COLLEGIATETIMES
friday november 2, 2007 blacksburg, va.
www.collegiatetimes.com
news MAYA ANGELOU COMING TO TECH
Virginia Tech sharp(ie) in win NTC not affected by FCC ban
Director of Diversity Initiatives Ray Plaza confirmed yesterday that best-selling author, poet and civil-rights activist Maya Angelou will be speaking at Virginia Tech next semester as part of the 3rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Week. She will be delivering the keynote speech for Martin Luther King Day at 7pm on Monday, January 21st in Burruss Auditorium. Tickets will likely be available late next week, Plaza said, and available through the UUSA box office at no cost. Details of the event will be officially released next week.
MEG MILLER
ct campus life editor
HIGHTY-TIGHTIES TO MARCH IN MACY’S The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets’ Highty-Tighties will be marching the 80th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this November. This is the sixth time the marching band will participate in the parade. The last time they played in the 2.5 mile parade through the streets of Manhattan was in 1999. Maj. George McNeill will lead the band on Thanksgiving. McNeill, a retired member of the United States Army, served 22 years with the Army Band Program. It will be broadcasted live at 9 a.m. Thanksgiving morning on NBC.
corrections Kris Reinertson was misquoted in the story “Getting high could cost recipients of financial aid,” (CT, Nov.1). The quote should have been: “…but kicking successful students out for drug use rather than guiding them toward better health is (counter)productive to the philosophy of our university policy.” The story “Computer cluster expands geophysics research,” (CT, Oct. 31) had a mistake. The researchers do not plan for the future. Scott King noted that they try to understand the Earth’s present structure using seismology, as well as try to understand the Earth’s history by geodynamical modeling. The Collegiate Times regrets these errors.
weather
MIKE SHROYER/SPPS
Sean Glennon (above, 7) looks to pick apart the Georgia Tech defense last night in Atlanta. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 296 yards, two passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and no interceptions. The Hokies were missing several team jerseysf, causing players to wear old Georgia Tech uniforms, with their names handwritten on the back (below).
TORREY SMITH
FOUR VIRGINIA TECH JERSEYS GO MISSING
ct sports reporter ATLANTA — Timely defense and a solid performance from redshirt junior quarterback Sean Glennon powered Virginia Tech to a 27-3 victory over Georgia Tech Thursday night in Atlanta. The Hokies improved to 7-2 overall (4-1 ACC) with the win, while the Yellow Jackets dropped to 5-4 overall (2-4 ACC). Since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference, Virginia Tech is 14-1 in conference road games, and 7-1 in games following a loss. Quarterback Sean Glennon – making his second consecutive start after being replaced in favor of freshman Tyrod Taylor earlier in the season – played a precise and poised game, despite odd circumstances. Glennon was forced to wear a white Georgia Tech jersey for the entirety of the game because his jersey was missing. The new look didn’t hamper Glennon’s performance however, as the Centreville native started the game 14-for-15 for 161 yards and a touchdown.
Four Virginia Tech players wore Georgia Tech road jerseys tonight, after their jerseys were reported missing by equipment managers once they reached Bobby Dodd Stadium. Sean Glennon, Tyrod Taylor, Brandon Flowers, and Kam Chancellor wore alternate jerseys, which were old Georgia Tech uniforms. The jerseys had the players names written in marker on the back. Officials from both schools reviewed surveillance tapes outside the locker room but had not seen anything suspicious. A Roanoke booster flew Flowers’ and Chancellor’s jerseys to Atlanta once the team discovered they were missing. Glennon’s jersey could not be found, and Taylor chose not to change his jersey. — Ryan McConnell, CT sports staff
see FOOTBALL, page eight
JEFF SLOYER/SPPS
MICHELLE RIVERA
Wednesday. Ryan Ruggero, daytime manager of TOTS, said that the answer is also indefinite.
ct news reporter It’s time again to turn back our clocks for daylight savings time. At 1:59 a.m. on Sunday morning everyone will gain an extra hour, but the question remains whether bar hoppers and late night partiers will be granted another hour for more Saturday night celebrating. Joe’s Diner manager Sean Uren said that they will be open 24 hours a day this weekend. Gumby’s Pizza will also be open that extra hour. “We’ll be open until about 3 a.m.,” said Conrad Lawson, manager at Gumby’s Pizza. “We’re normally open until about 3:30 a.m. on Saturdays anyway.” However, for the downtown bars that many students and the Blacksburg community frequent, the
answers vary on whether they will remain open for that extra hour on Sunday morning. “Usually once Halloween is over, it’s over,” said Stephanie Rogol, owner of Sharkey’s. She explained that if Halloween falls on a Monday, partiers usually will go out the Saturday before, but because it fell on a Wednesday this year, it’s iffy. “It depends,” she said. “If it’s busy, we’ll stay open another hour. Historically, people get too trashed, and then they might do something they shouldn’t. We’ll stay open so people can hang around, but if they’re looking for trouble then we’ll close early.” Rogol also said that she’d be prepared if people are still celebrating. “If it turns out that people do celebrate this weekend, then we’ll keep giving away prizes; I have a whole bunch of stuff,” she said. Sharkey’s gave away prizes as well as free T-shirts at their heaven-and-hell-themed night on
“ If it’s busy, we’ll stay open another hour. Historically, people get too trashed and they might do something they shouldn’t.” - STEPHANIE ROGOL OWNER OF SHARKEY’S “It’s usually kind of a last minute decision,” he said. “It’s up to the manager that works at night and, in the past, it depended on the crowd and how everyone was feeling.” Ruggero said that they also look after their employees when considering staying open that extra hour. “Usually it depends on how busy it is, but also on how all the employees are feeling: whether they
see DOWNTOWN, page two
PARTLY CLOUDY high 62, low 34
coming up TUESDAY’S CT Check out the CT’s coverage of the annual Dean’s forum for healthy nutrition, held on Monday, in Tuesday’s CT.
ON THE WEB Check out the CT’s blogs at www.collegiatetimes.com/ blogs.
index News.....................2 Features................3 0pinions................5
Sports....................6 Classifieds..............7 Puzzles..................7
An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 104th year • issue 163
Report: Increase minority hires ASHLEY OLIVER
ct associate news editor The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports issued a report concerning minorities being hired for positions in intercollegiate athletics approximately one week ago. The report entitled “The Buck Stops Here: Assessing Diversity Among Campus and Conference Leaders for Division IA Schools in 2007-08” highlighted the fact that minorities do not have leadership positions like white males do in intercollegiate athletic departments. Richard Lapchick, the main researcher of the study and director of IDES, said in a statement, “the overwhelming majority of the most powerful people in college sports is still white. In Division IA, this includes 94.2 percent of the presidents, 85.8 percent of the athletics directors, 93.5 percent of the faculty athletics reps, and 100 percent of the conference commissioners.” The primary concern expressed with the figures in this report was that the overall numbers
100
100% 93.5% 85.8%
In Division I-A Schools
80 60 45.4%
50.4%
40 20
12% 5%
0 100% of the 11 93.5% of the 85.8% of the conference faculty athletics 120 athletic commissioners representatives directors are are white. are white. white men.
