Poll results show Virginians approve of Gov. Youngkin’s leadership, don’t want him to run for President
Virginians' approval rate of Governor Glenn Youngkin is increasing, according to results of a new Roanoke College poll, but an overwhelming amount want him to remain in Richmond and not Washington D.C.
Roanoke College men’s basketball team hosts over 100 kids in summer camp
Over 100 boys ages 6-15 swarmed to the Cregger Center this week for a summer day camp with the Roanoke College men’s basketball team. Lead by head coach Clay Nunley, the campers were separated into leagues based on age and skill level where they were able to work on fundamentals, 3 on 3 and 5 on 5 games, and be coached by their favorite players.
WATCH: Washington & Lee, Lynchburg advance to ODAC men’s lacrosse title game
Two semifinal games were played Saturday afternoon in Lexington. In the first matchup, No. 1 seed Washington & Lee faced off against No. 5 Hampden-Sydney. The Generals tied the game up 7-7 with 30 seconds in regulation to force overtime, and Bobby Clagett scored the golden goal.
Roanoke College’s ‘Out of the Closet’ project creates safe space for LGBTQ+ to express their true self
Helping students express their true selves, that’s the mission of Roanoke College’s “Out of the Closet” project. It's a service on campus which offers LGBTQ+ students the opportunity to privately receive free clothes.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2VTIF4GBRRGJVD5YESGHNNULNM.jpg)
Roanoke College considering in-person, online options for commencement ceremonies
ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke College is deciding on whether to have a virtual or in-person commencement for the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 graduates. Ralph Northam’s executive order, which only allows for 25 people at college or university events, will make it impossible to safely hold in-person commencement ceremonies and Senior Week activities. College and university commencement ceremonies are not grouped with sports and entertainment venues in the current COVID-19 restrictions. Northam relaxes COVID-19 restrictions, officials said that in-person commencement ceremonies will be held at the Salem Football Stadium. Roanoke College will have live online video coverage of the ceremony for those who aren’t able to attend.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2VTIF4GBRRGJVD5YESGHNNULNM.jpg)
Roanoke College poll shows Virginians have opposing views on impeachment, Capitol riots and COVID-19
ROANOKE, Va. – In the wake of the 2021 elections, Roanoke College conducted a poll to take a closer look at people’s views on recent issues. From Feb. 14 to Feb. 27, The Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College interviewed 596 Virginians. The organization used random-digit landline numbers in proportion to Virginia’s population to make sure that everyone had a chance to be included and bought cell phone samples from Marketing Systems Group. According to the organization, 61% of the completed interviews were done over a cell phone. Below is a highlight of what the poll revealed:Impeachment50% of people who responded believed that Trump’s actions were impeachable offenses, 33% thought they were wrong but not impeachable and 13% believed he didn’t do anything wrong50% thought he should have been convicted by the Senate while 44% thought he should not have beenCapitol riots and last summer’s social justice protests53% saw the protestors as mostly violent; 84% viewed capitol rioters as criminals68% said the anger that led to the protests was not justified at allIn reference to last summer’s social justice protests, 35% viewed them as fully justified, 37% viewed them as partially justified and 91% viewed the looting and destruction associated with those protests as not at all justifiedCovid vaccine and governmental response18% of participants reported that they have already been vaccinated; 54% said they plan to get vaccinated while 23% said they don’t46% said they thought state government officials have helped slow the spread of the virus while 46% said they thought that the federal government hasn’t done enoughTo learn more about the poll results, click here.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/02-05-2021/t_045d1f122ac04e1984e31ce39f17912a_name_image.jpg)
Roanoke College women win ODAC home opener against Emory and Henry
SALEM, Va. – For the first time this season, the Roanoke College women’s basketball team defended her home floor in the Cregger Center. After defeating Emory & Henry back on January 24 in a non-conference matchup, the Maroons looked to pick up an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) win on Thursday night. How it Happened:Renee Alquiza hit a three-pointer on Roanoke’s first possession to give the Maroons the early lead. Emory & Henry would answer with a 6-0 run to take their first lead of the contest, 8-7, with 4:30 to play in the opening period. Leading 34-30, Roanoke would end the half on a 7-0 run thanks to another Alquiza three-pointer and baskets by Hopson and Jayla Faison.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/02-04-2021/t_deb6c157ea814899afc821af26d29921_name_image.jpg)
