COLLEGIATETIMES
july 23, 2009
To: Mark E. Rubin, Esquire From: Mary Beth Nash Re: Cook Counseling Center Records Date: July 22, 2009
“
what’s inside News.............2 Features ........6 0pinions........5 Sports .........10 Classifieds ...11 Sudoku........11 106th year issue 54 blacksburg, va.
On Thursday,
ZACH CRIZER
former director of the Cook Counseling Center
, had
located, at his home,
the
records of Seung-Hui Cho’s treatment
”
at the counseling center.
-MEMO FROM UNIVERSITY LEGAL COUNSEL TO COUNSEL FOR GOV. TIM KAINE
Former Cook director returns records news editor
G
ov. Tim Kaine sent e-mails Wednesday to families of April 16 victims announcing that Seung-Hui Cho’s medical records have been found. In the past, Virginia Tech told families the records from Cook Counseling Center were lost. The records were found in the midst of the civil suit against Tech and the Commonwealth of Virginia filed by the families of Julia Pryde and Erin Peterson, who were killed along with 30 others on the Tech campus in Cho’s April 16, 2007 shootings. According to a memo sent from Tech legal counsel Mary Beth Nash to a lawyer in the civil case, former Cook Counseling Center Director Robert C. Miller located the file at his house and returned it to the center Thursday. The memo states that an extensive search was conducted by Virginia State Police in an attempt to find the missing record in MILLER the aftermath of
DANIEL LIN/SPPS
Miller delivered Cho’s mental health records to Cook Counseling. the shootings, but the documents were not found at that time. Miller told the university that he thinks the records were removed when he left the center, more than a year prior to the shootings. He is listed as a defendant on the civil suit. The suit specifically refers to Miller and Cook Counseling Center, saying Miller “was specifically notified by Dr. Gerard Kowalski, the Director of Residence Life, that Mr. Cho, ‘who had a history of erratic behavior and counseling based issues over the course of the semester’ and ‘had expressed suicidal ideations’ and ‘had previously had ‘blades’ in his room’ was detained at the New River Valley Medical Center for further
Governor’s e-mail to April 16 families
news editor
we were notified that Dr. Robert Miller, the
ZACH CRIZER
Families raise questions in document discovery
examination/counseling.” The suit goes on to allege Cho’s December 14, 2005 visit to the center should have been handled differently, saying “Mr. Cho was seen for 45 minutes by a therapist who was provided no history of his prior contacts with the Cook Counseling Center, no history of Dr. Roy’s request for intervention, no history of his adjudication as one mentally ill who posed a risk of harm to himself and others, no history of his violent writings and no history of his erratic behavior.” Robert Hall, a lawyer representing the Pryde and Peterson families in the civil case, said the discovery of the records “raises far more questions than it answers.”
see RECORDS, page three
Questions are mounting among families of April 16 victims after Wednesday’s discovery of SeungHui Cho’s mental health records. Michael Pohle, whose son Michael Pohle Jr. was killed in Norris Hall, said the aftermath of the shootings has been filled with questionable actions. “It just reaffirms my belief that there has been a very concerted effort to keep this as quiet and unknown as possible,” Pohle said. Pohle said he would not have signed the settlement had the current wealth of information been available at that time. “Never,” Pohle said. “The only reason we signed was because the medical coverage for the survivors would not have been there if we had taken it to court.” Pohle said he still believes there are pieces of the puzzle that have not been revealed by investigators. “It really has me concerned that there is a lot missing,” Pohle said. In the memo, the university said it is their “strong desire” that the records be made public. A lawsuit filed by the families of Erin Peterson and Julia Pryde on the two year anniversary of the shootings alleged negligence on the part of Miller and Cook Counseling Center. The Peterson and Pryde families did not sign the settlement. The suit said the therapist that saw Cho on December 14, 2005 “made no threat assessment, made no diagnosis, offered no treatment, has lost her notes and claims to have no specific memory of this patient.” It continues on to say “The therapist made no such evaluations because Virginia Tech had not adopted any plan, program, policy, process or protocol requiring that such an evaluation be made of any student thought to pose a risk of harm to himself or others.” Former director Robert Miller is listed as a defendant in the suit, as he was supervising the center at the time of Cho’s visit. Suzanne Grimes, whose son Kevin Sterne was injured in Norris Hall, said the center had shown inconsistencies in its dealings with April 16 families. In meetings with families in the aftermath of the shootings, scheduled under the guidelines of the legal settlement with most families, Grimes said current Director Chris Flynn said Cho’s record was one of
The following is the text of Gov. Kaine’s e-mail to the families: Dear Families, Governor Kaine is announcing this morning that the Cook Counseling Center file for Cho has been located and turned over to the Virginia State Police. Additional information concerning the locating of the file are contained in the attached memorandum from Virginia Tech to the Governor’s Office. There is an investigation under way to determine how the file was removed from the Cook Counseling Center. Governor Kaine will be supporting efforts to secure a release in order to allow the medical records to be released to family members and the general public. We will keep you apprised of those efforts. We are hopeful that the release can be secured very promptly. We wish that we could provide additional details about the content of the file, but the Governor’s office has not reviewed the file and must await the same release in order to do so. Thank you for your time and attention to this development. We look forward to discussing it with you further.” many lost. In the next meeting, Grimes said he told the families only Cho’s was lost. The new developments are troubling to Grimes. “It clearly show there’s more information they’re hiding,” Grimes said. Andrew Goddard, whose son Colin Goddard was injured in Norris Hall, said the records should have been found in the original investigation when Cook Counseling Center employees were questioned. “My first gut reaction, of course, is, ‘Why didn’t they look there in the first place?’,’” Goddard said. He said those who worked at the facility when Cho was treated should have also been investigated. “I would have thought if you worked there at the time you would have been a person of interest, and would have been interviewed,” Goddard said. Pohle said he did not think Miller
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NEWS
2
Families: New information would have kept some from settling
Tech trims down freshman class ZACH CRIZER
news editor
from page one
kept the records by accident. “I find this unbelievable,” Pohle said. “I do not believe that the former director, having those in his home, kind of shrugged his shoulders at the time when everybody was looking for them.” Miller had already left the center when the shootings occurred, but Goddard questioned why he still had the records.
“If you no longer work somewhere you surely return everything you have from there,” Goddard said. “Including the stapler.” The records will not be made public until Cho’s estate approves of the release. Gov. Kaine said in a press conference the state will investigate the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the records.
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A year after placing more than 300 freshmen in temporary housing, Virginia Tech cut down freshman enrollment with a new admissions strategy. Mildred Johnson, director of undergraduate admissions, said last year’s class produced an abnormally high percentage of accepted admission offers. This year, the university set another new applicant record, and Johnson said they were hard pressed to meet their target for enrolling freshmen. “There are enrollment projections that are set every year,” Johnson said. “Our goal is 5,025 freshmen, so because we were very fortunate to have a higher number of students to apply than ever before, we had to be very conservative in the admissions office this year so we would not have 400 more students like we did last year.” The class of 2013 is nearly 300 students smaller than the class of 2012.
