Nearly five years after the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech in April 2007, colleges and universities across the nation face the continued challenge of assessing and mitigating threats posed by unexpected emergencies and natural disasters. In response to this ongoing need, the U.S. standardization community has stepped forward to help institutions of higher learning and other organizations make important strides in securing campus safety.

The VTV Family OUTREACH Foundation, a group formed in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy to advocate for legislation and programs that help ensure safety on U.S. campuses, recently sent a letter to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) expressing thanks for its role in the publication of a risk analysis standard for institutions of higher education.

Approved as an American National Standard (ANS), ASME-ITI Risk Analysis 2010, A Risk Analysis Standard for Natural and Man-Made Hazards to Higher Education Institutions, lays out a risk management process to identify, analyze, and communicate risks on college and university campuses.

The standard addresses threats to human life and well-being, as well as risks to facilities and infrastructure, and also encompasses potential operational hazards. The standard was developed by ASME Innovative Technologies Institute (ASME-ITI), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer dedicated to advancing the quality and range of risk and resilience management.

According to the foundation’s letter, the standard has served as “an incredibly helpful and educational tool” in helping the VTV Family OUTREACH Foundation draft a national plan for campus safety.

The standard also provides a platform for the exchange of best practices for safety and security among participating institutions. By using common definitions and methods to compare risk, resilience, and risk management benefits, decision-makers are better positioned to allocate limited resources and assess and mitigate risk.

Among its recommendations, ASME-ITI Risk Analysis 2010 describes how campus threat assessment teams can be put in place to help identify potential persons of concern and to analyze information regarding potential threats. Following the Virginia Tech incident, the Commonwealth of Virginia mandated that public institutions of higher learning establish such teams, with the state of Illinois going one step further to mandate that threat assessment teams be formed in both public and private institutions.

“Hopefully, institutions of higher education throughout the United States and overseas will study your recommendations and implement them,” wrote Lu Ann Maciulla McNabb, former director of programs and legislation at the VTF Family Outreach Foundation. “Specifically, we hope that they will create threat assessment teams or a version thereof in order to assess and monitor risks and prevent a tragedy.”

“This is just the latest example of how the ANSI community is stepping up to the plate with standards-based solutions to meet critical national priorities,” said S. Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO. “On behalf of the Institute, I commend ASME-ITI for its important work in this area.”

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Stone Phillips, former Dateline NBC and ABC News 20/20 reporter, returns to the field with ”Hard Hits, Hard Numbers: The First Study of Head Impacts in Youth Football.”

This exclusive story, released on StonePhillipsReports.com January 27th, reveals the findings of a groundbreaking Virginia Tech study, which placed instrumented helmets on 7- and 8-year-old football players.  Data was collected on more than 750 hits to the head over the course of a season.  With some impacts reaching magnitudes considered high even for college players, the findings provide the first quantitative assessment of the acceleration that young brains are exposed to in youth football.

Lead researcher Stefan Duma, who has been gathering data on head impacts among college players at Virginia Tech for nine seasons, describes the results of the youth study as “surprising.”  ”The highest impact we measured was 100g, which puts you right in the middle average of a concussion,” Duma tells Phillips.

Dr. Gunnar Brolinson, head of Virginia Tech’s Sports Medicine Department, remarks, “With the kids, when you start seeing 50, 60, 70, 80g blows, you’re just going ‘Wow!’ That is really impressive in terms of the load that’s occurring.  And again, you’ve got a young athlete and a developing brain subject to those kinds of loads. So it’s concerning.”

Significantly, 29 of the top 38 hits and all impacts over 80gs occurred during practices.  ”This shows how important our research is.  Without the sensors, we would never have known this. We can change the practices like we’ve done at college and dramatically minimize risk,” says Professor Duma.

The study, expected to be published this spring, was funded through a grant from NHTSA and conducted through the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest Center for Injury Biomechanics.

“Hard Hits, Hard Numbers” features interviews with Stefan Duma, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Gunnar Brolinson, team doctor and head of Virginia Tech Sports Medicine, John Clark, coach of the participating youth football team, and team parents.

Stone Phillips, who suffered two sports-related concussions during his high school and college years, says, “We all know how fierce the hitting is in professional, college and even high school football.  For the first time, this study gives hard, sobering numbers on head impacts among the youngest players.”

