Thursday, August 6, 2009 Print Edition

COLLEGIATETIMES

august 6, 2009

what’s inside News.............2 Features ........6 0pinions........5 Sports ...........9 Classifieds ...11 Sudoku........11 106th year issue 69 blacksburg, va.

Kaine clarifies statement to families ZACH CRIZER

news editor Gov. Tim Kaine is “not ruling anything out” in terms of editing the report compiled in 2007 by the Governor’s Review Panel.

Spokesperson Michael Kelly said Kaine wants to evaluate the information and corrections sent by family members before making a final judgment on reconven-

ing the Governor’s Review Panel.

Many families of April 16 victims expressed displeasure that the panel would not be reconvened upon receiving an e-mail from the governor’s office Monday.

The e-mail, sent by Mark Rubin of Kaine’s counsel, outlined the plan to begin proposed revisions to the report after Aug. 19, when the counsel requests all revision suggestions and corrections.

“While we would not rule

out inviting willing members of the Panel to review proposed revisions to report, we are sensitive that there are families who expressly do not want to reconvene the Panel,” the e-mail said.

The e-mail also said “the recently recovered medical records for Seung Hui Cho will certainly be a part of that review.”

Kaine’s office clarified that the governor has not decided against

see KAINE, page two

Montgomery County judges will not preside over April 16 lawsuits ZACH CRIZER

news editor Both Montgomery Circuit Court judges recused themselves from presiding over civil lawsuits filed by families of April 16 victims Erin Peterson and Julia Pryde.

The suits, filed on the two year anniversary of the shootings, seek $10 million in damages from

shooter Seung-Hui Cho’s estate, the Commonwealth of Virginia, several current and former Virginia Tech officials, as well as local mental health workers.

The families originally filed the identical suits in Fairfax County Circuit Court, but the suits were transferred to Montgomery County to make travel easier for defendants.

see JUDGES, page three

Deeds visits solar decathlon house ZACH CRIZER

news editor Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds made a stop at Virginia Tech’s Research and Demonstration facility Tuesday to tour the Lumenhaus that will compete in the U.S. Department of Energy’s solar decathlon.

President Charles Steger, College of Architecture and Urban Studies Dean Jack Davis and local House of Delegates representative Jim Shuler joined Deeds in learning about the project.

Lumenhaus is a solar home being built by a team of Tech students, led by faculty members such as project coordinator Joseph Wheeler and Robert Dunay, director of the Center for Design Research.

Deeds viewed a video presentation on the project before Wheeler took him on a tour of the partially constructed house.

Deeds called the project a step toward a new economic era.

“You’ve got to be prepared for the next big thing,” Deeds said. “I think the next place for money to be made in this country is energy technology.”

Lumenhaus is Tech’s third house to be entered in the decathlon.

It will be moved to the Gables Center parking lot Thursday and operate for two weeks. The group is testing how much surplus power the house can add to the Blacksburg grid.

Deeds also spoke to the Collegiate Times about other issues facing the Blacksburg area.

He said a new economic plan would be needed to improve conditions in the struggling area, but regretted that the general assembly did not accept federal stimulus money to aid the unemployed.

“Well, first off, the general assembly made a mistake by rejecting the stimulus dollars that would’ve helped,

DANIEL LIN/SPPS

Left: Del. Jim Shuler, gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds and Virginia Tech President Charles Steger talk with Lumenhaus developers about the solar decathlon. Right: Lumenhaus project coordinator Joseph Wheeler shows Deeds around the third solar home built at the university. particularly laid-off people who wanted to retrain to be well fitted for the new economy,” Deeds said.

Deeds plans to give a tax credit to business owners for each job created.

“I’ve laid out very specific plans about economic development,” Deeds said. “We need to first stimulate small business growth. I’ve got a plan to create a culture of entrepreneurship that leads with a tax credit. You create a job, you get a tax credit.”

Deeds said making Virginia more attractive to business is the best way to boost the economy.

“We’ve got to develop a transportation system that becomes a model for the nation,” Deeds said. “That’s part of my ‘build it and they will come’ strategy — Field of Dreams strategy.

You build the transportation system that becomes the model for the rest of the nation and you build the smartest

work force in the world by investing in education.”

Part of that strategy is allowing more Virginians to attend institutions of higher education.

“Make higher education more affordable, make it more accessible, you’re going to attract the smartest jobs in the world to Virginia,” Deeds said.

At the first gubernatorial debate at the Homestead Resort, Deeds said that while he supported the second amendment, he has “become convinced” the bill to eliminate the gun show loophole should be passed.

The bill, which was killed on the floor of the state senate in February, was supported by many families of April 16 victims.

“It’s more than just being convinced,” Deeds said. “I listened to both sides, and I tried to come up with a series of

amendments, and I got that bill out of committee for the first time.”

He said meeting the families in the aftermath of the shootings motivated him to support the bill.

“Losing a child is a pretty powerful thing,” Deeds said. “My office was filled with Virginia Tech families twice, many of whom have lost children, and I just felt the need to respond to that grief.”

Deeds said he tried to reach a compromise between public safety concerns of the bill and second amendment rights.

“I sat down and looked at the bill and I tried to come up with common sense ways that I thought would improve the bill, but not sacrifice any public safety interest the bill sought to achieve, and also not unnecessarily interfere with second amendment rights to own or possess firearms,

BREAKING NEWS, MULTIMEDIA, UPDATES AND MORE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT COLLEGIATETIMES.COM

which are rights I happen to believe in,” Deeds said.

He also reacted to the recent discovery of April 16 shooter Seung-Hui Cho’s mental health records at the home of former Cook Counseling Center director Robert Miller.

Deeds said there should be a review involving the records and what impact they could have had on the shootings.

“I think everybody is entitled to an answer and I’ve shared my views with the governor. I think somebody ought to review what happened,” Deeds said. “Reality is, there’s nothing anyone can do that’s going to change what happened on April 16. We certainly can learn lessons from that incident that will improve public policy in the future that will make sure something like that doesn’t happen again.”

page

NEWS

2

Kaine: No final decision made on reconvening panel from page one

reconvening the panel. He will wait until after compiling proposed corrections from family members and university officials.

Family members were originally instructed to send corrections when they were given access to Virginia Tech’s document archive.

The first e-mail, sent on Dec. 31, 2008 by former legal counsel Larry Roberts, said suggestions for a revised report were due in March of 2009, at which point they would be evaluated and added to the report.

However, that was delayed for unknown reasons and the next email, sent on July 7 by Kaine assistant Kate Paris, set Aug. 19 as the deadline for submission of possible corrections.

The spokesperson said the top priority is making sure the factual material in the panel’s report is accurate.

Information systems company TriData, which aided in creating the original report, will compile the proposed corrections.

Kaine has said he is not inclined to reconvene the panel, as the independent company will work with the state to evaluate corrections sent by family members of victims and university personnel.

After evaluating that information, Kaine will make a final decision on the panel’s future.

Kelly said he did not know if Kaine had contacted any of the panel members to gauge their interest in reconvening, but said any conversations Kaine had with panel members would remain a private matter.

News in Brief Deputy police chief announced Gene Deisinger of Iowa State University has dual duty as the new Virginia Tech Police deputy chief and Tech’s first director of threat management services.

Starting Aug. 17, Deisinger will oversee daily operations of the police station as well as coordinate efforts within the university for campus violence prevention.

The April 16 Review Panel recommended the creation of a threat assessment team on campus. A director of threat management services was desired to coordinate programs for both the threat assessment team and violence prevention team.

According to Chief Wendell Flinchum, Deisinger had consulted in threat assessment in the DEISINGER Tech aftermath of April 16, 2007.

Deisinger was the final candidate for deputy chief but according to Flinchum, “concerning the threat assessment, we decided to give him these duties also.”

Deisinger was formerly the associate director of public safety and deputy chief of police at Iowa State University. He will replace Tom Foster, who left the Tech police department in April.

Tech receives federal funding for research Three research projects at Virginia Tech will receive $873,000 in federal funding for the 2010 fiscal year.

An Agriculture, Rural Development and FDA appropriations bill adopted by the Senate Tuesday included funding for Tech projects at the request of senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb.

The three projects being funded are the Biodesign and Processing Research Center, Inland Marine Aquaculture and Sustainable Engineered Materials from Renewable Resources.

Inland Marine Aquaculture will receive the most funding, $400,000, as it could lead to the “creation of new employment opportunities in communities where many people were once employed in the textile, furniture, mining and tobacco industries,” according to a press release from Senators Warner and Webb.

