
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, November 5, 1994                   TAG: 9411070030
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                 LENGTH: Short

TECH INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER FOLDS

The Tech Independent, Virginia Tech's second campus newspaper, shut down this week, approximately $7,000 in debt.

Thursday's issue was the Independent's last, after the volunteer staff decided it was better to call it quits than sink deeper into debt - "before we couldn't liquidate our assets," said Editor Maureen Hoch.

The twice-weekly newspaper was launched a year ago, replacing the Preston Journal that began six years ago. The Independent tried to compete with established Collegiate Times, which is more than 100 years old and a formidable foe as the two competed for advertising dollars, Hoch said.

"The whole reason the Tech Independent was started was to have another voice," she said. "There was a rivalry, of course, but I'd like to think that in the end, we both made each other do a better job."

by CNB