Bill passes to help undocumented college students get financial aid
ROANOKE, Va. – Allowing undocumented residents to pay in-state tuition was a big step, but two new bills could bridge the funding gap to get closer to that cap and gown. As a former George Mason University college student, offering state financial aid to undocumented students is an opportunity he wishes he had. “We’ve already invested so much money in these students, it doesn’t make sense to cut their wings right when they are about to fly,” she said. Though the suggested legislation could encourage more undocumented residents to enroll in college, it is unlikely that the rise in students would mean less state funding is available. Besides, only two percent of the nation’s college student population are undocumented, according to a 2020 report.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/01-29-2021/t_3cb33321f32a4a699c21797db650dc3f_name_image.jpg)
Maroons edge Ferrum on senior night, 49-48
Salem, Va. – The Roanoke College men’s basketball team honored lone senior Max Menzel on senior night. The Maroons rushed out to a 9 point lead midway through the first half, but Ferrum rallied to take a 1-point edge at halftime. A back and forth second half ended with a Roanoke bucket by Kasey Draper with 2.4 seconds left for a Maroons win 49-48. Draper led the way with a double-double of 17 points and 11 boards. Roanoke College moves to 2-1, 2-0 in ODAC play.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/01-23-2021/t_c14076066832448282ab75cbfe7cac9a_name_image.jpg)
ODAC Hoops: Roanoke men win conference opener, Lynchburg women fall to Bridgewater
ROANOKE, Va. – After losing its season opener to Greensboro on Wednesday, the Roanoke College Maroons opened up ODAC play with much more intensity, leading to a 66-55 win over Hampden-Sydney. The Maroons, who were picked 4th as preseason favorites, welcomed the return of former Northside Viking Kasey Draper who made his season debut--tallying 16 points and 10 rebounds. At the Hive in Lynchburg, the women opened up ODAC play with Bridgewater. On the road, the Ferrum women also came up short to Randolph-Macon. The Yellow Jackets saw 4 players notch double-digit scoring performances including Cheridan Hatfield who lead with 16 points and Aimee Debell who added 15 points and 19 rebounds.
Roanoke College drops season opener to Greensboro
SALEM, Va. – The Maroons were missing the dynamic duo of former Northside standouts Kasey Draper and Nick Price for its season opener against Greensboro College. But it gave others on the roster a chance to step up and for much of the night they did. Tripp Greene opened the game scoring 2 of the Maroons first 3 buckets, finishing the game with 11 points. It proved to be a back-and-forth affair in the first half that led to a 1 point halftime lead for The Pride. A layup from Trent Dawson gave Roanoke a 51-50 lead but Greensboro hit clutch shots down the stretch, securing a 67-61 win.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/01-09-2021/t_3296c3fe197941f9ac9d2a902c2bcd6f_name_image.jpg)
Roanoke College men’s basketball taking change in stride, ready for season
SALEM, Va. – The Roanoke College men’s basketball team is taking everything in stride, including an offseason where the players were essentially alone. Wherever we were, we were always trying to keep in touch and keep that team chemistry going,” junior guard Tripp Greene said. “We don’t always know what’s going to happen week to week, so we’ve got to be prepared to adapt and adjust when need be. When we practice, we practice for the best and 100%,” junior Nick Price added. “We’re just prepared for everything that comes at us so we just have to adjust going straight into the hardest part of the season.”The Maroons begin play on Jan. 23 against Hampton-Sydney.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2VTIF4GBRRGJVD5YESGHNNULNM.jpg)
Roanoke College delaying its spring semester by nearly three weeks
SALEM, Va. – It’s going to be a bit longer before college students return to Salem. Roanoke College announced Monday that the Spring 2021 semester will now begin on Feb. 8, rather than Jan. 19. This change is delaying the semester by 20 days. The length of the semester will remain unchanged, so the final week of classes will now start on May 17, with the Class of 2021 commencement ceremony on May 29. Click here to see the revised Spring 2021 semester calendar.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/11-17-2020/t_a15cb95e44e34d0c9813d26e163e160c_name_image.jpg)
Dean and baseball coach out at Roanoke College after Title IX investigation
SALEM, Va. – Change is coming to Roanoke College as the result of a Title IX investigation. On Tuesday, the college announced that both Dean of Students Bian Chisom and interim head baseball coach Cam Cassady are no longer with the school. Chisom has resigned, while Cassady is simply no longer with Roanoke College. Roanoke College leaders announced earlier this year they would open an investigation into concerns alleging misconduct by the school’s former Title IX Coordinator. While the report stated that Roanoke College’s Title IX written policy itself meets legal standards, aspects of its implementation did not meet the College’s expectations or standards for the treatment of its students.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2VTIF4GBRRGJVD5YESGHNNULNM.jpg)
