College Clips

By Meg Walsh

Published Jan. 19, 2007

Marshall U. students confirmed dead in fire

During what Fire Marshal David Bias called the worst fire in his 11-year career, fire officials halted the search for victims in charred debris of the Emmons Jr. Apartments in Huntington, W. Va. The victims included three Marshall University students.

Huntington firefighters are expected to finish their investigation of the apartment building on Wednesday. The building caught fire, and nine people were killed Saturday night.

"Everyone has been accounted for and we feel confident enough to stop the search for more victims unless someone comes forward with a problem," Bias said.

Dispatchers were called to the scene of a fully engulfed building at 11:02 p.m. Saturday. The Fire Department rescued 24 people before the flames were extinguished.

Seven people were confirmed dead by 9 a.m. Sunday, and another person was pronounced dead while being treated at Cabell Huntington Hospital Monday morning. Later that day, a ninth body was found on the apartment building's fourth floor.

—The Parthenon (Marshall University)

Study claims law schools lack morals

Cynics who contend that lawyers are morally insensitive now have a study to support them. A Carnegie Foundation study states law schools have a deficit in moral and ethical training and in practical instruction.

But Michael Fitts, dean of the University of Pennsylvania law school, said he does not think the University of Pennsylvania has any more of a problem than any other school.

"We do as good a job as any law school in the country in those sorts of instruction," Fitts said.

The study places much of the blame on the "case-dialogue method," a common instruction style among law schools. The method teaches students to extract facts from the original context of a test case so the facts of the case can be examined from a legal point of view.

—Daily Pennsylvanian(University of Pennsylvania)

Virginia senator attempts to pass smoking bill

Last week, Virginia Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke County, announced he will propose an anti-smoking bill for the second time that would ban smoking in all work places, including restaurants.

The proposal comes after an executive order made by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine that banned smoking in all government offices.

"Some people have allergies to the smoke, and secondhand smoke carries about 250 toxins and carcinogens," Bell said.

The bill passed the state Senate with a 21-18 vote but has not yet been voted on in the state House of Representatives. Although the bill would apply statewide, if an individual establishment wants to be a smoking facility, it could ask for special permission. The proposal is more focused on private businesses than state-funded ones, including universities.

"I don't think it will affect my business because customers will get used to going outside to smoke," Blacksburg, Va., restaurant owner Kevin Long said.

—The Collegiate Times (Virginia Tech)