COLLEGIATETIMES
friday march 28, 2008 blacksburg, va.
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Athletic success leads to admissions
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Universities, has spoken out against the premise behind the Flutie Effect, labeling it a myth. Warren’s reasoning is that a successful season on the playing field only translates to a one-year bump in applications, often not increasing the applicant pool. Pope, however, said that his research shows an increased pool with students possessing both low and high SAT scores. “A school can exploit that by enrolling more, or being more selective to improve their incoming freshman class,” Jaren Pope said. Additionally, Pope said it is almost impossible to accurately identify the impact that a successful sports program has over a one- or two-year period. Pope’s research covers a 19-year period, enabling the studies to show the increase as well as the stability that followed.
Students who were enjoying an unusually warm day on campus yesterday saw an odd event: an Army helicopter landing on the Drillfield. “It just started landing … I started to run away because I was scared,” said Heather Harris, a sophomore ACIS major. Harris was sitting at a table on the Drillfield selling raffle tickets to raise money for Pi Sigma Epsilon. The helicopter was transporting Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp, a three-star general. Antwerp was coming to campus as a part of the “Leaders in Action” series, sponsored by the Corps of Cadets, a representative from Col. Rock Roszak’s office said. Antwerp delivered a speech to the Cadets, and ate dinner with a select group of Corps members last night. The helicopter landed on the Drillfield shortly before 2:30 p.m. Witnesses said they saw four or five men get out of the helicopter, look at the April 16 memorial, and then get back in and took off. The helicopter was on the ground for less than two minutes. According to the Virginia Tech Montgomery County Executive Airport, the helicopter was scheduled to land at the airport, but not on any other area of campus. “It incorrectly and inappropriately landed on the Drillfield,” said Larry Hincker, university spokesman. “It was supposed to go to the airport, and for reasons not entirely clear to us, it landed here.” Though the helicopter was on the ground for less than one minute, the sudden landing in the middle of campus made more than a few people uncomfortable. “It came just long enough to mess us up,” said Susan Anderson, the faculty adviser for Womanspace. Womanspace was sponsoring the “Clothesline Project,” which was being displayed on the Drillfield this week. When the helicopter landed, the strong winds caused the “Clothesline” display to blow over in several places. It also caused problems
see EFFECT, page two
see HELICOPTER, page two
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COMPANIES CANCEL FLIGHTS DALLAS — American Airlines and Delta Air Lines canceled flights Thursday from their fleets of McDonnell Douglas aircraft after planes from the MD-80 were grounded for reinspection. American said Thursday that it had canceled 141 flights. Tim Smith, a spokesman for the carrier, said the “overwhelming majority” of passengers would be re-accommodated on other flightS. Delta said it expects to cancel 275 flights through early Friday as it inspects its 117 airplanes. “Based on the aggressive and proactive re-inspection schedule, Delta expects inspections to be complete on approximately 70 percent of its MD-88 fleet by early evening, with normal operations planned by early Friday,” Delta said in a statement. — McClatchy Newspapers
BEN MACDONALD/COLLEGIATE TIMES
CALEB FLEMING
ct news reporter Fraternal researchers Jaren and Devin Pope recently completed their study of the impact of college sports success on admissions, finding that the number of applications increases between 2 percent and 8 percent for the top 20 football schools and top 16 basketball schools each year. The variation in the percentages can be attributed to the schools’ rankings in their respective sports. For example, the team finishing first in either sport will likely experience the 8 percent applicant pool increase, whereas the schools finishing 16th or 20th will see the 2 percent rise. Dubbed the “Flutie Effect,” the research is based on the 30 percent application increase in the two years after Doug Flutie’s Hail Mary
pass gave Boston College a win over defending national champion Miami in 1984. Jaren Pope, an assistant professor in the agriculture department at Tech, has been working on the research project since the idea was originally pitched in 2004. The brothers gathered information from approximately 330 colleges and universities nationwide between 1983 and 2002. This included every American institution that has an NCAA Division I football or basketball team with the ability to play for a national championship. Among those studied was Virginia Tech. Their findings, forthcoming in the Southern Economic Journal, also shows contrast between private and public universities. Private schools showed a 5 percent increase in applicants, compared to 3 percent among public schools. David Warren, the president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and
Capitol building will fly flags from Blacksburg Baptist Church
weather SCATTERED T-STORMS high 68, low 42
WEATHER AND VANDALISM PROMPTED BLACKSBURG BAPTIST TO TAKE DOWN THE MEMORIAL HONORING APRIL 16 VICTIMS
corrections “Graduate lounge opens in Newman Library,” (CT, March 26) had a mistake. The writer’s name is Kirsten Gravely. “Frank Beamer to assist with management lecture,” (CT, March 27) misattributed a quote. “He is definitely a campus celebrity figure, so the idea of having a class with Coach Beamer would attract a lot of students,” (Eide said.) “Tech designers to visit Milan furniture fair,” (CT, March 27) was incorrect. There are 11 students who will be showcased. “Take Back the Night is no longer just for women,” (CT, March 27) should have had the full name of SAVES as Sexual Assault and Violence Education by Students. The Collegiate Times regrets these errors.
