http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/virginiatech/ en-us Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:02:13 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2071292/posts With 41 percent of Tech's traveling roster having never played a college football game, the Hokies' opener against East Carolina this Saturday could be a tough match-up. "We're dressing 10 true freshmen and 15 redshirt freshmen," Virginia Tech head football coach Frank Beamer said. "It's a little bit scary ... We lost a couple kids from last year, but we are very impressed with our freshman class." That is not to say Tech has no veterans on the team, but with only a few at each position, the freshmen will need to step up quickly in order to fend off... Collegiate Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2071292/posts#comment Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:02:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071288/posts A registrar drew fire for pointing out possible effects of students' registering to vote. A Montgomery County official's attempt to outline state elections law for thousands of Virginia Tech students this week prompted a swift reaction from Barack Obama campaign officials, who worried the statement could have a "chilling effect" on a massive registration effort now under way. Montgomery County Registrar Randy Wertz said he wrote the news release, distributed through the county's Web site, amid concerns that the hundreds of Tech students registering to vote using their Blacksburg addresses would essentially change their permanent address. That, he wrote, could... roanoke.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071288/posts#comment Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:55:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071139/posts Whitewater - Freshmen at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater have always spent their first few days on campus learning college survival - how to join the karate club, cheer like a Warhawk and find English 101. But this year’s orientation added a grim new lesson: how to take out a campus shooter with a book or a backpack. The school is one of about 500 around the country that have purchased “Shots Fired on Campus,” a new video training program with tactics for surviving a mass-casualty shooting. It’s the latest strategy for college officials who are preparing for the worst in... Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071139/posts#comment Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:45:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2062999/posts A chapter of a national gun advocacy group that supports allowing students to carry weapons to class may open at Florida Atlantic University this fall. Students for Concealed Carry on Campus was created after the April 2007 shootings on the Virginia Tech University campus in Blacksburg, Va., where 32 people and gunman Cho Seung-Hui died. About the organization Students for Concealed Carry on Campus promotes its cause with several initiatives, including the 'empty holster protest,' where students, faculty and staff who support allowing guns on campus wear holsters to school. Group leaders said 3,800 students nationwide participated in April's event.... PalmBeachPost http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2062999/posts#comment Sat, 16 Aug 2008 20:07:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2059687/posts Opportunity is knocking, Clemson. You better capitalize now because the path to an ACC crown may never be this smooth again. The Tigers are the storyline of the 2008 season in the ACC. While they’ve got the league’s best quarterback, Cullen Harper, and as much talent as anyone in the conference, the rest of the ACC is down. Way down. Florida State and Miami remain weak facsimiles of the programs that used to collect crowns faster than anyone else in the country. Boston College was built for last year. Georgia Tech and Virginia are about to undergo some serious growing... CFN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2059687/posts#comment Mon, 11 Aug 2008 01:20:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2058540/posts WASHINGTON -- Students for Concealed Carry on Campus held its first national meeting last friday. The group hopes to convince state legislatures to allow guns onto college campuses. Meanwhile, another group, Students for Gun Free Schools, founded in opposition to SCCC, is working to make sure this doesn't happen. Elilta Habtu joined Students for Gun Free Schools this spring. She was shot twice in the 2007 attack at Virginia Tech. The shooting has led her to become an activist for gun control. "The answer is not to arm yourself," she said. "It's better to prevent tragedies like that from occuring...... Medill Reports http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2058540/posts#comment Fri, 8 Aug 2008 13:29:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2056390/posts Cox Washington Bureau Washington —- The idea of giving college students the right to carry concealed weapons on campus may seem counterintuitive after last year's Virginia Tech massacre. But the proposal is deadly serious, said young men and women from colleges across the country who attended the first Students for Concealed Carry on Campus National Conference on Friday. Their movement was galvanized by the 2007 shootings, said Michael Guzman, president of the group and a senior at Texas State University. The issue is not keeping guns out of the hands of college students, he said, but whether properly licensed students... Atlanta Journal-Constitution http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2056390/posts#comment Mon, 4 Aug 2008 20:01:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2055822/posts A Virginia Tech employee shot himself in a room off the Cassell Coliseum arena on Saturday afternoon, officials said. Tech police responded to the incident at 2:15 p.m., and the man was flown to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, police Chief Wendell Flinchum said. Officials declined to identify the man, and his condition is unknown. Although officials said the shooting posed no threat to the campus community, Flinchum said police notified the public by e-mail using part of an alert system put in place after the April 16, 2007, shootings. The Roanoke Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2055822/posts#comment Sun, 3 Aug 2008 18:25:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051924/posts The senator's bill says a 'mentally defective' vet can buy a gun unless a judge finds him dangerous. WASHINGTON - Since a severely mentally ill student went on a shooting spree at Virginia Tech last year, killing 32 people before turning a gun on himself, Congress and several states have worked to tighten rules on who can legally purchase a firearm. But a push by U.S. Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina would prevent the federal veterans agency from adding the names of veterans declared "mentally defective" to a background check database unless the agency goes through the judicial system.... The News & Observer http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051924/posts#comment Sun, 27 Jul 2008 02:25:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2049210/posts Mellanox Technologies, Ltd. today announced that its 40Gb/s InfiniBand technology interconnects the new 29TFlops computer systems research cluster at the Center for High-End Computing Systems (CHECS) within the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. 40Gb/s InfiniBand was introduced in June 2008 and this compute cluster showcases the quick industry acceptance and adoption compared to other high speed interconnect technologies. Mellanox 40Gb/s InfiniBand technology provides the necessary scalability and performance for the CHECS research activities and will be the foundation for the development of next generation, power-aware high-end computing resources. “Mellanox continues to lead the high-performance computing and enterprise data center... Mac Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2049210/posts#comment Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:05:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050007/posts This past Tuesday a University student, Cassie LeBlanc, was robbed while getting into her car after leaving the library around 9:30 p.m. The robber forced her against her car and asked for her wallet, then he discovered there was no cash. He decided he didn't want it, but after seeing text books on the front seat, the thief decided to take those instead. I was very glad to hear LeBlanc was alright, but a very important question came to mind: What if she had a firearm to defend herself? Would this incident have happened? My answer is probably not. The... Daily Reveille http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2050007/posts#comment Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:45:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045398/posts READING, WRITING, WEAPONS Texas students join a nationwide movement for the right to bear arms while at college BLANCO — Cameron Schober, a 22-year-old Texas State University student, aimed his semi-automatic pistol at the outline of a man's torso just as a gust of wind blew down the target. "Everybody hold up!" hollered instructor Mike Cox. As six other shooters lowered their weapons, Schober scrambled to brace the cardboard target at a makeshift range on a deserted Hill Country ranch. Schober and fellow student Bill Downs were among 13 people who recently completed Cox's shooting proficiency and eight-hour classroom course,... Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045398/posts#comment Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:06:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035178/posts On Evil Bethany Stotts, June 23, 2008 Is evil the result of human choice or manufactured by social circumstances? Professor Philip Zimbardo, known for his infamous Stanford Prison Experiment of 1971, opted for the latter explanation at a recent CATO book forum. Zimbardo told the audience that he believes Lucifer was expelled from heaven not for sinning, but for disobeying an authority figure. “It’s really a story about what happens when you challenge authority—you go to hell,” said the Stanford University professor. The author of The Lucifer Effect, Zimbardo believes that any person has the capacity for terrible deeds, torture,... Campus Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035178/posts#comment Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:27:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034016/posts U.S. District Judge F. Bradford Stillman this morning ruled that the College must turn over the names of 20 students suspected of downloading music illegally to the Recording Industry Association of America. The RIAA plans to sue the students for copyright infringement after they allegedly downloaded music on peer-to-peer music sharing programs such as Limewire. 7 students have already settled independently, paying between $3,000 and $5,000 each. The suit had previously been denied by U.S. District Judge Walter D. Kelley Jr. Kelley recently retired, and the RIAA asked Stillman to overturn his ruling. According to RIAA lawyer Katheryn Coggon, the... The Flat Hat, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034016/posts#comment Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:25:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033278/posts While waiting for the Supreme Court's decision in the Heller case to come down, check out this article by a gun control lawyer, who used to work for Brady Center against Handguns, saying "gun free" zones like in D.C. or at Virginia Tech aren't successful. SSRN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033278/posts#comment Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:42:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2026030/posts WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Before April 16, 2007, Marian Hammaren of Westtown, N.Y., thought she knew what she'd been put on the earth to do: to be Caitlin's mother, to guide and protect her. But 19-year-old Caitlin Hammaren, a sophomore at Virginia Tech majoring in French and international relations and an only child, did not survive the tragedy on campus that day and Marian Hammaren was left wondering: "What's my job now?" In a May 30 telephone interview with Catholic News Service, Hammaren described the dark times that followed the campus massacre that left her daughter and 32 other students and... CNS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2026030/posts#comment Wed, 4 Jun 2008 20:44:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2012723/posts The UNM Police Department arrested student Kevin Boyar on Tuesday on charges of unlawfully carrying a gun onto a University establishment. Police said four guns were recovered from Boyar's parents' house, including an AK-47 assault-style rifle, and there is evidence he brought the weapons to his room in the Student Residence Center. Police Chief Kathy Guimond said the department received an anonymous tip at 11 a.m. that Boyar, 19, had guns in his room at the SRC. The informant said Boyar had made threats referring to the shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois, she said. Police obtained a search... The Daily Lobo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2012723/posts#comment Wed, 7 May 2008 23:46:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2012519/posts A year has passed since the tragic events at Virginia Tech, and there are some assumptions upon which gun control is based that require investigation. Chief among them is the misplaced feeling that banning firearms somehow eradicates them. When examining this notion, we can look for another example of a ban to give us a sense of the difference between banning and eradication. There are people in America known as illegal immigrants who are banned from being here. If the state cannot keep a person from coming into the country illegally, what possible hope does it have in banning a... roanoke.