Hokies hurdle into polls
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Tuesday, October 19, 2010
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Still no answers in year-old Harrington case GORDON BLOCK associate news editor CHARLOTTESVILLE — In the case of slain Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, there are many questions, few answers and little resolution. On a bright fall afternoon in Charlottesville, there was solace. Standing on the bridge where their daughter disappeared 12 months earlier, Morgan’s parents Dan and Gil, flanked by her brother Alex, thanked the University of Virginia community and various law enforcement agencies for their efforts in their daughter’s murder. Sunday’s gathering dedicated a permanent plaque for Morgan Harrington. During the months of her disappearance, Copeley Road bridge was the site of many vigils and commemorations. The university’s Board of Visitors approved the plaque in September. Speaking at the dedication, Dan Harrington noted the night of his daughter’s disappearance, there were mistakes from many, including the John Paul Jones Arena staff, Morgan’s friends and Morgan herself. “Morgan had no luck that night,” Dan Harrington said. “If only one person had intervened, my daughter would still be alive and we wouldn’t be here a year later with all the pain and sorrow we have.” Morgan Harrington, a 20-year-old education major, went missing one year ago when she left her friends during a Metallica concert at the Charlottesville arena. Last seen alive at the Copeley Road bridge a few hundred yards away from the arena, Harrington’s remains were found in late January at a farm about 11 miles away from the bridge. Gil Harrington stressed the need “to catch the monster who savagely mur-
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Alex, Dan and Gil Harrington (L-R) spoke about the challenges their family still faces one year after Morgan Harrington’s disappearance. dered our daughter from the streets of this community.” She also focused on her positive shift in feelings toward the Copeley Road bridge area. “This place is a threshold to move into a new culture of respect and transparency that will protect our young people and will promote community safety here and in other areas,” she said. Arthur Garson, UVa’s executive vice president and provost, closed the ceremony, asking gatherers to “remember Morgan, and move forward.” Sunday’s dedication drew around 100 family friends, police officials and school representatives at the bridge, which was closed for the ceremony. Several in attendance were seen wearing purple shirts with the family’s dotted “2-4-1” logo, standing for “I love you too much, forever, once more.” Once a private Harrington family saying, the phrase became a hopeful one adopted by many during
the months of searching for Morgan Harrington. Ed Spencer, Tech’s vice president for student affairs, made the drive from Blacksburg to Charlottesville to represent Tech at the ceremony. “There’s a lesson from this about watching for and caring for others,” Spencer said. “No one deserves to die a violent death.” Kenny Jarels, a family friend of the Harringtons and an electrical and computer engineering employee at Tech, noted the need for continued vigilance in looking for Morgan Harrington’s killer. “We need some closure on this one,” Jarels said. “We’re not going anywhere until this is resolved.” Corinne Gellar, spokeswoman for Virginia State Police, said the case was still “a priority for investigators” and discussed the problems of working with theories and “half-truths” while searching for the killer.
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Gil Harrington, Morgan’s mother, hugs a young woman during the ceremony on the Copeley Road bridge. “There has to be that absolute,” Gellar said. No suspects have been identified, but police arrested a Northern Virginia man in August for intentionally giving police misleading and false leads on the case. Following the dedication ceremony, attendees moved from the Copeley Road bridge to nearby Newcomb Hall, where a documentary on Nepali art dedicated to Morgan Harrington was shown by one of her mentors, Jane Vance, an instructor in Tech’s department of religious and cultural studies. In an early portion of the film, Morgan can be seen smiling as a student in Vance’s
classroom. Before the film screening, Morgan’s father Dan Harrington expressed a need for himself and his wife Gil Harrington to “find some joy in our life.” “It’s been tough,” he said. “It’s been a tough year.” Dan Harrington spoke of the need to limit public appearances such as his and his wife’s monthly stops at the Copeley Road bridge, noting “you can only do that for so long.” He also noted the stress of the public nature of his family’s search and discovery of their daughter. “It grinds you down,” Dan Harrington
said. “I think we’ve tried to be as public as we can be, but it’s tough to put yourself out there all the time.” Dan Harrington said the focus for his family is to “keep pressure on police to keep looking for Morgan’s killer.” “There’s a killer that’s still out there, and that message cannot be lost in this,” he said. “There’s still work to be done.” Those with information about the case can call the Jefferson Area Crime Stoppers at 434-977-4000 or Virginia State Police at 434-352-3467. A $150,000 reward is still available for information leading to Morgan Harrington’s murderer.
