COLLEGIATETIMES
tuesday april 21, 2009 blacksburg, va.
www.collegiatetimes.com
Tech faces April 16 suits Blogs, CT to host ZACH CRIZER
ct news reporter The families of April 16 shooting victims Erin Peterson and Julia Pryde have filed lawsuits in Fairfax County Circuit Court, seeking to “reveal truths” they feel have been misrepresented. Two identical lawsuits allege wrongdoing against the administrator of Seung-Hui Cho’s estate, the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Cook Counseling Center and several individual university officials. Each family is seeking $10 million in damages. Celeste and Grafton Peterson and Harry and Karen Pryde made a joint statement on the lawsuits. “Erin and Julia loved Virginia Tech and they felt at home there and were receiving a wonderful education,” the statement said. “But, on April 16, 2007, the administrators who ran the university let our daughters down in ways we are just now learning.” The lawsuit names eight university officials as defendants, including President Charles Steger, former Executive Vice President James Hyatt, Provost Mark McNamee and Vice President for University Relations Larry Hincker. Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum, five employees of the Cook Counseling Center and two members of the New River Valley Community Services Board are also named as defendants. Specifically, the families accused university officials of making false statements, both to the Governor’s Review Panel and to the public. “University officials, it now appears, may have been less than candid and forthright in their responses to the questions put to them by the panel,” according to the statement. The Peterson and Pryde families were the only families that did not accept a settlement proposed by the university in the spring of 2008. Documents made available to families that signed the settlement were later released to the public in December by the Collegiate Times and then again in February by the university. “When the university subsequently released its document archives to the public in February 2009, we were convinced that we made the right choice to refuse the settlement,” according to the statement. Those documents, the families said, omit important information about Cho’s mental illness and the activity of the policy group. “One of the most troubling discoveries has come from our own investigations, a review of the document archives, and witness statements,” according to the statement. The lawsuit claims events recent as of April 16, 2007, such as an April 13 bomb threat and the escape of William Morva from a nearby jail, had led Virginia Tech officials to become more concerned with the university’s image than with student safety.
ON THE WEB Find the full text of the lawsuit filed by the families of Erin Peterson and Julia Pryde.
“The university administration, and more specifically defendants Steger, Hyatt, Hincker and others had become sensitized to the impact bad news could have on the university’s image, and how an impact on that image might in turn impact on public and private financing for the university,” the plaintiffs said in the lawsuit. The lawsuit takes particular issue with one inter-administration e-mail, asking, “Was the university fixated on its image to the exclusion of the safety of its students and faculty?” President Steger received an e-mail on the afternoon of April 16, 2007, discussing the effects of the shootings on a fundraising gala scheduled for the following weekend. “After expressing his condolences for the events of that morning, the gentleman said, ‘I am also thinking of the ramifications to the (fundraising) weekend … the tragedy … also represents an opportunity to communicate … and to solicit support both financially and morally.’” The sender was identified by the lawsuit as the “Advisory Co-Chair” of the fund raising gala. Documents obtained by the Collegiate Times in December include an e-mail from Gene Fife, a 1962 Tech graduate who serves on the Honorary Alumni Campaign Committee for the Campaign for Virginia Tech. Fife sent the email to Elizabeth “Betsy” Flanagan, Vice President for Development and University Relations, and copied it to Steger. The complete text of the e-mail relating to the gala reads as follows: “I am also thinking of the ramifications to the Ut Prosim weekend,” Fife said in the e-mail. “It seems highly inappropriate for a gala/party in the wake of the tragedy — but it also presents an opportunity to communicate and draw the VT family closer together. One idea might be to have a large but low key working dinner during which we review the facts of today, what we have and will be doing to deal with the situation and to solicit support both financially and morally. A revamped program — soberly presented, absent celebration or fanfare seems to the most appropriate. The only other alternative I see if to cancel the planned events and reschedule it at another time — probably next fall.” According to the lawsuit, “At that time the bodies of most of the victims still lay in Norris Hall.” The suit goes on to conclude that “On the 16th of April, 2007, the duly authorized agents of the university, seduced
Virginia Tech officials named as defendants
gubernatorial debate PHILIPP KOTLABA
Senior Vice President and Provost
President
CHARLES STEGER Associate Vice President for University Relations LARRY HINCKER Former Executive Vice President & COO
MARK MCNAMEE
DAVID FORD
Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education
General Counsel JAMES HYATT
Director of Cook Counseling Center CHRISTOPHER FLYNN Dean of Students
KAY HEIDBREDER Chief of Virginia Tech Police WENDELL FLINCHUM Executive RALPH BYERS Director of Government Relations
JAMES THOMAS BROWN by the prospect of a successful fund drive, and driven to control the message of the morning of April 16th in fulfillment of that ambition and to protect the general reputation and image of the university, behaved in a deliberately indifferent way to the safety of the university’s students and faculty, failed to warn them of the risks inherent in allowing a gunman who had already killed two to run loose on the campus.” Events scheduled for that weekend were canceled later in the week. According to the lawsuit, division among the Emergency Policy Group, a group of high level administrators which convened in Burruss Hall on April 16, led to an insufficient attempt to warn students. “As an inadequate warning, it constituted no warning at all, and in a sense artificially reassured the students, faculty and employees that whatever occurred in West Ambler-Johnston Hall that morning was of much lesser consequences and risks than the Morva incident and the two recent threatened bombings on the engineering campus. The language, content and lack of specificity of the alert clearly implied that there was no reason to take any specific action for one’s own safety,” the plaintiffs allege in the lawsuit. Other claims allege the university failed to properly assess Cho as a threat. Furthermore, the lawsuit claims the university provided false information about Cho’s treatment. Several members of Cook Counseling center are accused of making false statements in interviews following April 16. Ed Spencer, Vice President of Student Affairs, while not named as a defendant, is accused of aiding in a string of misstatements.
