Thursday, April 23, 2009 Print Edition

COLLEGIATETIMES

thursday april 23, 2009 blacksburg, va.

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news MAROON AND ORANGE EFFECT SHIRTS

How tenure and tenure-track faculty feel cluster hiring will impact diversity at Virginia Tech (483 responses). Information courtesy of AdvanceVT

43% no effect

13%

Maroon and Orange Effect shirts will be revealed at Relay for Life Friday on the Drillfield and will go on sale Saturday morning. They will cost $10 for both and will be sold at the University Bookstore, Dietrick General Store, Volume 2 Bookstore, or in the west and south souvenir stores in Lane Stadium during the spring game.

WAKEBOARD CLUB PLACES FOURTH IN NATIONALS The Virginia Tech Wakeboard Club placed fourth in the Nationals competition in San Diego. The competition — which consists of slalom, trick, and jump contests — took place April 16-19.

sports ANOTHER ROUGH NINTH DOOMS HOKIE BASEBALL Virginia Tech baseball, fresh off losing a ninth-inning lead on Tuesday at home against William & Mary, saw similar results when visiting Liberty on Wednesday.

A walk-off home run by Tyler Bream capped off a three-run final inning to beat Tech, 4-3.

Marc Zecchino, who came in relief for starter Rhett Ballard at the start of the third inning, pitched six innings – only allowing one run on one hit. The loss is the Hokies’ third in a row following an eight-game win streak. Liberty improved its record to 27-12.

TECH TO FACE IOWA IN BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team will travel to Iowa on Dec. 1 as part of the 11th annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge.

The game times and broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date. The Hokies beat the Hawkeyes two years ago at Cassell Coliseum.

tomorrow’s weather MOSTLY SUNNY high 82, low 57

corrections If you see something in today’s paper that needs to be corrected, please e-mail our public editor at publiceditor@collegiatetimes.com, or call 540.231.9865.

index News.....................2 Features................7 0pinions................5

Classifieds............11 Sports....................9 Sudoku................11

An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 106th year • issue 51

strengthen

Car-sharing program to debut in June JUSTIN GRAVES

ct news reporter

the Commission on Faculty Affairs released on Oct. 12, 2007, the task force cited several criteria for the university to follow while it began this nationwide search for new faculty.

First was active and innovative recruiting, the necessity of being a chaired and endowed professor, strategic cluster hires, specially coordinated recruiting teams, and a “prime a pipeline approach.”

The “prime a pipeline approach” included postdoctoral program searches and engagements with minority-serving institutions. These searches will focus on institutions with postdoctoral programs that are congruent with the positions looking REED to be filled at Tech.

“We are trying to ensure that they have candidate pools that are totally representative of everyone,” Plaza said. “We are casting the widest net possible to ensure a diverse applicant pool.”

The minority-serving institutions Tech will focus on are historically black colleges, such as Howard University, Tuskegee University and Fisk University.

“Minority-serving institutions can include historically black colleges or universities, Latino-serving institutions where over 25

A new transportation opportunity will be making its way to Blacksburg in June.

U Car Share is a branch of U-Haul that allows students, staff and faculty to rent vehicles at an hourly rate. SGA Director of Transportation Affairs Ricardo Boulware hopes that this will help alleviate traffic jams and parking shortages on campus.

“We noticed that a lot of other colleges and universities have similar programs, and we wanted to bring a program that would be effective on campus for those who don’t have their own transportation,” Boulware said. “My role as director of transportation affairs was to introduce a new alternative program that would be something intriguing to students, more effective and hands on.”

Mike Colman is a spokesman for U Car Share.

“For the upcoming semester, Tech students can sign up for U Car Share for free, as long as they are 18 to 21 years old and have a clean driving record,” Colman said. “We run a comprehensive driver check on every person that applies for and receives a membership.”

“The university had contacted us looking for some car sharing partners, and with U Car Share, we think that college campuses around the country, and Tech in particular, with such a large student population should have a great way to reduce demand on students and their cars,” Colman said.

Students can join the program to reduce their environmental impact while also saving the money that would go toward insurance, maintenance and gas from owning their own car on campus. All of these things plus mileage is included in the hourly rate of $9.50.

“I think the economic value of having the program on campus is most important. Not having to bring a car to campus is huge to students,” Colman said. “There becomes no worry about maintenance because most students bring older cars, and there are a lot of costs associated with that, and this completely eliminates it.”

U Car Share is coming to Tech at no price to the school.

“This doesn’t cost us a penny. U Car Share feels there will be enough demand that they will be able to make up the revenue they need to bring in the vehicles from customer use rather than the university having to guarantee any kind of financial commitment,” said Debbie Freed, the alternative transportation manager.

The program is also running out of several other large markets and college campuses, including UC Berkeley, University of Wisconsin, University of Portland Oregon and Regis College.

The fact that Tech is somewhat secluded and is dense was a big factor in bringing the program to Blacksburg. That factor also plays a part in students being apprehensive to not bring a vehicle to campus.

“So many of us like that comfort of having our own vehicle and being able to use it when we need to go somewhere without having to depend on public transportation,” said Hilary West, Tech’s transportation manager. “Having the option of a vehicle that you can use on your own time to go where you need to go is really great, especially for students who would like to have a car here.”

Boulware cited a similar reason as far as why the program will hopefully be successful in a more rural market than its predecessors.

see RACE, page two

see CAR, page two

14%

30%

hinder

not sure/ not familiar JOSH SON/COLLEGIATE TIMES

Diversity shakes up Tech RILEY PRENDERGAST

ct news reporter This is the second installment in a three part series regarding Virginia Tech’s new policies and plans to focus on diversity in the institution.

A noted lack of diversity at Virginia Tech has resulted in an administrative task force to set into motion a plan to increase minority faculty and student numbers.

According to the 2008 Ethnicity Break Down by the university, 216 of the 1,320 professors, associate professors, assistant professors and instructors employed by the university are minorities.

Through the works of the Racial Task Force and its implementation team, Tech has begun a blanket search for qualified professors of minority backgrounds. The university is specifically looking for professors, at both the junior and senior level, whose research is congruent with that being conducted at the university, especially in the fields for which these professors are applying.

After a lack of diversity was noted in the final report of the Racial Task Force on Race and the Institution, released in August 2008, the implementation team set this as a focal point for the university.

