Tragedy exposes policy flaws
Though the grieving at Virginia Tech is far from over, the attacks on Monday immediately raised some serious issues that will grow in intensity as the last of the victims are laid to rest over the coming weeks. These questions are why this happened and how it happened, and what, if anything, could have been done to mitigate the terrible course of events.
In the news
WORLD
BAGHDAD – Four large bombs exploded in mostly Shiite areas of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least 164 people and wounding scores. This was the deadliest day in the city since the start of the U.S.-Iraqi campaign to pacify the capital two months ago.
Facebook aids students in dealing with grief
A day after news of the worst shooting in U.S. history reached VCU’s campus, students are still trying to recover from the loss of more than 30 Virginia Tech students and faculty.
“It’s shocking,” freshman Jacob Vaughen said. “School’s supposed to be a sanctuary for learning.
Sports in Brief
BASEBALL
After consecutive losses to Old Dominion and Virginia, the Rams got back over the weekend by taking 2 of 3 games in Atlanta against Georgia State. VCU won game one 10-9 in 10 innings when Jared Bolden (Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass) scored on a wild pitch.
VCU Sports Fact of the Day
VCU SportsCenter brings ‘The Journey’ to life
In an era where the big payday of professional sports is so alluring for athletes that they often forgo earning a college degree, the VCU SportsCenter is coordinating “The Journey,” an event featuring top professional and collegiate athletes. They all have local ties, either raised, or having spent time, playing or coaching in the area, and will share their journeys with young people in Richmond to teach them the importance of staying in school and making smart decisions.
The CTube
Holidays and horror movies complement each other like turkey and dressing. From “Halloween” to “Black Christmas,” just about every major holiday has been exploited on film – even Independence Day (check out “Uncle Sam”). Now director Eli Roth of “Hostel” fame serves us a platter of horror with “Thanksgiving,” one of several fake trailers that appear in the Robert Rodriguez-Quentin Tarantino double feature “Grindhouse.
Weird News
Beware of home repair
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that since 1991, nail gun injuries have risen about 200 percent. This rise is blamed on the increase in availability of inexpensive pneumatic nail guns in the 1990s.
The center reports that work-related nail gun injuries have stabilized since 1998, but consumer-related injuries have skyrocketed.
Guitar gods pay visit to D.C.
The 2007 incarnation of Joe Satriani’s G3 tour wound down with a show Friday at Washington, D.C.’s famous Warner Theater, one night before the tour’s final date in Sayreville, N.J.
In its 11th year, the G3 tour is Joe Satriani’s annual live music show where “Satch” is joined by two guitar monsters to perform around North America, Europe, South America and Australia, blowing the minds of fans and aspiring guitarists everywhere.
Spicy Sunday
This year’s VCU Intercultural Festival title was “Spice Up Your World,” and the dreary drizzly Sunday sure did need some spice. Thankfully, the heavy rain didn’t deter festival-goers or participants.
As with so many planned outdoor events, Mother Nature often has different ideas.