“...on April 16, 2007, the administrators who ran the university let our daughters down in ways we are just now learning.” - PETERSON AND PRYDE LAWSUIT “The cover-up continues,” according to the lawsuit. “As recently as April 9, 2009, Dr. Edward Spencer Vice-President of Student Affairs, being interviewed on the Diane Rehm Radio Show (NPR) asserted that three mental health professionals associated with Dr. Miller’s Cook Counseling Center had independently done a threat assessment on Seung-Hui Cho and concluded he was not a threat to himself and others.” Later, the lawsuit claims no threat assessment of Cho was ever made. Some facts of the day, according to the lawsuit, remain unknown. Reasons for waiting 40 minutes to assemble the Policy Group are questioned. Reasons for assembling the VT police emergency response team off campus also come into question. “Our decision to file this suit against the university and its administrators has been made only after grave and serious thought,” the plaintiffs said in the joint statement. “We believe that our suit is necessary to reveal truths that ultimately will benefit all those who have shared in this tragic loss, and that it will help heal the wounds that remain open because full disclosure of the facts has been denied.”
ct news staff writer The Virginian gubernatorial race will briefly intersect with the Virginia Tech community when the three Democratic candidates debate in Blacksburg on April 29. The 90-minute debate, to be held in the Lyric, will begin at 7 p.m. and feature candidates Brian Moran, a former delegate from Alexandria; Terry McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee; and Creigh Deeds, a former state senator of Bath County. Starting today, 200 tickets — free of charge and limited to one per person — are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the UUSA Ticket Office in Squires Student Center. Others have been distributed through the candidates and local Democratic committees. With one debate already conducted in Williamsburg, Blacksburg is one of five debate venues. “This was the perfect fit for us,” said Ben Tribbett, a political blogger at Not Larry Sabato who both helped organize and will moderate the debate. “We wanted to go to a part of the state and really reach out and be able to get more people involved. Blacksburg was a great combination of both because we had Virginia Tech ... (this) also made it accessible to so much of the state that wouldn’t have been accessible in Northern Virginia,” Tribbett said. The Blacksburg debate is co-sponsored by the Collegiate Times and liberal blogs Huffington Post, Fire Dog Lake and Tribbett’s blog Not Larry Sabato. The debate will be streamed online, at collegiatetimes.com. While the Tech community will have the chance to attend the event in the flesh, voters across Virginia will be able to chime in using the latest online tools. Tribbett will have a computer in front of him during the debate and will be able to watch live stream comments on various blogs, which he can then use to ask follow-up questions or ask candidates to clarify a position. “I’m literally going to have a computer in
front of me,” Tribbett said. “As the candidates are answering, I’ll be able to see what’s going on. And Twitter will be a really useful tool for that.” Online submissions will determine the final pool of questions. Representatives from each of the four co-sponsors will form a committee whose responsibility is to sort through the submissions to select finalists.
“It was certainly not an easy process. There were upwards of 30 different opportunities around the state.” - JESS FERGUSON COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR “We’ve opened up all of the questions to come in from online sources, on Twitter, on YouTube, so it’s accessible to everyone in the state. I’m hoping that more people will take the opportunity to use those tools and ask questions,” Tribbett said. “This is the first time ever that netroots (political activism through online media) has ever moderated a debate at this level, so I think it’s going to get a lot of attention around the country,” Tribbett said. “I think it’s creating a lot of buzz and I think it’s really the one people have circled on their calendar ... it should be very exciting.” “I think that this debate provides a great opportunity to reach out to and to hear from students at Virginia Tech, as well as voters all across Virginia,” said Elisabeth Smith, press secretary for the McAuliffe campaign. “We believe that it’s really critical to engage new voters across the commonwealth.” “It was certainly not an easy process. There were upwards of 30 different opportunities around the state,” said Jesse Ferguson, communication director for the Moran campaign. “But it was clear that this one ... was one we wanted to do.” Five debates in total will occur during the run-up to the Democratic primary, which occurs on June 9.