Roanoke College leaders reviewing final report from Title IX investigation before sharing action plan
SALEM, Va. – Leaders at Roanoke College shared an update Wednesday regarding the school’s Title IX investigation. In a letter to the Roanoke College community, president Michael Maxey said the independent third-party investigator, Karen Michael Esq., submitted the final investigative report last week. Roanoke College leaders announced earlier this year they would open an investigation into concerns alleging conduct by the school’s former Title IX Coordinator. Maxey said Michael, who has no prior affiliation with Roanoke College, interviewed roughly 80 witnesses. Michael shared the report with Roanoke College’s executive committee of the Board of Trustees, including the chairman of the Board.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/11-02-2020/t_d1f18ddd22f8464d895fcaec350d5002_name_image.jpg)
Why the Latinx vote could be key to the election in Roanoke and beyond
ROANOKE, Va. – The Latinx population in the U.S. continues to rise, making it the largest minority ethnic group. It’s a tactic that Ivonne Wallace-Fuentes, a professor of history at Roanoke College, has noticed. Dr. Jose Banuelos Montes, a modern language professor at Roanoke College, said in the Roanoke area alone there are about 11,000 Latinx residents. But when it comes to the Roanoke area, that number is even smaller. Banuelos-Montes says “you got to look in the future as well” as projections show by 2030 the Roanoke area could have about 20,000 to 30,000 Latinx residents.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/11-02-2020/t_b6b955f232334b21b14e7040f94a05cc_name_image.jpg)
Roanoke College expert breaks down the process behind political polls, and why it’s not an exact science
ROANOKE, Va – There have been plenty of changes to the way political polls are conducted since the 2016 presidential election, including here in southwest Virginia. Dr. Harry Wilson has been overseeing the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College for almost three decades. The institute conducts polls throughout the year, which Wilson says is not an exact science. While Biden is also ahead of Trump in several other national polls, Wilson says it does not always accurately predict an election. Wilson says certain groups of people may have not been accurately represented in 2016 polls nationwide.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/10-03-2020/t_718a50ed62c54bbbb9db1d542bdeb02b_name_image.jpg)
Will President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis impact stock market? Expert says no
SALEM, Va. – An economics expert from Roanoke College said that President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis likely won’t impact the stock market unless his health takes a turn for the worse. Dr. Alice Kassens, the John S. Shannon Professor of Economics at Roanoke College, said the stock market typically only takes a hit when there is uncertainty. Since Trump has reported experiencing mild symptoms, Kassens doesn’t think there will be a downturn. “If he’s still operating pretty much as normal, it’s not really going to impact the runnings of the nation. Kassens added that the stock market has made a surprising and strong recovery since the beginning of the pandemic.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/09-21-2020/t_7abd7047a3b64504809c375cf5c42814_name_image.jpg)
Roanoke College professor reflects on meeting Ruth Bader Ginsburg
ROANOKE, Va – A Roanoke College professor is remembering the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and a special experience she gave his students. Dr. Todd Peppers took his civil liberties class from Roanoke College up to Washington, D.C. to watch oral arguments at the Supreme Court. He reached out to Ginsburg who not only got his class tickets to the event, she also met and spoke with the students once arguments were wrapped up that day. “She came in and she talked to the students. Peppers also had the chance to interview Ginsburg for a chapter in a book he was working on at the time.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OIHB6SAFR5GV5JKXMOQNQCGXJI.jpg)
Poll: Nearly 6 in 10 Virginians dont agree with U.S. governments coronavirus response
A newly released poll from Roanoke College shows that 58% of Virginians believe that the federal governments response to the coronavirus has not gone far enough. When looking at Virginias governments response, about half, 49%, think it has been appropriate. Since a similar poll in May, confidence in the governments response to COVID-19 has decreased. When breaking down the poll along party lines, 57% of Democrats polled said they were very concerned that they or a family member would contract the virus. The poll has a sampling error of plus or minus approximately 3.8 percent at the 95 percent level of confidence.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FYP3SUPS25A7VC4ZII3N7TCWC4.jpg)