12% of the 120 50.4% football 5% of head 45.4% football athletic studentfootball coaches studentdirectors are athletes are are Africanathletes are AfricanAfricanAmerican men. white. American men. Americans. BEN MACDONALD/COLLEGIATE TIMES
of minority leaders in college sports do not reflect the overall numbers of non-white college athletes. “When you come to a place and no one looks like you or understands what you’ve been
Fires force cancellations for schools GORDON BLOCK
ct staff writer
Downtown falls back an hour early SOME LOCAL BUSINESSES WILL REMAIN OPEN WHEN THE CLOCKS GAIN AN EXTRA HOUR, WHILE TOTS AND SHARKEYS WILL MAKE A GAME TIME DECISION
Yesterday the Collegiate Times erroneously reported that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned cable companies from making exclusive contracts with apartment complexes, citing NTC as one of those companies. The FCC did adopt a Report and Order banning the use of exclusivity clauses of video services to apartment, but the order does not apply to private cable operators such as NTC. “None of the services provided by Shentel Converged Services are affected by the proposed ban,” said Jonathan Spencer, vice president and general counsel at NTC, which is a Shentel company. “We are a private cable operator, we do not hold a franchise, we’re not subject to regulation in that regard.” Spencer said that the FCC’s order only applies to local franchise operators. He cited Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Cable as examples of companies that cannot enter into an agreement with complexes because of the ban. Sena Fitzmaurice, senior director, Corporate Communications and Government Affairs of Comcast said in an e-mail that the concessions that building owners have been able to bargain for on behalf of their residents will be lost because of the ban. “Consumers in apartment buildings and condos across the nation received a blow (yesterday) from the action taken by the FCC,” said Fitzmaurice. “The result of this decision is likely to be higher prices for services and years of litigation and uncertainty for consumers.” According to a FCC news release, the commission also adopted a Further Notice of the Proposed Rulemaking that seeks comment on whether they should take action to address exclusivity clauses entered into by DBS providers, private cable operators, and other MVPDs. However, at this time these providers are not subject to the FCC’s new regulation.
through, it makes it hard to be successful and to find your place,” said Ray Plaza, director of diversity initiatives of Multicultural Affairs.
see HIRES, page two
When wildfires ravaged Southern California, many people, businesses, and locations were affected. Also affected by the wildfires were universities and their student bodies. Many universities were forced to shut down their campuses for about a week as a result. “We had to close our campus for about a week because of high winds and smoke,” said Joe Gutierrez, associate director of public affairs for California State University San Bernardino. Conditions at some campuses were highly unsafe, with some winds reaching speeds of 65 miles per hour. “A student could come out of a classroom building without realizing and be slammed into a wall,” Gutierrez said. Also a danger to students was the poor condition of the air. “The air quality around the university was incredibly poor and possibly the worst the university area has seen in a long time,” said Stacie Spector, associate vice chancellor of communications at University of California at San Diego. “We had to change more than 6,000 air filters around the campus.” Also contributing to the campus closings were orders from the state of California. “Authorities had asked that all non-essential personnel stay off the roads, so given the fact that we have a student body of 35,000, with many who commute to campus, it was almost a public service for us to cancel classes,” said Tom Hanscom, director of media relations. As a result, many students left campus. “Overall, our student body has reacted to the fires pretty well,” Gutierrez said. “Many of our students who live in the area went home, while other students went to one of the many evacuation centers located around the city of San Diego.” Critical to the universities’ reactions were the use of different messaging systems. “We used a variety of methods to get in touch with students,” Hanscom said. “The university used text messages, e-mails, visits from RAs to students in the dorms and e-mails to parents.” Many universities directed their information releases based on the events at Virginia Tech on April 16. “Especially after what happened at Virginia Tech this past spring, our college really made an effort to improve our campus communication,” Gutierrez said. With most universities returning to full schedules, schools are now working to bring their classes up to speed after missing a week. “We’re not going to extend the number of days this semester,” said George Cagala, associate director of public relations at California State San Marcos. “We’re leaving the work of catching up coursework up to our professors.” Though a week was missed, universities are prepared to move forward. “We lost a week, but we’re not behind,” Spector said.
have a news tip? want to see something in the CT? e-mail tips@collegiatetimes.com
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friday, november 2, 2007
Hires: Colleges strive to be diverse
Campaign to raise money, awareness CANDACE SIPOS
ct news reporter The letter-writing campaign of Virginia Tech’s Up ‘til Dawn event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4 in the Bowman Ballroom of the Jamerson athletic department. Up ‘til Dawn is a nationwide philanthropic effort for the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Sunday will mark the fifth year this student-run campaign will take place at Tech. “Last year we raised $30,000, and the turnout really wasn’t that good,” said Morgan Allen, executive director of Tech’s chapter of Up ‘til Dawn. “Out of any sort of campaign to be a part of, I think this is a really good one just because it directly goes 100 percent into helping children, and it also helps to find cures for cancer.” “St. Jude has already typed up letters asking for donations, and what a lot of people do is they sign it and they write a little note,” Allen said. “We collect all of the addresses and letters. We give those to St. Jude’s, and they send them out.” Students are asked to come Sunday with the names and addresses of 50 individuals from whom they wish to request support for the hospital. The 20 Up ‘til Dawn board members will take care of the rest. Most participants are members of TriDelta or Delta Gamma, although the event is not officially sponsored by either. TriDelta sister Elizabeth Gass, team chairperson, was interested in helping partly because the campaign is open to all students.
“I’m just really interested in helping the kids at St. Jude. I think it’s also a really popular cause, so it’s nice to be a part of spreading the word to people who don’t usually get involved, since this is a campus-wide event,” Gass said. w However, Allen said that they are really focusing on Sunday’s campaign. “It’s not just writing people to make a donation, but think about how many more people are hearing about St. Jude through those letters, and the letters really explain the mission of the hospital,” said Amy Jackson, collegiate marketing representative for St. Jude. “They talk about the things that we are researching and treating, and how patients are treated at no cost, regardless if they have insurance,” Jackson said that more than 230 colleges nationwide currently participate in Up ‘til Dawn. “As a college student, there are so many things that you’ve gotten to do over your lifetime, and so many ways that you’ve gotten to make memories and reach important milestones,” Jackson said. “A lot of our patients at St. Jude are missing a lot of milestones. From the perspective of people who have had a long, happy, healthy childhood all the way up to college, it’s important for us to try to provide that for those kids who are sick.” The registration fee for the event on Sunday is $5 per person, and students can register on Sunday or before by contacting allenms@vt.edu.
Downtown: Big Al’s not staying open late Saturday from page one
want to stay open or not and how the customers are acting – if we’re fed up with them, then we’ll close at (the old) 2 a.m.,” he said. Big Al’s, however, will not be open until the new 2 a.m. “We’re definitely not staying open an extra hour,” said Seth Saleem, bartender at Big Al’s. “We don’t want to stay the extra hour. Bartenders work a lot, like
10 to 12 hour shifts, so we want to close up.” Hokie House is closing as well. “It’s our policy just because people get really drunk anyway, and the extra hour makes them go really nuts,” said Oliver Marks, manager at Hokie House. He also explained that this policy is in consideration to employees as well. “Our people go nine hours, so that’s why we don’t do it.”
from page one
While the IDES report tends to seem repetitive with each year that it’s issued, this years’ has one noteworthy difference, which stands out to those seeking change. The report explained that 120 of the largest football colleges in the U.S. demonstrated efforts to increase minority hiring by setting standards, which encourage the interviewing of at least one minority candidate for every head-coaching vacancy. Patricia Lovett, coordinator of the Student Life Athletic Department, explained that this is crucial because there are currently six AfricanAmerican head coaches for Division IA football, and that the huge amount of minority athletes on these football teams would benefit from having leadership figures more like them.