Cost of college, economic woes have high school seniors weighing options DANA HULL
san jose mercury news SAN JOSE, Calif. — Mike Maietta was eating lunch when he got a text message from his mom. “Notre Dame,” it said. “Big envelope!” Mike, a senior in high school, whooped for joy. The big envelope meant the storied Catholic university in South Bend, Ind., had offered him a coveted slot in its Class of 2013. But the $51,300 annual price tag is a formidable obstacle. So Mike and his parents are considering offers from several other colleges and calculating the costs — tuition, housing, holiday trips home. This year, money is the driving factor for a growing number of high school seniors, who are spreading out the acceptance letters and crunching the numbers to decide what colleges to attend this fall. Layoffs, plunging home values and decimated college savings accounts have vastly changed family finances. “We’re ecstatic that Mike got into so many great schools,” said Michael Maietta, his father, an engineer at Microsoft. “But if you consider going to school out of state, you’ve got to think about all of the other costs: moving, flying back and forth for the holidays. You’re looking at about $3,000 a year just for travel.” More than 7.6 million students have filled out the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a 19.9 percent increase over last year. The federal Department of Education this month urged college financial aid officers to give more help to families suffering from the recession. And a record 30,428 students applied for 2,300 slots at Stanford, in part because the university boosted financial aid for families earning below $100,000. Students have until May 1 to decide on a school, and many campuses require “matriculation deposits” up to $400 to secure their slots for the fall. As families weigh their options, some are going back to financial aid offices in hopes that packages can be boosted. “The most heartbreaking appeals at this point are from families where parents are just being told about layoffs in the last few weeks,” said Karen Cooper, director of financial aid at Stanford. “Even those who thought they had a plan in place are scrambling to come up with new options.” Mary Nucciarone, an assistant director of financial aid at Notre Dame, said several families of admitted students are asking the university to consider new information. “Loss of bonus income, loss of home equity, decrease in assets, mortgages underwater,” she said. “People are coming back to us and
NHAT V. MEYER/MCT
Mike Maietta, a senior in high school, and his parents Carrie and Michael Maietta are considering several colleges for Mike and calculating the costs to find the best fit. saying, ‘Did you consider this?’” Santa Clara University, where tuition, room and board top $46,000 a year, is concerned accepted students may choose more affordable alternatives instead. So nearly 400 alumni volunteers are now telephoning every admitted student; the most highly valued prospective students receive calls from President Michael Engh or Provost Lucia Albino Gilbert. Mike Maietta got into eight colleges, and narrowed his top choices to a final five: Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Loyola Marymount, Gonzaga and the University of San Diego. As the Maiettas turn the options over in their minds, numerous factors come into play. Loyola Marymount and Gonzaga offered Mike partial scholarships, but Notre Dame and Vanderbilt did not. Loyola, in Los Angeles, is within driving distance. But the cost of housing at Gonzaga, in Spokane, Wash., is slightly cheaper. “Fifty thousand dollars a year is a lot of money,” said Mike, who wants to study mechanical engineering. “I’d like to go to Notre Dame or Vanderbilt, but I can see
myself at LMU.” Rachel Brown was ecstatic when she got a thick envelope from New York University; she’s always wanted to live in Manhattan. But given tuition and the cost of living in New York, she’s seriously considering the University of California-San Diego. “The tuition for NYU is like twice as much as UCSD,” said Rachel, 17, who is struggling to decide. “My mom doesn’t want me to have a big debt when I graduate, and I don’t want that either. I’d have to take out a loan for like $15,000 ... I’m going to check and see if there’s any way that NYU can offer me any financial aid.” Jonathan Kaslow got into nine colleges, including Occidental, George Washington University and Lewis & Clark. But he’s pretty much decided on UCSD. “The cost of the private schools just isn’t worth it,” said Jonathan, who plans to study political science. “My mom got laid off from Sun Microsystems and is completely flipping out about money. I can see myself at UCSD, and sometimes Southwest has $40 fares so it won’t cost too much to fly home.”
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tuesday, april 21, 2009
Classical musicians, hip-hop dancers and a beat boxer TERESA TOBAT
ct features reporter Forget what you know about music. A beat boxer, classical chamber music trio, hip-hop dancers, trumpet player, soprano, guitarist, trombone and trumpet player will all perform in Squires Studio Theatre Tuesday night for the Kandinsky Beat Down, where the multi-talented musicians team up for the event that seeks to seamlessly fuse jazz, hip-hop and classical music. “It’ll be just a riot,” said Alan Weinstein, chief organizer of the Beat Down and cellist of the classical chamber music group The Kandinsky Trio. “It takes each language and it extends each language, of hip-hop, jazz and classical music. It’s going to be some mixture of that into a new language.” The story starts with family ties; about five years ago, assistant professor of music Weinstein attended his hip-hop dancer nephew’s performance and met beat boxer Shodekeh. The two have been in touch ever since. Because of the innovative nature of the project, four composers were commissioned to write pieces exclusively for this performance. “We really trust all the composers. They’re all really great. They’re all really conscious not to use the beat boxer in the same way,” Weinstein said. “Each piece is totally different. It’s varied, and I think that the way they integrate the beat boxer is very innovative into the classical stuff. It’s very, very innovative writing.”
KANDINSKY BEAT DOWN WHEN: April 21 WHERE: Squires Studio Theater TIME: 8pm, 9:30pm COST: $5 General, $3 Senior, $3 Student Composers James Miley, professor of music, and Dan Cavanagh, professor of music at University of Texas at Arlington, said plans for the show became finalized in late January to early February, which didn’t leave them much time to compose. Miley said he chose four different poems to include in his piece and wanted an overall theme for this work. “I went more for a general atmosphere rather than here’s a direct setting of this piece,” Miley said. “It was the title as much as the content inspiring a space that I could write in.” Miley has a jazz background and said he likes leaving room for interpretation within his work. “I find the idea of creating a space for improvisation really appealing, whether or not it’s the beat box part. I didn’t write what he’s doing. I just created a space for him to do something interesting,” Miley
Group examines pay gap between faculty and administrators RYAN TRAPP
ct news staff writer
LUKE MASON/SPPS
The Kandinsky Trio, along with a beat-boxer and hip-hop dancers, rehearses in Squires Studio Theater. said. “It was creating a world for that to happen.” In rehearsals, Miley has been amending his work to suit the needs of the performers. His composition, “The Necessary Angel,” has four movements that serve separate purposes. One is driven by the beat boxer, one is completely free and features sound effects from the beat boxer, one is a slower piece where the beat boxer just reads aloud the words, and the fourth one is a waltz, which transforms into blues with a guitar solo. “I was really exploring where we could go with this sound,” Miley said of how he wanted to use the beat boxer. “I figure he’s going to bring to this his own unique takes, and that will make it sound great.” Cavanagh’s piece, “In the Silence,” is based off of a love poem by Ibn Hazm, a 12th century Persian poet, translated by a contemporary American poet. The poem has four stanzas, or sections, and each one has a different tilt to it. The beat boxer will put stanzas up on an easel, and as they pile on each other, the meaning of the piece becomes deeper, Cavanagh said. “For me, part of this project is not only is it a mix up of different kinds of music genres and styles, but also a cultural thing,” Cavanagh said. “What better than to bring in some Muslim culture from the 12th century? It kind of adds that extra element to it.” The beat boxer comes in at four distinct points, and Cavanagh didn’t write specifically for him. Cavanagh gave the beatboxer descriptions of when he should beat box, but not what he should do. He didn’t provide any rhythms for the pieces, but he wanted to use the beat boxer in a different way. He said his piece is slower than the others. “You create an area and space for people to express themselves,” Cavanagh said. “It could be a different beat boxer and it would sound totally different and