Johnson said it would put less strain upon university facilities. “It impacts the things like the classrooms, the residence halls, the dining halls. So we really needed to be closer to our goal,” Johnson said. Johnson said the admissions office decided to utilize the wait list for the first time since 2006. “So this year, we very purposefully and strategically made offers with the intent of coming under that 5,000 mark and using our wait list appropriately to bring our enrollment to where we needed it to be,” Johnson said. Despite using the wait list, the average SAT score went up from last year. The class of 2013 scored 1250 on average, compared to 1208 from the class of 2012. “We wanted to use our wait list, because there are very good students on the wait list,” Johnson said. Johnson said there were some noticeable trends in the enrollment for the class of 2013. The number of Hispanic students enrolling significantly increased, while proportions of males and
CLASS OF 2013 SNAPSHOT Total enrollment: 5,179 Enrollees from wait list: 308 Average SAT score: 1250 Demographics White: 77 percent Asian: 10 percent Hispanic: 5 percent Black: 4 percent females remained the same. Hispanic students will make up five percent of the freshman class. The class of 2013, like the university’s overall population, is 55 percent male and 45 percent female. There are currently 5,179 freshmen enrolled. Of those, 308 were accepted off the waiting list. In an increase from last year, 70 percent of freshmen are from inside Virginia. Those listed as white make up 77 percent of the enrollees, while Asians make up 10 percent and. Four percent of enrollees are black.
Grant hopes to enrich the student experience as new CALS dean KATE MAGRUDER
ct news reporter
collegiatetimes.com july 23, 2009
Alan Grant will leave his position as a department head at Purdue University to become Virginia Tech’s Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences. After the university announced the hiring Monday, Grant chatted with the Collegiate Times about his goals for the college. CT: What made you apply for Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences? Grant: The reputation of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech is one of the major reasons why I applied. They have strong programs in food and health, environmental sciences, animal sciences, as well as a strong commitment to undergraduate education; these are all factors that led to my application. CT: What have you done in the past that demonstrates excellent leadership skills? Grant: Being a department head at Purdue University starting the year of 2001 to 2002 of the Department of Animal Sciences. It is a rather large department in terms of faculty numbers and student numbers here at Purdue. We have undergone tremendous opportunities such as dual enrollment on the undergraduate level. I have dealt with a lot of turnover in employ-
ment due to retirement; we have had to recruit new faculty members and work in faculty members into the staff to ensure that they are the best at what they do for the college. CT: When you came to visit Blacksburg as part the application process, what did you do during your visit? Grant: My first visit was the interview so I had a number of oneon-one or group session meetings with various individuals. I met with GRANT department heads, the search committee, senior leadership diversity, the provost, students, graduates and undergraduates, and staff. It was more an opportunity for me to learn more about the university, more about the college, spend time with some of the leadership and staff and, at the same time, I think that they learned about my philosophy, as well. It was a good experience. CT: What were your initial opinions of Virginia Tech? Grant: With what I saw, I was very impressed in its progress. In the past few years under the leadership of former Dean Sharon Quisenberry, I think the college is in a great position.
CT: How do you plan to carry out the three missions of the college: teaching, research and outreach? Grant: I plan to work with the college and revisit the college’s current strategic plan to see how that works with the university’s strategic plan. I will be working with faculty and administration to identify some strategic conditions that will really allow us to better serve students. Another thing that I plan to do is make sure that there are improvements in some of the physical facilities really continue at a pace that faculty and staff are really able to accomplish their research. CT: What responsibilities of a dean do you think are most important and why? Grant: I think one of the most important things a dean does is to recruit individuals that will benefit the college. CT: What are your goals for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for the next year and for future years to come? Grant: One of my goals for the college is for it to grow into a rich program and to ensure that the research fits into our teaching. Other goals I have are to make sure our physical facilities at a pace where our human resources can accomplish their missions, and identify the mission that will allow us to better serve students.
PHILLIP MURILLAS
managing editor The Senate defeated a proposed amendment to federal law on Wednesday that would have allowed gun owners from more states to carry concealed firearms in Virginia, a policy that 22 Virginia Tech families publicly opposed. The bill, offered by South Dakota senator John Thune, would have amended the defense authorization bill to allow citizens who have been granted concealed carry permits from their home states to legally carry firearms into states that currently allow their own citizens the right to such permits. In response to this proposed amendment, the anti-gun violence action fund Mayors Against Illegal Guns launched an ad campaign urging senators to vote against the bill. On Monday, the Richmond TimesDispatch ran an ad with a picture of the April 16, 2007 convocation and a letter signed by over 40 individuals from 22 families victimized by the day’s shootings urging Virginia senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner to vote against the bill. “I find it offensive that he thinks that more guns would prevent gun violence,” said Lori Haas, referring to Thune. Haas’ daughter Emily was in a French class attacked on April 16 by Seung-Hui Cho. She was grazed in the back of the head by two bullets, but has made a full recovery. Emily Haas and her mother are both signatories on the letter in the newspaper. “I am just a citizen of Virginia who has seen very, very firsthand the pain of gun violence,” Haas said.
“And I think laws like this one would only contribute to the amount of gun violence and the spread of gun violence.” Gun rights advocates insist that concealed carry would make Americans safer. “Somebody like Cho was going to do what he’s going to do and it makes much more sense to allow people to defend themselves,” said Philip Van Cleave, president of the Virginia Civil Defense League, a gun rights advocacy group. Responding to the ad, he cast doubt on the arguments against the Thune amendment. “The people who claim to be the Virginia Tech family, I think they’re being a little arrogant in implying that they’re at all representative of all the families at Virginia Tech,” said Van Cleave. “This has just become a generic thing that has nothing to do with what happened at Virginia Tech. If anything you could argue that what they’re doing would make it easier for Cho to do this.” “My husband’s a gun owner. My children target shoot. I support the second amendment,” said Haas. “The Thune Amendment is just going to allow persons that Virginia would not give a concealed carry permit to to come into our state and carry a loaded weapon.” Van Cleave has little issue with loosening restrictions on concealed carry. “Look what happened in Vermont and Alaska,” he said. “Neither state has any requirement that you have a permit to concealed carry ... and you hear crickets chirping up there. Do we need to have standards at all? Do we need permits at all? I would argue
Records: Circumstances of disappearance and discovery key in upcoming civil suit from page one
Hall said Miller’s possession of the records was questionable. “Why would you take any records?” Hall said. “And why, particularly this kid, to your home?” Hall also took interest in the wording of the memo, which said Miller transferred from the center. “We were always told he’d been director for a while and decided he wanted to do other things,” Hall said. He said the word “transfer” raises questions about continued access to files at the center. University spokesman Mark Owczarski said Miller’s move from his position as director of the center was a “personnel matter.” He also said Miller worked at the university until 2008, two years after his position change. According to Miller’s curriculum vitae, he worked as a clinical and consulting psychologist for the university’s human relations department from 2006 until his retirement from Tech in 2008. Current Cook Counseling Center director Chris Flynn took over Miller’s position on September 11, 2006. Owczarski spoke to each media outlet separately after being ordered by Kaine’s office not to give a press conference. Owczarski said the university did not know how the records reached Miller’s home and could not even verify he located them in his home. According to Owczarski, Miller was
questioned in the original investigation of the shootings by the Virginia State Police, but told investigators he did not know the location of the files. Miller could not be reached for comment. He was director of the center from 2002 to 2006, according to his curriculum vitae. He is currently listed as an Assistant Professor of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg.