There are currently six AfricanAmerican head coaches for Division IA football. Within the last two years, Virginia Tech, one of the top research universities, has taken steps toward increasing minority numbers by developing a Commission on Equal Opportunities and Diversity. The purpose of this commission is to have anyone involved with Tech represent the varying backgrounds that correspond to the university’s national and international peers. “In general, colleges are trying to become more diverse with leadership positions, and there’s definitely been improvement,” said Bente General, graduate assistant with IDES. Lovett also explained that minorities tend to feel more motivated to apply for these positions if those hiring for the job make it appear more welcoming to those who aren’t white. She described minorities coming to a southern, family-oriented university as experiencing “a culture shock” when they arrive and needing leaders of their same race to turn to as role models. “(Tech) is definitely aware that there’s a need for minorities, but it all depends on how you market it,” Plaza said. Notes on applications, such as “minorities are encouraged to apply,” make a world of difference. Plaza said, “Some new initiatives are being taken in the Athletic Department as we speak.”
eat sleep learn
Not everything is meant to be shared Washing your hands is the best way to prevent the spread of infection. Lather with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (sing the ABC’s twice) before eating or preparing food and after using the restroom, coughing, sneezing, or coming into contact with someone who is sick. When soap and water are not available, you can use a hand sanitizer to kill germs that can lead to illness. The alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers in the dining centers can be used before touching serving utensils and before you eat.
play Keep it simple—live on campus! Sign-up for the 2008-2009 On-Campus Housing Application Process for returning undergraduate students will begin Monday, January 21. To learn all about the process, visit
www.studentprograms.vt.edu/housing/hapinfo.php.
page 2
Not everything is meant to be shared Washing your hands is the best way to prevent the spread of infection. Lather with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (sing the ABC’s twice) before eating or preparing food and after using the restroom, coughing, sneezing, or coming into contact with someone who is sick. When soap and water are not available, you can use a hand sanitizer to kill germs that can lead to illness. The alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers in the dining centers can be used before touching serving utensils and before you eat.
Keep it simple—live on campus!
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features 3
editor: sharon pritz email: features@collegiatetimes.com phone: 540.231.9865 office hours: mw 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
november 2, 2007
College dating survival: Deciphering, decoding tricky situations between sexes SHARON PRITZ & CHRIS GUSTIN regular columnists One of the weird dilemmas of being a college student is that we all, more or less, want the same thing. And even though we all know what we want, very few of us, if any, know exactly how to get it. Boys want girls, girls want boys, and in some cases, boys want boys and girls want girls. We think about each other just as much as we did in high school, only now there’s more of us. But on an average night downtown, girls and guys alike are assailed by a variety of ham-fisted openers and awkward flirting. This is part of the game I guess, and half of the fun, but still kind of frustrating. Life is all about interpreting gray areas. The Scantron test versus the take-home essay, if you will. So we’ve decided to hash out some common man vs. woman situations that you probably find yourself in frequently:
LUNCH AFTER CLASS He Said: This is pretty selfexplanatory, but if you don’t understand sentence fragments, I’m talking about inviting someone Chris to get lunch with you after a class. For me, this falls pretty low on the dogpile of dating. It’s like the wrinkled old basset hound, way at the bottom, that is probably taking a nap, but you can’t tell because he always looks that way anyway. There’s definitely a certain amount of interest implied in some cases, but for the most part, I simply don’t like eating alone, so inviting someone along gives me something to do while I eat. I also don’t like sleeping alone (closet monsters), but that line doesn’t usually work. If you’re a girl, and you are invited to lunch after class, don’t be too quick to read into it. The guy may be interested, but there’s no obligation for either person at this point. Just enjoy your food and some bonus conversation. And if you’re a guy, and you invite a girl to lunch after class, remember that this doesn’t make her your girlfriend. Try and respect her
comfort level. She Said: College is full of gray-area dates. It’s a little awkward if a guy whips out his Hokie Passport and flashes a shiny Sharon smile at D2. So that obvious “Is this a date?” clue-in doesn’t apply here. And though West End wraps are the food of love, the post-class lunch isn’t usually a flashing green light. Conjugating Spanish verbs and learning every bone in the human hand might really whet the appetite, and sometimes it takes too much energy to bend over, get your phone and text a friend about lunch, so what’s one to do? You end up turning to your neighbor and asking them to get some food. So though we might be thinking that he’s definitely interested, chances are he doesn’t want to eat alone, and you just don’t annoy him.
TEXT MESSAGES He Said: Text messaging is hard to interpret and depends on a bunch of things. It’s less formal than calling but can also be more private and discreet than a vocal conversation. If you choose to flirt with a guy through texting, however, there are some things to remember. First of all, it’s not like a phone conversation. If he stops texting you, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s not interested. We have short attention spans; it’s possible that something else has demanded our attention. Also, while you may have unlimited texting, the person on the other end may not. If your texting turns into a conversation, just pick up the phone and call the person. All in all, be careful about reading into texts too much. There’s just not enough to go on. And can we please end forwarded texts once and for all? I hate those. She Said: So you met a guy over the weekend. The good-on-paper, former Abercrombie model, civil engineering major. Just when you think that you probably imagined him, you get a text message. Something casual (and hopefully without annoying abbrevs), maybe like “hey, how’s it goin’? What are you up to tonight?” And so it begins, the questions binging around the brain at a mile a second. “Does he want to hang out? Why didn’t he call me? Does he have a girlfriend? Are we just friends?”
So naturally, we pull out the decoder and begin. A text message from a new interest is a step above a Facebook wall post, but still without having to commit to voice-on-voice action. Though we’re elated at the fact that he saw our number, probably in his hangover haze, and still remembered who we are, the text message tends to equate to one phrase: lack of confidence. So, sure, send a text back letting him know what your plans are. Who knows what potential things could hold. And though I’ll say kudos to him for making the initial contact, sometimes following the text message is a trip to Borders for “He’s Just Not That Into You.”
AN “IN A RELATIONSHIP”-ER FLIRTS WITH YOU He Said: For some reason, girls in relationships tend to flirt without realizing it. It might be the security of knowing they have a way out if they get too far in, but there’s nothing worse than seeing a girl you like and having her go, “Hey, how are you! Have you met my boyfriend?” If you end up in this situation, there’s not much you can do. Just be polite I suppose. It’s un-cool to blame anyone but yourself for your own frustration. She Said: This type of situation is not only unfortunate, but also another field day for those who like to analyze. So you met a nice guy and hit it off. Things are going along smoothly: the cute teasing and maybe some Wall posts about the inside jokes you come up with when you’re bored in bio lab. Just when you’re anticipating the “So what are you doing this weekend?”—BAM, he says, “My girlfriend is coming into town tomorrow.” This naturally leads to a little anger that you may have completely misinterpreted his flirting. Unfortunately, men just like to flirt and essentially see how many women they could have if they wanted, and it passes the time when you’re learning about fermentation. So forget the old adage “A girlfriend is just a yield sign,” pat yourself on the back for clearly being attractive, and keep on walking before the inevitable, “I wonder how happy they are?” pops into your head.
