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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

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COLLEGIATETIMES Meet associate professor of music Travis Cross on

Friday on www.collegiatetimes.com, under multimedia

106th year, issue 73

News, page 2

/

Tomorrow: Read about Tucker Max, the author of “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell,” and his visit to the’burg

Features, page 3

Opinions, page 5

Classifieds, page 8

Sports, page 6

BY KELSEY HEITER | news reporter all photos by LUKE MASON | spps

Clear and present danger

Sudoku, page 8

VT Police open freshman eyes to effects of alcohol eer goggles-clad students participated in tricycle races to begin the third annual Virginia Tech Police Department Olympics.

As part of the Hokie F6 program for first-year students, the VTPD offered activities to students dealing with the visual effects of alcohol abuse.

Matt Grimes, assistant director of residence life, said during the first six weeks the Hokie F6 program puts on a series of programs on various topic areas that are helpful to freshman students.

“We offer programs that help make the transition to Virginia Tech easier for them,” Grimes said.

“Safety and security is something that we focus on, as well as awareness about drinking and it’s side effects.” Grimes said the alcohol program with

Men’s soccer reports NCAA violations

theVTPD has been very successful over the past two years.

“The program offers some fun activities with beer

A LETTER FROM ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT TO NCAA SELF-REPORTS 12 INFRACTIONS ALEX JACKSON ct sports editor Virginia Tech issued corrective actions for 11 separate NCAA recruiting violations committed by the men’s soccer program according to a letter from Director of Athletics Jim Weaver.

Oliver Weiss, who resigned as head coach on June 2, was not mentioned in the document but the letter, written nearly two weeks after his resignation, states that the violator no longer works for Tech. The name of the violator is redacted.

According to the letter, Tech violated NCAA Bylaw 13.2.1.

The 11 violations involved the “fronting” of money to eight prospective foreign student-athletes, five from Germany and three from Ghana.

In response to the violations,

Tech has suspended all recruitment of international prospects in men’s soccer for the next three recruiting cycles (2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12).

On Oct. 23, 2008, “pursuant to an unrelated inquiry, NCAA Enforcement staff member Ameen Najjar requested all email communication ... and any international prospect recruited for enrollment in either 2007-08 or 2008-09.”

On Dec. 19, 2008, Virginia Tech made the e-mails covering 26 months available to the NCAA Enforcement staff.

Through December and into January, according to the letter, “Associate Athletics Director Jon Jaudon and Senior Assistant Athletics Director Tim Parker discovered troubling language regarding the payment of prospects’ fees,” later in the letter described as Tech undergraduate and graduate application

fees, matriculation fees and NCAA Eligibility Center fees.

According to the case facts in the letter from Weaver, dated June 15, 2009, “For several years, the (NCAA) Eligibility Center has accepted payment from international prospects only via credit card or a check or money order drawn from an American bank. This lack of payment options has been a long-standing source of frustration for our coaches and staff.”

“On Sept. 6, 2007, Mr. Parker sent an e-mail to Eligibility Center staff member Greg Dana, bringing the issue to his attention and encouraging the Association to explore solutions.”

“Four days later,” the letter reads, “Mr. Dana responded that the issue was known, and he committed to bring it to the Eligibility Center finance staff for renewed consideration.”

Without communication from the NCAA for two months, Tech felt the need to search for “permissible options

through which a prospect in a remote location or developing country could pay his/her Eligibility Center fee.”

The strategy Tech ended up pursuing was one where the Tech staff member would purchase a pre-paid credit card in the amount of $75 and bring it overseas, where the prospect would immediately pay him in $75 cash.

According to Weaver’s letter, this was deemed acceptable by the staff, because the prospect would pay back the staff member immediately upon arrival and “both parties could confirm, if ever asked.”

Simply put, according to the letter, “the prospect would convert his/her money into a more effective ‘currency’ (i.e. plastic rather than cash)” and Tech’s staff viewed this as acceptable.