The implementation team consists of many top-level administrators and faculty at Tech, including University Provost Mark

McNamee, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Kevin McDonald, Vice President and Dean of Undergraduate Education David Ford, Director of Diversity Initiatives Ray Plaza, and many other faculty members.

The team has been focused on the Racial Task Force’s goal since the final report was released in fall 2008.

“We will have concrete things in place, hopefully AGOZINO by the end of the semester,” Plaza said, though he explained that the hiring process, which is ongoing, would not take effect until the 2009-2010 academic year. This is when the faculty members who have been hired during the nationwide search will assume their positions.

Goals Periodic meetings of the implementation team have and will continue to discuss current progress and how the secular groups, each focusing on different aspects of diversifying the campus for their own projects, allows for a better focus on diverse employee recruitment.

“This will allow for an up-to-date snapshot of what’s been happening with each group,” said McNamee.

According to one meeting summary from

Tech searches for new CALS dean JUSTIN GRAVES

ct news reporter The university looks to narrow down the candidates for the position of dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.The position had been held by Sharron Quisenberry since 2003 and was left vacant in her move to Iowa State University.

Quisenberry began her role as the Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Iowa on April 1.Virginia Tech’s application process closed on April 10.

“We will start looking at files next week, and then we will narrow it down. Within a few weeks, we’ve had a lot of different potential candidates from several different avenues,” said Provost Mark McNamee. “We sent out information through the Chronicle of Higher Education, listservs and through letters that go out to other research universities similar to ours.”

McNamee, as chair of the search committee, hopes to get the position filled sooner rather than later.

“I tend to move it along pretty quickly. The fastest we’ve ever done is two months. That would be pretty usual, to get ads out, get applications and do interviews,” McNamee said.

“We’re hoping that by com-

mencement the person will be identified. When they start is somewhat flexible; it could be as early as July or August 1.”

Most applications have been coming from major land grant research institutions just like Tech, such as N.C. State, Florida, Michigan and Penn State.

“Those are the kinds of schools we try to recruit from. Hopefully we find someone with good experience, and they may be even from smaller universities,” McNamee said.

“Quisenberry came to us from Montana State as a dean. That was a smaller land grant school, but most of our finalists will probably be either a department head or associate.”

Kerstin Roan, spokeswoman for the college, says that as far as criteria for a new dean, CALS is looking for someone who can be as dedicated to the job as Quisenberry always was.

“All the information on the Web site as far as the deans of college … the selection depends on the personal schedule of the person, as far as if they can be selected as a finalist,” Roan said.

McNamee reflected a similar sentiment.

“Quisenberry came to Tech with a great vision for the future of the college, and the real ability to get things

see CALS, page two

Tech reacts to anti-gay attack GORDON BLOCK

ct news reporter A recent assault at the University of Virginia has brought a response from many in the Virginia Tech community.

A UVa student, along with a guest, were assaulted at approximately 3 a.m. Saturday, April 4, by a group of five males. The assailants before and during the incident uttered several homophobic slurs and broke the UVa student’s phone when he attempted to call 911. Police were notified when the student’s guest was able to flee the scene.

The university said in a statement from Alan Grove, associate vice president and dean of students, that the attack was motivated by the perceived sexual orientation of the two victims.

“You should feel comfortable to hold the hand of your partner walking down the street, regardless of your gender, your sexuality, your race or your ethnicity.”

- EDWARD WARWICK UVA LGBT PROGRAM COORDINATOR Grove spoke firmly on the incident.

“Any crime perpetrated on a university student is one too many,” Grove said in the statement. “There is no place for crimes of hate at the university or in the surrounding Charlottesville community.”

MARK UMANSKY/SPPS

Sarah Saville watches as students read vows on the Drillfield during a protest in April.

Edward Warwick, program coordinator for UVa’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance Resource Center, said that the event unified the student body. The university held events Thursday in response to the incident.

“With the time of year for students, even though they’re very busy, they recognized this is something we don’t tolerate,” Warwick said.

Warwick added that safety was important in a university setting.

“Everybody should feel like they’re safe,” Warwick said. “You should feel comfortable to hold the hand of your partner walking down the street, regardless of your gender, your sexuality, your race or your ethnicity.”

It has not been determined whether the attackers were

students at UVa. An investigation from the university’s police department on the incident is ongoing. Students of Tech’s LGBTA prepared a card to be given to UVa’s LGBT Resource Center. Emily Mauger, president of Tech’s LGBTA said that the events were very disturbing.

“It’s horrible,” Mauger said. “It’s sad to realize it’s such a problem for acceptance.” Mauger added that the incident could be important to foster future discussion at Tech.

“It kind of takes an event like the one at UVa for people to talk about it,” Mauger said.

Both UVa and Tech Clery Act statistics show a limited number of incidents referred to as hate crimes. UVa has had three hate crime incidents from 2005 to 2007. However, all were connected to race, not sexual

orientation. Tech’s statistics show no hate crimes during the same period. However, Mauger said the numbers could be misleading.

“There are definitely hate crimes on this campus,” Mauger said. Tech Dean of Students Tom Brown noted that students could anonymously report incidents through the university’s SafeWatch program. Brown said administrators kept close watch on incoming reports.

“It’s important so that university administrators have a sense of what students are facing here,” Brown said. “It’s something we want to know about.” Brown added that the university considered it important to make students feel welcome.

“We want to support students who may have a negative experience here,” Brown said.

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page

2 news

april 23, 2009

Race: Tech offers seminars from page one

percent of the student body is Latino, or tribal colleges,” Plaza said.

McNamee explained that Tech seeks to develop bonds with schools such as these.

“We are looking at hundreds of institutions … and strengthening relationships with historically black colleges and universities,” McNamee said. “We are focusing on peer institutions, looking at schools that are most like us in terms of research programs.”

The second criterion stated that there must be accountability and faculty incentives in order to bring new professors into the Tech community.

This criterion specified the inclusion of new courses based on diversity and multiculturalism. The accountability issue was addressed by requiring programs on faculty diversity or equity to be assessed and publicized for public records.

“There will be grants for faculty to transform their courses to make their curriculum more multicultural,” Plaza said.