that’s cool. That’s the point. “If you bring more things to the table, you bring more people into the audience.” Dominic Talifero, or Shodekeh, will beat box for the Beat Down and said he is interested in working with different musical genres. “I haven’t done anything exactly like this,” Talifero said of the event. “I do hiphop, but like collaborating with classical, jazz and even country.” Talifero has been rehearsing since Friday and said he first listens to a piece and then jumps in when he feels it’s necessary. He said his performance brings a unique dynamic to the Beat Down. “I think I’m adding a bit of an edge,” Talifero said. “I’m trying to add a touch of subtle aggression with the words.” Talifero will pick out certain elements of the performance, say the cello or piano, and work with that beat. “I try to select a rhythm texture that matches the overall piece,” Talifero said. “I try to listen to the right texture. It’s like using the right spices. Sometime you use cayenne pepper or black pepper, sometime bay leaf and sometime you leave it alone. It’s sort of like being a musical chef.” Talifero said he has the skills needed to ensure that he doesn’t overshadow the other musicians during the performance. “I have the unique ability to adapt to what I’m working with. I’m doing what is unique to the situation,” Talifero said. “I know how to share the musical space.” He also said working with a soprano, Nancy McDuffie, for some of the numbers will be a unique experience but that he is looking forward to working with the singer in the future. Assistant professor of voice McDuffie will sing part of a soliloquy from James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” and said this is the first time she’s performed a piece in a jazz flavor in public and with a beat boxer. She usually sings to classical music as
opposed to more modern works. “It’s a whole different style in the way I use my voice,” McDuffie said of the Beat Down. “It’s challenging, but really fun.” While McDuffie said her parts are more binding than the beat boxer’s or the classical musicians, she still has some room to improvise. “Some of these sounds I can make them sound pretty or I can make them say what I would say ‘pretty raw,’” McDuffie said. “So there’s a lot of things I have yet to even discover with my voice. What I can do to stretch this part to make it vocally even more interesting.” To add to the visual aspect of the performance is The Boogaloo Crew, a group of two hip-hop dancers, including cellist Weinstein’s nephew, Jacob Esocoff. Esocoff, an architect based out of Washington D.C., dances Boogaloo, a style of hip hop that is very fluid, and said he loves improving most of his dances. The crew came into town yesterday afternoon and had just one day before performance to prepare. “There’s no right way to do it,” Esocoff said. “It’s improv.” He said he is confident that after he and his dance partner hear the music, they’ll know what they should do. “I’ll dance to the words. I’ll dance to the sound of the words. If it says ‘drop,’ I’ll drop,” Esocoff said. He said The Boogaloo Crew’s performance will visualize the music and allow the audience to “peek into another world.” Esocoff said his uncle Weinstein is just the type to put together a multigenre performance like this, and that “others really feed off of his excitement.” While it’s difficult to musically classify a performance like this, Weinstein gave it his best shot. “It’s an event,” Weinstein said. “I guarantee you’ve never heard anything like this.”
The 2006-07 Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession reports that between the 1995-96 and 2005-06 academic years, university presidential salaries increased by 35 percent while average faculty salaries increased by 5 percent. These findings, compiled by the American University of University Professors, have come to the attention of Dave Kuebrich, an English professor and the senate secretary at George Mason University. In collaboration with the other members of the George Mason chapter of the AAUP, Kuebrich submitted a resolution to the Virginia chapter of the AAUP with the hopes of stopping the widening pay gap between university faculty and upper-level administration. “We feel as though there is a structural problem in the performance review and awarding of administrative salary increases. At present there is insufficient oversight, and a clear need for new policies or guidelines that will stop the growing gap,” Kuebrich said. “Our ultimate goal is to raise this issue with the state legislature, whether at the General Assembly or State Council of Higher Education.” At the March 29 meeting of the Virginia chapter of the AAUP, the association’s executive committee voted to look into the matter further and created a task force assigned to collect data and determine if action should be taken. “First we want to see if there is in fact a problem with the salary gap,” said Brian Turner, a political science professor at Randolph Macon College and head of the task force. “If we do, we’ll then look into an appropriate place to address these problems.” The task force, consisting of two other executive committee members along with Turner and Kuebrich, plans to seek out historical data to support Kuebrich’s claim that the pay gap is becoming excessive. If sufficient data is collected, the task force hopes to pass guidelines in regards to the pay gap. An example of such a guideline given in Kuebrich’s resolution is that the ratio between the average administrator’s salary and that of a member of the faculty should not
exceed a set limit. “In all likelihood, it would be hard to lower the current salaries of the administrators,” said Craig Vasey, president-elect of the AAUP’s Virginia Chapter. “Rather it would set guidelines for what would be an appropriate gap to be applied to future salaries.” According to the AAUP’s annual Faculty Salary Survey, the average annual salary of a Virginia Tech professor in the 2008-09 school year was $116,800. Associate professors made an average of $84,600 a year, assistant professors made $70,400 a year and instructors made $45,500 a year. Opposite the faculty, in the years 2006-07, Kuebrich’s resolution states that Tech president Charles Steger made $681,434 including bonuses and deferred compensation. Turner said some of this trend is attributed to the people in the administrative positions. “Historically, university administrators had been professors or members within the institution who have worked up to administrative positions,” Turner explained. “The underlying problem is that institutions are increasingly hiring CEOs without a history in academia.” Although the task force intends to focus on the state of Virginia and the salary trends, Kuebrich has a higher goal in mind when it comes to the issue. “The resolution I’ve submitted calls for a statewide examination of the salary gap,” said Kuebrich. “But I hope the Virginia Chapter will encourage the National AAUP to adopt a similar resolution on this matter. The implementation of such a resolution would require hard work, but I believe there is a lot of support for limiting upper-level administrative pay among both the faculty and the general public.” The task force has yet to begin its data collection as it’s newly formed and the groundwork is still being laid, but the hopes for Kuebrich are high. However, the chance of legislation being passed in regards to the issue remains in question. “At the March 29 meeting on the matter I brought up the issue with (State Democratic) Senator John Edwards,” Vasey said. “He didn’t feel as the though the idea was plausible and seemed to feel that the matter should be left to the institutions themselves.”
