On Sunday, March 9, Phi Kappa Tau sponsored a bowl-a-thon to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. "The event was held in remembrance of Jamie Labbe, who passed away as result of the disease in 1999. His parents, Kari and Bob and sister Kim attended along with the Director of Community Service, Diane Hotaling. The bowl-a-thon was held from 1-4 p.m. at the AMF Bowling Center on North Military Hwy.

Six lanes were rented and overflowed with members of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. Other bowlers included Dr. Bill Ruehlmann, senior Rhiannon Farmer and the Labbe’s next-door neighbor, Sarah Betsinger. "The bowl-a-thon was a great way to raise money for research to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association," said senior Andrea Talbott. A minimum of 25 dollars was required to enter the event. Any bowler who pledged fifty dollars or more received an "I helped send a child to summer camp" shirt, donated by MDA. Also, a trophy was awarded to the highest scoring team as calculated by the average of two games.

All in good fun, the Phi Kappa Tau brothers and Tri-Sigma sisters challenged each other to a bowl-a-thon competition. Though the brothers won this year, Tri-Sigma sister Melissa Garrett said, "Oh, it’s on now." Sophomore Robbie Cooke agreed in saying, "I hope this competition can turn into an annual event to benefit MDA. I know the Tri-Sigma sisters and Phi Tau brothers hold a special place in their hearts for Jamie. This event is out of love for him and in support to further research to find a cure for Muscular Dystrophy."

A total of $550 was raised for MDA and Phi Kappa Tau hopes to carry on this newly found tradition in years to come.

Good news students, faculty and staff of Virginia Wesleyan: The phone lines are fixed! Most of you have probably noticed that for the past three to four months anyone trying to call you from off campus will often get a busy signal for hours at a time.

For most of us it never resulted to more of a problem than convincing our parents that we haven’t been on the phone for two hours and that yes we remembered Uncle Frank was suppose to call at 9:00 p.m. But for others it led to more serious problems. Kelly Delaney, a junior at VWC, had a family emergency at home but her mother was unable to reach her due to the phone problems. "There was a death in my family and I wasn’t able to find out until a day later. The phone lines were so jammed up my mom actually had to call the Virginia Beach Police Department to notify me. It was an upsetting experience and if I had known earlier I would have been able to catch an earlier flight."

So what was the exact problem that caused VWC to be cut off from the outside public for hours at a time? It all boils down to something called a trunk. An incoming trunk is what accepts calls from outside of the school. At VWC we have 18 trunks, so this means 18 outside calls can come in at once. If there are 18 people currently on the phone with an outside line then anyone else who tries to call into the school will get a busy signal. Elaine Aird, the Assistant Director of Business Operations and Purchasing at VWC, has been working hard on the phone line problem.

"I originally called Bell Atlantic and told them we had a down trunk line," said Aird. "They responded and did some troubleshooting and found several trunk lines were down. But unfortunately the problem started again. Bell Atlantic came in and did a more in-depth study and found that there was a defective card. A card consists of eight trunks." So what did that mean? One defective card meant that there were only 10 outside phone lines available. Only 10 people in the whole school could be talking on the phone to someone who called from an outside line. No wonder there were busy signals for hours on end. Another reason for the phone line problem is VWC’s trunks are about 15 years old.

"The College is looking to buy more trunks but it probably won’t be until the beginning of the Fiscal Year," said Aird. Aird is happy that the phone lines are finally fixed. "In the future if this happens the college is committed to follow through with the problem more quickly. We’re not going to let it drag on as long."

The Student Environmental Awareness League (SEALS) is off to an eager start with plans to clean up Lake Taylor and restore the oysters in Chesapeake Bay. SEALS will be celebrating Earth Day by cleaning the Lake Taylor area April 29. The group will also be selling plants and baked goods to support their cause. In addition to the Lake Taylor cleanup, SEALS has taken on the larger task of helping to rejuvenate oysters in the Chesapeake Bay. "Our organization focuses on conservation and environmental issues," said Heather Crow, president of SEALS. "This is what we can do to help restore the reef." On April 14, the group begins training in the area of oyster restoration. Members will need to measure and clean the oysters and conduct tests on water and sediment samples. The group will monitor the oysters until they are large enough to be put into the bay.

SEALS is a student organization with a focus on environmental awareness. The league is active in fund-raising and volunteering that will benefit the environment. SEALS is being advised by Dr. Maynard Schaus and Dr. Christopher Haley from the science department. However, the league is open to students of all majors. "I am very interested in volunteering and raising money for the environment," said junior Jennifer Dupnack, "and it’s good to have an even balance, since I’m a business major." Dupnack is a transfer from San Luis Obispo in California where environ mental groups are some of the most popular. She was surprised by the small numbers attracted by SEALS.

5At the first meeting on March 9, Schaus explained the on/off participation in SEALS and stressed the importance of the students. He was looking for leaders to step up, and they did. Students actively participated in brainstorming ideas, planning events and electing officers. The group is now being led by Crow, vice president Stephanie Dodgers and treasurer Emily Elliot. SEALS is not an "all work, no play" organization. The group is also pursuing activities like whale watching and canoeing. Schaus describes the group as "a little bit of fund-raising, a little bit of clean up, and a little bit of fun."

If you are interested in SEALS, contact Heather Crow at (757)721- 3221, or e-mail her at hlcrow@vwc.edu.