ON THE WEB See the complete text of a memo sent from Virginia Tech’s legal counsel upon receiving the records. Owczarski said Flynn was not available for comment on the topic. Hall said he will look into whether or not Miller had access to the center after his departure, as Miller still works in Blacksburg, at the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and worked for the university through 2008. “He said he took these records with him at the time of his transfer,” Hall said. “I am not obligated to believe that.” The notoriety of the shootings should have triggered Miller to remember he had the record, Hall said. “It amazes me that while all of this is going on, the doctor does not have
recall,” Hall said. “It sits uneasily with me.” Hall said he is still researching Miller’s possession of the documents in the Virginia code to check for possible criminal implications. He pointed out that Cho’s treating therapist was Sherry Lynch Conrad, not Miller. “It appears to be not just out of the ordinary,” Hall said. “It appears to be illegal. He shouldn’t have had them. They belonged to the Cook Counseling Center. They had no business going home with Dr. Miller. He was not a treating therapist.” Hall said Miller had not been contacted by anyone from the plaintiffs’ side and an interview had not been scheduled. He said they will wait to see the contents of the records before they schedule an interview with Miller. He said Tech English professor Lucinda Roy’s pleas for Cho to be treated will be compared to the medical records. She corresponded with Miller via e-mail. Hall said Cho’s interactions with the center were not out of the ordinary. “It appears his mental health visits and telephone triages were kind of ho-hum because there was no follow up,” Hall said. Hall said Cho’s family must approve of the documents being made public, but is not sure if the contents are the most important development. “The fact that they were missing probably says more than the contents,” Hall said.
3 NEWS
Proposed amendment resisted by April 16 families defeated
page
see THUNE, page four
Gubernatorial debates kick off Saturday at The Homestead He wrote Megan’s Law, which allows public access to the state sex offender registry, and sponsored the Amber Alert Program. As Attorney General, Bob McDonnell enacted a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence for violent child sex predators and increased penalties for drug dealers. McDonnell has plans for a comprehensive Statewide Transportation Plan. Part of the proposal suggests to privatize Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control and dedicate the proceeds to transportation and to take a percentage of sales tax collected in Northern Virginia and put in it the regional transportation account. The event is open to the public.
collegiatetimes.com july 23, 2009
The Virginia Bar Association will host the first debate between gubernatorial candidates Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell on July 25 at 11 a.m. at The Homestead in Hot Springs. For the first time, the gubernatorial debate will be broadcast via live Web streaming. Deeds is a state senator who represents the City of Charlottesville and a district that stretches to the West Virginia border. For the last two years, Deeds has served as senator writing legislature and sponsoring programs, such as his work to cleanup the Kim-Stan landfill Superfund site. Deeds worked with Gov. Mark Warner to change Virginia spending.
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NEWS
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Obama administration seeking to simplify FAFSA PHILLIP MURILLAS
managing editor Tech students relying on federal financial aid may notice a simplified application process next time they fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid as the U.S. Department of Education implements new changes. The FAFSA, viewed by some as an inconvenience, is the form through which students apply for Pell grants, government loans, and direct aid from schools. Tech requires all students seeking aid from the university to complete and submit a FAFSA before completing the general scholarship application.
“I’m very happy to see a movement toward simplicity.” - BARRY SIMMONS FINANCIAL AID DIRECTOR Since his presidential campaign, President Barack Obama has addressed making aid easier for families in need and getting more youth access to higher education. In late June, the Department of
Education issued a press release outlining changes taking effect this summer and culminating in January 2010. The greatest change streamlines information provided to the Internal Revenue Service with the online FAFSA. The online form will be able to retrieve the necessary information filed with the IRS through tax forms such as the 1040. This will be available in January to students applying for spring semester aid and will possibly be expanded to all students in the future, said the press release. Students will now receive instant estimates of Pell Grant and student loan eligibility on completion of the FAFSA online. Additionally, the online form has been made more navigable. Currently, the Administration is working to introduce legislation that will remove 26 questions from the form. These “have little impact” on aid awards and can be difficult to complete, according to the Department of Education. Tech financial aid director Barry Simmons said the changes will affect applicants’ convenience factors with the application, but will not affect the university’s output of financial aid very directly for the next two
Changes in FAFSA — Deletes worksheet A — information already held by the IRS — Eliminates asset information question for lowincome students — Gives instant estimates of Pell Grants and student loan eligibility — Expands dependency criteria to include individuals in foster care, emancipated minors, and youth at risk of homelessness — Student information is green; parent information is purple. SARA MITCHELL/COLLEGIATE TIMES
years. Tech participates in the Federal Quality Assurance program for financial aid, which permits the university to verify certain FAFSA items and sidestep federal audits. Simmons said simplification is a goal for both the university and the presidential administration. “On the federal level I definitely see additional efforts at simplification,” Simmons said. “What Virginia laws may pass regarding financial aid could affect simplification.”
Students applying for specific Tech scholarships may still be fill out more than the average financial aid applicant. Simmons said some scholarships require additional information such as membership in associations and county residence. “We have scholarships specific to Virginia Tech that have been donated with unusual or extensive requirements,” Simmons said. The DOE also sent a letter to financial aid administrators reminding
them to take a case-by-case approach and make adjustments in the face of circumstances not reflected on the FAFSA, including recent unemployment. “We’ve always taken advantage by that regulation to consider individual circumstances,” Simmons said. “There’s a whole section on our Web site under appeals regarding that.” The Obama administration has pursued other initiatives to promote college affordability. The 2010 Budget proposal seeks to make increased Pell Grants and tax credits permanent, increase Perkins loans by $5 billion, and establish a five-year $2.5 billion fund aimed at improving college access for students of disadvantaged backgrounds. As institutions at all levels attempt to improve the federal aid process, they continue to weigh various considerations. “There’s a delicate balance to be maintained here,” Simmons said. “A balance between simplicity, accountability, and transparency. I’m very happy to see a movement toward simplicity.” The 2009-10 FAFSA form, which applies for the spring semester will be available for students in January. Students applying online can reach the form at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Thune: Webb, Warner voted in favor of bill
collegiatetimes.com july 23, 2009
from page three
no. But we’re stuck with the system right now, so we need to work with what we’ve got.” 48 states allow concealed carry, including Virginia. Illinois and Wisconsin do not grant concealed carry permits. Had the amendment passed, gun owners would still have been unable to concealed carry in these states. Virginia currently has reciprocity agreements, formal and informal, with 25 states allowing their citizens to carry concealed in the commonwealth. One of these states is Alaska, where residents need no permit to carry. In Wednesday’s vote in the Senate, both Virginia senators Warner and Webb voted “yes” on the amendment. Warner is “a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights” said his communications director Kevin Hall. The proposal was defeated with 58 yes votes and 39 no votes. 61 votes in favor were needed to pass. In a statement to the press Haas said, “We are thrilled that common sense prevailed in the Senate with the defeat of the Thune Concealed Carry Amendment. However we are
disappointed that Senators Webb and Warner voted the wrong way on this issue of life or death.” Haas said she and others would continue to work toward initiatives such as closing the gun show loophole. “I think we’re too smart not to have legitimate laws that preclude dangerous people from gaining firearms. We know all too well what happens when guns get into the wrong hands.”