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opinions 3
editor: laurel colella email: opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com phone: 540.231.9865 office hours: mw 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
april 21, 2009
EDITORIAL
Once suits are resolved, Tech may finally speak freely about shootings The families of Erin Peterson and Julia Pryde, two of the victims of the April 16, 2007, shooting have each filed a $10 million lawsuit against the administrator of Seung-Hui Cho’s estate, the Commonwealth of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Cook Counseling Center and top university officials, including President Charles Steger and Provost Mark McNamee. For the families of the victims filing the lawsuits, it’s likely not about the money, but more so about exposing the truth that they believe remains obfusticated. These are the only two families who didn’t accept the proposed lawsuit last spring. Their lawsuits accuse university officials of making false statements to the Governor’s Review Panel and the public, based on information that has come to light since the documents were made available to the 30 families who agreed to the settlement in December and later officially released to the public in February 2009. The release of this information has called into question many of the decisions made by top-level administrators two years ago, specifically response time in regard to an email sent out to the student body at 9:30 a.m. after the initial shootings in West Ambler-Johnston Hall at 7:15 a.m. The governor’s report also
included more specific information about Cho’s troubled past and interactions with teachers. Without the settlement, which provided an online record of this information, the families would likely never have seen memos, emails and other administrative discussion, which called into question whether they should have done more. The settlement gave us all a more complete picture of the way events transpired and laid the foundation for the lawsuit. Because the Pryde and Peterson families didn’t agree to the settlement, they were able to file lawsuits last week, with something greater on which to predicate their claims. The university has never really been given the opportunity to speak about what happened on April 16, 2007, without fear of being sued. Top administrators can’t talk about what they may have wished they had done differently or reflect too deeply on the shootings for fear of provoking legal action. Once these suits are resolved — regardless of outcome — the university will finally have the opportunity to open up and reflect more freely on what happened.
Don’t expand university at expense of agricultural roots MICHELLE SKEEN regular columnist Two weeks ago, the Collegiate Times ran an article announcing the movement of Virginia Tech’s Dairy Science Complex to Kentland Farm in Northeast Montgomery County. Cattle now graze on land that will be used to expand the airport and the Corporate Research Center. This endeavor is part of a long-range land use plan that will relocate several of Tech’s agricultural activities. To me, this screams something about Tech’s priorities. For years, the drive in to campus from 460 had a scenic view of fields and farmland, with the university rising up in the middle of it. There are reasons for this: Tech was founded in 1862 as a land-grant college. This means that it was created to give an education for agricultural and technical students with practical aspects instead of just the classic education. I realize that today Tech is known for engineering and architecture. I realize that it’s a large school and sometimes expansion is needed. But this university is deeply rooted in agriculture, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is as important as any of the other colleges here. Is it necessary that the Corporate Research Center expand on those particular lands? Does the entire dairy science facility get kicked off campus so we can expand an airport runway, when there is a perfectly good estab-
lished airport just down the road in Roanoke? In 2004, Tech celebrated the opening of its new state-of-the-art dairy complex. The facility includes a 232-cow freestall research barn and a double-eight rapid-exit herringbone milking parlor and milking center. Sen. John Chichester was crucial in getting $3.4 million in funding from the General Assembly back in 2002’s budget and an additional $1.1 million through his own efforts. At the time, Chichester was quoted as saying, “No, it’s not the physics building, it’s not the aerospace engineering building, it’s not the new chemistry building, but it is just as important. It is the new dairy facility, and that’s part of our mission, and it should always be.” A few years later, Tech’s Board of Visitors has voted in favor of the $500,000 project to move agricultural teaching and research facilities. That complex is used for hands-on classroom experience and research and deserves a spot near campus just as the engineering labs and architecture studio do. Perhaps there are some people at other universities, and even here at our own school, who think being a “cow college” makes Tech seem redneck or country, in the same way computer engineers can be stereotyped as nerds or environmental science majors as hippies. In reality, agricultural education at Tech produces intelligent, well-educated graduates who go into their field with important knowledge that can be used anywhere from manag-
ing farms to working in genetics to veterinary work. These people are important to our society; their education should be important to Tech, and the facilities are important to their education. Additionally, many people do not realize how recognized dairy science students here are. This past year, Tech’s dairy judging team won first place at the national contest in Madison, Wisc., competing against teams from all over the country. The Dairy Club was recognized as Outstanding Chapter at the Southern American Dairy Science Association meeting. This past year, it hosted the first live showcase cattle sale at Tech, and just this past weekend held its traditional Little All-American show, which has been going on since the 1920s. What I’m trying to say is dairy science is important, too. Agriculture is a part of Tech just like the engineering and business schools are. It’s part of what distinguishes us from the other colleges in Virginia, part of what makes us Hokies and not Cavaliers. Personally, I’m refreshed by seeing Carhartt jackets and pickup trucks on campus. It’s a lot better than the popped collars they have up in Charlottesville. Our university needs to remember what’s valuable at Tech. Students are just as important as research. Agriculture is just as important as engineering. And the dairy science facility is definitely just as important as the Montgomery County Executive Airport.