This was acceptable because as long as “both parties could confirm, if ever asked” that this was the way in which it was handled, it was permissible by

NCAA rules.

A “test attempt” of this strategy was tried prior to the violator’s trip to Ghana. The test was unsuccessful because the Eligibility Center would only accept payment via a traditional credit card linked to an account holder’s name and address.

According to Weaver’s letter, “the unsuccessful attempt was not communicated to our staff for several months.”

“Because the concept of an exchange where money was received from a prospect and ‘converted’ into a different form to facilitate Eligibility Center fee payment was deemed permissible, he believed that any exchange — no matter the order or timing of reimbursement — would therefore be permissible.”

“Unfortunately,” the letter reads, “he erroneously extended this to include personal payment of fees by him, even if the prospect did not provide funds

goggles and tricycles,” Grimes said. “It is not only

see VIOLATION / page six

“They learn that just the visual impairment affects

fun, but it also gives the students an idea of what it is really like attempting to drive while intoxicated.”

Grimes said Hokie F6 is essential for building the groundwork for a freshman’s first year at Tech.

“The program sets the foundation for their college career,” Grimes said. “We wanted to do a freshman program that would get them acclimated, and we figured we would put on a program that would really meet the student’s needs.”

VTPD Officer Geof Allen said students would see the effects of visual impairment as a result of alcohol through this program.

“Students will learn that they actually cannot stop at a stop sign when they are intoxicated,” Allen said.

them just as much as the actual physical impairment

Coffee invigorates council candidates KAITLYN GLEASON ct news reporter Do you want to get to know your future city council? Do you like coffee?

“Coffee with the Candidates,” an informal, informational weekly forum, gives Blacksburg citizen a chance to meet the town council candidates over the aroma of cappuccinos and mocha lattes.

In fact, anyone with an interest can meet at Easy Chair Coffee Shop with the candidates, eager to discuss their campaigns and plans for the Nov. 3 election on a personal level.

A new candidate for town council is scheduled almost every time for a twohour Q&A session about their campaign, their stance on important local issues, and why they should receive a vote.

All ten candidates running for the four available positions on Blacksburg Town Council are scheduled for a meeting.

“Providing more opportunities for people to get involved and talk oneon-one is really important,” said Bryce Carter, a town council candidate. “It’s not something that should be a one-time thing. This type of interaction is essential to any campaign.”

According to Carter, the venue is perfect because of its emphasis on sustainability and close relationship with the community.

“It was a bigger turnout than we were expecting,” said Easy Chair Coffee Shop employee Nicholas Ross. “We’re hoping the next one is even bigger. Our shop benefited from the increased revenue but

“

Providing more opportunities for people to get involved and talk oneon-one is really important.

It’s not something that should be a one-time thing.

Allen said VTPD partners with the community, faculty and staff to make the VTPD Olympics programs as successful as it can possibly be.

“I think the program has been a great success over the past few years,” Allen said. “That is just shown

BRYCE CARTER TOWN COUNCIL CANDIDATE that’s definitely just a secondary goal.”

“We’re more excited that people are getting involved with the local politics, so this event benefited everyone,” Ross said.

Twenty-five local attendees took advantage of the Aug. 13 meeting.

“It was very responsive and people built off each other while talking about a lot of issues” Carter said. “I think it was a great experience for everyone.

Current town council member Susan Anderson must compete with her new challengers, but attended a meeting as well.

“The atmosphere felt really good and people felt very comfortable asking questions. It was definitely successful,” said Anderson, admitting she thought the meeting was also effective and successful for Carter.

She will be in the spotlight for the 7 p.m.

“Coffee with the Candidates” on Aug. 27, when she has the chance to educate residents about her own plans for the future.

“I think I would like to give the attendees a general sense of who I am and what my campaign is about, and what issues I

from alcohol.”

