COLLEGIATETIMES
tuesday february 19, 2008 blacksburg, va.
www.collegiatetimes.com
news TECH NOT AFFECTED BY MEAT RECALL
Tech gathers to honor Huskies
Westland/Hallmark Meat Company, based in California, issued a recall of 143 million pounds of meat on Feb. 17, the largest beef recall in history. The Department of Agriculture officials announced that some of this beef was used in school lunch programs. According to Virginia Tech Dining Services, the meat served in the Tech dining halls was not affected by the recall. Kenneth Belcher, associate director for occupancy management, spoke with Robert Coffey, senior associate director of Dining Services, and said that to their knowledge, “none of our meat is affected by this at all.” The recall comes after a widening animal-abuse scandal that started after the Humane Society of the United States distributed an undercover video that showed workers kicking sick cows and using forklifts to force them to walk.
sports TINCHER DRAFTED BY AKRON RACERS Senior AllAmerican pitcher Angela Tincher was selected by the Akron Racers Tincher with the third overall pick of the 2008 National Pro Fastpitch draft on Monday. Tincher finished the 2007 season with a record of 38-7 and a 0.56 ERA—lowest in the country. Tincher will be able to compete for Akron once she has completed the 2008 season as a member of Virginia Tech’s softball team.
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Students join together in singing ‘Amazing Grace’ on Alumni Mall for a candelight vigil in rememberance of the students killed at Northern Illinois University last week.
STUDENTS GATHERED ON ALUMNI MALL LAST NIGHT TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF THE FIVE NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY STUDENTS KILLED THURSDAY T. REES SHAPIRO
ct news reporter Framed beneath the archway of Torgersen Bridge, a thousand candles dotted the Alumni Mall last night for a vigil dedicated to the Northern Illinois students who died in the shooting that occurred on Valentine’s Day. Tech, a community still overcoming the emotions from almost a year ago, gathered to offer the Huskies support and comfort. Through icy eyes and frozen fingertips, Virginia Tech President Charles Steger reiterated his views of the compassion Tech students have conveyed toward their Northern Illinois counterparts. “The resiliency and commitment of our student body was something that was extraordinary in April,” Steger said. “And I think that their ability to convey this to the folks at Northern Illinois is also admirable.” During the ceremony, Hokies United president
ON THE WEB VIDEO: check out a video of the vigil on our Web site, www.collegiatetimes.com Scott Cheatham, Student Government President Adeel Kahn and Steger all offered their words of encouragement to those suffering from the recent events at the DeKalb campus. A group of students chanted, “Let’s go,” followed by the crowd chanting, “Huskies,” five times in honor of the five fallen. Several rounds of ‘Amazing Grace,’ at one point lead by Steger, reverberated against the Hokie Stone arch. Freshman Catherine Christensen wasn’t enrolled at Tech last April, but was inspired by the amount of spirit and vigilance displayed by the Tech community in the days and weeks that followed. Now that she’s here, she expressed her desire to join her new school as a part of the gathering in order to grieve for the Huskies and the Hokies.
“I just really wanted to be a part of campus here in remembering NIU, and grieving with everyone because it’s probably going to be a reciprocating process of remembering April,” Christensen said. “I just wanted to be a part of it, mourn and just be with everyone. It’s a really tough time for everyone.” A half black, half red painted Hokie Stone was displayed at the April 16 memorial for the past few days, and will shortly be taken up to Illinois for the NIU campus. Steger was a leading force in expressing his appreciation toward the community for meeting in honor of the Northern Illinois students. “It reinvigorates my confidence and hope for what the next generation of men and women can do here,” Steger said. “Our students are great people … and everybody has reached out to Northern Illinois and we will certainly do anything we possibly can to help, because we, more than anybody else, understand what they’re going through.”
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Laura Greenfield, a junior psychology major, attended yesterday’s vigil on Alumni Mall.
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corrections “Tech creates digital memory bank for April 16,” (CT, Feb. 14) had a mistake. The third paragraph should read, “This Internet database is supported by the (College of) Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and is under the normal operating budget.” “Deet’s coffee college: Journey to center of bean,” (CT, Feb. 15) was incorrect. This semester includes another coffee college, called “Trips to Origin and the importance of relationships with growers.” This class will be held April 8 and will showcase trips to Selva Negra, Nicaragua and La Minita, Cost Rica. The Collegiate Times regrets these errors.
coming up TOMORROW’S CT Check out a profile featuring one of Tech’s new football signees, Vinson Painter.