BT CHATTER He Said: This is an interesting one,
simply because talking to people on the bus is apparently taboo. It never hurts to strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to you; again, I usually do this just because I like to talk to new people. There is a sort of initial interest implied in this sort of thing, since I’m guessing you wouldn’t talk to someone you weren’t at least curious about. But like lunch after class, there’s no obligation implied. All in all, I don’t see anything wrong with talking to the person sharing a bench seat with you, but if you’re weird about it, go ahead and stand. I hope you enjoy holding onto those rubber strappy things. She Said: You’d think that sleeping through a football game would the most taboo thing that one might do at Virginia Tech. However, for those of you who live off campus, you’re know of the number one taboo in Blacksburg: striking up conversation on the BT. Usually, even sitting next to a member of the opposite sex is unallowable. Is it a cooties thing? Who knows. And let’s face it, we’re probably unshowered and wearing sweatpants with “PINK” on the a--, so if a guy has the balls to strike up conversation on the way to an 8 a.m., he’s a keeper for life.
Do you question my mental health? Recently Denis Kucinich told reporters that he had to question President Bush’s mental health. He said this in a response to a typical, less than provocative statement Bush made recently. “I’ve told people that if you’re interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them (Iran) from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon.” I don’t entirely agree with President Bush, but I don’t entirely disagree with him either. Mostly I take issue with Kucinich’s ignorant remark. First off, the President is as entitled to his opinions as Kucinich is entitled to his cracked opinions. Men like him who would question a man’s mental health for giving his opinion would repress the people and inhibit freedom of speech. Secondly, Iran could start WWIII if it develops nuclear weapons. I’m not saying it will happen, I’m saying it very well could. This is especially true if those weapons end up in terrorists’ hands. To say that this would be anything other than unlikely is unrealistic. Lastly, why would anyone say anything about questioning someone’s mental health with the attitude that Kucinich did? President Bush didn’t say anything homicidal. He just stated his opinion on the situation with Iran. So is Kucinich saying that people with mental illnesses of one kind or another are not entitled to their opinions? Is he trying to say that the opinions of the mentally ill are wrong? Should we just discount everyone with a mental illness as an incompetent lunatic? There is enough of a stigma against the mentally ill without someone in the public spotlight the way Kucinich is perpetuating the prejudiced image of mentally ill people as being incompetent crazies. His remarks are insensitive. So if the President was depressed or had Bipolar disorder or perhaps Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, his opinions should be discounted? Would having OCD disqualify him from the presidency? I found every aspect of Kucinich’s statement to be ignorant and objectionable. So I really enjoyed the Republican National Committee’s response. october 31, 2007
-Posted by Lisa Minner
PARTY INVITATIONS He Said: I’ll make this quick: a party invitation means that the other person definitely wants to make out with you. Without a doubt. Just show up with your Chapstick because you’re in. Also, I’m lying. I don’t know what any of these things means any more than the next person; they’re just goofy social things that we do. Let’s stop trying to read into situations so much and just enjoy each other’s company. It will certainly make us less susceptible to closet monsters. She Said: I miss the preschool days of directness. Days when you said to your mom, “I had an accident” rather than walking around waiting for her to notice. Well, those days are long gone, and instead of asking out a potential interest, we hide our interest by giving the ambiguous party invite. Oddly enough, it’s funny how we think that we’re being sneaky with the party invite, but really it’s just straight code for “I find you attractive, but I fear being stuck with you the whole night in case you bore me.” So although it’s really exciting, don’t forget that it’s kind of like buying a dress without taking the tags off: noncommittal.
The Collegiate Times now has blogs online. Read the entire blog entry, and others, at www.collegiatetimes.com/blogs.
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friday, november 2, 2007
Thanks to Metallica, Guitar Hero III can’t stop the rock ALBERT BJORK regular columnist Another year, another “Guitar Hero.” It seems like this trend won’t be stopping anytime soon, seeing as ever since the first “Guitar Hero” came out, I, and I’m sure many others, tend to hear a song only to say that it should be put into the game. This year’s game isn’t just “Guitar Hero II” with GAME REVIEW new songs, however, as it introduces some new elements for those serious about the game. That being said, “Guitar Hero III” doesn’t completely escape my criticism. But overall, it is a rock solid game, pun intended. The main thing that I really adore about the game is that someone finally realized that when you’ve had a few drinks and you’re trying to rock out to “Welcome to the Jungle,” the experience is kind of dampened by tripping over a controller cord, often ending in painful personal injury or public humiliation. If Slash doesn’t use a cord on his guitar, then logically I shouldn’t have a cord on my guitar either, even if I’m only trying to imitate him with a three-quarter-size plastic guitar. So, after three games, the second of which should have come with a cordless guitar but didn’t, “Guitar Hero III” finally frees you from your tether and allows you to do all of the windmills and spins and jumps that any true rock guitarist would be drunkenly doing onstage anyway. Another note on the guitar: not only is it wireless and awesome, but it seems more sturdily constructed than the previous guitars. It moves the Xbox guide button out of the way so you don’t accidentally hit it while playing and even has expansion ports for rumored effect pedals such as wah and flange. Seriously people, at this rate, the “Guitar Hero” controller is getting so complex I’m almost tempted to play real guitar. Almost. As far as gameplay goes, if you’ve ever played another “Guitar Hero” game, then you pretty much know the deal. A huge fret board of notes flies past you, sometimes at a blistering speed, as you try and hit the corresponding buttons on a toy guitar to emulate playing some of the rocking-est songs in history. Speaking of, the songs in this game are truly rocking. There are songs for everyone, from classics like “School’s Out” or “Paint it Black” to 80’s clas-
sics like “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” or “Rock You Like a Hurricane.” The game also has contemporary songs like “Reptillia” by the Strokes, “Evenflow” by Pearl Jam, metal songs like “Raining Blood” by Slayer, and even a little bit of indie flair with Bloc Party’s “Helicopter.” Oh, and let’s not forget “One,” by Metallica. That’s right, Guitar Hero finally has Metallica, and it is amazing. The only thing better than Metallica is the fact that if you beat the entire game you unlock “Through the Fire and Flames” by Dragonforce, a song that on expert is literally impossible to play unless you have three hands or are hopped up on methamphetamines. I do, however, have some gripes with the soundtrack. First of all, you cannot have a guitar game and leave off a Jimi Hendrix song. that’s criminal. Secondly, I know that people want music from all of the decades, but let’s be serious. Almost all of the best guitar songs come from the ‘60s and ‘70s, and the developers need to realize that throwing in some Led Zeppelin or even some AC/DC wouldn’t kill them. I want to hear new stuff as much as the next guy, but let’s get rid of “Disturbed” and throw in some “Stairway to Heaven;” get rid of Slipknot and put in Queen. The game is called “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock,” and I’m sorry if I can’t justify calling AFI legends of rock just yet. Don’t get me wrong, I actually love playing Miss Murder in the game, but I would much rather rock out to the likes of Voodoo Chile. The implementation of the gameplay is one of the areas where “GH III” really shines. Like the last game, there’s co-op play where one person plays lead while the other plays bass or rhythm guitar. But this time around, you actually unlock different songs for completing the co-op campaign. Another welcome addition that should have been in the second “Guitar Hero” is online play in the form of both co-op, straight up head-to-head, or the new battle mode. Co-op plays just like its offline counterpart, allowing each player to advance in the career together, but it’s the battle mode where the fun really shines. In battle mode, two people play the same song against one another and alternate parts, but instead of the “Star Power” that you normally get to help you out if you get into hard sections, players are now able to obtain weapons to use against their opponents.
