Longwood University Digital Commons @ Longwood University Rotunda Library, Special Collections, and Archives 10-7-2015 Rotunda - Vol 94, no. 7- Oct 7, 2015 Longwood University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.longwood.edu/rotunda Recommended Citation Longwood University, "Rotunda - Vol 94, no. 7- Oct 7, 2015" (2015). Rotunda. Paper 2143. http://digitalcommons.longwood.edu/rotunda/2143 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Library, Special Collections, and Archives at Digital Commons @ Longwood University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Rotunda by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Longwood University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Wednesday, October 7, 2015 Acing our midterms since 1920 Oktoberfest 2015 The show must go on Even though Oktoberfest had to be moved to Willett Hall due to rain, the change of venue did not dampen the excitment of the various performances. Students came out to support klowns and spirit leader dancers (top right), Audacity brass band(center) and Charlie Worsham (bottom left), along with other performers. PHOOTS BY MATT ALEXANDER, PHOTO STAFF The predicament of campus shootings Color me blind To swipe left or swipe right? BY AUSTIN BERRY AND CASSIE TAGERT BY BRIANA ADHIKUSUMA BY VICTORIA WALKER An editorial on college gun An extended feature on Joshua Opposing opinions on the restrictions. Baker, the story of a blind artist. widely popular Tinder app. P A G E 13 PAGE 4 PAGE 6 vol. 94, issue no.7 2 NEWS TheRotundaOnline.com EDITORIAL BOARD victoria walker editor-in-chief Snapchat update jeff halliday BY BRIANA ADHIKUSUMA lauren karidis NEWS EDITOR the underage possession of alcohol, the consumption mike mergen @briadhikusuma of alcohol and we took action on campus. The faculty advisors students have been addressed. It’s a working case Anyone who is associated with Longwood here on campus,” said Beach. briana adhikusuma cassie tagert University may have recently seen a photo news editor copy staff Because the nature of the photo was a ‘selfie,’ the circulating around social media this past week. A girls had to be fully aware of what they were doing. position open ryan quigley car full of three girls (two pictured in the circulated “This is obviously a selfie….If you think that’s a features editor a&e staff photo) took a photo of themselves drinking what good idea, then do it. The police would be more is assumed to be alcohol whilst operating a motor than happy to look at that,” says Beach. emily haswell pamela dahl vehicle. Beach said that whenever they have evidence a&e editor assistant layout editor There were two photos which were posted on the of a crime being committed, they would start an Farmville Snapchat account. The one which found investigation to determine whether it leads them to natalie joseph payton conway its way onto Facebook pictured one girl taking the the point of being able to establish probable cause assistant a&e editor features staff photo with a bottle in a brown bag while the driver and that the event actually occurred. The probable rotunda studios staff of the car was holding a can of Miller Lite up to her cause would then be taken to the Commonwealth’s position open lips. Whether or not the can was open, however, is Attorney to determine whether or not the incident opinion editor derrick bennington questionable. sports staff would be prosecuted. The girls’ faces are clearly shown, but without the halle parker As far as the question of whether or not sports editor blake cole bottles, in the frame of the second photo. Longwood Police would be able to use Snapchat sports staff The first photo was posted to Longwood’s as a form of “surveillance,” Beach said that the task taylor o’bier Facebook and was shared by many individuals isn’t possible for them to do at this time. rotunda studios producer orlando payton concerned with the action of the girls and their “There’s so much social media. It’s impossible. rotunda studios staff poor representation of our school. That would be a full time job….Inevitably, what austin berry Chief Robert Beach said that the girls have been happens is like, in this case, somebody sees it, tells layout editor matthew alexander identified and have been addressed about the us about it, we go find it out, we start our process.” online editor situation. Continue to follow The Rotunda for more meghan west photography staff “It’s visual evidence of a crime being committed, updates. business manager jessica groff kira zimney features staff social media editor event coordinator thomas schweighardt Alumni donation opinion staff carson reeher photography editor dustyn hall opinion staff article correction carly shaia VICTORIA WALKER assistant photography editor emily neighbors EDITOR IN CHIEF @thetoriwalker staff event coordinator ashlyn kemp copy editor alex kiszka It has come to The