VA RECIPROCITY AGREEMENTS Virginia has mutual agreements with 22 states. It honors three states in non-mutual agreements. MUTUAL: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia VIRGINIA HONORS: Minnesota, Washington, Wyoming
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Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager David Harries College Media Solutions Staff Advertising Director Tyler Ervin Asst Advertising Director Judi Glass, Kendall Kapetanakis Ads Production Manager Allison Bhatta Creative Services Staff Adam Sexton, Kyle Waldrop Account Executives Briana Bishop, Nik Bando, Carly Siegel, Wade Stephenson, Jared Thompson Asst Account Executives Morgan Holt, Devon Steiner Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, e-mail spps@vt.edu. Collegiate Times Phone Numbers News/Features 231-9865 Sports/Opinions 231-9870 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Phone Number Advertising 961-9860 The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.The Collegiate Times receives no funding from the university. Subscription rates: $65 semester; $90 academic year; $105 full year. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, July 12, 2009. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.
corrections
In the article “NBA Summer League kicks off in Vegas” (July 16), Zabian Dowdell and Coleman Collins graduated in 2007. The Collegiate Times regrets these errors.
At the very least, the revelation that a former Cook Counseling Center director had Seung-Hui Cho’s mental health records in his home for over two years represents two levels of negligence. The first is general negligence for any mental health institution. Difficult as it is to step back, were we to put aside the fact that it was Cho, it is still unacceptable that individuals were able to move the only existing copies of a person’s private mental health files out of the facility without leaving any record of the activity. Any student who has used Cook’s services could be understandably upset that there did not seem to be so much as a sign-out process for these sensitive documents. We trust our counseling service not only to keep our information confidential and secure, but to keep track of that information as long as it exists. Hopefully Cook will institute some regulations and accountability systems to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Keeping secure electronic records seems like a logical way of preventing this. But the greater level of negligence is the fact that the responsible parties, in the wake of the university’s greatest community
tragedy and worst legal nigthmare, overlooked and downplayed the file’s disappearance. The memo sent to members of the victimized families states that Dr. Robert Miller could have had Cho’s file as early as December 2005. One question is how the university can pinpoint the date of the file’s misplacement today when no such mention was made during the immediate investigation. It is too far to assert that the record’s proper filing would have prevented the shootings. But it is becoming harder to believe that university officials did everything in their power to investigate the causes of violence when this essential piece of evidence was sitting in the residence of one of the top defendants in the initial April 16 lawsuit. However the university handles this, administrators need to do more than pay lip service to preventing tragedy. Straight answers are needed and soon. The Tech community deserves to feel that its leadership is working for our best interests rather than their struggling PR image. The editorial board is composed of Sara Mitchell, Phillip Murillas, Daniel Lin, and Thandiwe Ogbonna.
If you have been following the news recently, then you might be aware that issues dealing with diversity have been making headlines. RAY In last week’s PLAZA confirmation hearings for Judge regular Sotomayor, we columnist learned about the meaning of a “wise Latina” as she faced questioning from the Senate Judiciary Committee. We listened to Frank Ricci and the story of the New Haven firefighters. We heard about a Philadelphia Pool Club explaining its reasons for why it kicked out a day camp of children and refunded their money. Just the other day, police in Cambridge, Mass. were accused of racial profiling when they arrested a prominent African-American professor from Harvard. However, we didn’t hear anything about the election of the first ChineseAmerican women to serve in Congress. Her name is Judy Chu and she was elected in the 32nd Congressional District, in a special election in California last week. Nor have we really followed what is taking place in Honduras, where a de facto government is preventing the return of an elected president. They claim it was a legitimate ouster, while the entire rest of the world called it a coup and is not buying the argument. We also didn’t hear about Ultra-
Orthodox (Haredi) Jews rioting in Jerusalem and the challenges that the Jerusalem police faced in trying to control order. The sad part was the commentary that if these rioters had been Palestinians, the police response would have been more lethal. Additionally, we didn’t hear that Congress is finally poised to pass the Matthew Shepard Act, now 11 years since the tragic events of October 1998. The debate on health care now dominates the news, yet we don’t realize that this has diversity implications. While the popular trend is to look at how different groups seek or receive medical care, another component comes with the socio-economic impact. Issues dealing with socio-economic matters do have an impact and shape individuals, whether someone is from a metropolitan area like Northern Virginia, or rural communities such as those found in Appalachia. The socio-economic issues have no colorlimitations in terms of whom or what they impact. Oftentimes, society tends to portray diversity as merely an ethnic/race issue, but it is so much more. We tend to forget about the other components that include religion, age, ability, socio-economics, political viewpoints, gender and sexual orientation. I would argue that diversity is interwoven in most facets of the news. My challenge is for each of you to look beyond the headlines and read the news more closely for what is taking place and you will see some of these threads of diversity.
5
Let’s see Vick restore talent, morality “Damn.” That’s all I could say as I sat on my couch, appalled. Michael Vick had lied to U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson about his BEN involvement in a WOODY dog-fighting ring regular based out of his Bad Newz Kennels in columnist Newport News, Va. A 23-month sentence was levied, and Nancy Grace and others beat the horse to death. Vick’s teammates from the Atlanta Falcons could not believe their leader was responsible for anything so heinous, and head coach Bobby Petrino had the daunting task of refocusing the team on the season ahead. Petrino resigned in the middle of the season. The Falcons were a wreck and finished with one of the worst records in
the National Football League during the 2007-08 season. Sports journalists took turns holding Vick down and wailing on him, continuing even today. Even before Vick was fitted for his prison bling, his voice was strongly flavored with resentment and a hint of humility, garnished with a slice of despair. He was ashamed of his actions from day one. He knew he had been given $130 million worth of Falcons owner Arthur Blank’s trust, and he realized he had told him to shove it. He had forever linked his name to “dog fighting,” and late night talk show hosts would exploit this joke almost as frequently as Vick exploited those pit bulls in that gambling ring. His newly established fortune was just months away from cascading from his checking account into legal fees, nonprofit organization donations and miscellaneous debt. What was that $10 wage construction
job going to fix? The superficial media hounds were going to want to see his name among the platinum-level donors to Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals chapters across the country. Don’t let Vick play in the NFL because he needs the money. Let Vick play in the NFL because he is a competent athlete and a morally upright member of the community. If NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sees the overwhelming effects of Vick’s maturation, then he should be in. But if Vick has a disingenuous scent on his breath, ship him off. Vick watched a shrewd businessman cut ties with him at the drop of the hat, losing Arthur Blank as his closest legitimate ally. With a state of mind set at “invincible,” Vick saw how quickly he could fall from grace as the government busted his dogfighting ring and promptly shipped him off to prison promptly. The media has sacked him harder than DeMarcus Ware ever could.