The editorial board is composed of David Grant, David Harries and Laurel Colella.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Make purchasing local food more realistic for students If you go to Owens a few times a week or more, chances are you have noticed the signs advertising local food and the local food section in the food court. The local food booth in the food court is a joke. Not only is the booth closed on the weekend, but a side of zucchini is $4. To put this in context, a few slices of zucchini from the local food booth is slightly less than a burrito and twice the price of an average salad. It seems very elitist to place signs condemning non-local food but at the same time pricing local food above many full meals. The slow food movement does not describe trying to eat at a dining hall during the hours of 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on a weekday, but rather an idea about how food should be produced. The founders of the slow food movement advocate consumption of local fruits and vegitables during the seasons in which they are grown, rather than shipping fruits and vegetables grown far away. While the slow food movement is certainly healthier and tastes better than the systems in
place now, those are the only positive aspects about it. Around 2 percent of Americans grow enough food to feed the other 98 percent and ship food overseas. Simply put, it doesn’t cost as much for a large farm to produce each individual piece of produce as it does a smaller farm. As much as I believe in local business, it’s unreasonable to expect us to pay an arm and a leg every time we want local food. Local farmers should take a cue from Homestead Creamery. While it costs $4.50 per quart of ice cream, in terms of premium ice cream, it’s a very reasonable price, and the ice cream is made locally. I don’t want to seem as though I’m bashing the idea of local farms. To be quite honest, if I did not depend on the meal plan or if the meal plan offered reasonably priced local food, I would be first to jump on the bandwagon. Until then, I plan to keep consuming the “uncool,” and easy on the wallet non-local food.
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Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters and comments to the Collegiate Times.
WRIGHT/TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES
The stimulus plan will impact college students in today’s world CJ WEAVER regular columnist
Jacob Eberhart junior, industrial design
Your letter could be here.
The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903
A little more than two months ago, Congress passed a $787 billion stimulus package to create jobs, increase consumer spending and generate health care coverage. Around $116 billion is going straight to consumers in tax credits; however, these credits are not a one-time deal like we are accustomed to receiving. These tax credits will be spread out over two years in the form of reduced tax withholding from paychecks to give the illusion of a permanent income boost. When all is said and done, this package is estimated to create or preserve 3.5 million jobs. The question is whether this stimulus plan really contains anything specificlly aimed toward college students. Tax credits and Pell grants are the most college students will be able to get out of the stimulus plan. As college students, most of us are considered dependents on our parent’s tax forms. This means that these tax credits will go to our parents. No one said we can’t bargain to get a portion of those credits, right? Some of us are independent and are eligible to receive some of these tax credits. A lot of us will be graduating and looking to save money with these tax credits in the coming year. The American Opportunity Tax Credit plan calls for an increase in tax credits for college tuition and related expenses for the 2009-10 school year. This includes a 100 percent reimbursement for the first $2,000 spent on higher education and 25 percent of the next $2,000 spent on qualified educational expenses for a maximum total of $2,500. Pell grants, largely considered the
most direct way for us to benefit from the stimulus, are set to increase over the next two years. The grant will increase to $5,350 in the 2009-10 school year. It will increase again to $5,550 in the 2010-11 school year. The best part is that there are new eligibility requirements, which means that more students will be able to benefit from the grant. For those who are graduating and looking for a place to live or those who are graduating and getting married this summer and need a house, $8,000 will be credited to first-time home buyers in 2009.
When all is said and done, this package is estimated to create or preserve 3.5 million jobs. The question is whether this stimulus plan really contains anything specifically aimed toward college students. The house has to be purchased before Dec. 1, 2009, to receive credit. In past years, this tax credit was worth $7,500 and had to be repaid. The new credit does not have to be repaid. With mortgages below 5 percent and declining, house prices at a low, and an $8,000 tax credit, I see no better time to buy for those of you graduating and planning on settling down. In my last column, I said that now was a good time to buy a new car because of reduced APR financing. If you buy a new car in 2009, the sales tax you pay will be tax deductible. This gives cars an even cheaper feel than ever before. A major part of the plan is geared toward creating jobs by improving the country’s infrastructure, energy
dependency and research in science and technology. Let’s break this down further to see what these jobs really are and if you can get one. Modernizing and repairing roads, bridges, transits and waterways will create a multitude of these jobs. The best part is that you do not have to be a normal construction worker to be considered. I would like to give a shout out to all the civil engineers out there — these jobs are for you. Another large portion is going to education to help avoid teacher layoffs and to invest in early childhood development. Those of you majoring in English, history, biology and interdisciplinary studies, among others, should not worry about keeping your job or having limited resources. The government has vowed to start the next generation off right. The plan also calls for more funding in researching advanced technology and science. Those who are studying in the areas of biofuels, climate science, highenergy physics, nuclear physics and biomedical research should consider doing undergraduate research over the summer. This will allow you to learn from some of the leading researchers in the state and nation and will help build your resume. Be aware that most of these tax credits will only be around for two years. Take advantage while you still can. Saving money from tax credits and deductions is not a bad thing. Ben Franklin once said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” What would he have said if he knew we upped that to $1,000 saved? The answer to the first question asked is yes. Yes, the stimulus plan does contain specifics aimed at college students. You just have to find them and take advantage, but they won’t last for long. No one has ever gone wrong accepting free money.