Coffee With the Candidates

Aug. 27 - Susan Anderson Sept. 3 - Cecile Newcomb Sept. 10 - Michael Sutphin Sept. 17 - Frank Lau Sept. 24 - Greg Fansler Oct. 1 - Krisha Chachra Oct. 8 - Tom Rogers Oct. 22 - John Bush Oct. 29 - Paul Lancaster

through the amount of people that have showed up over the years is evident of the program’s success.”

The event is more a “first come, first serve” event, Allen said.

“We do not really advertise the program,” Allen said. “It is on the Virginia Tech calendar and on the Hokie F6 website, but mainly people see what we are doing and they congregate around us and then

All forums held at The Easy Chair Coffee Shop from 7-9 p.m.

THANDIWE OGBONNA/COLLEGIATE TIMES

learn about the program and participate in it.”

Allen said the program has greatly helped the VTPD establish a rapport on campus.

think are coming up,” said Anderson. “I definitely want to have plenty of time for the attendees to ask questions of me and see their concerns.”

Anderson plans to address important issues such as Blacksburg’s growth and development of the downtown area.

She is also concerned with the sale of the Blacksburg Middle School property.

“I’m hoping most of the time won’t be me standing up telling my platform, but rather a series of dialoging,”

Anderson said.

Candidates feel strongly that the community should take advantage of these meetings and the low-key environment.

“I think it’s really important to come out to these meetings and get educated about who’s running and what issues they stand for to be involved,” said Carter.

Meetings will be scheduled every Thursday at 7 p.m. before the election.

All Blacksburg citizens are encouraged to attend.

“The tricycles and beer goggles have become popular with the students,” Allen said. “We have them race down the sidewalks with the beer goggles on, which shows them a pretty accurate portrayal of the effects of drinking.” see OLYMPICS / page two

2 news

new river valley news editor: zach crizer university editor: philipp kotlaba newseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

august 26, 2009

COLLEGIATETIMES

Olympics: Freshmen taught safe habits from page one

Alcohol is a depressant, Allen said, so student’s reaction times are very poor, and that is a problem with alcohol that younger people do not understand.

“I hope students understand the importance of responsible drinking,” Allen said. “In the last ten years we have 160,000 deaths from drinking in the age group of 16-25 year olds.”

Allen said that the program is there for students to understand what responsible drinking is.

VTPD Officer Marshall Hamilton said the program helps students understand their limitations with alcohol.

“Sometimes after students have been out for a night of drinking and they think they are fine, they actually are not,” Hamilton said. “A lot of students really don’t understand that you become worse and worse the more that you drink.”

Pakistani Taliban name two extremists to replace killed leader SAEED SHAH mcclatchy newspapers

LUKE MASON/SPPS

Officer Geof Allen looks on as engineer Kevin Lozia and HNFE major Emily Leister wear beer goggles while riding tricycles for the Virginia Tech Police Olympics held Tuesday outside of Pritchard Hall.

Budget deficit to top record $1.58 trillion DAVID LIGHTMAN & KEVIN HALL mcclatchy newspapers WASHINGTON — The White House and the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday that this year’s federal budget deficit will top $1.58 trillion, less than projected this spring but still historically high — high enough to pose serious problems for President Barack Obama’s agenda.

“Overall,” said budget director Peter Orszag, the new forecast “underscores the dire fiscal situation that we inherited and the need for serious steps to put our nation back on a sustainable fiscal path.”

Republicans quickly pounced at the latest numbers, which would shatter the previous deficit record, set last year, of $455 billion.

“The alarm bells on our nation’s fiscal condition have now become a siren,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Democrats insisted that the new numbers, contained in separately

issued reports, were hardly surprising — a view largely shared by independent analysts. Obama loyalists insisted the forecast would not derail the president’s most important 2009 initiative, his plan to overhaul the nation’s health care system.

“The single most important thing we can do to improve the long-term fiscal health of our nation is slow the growth rate in health care costs,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Obama is also seeking other potentially costly programs, notably curbs on global warming and perhaps extending some of this year’s economic stimulus programs.