The last criterion was the need for equity in faculty advancement. It stated that the university must be proactive in monitoring advancement opportunity and equity and promoting advancement in teaching and research in diversity. In terms of advancement, the university aims to be more conscientious of the opportunities given to all of its faculty members, ensuring that every faculty member is given a chance for advancement.

Some examples of this possible advancement may be for junior faculty members to become senior faculty members, or possible chances for higher positions within Tech.

In terms of instructing professors on how to handle a diverse student body, the university is organizing seminars on how professors can engage all of their students and how to implement teaching practices that are efficient for all of their students.

Budget The program was not affected by the 5 percent to 7 percent cuts made by the school.

“We have already been guaranteed our budget by the university, so we don’t really need to worry about losing funding,” Plaza said. “But, of course, it is a bit less than it could have been. But it is forcing us to think outside the box and to use our resources more wisely.”

The university has guaranteed that new hires can occur. With this, the new employees may be met with a lofty sum

in their salaries as a senior professor in the sociology department earns upward of $80,000, while a junior professor earns anywhere from $30,000-$50,000 a year.

Monetary problems that the implementation team faces have forced group members to focus on “tracking where the money is,” said McNamee. He explained that once the budget is finally set in place there will be major changes in the fall.

Current progress Since the establishment of these criteria, the implementation team has been under public observation as many are interested in the progress made thus far. Currently, those in the positions that have been filled are aiding in the process of hiring professors.

“There has been hiring of some positions to help us make this happen,” Plaza said. “They are going to help us coordinate the search. They will mainly be there to help facilitate the busy schedules in order to make this process work.”

The length of time is not set for how long these supporting members of the implementation team will be needed, whether it is at the end of the blanket hires or if they will be kept on to ensure the smooth acclimation of new faculty members.

One department that will be affected by the diversification of the faculty and creation of more multicultural programs is the Africana Studies Department.

“Two senior hires were promised to Africana Studies, but we are not targeting any specific college or department in our search,” Plaza said.

These two senior hires, along with the four junior hires the program was also promised, are to ensure the survival of the program as a whole. Seeing as it is a smaller program in the sociology department, the implementation team hopes to expand Africana Studies into its own major with a doctorate program.

“The department is not that new, but we were promised a Ph.D. program, along with two senior hires,” said Paula Seniors, a professor in the Africana Studies program, “So that is very exciting and why you want to be a part of a Ph.D. granting Africana Studies program because that’s what you want to do.”

Africana Studies, however, is going through some major shifts unrelated to the Implementation Team. The director of the program, Terry Kershaw, will be leaving Virginia Tech, but he will remain long enough to ensure the strength and survival of Africana Studies.

“Another university that was recruit-

ing Dr. Kershaw provided him with a package, and Virginia Tech countered with their own package that the Provost and Department Chair had been working on,” Plaza said. “However, Dr. Kershaw accepted the package with another university with the condition that he will stay on to strengthen the Africana Studies program.”

Kershaw did stay on, however, until a new department head was named for the next academic year. Professor Onwubiko Agozino has been named the director of Africana Studies and comes to Tech with degrees from institutions all over the world. He currently hails from the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago where he served as the deputy dean for graduate studies and research. He also holds degrees from the University of Calabar in Nigeria, and the University of Cambridge and the University of Edinburgh, both of which are in the UK. Along with this new appointment, Wornie Reed has been named the new director of the Center for Race and Social Policy. He is currently the director of the Africana Studies program at the University of Tennessee.

They will both begin their tenure at Tech in the fall of 2009 and will be full time professors in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

Plaza said there was an outcry from the students in the program who were worried about the fate of the department without Kershaw.

“Students were afraid that, without him, the program would disappear,” Plaza said.

Instead, Plaza said there would be a focus on strengthening the program over the next couple of years.

“We’re looking to offer a Ph.D. in the program and strengthening it to make it a full-fledged department,” Plaza said.

This news brought about an even greater need to focus on the cluster hires for the department.

“We are moving ahead with the recruitment of faculty in Africana Studies,” McNamee said. “But we have a diverse pool of candidates and will not know who will actually be hired until recruitment takes place.”

“It is unfortunate that he’s leaving, but we will be gaining two senior faculty and additional junior faculty, along with the Ph.D. granting program. Which I think is a good thing, but it is very sad that he is leaving, there’s just no way around that,” said Seniors.

“We will miss Terry very much. He has been a great part of campus, but he will help us to move onto even better things,” McNamee said.

Car: Six vehicles available from page one

“Freshmen incoming to campus will probably see the most benefit, and it will help reinforce to parents that if students can’t bring their cars then students can do something else, if it’s the BT, their bikes or this program,” Boulware said.

Not only is the program for students, however; faculty and staff will have access to the cars as well.

“We definitely hope it will decrease congestion and parking jams. We want it to be easier for people to come to campus whether they or residents, commuters, or faculty and staff who don’t bring a car to campus but realize the occasional need to have a vehicle without having to bring their own,” Freed said.

The vehicles are limited to the Blacksburg and Christiansburg areas.

Six cars in total will be available for all to use, with models ranging from compact vehicles to trucks.

“We will have a Toyota Prius and a Ford F-150 amongst other models and makes. We want to expand this after seeing how the pilot portion of the program works out,” Boulware said. “This is a continuous effort to continue moving forward with our sustainability programs and help preserve the environment while maintaining a green Blacksburg.”

The cars will be placed in several locations on campus.

“We will have one on the Drillfield, two at Cassell Coliseum, two at the Squires lot, and one at the Derring lot,” West said. “Those locations were picked due to their proximity to other high traffic areas so that they will be fairly convenient for the most people.”

If the pilot portion of the program is successful, more vehicles may be added.

“You will only use the car for the time you need it,” West said. “We

editor: sara mitchell email: universitynews@collegiatetimes.com phone: 540.231.9865 office hours: mw 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

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have left some wiggle room in the contract so that if we do find there is high demand then we can add more cars to the fleet.”

To be eligible to rent vehicles, individuals will need to be enrolled in the U Car Share System. The fee is usually $50, but now through Aug. 30 the fee will be waived. The promotional code to receive this discount is VT1FREE2009.

Individuals who use commuter alternative programs such as the bike, bus and walk program and the carpool program will be able to sign up for free. Transportation Services will contact them with the appropriate information so that they can take advantage of that benefit.