Image Courtesy of  Richard Paul Kane / Shutterstock.com

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The Clemson Tigers dominated the Virginia Tech Hokies in the second half Saturday night, winning the ACC Championship game 38-10. The victory clinched Clemson its first ACC title since 1991, along with its first ever BCS bowl game bid, and its first trip to the Orange Bowl in 30 years.

“There have been a lot of walls built up around this program over the last 20 years and we knocked them down tonight,” said head coach Dabo Swinney. Clemson took the field ranked just twentieth in the BCS in comparison to Virginia Tech’s number five standing. However, the Tigers had great confidence in their chances after already defeating the Hokies earlier this season.

That confidence grew even stronger early in the game after Clemson recovered a Logan Thomas fumble on Virginia Tech’s first possession. The Tigers’ defense was desperate for a turnover, as this was the first one forced over the last four games. The ball was recovered at the Virginia Tech 24.

Clemson was unable to move the ball on the first two plays, but Tajh Boyd began the scoring with a 3^rd and 10 touchdown pass to tight end Dwayne Allen. After the teams exchanged punts Virginia Tech responded with less than a minute remaining in the first. Thomas led a 77 yard drive that ended with a 45 yard touchdown pass to receiver D.J. Coles to tie the game at seven.

But that would be Thomas’ only touchdown toss on a night where he struggled considerably. He may have thrown for 274 yards, but he also threw two interceptions on just 22-44 passing. Virginia Tech struggled on the ground as well. Running backs David Wilson and Josh Oglesby combined for just 54 yards rushing on 17 carries. Thomas’ two yards on 12 carries gave the team a total of only 56 for the entire four quarters.

The teams went into the half tied at 10 after the Hokies took advantage of a roughing the passer penalty late in the second quarter. The call kept their drive alive, allowing them to eventually make a 42 yard field goal with one second remaining. A trip to Miami for a spot in the Orange Bowl would come down to just 30 minutes of football.

Clemson came out of the half looking like a completely different team, clinching the berth with ease. The Tigers took a 17-10 lead early in the third quarter after Boyd finished off a drive with another touchdown pass to Allen. It was his second touchdown pass of three on the evening.

The sophomore quarterback went 20-29 with 240 yards passing on the evening, while also tallying an additional 28 yards on the ground. Boyd’s final touchdown pass was a 53 yard throw to star receiver Sammy Watkins on their next possession, giving Clemson a 24-10 lead.

Logan Thomas and the Hokies had no answers for Clemson’s defense, which completely took over in the second half. Virginia Tech’s final stand came late in the third quarter trailing 31-10 following an Andre Ellington 29 yard touchdown run. They moved the ball to the Clemson 30, but failed to convert on 4^th and 2 after a drop.

Boyd added one more touchdown for good measure, giving his team touchdowns on their first four possessions of the second half. And although he had a great game, Clemson’s 38 points would not have been possible without an outstanding ground attack. Andre Ellington ran for 125 yards on 20 attempts, and the team ran for 217 yards total.

Most teams would be proud of an 11-2 season, but Virginia Tech knows that they let an automatic BCS bid slip away in the second half. “It was one of those games where things didn’t happen right,” said head coach Frank Beamer. Meanwhile, Swinney and his Tigers will finally return to the Orange Bowl – a national stage where they can return their program back to glory.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to announce that I’m taking my Clemson talents to South Beach, baby.”

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LSU Tramples Arkansas; 41-17

Jordan Jefferson passed for 208 yards and rushed for 53 more as his two touchdowns helped lift LSU to a 41-17 decimation of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Friday night. Kenny Hilliard rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown, and Michael Ford added in another 96, as No. 1 LSU (12-0, 8-0 SEC) further solidified their standing as the most dominant team in college football.

The Razorbacks (10-2, 6-2 SEC) took an early 14-point lead, taking a recovered fumble to the house early in the first quarter. But that resilient, grind-it-out LSU offense never cracked, sticking to the running game and pounding Arkansas’ defense into the dirt. The Tigers scored three touchdowns, gave up an Arkansas field goal, and then capped the game off scoring three more unanswered touchdowns.

LSU looks towards facing No. 14 Georgia in the SEC Championship Game next Saturday, and will likely be voted into the BCS Championship Game regardless of the outcome.