Many prominent economists think there is no alternative to unusually high deficits, because the financial crisis that exploded last September has deeply damaged credit markets and lending, leaving the private sector weakened and in no state to lead a recovery.

“It’s scary, but all that it reflects is a weaker forecast. It doesn’t change anything about what has to be done,” said James K. Galbraith, a University

of Texas economist who thinks that government spending is necessary regardless of how large the deficit grows.

“There is no way around this. If the private economy starts to recover, and you start to get private (sector) contribution ... then the budget deficit will fall and anything you are doing can be scaled back,” he said.

The new deficit forecasts are below the White House’s $1.84 trillion May number for the fiscal year ending Oct. 1, as administration estimates of funding needed for financial industry rescues declined.

However, the new figures still mean the deficit would total 11.2 percent of gross domestic product, a post-World War II record. And the White House’s “mid-session review” of the budget predicted that during the next 10 years, deficits would total about $9.05 trillion, up from the $7.1 trillion it forecast earlier this year.

The CBO stuck to the $7.1 trillion figure, assuming that Bush-era tax cuts set to expire after next year will expire. The White House assumes

that some of the tax cuts will remain, since Obama has said he doesn’t want to raise taxes on the middle class, though he’s indicated he’d raise taxes on the wealthy.

The CBO had some good news, predicting that the economy would grow at an annual rate of 1.6 percent in the second half of this year, after sharp declines in the first half.

But it anticipated at least several more months of employment losses.

The CBO saw unemployment, 9.4 percent last month, averaging 10.2 percent next year before falling to 9.1 percent in 2011.

The timing of the new figure’s release suggested the Obama administration fears its impact. Congress is in the middle of a monthlong summer break, Obama was on vacation in Massachusetts, and the data were unveiled a half-hour after the president nominated Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke to another term.

When Congress returns Sept. 8, it faces a host of budget-related challenges.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s extremist Taliban movement acknowledged Tuesday that its leader, Baitullah Mehsud, had died in the aftermath of a U.S. drone missile attack early this month and confirmed that two men would replace him.

Hakimullah Mehsud, a violent young jihadist with links to al-Qaida, will be in nominal control but his rival, Waliur Rehman, will take charge of Waziristan, a vital region for the militant movement. Rehman, in a telephone interview Tuesday with reporters, threatened attacks against the West and called President Barack Obama “our foremost enemy.”

The Pakistani Taliban provides sanctuary for al-Qaida and the Afghan insurgents in Pakistan’s lawless tribal area, and its leadership and goals will affect international forces in Afghanistan and terror plots against Western targets.

The militant group sustained heavy losses in late April following the launch of a U.S.-backed Pakistan army operation, and the death of Baitullah Mehsud appeared to leave it in disarray. Now Pakistan and the United States will be watching to see if new leadership can stabilize the Pakistan Taliban.

Both of the top contenders for the leadership said Baitullah had succumbed to his injuries Sunday, not on Aug. 5, when a U.S. missile struck a house in South Waziristan, his native region, as U.S. and Pakistan intelligence officials had thought.

The admission came after weeks of denials from militants that Baitullah, who brought together 13 extremist groups in the country’s northwest to form the umbrella organization known as Tehreek-i-Taliban in December 2007, had been eliminated.

On the surface, the power struggle to replace Baitullah appears to have been won by Hakimullah, a triggerhappy tribesman with the reputation of a thug. But his rival, Rehman, who was closer to Baitullah and is regarded as much less brutal than Hakimullah, was given charge of the all-important Waziristan region.

“The real power is in Waziristan, and Waliur Rehman will run things

there,” said Saifullah Mahsud, an analyst at the FATA Research Center, an independent think tank in Islamabad.

“It’s a clever compromise formula.

Waliur Rehman has the real power.”

Remote, mountainous Waziristan is a potential hiding place for Osama bin Laden and a safe haven for jihadists from around the world.

