Bethany Hansel

Sreyphy's last hope

A local event brought games and celebration to 17-year-old Sreyphy’s hometown in Oudor Meanchey Province. Going to the pagoda, Sreyphy was excited to enjoy a fun-filled day with her friends. But a simple trampoline accident left her with a complicated knee fracture — and nowhere to go for help.

From a foot fracture to cancer: Rita's story

Children hurt themselves in simple accidents every day — it’s part of being a child. But it’s not every day that a broken foot turns into a cancer diagnosis. For four-year-old Rita’s family, nothing could’ve been more unexpected. And nothing could’ve been scarier.

Rebuilding a life after violence: Socheata's brave journey

Warning: This story contains references to a child’s assault, which may be disturbing for some readers.

12-year-old Socheata came from a very broken home. After her mother died in childbirth, Socheata was left in the care of her father, who struggled with severe violence and drug addiction. He frequently beat Socheata and kept her from attending school. And on one terrifying March evening, Socheata experienced a horror that no child should endure — her father’s friend raped her.

Weeks...

The countdown to save Lyma's life

When your child is in an accident, there’s often a countdown that begins from the moment of injury. Once the clock starts ticking, you only have so much time before it’s too late. Before they start dying.

For three-year-old Lyma, the countdown began when she fell into a kettle of boiling water, burning her entire upper body.

Lyma’s grandmother Tevy came running when she heard Lyma’s screams. Tevy called her parents, who, like many Cambodians, had moved to Phnom Penh to find work.

Wh...

Collegiate Times • 7th March 2025

Virginia Tech bans race- and legacy-based admissions, early decision option

Virginia Tech, in its annual examination of its admissions process, has recently announced several changes to its undergraduate admissions procedure. Starting with the 2023–2024 application season, the university will remove its early decision option for applicants, as well as legacy, race and ethnicity as potential factors in the decision-making process.These changes are aimed at “leveling the playing field” for all applicants, according to a Virginia Tech News article by Juan Espinoza, associa...

New Virginia law bans TikTok, WeChat on state-owned devices and networks

In April 2023, Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin signed into law an official prohibition on the use of TikTok, WeChat, and any other products created by ByteDance, Ltd. or Tencent Holdings, Ltd. on any state-issued electronic devices or any state-maintained network. This ban will officially take effect on Virginia Tech campus on July 1, 2023.TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, currently ranks as one of the most popular entertainment apps on the App Store, hitting 1 billion monthly use...

Scams targeting Virginia Tech community trigger police investigations

The Virginia Tech police department is launching investigations into the recent slew of scams that students and faculty have been subject to. University police have received roughly 20 different reports in the last several weeks from victims of various scams circulating across campus.These scams have taken a variety of forms, but the two most common include job advertisements sent out to students and faculty from a university-affiliated email address, or blackmail through a social media or datin...

Virginia Tech lags behind in Campus Race to Zero Waste competition

Virginia Tech entered the Campus Race to Zero Waste challenge on Jan. 29 for an eight-week long competition with 66 other universities across North and Central America to reduce waste and boost recycling rates. With first place corresponding to the school with the highest recycling rate, Virginia Tech is currently ranked 61st in the competition.The competition, formerly called RecycleMania, is sponsored by the waste management and recycling company Rubicon, and is conducted in partnership with t...

Pride Week celebrates LGBTQ+ history at Virginia Tech

Hokies celebrated Virginia Tech’s very own Pride Week during the week of Saturday, April 1, to Friday, April 7, in honor of the LGBTQ+ community at Virginia Tech and their long history at the university.The celebration featured numerous events throughout the week, beginning with a queer campout on Saturday and Sunday and ending with a performance from Shirlette Ammons, a queer poet and musician, on Friday. Other important events held during the week were name change assistance, free gender-affir...