These include the broken string, which makes your opponent have to rapidly tap a button to restring the guitar, the amp overload, which makes their screen shake and flash to distract them, and the most devious weapon, the lefty flip, which flips all of the buttons on screen around so you have to play left-handed. The object of the game is to make your opponent screw up so horribly that they fail the whole song, thus allowing you to win. Another new feature to the game is the rock battles that happen during career mode. During the game, the player gets challenged by the likes of Tom Morello, Slash, and even Lou, the Devil, in a one-on-one duel that plays just like battle mode. The exception is that the computer is extremely good, and the only way to continue on is to beat one of these rockers, which then unlocks them so the players can use them as their character.
As much as I love the game, I can’t help but think that so many of its features were things that could and should have been implemented in “Guitar Hero II.” As with previous games, beating career mode gets you cash, which lets you buy new guitars, songs and outfits for your characters, all of which add to the replay factor of the game, which is extremely high. This game is so replayable that in my mind, it is the greatest party game of all time. As much as I love the game, I can’t help but think that so many of its features were things that could and should have been implemented in “Guitar Hero II.” I feel like online play and battle mode could have been added to the second game via a download, and that in the second game, the downloadable song feature was incredibly underused. Here’s to hoping that “Guitar Hero III” learns from the mistakes of “Guitar Hero II” and has a slew of songs available for download online soon, as well as include fun things such as having online tournaments with prizes. All in all, though, the “Guitar Hero” games will always be amazingly fun to play, and one can only hope that when “Rock Band” comes out later this year it will push the music game genre to the limit. Guitar Hero III: 8/10
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opinions 5
editor: laurel colella email: opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com phone: 540.231.9865 office hours: mw 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
november 2, 2007
Easy to dismiss claims without any proof to back them up The media punch line the morning after Tuesday’s Democratic d e b a t e : Representative Dennis Kucinich GABRIEL thinks he saw a MCVEY UFO! At the risk of regular having a Chris columnist Crocker moment, leave Dennis alone. He saw something in the sky he can’t explain and short of a pharmaceutical episode (at Shirley MacLaine’s, an admittedly distinct possibility), that makes it an Unidentified Flying Object. With deepest respects to George Carlin, who made a similar contention in When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, the public believes things that are far less substantiated and far sillier. Millions believe that the omnipotent creator of the universe cut a deal with a 20th century BCE Sumerian that so long as he’d excise some skin from his penis and promise to try real hard to worship only one god, his descendants would be that god’s special responsibility and receive a juicy piece of seafront real estate. Millions more believe that a revenant demigod, born to a virgin after her nonconsensual impregnation by the tribal deity Yahweh, fulfilled the millennia-old “covenant” delivered surreptitiously to a mythical riverbaby and was the supposed Messiah hinted at by a series of mawkishly wish-thinking ranters called “prophets” through the work of sciencefiction/fantasy called the Bible. Others believe that the same inscrutable divinity delivered the final and perfect form of his revealed truth, in Arabic, to an illiterate camel-trader over the course of 22 years in 7th century Arabia. This alleged prophet also went on a psychedelic overnighter to Jerusalem and then to hell, heaven and back on a flying horse with a
Editorial local issue
Standardizing Daylight Savings Time
There are plenty of perfectly valid reasons to question the congressman’s fitness to be president. Personally, I just don’t think he has what it takes to be a leader, especially after his spectacularly substandard performance as my hometown mayor. Nevertheless, to say that belief in the unexplained is somehow batty but belief in the inexplicable is natural is to confine reason to a mere matter of consensus … and a meaningless point, at that.
peacock’s tail and a woman’s face. In the face of such baloney, Congressman Kucinich seems lucid by comparison. When the credulous invoke their beliefs without a shred of proof, we call it faith. People treat it as a virtue and insist that anyone who rejects the self-evident authenticity of these fairytales is immoral and unfit to lead (or live). In the face of such oft-murderously strong conviction in the absolute metaphysical truth of Iron Age campfire stories, the idea that a highly educated member of our legislature, a recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award, would have actually seen something inexplicable hardly gives one the impression that he is unstable. There are dozens, hundreds of accounts of unexplained UFO phenomena, not just from the drunken, trailer-dwelling hillbilly demographic but also from civilian and military pilots, radar operators and air-traffic controllers; people generally chosen for their keen senses and superior judgment. Our galaxy has around 400 billion stars; if only a tiny fraction have planets, and only a tiny fraction of those could support life, that would still leave hundreds of thousands of planets capable of sustaining life, just in our neighborhood. The Milky Way is over 13 billion years old and is unbelievably huge. How much hubris does it take to think that all of this was created just for us? How much ignorance does it take to believe that humanity is alone in the vastness of the cosmos? Apparently, roughly the same amount it takes to think that Yahweh addressed a fugitive Moses via a booming voice from a burning bush called I Am, or that Jesus and two pals went to a mountaintop where he glowed and floated for them, visited with Moses and Elijah (both long dead) and was called “Son” by the sky, or that Muhammad split the moon in a fit of temper.
Among the energy saving provisions included in The Energy Policy Act of 2005, the United States Congress changed the start of Daylight Saving Time (DST) from the last weekend of October to the first weekend of November. The primary reasoning for DST is to conserve energy by increasing daylight hours, which would then decrease dependence on electricity. The week was changed in order to conserve even more energy. The change was put into action only in 2007 in order to give various software and technology enough time to fix their systems to synchronize with the time change. For anyone with a clock produced before 2005, this most likely screwed up your morning of the last weekend of October. Any clock made before the act was passed automatically changed from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m. On Monday morning, people were woken up an hour earlier than desired. Granted, this might have helped some students get to class on time. However, waking up and getting ready for class only to realize that you could have gotten another hour of sleep is obnoxious. This inconvenience makes one wonder just why Congress deemed it necessary to change a pattern that Americans have followed for 20 years, since 1986. It’s been proven that DST does decrease energy use. However, the idea of DST is completely disorganized and chaotic on a worldwide scale. DST is recognized around the world, but over 40 countries don’t even have DST, such as Iran, India, and North and South Korea.
When the credulous invoke their beliefs without a shred of proof, we call it faith. People treat it as a virtue and insist that anyone who rejects the self-evident authenticity of these fairytales is immoral and unfit to lead (or live). How backward! Morality, something in-fact consensual, is the province of unchanging, centuries-old holy writ, but objective truth is somehow subject to debate, as the gullible and the credulous twist themselves into theological pretzels to incorporate whatever new scientific advance contravenes the inerrant word of their gods. Not to mention the brutal, bloody enforcement of dogma at the hands of the faithful that nearly always follows their success. So long as society is going to allow unqualified belief to be a personal virtue and not a punch line, it could at least have the decency not to try to have the debate both ways. Either a belief is rational, or it is not. Dennis Kucinich saw something that he could not explain; when was the last time anyone had a face-to-face with Yahweh? The rational ought not to allow reality to be dictated by the uncritical. That which can be asserted without proof, can be as easily dismissed without it.