“We just want everyone to take advantage of the opportunity and join our effort to reduce the environmental impact that would cost us thousands of dollars otherwise,” Boulware said.

CALS: Kok is interim college head from page one

done to move the college in terms of expanding its size, number of students, majors and research programs,” McNamee said. “She worked really effectively and tirelessly to move the college ahead. I think it was her vision and her ability to make changes that was most impressive.”

Loke T. Kok is the interim head of CALS until a permanent hire emerges.

At Iowa, Quisenberry’s main responsibilities will now be to lead and advocate for building research capabilities for the university as a whole, across colleges, centers and institutes. The role is from a university perspective, whereas at Tech it was just on a college scope.McNamee said that the heavy recruitment from Iowa State played a large part in Quisenberry’s decision to move into the new role.

“She was recruited by Iowa State to be their vice president for research.

They pursued her very actively, so it’s a big promotion for her,” McNamee said. “She was torn between staying at a job she loved and taking advantage of the opportunity, but it was too good to pass up.”

Quisenberry cites a similar reason as the breaking factor in deciding to leave the Hokie community in order to help Iowa State in a much needed position.

“The tremendous opportunity to help the university build their research engine was the deciding factor. Also, just like Virginia Tech, this school has tremendous talent, the faculty and staff are equally amazing,” Quisenberry said.

Although she is excited about her new position, she says that her times at Tech will never be forgotten, and that she will miss many of the faculty,

staff and students that she has been accustomed to interacting with.

“What I’m going to miss the most is the faculty and the students. If you look at the quality of the faculty, students and staff, they are both just great groups of people,” Quisenberry said.

At the same time, while there are always nerves that come with accepting a new job, Quisenberry says her duties are still somewhat similar.

“When I came to Virginia Tech, one of the things that they wanted the college to do was to build research capabilities, and that’s similar to what I’m doing now,” Quisenberry said.

“My time at Virginia Tech was great and we were able to do a lot, and I’m hoping we’re able to do the same things and move just as rapidly,” Quisenberry said. “All universities are in the situation where we have to look at things differently now.”

‘History Engine’ offers education to all MANDI WASMER

ct news staff writer An idea contrived in a Detroit airport lead to a database of more than 1,000 articles about American History — all written by students.

Originally intended for use with a class about the American South, the History Engine — located online at historyengine.richmond.edu — now contains articles about everything from the Civil War to women’s rights.

Created in 2005 by Robert Nelson, Andrew Torget, Scott Nesbit and Edward Ayers, all from the University of Richmond, the History Engine is now in use by nine colleges and universities across the country, and is gaining more users as it grows and develops.

Students at these schools, including UVa and Furman University, write short articles about varying aspects of American History, and then submit

them to the database to share their findings with other students across the country. As the engine has developed, a new goal has emerged: The creators want to give the students a chance to act like professional historians.

“It’s what professional historians do in their careers. Encounter confusing sources and try to make sense of them,” said Nelson. “They like to see their own work published, even if it is only on a small scale,” Nesbit added.

Although the History Engine is still gaining users, Virginia Tech isn’t one of them. History department head Dan Thorp had not even heard of the History Engine until recently.

“It’s certainly worth investigating. I’m not sure which classes would use it, or even how they would use it, but it has potential,” Thorp said. “It’s still a little rough, however, and the quality of the papers isn’t that great. It may never be as useful as an official database, but the general idea is a good one.”

“It’s still in the rough stages. This is the

first year it’s been open to schools other than the University of Richmond,” Torget said in defense of the Engine.

“We’re still trying to get it right.”

The open source format style of the database has drawn comparisons to Wikipedia. The content of the database is moderated entirely by university professors and employs 3-D modeling to organize information by time period, geographic location and theme.

“We’ll see how it develops,” Thorp said. “It might be very useful to us in the future.”

The service is free for those wishing to join and offers an alternative to searching the immense amount of information floating the Internet.

Torget told the Chronicle of Higher Education that, “If a person were to read one book a day for the rest of his life, he would not even begin to approach the number of books that Google has already scanned into its database from college libraries. There is just too much information out there.”

LooP In the

Wondering what's going on around the 'burg?

Check out the events of the upcoming week.

Where: The Lantern, 211 Draper Rd. What: World/Inferno Friendship Society- energetic band from Brooklyn, NY combining punk and soul for a unique sound When: Doors open at 8:30 p.m., show starts at 9:30 p.m.

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Thurs, April 23

Where: Burruss Auditorium What: Lupe Fiasco concert When: 9 p.m.

Where: Main Street, Downtown Christitansburg What: Hokie-Highlanders SpringFest- Festival featuring live dance music by the Sound express, serving adult beverages and selling Virginia Tech and Radford licensed merchandise.

When: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Cost: $5 admission

244

Fri, April 24

Where: The Drillfield What: Virginia Tech Relay for Lifesee calendar in Friday’s CT for details When: 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Where: Applebee’s, 33 W Main Street, Radford VA What: All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast, benefiting the Radford High School Baseball program When: 8 to 10 a.m. Cost: $5

Where: Awful Arthur’s, 213 Draper Rd. What: The Soul Brothers Band When: 10 p.m.

Where: Lane Stadium What: Spring game- Maroon vs. White scrimmage showcasing the upcoming season’s talent When: 2 p.m. Cost: free

Where: Kentland Farms What: Kentland Folk Art and Life Festival- celebration of regional culture featuring local artists and artisans, tour of Kentland’s manor house and historic district, hay rides, and local music and food. When: 10 a.m. 4 p.m. Cost: free

255 2

Sat, April 25

Where: The Lyric Theater, 135 College Avenue What: Midnight Movie: The Princess Bride, sponsored by the Student Film Organization When: 11:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

Where: Virginia Tech Campus, Duck Pond What: The University Bookstore 5K Hokie Hope Run/Walk- all proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society; course is on and off-road When: 10 a.m. Cost: Registration varies

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Sun, April 26

Where: The Lyric, 135 College Avenue What: Anti-Fashion Show- Showcasing sweatshop-free, vintage, do-it-yourself, and ‘trashion’ fashions, presented by Homebody. Special music guests: Yossarian Livesff andThe Two Funerals.

