COLLEGIATETIMES
tuesday april 29, 2008 blacksburg, va.
green gi s s u e www.collegiatetimes.com
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today’s CT TODAY’S GREEN ISSUE The Collegiate Times’ green issue is printing a week after Earth Day to recap what Virginia Tech, its students, and Blacksburg do to be enviornmentally friendly. Hopefully the issue will inspire readers to be more Earth conscious. Last week, Blacksburg celebrated Earth Week and Virginia Tech left its mark with several effective and important events. On-campus dining center D2 decided that it would go trayless all week in order to reduce waste by 25 to 30 percent. Not only would this trayless system save food, it was also expected to save water, soap and energy in the washing process. D2 wasn’t the only part of campus celebrating Earth Week. Environmental speakers came each day to speak on different issues from the Mountains to energy conservation. The Alpha Phi Omega National Service fraternity co-sponsored a clean up of the Duckpond that followed a Stroubles Creek cleanup. The week ended on Friday with two sessions of tree planting on the Drillfield.
news STUDENTS CHANNEL MARTIN LUTHER
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Inspired by the reformist attitude of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, a document from “the Student Body” with a version of 68 theses was attached to SGA’s door, Burruss Hall’s main entrance and inside Torgersen BT stops last night around 11 p.m. The “disputation” included concerns about election infractions, lack of representation for students and SGA claiming “credit” for the suspension of classes on April 16 written to emulate the same revolutionary attitude Luther had toward the Catholic Chruch during the Protestant Reformation. A PDF of the document can be found on our Web site.
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Recycling program grows with university CALEB FLEMING ORIGINALLY A ct news reporter VOLUNTEER EFFORT Virgina Tech Recycling began as a AMONG STUDENTS IN grassroots movement in 1991, established by the Plant under the THE YMCA’S ECO-CYCLE leadership ofPhysical the organization’s first Larry Bechtel. PROGRAM, THE coordinator, Bechtel remains in this position today, satisfyRECYCLING PROGRAM ing an interest • recycling HAS NOW REACHED that began with public outcries in the mid-1980s, ITS HIGHEST LEVEL OF when landfills began to reach capacity. “Going back to junior high school I INVOLVEMENT EVER have always had a thing about littering,” Bechtel said. “I just couldn’t stand it. The concern has now grown.”
The 17-year run of VTR has seen numerous ups and downs. Though it worked tirelessly to instate a recycling program consisting of cardboard, bottle, can, and paper pick-up, its 10-year anniversary brought significant budget cuts, along with the elimination of the paper program. Denny Cochrane, Tech’s Energy and Sustainability Coordinator, said that cutting out paper pick-up was the logical decision to make. Though the program was formally removed, Cochrane said student volunteers were persistent in ensuring that paper was still recycled. “People volunteered to do the paper, but we didn’t have the personnel in physical plant that did the work full-
time,” Cochrane said. “It went into a mothball status. Our containers stayed in buildings like they are today, but it was informally done.” After students expressed significant interest in the program, the university administration reinstated it. Cochrane noted that the administration provided the appropriate funds to hire three employees, as well as approximately $90,000 for operating funds. These have gone toward a new 16’ box truck, as well as numerous recycling containers in academic and administrative buildings. “As of mid-March, all eight colleges and administrative buildings on campus are up and running with a paper recycling program,” Cochrane said.
Though most facets of the recycling program have changed since its inauguration, the collection process has remained relatively the same. The housekeepers for each respective building are responsible for tending to recycle bins as they would trashcans. They are responsible for emptying the receptacles when needed, and transporting the materials to a loading dock where VTR has crews stationed. The recyclables are then taken to a regional recycling center in Christiansburg. From there, the center is responsible for making arrangements with buyers. Bechtel said that though he is interested in using recycled products,
see VTR, page four
coming up TOMORROW’S CT Judicial affairs is concerned that alcohol violations have risen. Read the story tomorrow. Check out a PDF of the document taped to Burruss’ door on our Web site.
index News.....................2 0pinions................5 Features................6
Sports....................8 Classifieds..............9 Sudoku..................9
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 105th year • issue 57
SGA infractions change outcome of executive elections MEG MILLER
ct campus life editor During this year’s Student Government Association elections, a major infraction filed against the yourSGA ticket for a budget violation affected the final outcome of the election results. A penalty of 10 percent of the votes for all for of the candidates on the yourSGA ticket resulted in Steve Smith, Sharone Christmas and Ashley Gray losing to their opponents for the positions of vice president, treasurer and secretary, respectively. According to an e-mail to the yourSGA from Adam Kress, SGA associate
chief justice, the infraction was filed because the financial statement for the campaign that was submitted by the ticket was found invalid. The e-mail stated that the ticket reported in its statement a cost of $50 for all of the 8” x 11” and 8” x 14” print media used for the elections. However, at its infraction hearing, the ticket presented a document from Barbara Hess, a representative from the Texas company where the ticket had its copies made, stating that she completed 500 prints for a cost of $55 plus an additional $13.60 for shipping, a total of $68.00. The e-mail also stated that in an attempt to obtain a fair market value for 8” x 11” and 8” x 14” glossy color
prints, the committee used A1 Copies’ fair market price instead of the alternative fair market values provided by the ticket. With the A1 price used, the ticket exceeded $225. Using the cheapest Internet source, the ticket exceeded budget by $40. The e-mail stated that after the ticket’s hearing on April 6, the hearing committee chose to give yourSGA a Major Infraction for the following reasons: • The budget submitted latently gave a false figure for the 8” x 11” and 8” x 14.” It is the responsibility of the ticket or candidate to provide accurate figures and receipts of all material, whether purchased or donated, as stated in the election rules.
• There is a disconnect in where the ticket spent its money for the same service (it did all of its print media at A1 Copies except for the 8” x 11” and 8” x 14” fliers) leading the committee to feel it blatantly attempted to alter the price figure to remain within the allotted amount. • Mrs. Hess’ receipt cannot be counted as fair market value because of the fact that the transaction was not an “arms length” transaction, meaning that the relationship she has with the members of your ticket disqualifies the transaction as one on an open market. • Submitted contradictory information at the hearing, including an e-mail stating the printed 400 flyers,
and another e-mail stating it printed 500 flyers. • The committee felt that the flyers were the most recognizable piece of campaign material and therefore had the largest effect on voting results. • There was a substantial violation of the allotted budget. Because of these violations, the hearing committee found yourSGA responsible or a Major Infraction and a penalty of 10 percent of the ticket’s votes was issued to the ticket. According to the SGA election rules, a campaign infraction is defined as a candidate or ticket breaking any of the election rules or
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see SGA, page four