In the United States, Arizona, Alaska, and Hawaii don’t change their clocks. 18 counties in Indiana observe Central Daylight Time, whereas the rest of the state’s counties observe Eastern Standard Time. Everyone around the world works on a 24-hour day, with 60 minutes to each hour. So how can some countries choose to change clocks forward and backward, while others don’t change a thing? With differing time zones, it’s already sometimes tough to distinguish what time it is in various regions of the world. Some countries, such as Japan, recognize DST between May and September. Others, including Iraq, have DST between April and October. Now, the United States springs forward in early March and falls back in early November. This is generating a very odd time configuration across the globe. The confusion in time changes has proven to even be deadly. In September of 1999, Palestinian militants were killed in a territory in Israel by their own bomb. The bomb exploded an hour early while they were transporting it because they did not take into account the Palestinian Daylight Time, which is different from Israel Standard Time. Something as universal as time should be decided by the entire globe. Unfortunately, organizing a meeting of every nation and territory is basically impossible, which means that unless DST is just dropped, every nation will be on its own schedule. The editorial board is composed of Amie Steele, Joe Kendall, Saira Haider, Laurel Colella and Sara Mitchell.
Considering social justice on a global scale The stench of sewage crawls along a filthy length of hallway leading to a small 10 by 12 foot room with walls of stone and brick FLASH that sweats with CLARK condensation. regular It is a man-made cave, sequestered columnist from the sun and inquiring eyes, and in it are small tables lined by 14 hunched figures, their little fingers delicately wresting thread and needle, fabric and machine, under the glow of a single 60-watt bulb. It feels like the eleventh hour of a 15 hour shift, but time loses its handhold here and minutes blur into hours, hours fuse into days and days bleed into months until years are shelved like old books, read and forgotten. “And still the money has yet to find its way to my hands. I can’t even run away home, because I was sold to make money, to bring my family prosperity. Without my wages, I will shame my parents and they will be angry. “ “My stomach hurts because I am afraid to ask to use the bathroom. The last time one of us did he was lashed across the shoulders with a rubber hose. We screamed as loud as we could to make the man stop – the pain wasn’t so awful, it’s just that you learn real quick to make it seem like it hurts that much so it will end. He just wants to hear us cry. It teaches everyone to ignore their heavy eyelids,
their hunger and thirst – or need to use the bathroom.” “Soon we will be allowed to sleep. The floor is cold and dirty and we aren’t permitted to cover ourselves with the fabrics, so we just huddle together on the floor by our worktables. Maybe tomorrow they will pay us and I can send something home. Maybe tomorrow.” For many unfortunate children in the world, this story is a part of their daily lives. Impoverished families are often coerced into selling their child to “representatives” of illegitimate factories for an indefinite work contract manufacturing clothing for the world market. Other families simply are too poor to afford raising another child and send him or her to work in a factory, not knowing that that their child will be abused and forced into what amounts to slavery. It is not surprising, given that the poorest countries in the world the have cheapest manufacturing industry for start-up clothing facilities. This, because garment production only requires paper patterns, fabric, thread, needles, perhaps a sewing machine and a person to act as an operator. Electricity isn’t even required, given that the work is done by hand or a foot-pedal powered machine. The reality is, garment production has been a blessing in many regards to young people belonging to impoverished families. However, in America, in our haste to save the world we oftentimes categorize issues into a strictly good or bad context. Child labor: bad. Religious funda-
mentalism: bad. Male dominant gender roles: always bad. Sometimes, in our zeal to point out and enforce fundamental truths, we end up ignoring the fact that when it comes to societies and peoples, there are fundamental differences. There is a fine line between righteousness and ethnocentrism, and we have to be careful not to lump everything into a black or white distinction. Such is the nature of child labor. In civilizations throughout history, children have worked laboriously for their families as a means of sustenance living. Quite literally, they had to work to survive, as did everyone else. It has only been recently in our own history that the U.S. has progressed far enough to allow children the opportunity to enjoy the blessings of an education and antichild-labor legislation. It is a side effect of a progression industrially and not solely a reflection of morality. In developing countries struggling to provide a stable economic model for its citizens, clothing manufacturing that may entail moderate child labor is excusable and even necessary. In some cases, it is preferable to other industries like coal or diamond mining, agriculture, or, heaven forbid, child prostitution. Realistically, these are the industries that readily invite child laborers, and the trait will not change until the countries have reached a certain level of sustainability and industrialization and have developed sound strategies to assist the poor.
There is, however, a fundamental difference between child labor and the practice of human trafficking, child abuse and indentured servitude. A prime example of this difference is in the recent raid on a sweatshop in New Delhi, India. According to the AP, 14 children, all little boys, some as young as eight years old, were freed from a sweatshop this past Monday.
Sometimes in our zeal to point out and enforce fundamental truths, we end up ignoring the fact that when it comes to societies and peoples, there are fundamental differences. There is a fine line between righteousness and ethnocentrism, and we have to be careful not to lump everything into a black or white distinction. The sweatshop apparently was a rogue, subcontracted operation that provided clothing to Gap, and was located a few houses down the street from the building that housed the legitimate Gap facility. It is reported that the children, who worked 12 to 15 hours a day and slept on the same floors of the room they worked in, never saw any of the wages they were promised after being sold to the factory by their families. Some had
been there as long as three years under the guise that they were still being trained. This is, unfortunately, one of the worst case scenarios regarding child labor, and while there is no doubt whatsoever that this operation amounted to slave labor, and in no way can be condoned, American consumers should reserve much of their judgment. While child labor is less than favorable, for some families it is either work or die. That is not to say that Gap should embrace operations such as this, but in its zeal to save face it should be careful not to hurt poor families overseas by rashly closing facilities that provide humane work conditions and fair wages, even if child laborers are involved. Furthermore, the American clothing manufacturer should take a very personal, invested interest in these young people and their futures, as well as offer due compensation for their suffering. Similarly, the American consumer need not boycott the apparel giant either, given that any negative effect the consumer has on the corporation would directly affect legitimate factories benefiting legitimate workers. Ideally, all children should have the right to an education and a life unencumbered by working as adults. However, child labor will nonetheless persist in some poorer societies, and while seeking to rectify this issue through righteous vigilance, the conscientious need to be careful that the problem is not ultimately exacerbated through their zeal.