According to a tribesman in South Waziristan, who could not be named for his own safety, Hakimullah, thought to be just 28, had threatened to form a breakaway group if he wasn’t given the title of leader.

“In order to avoid bloodshed, Waliur Rehman has been forced by the Afghan side to agree. He’s a decent, respected guy,” said the tribesman.

He added that the dispute was mediated by a representative of Mullah Omar, founder of the Afghan Taliban, and Sirajuddin Haqqani, the son of veteran Afghan jihadist Jalaluddin Haqqani. The Pakistani Taliban regards its older Afghan counterpart as its mentor, and the Haqqani network in particular wields considerable influence over the Afghan branch.

Hakimullah could be the choice of al-Qaida, analysts say, as he is linked closely to two terrorist groups banned in Pakistan — Sipah-e-Sahaba and its even more extreme offshoot, Lashkare-Jhangvi — that now take their lead from bin Laden.

Hakimullah formerly belonged to Sipah-e-Sahaba. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is regarded as a key al-Qaida facilitator in Pakistan and played a role in many of the bombings and other attacks that have rocked the country over the last two years, including the assault on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team earlier this year.

Given the rivalry between Rehman, who is more popular in South Waziristan, and Hakimullah, analysts think that the power struggle could erupt again. According to an unconfirmed report, denied by the Taliban, the rivalry had led to a gun battle earlier this month in which both were injured. Until Tuesday, many were convinced that Hakimullah had died in that clash.

The pair appeared to be sitting together as they called select local journalists Tuesday evening, after the end of the Ramadan fast, as they passed the phone between them, according to one person who spoke to both.

features 3

editors: topher forhecz, teresa tobat featureseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

Pop your ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ cherry this Friday “You can’t take it too seriously, which makes it entertaining.”

Though the show has a very eccentric reputation, upon viewing a film with a shadowcast, many “virgins” feel a desire to return.

“Going to the ‘Evil Dead’ performance is a great way to be introduced to one of the interesting sub-cultures at Virginia Tech,” said David McGrath, sophomore computer science major and club member.

Sebek, university library Web

SHANNON AUD ct features staff writer Have you lost your virginity yet?

The Rocky Horror Picture Show Fan Club encourages as many Virginia Tech students as possible to come out to their shows and see exactly what that means to them. “‘Losing your virginity’ is a term within the Rocky community that means to watch the movie with a shadow cast for the first time,” said Mary Wilkerson, math major and events planning coordinator for the club. “Watching it alone is really just masturbating.”

Shadowcasting involves a live cast acting out the movie’s scenes with sets, props and costumes while the actual movie plays in the background. For decades it has become a tradition among fans to put on their own performances of the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in this manner.

Tech’s RHPS fan club and cast also focuses on shadowcasting other cult classics besides “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” They are currently preparing for their “Welcome Back” performance of the 1981 horror movie “Evil Dead,” which shows at 10 p..m. on Aug. 28 and 29

“ COURTESY OF THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW CLUB

The “Rocky Horror Picture Show” club acts out the cult film on stage. in the Litton Reaves Auditorium. “‘Evil Dead’ has something special that we can use to our advantage.

The characters in ‘Evil Dead’ tend to freak out a lot. It’s your classic horror movie, but we take it, mix it up, and make it funnier and more interesting,” said Robert Sebek, faculty adviser of the club.

The club traditionally does not

perform “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” as their Welcome Back performance. Through “Evil Dead,” the club hopes to generate interest in time for their first performance of “Rocky” for this school year, which will be held on Halloween weekend.

“I attended a show with a couple of my friends who were in the show and got sucked in,” Wilkerson said.

The whole point is to make fun of the movie in a constructive and fun way. We just want everyone to enjoy the experience.

CHARLOTTE OLIVER CLUB MEMBER

master, has been a part of the club since it first began in 1993. Sebek has seen the group continually grow and generate more interest as the years pass.

“We’ve gotten a bigger group of club members probably because we try to reach out beyond theatrical people interested in getting up on stage. One of the biggest purposes of

this weekend’s show is to recruit new members,” Sebek said.