When: 4 p.m. Cost: $5

Tue, April 28

Where: Graduate Life Center Auditorium What: A Hero in Heaven- movie presentation sponsored by the Friends of Israel at Virginia Tech; 45-minute documentary that chronicles the life of Michael Levin, an American-Israeli soldier killed during the Israeli/Hezbollah war in 2006. When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free

Wed, April 29

Where: Graduate Life Center Auditorium What: Comedians Bob Alper and Azhar Usman present One Muslim, One Rabbi, One Stage, sponsored by Hillel and Virginia Tech When: 7 p.m. Cost: Free

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editor: laurel colella email: opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com phone: 540.231.9865 office hours: mw 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

april 23, 2009

EDITORIAL

Don’tforget,stimulus dollars are coming from our back pocket The following op-ed was written

by Alex Moya and appeared in The Undercurrent on April 18.

President Obama has declared “There is no disagreement that we need action by our government, a recovery plan that will help to jumpstart the economy.”

Indeed, both Democrats and Republicans in the Obama and Bush Administrations have called for vast increases in government spending. Many among the public also agree with this approach: prior to the approval of the latest $787 billion economic stimulus bill, a Gallup poll taken in February observed that a slight majority of Americans were in favor of its passage. A general consensus seems to exist that these “stimulus” packages will help America’s economy through government investment into infrastructure projects.

This may sound enticing, but we must remember where these “investment” dollars come from.

The government is not in the business of producing goods or services and therefore does not create any wealth that can be given away, let alone invested.

The only funds the government has to give are those confiscated from the paychecks of taxpayers.

Of course, some segments of society may benefit from the “injection” of stimulus dollars.

For example, the latest stimulus package helps many of the unemployed by providing them with a $25 increase in their weekly benefits check. Different industries providing services that coincide with Washington’s

agenda, such as harvesting renewable energy sources or providing broadband services to rural areas, will also benefit from the billion dollar allocations in the stimulus bill. But their stimulus dollars are coming from your back pocket. All of these “investments” are being made possible at the expense of and without the consent or judgment of the individuals who rightfully earned the money in the first place.

Imagine if a thief stole your wallet but left you a note promising your money would be “invested” in different industries and those in need “for the good of the economy.” Would you drop your objection to his act of theft, given the allegedly benevolent motive for his crime?

Should you?

What our government has failed to recognize is that we are morally entitled to keep what we earn and use it according to our own judgment and priorities, which may or may not include such things as investment and charity. But simply calling redistributed tax money an “investment” does not change its nature as stolen goods. Just as such a thief violates the rights of his victims, so too the government is violating our rights under the guise of “investing” in our name.

If we are to remain committed to the ideals of our founding fathers, that all men are endowed with inalienable rights, and among those are the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we must remember this includes property rights, i.e. the right to earn, keep and dispose of our property as we see fit.

April 16 suit offers chance to obtain more answers LIZA ROESCH regular columnist A week ago, on the two-year anniversary of the shootings, families of April 16 victims Erin Peterson and Julia Pryde filed lawsuits against Virginia Tech, Cook Counseling Center and several school officials in an attempt to “receive accountability for the tragic events of April 16, 2007.”

By doing so, many people believe these families are simply pouring alcohol on the already open wounds from that day. But I think the lawsuit might cause new information to surface — information that could bring closure to those closely affected by the tragedy and maybe prevent future shootings from occurring.

The Petersons and Prydes were the only families who did not agree to a settlement offered to the survivors and victims’ families in 2008. By agreeing to the settlement, they would have abandoned the option of filing a later suit.

The two families said they respect the decisions made by other families to accept the settlement, but they aren’t satisfied.

One legitimate issue mentioned in the lawsuit is that on the morning of April 16, 2007, Tech officials were more concerned with saving face than providing a safe environment for its students.

According to the lawsuit filed by Erin Peterson’s family, “the university’s image as ‘a safe place to send one’s child’ had been damaged by three incidents in the preceding eight months.”

One of those incidents occurred in August 2006, when escaped prisoner William Morva killed two people off campus. In that case, Tech was on lockdown within an hour, though no student was ever harmed.

Then on April 2 and April 13, 2007, bomb threats shut down various academic buildings on campus. In both cases, students were informed of the

bomb threats and warned of possible danger within an hour.

The families want answers as to why, on April 16, after two students were killed in a residence hall, the Tech community wasn’t immediately informed about what happened.

When an e-mail was finally sent at 9:26 a.m., more than two hours after the dorm shooting, it did not give an explicit warning to students and didn’t mention that two people were killed.

It said, “A shooting incident occurred in West Ambler Johnston this morning,” and that “the university community is urged to be cautious.”

The families of Julia Pryde and Erin Peterson believe the e-mail was an insufficient warning, mainly because of the magnitude of the incident that had already occurred that morning and the attention given to similar situations in recent history.

But I think the lawsuit might cause new information to surface— information that could bring closure to those closely affected by the tragedy and maybe prevent future shootings from occuring.

I find that to be a reasonable concern. Were university officials concerned that Tech would be viewed as a dangerous place if these lockdowns kept happening? Were they worried fiscal donations would suffer from such speculations?

Or did they honestly think the only possible suspect was already being pursued?

Another issue this lawsuit will examine is the treatment Seung-Hui Cho received at Cook Counseling Center, as the families allege negligence on the part of several therapists at the Center. Cho made three visits there in 2005 and was triaged each time, with no diagnosis or treatment provided.

The suit filed by the Peterson family expresses their discontent with how Cook Counseling treated Cho, despite the concerns brought forth by multiple members of the English department. Fingers are also pointed at Cook Counseling for not creating and/or maintaining records of his three visits there, which is required by law.

“Because the professional staff of the Cook Counseling Center professes to have lost all records of Seung-Hui Cho’s contacts with the professionals at the center, it is clear they rendered no mental health services to an obviously disturbed student,” the suit reads.

Would more thorough psychological services have prevented April 16?

We will never know. And will these accusations give us any new answers?

It’s impossible to say.

But the families of Erin Peterson and Julia Pryde want more information, and the American judicial system says they should have it.

With that said, I’m fully aware that what’s done is done. The only person truly responsible for April 16 cannot be brought to trial. And no high court or massive settlement will bring back Erin or Julia. Furthermore, to most people, the questions constantly being asked will never have satisfactory explanations.

But it’s important to acknowledge that mistakes were made if we want to prevent them from happening again.

