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Virginia Tech: Deserving of diversity awards?

by Monica Becerra, Christina Dougherty–

It’s no secret that under President Tim Sands, Virginia Tech has taken lots of steps to try to make the university a more diverse place. Recently, Virginia Tech was selected as a 2018 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award recipient and a 2018 Diversity Champion by INSIGHT, the largest diversity publication. As far as what diversity really means to students on campus though, there are differing opinions.

After speaking with students, a lot of them feel that Virginia Tech is very welcoming and that it’s growing as a diverse space. On the other hand, however, some feel that while changes are definitely being made, Virginia Tech is not worthy of any awards quite just yet.

Regardless of one’s opinion on the topic, Virginia Tech has taken the award with pride and will continue to further its diversity efforts in hopes of making a more inclusive environment for all students.

SPORTS: Recent evolution of Hokie football

By Jacob Thompson, Ashley Vollrath, Rebecca Choate —

In November 2015, Justin Fuente was named head coach of the Virginia Tech football team.

“I am looking forward to a bright future for our football program under the direction of Coach Fuente,” said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands, “He has demonstrated a commitment to excellence, integrity and the values that Hokies espouse.”

Previously the head coach for the University of Memphis, Fuente is regarded as one of the rising stars in college coaching.

Regardless, Fuente had big shoes to fill, as former head coach Frank Beamer was coaching with his alma mater since 1987. Beamer’s 280 wins and 23 straight bowls were something to marvel at.

How do the last two years of Beamer Ball compare to Fuente’s first two seasons with the Hokies? In this week’s sports podcast, we analyze how the football team has changed and how student life has evolved as a result.

SCI/TECH: SpaceX’s next steps

by Amber Miller, Stephen Newman, Ryan Dye–

launch-rocket-sky Photo on Foter.com

Space exploration leader SpaceX recently used a rocket to send a supply capsule to the International Space Station…for the second time.

The Block 4 Falcon 9 rocket was first launched into space in April of 2017. After detaching from the cargo it was carrying, it was guided down and landed on an un-manned SpaceX drone ship off the coast of Florida.

The rocket was then recovered, refurbished and sent into space again earlier this week. And just as the first time, it landed bullseye on the ship.

These rockets were only designed to be launched up to two times, but SpaceX will next launch the Block 5 Falcon 9 rocket, which according to Elon Musk can potentially be relaunched up to 100 times.

This breakthrough could dramatically cut the cost of space exploration and could lead to Musk’s ultimate goal of putting one million people on Mars in the next 40-100 years.

Va. Tech’s handling of sexual assault: Students’ reactions

2159096467_b6b7e88f39_o — Foter Credit: Chapendra

by Alexis Bignotti, Ricky Lam–

Sexual assault lately has been a hot topic on Virginia Tech’s campus. Students recently have been receiving emails about the incidents happening. Virginia Tech students share their thoughts and feelings on the topic.

Most feel like Virginia Tech is doing all they can to make this issue known, and others think that more could be done to stop sexual assault. Some think that a program could be started on campus to make students more aware of what is going on.

These incidents are inevitable and Virginia Tech is continuing to try to reduce and stop them from happening.