Schiffert now offers online scheduling KATE MAGRUDER

ONLINE APPOINTMENTS

collegiatetimes.com august 6, 2009

ct reporter Schiffert Health Center launched a new online appointment request service this summer, allowing students to schedule non-emergency visits from their computer.

Colleen Farmer, quality improvement coordinator at Schiffert, said the Online Student Health option was made to be more convenient for the student population.

“This service will allow students to choose their appointment time in the event Schiffert Health Center is closed,” Farmer said.

“This service is going to allow the student to have more flexibility and allow our staff to focus more on our patients.”

Farmer said personal assistance is still available in the appointment process.

Virginia Tech students eligible for services at Schiffert Health Center can register to use this service at no additional cost.

The new service found on Schiffert’s Web site is an online interface for selecting appointment types and times and will complement the current methods for making appointments.

Before making an appointment using the online service, students must register using their Tech PID and password.

Farmer said urgent needs should not be dealt with over the online system.

“Appointments for emergency

look down.

Register to make appointments on the Schiffert Web site at https://www.healthcenter.vt.edu/ symptoms should not be made online,” Farmer said. “Only eligible students, which are those who have paid their fee, can make appointments online.”

Schiffert Health Center developed an Online Student Health Committee to assist in the development of the new online appointment request service feature.

The Online Student Health Committee has been developing this option for Tech students for a year.

Several universities, such as Georgia Tech, have been using this option for several years.

Stamps Health Center, Georgia Tech’s student health center on campus, offers same-day or next-day online appointment reservations for the Primary Care Clinic and Allergy Clinic.

Before Schiffert’s new online appointment request service feature was implemented this summer, there was an Online Cold Clinic.

“The Online Cold Clinic is an option for students who may need information on determining if they need to see a practitioner or have a cold vs. the flu,” Farmer said. “The Online Cold Clinic serves as a resource for students who are seeking information about the transmission of certain diseases.”

pick up.

Fewer students placed in temporary housing Judges: Virginia Supreme 260 beds added - 400 beds eliminated 140 fewer beds 422 fewer freshmen 260 more transfers granted housing 370 more upperclassmen turned down (compared to 0 in 2008) THANDIWE OGBONNA/COLLEGIATETIMES

man demand for on-campus housing can affect the admissions process.

“Since all first year students are guaranteed on-campus housing, it doesn’t affect admissions the first year,” Johnson said. “It is really only in the second year, when those students become upperclassmen would they make the decision to live on or off campus. Then the 150 less beds would become an area of concern for them.”

East Amber Johnston will be closed for the upcoming school year, eliminating 400 beds, while only 260 students will be able to live in New Hall West.

Johnson said the East Ambler Johnston renovation also entails adding lounges and renovating the connectors to West Ambler Johnston.

“For us to completely renovate East AJ it will take two years because not only are we doing it in East, we are doing the connectors, the lounges between East and West in the first two year phase,” Johnson said. “So when we are done it will be renovated, air-

conditioned, it will have new lounge space in between East and West, new kitchens, new work out rooms, and things like that.”

He said that while New Hall West is not as large as East Ambler Johnston, it will help alleviate some of the loss of space.

“There are two main objectives for building New Hall West. Number one, it gives us a different style residence hall on campus that students were asking for a number of years ago when we got into the initial planning. It is a double room but a private bath,” Johnson said.

“Reason number two is because we are going to close East AJ for two years, we needed another residence hall to lessen the impact of closing off 400 student beds for two years.”

New Hall West will be ready for student occupancy at the start of the upcoming school year this August.

Johnson said only the finishing touches remain.

“The only things that need to be done left on the building are exterior landscaping, they are putting in some sidewalks, they are grading the outside, and they are going to put seed,” Johnson said. “That is going to be over the next two weeks.”

According to Johnson, the university hopes to make renovations in all of the residence halls on the core campus that were built before the mid 1980s in the next 15-20 years. That list includes West Amber Johnston, East Amber Johnston, Pritchard, Lee, Slusher, O’Shaughnessy, Vawter, and Barringer.

Obama touts new GI Bill MARK SILVA

Tribune Washington Bureau

can opt to transfer the tuition benefit to their spouse or children. It is anticipated that nearly a half-million veterans or family members could participate in the first year. More than 25,000 service members have applied for the transferred benefit.

While the legislation has been widely praised by veterans groups, concerns also have been raised that universities and the Veterans Affairs department could be overwhelmed because of the complexity of the benefit. There have been complaints that veterans attending private schools in states that offer low public tuition face a huge disparity in what they can collect.

The benefits range from 40 percent of the state tuition for those with at least 90 days but less than six months of service since Sept. 11, 2001, to 100 percent for those with at least 36 months of aggregate service or 30 continuous days and a discharge due to a service-related disability.

The tuition and fees and will be paid directly to the schools involved.

The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., a decorated Marine veteran and former secretary of the Navy.

from page one

Virginia.”

Defendant Robert Miller, former director of Cook Counseling Center, recently came forward with Cho’s mental health records, which university officials said were “nonexistent” during the original investigation of the shootings.

According to the recusal filing, Judge Colin R. Gibb, who recused himself, will temporarily remain as the judge of record to “handle any necessary matters that may occur, until such time as a judge designate is named by the Supreme Court of

is hiring ALL editorial positions!

For more information and to download an application visit collegiatetimes.com/join.html

365 Squires Student Center • 231-9870

collegiatetimes.com august 6, 2009

President Obama on Monday called a new GI Bill offering college tuition assistance to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan “an investment in our own country.”

The new law is expected to offer veterans $78 billion in benefits over the coming decade. It is the most comprehensive education benefit offered to veterans since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the original GI Bill for World War II veterans in 1944.

The measure is “not simply a debt that we are repaying to the remarkable men and women who have served,” Obama said at a ceremony at a suburban state university campus in Fairfax, Va. “It is an investment in our own country. ‘’ The maximum benefit available under a law that took effect on Saturday will cover the full tuition at a public college or university for four years for each eligible veteran, Reservist and National Guard member. It also offers a monthly housing stipend and as much as $1,000 a year for books.

For those attending a private institution or graduate school, about 1,100 schools are offering additional scholarships matched by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Under the Yellow Ribbon Program, a provision of the new GI Bill, support is available for tuition that exceeds the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition.

The Department of Veterans Affairs already has processed over 112,000 claims for tuition under the new GI Bill.

“While our discourse often produced more heat than light, especially here in Washington, they have put their very lives on the line for America. They have borne the responsibility of war,” the president said at the ceremony at George Mason University.

“And now, with this policy, we are making it clear that the United States of America must reward responsibility, and not irresponsibility,” Obama said. “Now, with this policy, we are letting those who have borne the heaviest burden lead us into the 21st century.

Under the new law, service members who agree to serve four additional years in the military also

Court to appoint new judges

ing !

Last year’s freshman class of 5,601 produced a housing crunch on Virginia Tech’s campus and a decreased freshman enrollment was necessary this year as the number of beds will also decrease.

There are 5,179 incoming freshmen this fall, which is close to the admissions target of 5,025. Kenneth Belcher, Tech’s Associate Director for Occupancy Management, said it is a manageable number.

“We are about where we expect to be,” Belcher said. “For the students coming in, we have got housing for them and we will have just a few students in temporary housing. Part of the people in temporary housing are returning students and part are incoming freshmen.”

Over 300 students were placed in temporary housing last fall.

“Last year, we dealt with the extra large class of students by a very similar methodology where we use overflow housing, which would be converting our RA rooms to having a roommate and converting study lounges,” Belcher said. “That is a pretty standard thing for us to do in that situation.”

This year about 370 upperclassmen were turned down for on-campus housing, and no one from that wait list received housing. A crop of over 300 transfer students will live on campus.

Rick Johnson, Director of Housing and Dining Services, said upperclass-

Housing Info 2009

Hir

ct reporter

3 NEWS

KATE MAGRUDER

page

page

Scare tactics do not reduce college alcohol consumption

NEWS

4

BALDUR HEDINSSON

DANIEL LIN/SPPS

Inside the area of the proposed nightclub, construction is ongoing but walls are already full of graffiti.

Ceritano’s proposal a work in progress ZACH CRIZER

news editor Ceritano’s proposal to renovate an existing space to open a nightclub was conditionally denied by the town of Blacksburg.

Head chef Tina Librone said the restaurant was given a list of necessary

collegiatetimes.com august 6, 2009

straints, only two studies by the same researcher, William DeJong, a professor at Boston University’s School of Give college students a clue on how Public Health, were included in the much their friends are really drinking, review. One of the two showed sucand those students will tend to drink cess in reducing student drinking, less alcohol, according to a recent and the other did not.