Rotunda’s attention that there was a misunderstanding of terminology in last staff event coordinator week’s Alumni Giving article. The use of “alumni donations” and “alumni participation” were used joey burns interchangeably without the knowledge that they have two separate meanings. In actuality, “alumni copy staff thomas wise giving” for the University has been increasing gradually whereas “alumni participation” is on the decline. a&e cartoonist The quote “alumni giving is on a downward spiral…” should have shown as “alumni participation is on marlisha stewart a downward spiral….” Total alumni giving to the University has increased since the 90s, instead of the photography staff previous statement in article, which said “this past fiscal year was the first time since the 90s that alumni donations have increased.” contact information [email protected] October 7, 2015 NEWS 3 Jury finds Pimentel not guilty Charge had been reduced from sexual battery commonwealth’s attorney including the reported Pimentel’s physical contact for Prince Edward County, victim and Longwood Police could not be proved, and that represented the reported Department Investigator the physical contact was not victim and, after the trial, Sam Gilliam, the arresting made in force, threat or ruse, deferred comment to officer. as Section 8.2-67.4 of the Prince Edward County A significant piece of Code of Virginia requires. Commonwealth’s Attorney evidence presented during Elder argued that his James Ennis. His office the most recent trial point was supported by her did not respond in time for was surveillance video statement that she was not publication. footage from the hallway afraid or intimidated. Elder The Rotunda attempted of Pimentel’s dorm in also argued the alleged to interview Pimentel in Longwood Landings, victim did not make any the courthouse, but he showing him and the immediate attempt to was not made available reported victim together on leave the hallway after first for comment. Longwood the night of the incident. contact. The video showed Director of Athletics In the alleged victim’s initial the reported victim walking Troy Austin released the report to police, she claimed back towards Pimentel following statement this Pimentel inappropriately and conversing with him a afternoon, “In this difficult touched her without her second time. matter, Jason Pimentel has consent in the hallway. On Bauer responded by telling now exercised his right to a the stand Thursday, she the jury that the alleged trial by jury and been found told the courtroom that on victim was not required to not guilty. We will have no that night, she did not feel run away and called attention further comment.” any intimidation or fear of to consent regarding the Thursday’s court result Pimentel, but was offended reported inappropriate came nearly 11 months by his actions. physical contact. PHOTO BY LAURA CLARK, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER after Pimentel’s Nov. 5, Elder argued that the Presiding Judge Honorable BY BRIANA ADHIKUSUMA poor quality of the video Kimberley S. White later NEWS EDITOR 2014 arrest. Pimentel was @briadhikusuma he was exonerated. The trial suspended indefinitely from and the positioning of the discussed the evidence and lasted roughly three and a the team the next day, surveillance camera and of testimony and determined half hours and the seven- but made his Longwood both individuals was not the claimed actions of the Longwood University member jury deliberated senior men’s basketball basketball court debut three enough evidence to justify defendant were not made for less than an hour before months later after being a guilty charge to meet the with threat, intimidation or player Jason Pimentel was returning to the courtroom found “not guilty” of battery reinstated immediately prior standard of guilt beyond a force, eventually leading to with their decision. to a game against Charleston reasonable doubt. the reduction of the charge in a Prince Edward County Pimentel’s defense attorney, Circuit Court jury trial on Southern on Feb. 14 at In turn, Bauer called down to battery. Gary Elder of Hawthorne Willett Hall. He played in attention to when the alleged The jury consisted of one Thursday. & Hawthorne, spoke On Feb. 2, in Prince each of the final eight games victim initially walked away, man and six women. outside of the courtroom of the season, including with her back facing away The reported victim Edward County District shortly after the decision Court, Pimentel was the Big South Conference from Pimentel, in order to immediately left the was announced, “We’re very tournament. make sure he did not follow courtroom once it was previously found guilty of happy with the way with the a Class 1 misdemeanor of His return to the her. adjourned. way things turned out and courtroom this fall resulted After hearing testimony Pimentel was visibly sexual battery.