GORDON BLOCK
ct news reporter
KYLE SWANSON/SPPS
The flags previously on display in front of Blacksburg Baptist will go to the Capitol.
Blacksburg Baptist Church will fly 32 flags on the one-year anniversary of April 16, each flag representing the home country of the victim’s family’s choosing. Prior to the anniversary, the American flags will be displayed at the church at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
Take Back the Night
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An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 105th year • issue 40
Birth control prices settle down after skyrocketing news reporter
See how the lacrosse, men’s tennis and baseball teams do this weekend in Tuesday’s CT.
Sports....................8 Classifieds............10 Sudoku................10
“It was something that he wanted to do since he heard about it,” said Courtney Lamie, press secretary for Boucher. Though most people or groups requesting to have flags flown at the Capitol have to pay a fee and supply their own flag, for this project Boucher and his office will be providing the flags. “From time to time there are circumstances that he will personally be involved with and waive fees with flying flags,” Lamie said. The American flags, along with the flags of the nations of the other victims, will fly at Blacksburg Baptist Church from April 12 to April 20. After April 20 the flags will be given to the victim’s families.
CANDACE SIPOS
TOMORROW’S CT
News.....................2 Features................4 0pinions................5
Blacksburg Baptist Church first put out the flags directly following April 16, but has since removed them because of weathering and vandals cutting the pole ropes. Blacksburg Baptist Church officials were excited about the flags’ appearance in the nation’s capital. “It’s a very kind thing to do,” said Thomas McDearis, senior pastor at Blacksburg Baptist Church, who also came up with the idea. “I think that it will be something that the families of the victims will really appreciate.” To have the flags flown at the Capitol, McDearis got in touch with Rick Boucher (DVA-9 District). Boucher was happy to assist with the project.
AFTER SEVERAL TYPES OF BIRTH CONTROL TRIPLE IN PRICE DURING THE PAST YEAR, PRICES HAVE BEGUN TO DECREASE
coming up
index
Helicopter lands on Drillfield
TED MARTELLO/SPPS
Take Back the Night, an annual event to raise awareness of and prevent violence against wome, was held last night. Participants gather for a candlelight vigil on the Drillfield then march across campus and through downtown Blacksburg.
Janet Harer was alarmed when she placed another order of birth control for Schiffert Health Center last summer. Harer, adult nurse practitioner and Women’s Clinic coordinator at Schiffert Health Center, noticed a sharp increase in prices for birth control. Pharmaceutical companies had been raising birth control costs since January of last year, but clinics’ tendency to stockpile delayed the realization. “Tricyclin-low went from $14 to $42 in one fell swoop,” Harer said. She added that two other contraceptives went from $14 to $24 per cycle, which usually lasts 28 days — but have since returned to their original price. NuvaRing also increased from $14 to $42, where it remains. According to the Women’s Clinic Web site, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which excluded college health clinics from receiving discounts on contraceptives, went into effect last July. In addition, most pharmaceutical companies started raising prices in January of last year. College health clinics, along with health departments and Planned Parenthood, received the lowest prices on these products for years prior to the DRA. The American College Health Association is trying to put college health clinics back on the
discount list. Mary Hoban, director of the National College Health Assessment Program Office, a project of the ACHA, said there is nothing they can do to keep birth control prices low except “to work with legislators to reinstate the discount.” She explained that this increase in prices for college students was not an intentional move by authors of the DRA. “There was some concern that many were using the discount as more of a marketing tool,” Hoban said. “The concern as I understand was about perceived abuses on the part of the manufacturer.” Planned Parenthood is also urging Congress to return discounts to college health centers. “Our concern is that women and couples will not be using reliable contraceptives, but will still be as sexually active,” said David Nova, vice president of Planned Parenthood of Blue Ridge. He said the company has kept its birth control prices “relatively low despite laws changing, but
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see BIRTH CONTROL, page three