New poll shows Southwest Virginia is expected to support Trump less in 2020 than in 2016
Thats according to a Roanoke College poll published Wednesday, which states the former vice president holds a 14-point lead over President Donald Trump among likely voters in Virginia. Region Trump Clinton Winner Southwest Virginia 69% 31% +37% Trump Southside 62% 38% +23% Trump Shenandoah Valley 66% 34% +32% Trump Central/Richmond 46% 54% +8% Clinton Northern Virginia 34% 66% +32% Clinton Tidewater 47% 53% +6% ClintonThe table below shows how Roanoke College defined those six regions. Roanoke College said that quotas were used to balance regions within the state and that data was statistically weighted for region, gender, race and age. Weighting was done to match the 2016 Presidential election exit poll in Virginia. Click here to see the full details of this Roanoke College poll.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2VTIF4GBRRGJVD5YESGHNNULNM.jpg)
Six Roanoke College students removed after violations related to off-campus gatherings
The college has already removed six students this year for “significant violations” of the Student Conduct system related to having off-campus gatherings, according to an email sent to students on Friday. College leaders said the six students have been removed until a disciplinary hearing can be held to determine the final result of the disciplinary proceeding. In the email, college leaders reminded students of the rules prohibiting large gatherings and parties. They wrote, “... we have serious concerns about student behavior off-campus and late at night.”As of Friday afternoon, four students had tested positive for COVID-19, according to college leaders. College leaders said they have tested more than 700 students so far.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/08-03-2020/t_f6fa1bae132344dabcbb535526385a22_name_image.jpg)
Petition calls for accountability regarding how Roanoke College handles misconduct cases
SALEM, Va – As a petition with almost 2,000 signatures calls for change from Roanoke College leaders, one alumna is sharing her story of potential misconduct. The petition accuses Dean of Students Brian Chisom of alleged sexism and victim blaming when handling cases of misconduct. When Courtney Crowder got pregnant with her son during her junior year at Roanoke College, she immediately started making a game plan. In those policies students are expected to provide evidence that they meet the criteria for the accommodation request. The President of Roanoke College said he will be in contact with the community as the investigation continues and the college investigates other allegations of potential misconduct.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/07-21-2020/t_3e7aad493d6e4bc3ad593707a3e14a19_name_image.jpg)
Roanoke College Baseball coach Matt McGuire resigns
Now Roanoke College is losing their highly successful baseball coach. Matt McGuire resigns from his college baseball coaching position after racking up 168 wins in his eight years as head coach in Salem. In 2017 he led Roanoke College to a school record 35 wins, won the ODAC tournament and the NCAA Division III south regional, advancing to the Division III College World Series. McGuire led his team to a 5th straight winning season in 2019 before having action cut short in 2020 due to Covid-19. The William Byrd alum is leaving he college ranks for a sales opportunity at BSN Sports, which is a uniform, apparel and equipment company in Salem.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/07-14-2020/t_ae4631fe34674860ac493edc48c2c824_name_image.jpg)
Roanoke College students, alumni and college president call for removal of Confederate statue Salem
ROANOKE, Va. The Confederate statue in front of Roanoke College is expected to be the center of attention at Tuesdays Roanoke County Board of Supervisors meeting. The monument to Confederate dead of Roanoke County stands on the corner of Main Street and College Avenue in downtown Salem in front of the old courthouse. But the one in Salem sits in front of a Roanoke College building and is now the center of a new call to action. Yerisbel Jimenez is a Roanoke College alumna and the co-organizer of a petition for change. Following the events of George Floyd a group of alumni put together a Facebook page, it was called Roanoke College Alumni combating racism, Jimenez said.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/07-07-2020/t_a18606a133f14f3985ee2994760c31e9_name_image.jpg)
National Roanoke College poll examines race and policing
SALEM, Va. – A new national poll by Roanoke College says people generally have a positive perception of local police right now. The poll is the first nationwide poll the college has done. It was designed to examine people’s thoughts on race and policing. The study also found people believe race relations is a serious issue and believe the anger that led to the protests after the death of George Floyd was justified. The differences between Democrats and Republicans, even, is larger than the differences between whites and blacks,” Roanoke College Policy and Opinion Research Institute Director Dr. Harry Wilson said.