There’s no way he is going to come out of prison thinking that anyone in the public sphere will simply accept him. To just shove him away from national exposure will not give him a chance to rehabilitate his public personality. Put him in Buffalo Bills jersey with a league-minimum contract and a chance restore his reputation. Tell him to teach Terrell Owens how to develop humility. He could do the same thing with Denver Broncos’ wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who also has had his share of legal troubles, including a domestic abuse charge a few years back. Look at former running back Jamal Lewis, who spent a year in prison and missed four games from the 2004 season. Controversy sells tickets. If teams out there are not willing to sign Vick because they are afraid of losing a portion of their revenue, they need to get over themselves. Season tickets will still sell out. Vick has grown tremendously over the past year. He can still be great.
collegiatetimes.com july 23, 2009
The article “Weaver, Bailey honored by the VSGA” (July 16) was misnamed. Weaver and Bailey were named to the Virginia State Golf Coaches Association, not the Virginia State Golf Association.
In Cook debacle, explanations owed
Diversity weaves throughout news
OPINIONS
Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor-in-Chief Sara Mitchell Managing Editor Phillip Murillas Production Manager Thandiwe Ogbonna News Editor Zach Crizer Features Editor Matthew Artz Sports Editor Josh Parcell Reporter Kate Magruder Head Copy Editor Geri Roberts Photo Editor Daniel Lin Online Director Sam Eberspacher
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collegiatetimes.com july 23, 2009
FEATURES
6
Artist in perspective: Jennifer Leigh Collins KATE MAGRUDER
ct news reporter Artwork is a highly subjective, often overlooked part of a college’s cultural offerings. Local artists work countless hours on works that are displayed both on and off campus. Virginia Tech attempts to showcase these pieces in places all over campus. One such display is the Perspectives Gallery is located on the second floor of the Squires Student Center. The gallery showcases works from particular artists at a monthly rate. This month’s featured artist is Jennifer L. Collins. Her works will be on display from July 3 to August 5. Collins teaches a life drawing class full time at Virginia Tech and runs a commercial gallery, named The Gallery, in downtown Radford. At her life drawing class, students are taught how to draw the human figure. Collins said that a lot of her inspiration comes from teaching that class and in general from teaching students how to draw. “Through years of teaching drawing, I have come to love the expressive possibilities of the gestural and contour line,. In these paintings I am using these drawing techniques to explore the interaction between humanity, the rest of the natural
world, and the spiritual realm,” said Collins. Collins used to teach part time at both Radford University and Virginia Tech and occasionally taught private classes. Collins has her own studio in the back of the gallery where she works on her oil paintings. She has been painting since 1990. Collins’ father, Charlie Brouwer is one of her biggest sources of inspiratin and has made a large impact on her painting career. “I have always been interested in art. My father is an artist. He does sculpture. I grew up around art and it was just sort of natural,” said Collins Her father explained that even from a young age, Collins was a part of his art career. Brouwer said, “When Jennifer was about 6 years old, I was a high school art teacher in Australia. In my first exhibit in a commercial gallery, I showed one of her paintings that she did. Even though we didn’t start actually collaborating until she was mature artist, she had artwork in my exhibit in 1977.” Collins’ work ranges from small intimate landscape studies, to largescale oils, to collaborations with her father,. She has been collaborating with her father off and on for about six or seven years.
DAN LIN/SPPS
Two of Jennifer L. Collins’ portraits on display in the Perspectives Gallery on the second floor of Squires. “We were part of an artist group. For the group exhibit, everybody had to team up to have two people for each exhibit. My daughter and I were both members of that group and that was the first time we decided to exhibit together, which was about 10 years ago,” said Brouwer Collins and Brouwer display their artwork at the Gallery in Radford on 1019 East Main St. and at Pamela Jean Gallery Fine Art and Custom
Framing. “I think that the work we make is representational. We represent places, landscapes, nature, and people. What we are looking for is situations that seems to express something beyond the visible world.,” said Brouwer. The Pamela Jean Gallery began representing Collins and Brouwer in the Roanoke area when it first opened 2 years ago. They are one of the gallery’s primary artists on display.
Susan Moore is the manager of Pamela Jean Gallery Fine Art and Custom Framing. Moore said, “All of the artists were picked prior to the opening of the gallery. They were all hand selected by the owner, Pam Floyd, based on their uniqueness and what they had to offer, ” said Moore. Visit both the Perspective Gallery to see some of Collins’ work while it’s still on display.
Thursday, July 23
Wondering what's going on around the 'burg? Check out the events of the upcoming week.
What: NASCAR Wheelen All-American Series When: 2 p.m. Where: Motor Mile Speedway Cost: $5 General Admission, students free with I.D.
What: Pulaski Mariners vs. Kingsport Mets When: 7 p.m. Where: Calfee Park Cost: $4 general admission, $6 reserved seats What: Awful Arthur’s presents Saluda Friday, July 24 When: 10 p.m. What: Pulaski Mariners Where: Awful Arthur’s vs. Bristol Sox Cost: Free When: 7 p.m. Sunday, July 26 Where: Calfee Park Cost: $4 general admission, What: Salem Red Sox vs. Potomac Nationals $6 reserved seats When: 6:05 p.m. Saturday, July 25 Where: Salem Memorial Ballpark What: Walnut Spring Cost: $7 general Stables Summer Fun Horse Show What: Cabin Days: Home of When: 10 a.m. William and Mary Draper Where: Walnut Spring When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Stables Where: Ingles Farm Cost: Free Cost: Free
Visit FloydFest this weekend in Floyd, Va., July 23-26. Prices vary by day from $40-$60.
Monday, July 27 What: Pulaski Mariners vs. Bristol Sox When: 7 p.m. Where: Calfee Park Cost: $4 general admission, $6 reserved seats What: Al Coffey Performance When: 9 p.m. Where: The Cellar Cost: Free
Wednesday, July 29 What: Butterfly Walk in the Garden When: 12 p.m. Where: Hahn Horticultural Garden Cost: Free
Summer Camps at Virginia Tech NIKKI KAUL
guest writer When the words ‘summer camp’ are used, inevitably some people will automatically assume those terms are associated with kids playing sports. However, there is no question that Virginia Tech has been very versatile in their options of summer camps and conferences that have been offered to guests. “The [summer] camps and conferences hosted here at Virginia Tech are not at all a money making venture,” said Kimberle Badinelli, a spokesperson for student programs. “They are used as more of a public relations tool for the university.” It is predominantly used to “finance the Conference and Guest Services, who provide housing and dining for all campers” wishing to stay in the residence halls at Virginia Tech for the duration of their summer camp. Tech senior Dana Dobson, a hospitality and tourism management major who worked as a conference aide in Conference and Guest Services said
the services provided by the department dealt with all the housing and dining aspects of the summer programs at Tech. Some of the camps that have been held at Tech are day and recreation camps where a gamut of participants come for a plethora of activities, ranging from sports and dance to pottery and literature. A majority of the camps held during the summer at Tech are overnight camps, which have allowed younger students to view the school’s campus life directly. Virginia Tech offers 29 camps for the summer on its grounds, with a wide variety of purposes as well as servicing many demographics. “We are very proud of the organizations we have running here every summer at Virginia Tech because we offer a fine housing and dining program,” said Badinelli. “I feel our camps give the opportunity to view campus life firsthand to the people who stay with us. The majority of these kids usually end up applying to Virginia Tech during their senior year of high school.”