“Re-analyzing data from both studpaper.

Scientist agree that scare tactics that ies shows that the mixed results are highlight the harms of heavy drink- due to differences in the number of ing don’t reduce alcohol consumption campus communities with alcohol outlet density,” DeJong said. “Powerful among youth.

Almost 30 years ago, health officials social marketing media campaigns began using a novel method to com- are needed to work where there is easy bat alcohol abuse on campuses by access to alcohol, but they do work.”

Many studies that focus on the informing instead of scaring. Students were made aware of how their drink- effect of social media campaigns on ing compares with others on campus a single campus--such as billboards and newspaper advertising--were in various ways.

A study that reviews research on excluded from the review.

“It is very difficult different commuto do randomnication strategies found that “Powerful social marketing media ized assignment of subjects in social individual feednorms marketing back either via a campaigns are needed to work computer or in where there is easy access to alco- campaigns within a campus comperson effectively munity,” said Wes reduced drinking hol, but they do work.”

Perkins, professor among students.

Group counseling and mailed feed- of sociology at Hobart and William back did not have a significant impact Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y. on student drinking, and the jury is “There are many longitudinal studies, however, where media campaigns still out on mass media campaigns.

The study was published recently were used that were not included in in the third issue of the Cochrane the review but show such campaigns to be effective over time in correcting Library 2009.

The majority of young people over- student misperceptions and reducing estimate how much and how often drinking.” their peers drink. And that can foster an environment that encourages ALCOHOL DEATHS heavy drinking.

Alcohol abuse at U.S. college cam“This creates a type of peer pres- puses is a daunting problem. A study sure, which drives levels of drinking published in this month’s Journal of upwards,” said David Foxcroft, profes- Studies on Alcohol and Drugs estisor of health care practice at Oxford mates 1,825 college students ages 18 Brookes University in the United to 24 die annually because of alcoholKingdom and the review’s co-author. related unintentional injuries.

Foxcroft and his fellow researchers “Every college student has roughly analyzed data from 22 previously two age-mates not in college, which published studies that included 7,275 means that over 5,000 18- to 24-yearmostly U.S. college students. old Americans die each year due to All the studies had the same goal _ alcohol-related causes,” said Ralph to reduce drinking by educating stu- Hingson, director of the Division dents on how their drinking behavior of Epidemiology and Prevention compared with others on campus. Research at the National Institute on The review sought to determine Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and which methods are effective and one of the report’s co-authors. “That which are not. is more than the number of U.S. solStudents who received personal diers that have died during the entire feedback either through the Internet Iraq war.” or individual face-to-face sessions The report found an increase in reduced their overall alcohol con- unintentional deaths and injuries sumption compared with those who related to alcohol consumption from did not get personal feedback. previous years as well as an increase The review also found evidence in drunken driving among college that Web-based feedback reduced students. binge drinking--defined as five or The results of the review published more drinks in one sitting for a man by the English researchers are one and four or more for a woman--and part in combating the growing damalcohol-related problems. age alcohol consumption among The researchers did not find group young people has on society. counseling and mailed feedback to be “There is no silver bullet,” Hingson effective methods to reduce drinking. said. “I believe interventions on The review tried to determine the multiple levels to be the solution, a effectiveness of media campaigns to collaboration where colleges work correct student misperception, but with the communities” in which they because of rigorous inclusion con- are based.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

improvements to be made to bring the space up to par with the town’s regulations.

The nightclub would feature a stage for live music, as well as a catwalk and upstairs bar area.

Librone did not have a timetable for completing the necessary renovations.

An area in the back of the building

was painted during a graffiti contest and is now undergoing renovations.

Librone said the restaurant must add several things to the space, including sprinklers in case of fire.

Ceritano’s submitted plans to the town on July 16.

The space was formerly the Virginia Tech Museum of Natural History.

The Collegiate Times is an independent student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903

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

Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters and comments to the Collegiate Times.

365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, Va. 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com Letters must include name and daytime phone number. Letters must not exceed 300 words, and should be in MS Word (.doc) format if possible.

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.

© Collegiate Times, August 6, 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.

When Andrew Johnson was sworn in as President of the United States shortly after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, many northerners rejoiced, believing Johnson would be strict on southern states during their return to the Union. When Johnson’s philosophy changed, he became the first president to be impeached, escaping conviction by a single vote in the Senate and leaving his administration crawling through its only term.

Many important lessons shine through this era of deep division and subsequent governmental impotence, but perhaps most important is the danger of misusing the Constitution for dubious political motives.

Johnson’s impeachment culminated from his alleged violation of the Tenure of Office Act. This infant and untested law could not have been the true motivation behind the impeachment of the President, which the Constitution says shall be done for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Instead, it was simply the will of a populist faction that intended to misuse its constitutional powers. There are several concerning implications of this scenario, but with regard only to impeachment powers, there is the threat that presidents will be inhibited from decisively taking on a controversial issue for fear of a Congress sensitive to whimsical clamor, a dilemma lived out by Johnson’s successors.

As usual, the American citizens paid the price, as the suffering caused by monopolistic business practices was unmitigated by a federal government that neither rode the tiger, nor tried to steal its food. One of the strengths of republican government, as James Madison articulated, is that by guarding leaders against the immediate

feelings of the public, it allows them to make prudent, far-sighted decisions, a chief reason for the Constitution’s original prescription for senators to be elected by the state legislatures, which the 17th Amendment later changed.

The unabated suffering of the people of the late 19th century is a testament to the effects of forgetting this principle.

The other troubling prospect stemming from Johnson’s indictment is its implications for other Constitutional matters. If legislators are capable of imposing themselves on the executive branch unjustly, will they hesitate to impose themselves on the citizenry?

By all accounts, the answer is no, especially if they face an accepting or apathetic populous. The apathy effect is easy to understand and see present in modern times; the notion of accepting government force, however, is broader than the word implies. This consent principle can be borne out either by strong support or widespread fear.

The nation may support strong actions as with Johnson’s impeachment, or it may fear the consequences of opposing the government, such as in the 2001 passing of the USA Patriot Act, or the previous and current administrations’ takeover of General Motors, advanced through economic anxieties.

Just as monopolies capitalized on the executive branch’s fear of Congress, Congress has now capitalized on the fears of the citizenry. And once again, it is the same citizenry whose fear fuels the tyrants, which bears out the cost.

As constitutional attorney John Whitehead notes, fear can be a large factor in public opinion and is, no doubt, a great threat to liberty. This means that should the government ever be given the opportunity—either by apathy or fear—we could be facing rulers who disparage our civil liberties under the auspices of responding to grievances.

Within the next five years, we will come upon the anniversary of two major historic military events, the start of the RAY U.S. Civil War PLAZA and World War I. In 2011, the regular U.S. will mark columnist the sesquicentennial, or the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, while in 2014, the world will mark the 100th anniversary of World War I. As I write this column, there are just three World War I veterans still alive. If I had written this on July 1, that number would have been five.

Sadly, within a week of each other in mid-July, Henry Alingham and Harry Patch from the United Kingdom died, thus leaving just three veterans left. There is a strong chance that, by the time of the 100th anniversary, no veterans of the war will still be alive.

These anniversaries raise questions about how we, as a society, handle these events in light of the fact that, in any war, there is a winning side and a losing side. Can an anniversary be done in which both the victors and losers are recognized?

For example, with the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, this will lead to discussions about the continued legacy and impact of the war.

How will our own Commonwealth handle the anniversary? Richmond served as the Capital of the confederacy and many prominent Virginia Statesmen were a part of the effort. How do you honor the sacrifices of the confederate

soldiers without the fear of reprisals from those that claim honoring this legacy is in turn honoring the legacy of slavery?

Can the Southern states be allowed to reflect upon their past in a way that accommodates everyone? Can the Northern States honor their fallen soldiers without appearing to be boastful? It is not an easy situation.

When the 100th anniversary of the Civil War occurred in 1961, the climate was still hostile for the non-white population in many parts of the south. Some would argue that nothing had changed in that hundred-year period from the end of the war. Brown vs. Board of Education had been decided, it would be a while before full integration would happen in many areas, and it would not be until 1964 that the Civil Rights Act would be passed.

I suspect that the conversations in 2011 may be different than those of 1961. How will the federal government mark the occasion? It is fitting that President Obama’s term overlaps with the anniversary.

What role will he play? Will there be a Gettysburg Address of the 21st century?

