Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 5, 1991 TAG: 9104050310
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL HOWES STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Instead, David Williams became part of the story Thursday. It didn't help that the first-classman, or senior, from Oregon was sporting his gray-and-white uniform when he arrived at the Poff Federal Building in downtown Roanoke.
"When we got off the elevator and all the cameras turned on, we were like, `What . . . ?' " Williams told a knot of reporters, his back to the wall and microphones in his face.
Call it a feeding frenzy, Roanoke-style.
No, there weren't scores of reporters and cameras there, not like you see on network news coverage of shenanigans in Washington and New York. But Roanoke, Richmond and Norfolk television reporters shared the second-floor hallway with their print counterparts - as well as reporters from the wire services, The Washington Post and the Cox News Service in Washington.
Even The Village Voice, the grandfather of the alternative press, sent a reporter to chronicle the federal government's attempt to throw open VMI's iron gates to women. The Voice's Karen Houppert, her father a retired Air Force pilot, recalled arguing with a high school boyfriend about the value of a single-sex military education.
"My editor thought it raised interesting questions about women in combat and what that means to liberal feminists," she said.
Those who've been around awhile say the trial of VMI tradition may be the biggest legal showdown in town since late 1984, when Lynchburg's own Rev. Jerry Falwell challenged the publishing practices of Larry Flynt and his magazine Hustler.
"It occurred to me this morning that [this trial] reminded me of Falwell-Flynt," said Keith Humphry, an anchor for Roanoke's WDBJ-Channel 7. "In that case we were all banished from the second floor. We were left trying to catch people coming from the basement garage. I suspect they may have to invoke that rule again."
No sign of that - at least not on the first day. Officials redoubled their efforts to accommodate visitors, eventually opening the 14-seat jury box to reporters. Trouble was, they couldn't leave while court was in session.
Still, reporters from other cities marveled at the media-friendly federal courthouse. "In our federal court buildings, you're not allowed in the building," said Sandra Parker, a reporter for WVEC in Norfolk, an ABC affiliate.
Reporters scurried about the halls, grabbing quick interviews or phoning editors and news directors to say the opening arguments would start two hours late. Cameramen shoved lenses into the faces of unsuspecting witnesses; a few "shooters" even followed their quarry to the restrooms - lights blazing.
Meanwhile, lawyer after lawyer filed into the courtroom, came out and went back again. Filing cases lined the floor and huge black binders brimming with documents sat stacked on tables.
All told, 10 dark-suited attorneys ringed VMI's defense table, backed by the school's four senior school officials, rows of other lawyers and VMI faithful. Six more attorneys represented the Justice Department, which managed to question only two witnesses on the opening day.
by CNB