Skipper cannon malfunctions Fundraiser to aid Honduras LIANA BAYNE associate news editor The cadet gun captain of the Skipper Crew said Monday he is confident the corps of cadets’ iconic cannon, which malfunctioned during the second quarter of Saturday’s football game against Wake Forest, would be operational this weekend. The 10-member crew of sophomore and junior cadets that man Skipper during football games noticed the malfunction when one of its brass primers, which are the size of a rifle casing and ignite the cannon’s charge, became stuck inside the cannon. Because of this, more primers could not be inserted into the cannon, making it incapable of firing. “It’s unfortunate that something so small could render it inoperable,” said Tim Brooks, a junior cadet and the gun captain of the Skipper Crew. Brooks said although the cannon became inoperable, the cadet operating it at the time “immediately knew what was wrong.” Brooks, who has worked with the cannon since his freshman year and has been the gun captain since March of this year, said everyone on the Skipper Crew can do every job. Although the members of the crew recognized the problem, they were not able to repair it on the field. “Although attempts were made on the field to repair the cannon, the proper tools were not available to conduct the repairs,” Brooks said. “We were really frustrated,” he said. “We make it a priority not to miss shots.” Brooks said Monday the primer’s casing was still stuck inside the cannon and
MAJONI HARNAL features reporter
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Junior cadet Tim Brooks, the gun captain of the Skipper Crew, attempts to repair the cannon on the field during Saturday’s game. repairs were about to begin. He said his team would pursue one of two options — either using a nail press to hammer the stuck casing further into the cannon or using a drill to loosen the brass currently stuck inside. Brooks believes the casing got stuck inside Skipper for one of two reasons: It either did not have enough oil around it, causing it to get stuck, or the brass casing itself malfunctioned. “It wasn’t anyone’s fault,” Brooks said, noting that this is the first time the Skipper Crew has experienced this particular issue. He said the repairs shouldn’t carry any extra cost. Skipper was first introduced to the Virginia Tech football tradition in 1964 by several cadets, including Homer Hickam, an alumnus notable for his
memoir, “Rocket Boys,” which was later adepted into the film “October Sky.” The cannon is fired in celebration of every score at Tech home football games and during other corps events. Cadet members of the Skipper Crew said Saturday afternoon the cannon has not malfunctioned since 1982. Cadet members of the crew expressed hopes the cannon would be functional again for the next Tech home football game against Duke next Saturday. Brooks said he hopes to have Skipper fully functional for a corps formal retreat on the Upper Quad Friday afternoon. Brooks said he was “95 percent sure” the cannon would be functional again by the weekend. “I wouldn’t say I’m stressed out,” Brooks said, “but I’ve been like, ‘I’ve gotta get this up and running.’”
A rare occasion is coming up at Virginia Tech — the university’s five a capella groups, Soulstice, Naturally Sharp, Mixed Emotions, Sensations and Juxtaposition, will be performing together in concert to raise money for charity. Joined up with Students Helping Honduras, the a cappella groups will be donating their time and vocal chords for a benefit concert on campus. The free event is tailored so all proceeds may directly help SHH and its on-going efforts. While SHH has held concerts with a capella groups before, this will be the first time all five have managed to work out their schedules for the musical spectacular. The night will have twofold benefit — the music at the concert and donations for the cause. Money raised at the event will fund SHH’s projects in Honduras, many of which build basic structures Americans take for granted. Volunteers raise funds for their trip and then travel to Honduras to build schools, houses and other components the village needs. Soulstice president and senior communication major Madalyn Ainley said her group has participated in the concert all four years she has been at Tech. “They just contacted us about the event,” Ainley said, “and we always love doing philanthropic events.” Soulstice is not alone. SHH, which started as a oneman organization at the College of William & Mary, has grown into a multiple chapter organization drawing hundreds of members and acclaim from a CNN special entitled “Heroes.” After an initial mission trip to a makeshift village, founder Shin Fujiyama was saddened by the damage done in Honduras by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and decided to do something about it. It’s a concept so simple, but not many people put
in the effort of Fujiyama and his organization. After seeing the villagers’ positive reactions after rebuilding the school, Fujiyama raised enough money to buy a tract of land upon which SHH can build one house for every family in the destroyed village. Tech’s SHH Fundraising Chair, junior marketing major Brittany Seaton, elaborated on the huge undertaking by SHH. “Forty-four houses have been completed, and it’s taken five years,” Seaton said. Having visited and helped in Honduras twice, Seaton is no stranger to the cause. Her first, independent trip in 2009 consisted of a week of digging trenches and ditches. “Everything is done by hand,” Seaton said. “There is no money for machinery so even basic things that pipelines for water and waste need to be dug by hand.” Seaton is one of many volunteers faced with a culture shock when arriving in Honduras. “I had never been out of the country,” Seaton said, “but I had that college kid mentality that I could change the world.” However, Seaton said it was stunning to see how underdeveloped the country was. She said it was probably the stark differences in reality that motivated her to join SHH upon her return to Tech. And beyond their physical help in Honduras, volunteers have some fun and experience new things. Seaton visited a state-run orphanage where she had the chance to interact and play with many children. Seaton said she was shocked when villagers remembered her during her second weeklong sojourn to Honduras. She did not think her brief trip had any significant impact. Not only did the village people remember who she was, but they were also extremely grateful for her efforts and the efforts of her group. The performance will be tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in Colonial Hall in Squires Student Center.