With Virginia Tech having a strong military tradition through the Corps of Cadets, these impending anniversaries provide an opportunity for the Corps to join in the discussions within the university and local community on these questions.

We have experts on the campus and the local community that can help in these discussions. While it may appear far off in the distance, we need to be prepared for these discussions.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR End hunger for one billion There are now one billion people suffering from chronic hunger in the world. One out of every six people in the world does not get enough to eat. How many people do you know that go to bed hungry? That means many of those one in six do not live in America. In fact, nearly all of them are found in the developing countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. I implore you to read this, my effort to move you to action.

According to an article sponsored by several international aid outlets, nearly half of the 10 million people who die of hunger each year are children. Thirtyone countries – 20 in Africa, nine in

Asia, and two in Central America and the Caribbean are facing a food crisis and need emergency help according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Ask yourself, “Can I live with this?”

If the answer is yes, thank you for your time; best of luck in your endeavors. If not, now is as good a time as any to become involved.

This cause is a moral obligation laid upon the back of all humanity. It is not a fad or a spare time hobby. It is fighting for the basic right of every person on this earth to live.

If you want a direct way to get involved, join Oxfam America. I have started a new group on campus with the stated goals of creating lasting solu-

tions to poverty, hunger, and injustice.

Oxfam works in over 100 countries and responds to emergencies throughout the world. It has created a program to stabilize communities by creating new jobs, and financing new industries throughout the world.

So you, as someone who is not included in the 2.5 billion impoverished (people who live on less than $2 a day) or the 1 billion who go to bed hungry should stand up and get involved. Make a donation to Oxfam, WFO, the Red Cross, or your favorite international aid organization. Or volunteer your time, expertise, and influence to help further a universal human cause. We spend billions on research to cure diseases, why not

spend money to cure a problem that has a solution? Hunger has a cure, selfprescribed daily.

An Oxfam event speech reads, “Everyone on earth has the same basic needs; it is only our circumstances — where we live and the culture into which we are born — that differ. Some are born into relative prosperity and security, while millions, through no choice of their own are born into poverty.” If you can’t live with this, join Oxfam and help us make a difference.

E-mail us at oxfam@vt.edu today.

Christopher Mortweet Junior, biochemistry, chemistry and political science

collegiatetimes.com august 6, 2009

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.

SCOTT MASSELLI regular columnist

Nearby milestones 5 give cause to reflect

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

Historical lessons on abuse of power

page

page

FEATURES

6

LooP In the

Wondering what's going on around the 'burg?

Check out the events of the upcoming week.

Thursday, August 6

Saturday, August 8

Tuesday, August 11

What: Blacksburg Daughters of the American Revolution When: 1:30 p.m.

Where: German Club Manor Cost: Free

What: Chateau Morrisette Black Dog Wine & Jazz Festival When: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Where: Chateau Morrisette Cost: $20

What: Family Night at the Movies When: 6 p.m.

Where: Christiansburg Library Cost: Free

What: The Outdoor Classroom presents “Running Amuck” When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Wildwood Park, Radford Cost: Free

What: Nascar Wheelen All-American Series When: 2 p.m.

Where: Motor Mile Speedway Cost: $5 general admission, students free with I.D.

Friday, August 7 What: Blacksburg Motor Company Grand Opening When: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Where: Blacksburg Motor Company Cost: Free What: Meet Artist Terry Lyon When: 5-7 p.m.

Where: Art Pannonia Cost: Free

Sunday, August 9 What: Presentation of “Coraline” When: 6 p.m.

Where: Blacksburg Library Cost: Free What: Radford Fiddle and Banjo Jam When: 7 p.m.

Where: Coffee Mill Cost: Free

Wednesday, August 12 What: Butterfly Walk in the Garden When: 12-1 p.m.

Where: Hahn Horticultural Garden Cost: Free What: Pulaski Mariners vs. Bluefield When: 7 p.m.

Where: Calfee Park Cost: $4 general admission, $6 reserved What: Virginia Folk-Jazz Trio When: 9:30 p.m.

Where: The Cellar Cost: Free

Check out Steppin' Out, Downtown Blacksburg's annual street festival, August 7-8 from 10 a.m. until 10p.m.

If you would like an event featured in our calendar, e-mail features@ collegiatetimes.com.

‘Joe,’ ‘Perfect Getaway,’ ‘Julie & Julia’ hit theatres MATTHEW ARTZ

features editor

collegiatetimes.com august 6, 2009

“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” Continuing the Hollywood trend of turning famous toys into big movies, “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” will be released Friday, August 7.

The movie stars Channing Tatum, Sienna Miller, Dennis Quaid and Ray Park, along with many more, in what looks to be another successful explosion-filled romp for Paramount Pictures.

This film was conceived hot on the heels of the success Paramount had with “Transformers,” Hasbro’s other famous action figure line.

As the title implies, the film follows the rise of the evil Cobra Commander to power and his attempt at ruling the world.

This new threat requires the use of a select group of individuals. The Special Forces team designated G.I. Joe is formed and dispatched to stop him before his plans for global domination can come to fruition.

The movie had rumors of horrible audience test-screenings, a fired director and emergency editing that created an early negative buzz.

Early reviews of the film are mixed, although generally positive, which

bodes well for the film previously thought to be the biggest flop of the summer.

This movie will be full of explosions, gunfire, over-the-top action and cheesy one liners, so, “Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.”

“A Perfect Getaway” This movie stars Milla Jovivich of “Resident Evil” fame and Steve Zahn from “Sahara” as newlyweds on their honeymoon in Hawaii.

The two decide to spend their trip hiking a remote trail to a secluded beach on the island where they are staying.

The couple comes across a group of hikers who are discussing the recent murder of two other newlyweds on the trail. Police claim a man and a woman in the area committed the murders.

The couple soon finds itself trapped in the wilderness with two other couples, not knowing who the real killer is.

This film is billed a suspense thriller with a twist ending that audiences won’t see coming.

The movie looks like a solid date flick that will deliver suspense to audiences, but the ending probably won’t surprise many.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

The mysterious ninja Snake Eyes is played by Ray Park. “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” opens in theatres August 7.

“Julie & Julia” “Julie & Julia” stars Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.

In the film, Streep plays famous cook Julia Child, who battles through a snobby French cooking school to find herself and something she can be successful at.

Adams plays Julie Powell, a woman who similarly feels lost in her life and

decides to write a blog about cooking through Julia Child’s cookbook.

“Julie & Julia” is a movie about finding direction and meaning in life and is a combination of the actual memoirs from the lives of Julia Child and Julie Powell.

It will be interesting to see how the film handles the transitions between the two characters, who are separated by many years.

The movie will appeal mostly to the older generation as half of the movie is lost on younger people, who have probably never heard of Julia Child.

The film trailer also screams chick flick with its touching qualities and very strong female leads.

Although the movie won’t be a high-grossing knockout, it will provide much-needed emotional depth to this weekend’s movie releases.

page

‘Funny People’ not the funniest Apatow film doesn’t let a 12-year marriage and two kids get in the way.

Sandler gives a solid performance that blends his work in comedies with his more dramatic roles.

The film really mimics Sandler’s career quite closely. He basically plays himself, along with a deadly disease and a long-lost love.

The film incorporates a lot of Sandler’s early work to set-up the background of the character.

This includes audio sound bytes, home videos, and clips of standup performances from his past.

This makes the film moving to those who have watched and listened to Sandler throughout his career and remember seeing him when he first started out.

As someone who has listened to Sandler’s early album releases, all his voices and jokes in the movie are either directly imported or subtly changed to fit the film script.

This made the film less funny than it should have been, but to those uninitiated, this new perspective on the king of family-friendly comedies will be fresh and hilarious.

The film also has a group of cameos from the comedic world, including some unexpected ones.

The only thing missing are Sandler’s mod squad that usually appears in

his “Waterboy” type movies. Several musical artists also make appearances at different points in the film.

“Funny People” is a movie that feels nothing like Apatow’s previous works.

Both “Superbad” and “KnockedUp” were films that touched on serious subjects like friendship and having a baby out of wedlock, but were light-hearted.

Neither tried blasting its underlying subject at viewers, who oftentimes didn’t even realize there was one.

Most would expect “Funny People” to follow in its predecessors’ footsteps — but it doesn’t.

This movie takes its serious elements and bashes it over the audience’s head.

It doesn’t attempt to be subtle or lighthearted.

This is a story of a broken man struggling to overcome his illness and get back some of what he has lost by letting his career, fame and ego get in the way of family and friends.

This serious element might not be so bad if the film weren’t so focused on Sandler’s character for the twoand-a-half hour runtime.