7 FEATURES
LooP In the
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If you would like an event featured in our calendar, e-mail features@collegiatetimes.com. COMING NEXT WEEK IN FEATURES
collegiatetimes.com july 23, 2009
Awful Arthur’s: Taking a look inside Awful Arthur’s and its new management. What new specials and menu items with the bar add and what will its staff keep from the previous management? Movies: A review of the new movie “The Ugly Truth” along with next week’s major releases including the highly anticipated “Funny People.” Steppin Out: The CT will go behind the scenes of the downtown event and see who participates and what exactly goes on during Steppin’ Out.
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collegiatetimes.com july 23, 2009
FEATURES
8
FloydFest brings varied sounds to the area MATTHEW ARTZ
features editor Starting today, July 23, FloydFest kicks off a four day music extravaganza that lasts until Sunday night. This is the eighth year of the festival that takes place right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Admission to the event can range from $40-$60 depending on the performances of the day, with weekend packages of $130 for Friday through Sunday and $140 for the full four days. The festival features a wide variety of mixed music from over 80 bands that will perform over the four days. The scope and diversity of this event is hard to describe. It’s important to know that no band performing at Floydfest describes themselves with a single genre of music. The bands featured combine various types of music including rock, reggae, folk, bluegrass, jazz, and even hip-hop to form unique sounds. This gives FloydFest a mass appeal not seen by many festivals that usually cater to one or two musical tastes. The bands that play here are strong performers that fly under the radar for the most part. They are well known to locals and
CYNTHIA CONNOLLY
The band Jugbusters performs Friday at 9:15 p.m. music enthusiasts of the bands’ particular sound but their music won’t be found playing on the local hits station. There are a few exceptions to this rule this year. The show seems to have found a few big time performers you might have heard that will draw a crowd.
THREE MINUTE LOVIN’
Three Minute Lovin’ plays on Friday, July 24 at 8 p.m. inside the Blue Ridge dance tent.
This year’s headlining band is Blues Traveler, a popular band best known for their hit song “Run-Around” from the mid-90s. They will perform on the main stage on Saturday, July 25 at 9:30 p.m. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are also another big force performing at the show.
They have appeared on talk shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The group will be performing Friday, July 24 at 9 p.m. on the main stage. Among the lengthy list of bands littered with star-studded performers, two local bands based in Blacksburg will also be playing the event this year. The Jugbusters are a well known name in the downtown bar scene and perform in the area regularly. This is their first year to be performing FloydFest and they are excited to be able to perform for a big, outdoor crowd. “We haven’t played anything on this scale. It will be fun to be on a big stage,” said band member Bill Richardson, a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in the fiddle. The band describes themself as an old-time country band that isn’t afraid to push the boundaries for this type of music. They won’t be alone at this event either. “Another great thing about this is we’re teamed up with two other great old-time bands from Southwest Virginia,” said Richardson. The Jugbusters will be performing along side Hoorah Cloggers and Dry Hill Draggers on Friday. This is an unusual opportunity to see some of the best old-time country bands in the area at one place. The three groups start their set Friday, July 24 at 9:15 p.m. Three Minute Lovin’ is another Blacksburg based band performing at this year’s FloydFest. Also a club and bar performer, this is their third year performing at FloydFest. “It’s certainly a different feel playing on a larger stage outside because the music we focus on is bar music. It’s a little more challenging to play at a larger place,” said Danny Ray Dunlap, electric guitarist for the
group. The band thoroughly enjoys the challenge though and likes to get Floydfest patrons on their feet and dancing. ”We always get a fairly decent crowd that loves to dance. We are in the dance tent and we feel our music is fairly well suited for that,” said Dunlap. “We try to play the roots of rock and roll. We have an old school honky tonk, rock sound mixed with a little surf and rockabilly; that would best describe us,” said Dunlap. The band performs the event for free to showcase their musical style and ability to a large audience. They will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 24 inside the Blue Ridge & Beyond Dance Tent. There is more than just music at FloydFest. Local vendors will be on hand selling jewelry, decorative items and food to patrons of the event. FloydFest also has a children’s tent with events designed to entertain children from karate to jugglers. FloydFest 8 promises to be a big time music festival, offering a wide variety of music, food, and activities for everyone.
FLOYDFEST 8: REVIVAL When: Thursday-Sunday Where: Blue Ridge Parkway near Chateau Morisette Cost: $40-$60 day pass, $140 weekend pass Featured Bands: Blues Traveler, Saturday July 25 at 9:30 p.m., Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Friday July 24 at 9 p.m. Local Bands: Jugbusters, Friday July 24 at 9:15 p.m., Three Minute Lovin’, Friday July 24 at 8 p.m.
ALISON DOMONOSKE
guest writer The alternative rock group Cowboy Junkies is coming to the Lyric Theater on Oct. 15, filling out the Live at the Lyric fall season, which also includes a Shakespeare play and a comedian/ juggler. “We are excited to have the Cowboy Junkies. They round out our season well because we have such a diverse selection from theater to family entertainment,” said Susan Mattingly, executive director of the Lyric. Mattingly said she is happy to host the band because major music acts do not often come to Blacksburg. “We’re not exactly a music destination,” Mattingly said. “But luckily Blacksburg is on the way when a band is traveling on the East Coast.” The Cowboy Junkies’ tour manager contacted Betsy Crone, who organizes all acts at the Lyric, to see if the band would be able to perform there. “The manager called and said they would be in North Carolina and wondered if we would be interested in having them. I knew they had a cult following, and I’m a fan — my favorite song is ‘Sweet Jane’ — so of course we were interested,” Crone said. The Cowboy Junkies are coming to Blacksburg, for the first time, as part of their fall 2009 tour. The band was unavailable for comment, as they are currently on tour. Preparing the Lyric for bands such as the Cowboy Junkies will require manpower. The theater always hires its own professional sound engineer, but such a position is often unnecessary because bigger bands normally have their own crew. Crone expects to sell out the venue.
“There’s already a lot of buzz virally -- on Facebook and our blog. People are going crazy,” Crone said. Crone thinks most of the audience will be longtime fans, but she said she also hopes Virginia Tech students will attend. “Once they know about the Lyric, college students are good patrons, but I would always like to see more,” Crone said. Crone and Mattingly agree that Tech students are an important clientele for the Lyric. “I see the Lyric as a bridge between the university and the community.” I mean, we’re right across the street,” said Mattingly. Tickets for the show are $30 for gold, the seats in the middle of the theater, and $25 for silver — everywhere else. Mattingly and Crone did not disclose how much they pay the band or a projection for revenue, but Crone
COWBOY JUNKIES What: A concert performed by the alternative rock group from Canada When: October 15, 2009 Where: Lyric Theatre Cost: $30 Center seats, $25 all other seats
Weekend movie preview MATTHEW ARTZ
features editor The Ugly Truth In this romantic comedy starring Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl, Abby (Heigl) is a morning show producer struggling to find Mr. Right. She meets the man of her dreams but doesn’t know how to get him. Enter Mike (Butler), one of Abby’s correspondents. Mike lives his life by man’s baser needs. He thinks he understands the full mechanics of a man’s mind and how every man would act in certain situations. Mike agrees to help Abby bag the man of her dreams but the pair seems to have a lot to teach each other. With the film’s r-rating and cruder subject matter it seems to have more in common with “Knocked-Up” than “27 Dresses” so it should be a date flick both parties can enjoy. G-Force Apparently America’s greatest defense against threats from abroad isn’t its law enforcement, military or intelligence agencies but a group of highly trained guinea pigs. In G-Force, a squad of four gov-
9 FEATURES
Cowboy Junkies to play at Lyric
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Walt Disney Publicity
Two super spy guinea pigs from the film G-Force opening July 24. ernment trained super guinea pigs conducts covert missions around the globe in order to protect America and the world. The squad bungles a mission and is forced to disband, being placed in a pet store for sale. Evil never rests though and the team must stop an evil billionaire from taking over the world. This is the family friendly film of the weekend that utilizes the voice talents of Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz and Tracy Morgan. Orphan The scary movie of the weekend,
“Orphan” is a film about a young girl getting adopted by a loving family. The family doesn’t realize what they have just adopted however as Ester begins to tear apart the family. Using lies, deceit and violence she pushes the family to the brink. The film stars Vera Farming and Peter Sarsgaard as the adopting parents and a bunch of unknown actors round out the cast. This film seems to borrow a lot from “The Omen” from 2006 with its creepy child villain.