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editor: thomas emerick, brian wright email: sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com phone: 540.231.9865 office hours: w 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.; t 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
april 21, 2009
O-line hampered by ailments, bolstered by experience RYAN TRAPP
ct sports staff writer The Virginia Tech offensive line will be without its 2008 leader as it marches into the upcoming season. Center Ryan Shuman, an Iron Hokie in the weight room and Tech’s threeyear starter at center, will certainly be missed by the players who battled in the trenches alongside him over the past few years. But that’s not to say the Hokies have any worries about the condition of the offensive line for this season. On a team that will see most of its starters on offense returning, the line has no doubt it will be able to open up some gaping holes to better aid Tech’s potent running game. As for the graduated Shuman’s replacement, it appears as if Beau Warren will be the man snapping Tyrod Taylor the ball come fall. The redshirt sophomore has impressed both coaches and his fellow linemen with his workouts in the spring.
“Beau’s really stepped in,” said left tackle Ed Wang. “He’s started a couple games last year, and we have all the confidence in the world in him. He’s the type of player we feel can fit in really well.” He’ll have to. The Hokies have a strong backfield with the likes of record-setting freshman Darren Evans, redshirt freshman Ryan Williams, Josh Oglesby and newcomer David Wilson lining up behind the dual-threat quarterback of Taylor. “The offensive line just goes out there and does their job,” said right tackle Blake DeChristopher. “We’ll need these young guys to step up and learn the plays so we can keep pushing and get better. So far they’re doing it.” They are young, but game tested. The offensive front has six underclassmen competing for a starting job during the regular season, but almost every one of them has seen playing time at Tech. “We’re young, but at the same time we’re not; they’ve all been out there. Everybody’s played, so we do have
some experience in there,” said offensive line coach Curt Newsome. Injury struck projected starting right guard Jaymes Brooks during Saturday’s scrimmage, as he went down with a left ankle sprain and is expected to miss the rest of spring practice. Newsome assured that, while a high ankle sprain can take a while to heal, there will be no long-term effect for Brooks, and he will still be able to do upper-body workouts. Another question mark lingering is the status of Sergio Render, a vital member of the Hokies’ line since 2006. Tech’s starting left guard underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery over the off-season, but the players and coaches feel as though he’ll be ready to go when the year kicks off. “He’s coming along well, and he’ll have both summer sessions to get back in shape,” Newsome said. “It’s different because he’s a little bit older, but we feel he’ll be ready.” Even if Render isn’t ready, the Hokies feel as though they have a viable
replacement with Greg Nosal in the waiting. The redshirt freshman made the switch from left tackle to guard to compete for a starting spot, and he’s shown progress at all the spring practices. “His work ethic has really transferred over from the weight room to the
field. He’s been pretty consistent and has been a really pleasant surprise this spring,” Newsome said. With a tough schedule ahead of them, Newsome and his group are stressing a strong start to the 2009 season, which opens in Atlanta on Sept. 5 against Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson
Tide — a team that was second in the nation in rushing defense last year. “Getting off to a strong start is huge,” Wang said. “We have to get as much of a confidence boost as we can. The better we do at the beginning of the year, the better we’ll feel.”
NICK JEREMIAH/SPPS
Redshirt sophomore Beau Warren watches on the sideline during Tech’s 2008 meeting with Florida State. Warren will be taking over for Ryan Shuman at center as part of an offensive line that has 100 combined starts.
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april 21, 2009
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editor: thomas emerick, brian wright email: sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com phone: 540.231.9865 office hours: w 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.; t 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
april 21, 2009
sports in brief BASEBALL HAS EIGHT-GAME STREAK SNAPPED SUNDAY The Virginia Tech baseball team continued its recent success this weekend by defeating the No. 18 Clemson Tigers in the first two of a three-game series — extending its winning streak to eight games. Redshirt senior Rhett Ballard allowed only two runs in seven innings Friday night to lead the Hokies (24-13, 9-11 ACC) to a 5-2 victory. California natives Steve Domecus and Mike Kaminski powered the Tech offense, combining for four hits and three RBIs. Excellent pitching continued for the Hokies on Saturday when starter Justin Wright threw eight innings while allowing only one earned run in a 7-3 win. The Tigers registered their first hit of the evening off Wright in the fifth and managed only five total against the young left-hander. Clemson plated two runs late in the ninth, but relief pitcher Ben Rowen shut the Tigers down to seal the game. In contrast, the Hokies jumped on Clemson early, scoring two runs in the first inning on a home run by center fielder Steve Bumbry. Domecus also shined again, picking up three hits and two more RBIs. Tech put together 11 hits in its Sunday meeting but only pushed one run across the board — in the ninth inning — as it was defeated, 8-1. Not only did the loss snap the Hokies’ eight-game win streak, it also halted a five-game run in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Tech will play host to William and Mary at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and then travels to play at Liberty on Wednesday. The Hokies must continue their difficult end of the year schedule with a three-game series against Miami this weekend. – Joe Crandley
TAR HEELS SWEEP PAST HOKIE SOFTBALL The Hokies (19-21, 7-7 ACC) lost to No. 13 North Carolina, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon as the Tar Heels completed the three-game sweep this weekend in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Tech’s offense struggled and only managed to score a single run in the series finale after being shut out by North Carolina hurlers Danielle Spaulding and Lisa Norris in both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday. The Tar Heels (41-7, 14-2) got on the board quickly by scoring two runs in the first inning. After a leadoff single and an error by Kristen Froehlich, Spaulding crushed the first pitch into the outfield for a double, scoring both runners. Tech’s lone run came when Jessica Everhart led off the seventh inning with a single and then came home after a double into the gap by Beth Walker. However, Spaulding recovered and managed to strike out the side to secure the game. Froehlich picked up her team-leading eight two-bagger of the season, as the freshman was one of only three Hokies to pick up a hit. Kenzie Roark (L, 14-13) pitched the entire game, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts. During the three-game sweep, the Hokies totaled just six hits off of North Carolina pitchers. Jenna Rhodes went 0-for-3, bringing an end to her ninegame hitting streak. It was the first time Tech has been swept in conference play since North Carolina State took all three in their 2005 meeting. The Hokies hope to rebound this Tuesday when they play host to Longwood at Tech Softball Park. The first pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 5 p.m. – Justin Long
WOMEN’S TENNIS OUSTED EARLY FROM ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tech senior Rachel Culp gains control of the ball during Saturday afternoon’s home contest against No. 2 Maryland. The Hokies lost, 16-6.