The club differs from other “Rocky Horror” casts around the country in that they try to open up participation in their performances to anyone who is interested.

“There aren’t really tryouts, it is very informal. People volunteer for roles and we choose randomly according to what slots need to be filled. We just want everyone to have a chance because it is just about people having fun,” Wilkerson said.

The actors’ main focus is to enhance the audience’s experience of watching a campy film.

“The whole point is to make fun of the movie in a constructive and fun way. We just want everyone to enjoy the experience,” said Charlotte Oliver, sophomore biological science major and club member.

So what can a “virgin” expect from the Welcome Back performance?

“It’s not just a movie … it’s going to be very funny,” Sebek said. “One of the themes for the ‘Evil Dead’ show is cardboard, and I think it’ll be stylistically very different from our other shows.”

Sebek said the majority of their audiences are generally “virgins.” The club encourages participation from all

attendees, with the warning their role may one day escalate into becoming a part of the shadowcast itself. Many current cast and club members themselves saw “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” for their first time as students at Tech.

“Rocky Horror made audience participation something completely new and it’s still a big deal. Here at Virginia Tech it can be a coming of age experience — we get a lot of ‘virgins’ every night,” Sebek said. “It’s a rite of passage.”

[] how to be a

good virgin

- Be prepared for the lipstick “V” that the characters write on virgin cheeks - Before the show begins, virgins are spanked and then given a certificate of devirginization

Richard Thompson: Plenty of talent to spare, yet no hits DAN DELUCA the philadelphia inquirer When it comes to justifiably revered cult artists who continue to create at a high level decades after their illustrious beginnings, Richard Thompson is the one who has never had any hits.

Even Randy “Short People” Newman and Loudon “Dead Skunk” Wainwright III have the British singer and guitarist beat.

Sad but true: Thompson has never made a successful assault on the pop charts. Not with wry and richly detailed signature songs such as “TearStained Letter” and “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” nor during his brilliant beginnings with English folk-rock innovators Fairport Convention, or with his masterful 1970s collaborations with his then-wife Linda Thompson.

The closest Richard Thompson has come to the mainstream in

recent years, in fact, has been with his show-stopping cover of Britney Spears’ “Oops! ... I Did It Again,” which brought his 2003 live album “1,000 Years of Popular Music” to a chronological climax.

But while the 60-year-old songwriter lags in popular success, he leads the way in box-set enshrinement. The brand-new four-CD set, “Richard Thompson: Walking on a Wire, 19682009” (Shout Factory, 3 stars), is not the first, nor the second, but the third Thompson box. It follows the 1993 three-CD set, “Watching the Dark,” which suffered from a jumbled chronology, and the 2006 rarities-focused five-disc box, “RT,” released on the British Free Reed label.

“Walking on a Wire” takes a more straightforward approach and serves as an 81-song introduction to an artist whose prodigious skills as both a lyricist and a guitarist are pretty much

unequaled among ‘60s-schooled rock titans. Only heavyweights like Neil Young and Prince are in Thompson’s league when it comes to combined prowess as a writer and a lead player.

As a wordsmith, Thompson is a storyteller steeped in the tradition of English balladry, as evidenced by such early Fairport compositions as “Genesis Hall” through solo works like the Elvis fan’s sojourn “From Galway to Graceland.”

Though his reputation as a sourpuss is well earned — see the exquisitely bummed wrist-slasher “Withered and Died” — he also wields a devilish, razorlike wit, as evidenced by such “Walking” cuts as the self-lacerating “Read About Love.”

“Walking” doesn’t go out of its way to cater to guitar geeks, but there’s plenty of fancy fretwork. It’s always in the service of the song, however, even when Thompson is stretching out, for

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example, on the increasingly dizzying coda on a live version of “Tear-Stained Letter.” (That’s the one that rhymes “My head was beating like a song by the Clash” with “It was writing checks that my body couldn’t cash.”)