Oregon Routs Oregon State, Clinches Pac-12 Championship Game

After a relatively slow start, the Oregon Ducks picked up steam, putting up big numbers in their routing of state, Pac-12 rival Oregon State Beavers on Saturday.

Darron Thomas ran the show, passing for 305 yards and four touchdowns. Electrifying freshman, De’Anthony Thomas, also kept the Oregon offense rolling, hauling in 10 receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown, and adding in 71 yards on the ground, as the No. 9 Ducks (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12) rolled over division rival Oregon State to solidify home field advantage in the Pac-12 Championship Game vs. UCLA next Saturday.

LaMichael James rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown through three quarters, but left the game early with what looked like a hyper-extended left elbow.

Alabama Cruises Past Auburn

Auburn didn’t even stand a chance. Trent Richardson destroyed the Tigers’ defense, stomping all over them for 203 yards on the ground, and the Alabama Crimson Tide sailed over rival Auburn in a 42-14 smack down in this year’s Iron Bowl.

A.J. McCarron picked up 184 passing yards and three touchdowns, but kudos went to Alabama’s stingy SEC defense. The No. 2 Crimson Tide (11-1, 7-1 SEC) held Auburn (7-5, 4-4 SEC) to 140 yards of total offense, limiting their electrifying running back, Michael Dyer, to a menial 48 yards through four quarters.

Houston Dismantles Tulsa, Remains Undefeated

Case Keenum continued to plead his case for Heisman candidacy, picking apart the Tulsa secondary for 457 yards (33-47) and five touchdowns in Houston’s 48-16 rout of the Golden Hurricane, Friday afternoon.

Keenum hit eight different receivers, including Patrick Edwards, who was on the receiving end of four touchdown passes and 187 yards worth of receptions and yards after the catch.

No. 6 Houston (12-0, 8-0 C-USA) will take on No. 24 Southern Mississippi in the Conference USA Championship Game next week, where the Cougars will look to expand on what has already been a golden season.

Wisconsin Smashes Penn State, Clinches Big Ten Championship Game

Montee Ball further padded his Heisman resume, adding in 156 yards and four touchdowns as the Wisconsin Badgers burrowed through Big Ten rival Penn State, 45-7 blowout. Russell Wilson picked up 186 passing yards and two touchdowns, and No. 15 Wisconsin (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) solidified their position in the Big Ten Championship Game next week against No. 13 Michigan State.

Justin Tucker Saves the Day, Texas Squeezes Out Over Texas A&M.

Justin Tucker knocked down a clutch 40-yard field goal with time expiring, and the Texas Longhorns barely came out victorious over state, Big-12 rival, Texas A&M, squeezing out a 27-25 road win for all of the chips.

Led by QB Ryan Tannehill, A&M had marched down the field and scored on the Longhorn secondary, leaving just under two minutes for Texas to mount a game-winning drive. But Case McCoy would not be denied, scrambling to the A&M 23-yard line for a 25-yard pickup that would move Tucker into field goal position and seal the deal for the Longhorns.

Georgia Coasts Past Rival Georgia Tech, Clinches SEC Championship Game

Aaron Murray was the crutch for Georgia, passing for 252 yards and all four of his team’s touchdowns, and the No. 14 Bulldogs (10-2, 7-1 SEC) got the win over rival Georgia Tech in the “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” game on Saturday.

Though they allowed 243 yards on the ground, the Georgia defense forced two interceptions and held Georgia Tech to 112 passing yards. Georgia can only hope to improve on their rush defense, as they’ll have to take on a run-heavy No. 1 LSU in the SEC Championship Game next week.

Virginia Tech Zips UVA, 38-0

The score tells it all. David Wilson rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and Virginia Tech completely dominated rival Virginia, leaving them scoreless through four quarters. Tech’s defense picked off UVA QB Michael Rocco twice, and No. 5 Virginia Tech (11-1, 7-1 ACC) smashed their division rival while advancing to the ACC Championship Game against No. 20 Clemson, next week.

Baylor Outscores Texas Tech, 66-42

Heisman hopeful, Robert Griffin III, looked on from the sidelines after suffering a concussion in the second quarter. But the damage had already been done. RG3 reached the endzone three times in the first half (once in the air, twice on the ground), and second string quarterback Nick Florence added in two more passing touchdowns as No. 17 Baylor advanced to 8-3 (5-3 Big-12)  in their win over rival Texas Tech.