And if laws were broken, people should be held accountable.

It’s also important to remember that we can’t understand the pain these families feel. We can’t say with absolute certainty that we’d be satisfied with the information that’s been provided thus far.

So before we cynically assume that money is the only motivation these families have, we should remember that we don’t see April 16, 2007, through their eyes.

And we shouldn’t judge the choices of those whose shoes we don’t stand in.

US is hypocritical when it comes to foreign policy BURKE THOMAS regular columnist Civilian casualties, the most important figures to consider when discussing the War on Terror, are virtually never reported. The most authoritative study estimated more than 600,000 dead Iraqi civilians through June of 2006. People often point to the figure of 90,000 dead civilians provided by the Iraq Body Count, which counts a death only if it is reported in two or more newspapers in a country with harsh restrictions on press freedom.

Supporters of the war point to 90,000 dead as a low figure, as if it justifies ousting Saddam. They forget to tell you we supported him while he was committing genocide. The postGulf War sanctions, designed to be so brutal that the population would overthrow Saddam, killed more than one million civilians through starvation and disease, according to UNICEF. The lies used to justify our 2003 invasion are well-known and will not be reviewed here.

On September 21, 2001, the Taliban offered to turn over Osama bin Laden to the United States if we provided them with evidence of his guilt. We rejected that offer, as well as later offers to turn him over to a neutral country or an Afghan court. Instead, we opted to bomb Afghanistan.

It is likely that 5,000 to 20,000 Afghan civilians have been killed, in addition to 7,000 American troops, allied troops and contractors and an unknown number of Iraqi, Afghan and other opposition fighters. The War on Terror has likely killed more than one million people. The lives of these men, women, children and millions more who survive them were destroyed.

The Department of Defense defines terrorism in the U.S. Army Field Manual 100-20 as “the calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological.”

Therefore, by the American government’s own definition, the War on Terror is a massive terrorist atrocity, far exceeding Sept. 11 in scale and duration. It shows the level of debate in our country that this simple conclusion elicits hysterical reactions.

The Afghan-Pakistan War is often considered a just war. Noam Chomsky, the world’s foremost antiwar critic and author of more than 100 books, provides a moral framework in “Hegemony or Survival”: “Those who are seriously interested in understanding the world will adopt the same standards whether they are evaluating their own political and intellectual elites or those of official

enemies.” In other words, don’t be hypocritical.

In August of last year, Russia invaded Georgia, a move that was condemned by virtually all Americans.

John McCain wrote an editorial for the Wall Street Journal that argued “a cease-fire that holds is a vital first step, but only one. With our allies, we now must stand in united purpose to persuade the Russian government to end violence permanently and withdraw its troops from Georgia.

“International monitors must gain immediate access to war-torn areas in order to avert an even greater humanitarian disaster, and we should ensure that emergency aid lifted by air and sea is delivered. We should work toward the establishment of an independent, international peacekeeping force,” he said.

But why didn’t McCain recommend that America should renounce violence, call a cease-fire, immediately withdraw troops and send in aid, UN monitors and peacekeepers to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq?

By McCain’s own logic, these solutions are reasonable. But when applied to America they are considered outlandish.

The failure to meet minimal moral standards is evidenced in recent commentaries. On April 13, a New York Times reporter noted that the Afghan-Pakistan War is “a fight that stands to become more invigorated,

and hopeful, albeit perhaps more bloody as American units push into longstanding Taliban sanctuaries.”

Only an extremist can argue that intent matters more than predictable outcomes.

Kevin Gillispie (“US has responsibility to act as the world’s police,” CT, April 14), overwhelmed with “sweet jingoistic bliss,” writes that “Somalia must be dealt with, and with the same gusto as Iraq.” Destruction of “the Horn” of Africa is necessary to maintain “our greatness ... indeed, our very civilization.”

How the despicable actions of a few hundred pirates can justify destroying Somalia is a non sequitur of the type used by the Founding Fathers as they eliminated a race of people and enslaved another. But this column’s call to end international terrorism will probably bring forth harsher criticism than Gillispie’s call to engage in international terrorism.

A new Afghan law gives some insight into the conditions under the American-sponsored government.

Reuters reported on April 6 that a new law regarding the Shiite minority was passed. The law states that “‘a wife is obliged to fulfill the sexual desires of her husband’ when she is healthy and has to wear makeup if her husband demands it.

“Article 137 also says a woman cannot inherit any of her husband’s wealth when he dies, a provision

that already applies to Sunni Muslim women under Afghan law.” Wives must also get permission from their husbands before leaving the home, except in “emergencies.”

UN statistics show that Afghans have the second-highest infant mortality and lowest female literacy rates in the world. Citizens also have the seventh-lowest life expectancy.

Poverty and unemployment rates are likely greater than 50 percent, and perhaps exceed 80 percent (the statistics vary). Afghanistan is ranked 156 out of 173 countries in Reporters without Borders’ freedom of the press index.

There have been some productive changes in Afghanistan since 2001. For example, the percentage of female schoolchildren who attend school has increased from zero to 30.

Progress and people such as Greg Mortenson should be supported, although unfortunately they are the exception.

Al-Qaeda should be brought to justice and its atrocious acts of terrorism condemned by all sane people. McCain’s solutions, easily foreseen when other nations carry out aggressive wars, are laudable and should be followed in our own circumstances. People who believe in human rights should condemn all civilian deaths and terrorism, including those for which their nation is responsible.

