparently, the winer takes home $200. Good luck! Plate pokes fun of UVAShortly after Virginia Tech's 72-65 overtime win over University of Virginia on Saturday, I saw the most appropriate thing on Tom's Creek Road. License Plate: UVALOL. I wish I had a better description, but I was so fixated on the plates that I ignored the rest. With the prevalence of personalized plates out there, I'd welcome others. Send them here. Happy hunting! February 1, 2008Student arrogance studiedIf you're tired of your parents complaining that you're too self-absorbed, throw this their way. A professor at the University of Western Ontario has found that today's college students and youth are just as arrogant as those from the past 25 years. According to reports on the research, Dr. Kali Trzesniewski studied more than 26,000 California college kids over the past couple of decades, then compared them with high-school students. The surveys found about the same rate of self-absorbtion then and now. The study has been published in the February edition of Psychological Science Tech working on April 16 artifacts collectionSome of the more than 87,000 items of condolence that poured into Virginia Tech after the shooting in April are on display in a temporary digital archive, but the university and its libraries are working to complete a permanent collection. In June, officials at both Tech and Rutgers University helped to organize the temporary site. Find out more about the plans here. |
About this blog
Rhode Island native and Virginia Tech reporter Greg Esposito posts on everyday college life, trends and issues affecting the 35,000-plus students in the New River Valley and beyond.
Tim Thornton, who is old enough to have children attending college, is still taking classes and is still fascinated by colleges, the students who populate them and the bureaucrats who operate them. His reporting beat is Radford University.
West Virginia native Anna Mallory blogs on student life topics at Virginia Tech, Radford University, New River Valley Community College -- and beyond.
.....Advertisement.....
|
...Advertisement...
...Advertisement...
Thirty two Radford University students, RU President Penelope W. Kyle, some faculty, staff and members of the board of visitors went to Richmond last week to tell legislators what a great job RU is doing and how much help it needs from the General Assembly to keep it up.