The Tech women’s tennis team lost to Wake Forest in a 4-1 decision this past Thursday, which ended up knocking the Hokies (13-11, 3-8 ACC) out of the ACC Championships in the opening round. With their win, the Demon Deacons’ record improved to 13-11. A week prior to the first round of the ACC Championships, Tech had defeated Wake by a 5-2 score. In that initial match-up between the two teams, the Hokies were able to jump to an early start by taking the doubles point and three of four singles
matches. When it came time for the rematch, the Demon Deacons flipped the script and took the doubles point by earning wins in both matches. The Hokies’ pairing of senior Jessica Brouwer and sophomore Holly Johnson entered its match ranked No. 72 nationally, but was defeated, 8-5. Of the four singles matches completed, senior Inga Beermann won the lone match for the Hokies as she beat No. 56 ranked Sasha Kuilkova 4-6, 6-1, and 6-0. Wake would end up losing in the
BRIAN CLAY/SPPS
second round to top seeded Miami, 4-0. Claiming the ACC Championship would be the Duke Blue Devils, as they edged out the top seeded Hurricanes, 4-3, in the finals match. – Matt Costello
TERPS TAKE DOWN TECH LACROSSE The Virginia Tech lacrosse team (79, 1-4 ACC) fell to the No. 2-ranked Maryland Terrapins on Saturday
afternoon at Thompson Field by a score of 16-6. Maryland won the opening draw control and did not look back from there as it retained a lead for the entirety of the match. Just less than two minutes in, the Terps’ Karissa Taylor scored the opening goal. After multiple turnovers on the Hokies’ settled attack, three other Maryland players scored, putting the Terrapins up 4-0 just eight minutes into the contest. Tech’s scoring leader, Rachel Culp, gave the Hokies a boost at 19:16 with a physical score. The senior closed out her regular season with 53 goals. The Hokie defense then frustrated the Terps’ attack into charging Tech’s Dylan Garner, which led to another Hokie goal, assisted by Culp and scored by Liz Carpenter. The two-point deficit was the closest Tech would cut it for the remainder of the contest. The Terps closed out the half with a 7-2 run, buoyed by dominant ground ball pickups, defensive mismatches and a strong transition attack. Garner and Caitlyn Wier would rack up two goals apiece, one from each of them in each half. Unfortunately for the Hokies, those would be the first and only scores of the second half. Tech has closed out the regular season with its best overall record since 2006 and its best ACC record since joining the league. The Hokies will face the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers in a Commonwealth Challenge rematch Thursday at 1 p.m. in the first round of the ACC Tournament, which will be held at Thompson Field. The Hokies were handily beaten by the Cavs on February 18, 19-3, in Charlottesville. – Melanie Wadden
MEN’S TENNIS FALLS IN SECOND ROUND Going into the ACC Championships this past weekend, the Tech men’s tennis team had a proud moment as firstyear player Luka Somen was named the ACC freshman of the year. In addition, Yoann Re was named to the all-conference team. On Thursday afternoon, Tech dominated Maryland with a 4-0 victory. However, Tech dropped a close quarterfinal match to the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest on Friday and were eliminated from the tournament.
Against the Terrapins, Tech started off hot, winning two of the three doubles matches to capture that point. Then, with three straight singles wins from Sebastien Jacques, Pedro Graber and Brandon Corace, the Hokies took the match with ease. Friday started off in somewhat the same fashion. They came out of the gates hot, winning the doubles point. However, the Deacons doused the flame. Tech would drop its next three matches to fall into a 3-1 deficit. It then made an effort at a comeback. Patrick Daciek and Corace evened the score at 3-3 coming up with critical wins. The match came down to Somen. Unfortunately for him and his club, Somen lost in a close match, giving Wake the win and eliminating the Hokies. Tech now looks ahead to the announcement for the field in the NCAA championships, which comes April 28. – Garrett Busic
GOLF FINISHES SEVENTH AT ACC CHAMPIONSHIP The Tech golf team finished seventh at the ACC Championships this past weekend at the Old North State Club at Uwharrie Point in New London, N.C. The Hokies ended with a threeround total of 868, tying with North Carolina. After being tied for first when he shot five-under-par in the opening round, senior standout Drew Weaver came in fifth individually. Weaver totaled a one-under-par in the second round and an even par in the third round on Sunday. Sophomore Marshall Bailey was tied for 20th place after shooting a twoover-par 218. Redshirt junior Matt Boyd completed the tournament in a share of 27th with his three-round total of 220. Sophomore Garland Green and freshman Blake Redmond finished in 45th and 52nd, respectively. Georgia Tech was tops at the championships thanks in part to a three-round total of 846, followed by Clemson with 849. Duke shot 861, coming home in third ahead of Wake Forest and NC State who tied for fourth, each shooting 865. The Hokies must now wait until the field for the NCAA Regionals is announced May 4. – Lindsay Faulkner