Terrance Ganaway trampled over the Tech defense, rushing for 246 yards and two touchdowns and the Baylor Bears moved on to the Big-12 Championship Game vs. No. 22 Texas next week.

Andrew Luck Picks Apart Notre Dame, Stanford Wins; 28-14

Andrew Luck proved why he’s the best QB in college football, completing 20 of his 30 pass attempts for 233 yards and four touchdowns, leading the Stanford Cardinal to a two-touchdown victory over the Fighting Irish.

Stepfan Taylor rushed for 118 yards on 20 carries, and the No. 4 Cardinal (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12) recorded their eleventh win of the season. They won’t, however, play in the Pac-12 Championship game because they lost the tiebreaker to Oregon earlier in the season.

South Carolina State Defeats Clemson

Connor Shaw did it all, passing for 210 yards and three touchdowns and rushing for 107 yards and another touchdown, as he led his South Carolina State Gamecocks to their tenth win of the season.

Kenny Miles also added in 71 rushing yards, but it was Shaw’s picture-perfect performance that got South Carolina State (10-2, 6-2 SEC) the win over Clemson, Saturday night.

Oklahoma Comfortably Crushes Iowa State.

After upsetting a perfect Oklahoma State the week before, Iowa State looked to make Oklahoma their next victim. The Sooners were not on board. Though Landry Jones was picked off twice, he still decimated the Iowa State defense for 256 yards. Blake Bell picked up two rushing touchdowns, but the MVP award would go to kicker, Michael Hunnicutt, who knocked down four field goals (20, 28, 37 & 21) and gave the Oklahoma Sooners (9-2, 6-2 Big-12) some desperately needed points.

Boise State Spreads Out Wyoming. Broncos Win; 36-14

At the helm of one of the nation’s most potent offenses, Kellen Moore stood tall, delivering three touchdown strikes and 279 passing yards in Boise State’s tenth win (10-1, 5-1 MWC) of the season.

Doug Martin rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bronco defense picked off Wisconsin QB, Brett Smith twice, as No. 7 Boise State advanced to the Midwest Conference Championship Game vs. New Mexico next week.

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Texas State Senators are moving ahead with a controversial bill that would allow students to carry concealed handguns on the state’s college campuses. The bill, SB 354, if passed, would make Texas the second state after Utah to allow the carrying of concealed weapons on public postsecondary campuses.  Nine other states, including Arizona, have introduced bills to allow guns on college campuses this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Survivors of campus violence offered emotional pleas during their testimony before the Texas state senate’s committee on criminal justice.  Survivors of the 1966 University of Texas shooting were joined with John Woods, who was a student at Virginia Tech during the 2007 massacre that left 33 dead including Woods’ girlfriend.  “My feeling is we have a Second Amendment in this country for a reason, but as the Supreme Court has said very clearly, that doesn’t mean that you can take your gun with you anywhere you want,” Woods testified.

Proponents of the legislation, however, say students should be the ones to decide. “We don’t understand why people lose this option for personal protection when they step onto a college campus,” Daniel Crocker of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus told The Texas Tribune.   Supporters of the bill also note that in the majority of cases, a person must be 21 or older to carry a concealed weapon meaning only upper classmen, faculty, and staff would be able to bring a gun on campus.  But, there is an ongoing lawsuit in Texas, supported by the National Rifle Association, that seeks to reduce the license age minimum to 18.

The legislation would grant private universities discretion as to whether they allow guns on campus, but Sen. Rodney Ellis, a Houston Democrat, has said he will try to amend the legislation to give public university officials the same choice.  A majority of lawmakers in the Texas House favor the measure, and the bill, in some form is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Rick Perry, according to officials.  The legislation comes only months after a shooting scare at the University of Texas, in which a student brought an assault rifle to campus and eventually killed himself.

Woods doesn’t believe that having more guns on campus would have prevented the tragedy at Virginia Tech.  “She was one of the brightest, most energetic, good-hearted people I’ve ever met,” Woods said of girlfriend Maxine Turner, who he had been dating for six months before she was killed. “I loved her, and I never told her that, so I’m putting it on the record here today.”

A vote was not taken following the testimony but is expected this week.

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