Over at Purdue, a missing student was found dead—after two months—in an electrical transformer room.

“[W]ade Steffey apparently touched a “ceramic element” that connects an electrical wire to a transformer inside the room. The contact sent enough voltage through him to kill him.

“Norberg said officials apparently did check the room when searching for Steffey, but Steffey was behind a transformer. He was not visible from either an exterior or interior doorway, she said.

“On Monday, a utility worker was called to check the room after getting a report about a noise coming from inside. Purdue officials said she entered using the interior door, which had been locked.

“Norberg said she believes the utility worker might have gone farther into the room because she smelled an odor. That’s why she might have been able to find the body that was missed during the first search, Norberg said.

Say it with me now: Ughghghghghghghg. This is the kind of story that sends shudders through college students everywhere. Apparently, Steffey was looking for his coat one night when he stumbled into the room, which should have been locked. Even worse was the Purdue’s negligence in searching the room. Our sympathies are with Steffey’s family. And stay out of the maintenance rooms after the party, Hoyas.

Posted by Tim Fernholz, Managing Editor

What do gun nuts, Cambodia fanatics and Fritz Brogan’s enemies all have in common?

They’re Voice readers, of course.

Last week our gun editorial brought in all the expected protest letters from Second Amenment supporters across the country. Scott W., of Phoenix, Arizona wrote “Please, give us all a break and stop making idiotic comments like - ‘While it’s unclear what impact gun control has had on District crime over the years, what the sense in allowing more guns on the streets?’”

The Fritz Brogan cover story, too, provoked all manner of letters taking issue with our front-page-characterization of Brogan as “Joe Hoya” himself. One letter writer even threatened to expose some pretty steamy allegations about Brogan’s character. We’ll see if it makes it into print on Thursday.

The biggest surprise, however, came in a link in an e-mail sent to us by someone claiming the not so-self-effacing title of “Lord Playboy.” His Lordship pointed us to a discussion board of four pages of threads where all types of message board geeks spent the last week attacking Kent Elliot’s piece on Cambodia (”A $350 Problem”, March 15, 2007). These guys are really serious about everything from “dirty” backpackers to the assumed honesty of every bell boy in Cambodia. To see what these boring people spend their time doing, check this link out.
Posted by Chris Stanton, Editor-in-Chief

Did anyone else find it a little strange that Ray Danieli, the assistant director of off-campus life, was out in Red Square last Friday handing out ping-pong balls in Red Square with the Run for Rigby people?

The set of pakaged balls, custom colored to fit with the coming St. Patrick’s Day weekend, came with a reminder to sign up for the April 14 “Rigby Ball” and April 15 “Run 4 Rigby.” The message included an encouragement to “Enjoy these pong balls.”

Clearly the balls were supported and paid for by the Run for Rigby organization. However, Danieli’s presence in Red Square was an indication that the school tacitly supports appealing to students’ love for beer pong (beirut) in order to promote safety. It’s a definite compromise of ideals since the student code of conduct very clearly states that drinking games are not okay: “Of particular concern are alcohol-related drinking games. Because they are designed to encourage the excessive consumption of alcohol, they run contrary to and undermine the University’s promotion of the responsible use of alcohol. Alcohol-related drinking games shall be deemed an aggravating factor.”

The funny thing is, Danieli’s colleague (they share a tiny office), Director of Off-Campus Life Charles VanSant is the man responsible for lecturing and punishing off-campus students who party so hard that they burn the University’s bridges with the neighbors.

Way to go guys, for encouraging binge drinking and precision on the ping-pong table!

Posted by Chris Stanton, Editor-in-Chief