The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor in Chief David Grant Managing Editors David Harries, Sara Spangler Public Editor Cate Summers News Editors Caleb Fleming, Sara Mitchell News Reporters Gordon Block, Zach Crizer, Justin Graves, Kelsey Heiter, Riley Prendergast, T. Rees Shapiro News Staff Writers Debra Houchins, Phillipp Kotlaba, Gabe McVey, Will Thomas, Ryan Trapp Features Editor Bethany Buchanan Features Reporters Topher Forhecz, Teresa Tobat, Jonathan Yi Features Staff Writers Ryan Arnold, Mary Anne Carter, Drew Jackson, Tom Minogue, Alex Pettingell Opinions Editors Laurel Colella Sports Editors Thomas Emerick, Brian Wright Sports Reporters Joe Crandley, Justin Long, Ed Lupien, Melanie Wadden Sports Staff Writers Garrett Busic, Matt Collette, Lindsay Faulkner, Hattie Francis, Alex Jackson, Mike Littier Copy Editors Erin Corbey, Thandiwe Ogbonna, Kristen Walker, Michelle Rivera Layout Designers Go-Eun Choi, Velechia Hardnett, Kelly Harrigan, Rachel McGiboney, Mina Noorbakhsh, Josh Son Illustrator Mina Noorbakhsh Multimedia Editor Phillip Murillas Multimedia Producer Candice Chu Multimedia Reporters Kevin Anderson, Peter Velz Online Director Sam Eberspacher Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager Ryan McConnell College Media Solutions Staff Advertising Director Patrick Fitzgerald Asst Advertising Directors Tyler Ervin Jenna Given, Katelynn Reilly Ads Production Manager Anika Stickles Asst Production Manager Allison Bhatta Ads Production/Creation Breanna Benz, Jennifer DiMarco, Rebecca Smeenk, Lindsay Smith, Katie Sonntag, Lara Treadwell National Account Executive Kaelynn Kurtz Account Executives Nik Bando, Brandon Collins, Chris Cunningham, Lee Eliav, Judi Glass, Kendall Kapetanakis, David Morgan, Marcello Sandoval, Arianna Rouhani, Jennifer Vaughn Assistant Account Executives Madeline Abram, Katie Berkel, Diane Revalski, Devon Steiner Marketing Manager Amanda Sparks Office Manager Kaelynn Kurtz Student Publication Photo Staff Director of Photography Sally Bull Business Manager Paul Platz

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april 23, 2009

Do it yourself: Spring tablecloth dress MARY ANNE CARTER

ct features reporter As the flowers and leaves dare to creep back after yet another frigid Blacksburg winter, I am overcome with an uncontrollable desire to frolic through the vast fields that encompass the town.

While the rolling hills and budding countryside beckon, I experience a similar call from the tiered skirts, billowing blouses, and ruffled dresses that fill the pages of Spring fashion spreads, romantically catching the wind like sails and undoubtedly propelling the wearer to a different world entirely.

Despite the delicate nature, required upkeep and high price tags of such garments making them seemingly unpractical for romps through the wilderness, I am unable to sacrifice my dream-like fantasies. After weeks of perusing my closet, fashion magazines and thrift stores for a solution, I discovered the key to constructing my own practical, durable and inexpensive garment lay before my eyes — on the kitchen table.

How to construct a frolic-friendly field dress from a tablecloth:

Step One: Fold your tablecloth in half. I used a round one so it can be folded in any direction and still be equal, but if you use a rectangular one, fold it long ways.

Step Two: Mark the very middle of the top of the tablecloth and cut two one inch slits about four inches from the center on each side. Cut the fabric along the fold and fold under. This is where your head will go.

Step Three: Slip the garment over your head to make sure the hole is big enough. If so, pin and hem the incisions. It should create a rectangular neckline.

Step Four: Lay the garment flat and pin together the edges along the ruffle in a semicircle, leaving about eight inches from the top (for armholes) and the bottom (about shoulder to shoulder) open.

Tablecloth Dress Materials: One ruffled tablecloth: round for long sleeves, rectangular or square for short sleeves. You can use a tablecloth without ruffles (or any fabric really — a window treatment, bed sheet, etc.) for similar results without the frills.

Needle and thread Pins Scissors Cost: $1 to $2 if you do not already have a suitable tablecloth Time: 30 minutes tops — with plenty of time left for frolicking!

Steps 1 & 2

Step 4

Step Five: Sew all the pinned areas, trim away excess thread and frolic!

Style Tip: Embrace your inner flower child and pair with a long necklace, headband, chandelier earrings and high, earth-toned boots.

Before

Step 5

ALL PHOTOS COURTESEY OF MARY ANNE CARTER

Cook Counseling Center encourages relieving stress through free weekly workshops MARY ANNE CARTER

ct features reporter “Make yourself as comfortable as possible,” began psychologist and leader of the weekly Relaxation Training Workshops at Cook Counseling Center Tevya Zukor, encouraging the atypical classroom behavior of several students sprawled across chairs and lounging on the floor. “Close your eyes and become aware of which parts of your body are feeling tense and which parts are relaxed. Now take a few breaths, taking the air in through your nose, holding it momentarily and then slowly exhaling through your nose,” he said.

As students meditated peacefully, Zukor proceeded to describe a vivid beach scene and encouraged students to imagine the “sights, sounds, tastes and touch” of the beach as they slowly relaxed using the guided imagery.

Guided imagery is one of several

relaxation techniques Zukor employs at the free weekly sessions.

“There are three categories of relaxation techniques,” Zukor said.

“Breathing to induce relaxation, guided imagery and progressive muscle relaxation to release tension.” Because “relaxation is an individualized experience, you must try new techniques to access more people and be more effective,” he said. “We do something new and different every time.”

Zukor encourages students to explore a variety of techniques to find what works best for them because if a particular scene of guided imagery is not ideal it “is not going to induce a positive side,” he said.

“The beach scene was not for me,” said Caitlin Weston, a psychology major. “But his voice was calming enough in itself, (and) I like that it only took a short amount of time; it wasn’t a long, lengthy process, but it was helpful all the same.”

Practically any amount of time

reserved for relaxation will “improve relaxation and increase concentration” Zukor said, “even in times of stress.”

Zukor said that 10 to 15 minute sessions are the most effective because students say that they don’t have time for longer versions.

“Many complain that if they had 45 minutes to spare, they wouldn’t be that stressed to start,” Zukor said.

As the university gears up for finals, he encourages students to incorporate relaxation techniques into their study breaks.

“It’s absolutely beneficial between study sessions,” Zukor said. “When we study for eight hours, we are rarely as productive as we are when we study for a few but have downtime to recharge our batteries.

“Be mindful of stress and engage in relaxation techniques even when it seems counterproductive,” he said.

Biochemistry major Lynda Manden agreed that incorporating relaxation into her study regimen is her ticket

to success.

“I always try to spend at least a little bit of time hanging out with my friends,” she said. “I can focus a lot better when I know that I have something to look forward to.”

Although Manden has not yet attended a workshop, she plans to in the near future. “I would be interested in discovering some new relaxation techniques,” she said. “Anything to get me through this overwhelming couple of weeks.”