Letters to the editor Needing extra credit From the students’ perspective, the university is pursuing the easiest and smallest steps to claim to be sustainable. We recognize that we are taking steps in the right direction, but the reasoning is perhaps misguided. It appears the administration has chosen to pursue mostly economically minded projects, such as increasing lighting efficiency and water conservation. In the scope of things, this prioritiz-
es saving money over environmental benefits. While we have received an “A” for transportation for now, we believe this grade will suffer in the future. We do have an amazing bus system, but there is no discouragement for driving to campus. The campus architects are planning to build several ‘green’ parking garages, but those don’t offset the associated increase in carbon emissions from excess driving. Why do so many people feel the need to drive
to campus when they only live a mile and a half away? In terms of recycling, a truck is not going to increase our recycling rate; people will. We need more bins on campus to encourage more paper and bottle recycling. In terms of food, there have been no serious initiatives to start composting or establishing biodegradable takeout containers for the dining halls. These categories are just a small scope of the environmental situa-
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tion we’re in; this is why we need to educate our campus on a variety of environmental issues so that students can understand the important of this rating system. There was no grade given for level of education on campus. If there was, we believe we should receive a “D” because the majority of students on campus have no idea or desire to understand the decisions that we make and environmental implications they cause. There are many dire environmen-
Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor in Chief Amie Steele Managing Editors Joe Kendall, Saira Haider Production Manager Claire Craft Public Editor Colleen Webster News Editors Kevin Anderson, Meg Miller, Caroline Black Associate News Editor Ashley Oliver News Reporters Rosanna Brown, Michelle Rivera, Peter Hurley, Andrea Woods Features Editor Sharon Pritz Associate Features Editor Drew Jackson Features Reporter Katelyn Lau Opinions Editor Laurel Colella Sports Editor Ryan McConnell Associate Sports Editor Charles Barrineau Sports Reporters T. Rees Shapiro, Torrey Smith, Brian Wright Head Copy Editor David Harries Copy Editors Mary Hardbarger, Kati Ann Leonberger, Cate Summers, Alexandra Mandzak Photo Editors Sally Bull, Kyle Swanson Layout Designers Josh Son, Krystal Stevens, Melanie Welzel, Jenna Wolfe Graphic Designer Ben MacDonald Online Director Christopher Ritter Multimedia Editor Colin Smith Multimedia Producer Christina Pfeifer Senior Web Producer Tim Tutt Web Producers Jon Boblitt, John Edstrom, Gabreil Martinez Community Content Editor Sean O’Mara Web Staff Timothy Lee Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager Robert Bowman Marketing Manager Whitney Ludvik College Media Solutions Staff Advertising Director Xavier L. Herrera Ads Production Manager Anika Stickles Asst Production Manager Ashley Shoemaker Ads Production/Creation Kristin Claeys, Sarah Ford, Kaiesha Morgan, Alyssa Peltier, Catherine Worsham Assistant Advertising Directors Ashley Culbreth, Patrick Fitzgerald, Katelynn Reilly National Account Executive Robbie Zayas Account Executives Tara Darby, Jenna Given, Don Janocha, Beau King, Katy McCall, David Ross, Suzanne Watkins, John Welch Assistant Account Executives Kayla Clements, Blythe Dalton, Amy Guzewicz, Ashlee Goodwin, Jennifer Himlich, Kelli Lyman, Mike Walsh Marketing Manager Devin Armstrong Student Publication Photo Staff Director of Photography Shaozhuo Cui Business Manager Jim Dickhans
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tal issues that are occurring right now that our generation has to solve. If you don’t know what those are, do your research and educate yourself or get involved on campus. There has never been a more critical time for us to invent the right future. This is the chance for our Hokies to shine. Bryce Carter sophomore, environmental policy and planning The Environmental Coalition of Virginia Tech, committee chair
Have something to say? e-mail opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com
The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Friday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. The Collegiate Times receives no funding from the university. The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com. Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff.The Collegiate Times is located in 365 Squires Student Center, Blacksburg, Va. 24061. (540) 231-9865. Fax (540) 231-9151. Subscription rates: $65 semester; $90 academic year; $105 full year. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, November 2, 2007. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.
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6 sports
editor: ryan mcconnell email: sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com phone: 540.231.9865 office hours: mw noon - 2 p.m.
november 2, 2007
Glennon shines in Tech showdown ATLANTA — From the beginning, it didn’t look like it was going to be the Hokies’ night in Atlanta. First, the jerseys of Sean Glennon, RYAN Tyrod Taylor, MCCONNELL Brandon Flowers, and Kam ct sports Chancellor were editor reported missing at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Then Georgia Tech quarterback Taylor Bennett, the arm behind the last ranked pass offense in the Atlantic Coast Conference, connected with his receivers early and often and led the Yellow Jackets a 3-0 advantage. COMMENT But before it could get any worse, the Virginia Tech offense did something it has struggled to do all season. It put together a meaningful, long drive. It only resulted in a field goal, but it set the tone early as Glennon displayed uncanny accuracy. The redshirt junior rejuvenated an offense ranked No. 112 in the country, going a sterling 18 for 22 for 195 yards in the first half. He wasn’t nearly as flawless in the second half, but he connected with Josh Morgan on a 71 yard touchdown pass (Glennon’s career long) that silenced the Georgia
Tech fans midway through the third quarter. “The O-Line did a great job allowing me to set my feet and throw the ball,” said Glennon after the game. “I told them that’s all I need, just give me three seconds to set my feet and throw the ball and I’ll make things happen.” Where he was only able to manage the game against Boston College, Glennon stepped up and led the Hokies against Georgia Tech. Some didn’t even expect Glennon to start, figuring Taylor would get the nod if healthy. “Tyrod, I think missing some time I think he wasn’t quite as accurate throwing as he had been, and then Sean I felt like you’ve got to be able to get that ball out of there,” said Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer. “They do a lot of different things, and come from a lot of different directions and experience mattered in this game.” That extra experience shone through Thursday night, as Glennon finished 22 for 31 for 296 yards, 2 passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown, and no interceptions against the ACC’s top ranked defense. Of course Glennon didn’t do it without help. Receivers Josh Morgan and Justin Harper proved ample targets for Glennon’s aerial attack. Morgan finished with six catches for 103 yards and a touchdown, while Harper finished with 4 catches for 77 yards and
a touchdown. The defense chipped in wreaking havoc all night, and got interceptions from Victor ‘Macho’ Harris, Cam Martin, Brandon Flowers and Kam Chancellor. Each one effectively stemmed a Yellow Jacket’s rally.