said Live at the Lyric is a nonprofit entity. The other fall 2009 acts are “Romeo and Juliet” performed by the American Shakespeare Center on Sept. 11, comedian and juggler Mark Nizer on Oct. 24 and folk musician Mike Seeger on Friday, Nov. 13. “Live at the Lyric is a community service; we’re happy to break even. The goal is just to bring new, interesting acts to Blacksburg,” said Crone.
collegiatetimes.com july 23, 2009
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10 Hokies hook fishing championship Baseball coach Hughes SPORTS
JOSH PARCELL
sports editor The Virginia Tech team of Ryan Slate and Caleb Brown won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Northern Division event on 1000 Islands Saturday, July 18, with six bass weighing a total of 18 pounds, 15 ounces. The team made the drive up to New York for the tournament, and made good use of the travel. “The smartest decision we made was to make a stop at Wal-Mart and pick up a map of 1000 Islands, because we needed to study the water,” Slate said. “We looked at where our starting point was, and we just went from there.” With the win, the university and the Tech bass fishing club will split a $10,000 prize. Slate, a senior, and Brown, a sophomore, teamed up for their first career tournament win. “I can’t stress enough that it was a team,” Slate said. “Caleb was an amazing teammate. He listened, suggested different tackle, and made me think out of the box.” FLW Outdoors announced the College Fishing trail in May 2008. “I’ve heard of FLW Outdoors everywhere,” Slate said. “I know they are big with the National Guard, and they have big time tournaments.” The entire schedule, which is organized around the five Stren Series Divisions, can be found by visiting CollegeFishing.com along with rules, requirements and information on how to create a bass club. Full-time students enrolled in fouryear colleges or universities are eligible to participate in the events.
Schools can send two-person teams to each of the four qualifying events in their division, with each event limited to a maximum of 40 teams. Slate brought plenty of experience to the team. “I have been fishing competitively since I joined the bass fishing team at Virginia Tech,” he said. “Now I am ready to step it up a notch and continue what I am doing.” Each team has the opportunity to win $10,000 for first and $2,000 through fifth place. Prize money is split evenly between the winning team’s club and the school they represent. The tournaments are free to enter, boats and drivers are provided and all collegiate teams receive a travel allowance. “We had a very academic strategy. During the drive to New York, we got to know each other’s fishing styles and how we fished certain baits,” said Slate. “It was great to get on the same page.” That strategy paid dividends. “We charted islands that we wanted to fish, where the water got shallow, and deep quickly for bass,” Slate said. “The wind was too much, though, so we decided to move into a bay, where the wind was on our side, and our strengths were on our side, and everything clicked.” The top five teams in each qualifying event advance to one of five televised three-day National Guard FLW College Fishing Regional Championships. Each school represented in a televised Regional Championship will have team shirts and boats provided by Ranger. The purse for each Regional Championship includes a Ranger 177 TR with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard wrapped in school colors for the win-
NEXT NORTH DIVISION EVENTS LAKE CHAMPLAIN Plattsburg, NY - August 29 LAKE GASTON South Hill, VA - September 26
ning club and $25,000 for the school they represent. Awards of $6,000 also extend through fifth place for the club and school to split evenly. The National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship is a three-day televised event hosting the top five teams from each regional, 25 total teams. Teams will be provided shirts and wrapped Ranger boats towed by Chevy trucks for this competition. The purse for the championship ranges from $25,000 cash and a Ranger 177 TR with a 90-horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard wrapped in school colors for the winning club and $50,000 for the school they represent to $15,000 for fifth, split between the club and school. The winning team will be declared the National Guard FLW Collegiate National Champion and will qualify for the $2.5 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by BP and Castrol in 2010. The winners will also receive use of a wrapped boat and Chevy truck for the Forrest Wood Cup. “Before winning this tournament, fishing was just a hobby,” said Slate. “I knew I was good, but now we can take it to the next level.” This team of Hokies plans on making their home school proud in those upcoming tournaments. “The excitement we have is awesome,” said Slate. “The regional championship is going to be hard, no doubt about it. We’re going to be fishing against very good teams, and the stakes are higher.”
signs extension to 2014 Virginia Tech head baseball coach Peter Hughes has agreed to sign a contract extension through 2014. His contract before the extension ran through 2011. According to the athletics department Hughes was recently offered the position of head coach at the University of Washington, but declined, instead choosing to continue to build a solid program at Tech. Hughes just completed his third season as head coach at Tech, where they saw tremendous progress in 2009. The Hokies wrapped up a 32-21 record this past season, their best winning percentage in a decade.
Two Hokies were drafted to the major leagues, Steve Bumbry and pitcher Rhett Ballard. Through his three years, Hughes as amassed a 78-84 record. The 12 conwins HUGHES ference in 2009 were the program’s most since 2003 win they won 15 games in the Big East under former coach Chuck Hartman. Hughes was on vacation in Florida this week and could not be reached for comment.
Peter Hughes at a glance Big East Coach of the Year
2000
Arrives at Tech in summer
2006 2007 2008
2009
23-31, 7-23 ACC 23-32, 6-24 ACC 32-21, 12-17 ACC
Averaged 31 wins per season at BC (19982006) 34 players (BC and VT) drafted to MLB THANDIWE OGBONNA/COLLEGIATE TIMES
Vick’s 23-month sentence comes to an end JOSH PARCELL
collegiatetimes.com july 23, 2009
sports editor On Monday, the long-awaited end to former Virginia Tech star football player Michael Vick’s 23-month jail sentence arrived. Vick now faces great uncertainty about his future as an NFL player. Vick spent the last two months at his home in Hampton under home confinement to complete his federal sentence for dogfighting. According to Associated Press reports Vick met with federal probation officials to take care of all paperwork and finalize his release Monday. Vick did not initially show enough remorse to satisfy U.S. district Judge Henry Hudson. The 29-year old Vick made an apology in 2007 in court, but Hudson denied him an “acceptance of
responsibility” credit that would have reduced his sentence. Instead Vick had to serve his 23 months in prison, longer than any of the other three codefendants. He declined to answer any questions from the media upon leaving the courthouse from filing his paperwork. The next step for Vick is meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has made it clear he would wait until Vick’s entire sentence was complete before beginning to consider Vick’s reinstatement to the league. No time has been reported of an actual face-to-face meeting between the two, and with most NFL training camps opening up in the next week, it is unlikely Vick will be at any team’s camp when it begins. In early June, the Atlanta Falcons, the only team Vick played for since
entering the league in 2001, released him after failing to find a partner for trade. Vick did not initially show enough remorse to satisfy U.S. district Judge Henry Hudson. The former Hokie legend made an apology in 2007 in court, but Hudson denied him an “acceptance of responsibility” credit that would have reduced his sentence. Instead Vick had to serve his 23 months in prison, longer than any of the other three codefendants. If Vick does not get picked up by any NFL squad, the newly-formed United Football League, which will play its games on Thursday and Friday nights this fall, culminating with a championship game from the four-team league on Thanksgiving night, has made it clear they would love to make Vick a part of their league for all of the publicity he would attract to the league.