Another problem with the film is that the dialogue seems spur of the moment.

Awkward pauses and stutters give the impression the actors made up

FEATURES

This past weekend Judd Apatow released another one of his comedies on the masses — but this time out it isn’t all laughs.

“Funny MATTHEW People” stars Adam ARTZ Sandler and Seth features Rogen in Apatow’s editor third directorial debut.

Sandler plays a big-time comedian who has just been recently diagnosed with a rare blood disease.

Rogen is a hard working, up-andc o m i n g comedian MOVIE REVIEW who recently started performing standup.

The pair meets by coincidence at a comedy club that Sandler, fresh off his bad news from the doctor, has decided to perform at to relive his glory days.

Their initial altercation is less than spectacular, but Sandler offers Rogen a job as his assistant.

Shortly after, Sandler goes through a realization phase where he talks to people from his past and reconnects with “the girl that got away.”

He attempts to win the girl and

7

MCT

Adam Sandler, Leslie Mann and Eric Bana star in “Funny People.” their lines on the spot and that the editors put those takes in the final version to give the movie a less programmed feel.

Sometimes it feels natural, but other times characters sound like they have horrible stutters.

This movie isn’t going to leave people rolling in the aisles like “Superbad” or “Knocked-Up.” This film makes you

think about the life of someone who brings laughter to the masses, but like so many people, can’t find happiness of his own.

There are laughs along the way, however, this movie has more drama and leaves you wanting to watch another comedy just to feel good.

It is definitely worth a watch, but it won’t make you cheery.

collegiatetimes.com august 6, 2009

page

FEATURES

8

Steppin’ Out brings a block party to downtown ANDREW GADDY

features staff writer Downtown does not look like it did 29 years ago, but the summers in Blacksburg end the same: With the annual Steppin’ Out Summer Festival.

The event in its 29th year, organized by the Downtown Merchants of Blacksburg, will take place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday August 7-8. Admission to this event is free.

Laureen Blakeore, Special Events Coordinator for the event, explained there are three stages, the Main Stage, the Acoustic Stage, and the Community Stage, holding a variety of performances from musical artists and dance groups from the New River Valley.

Food stalls will be set up by several downtown restaurants, including Awful Arthur’s, Champs, Bollo’s, Bud Foster’s, India Garden, Hokie House, Todd Scully, TOTS, PK’s, Souvlaki, Gillie’s, Happy Wok, Green’s, Rita’s and The Cellar.

There will also be vendors set up all around ranging from artists to birdfeeders to homemade jewelry.

The Gregory Brothers

Community Connections, a group of non-profit organizations, will be stationed in the Tech Bookstore parking lot and on the adjacent Lee Street.

Street entertainment, including hoop dancers, stilt walkers, fire dancers, as well as the games set up downtown ensure that this year’s festival will be as exciting as ever.

ESPN Blacksburg Radio will broadcast in the Hospitality Tent located on Roanoke Street.

CT: What artists, contemporary or otherwise, really affect you as a band?

EG: The whole Motown catalogue, the whole Stax label of artists. We have a lot of pop influence from the Beatles I’d say. But then also folk writers like John Prine, Tom Waits. That’s a good list to start.

CT: Have you ever played Steppin’ Out before?

EG: We have not played Steppin’ Out before. I’ve attended many times as a teenager growing up in the New River Valley. We’re excited to finally be on the other side of the stage.

CT: You mentioned in an earlier email that you might be recording when I called, what are you guys up to as far as recording goes?

EG: We just put out a short record two months ago. So we’ll definitely be bringing that down to Blacksburg and playing songs off of that. The name of the record is “Meet the Gregory Brothers,” and then we’ll do some old hits too.

CT: Your “Auto-Tune the News” series has become extremely popular, with millions of hits on YouTube, where do you see that project going in the future as it relates to your music careers?

perform at Steppin’ Out The Gregory Brothers are one of the many bands performing at this year’s Steppin’ Out. They were recently made famous by their extremely popular “Auto-Tune the News” YouTube series. The CT caught up with Evan Gregory to conduct this interview.

CT: You guys are originally from Radford. How did you eventually end up in New York?

Evan Gregory (EG): I’ve been living in New York about 7 years. I went Q+A to school near Philadelphia, and had a lot of friends move to Philly, New York, DC, that kind of thing. But primarily it was about, having savored my small town upbringing, I was interested in what other perspectives might be out there.

I wanted to check out what the big city was like. I also wanted to be in a place with a great reputation for the musical community.

CT: How would you describe your music in three words?

EG: Three words? Folk. And. Soul.

STEPPIN’ OUT Date: August 7 & 8 Time: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

Location: Downtown Blacksburg Main Stage Performers: Grounded Granite, Stonehoney, The Kind, Jamie McLean Band, Electric Woodshed, Blacksburg Community Band, Entre Nous, Firecracker Jazz Band, Red Weather, Yams from Outer Space & many more Web Site: www.downtownblacksburg.com/

EG: Great question. The real answer is it’s impossible to anticipate where it might take us. We’re definitely doing our best to kind of harvest the attention that we’ve gotten and turn it into new projects for us. We’ll continue to do the videos as long as we still get amused by them. In terms of our original music, the videos have kind of driven a lot of fans our way that found the videos then eventually listen to our music so it’s only going to help in that way. But the videos are an exciting project unto themselves, that’s for sure.

CT: Even though that series is funny and lighthearted, you do a great job of poking fun at the ridiculousness that does exist in the mainstream media today.

EG: I’m glad you think so.

CT: What would you like to tell people to expect from your performance at Steppin’ Out? EG: Expect to be soothed by our soulful sounds and then surprised by the way it makes you move.

ON THE WEB Check out the Gregory Brothers at www.facebook.com/gregorybrothers.

Highlighted Booths Pet ID Lullabye Shop Gifts Galore College Art by Jane Blevins Funmakers Landmark Printing & Designs

DP Dough Sharkey's Ladell Kilnformed Arts Cape Fear Pottery

A

G Awful Arthur's Champs Fantasy Face Painting Bud Foster's The African Hut River Hills Glass

BecoBall Just Herbs Moon Doggie At Home Décor Studio 9ten Hats Galore & More

National Bank of Blacksburg Dunk Tank JLS Photography Blockhead Arts

Draper Road Wall Street

collegiatetimes.com august 6, 2009

F

Why Not Indulge Soaplady Ltd. Bearly Chenille Go Tech Go! Designs Clarke's Gem Mine

Roanoke Street

College Avenue Main Stage

D

Community Stage

Acoustic Stage

C

ESPN Radio

Lee Street

E

Jackson Street

Hokie House India Garden Apollo Designs May's Stitchery

Main Street

B

Tech Volleyball looks for big season, great improvements in 2009 sports editor

Having success is about all 17 players getting better together.”

As with practically every college sport, one of the biggest factors in influencing wins and losses is the advantage of playing at home.

The Hokie players realize that having the strong support of “Hokie Nation” could make the difference in being a very good team, or being a great team.

“The ACC is getting better all around, so people really need to come out and see that. We need their support. Our fans are a key part to our success and we love having them out there. It is great to see them out there”, Gergen said.

Passion for the Hokies runs deep in the volleyball program, and the players are trying their best to facilitate and spread that.

“We want to show the community and beyond that we bleed orange and maroon,” Gergen said.

Tech opens the season with the Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational at Cassell Coliseum on August 28 against Montana. UNC Greensboro and Liberty round out the four-team field for the season-opening tournament.

The Hokies will play nine home games against ACC opponents in 2009, including a Friday night showdown against North Carolina, and the season finale on November 25 against the Virginia Cavaliers.

“We just want to continue getting the fans out to watch us. We play a very aggressive and exciting style which is great to watch. We play hard every match, and we would love our fans to think the same,” Riley said.

VT Volleyball Home Schedule Opponent

Date

Montana

8/28

UNC Greensboro

8/29

Liberty

8/29

East Carolina

9/4

Norfolk State

9/5

Arkansas

9/5

NC State

10/8

UNC

10/9

Georgia Tech

10/16

Clemson

10/17

Miami

10/30

FSU

10/31

Duke

11/13

Wake Forest

11/21

Virginia

11/25

2009 THANDIWE OGBONNA/COLLEGIATE TIMES

collegiatetimes.com august 6, 2009

As Virginia Tech volleyball prepares to open preseason practice August 9, ideas of unprecedented success are on the players’ minds.

The Hokies are coming off of a season where they finished 20-11 overall, including an 11-9 mark in the ACC. At one point last season, they stood at 16-3 overall, before struggling down the stretch, including a three-game losing streak to end the year.