With Glennon’s performance on Thursday, the Hokies might find themselves with a quarterback controversy on their hands. Tyrod has had ample time to shake off the rust, but Beamer wouldn’t tip his hand after the game as to who will start at quarterback next week. After yielding an early field goal, Bud Foster’s unit didn’t yield another point. Bennett was harassed into finishing 11 for 26 for a mere 157 passing yards before being pulled in the fourth quarter. Running back Jonathan Dwyer was held to 68 rushing yards. But a staunch defensive effort wasn’t unexpected. Everyone watching figured the defense would take out its Boston College related frustrations on Georgia Tech. What people didn’t expect was Glennon to play with the moxie he did. Glennon got hit in the mouth and responded—literally. Midway through the second quarter shortly after releasing a pass, he was blasted by Georgia Tech defensive end Michael Johnson, who preened over a fallen Glennon afterwards. On the next drive following Cam Martin’s interception, Glennon found Justin Harper over the middle for a touchdown on the first play. “Obviously I didn’t really like it, I felt like I wanted him to get over me so I could get up, but I never let any of the trash talking, late hits, or whatever he’s saying affect me,” said Glennon. Glennon faced a relentless blitz attack all night, being sacked six times by the Yellow Jacket’s defense. But he remained unwilted and didn’t let the full court press affect him. “That’s one thing about a blitzing team, yeah you’re getting pressure like
crazy and you got a lot of heat, but there’re people open,” said Glennon. “They leave holes vacant, and I guess the experience of A. Playing last year and B. Just being in college football for a few years, I kind of for the most part knew where the spots to go against those blitzes.” Glennon didn’t even let the missing jerseys incident faze him. After equipment managers realized the players’ jerseys missing, those players were forced to wear Georgia Tech road white jerseys during warmups. Replacement jerseys were found for Chancellor and Flowers by game time, but Glennon wasn’t as lucky and wore the alternate jersey throughout the game. Although his number was black and his surname was printed in marker on the back, it didn’t seem to affect Glennon’s play. “It was funny, you know I laughed about it, but it would have been real interesting to see if we were maroon what they would’ve done,” said Glennon, adding that he would be keeping the jersey. With Glennon’s performance on Thursday, the Hokies might find themselves with a quarterback controversy on their hands. Taylor has had ample time to shake off the rust, but Beamer wouldn’t tip his hand after the game as to who will start at quarterback next week against Florida State. Chances are it will be Glennon, who has completed 68 percent of his passes, and thrown five touchdowns and no interceptions since coming in for Taylor at Duke. Despite his recent tear, everyone in Blacksburg with a brain knows that if Glennon keeps starting and falters even slightly down the stretch fans will inevitably be calling for his head. It’s sad, but it’s the truth. Regardless of the quarterback situation, the players and coaches will be able to draw the confidence from this game necessary to close out strong. As Beamer said in his press conference last week, the Hokies realized after Boston College that it was a four game season. The first one’s out of the way. Now comes the interesting part.
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Laura Haskins fast breaks past the Trojan defense. The junior guard scored 15 points and shot 50 percent from the field last night.
Women bust Trojans BRIAN WRIGHT
ct sports reporter In their first exhibition game of the season, the Virginia Tech women’s basketball team took advantage of 25 turnovers to beat the Anderson Trojans 72-52 Thursday night in Cassell Coliseum. After months of practice and preparation, head coach Beth Dunkenberger and her Hokies were glad to finally get into their first game action of the new season. "It was nice to go up against somebody other than ourselves," Dunkenberger said. “We had some nervous jitters going on there too, but we got those out of the way and we'll be ready to go again." Anderson, a Division II program, kept things close in the early going. However, Tech pulled away to a 36-23 lead going into the halftime intermission. Two early second half three pointers by guard Laura Haskins set the tone for the remainder of the game. The Hokies made seven of their ten attempts from long range over the final twenty minutes of play. A trey from center Eleanor Brentnall sparked an 11-0 run that put the Hokies up by 22.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VIRGINIA TECH 72 ANDERSON UNIVERSITY 52 Tech’s scoring efforts were led by Andrea Barbour. The freshman from Charlottesville recorded 20 points and had four steals on the evening. Haskins shot 6-of-12 from the field and scored 15 points. The Hokies also dominated the Trojans on the glass, with 51 rebounds. Tech also controlled the fast break scoring 16 points in transition. Much like the Trojans, the Hokies also had trouble holding on to the ball; the ladies in orange committed 21 turnovers on the game. "I thought we made some mental mistakes that you make after about two weeks of practice, but I liked our effort,” Dunkenberger said. “As long as we've got good energy, we'll learn from our mistakes and get better from this point on." The Hokies will conclude their exhibition slate when they host Athletes in Action on Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. inside Cassell Coliseum. Tech’s season opener will also come at Cassell Coliseum against High Point on Nov. 11.
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friday, november 2, 2007
Football: Hokies swarm Jackets from page one
INJURY REPORT
“Sometimes when you’re aiming or you’re trying too hard, you’re just not as accurate,” said Glennon. “But I just dropped back and threw it, and I’ve been accurate for the most part.” Glennon finished 22-for-32 for 296 yards, three total touchdowns and no interceptions. “I’m proud of Sean,” said head coach Frank Beamer. “He just got the game ball in there for outstanding player of the game, and he’s done a nice job.” The Yellow Jackets scored the game’s first points on a 24-yard Travis Bell field goal with 9:07 left in the first quarter, but the Hokies responded on the next possession and dominated the remainder of the game. Following the Bell field goal, Glennon orchestrated a 16-play, 64-yard drive that was capped by a 28- yard Jud Dunlevy field goal. The Hokies converted three of four third downs on the drive and drained 8:40 off the clock. Then, tied at three, Beamer called for an onside kick that was perfectly executed. Dunlevy recovered his own kick and Glennon drove the Hokies down the field before calling his own number and running in a touchdown from the 2-yard line. It was Glennon’s third career rushing touchdown, and first of the season. The Hokies signal-caller struck again just over eight minutes later, connecting with senior wide receiver Justin Harper for a 40-yard touch-
Both WR Eddie Royal and TE Sam Wheeler left the game in the first quarter with injuries and neither returned to the game. Royal strained his left calf, while Wheeler suffered a left knee injury. Both players will be fully evaluated in the coming days, and updates on their respective conditions will be made available later. down pass. “The middle of the field was wide open for us all night … we ran right down the seam untouched,” Harper said. “It was a great ball; great call.” The touchdown gave the Hokies a 17-3 lead, which they took into halftime. The Yellow Jackets came out swarming early in the second half though, but the Hokies caught a couple of breaks early on to retain a firm grasp on the game. Georgia Tech freshman quarterback Josh Nesbitt – who temporarily replaced starter Taylor Bennett – had a wide open target downfield, but the pass was just out of wide receiver James Johnson’s reach and fell incomplete. Later, the Hokie defense made a big play when Cam Martin hustled to catch Georgia Tech’s Johnson on a long catch and run, forcing a fumble on the Hokies’ 23-yard line that was recovered by defensive end Chris Ellis.
Two Days in Paris
“We got a little bit lucky there in the third quarter,” Beamer said. “They had a guy free down the field; they complete a pass and turn it over. You know, it was kind of our night.” The Hokies again avoided disaster in the early stages of the second half when what appeared to be a Sean Glennon fumble was nullified by the referees ruling him down. Two plays later, Glennon hit senior wideout Josh Morgan for a 71-yard touchdown pass on a jump ball, the longest hookup of Glennon’s career. From there on out, the Hokie defense took over and never allowed Georgia Tech’s Bennett to become comfortable in the pocket. The Hokies held him to 11-of26 passing for 157 yards, while forcing him into four interceptions; Bennett had only three interceptions in the Yellow Jackets’ previous eight games. “We were just out there making plays,” said outside linebacker Cam Martin. “Coach Foster came out and made some play calls and we were in position to make plays and we went out and executed.” The Hokies finished the scoring in the fourth quarter on another Dunlevy field goal, sending masses of Georgia Tech faithful for the exit gates and shutting the door on any potential Yellow Jacket comeback. The Hokies return to action next JEFF SLOYER/SPPS Saturday at Lane Stadium when they The Hokie defense swarms Taylor Bennett, who completed only 11 of 26 passes for 157 yards. Bennett threw no face the Florida State Seminoles at touchdowns and four interceptions and was pulled for true freshman, Josh Nesbitt, in the third quarter. 3:30 p.m.
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