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SPORTS
12 Hokies in the pro leagues Tech-Boise State to open JOSH PARCELL
sports editor Joe Saunders (MLB) Saunders and the Angels were in Oakland Friday night, where the A’s topped Los Angeles 7-3 for Saunders’ sixth loss of the season. It was a rough night for the former Hokie pitcher, whose wild pickoff attempt to first base in the sixth inning cost the Angels a run. Saunders had a career-high six walks as Los Angeles saw their four-game winning streak come to an end. Only 52 of his 95 pitches were in the strike zone and he only struck out two batters. His ERA jumped to 4.72, after being close to 4.0 only a month ago.
Patrick Nyarko (MLS) On July 15, Nyarko and the Fire took down the New England Revolution in the Super Liga semifinals by a score of 2-1. Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored on a free kick in the 63rd minute to provide the difference for Chicago. On the team’s Web site, Nyarko was nominated for “Man of the Match” for his play against the Revolution. On July 18, the Fire won again, this time over the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0. Nyarko scored his first goal in two months in the 82nd minute, providing a bigger cushion for the Fire in the closing minutes. On the goal, Chicago forward Chris Rolfe chased a ball into the right corner against an Earthquakes defender, who in his rush to release the ball sent it out to Blanco in the midfield. Blanco set himself up for the pass over the defense to Nyarko, who sent a onetouch shot past Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon from close range. Nyarko returned to the starting lineup this week replacing Brian McBride, who underwent shoulder surgery and should be out 3-4 months. The win over San Jose came in MLS action, and put Chicago back atop the Eastern Conference standings with 28 points, one point more than Columbus and D.C. United.
collegiatetimes.com july 23, 2009
Kerri Gardin (NBA) On July 17, The Sun took down the San Antonio Silver Stars on the road 72-64. Gardin came off the bench again to play six minutes, and did not score or have any rebounds. The next game came Sunday, July 19 against the Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Fever. The Sun snapped the Fever’s 11-game winning streak in a 67-61 win. Lindsay Whalen scored 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out six assists for Connecticut
Hokies in pro action this week Joe Saunders Cleveland 7/27 Kerri Gardin Phoenix 7/28
Patrick Nyarko @ Seattle 7/25 MLS All Star game 7/29 THANDIWE OGBONNA/COLLEGIATE TIMES
in the win. Gardin played nearly ten minutes off the bench, scoring two points. The Sun moved within three games of Indiana in the conference standings with the big win.
Zabian Dowdell (NBDL) On July 15, Dowdell and the Suns fell to the Raptors in NBA Summer League play 74-73. The former Hokie played 17 minutes, scoring seven points and dishing out two assists. The Raptors rallied late after trailing by as many as nine in the fourth quarter to steal away the victory. On July 17, the Suns faced the NBDL Select team. It was the only game of the ten-day league that pitted two former Hokies against one another, as Coleman Collins suited up for the Select team. The Suns won the game, 95-89. Dowdell played fourteen minutes, scoring six points with four assists. Collins was in the starting lineup, played 27 minutes, and scored 19 points with six rebounds in a strong effort. The Suns game on July 18 was one to be forgotten, as they were trampled by the Memphis Grizzlies 97-60. Dowdell played the most minutes of his week with 24, and he shot nearly 50 percent from the field en route to a 14-point performance. He also grabbed four rebounds. In the final session of the week, the Suns faced off against the Clippers and number one overall pick Blake Griffin. Phoenix bested the Clippers by a score of 87-70. Dowdell played 12 minutes, scoring five points, three of them coming from the foul line. The Suns finished the week with a record of 3-2.
Deron Washington (NBDL) On July 15, Washington and the Pistons blew out the New York Knicks 96-73. Washington played all but two minutes, scoring five points, however he only took three shots in the entire
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game. He grabbed five rebounds and made several key defensive plays in the win. On July 17, Washington played 36 minutes in the Pistons’ 92-86 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Washington went 4-7 from the field, scoring 12 points to go with four rebounds. The Cleveland WASHINGTON game concluded the Pistons’ week in Vegas, where they finished 4-1. Washington averaged 8.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 31 minutes played per game. He also started every game at small forward.
2010 football season On Wednesday, WTVR-6 in Richmond reported that Virginia Tech and Boise State had reached an agreement to open to 2010 football season at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. According to the CBS affiliate’s Web site, the Hokies were looking to fill a slot on their 2010 schedule vacated when Syracuse backed out of an agreement to a home-andhome series. Reportedly, Tech will not make the trip to Boise in 2011 or any time soon after that. There have been no reports on who the 2011 opponent will be or where it will take place. The matchup would mark the third consecutive season the Hokies opened the season on a neutral field in a large atlantic market. In 2008 Tech played East Carolina in Charlotte, N.C., and are set to face
Alabama at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta September 5. Tech opened its season at the Washington Redskins’ home field once before. Tech and top-ranked USC squared off in 2004 at FedEx Field, with USC topping the Hokies 24-13. Boise State, on the other hand, would be making another step toward national recognition and respect. One of two FBS schools in Idaho, Boise State has only been playing at the top level of college football for less than two decades. They have not wasted time making their presence felt across the country, however. In the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, the Broncos capped off an undefeated season by shocking the perennial powerhouse Oklahoma Sooners in overtime 43-42.
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Coleman Collins (NBDL) On July 15, Collins and the NBDL Select Team defeated the winless Sacramento Kings 105-89. Collins came off the bench to play 25 minutes and score 10 points. It was a perfect day for the former Tech forward, who went 3-3 from the field and 4-4 from the foul line. He also grabbed four rebounds in the game. After falling to Dowdell and the Suns on July 18, the next day Collins and the Select team returned to play the Denver Nuggets, where it fell 94-90. Collins played 17 minutes and scored 11 points to go along with seven rebounds in the losing effort. In the final game of the week, the Select team edged the Portland Trail Blazers by a single point, 74-73. Collins returned to the starting lineup, played 23 minutes, but only scored four points and had four rebounds. The Select team finished the week 3-2. Collins started three of the five contests, averaging 12 points and 5.6 rebounds in 23.6 minutes of action per game. He shot nearly 80% from the foul line, as he hopes to make an NBA roster come November after spending last season in the NBDL with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
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