“We made great strides last year, and moving to this year, I would just like to be in a position to win the ACC coming down the stretch,” said Chris Riley, the team’s head coach.

Those hardships have only motivated the returning veterans in 2009.

“We have been working hard and conditioning all off-season, and putting in extra time in the gym working on our plays,” said Erin Leaser, a junior setter.

The Hokies are entering their fourth season under coach Riley, who is steering the program in the right direction already during his brief tenure.

Their 11 ACC wins in 2009 tied for the most in the program’s history, along with Riley’s second season at Tech in 2007.

The late-season slide included some tough losses that left a sour taste in many of the players’ mouths.

“I really want to beat Duke, that has been my biggest opponent,” said Felicia Willoughby, a junior.

Senior Jill Gergen, one of the premier leaders on the team, has a very important team in mind she’d like to topple.

“I have a big grudge against North Carolina. We should have beaten them last year at their place. I’d love to beat them down there, but also at our place too,” Gergen said.

The Hokies fell in five sets last year on the road against the Tar Heels, who tied for the regular season ACC title last year with a 15-5 conference record.

The Duke Blue Devils were the other team atop the standings at the end of ‘08.

The nature of volleyball requires a complete team effort on every play, and no one player can stand out at any time to carry the team.

Coach Riley has instilled the concept of “team” deeply in the program’s roots, and the players have responded to embrace such ideas.

“Coach tells us to make a sacrifice at the beginning of the season, both as an individual and as a team. Those sacrifices are key in determining how far we go as a group throughout the year.”

Making their goals organized and lofty is part of the team’s mindset.

“Goal-setting is very important. We have a individual goals every practice that we write on the white board in the locker room”, Gergen said. “Before the season and throughout, we keep track of the short-term goals we set and our long-term goals.”

What are some of the long-term goals?

“We want to win the ACC and ultimately make the NCAA tournament, and we know we can do both”, Willoughby said.

Willoughby is used to outstanding play. In 2007 she set the record for blocks in a season at Tech with 172, which led the ACC and was 11th-best in the country.

“Felicia will be our leader on the floor,” coach Riley said.

Willoughby will be one of the premier players on a team that features a good mix of seasoned veterans and talented newcomers.

The Hokies are welcoming four true freshmen to the team this season, and they are Jessica Willmen (McKinney, TX), Liz Trinchere (Salem, VA), Cara Baarendse (Mason, OH), and Morgan O’Neill (San Jose, CA).

“Even though I have not seen the freshmen yet, I know they are outstanding. Morgan was an all-American in high school, and Cara will also be an immediate contributor,” Riley said.

The quartet of rookies arrived on campus in time for second session summer classes, and all the girls have been working hard to prepare for life as a Division I athlete.

“They are one of the hardest working groups of girls,” Gergen said. “They are working so hard at adjusting to college life and the speed of the game at this level.”

The veteran players had nothing but good things to say, continuing the praise for the newcomers from just the short time they have been in Blacksburg. “(The freshmen) are so talented, and they fit right in with us as a group. We get along very well, which is so important for our success,” Leaser said.

Battling to the top of the ACC is not an easy task, but the team feels strongly it is ready to contend for its first-ever conference championship since joining the league in 2004.

“I think we have high expectations after last year. I expect to win the ACC. We will be very good,” Leaser said.

“The top ten teams in the ACC are all very comepetitive. Anybody can beat anybody, and you have to bring your best every night,” Riley said.

With experience comes great responsibility, and the group of veterans are putting big goals on its shoulders. Their relationship with coach Riley makes for a great opportunity at accomplishing its goals.

“Everyone has a good relationship. It is not stressful and we all get along. But there is a time to be serious, and coach Riley reminds us of all of that. She is the best coach I’ve ever had,” Leaser said.

Every year, teams have a certain area or areas of their game that they would like to improve upon, and it is no different with this group.

“We need to always be improving our serving and serve-receiving”, Riley said. “We also need to have more consistency from the outside hitter position, but we are definitely getting there.

9 SPORTS

JOSH PARCELL

page

page

SPORTS

10 NFL Camps are open: Five stories to watch JOSH PARCELL sports editor

This week, all 32 teams across the National Football League opened up preseason camp in preparation for the 2009 season.

As the preseason unfolds, here are five of the biggest stories to keep an eye on before week one on September

13.

How long will T.O. behave?

When the Buffalo Bills acquired the troubled, yet talented Terrell Owens early in the off-season, season ticket sales went through the roof.

Owens brings a game-breaking ability from the wide receiver position the Bills have not had since Andre Reed left in the late 1990’s.

Owens’ last stop prior to Buffalo was Dallas, as a member of the star-studded and paparazzi-infested Cowboys’ franchise.

Owens surely made enough headlines for his actions both on and off the field.

His 38 touchdowns in three seasons with Dallas made him worth the large paycheck, but his knack for untimely dropped passes drew stark criticism.

His disputes with both quarterback Tony Romo and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett towards the end of

his Cowboys’ career drew him more attention than anything else.

Over the years Owens has been known as a huge distraction within organizations and might be better at dividing clubhouses than catching passes.

However, in every stop during his career, from San Francisco to Philadelphia to Dallas, Year One of the T.O. experiment has been an all-in-all happy one, and Owens has been a productive player.

That being said, history indicates that his first season in Buffalo will have few speed bumps and Bills quarterback Trent Edwards should enjoy an all-pro receiver without any headache.

They will need an even-keeled Owens in 2009 if they hope to contend in the loaded AFC East.

Where will Michael Vick end up?

Without taking a snap in over two years in the NFL, Mike Vick has arguably been the most-talked about pro football player in America during that time.

The former Virginia Tech legend is ready to garner more attention for his on the field antics rather than off the field.

Since his return home from federal prison in May, Vick has been mentioned in virtually every broadcast of Sportscenter, and every other of the

talking-heads shows on ESPN. He has finally completed his sentence, and even been conditionally reinstated to the NFL by commissioner Roger Goodell.

The next step is finding a team to play for.

Last week it was reported that Vick had said he was “close” to signing with a team, but did not specify which team it was, or whether it was even in the NFL. There are a handful of teams who have not ruled out signing the former All-Pro quarterback, and that includes the Steelers, Ravens, Patriots, Vikings, and Raiders.

The Ravens, Steelers, and Patriots seem to be the best fits for Vick.

All three of those teams are led by disciplined head coaches and already have very well established leaders with a no-nonsense approach.

All three also have a proven quarterback who would not have to be concerned for his starting job if Vick signed on.

Whichever team Vick ends up signing with will have to be ready for the onslaught of media attention and the eyes of the entire NFL fan base squarely on its back for pretty much the entire season.

Those three teams seem to be the franchises best equipped to handle such pressure.

How will Tom Brady’s knee

hold up in his comeback?

The most talked about left knee in Boston for the past year is finally back to full health, so Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense can get back to setting record after record.

Two seasons ago, with a healthy Brady, New England went undefeated in the regular season while scoring more points than any other team in league history.

Last year Brady went down with a season-ending ACL tear in the first quarter of the first game, and all coach Bill Belichick did was lead the Patriots to an 11-5 season with a quarterback in Matt Cassel who had not started a game since high school.

Enter Brady, the most prolific quarterback this side of Joe Montana, and the Patriots could have 11 wins by the end of November. Oh, and they only play 11 games before the end of November.

If Brady can successfully return from his surgery and play at a level anywhere close to where he was presurgery, the Patriots should score in bunches again.

The history behind quarterbacks recovering from similar injuries has been hit-or-miss in the last decade.

Carson Palmer’s career looked like it was headed for mega-stardom until a playoff knee injury kept him as a mere mortal since.

Donovan McNabb, on the other hand, has recovered from the same injury and played at an all-pro level still in the years since surgery.

collegiatetimes.com august 6, 2009

The Jay Cutler/Josh McDaniels Saga This is a two-folded story to follow, spanning about a thousand miles from Denver to Chicago.

When Josh McDaniels reportedly attempted to trade Jay Cutler in a three-way deal to acquire Matt Cassel, whom McDaniels coached in New England, Cutler threw the ultimate temper-tantrum.

The Broncos quarterback cried his way out of Denver, and into the windy city, where quarterbacks go to die.

The Bears have not had a quarterback who opponents feared whatsoever since Jim McMahon in the 1980’s.

A couple decades and Shane Matthews/CadeMcNown/Craig Krenzel eras later, the burden of returning the Bears to NFC dominance falls squarely on the shoulders of Cutler.