Zukor said increased interest in the workshops is common during finals, as stress builds more rapidly toward summer.

“We get more people at the end of the semester toward finals during nice, but not too nice of weather. It seems if it is really nice out, the students tend to stay outside — and if it is pouring, they stay in.”

One of the greatest benefits of the relaxation techniques taught at the workshops is that they are beneficial

not only in a class setting, but also independently.

“Relaxation and stress are mutually exclusive — by using these relaxation exercises, you are taking a break from stress,” Zukor said. “A lot of people like relaxation to slow the body and mind down.”

“Relaxation exercises are great before an exam when you try to get to bed on time, but your mind is racing,” Zukor said.

Instead of staying up for hours stressing, Zukor said to practice the techniques lying down as a transition to sleep.

Although Zukor personally finds progressive muscle relaxation as his favorite relaxation technique because “it doesn’t require reading, is anonymous, can be learned on your own and requires as much or as little time as you have,” the other techniques can be easily adapted for personal use as well.

“Guided imagery is most effective

when someone else reads it because no one likes the sound of their own voice,” Zukor said. “But it can be fantastic with friends or partners to record the script and trade off because it is already relaxing to hear the voice of a loved one.”

It will become even easier for students to practice such methods because the exercises will be available this summer to be downloaded off the Cook Counseling Web site.

Zukor encourages interested students to participate every Wednesday at 4 p.m.

“There is no registration or sign up — just stop by,” he said. Much like exercise, with more practice, the greater the benefits and the less time it requires.

“It can be hard to get motivated and you need a routine and regular practice a couple times a week to reach the benefits, but, as you progress, you can induce a relaxed state more quickly and effectively,” Zukor said.

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april 23, 2009

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A reflection on the Hokies’ 2008 NFL Draft class Biggest Return – Brandon Flowers

RYAN TRAPP

ct sports staff writer After seeing eight Virginia Tech players taken in the 2008 NFL Draft, here’s a reflection on how they fared in terms of immediate returns.

Biggest Impact – Eddie Royal It took Royal just one game to flaunt his stuff to football and Broncos fans all over. Contributing to a 41-14 whipping of the Oakland Raiders on a Monday night, Royal caught nine passes for 146 yards and one touchdown. Lining up against Pro Bowl corner and former Hokie DeAngelo Hall, Royal was the catalyst for Denver in the absence of quarterback Jay Cutler’s favorite target — Brandon Marshall. Royal showed his reliability again the next week, catching his second touchdown of the season with 24 seconds to play. Cutler subsequently went to Royal again on the two-point conversion to give the Broncos a dramatic 39-38 victory over San Diego. Royal’s 91 receptions during the 2008 season are second most in NFL history for a rookie, behind only Anquan Boldin, who had 101 his rookie season in 2004.

It was also strong enough to place him seventh in the league among wide receivers in receptions, and he finished sixth in the league in total yards with 980.

With the quarterback carousel currently underway in Denver, thanks to the departure of Cutler to Chicago, Royal’s potential 2009 success is uncertain. However, rookie head coach Josh McDaniels will most certainly find ways to get the ball into the hands of Royal, who has quickly become of one of the league’s most electrifying players.

Roughest Year – Duane Brown Taken 26th overall by the Houston Texans, Brown failed to meet the expectations of a first round pick in his rookie season. He did start all 16 games for the Texans but let up 11.5 sacks — tied for the most by any NFL left tackle.

The Texans were criticized severely for taking Brown so early, as many considered him a second-rounder.

At 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds with remarkable speed for a player of his stature, Brown has the size and athleticism to be a reliable, maybe even exceptional offensive lineman.

However, he’ll need to do much better than his 2008 campaign to reach that point. Houston is counting on Brown big time this year after letting valued backup Ephraim Salaam go, and expecting him to bounce back from a somewhat disappointing rookie start.

You could take this literally or figuratively. In Week 8 against the New York Jets, Flowers returned a Brett-Favre pass 91 yards for a touchdown, but that feat was just a side note on what ultimately turned out to be a successful debut in Kansas City for the former Tech cornerback. Drafted in the second round (35th overall) by the Chiefs, Flowers was an immediate starter alongside his cousin Patrick Surtain.

That’s more than can be said for the five corners taken above Flowers in the first round, as neither of them started Week 1 for their respective teams.

Over the course of the season, Flowers amassed 69 tackles, the fifth most on the Chiefs roster. He also pulled in two interceptions, forced one fumble and recovered two more. Former Chiefs head coach Herm Edwards was comfortable placing him in the fire almost instantly, saying the relaxed Flowers was ready for the pro game right away.

The Sleeper Pick – Josh Morgan Morgan was taken in the sixth round

by San Francisco 49ers and showed flashes of big-play ability as a rookie, averaging 16 yards per catch his first year. He suffered a groin injury in October, which kept him out of four games, but he still put up respectable numbers in his first pro season. Is this a preview of things to come? Morgan finished his rookie year with 20 catches for 319 yards and three touchdowns and could be in line to become one of the team’s two starting wide outs for San Francisco.

Wide receivers are among the hardest players to predict success for in the NFL. If Morgan can improve his consistency, he can become a favorite option to quarterback Shaun Hill in what is considered to be an offensively improved 49ers club this season.

Waiting in the Wings – Xavier Adibi Adibi played in just seven games last seasons but he made his presence felt in all of them. Picked in the fourth round by the Houston Texans, Adibi played mostly special teams last season, but recorded an impressive 15 tackles his first start against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11. His performance impressed coaches enough to start him the next four games until a groin injury sidelined him for the final two weeks of the season. After the Texans cut Morlon Greenwood during the offseason, Adibi is expected to be the starter come Week 1 of the 2009-10 season.

However, health issues may cause Houston to limit his play to special teams until they’re sure of his durability. Either way, Adibi is biding time until he can show off his big-play ability to the NFL.

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Top: Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers intercepts a pass from New York Jets quarterback Brett Favre and returns it 91 yards for a touchdown in a 2008 game at Giants Stadium. Bottom: Duane Brown (76), Eddie Royal (4) and Xavier Adibi (11) jog onto Worsham Field to face Ohio on September 15, 2007, during their senior year of playing for Virginia Tech. Brown was the first Hokie selected in the 2008 NFL Draft.