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2012519/posts#comment Wed, 7 May 2008 16:32:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010779/posts BATON ROUGE -- All college students 21 or older who have qualified for concealed handgun permits would be able to carry firearms to class and other parts of campus under a bill approved 11-3 by a House committee Thursday. The Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice sent to the House floor House Bill 199 by Rep. Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse, its chairman. Wooton said he expects lengthy debate on the bill's merits when it hits the floor. The bill drew support from college students who say they feel unsafe and inadequately protected when leaving campus late at night. Student... nola.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2010779/posts#comment Sat, 3 May 2008 18:46:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007281/posts A representative from Students for Concealed Carry on Campus argued for a more sensible policy for carrying concealed handguns on college and university campuses at Walter Hall last night. “It’s hypocritical to say you can bring a gun into a 300-person movie theatre but not a 300-person lecture hall,” said Stephen Feltoon, Midwest regional director of SCCC. Feltoon, a 2007 graduate of Miami University of Ohio, spoke for a 40-person group as part of the SCCC’s weeklong protest of concealed carry laws across the nation that forbid concealed handguns on college campuses. The OU Second Amendment club — comprising about... The Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007281/posts#comment Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:43:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006783/posts The owner of the Green Bay-based web site that sold guns a gun to the Virginia Tech shooter and gun accessories to the Northern Illinois University gunman plans to visit Virginia Tech on Thursday. Eric Thompson owns TGSCOM, the company that sold a gun to Seung-Hui Cho last year. Cho killed 32 students and staff at Virginia Tech's campus. Thompson announced Wednesday students invited him to campus to talk about concealed-carry laws. "What I'm really hoping to do is just lend a voice. Unfortunately, a set of coincidences and circumstances, I've been in the media, and I think with that... WBAY TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006783/posts#comment Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:27:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006768/posts The owner of an Internet-based firearms store that sold a gun to Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho says he is now offering a discount for students who want to carry guns on campus to protect themselves. The company, TGSCOM Inc., also sold two 9mm Glock magazines to Steven Kazmierczak, who killed five people at Northern Illinois University earlier this year. The owner of TGSCOM, Eric Thompson, announced today that for the next two weeks he will sell firearms at cost in the hopes of targeting students who may be on a tight budget. Customers will have over 5,400 different kinds... ABC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006768/posts#comment Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:52:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2004034/posts Ohio State University's ROTC cadets have ended the decades-long practice of combat training with mock rifles on the main campus because of public edginess in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, officials said. Since the decision was made a couple of weeks ago, tactical training with rubber replicas of an M-16 rifle has been moved indoors, or cadets have trained without rifles, said Navy Capt. Steven Noce, who heads the university's ROTC program. The tactical training, typically conducted around the ROTC building near Ohio Stadium, has generated a few calls to police from concerned people in the past year,... Columbus Dispatch (OH) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2004034/posts#comment Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:57:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003595/posts The state has agreed to give 21 families of the Virginia Tech massacre $11 million in blood money to avoid lawsuits that would attempt to assign responsibility to anyone other than the lone nut job. This reflects the grievance-minded culture of the day and unscrupulous lawyers ever willing to sue businesses, institutions and private citizens over the flimsiest reasons. People are killed each day, each loss of life as painful as the next, none more financially worthy than the next, unless apparently you are related to one of the 32 dead and 24 wounded on the Blacksburg, Va., campus. Then... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003595/posts#comment Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:40:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003584/posts NARROWS, Va. (AP) -- Allen Neely eases his Chrysler Pacifica onto the bridge named in honor of Jarrett Lane, who grew up in this tiny town near the West Virginia state line. Mr. Lane, Mr. Neely says quietly, always wanted to build a bridge. Under the back seat are two pistols. Mr. Neely keeps them close these days. He and his construction crew were in Virginia Tech's Norris Hall a year ago this week when a mentally ill student went on a rampage, killing Jarrett Lane and 31 others. Since then, Mr. Neely feels safer if his guns are within... The Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2003584/posts#comment Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:20:23 GMT