His recent outbursts while trying to get out of Denver raise serious questions about his character and leadership ability.

That being said, he has the arm and the moxy to complete a lot of passes and put a lot of points on the Soldier Field scoreboard this year.

He will need a great season from second-year back Matt Forte, who took the league by storm last season and was one of the league’s leading rushers.

As long as Brian Urlacher is lining

up in the middle of the defense, there won’t be much to worry about on that side of the ball. All the pressure in Chicago goes to Cutler.

As for what he leaves behind in Denver, coach McDaniels has his work cut out for him.

Kyle Orton seems to have earned his spot as the starting quarterback this season, and he couldn’t even hold down the spot for a full year in Chicago.

That doesn’t spell success in a division with the Chargers and a Chiefs team on the rise. Orton will be handing the ball off to rookie Knowshon Moreno, who could be this year’s Forte.

When Mike Shanahan and Gary Kubiak were running the offensive show in Denver, they could have put an offensive tackle in the backfield and he would have run for 1,500 yards.

The last few years have not been as much of a guarantee, however, so Moreno will need to prove himself while helping coach McDaniels do the very same thing.

Will Matt Ryan have a sophomore slump?

In 2008 Matt Ryan was the third pick overall in the draft to a team in the midst of the facelift of all facelifts.

They were bringing in a new coach in Mike Smith, a new running back in Michael Turner, and a handful of new defensive starters.

What did Ryan do? He threw for 3,440 yards and 16 touchdowns en route to earning offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

On top of that, he and Turner led the Falcons to the NFC playoffs as a wild card.

Ryan now takes on the moniker as the next big thing in the NFL. No quarterback has had so much success as a rookie since Peyton Manning, and even Manning might go as far as to say Ryan possesses a cooler demeanor than himself.

Ever since his college days at Boston College, Ryan has been the epitome of a leader from the quarterback position who is ultra-consistent as a passer with a knack for making big plays at the right moment.

Heck, his first pass in the NFL went for a 60-yard touchdown.

Ryan now has to avoid a downturn in year two.

He has the same basic group of players around him, including budding star Roddy White at receiver.

The Falcons are the sexy pick to take the NFC by storm this season.

Such high expectations are a far cry from last season, when nobody expected the Falcons to be very competitive.

Now Ryan must know every defense will have a target on his back and he is not going to sneak up on anyone this season.

If he handles that pressure, which up to now he has shown every sign of being able to do..., he will continue to build his star status in this league.

page 11

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Policies: Visit our business office at 618 N. Main St. 9am–5pm Monday–Friday, or place an ad online at collegiatetimes.com.

The Collegiate Times reserves the right to reject or edit any advertisement it deems objectionable, at any time.

No refunds are available.

Deadline: Three business days prior to publication by 3PM.

Rates: Rates as low as 32¢ per word, contingent on the number of days to run. Prepaid. 15 word minimum. Cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.

FREE CLASSIFIEDS FOR VT STUDENTS!

students must come to 618 N Main ST to place the ad

Sub-Lease

Notices

For Rent

VT STUDENTS-ROOM FOR RENT 3 bdrms available in a 3 bdrm condo (avail. now and for next year) S. Main St., Blacksburg. Newly renovated,. W/ D, AC, no smoking, no pets. Common area complete with new furnishings. $400/ mo including cable, utilites and internet. 703-915-2315;703.963.7674

!BARTENDING! Make Up to $300/ Day. No Experience Necessary Training Available. 1-800-965-6520 EXT210

LUXURY CONDO Less than 1 mile fr campus, 1bd & bath, walk in closet, full gourmet kitchen, granite counters/ bar, high end floors & furniture, full laundry room, 2, twin beds w/ storage drawers, max, two person rental, 1 queen sleeper, large color tv, balcony, off street parking, cable, internet, gas fire place. $1050/ mth plus reasonable utils. On BT bus line. No smoking/pets.

Owner picks up condo fee. Call 301509-5044 or 410-489-5396.

HORSE BOARDING, PASTURE

Help Wanted HOOPTIE RIDE The Hoopite Ride is currrently hiring drivers with good driving records. Must be at least 23 years old. Earn $ while having fun! Call Ken @ 540-998-5093 hooptieride@verizon.net

ACROSS 1 Products sold with earbuds 6 Rudiments 10 Four-time ABA/NBA MVP, familiarly 13 As yet 14 City where “The Night Café” was painted 15 Fair-hiring letters 16 Emulate Sarah Palin, nuptially 17 City slicker’s getaway 19 Like some sharks 21 Griffin’s rear 22 LAX : Los Angeles :: __ : Chicago 23 Wish undone 24 Annoying spot 25 March Madness org.

27 Honoree in Don McLean’s song “American Pie” 31 Highest-ranking Boy Scout 33 Basie’s “__’Clock Jump” 34 Out with the guys, and an apt title for this puzzle 40 Morales of “NYPD Blue” 41 Prepare for a dubbing 43 Kraft Dinner contents, familiarly 49 He sang of Alice 50 Drawn-out substance 51 Tall runner 53 Divine one, to da Vinci 54 California county or its seat 55 Maker of FlavaCraze lip balm 58 Casual wear item 61 Bailiwicks 62 N.L. East city 63 Part of a TV feed 64 Édouard’s exploit 65 Govt. decipherers 66 Cold one, so to speak

For Rent

Equestrian facilities 20 minutes from campus.

Professional size riding ring! Self-manage.

540.544.7874

EXTRA EXTRA! !

T I T U O B A L L A D REA

By Dan Naddor

67 First name in cosmetics DOWN 1 Agenda opener 2 High-latitude formation 3 Six Nations tribe 4 Info 5 Incense the censor 6 Score __ 7 Skyline part: Abbr.

8 Clamp shape 9 Ukr., once 10 Common defense mechanism 11 Display horror, perhaps 12 Host before Jay 14 Continental farewell 18 Prefix with cumulus 20 Scow 24 Offered a paw 26 SNAFU part 28 Roper’s target 29 Chain letters?

30 “__ out!”

32 Fall bumper sticker word

8/6/09 Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved

(c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

35 Suffix with bull or bear 36 “Go jump in the loch!”

37 Acapulco article 38 Least cool 39 Easily broken 42 Gander 43 Certain brainiac 44 Changes, in a Darwinian sense 45 Feature of many a capitol

Start off the semester right by advertising with the Collegiate Times this fall! Be a part of the first edition of the new school year, exclusively published on a Monday! Sales Deadline: Friday, Aug 14th

8/6/09

46 Tenn. neighbor 47 Cold War acronym 48 Old Mex. ruler 52 Copy editor’s concern 55 Cracker’s target 56 “Aquarius” musical 57 “__ chic!”

59 PC key with two arrows 60 Stage prompt

Publication Date: Monday, Aug 24th

The advertiser assumes full responsibility for his or her advertisements and agrees to hold the Collegiate Times harmless for the content of all advertisements authorized for publication and any claims that made may be against the Collegiate Times.

Any questions concerning ads, please call the Better Business Bureau at 1.800.533.5501.

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at 1.800.669.9777.

page

collegiatetimes.com august 6, 2009

SPORTS

12 College football 2009: At a glance It’s that time again!

College football teams across the country open preseason camp this week, which means it is less than one JOSH month until South Carolina and NC PARCELL State open up the sports 2009 season on editor Thursday, Sept. 3.

Before we can even get to that point, there is some unfinished business to take care of: predictions galore.

In the spirit of the preseason top 25 rankings coming out this week, here is a far too brief overview of as many predictions that can be contained in a page. Here goes nothing …

On that first night of football on Sept. 3, Oregon will end Boise State’s bid for a third unbeaten regular season in four years. The Ducks will conquer the “smurf turf” in coach Chip Kelly’s debut.

Non-conference game of the year?

The Alabama-Virginia Tech game seems to be the clear choice here. Most of the other non-conference spotlight games in September could be quite the letdown. Oklahoma will roll Miami, Oklahoma State will blow by Georgia, and Ohio State-USC will be far less thrilling than the hype will build it up to be.

The Hokies will use a relentless defensive attack to exploit Alabama’s inexperience on offense to win by a touchdown. First team to 20 points wins that one, though.

Ohio State will travel to Happy Valley to face an unbeaten Penn State on November 7, which will decide the Big Ten title. The Nittany Lions will spend the better part of September and October facing a who’s who of MAC weaklings and Big Ten cellar dwellers, before the showdown with the scarlet and gray. The Buckeyes will dash Penn State’s national title dreams that night.

A year removed from the thick of the national title chase, Missouri will win no more than four games in 2009.

