April 30, 2008What does GI Bill rally mean?A day after hundreds of veterans and lawmakers rallied on the Capitol steps in favor of the 21st Century GI Bill, no one knows when it will actually be given a vote. Lots of people have been behind it though. According to a news release from the Speaker of the House, the bipartisan legislation has 58 co-sponsors in the Senate and 249 co-sponsors in the House, as well as the endorsements of the nation's leading veterans' organizations. I also attended a conference this weekend where Patrick Campbell, legislative director of the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, spoke about the need for the bill. He pretty much echoed the thoughts of these local students, too. What do you think? April 29, 2008Firearms survey still availableMembers of Virginia Tech's Students for Concealed Carry still want people to respond to the survey they created for Firearms Education Week. It's open until 11:59 on April 30. Apparently, about 80 percent of the respondents are in favor of carrying on campus, says Ken Stanton, an organizer. He's encouraging those against concealed carry to respond. Do that here. April 9, 2008My sister, your bitchWhen's the last time you called a woman a bitch and why? That's the question two Virginia Tech men ducked last night at the "Candid Confab: My sister, your bitch" talk show in Haymarket Theater. The show, sponsored by the People's Coalition and hosted by Tech student Jamel Toms, was designed to start a conversation about racism and sexism and featured a five-person panel. Here's one take on it. What's yours? So, out with it. When is the last time you referred to someone as a bitch? Why? Another new deanRU has snagged another one. The press release: RU Names New Dean for College of Humanities and Behavorial Sciences Radford University has hired an author and scholar to be the new Dean of the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences effective July 1, 2008. "Radford clearly has the administrative vision and the faculty commitment to become a national model of a comprehensive university focused on student achievement," Conniff said. "The College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences has a strong faculty committed to both teaching and scholarship. The structure of the college and the interests of the faculty will provide many opportunities for innovative collaboration across disciplines." Conniff earned his B.A. in psychology from Rutgers University, his M.A. in English from the University of Scranton, and his Ph.D. in English from the University of Notre Dame. Conniff is the author of a book on modern poetry and is currently completing a book on race, morality, and the law in contemporary American prison writing. He has published research on American, British, Irish, and Latin American literature, as well as literacy, service-learning, and higher education. His articles have appeared in a wide range of leading journals, including American Literature, Modern Fiction Studies, Religion and Literature, and The Journal of Reading. RU to offer Arabic coursesRadford plans to offer a couple classes in Arabic languages next year, according to a announcement out today. Arabic and Chinese have become hot languages at schools across the nation. Even the folks in Nebraska are getting in on the action, although Spanish and French are still the favorites, people in the know say. The Voice of America says interest sparked after the Sept. 11 attacks. I've written about the surge of languages in the past, even in high schools, and I'm always amazed at people who point to the attacks a reason to take a language. Either way, the class could mean a lot. Who knows? Maybe even high school students could take it online. Tell me, what other courses should schools around these parts be offering? April 7, 2008Police: No choice to use teargasPolice said they were forced to use teargas on a crowd at the annual spring party near Michigan State's campus yesterday. Here's some local coverage of it all. Blacksburg solicits student inputHave something you'd like to see in downtown Blacksburg? The town wants to hear from you -- Virginia Tech students, staff and faculty. The Town Gown Community Relations Committee plans to discuss the happenings in town on Wednesday. The round table starts at 8 p.m. in the Graduate Life Center. Town administrators, including comprehensive planners, will be on hand. You can check out more 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.
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