Vodcasts – Page 2 – > THE NEWS FEED <

Should the US get involved in the situation between Russia and Ukraine?

by Sean Lyons, Connor Morris–

Note: The video footage in this vodcast was produced on Feb. 23.

The current conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been a discussed topic since mid-January, when the United States’ Center for Strategic and International Studies reported there being a large group of Russian military on the border of Russia and Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced Thursday that he would be imposing sanctions on Russia that would limit exports and block some Russian banks’ assets, according to a story by the Associated Press.

On this vodcast for The News Feed, people answered if the United States should get involved in the current situation (as of Feb. 23) between Russia and Ukraine.

Changing Mask-Wearing Mandates

Photo by **Anna Shvets** from **Pexels**

by Autumn Zipfel, Leah Garrison–

With new vaccines rolling out every day, Virginia passed a bill through the Senate, making masks optional for Virginia public schools. While the purpose of masks is to keep others safe from the spread of the coronavirus, the new vaccine introduces a new question: should masks become optional?

Tim Sands, the President of Virginia Tech, released a statement preparing Virginia Tech students for the very possibility of optional masks. To understand how current students feel about an optional mask mandate, reporters Autumn Zipfel and Leah Garrison went out on campus to gain some insight.

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.

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.