Staying along those lines in the Big 12, Texas Tech will win at most eight games this year after nearly playing for all the marbles last season.

No more Graham Harrell, but most importantly, no more Michael Crabtree. Mike Leach keeps churning out 5,000-yard passers year in and year out, but replacing Crabtree is downright near impossible.

BYU will run the table in the Mountain West, but an early season loss to Oklahoma will keep it out of a BCS bowl. They will even take down Florida State in the third game of the season, and Max Hall will have a Heisman-worthy season, but won’t ever be seriously considered a favorite.

Bold prediction of the year: East Carolina will run the table, beating West Virginia, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech at home on Thursday night to make the Sugar Bowl. Most of the core from a team that started off

red-hot in 2008 is back, and it will crash the BCS party in 2009 against all odds.

As much as nobody wants to hear it, Notre Dame will win ten games this season because of a mother of all cupcake schedules, which will ironically keep the Irish from crashing the BCS party. The Irish return most of a 7-6 team from last year, and catch all of their perennially toughest opponents, such as Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, and Boston College, on down years. They will play Colorado in the Gator Bowl, mark it down.

Matt Barkley, a true freshman, will unseat Aaron Corp as USC’s starting quarterback before October, and the Trojans will fall short of ten wins for the first time since 2001.

Ohio State will win a sloppy game in Columbus in week two, while Cal will knock the Trojans off their perch atop the Pac-10. Arizona State will further push the Trojans from the top of the league in Tempe.

The ACC is a year away from being a powerful league again. The Virginia Tech Hokies should control the conference yet again, while programs like Miami, Florida State, and North Carolina are not quite on the level of Frank Beamer’s crew just yet. Tech will run the table in the ACC, with the biggest scare within the conference coming on the road against Georgia Tech, where the Yellow Jackets will let a lead slip away late.

Miami has a great young core of players with a bright future, but it goes through the gauntlet of a lifetime in September. Their first win of the season will come October 10 against Florida A & M. Opening the year at Florida State, home against GA Tech, at VA Tech, and at home against Oklahoma is a stretch few teams could come out of with a win.

West Virginia is going to skid out of control this season. In Bill Stewart’s second year, the Mountaineers will finish 6-6, 5-3 in the Big East.

After opening with Liberty, West Virginia will slide through the next three games, falling to East Carolina and Colorado at home, as well as Auburn on the road. Mountaineer fans will miss Pat White more than even they think.

Russell Wilson, the preseason ACC first-team quarterback, won’t even be first string on his own team by the end of the year. Redshirt freshman Mike Glennon, a highly-touted recruit and the first gem of Tom O’Brien’s recruiting efforts at NC State, is already assured of playing time early in the season, and he will outplay Wilson before finally taking the job all to himself.

On that note, the game to watch at the end of the year that will have little importance otherwise is the Wolfpack at Virginia Tech.

If Glennon is starting that game, he will surely hear the onslaught of boos from the Hokie faithful. Glennon’s older brother, Sean, was never a fan favorite during his career with the Hokies, and the fans will be chomping at the bit to take out a little more frus-

tration on the Glennon clan.

Lifting the interim tag off of head coach Dabo Swinney will prove to be a mistake for the Clemson Tigers.

Talent-wise, the Tigers could grab the conference by the horns and run away with it.

But with no proven quarterback and a knack for underachieving, Swinney just didn’t convince me in the last half of 2008 that he could carry Clemson any farther than Tommy Bowden could. If Clemson finishes 7-5, it should consider itself lucky.

LSU, Alabama, and Ole Miss will all fail to live up to preseason expectations, but the Bayou Bengals will back themselves into the SEC championship game. LSU plays both the Crimson Tide and the Rebels on the road, as well as Georgia. At 5-3 in conference play, the Tigers will win the tiebreaker and play Florida for the conference title.

Arkansas will shock the Tigers at the end of the season to cap off a surprising 8-4 season in Bobby Petrino’s second year.

Lane Kiffin has ruffled more than a few feathers in his first seven months at the helm of Tennessee, and he’s going to feel the heat in his first year. Even though I think he will have the Vols back in the national spotlight by 2011, this year the Vols will lose to Florida by 40 in week three, and will finish the year 6-6.

For what it’s worth, South Florida will finally play into the New Year by winning the Big East title. Matt Grothe will carry the Bulls to the head of the pack in the watered-down conference, barely edging Pitt for the automatic BCS bid.

What is the more bold prediction?

Jim Leavitt’s squad will win at least one if not both of its games against Florida State and Miami.

Who is this year’s Texas Tech? It’s Oklahoma State, and it might just do the Red Raiders one better. Mike Gundy’s Cowboys will be in a tie for first in the Big 12 south with Oklahoma with one conference loss. The Cowboys will beat Texas and Oklahoma, while the Sooners knock off the Longhorns.

Zac Robinson will be the latest Big XII product to be a Heisman Trophy finalist with a standout year both in the air and on the ground.

Tim Tebow is the world’s favorite to win his second Heisman, despite the fact that returning trophy winner Sam Bradford is still taking snaps at Oklahoma. Bradford and Robinson from Oklahoma State will put up better numbers, but Tebow will carry the Gators to an undefeated season, therefore earning him the award again.

The Gators will go wire-to-wire as the top-ranked team in the nation, and meet Oklahoma State for a shot at their second straight title. Oklahoma State will have the lead heading into the fourth quarter, but will wear out against that relentless Gator attack to fall victim to the machine that is Tim Tebow, and Urban Meyer will begin his case as the greatest coach since Bear Bryant, bar none.

Hokies in the Pros Hokies in pro action this week Joe Saunders Texas 8/7 Patrick Nyarko at Houston 8/9 Kerri Gardin at Minnesota 8/7 Washington 8/9 Justin Harper Washington 8/13 (preseason) THANDIWE OGBONNA/COLLEGIATE TIMES

Patrick Nyarko Nyarko enjoyed perhaps the best game of his short career with the Fire, when he scored the game’s only goal to lift Chicago past Real Salt Lake 1-0. His goal came in the 76th minute, lifting Chicago to its fifth straight match without a loss.

Nyarko got his fourth goal of the season on a header that caromed off the left post, and he freed himself from the defense long enough to get on the end of a cross from Tim Ward.

The Fire currently sit with 32 points in the conference standings.

They trail Columbus by one point, but the Crew have played one more game than the Fire.

Joe Saunders On Saturday, August 1, Saunders took the mound for the red hot Angels in Minnesota against the Twins. Saunders went six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits with two strikeouts, as the Angels took down the Twins 11-6.

It was Saunders’ first winning decision since June. His ERA is now 5.07, and his record improved to 9-6. With the win, the Angels improved to 13-3 since the all-star break, the best record in the majors in that time span.

Kerri Gardin On Thursday, July 30, Gardin came off the bench to score six points in 13 minutes of action, but the Sun fell to the Indiana Fever, 94-85. It was the most time Gardin had played since being taken out of the starting lineup before the all-star break.

Her improved play put her back in the starting lineup two days later against the Chicago Sky, where Gardin played 17 minutes, scoring four points with two rebounds in the Sun’s third straight loss. The Sky defeated Connecticut 84-72.

The next day, the Sun righted the ship against the Detroit Shock at home, winning 83-65. Gardin was

back to the bench, however, and she failed to score in five minutes of playing time.

The Sun are now 10-9 on the season, a full five games behind the Fever in the eastern conference.

Wyatt Toregas On July 31, former Hokie catcher Toregas was called up to the Cleveland Indians from the minor leagues, making him the second Hokie to play in the major leagues this season.

In his first game with the team, the catcher recorded a single in his first-ever at bat against the Detroit Tigers. It was his only hit of the game, as he went 1-5 in the Indians’ 4-3 loss.

Toregas was called up after the Indians sent catcher Victor Martinez to Boston. He has not appeared again since the Tigers game.

Justin Harper The former Hokie wide receiver Harper made waves at Baltimore Ravens training camp last week.

He caught the attention of the coaches early in last Wednesday’s practice when he caught a long touchdown bomb from Joe Flacco in warm-ups.

He only picked up his play from there. A few minutes later he caught a bullet over the middle of the field and turned towards the end zone, splitting the defense for a score.

The play of the day at Ravens’ camp came from Harper as well when he turned a 60-yard reception into a 99-yard touchdown. He caught a jump ball launched from Flacco, grabbing the pass over defensive back Lardarius Webb before turning and making his third touchdown of the day.

Harper missed all of last season with a knee injury, and will need more big days like that in training camp to find himself on the roster come September.