Log on and check out photo gallery from last night’s candlelight vigil honoring Northern Illinois University.
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An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 105th year • issue 21
Studies assess Squires safety concerns ASHLEY OLIVER
ct associate news editor Squires Student Center is currently undergoing assessment to determine how much construction will be necessary for the building to remain a safe locale for classes, organizations, dining and entertainment. “We’ve conducted some studies just to assess the condition of the building,” said David Coon, assistant director of renovations and new construction. “We’ve got several studies on-going.” Although there wasn’t one single event that prompted these studies, which began in 2006, the University Unions and Student Activities felt it was necessary to evaluate the building. “We knew that there were some problems within the facility,” said Julie Walters-Steele, director of renovations and new construction. “We’re also doing the interior design study. There has been no real update on the interior furnishings since the last renovation that was completed in 1990.” Greg Beecher, associate director for administrative services of UUSA, referred to Squires’ interior as “a little outdated” and said “that mixed with some needs for better use of our facility is really what’s driving the whole idea.” One of the primary reasons for the latest wave of construction was that renovations done from 1988 to1990 did not follow certain protocols. “Some of the studies have identified some areas of concern from the original constructions, but I can’t say that that would be untypical of any renovation project of this size,” Coon said. Walters-Steele agreed. “There were some things that the contractor didn’t follow; architectural specifications that have led to some problems,” Walters-Steele said. “My understanding is that there was not an opportunity, and currently (there) isn’t an opportunity to hold them accountable.” One issue, for example, was that there was no flashing initially put under capstones, which would have helped prevent moisture intrusion. During the studies held thus far, the UUSA determined that there were critical damages, such as the flashing issue, that had to be taken care of posthaste. “We’re going to be using some of our maintenance reserve funding to correct some of the problems that we know we need to correct immediately, that
Student given expired birth control at local pharmacy STUDENT FILES COMPLAINT WITH THE VIRGINIA STATE BOARD OF PHARMACY AFTER GETTING EXPIRED MEDICATION KERRY O’CONNOR
ct news reporter
SALLY BULL/SPPS
Construction to address critical safety issues within Squires Student Center are currently in process, while additional renovations are expected to begin during the fall semester. have some urgency,” Walters-Steele said. “We may have to dip into our operating reserves on some of the safety issues. Other issues include sealing windows and replacing air-paneling units.“Some of the security issues too – we are going to be replacing the front doors and the side doors on Henderson Lawn just because those doors have become difficult to secure, so we want to make sure we get those replaced,” WaltersSteele said. “Things like that will take priority.” While these are all current repairs, UUSA is hoping to gain capital funding where it can be supported by an outside architecture firm for further, less vital renovations. “That would have to be approved by the Board of Trustees, and that can take a long
time just to get approved,” Walters-Steele said. In the mean time, all the critical issues found during the study have been and are continuing to be addressed. The interior redesigning of Squires is also currently being charted with the help of students’ input. “As far as the interior design and trying to update that, we’re planning to set up a couple model meeting rooms with new furniture, new technologies, and things that students have requested in focus groups,” Walters-Steele said. The interior remodeling is also seeking funding as part of the capital project, Beecher said. Either way, he hopes the new changes will begin as soon as fall 2008.
A Virginia Tech student claimed on Jan. 24 that she was given expired medication from the Kroger Pharmacy located on University City Boulevard. Paige Einstein, a senior human nutrition foods and exercise major, claimed she received Ortho Evra, a birth-control medication, that had been expired for nine months. “The date just caught my eye for some reason,” Einstein said. “I could have gotten pregnant.” Like Einstein, many students use off-campus pharmacies rather than using Tech’s Schiffert Pharmacy. Einstein said she had been going to Kroger to fill her prescription for two years because it was cheaper with her outside insurance and conveniently where she did her grocery shopping. “Usually this doesn’t happen,” said Elizabeth Scott Russell, executive director of the Virginia State Board of Pharmacy. “It’s obviously a violation of the law; expired medication can’t be dispensed legally.” Russell explained the procedure for complaints against specific pharmacies and pharmacists. Most of the time, pharmacies deal with expired medication by offering refunds. Sometimes, if the Virginia State Board of Pharmacy receives a complaint
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