Thompson distinguishes himself among players of jaw-dropping technical prowess in that he rarely overplays and is equally at home when electrified or unplugged. One of “Walking’s” shortcomings —along with the omission of the Spears cover — is that it contains nothing from “Small Town Romance,” the 1984 solo venture that demonstrates how pleasurable he can be with only a gruff voice and an acoustic guitar.

So if Thompson is so great, how come he’s not more popular? Part of it is that dour English folk-rock sensibility.

His music is far from joyless: “I Want To See the Bright Lights Tonight,” the title cut of the 1974 Richard and Linda

album, could give Pink’s let’s-get-thisparty-started a run for the money. But there tends to be disquieting trouble waiting around the bend.

When he writes about fairground attractions, it’s either the perilous tightrope walk of “The Great Valerio” or the Byrdsy chime of “Wall of Death,” which provides the thrill that’s “the nearest to being alive.”

And then there’s that gruff voice, neither pretty nor designed for mass consumption. Early in his career, Thompson’s voice was balanced by the cool, clear tones of two of the most luminous female voices in folk-music history: Fairport’s Sandy Denny, and Linda Thompson, whose warm, soulful expressiveness marks her, for my money, as the greatest of English folk sirens.

‘Walking’ includes 21 songs with Richard and his ex. Thompson has never found a foil so perfectly suited to

him in his quarter-century solo career since his celebrated 1982 pairing with Linda, ‘Shoot Out the Lights.” But he has made many a fine album in the meantime, from consensus highlights such as 1991’s “Rumour & Sigh” to 1999’s “Mock Tudor,” which he considers his best.

Not all of his efforts have been up to his highest standards.

“The Rock Snob Dictionary” isn’t far off base when it calls Thompson’s solo work “intelligent but never transcendentally great” (though it does him a disservice by lumping him in an “overpraised” ghetto with Ron Sexsmith, Freedy Johnston and Vic Chesnutt).

Over the years, Thompson has been far more consistent than, say, the occasionally transcendentally great Neil Young, and “Walking on a Wire” does a fine job of gathering the strongest of his work. It’ll do, until the fourth box set comes along.

august 26, 2009

page 4

Hungry? Hit the streets for new eats AS YOU START TO HIT DOWNTOWN, CHECK OUT THE NEWEST ADDITIONS TO ITS FOOD LINEUP leaksburg.”

Already notorious for frigid winters, overcast skies and an abundance of vacant buildings throughout downtown, Blacksburg’s reputation was on the line as the recession claimed a host of downtown businesses this year.

“I try to avoid driving to Christiansburg,” said Morgan Bowles, a junior hospitality and tourism management major. “But there haven’t been enough options in Blacksburg to fulfill student needs and with more businesses closing, it seemed it could only get worse.”

MARY ANNE CARTER -features reporter -junior -communication major

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D.P. DOUGH ood wise, we’re damn good,” said Alex Seeman, co-owner of D. P. Dough’s Blacksburg location, as he leans his chair back in the downtown store.

“We don’t have set firm rules on you know, reading off a paper and being like ‘Hi, I’m so-and-so, welcome to Moe’s,’” Seeman said. “When you come in, you’ll find some sports on TV, you’ll find some Bob Marley on the radio, and we will treat you like you want to be treated. We’ll treat you like a person instead of, you know, feeding you a lot of bullshit.”

Seeman met business partner and co-owner, Nick Vezina, while working at the D.P. Dough at University of Delaware. D.P. Dough’s Blacksburg location has been open for just over a week and is based out of Massachusetts. The chain is located exclusively in college towns and along beaches.

“Basically anywhere you can find drunk people,” said Seeman. “We cater to the drunk munchies.

People are sick of cold subs, they want hot food that fills them up late at night and calzones are something different.”

The diverse menu offers everything from broccoli and eggplant to meatballs and steak.

“It’s basically as healthy as you make it.” Seeman said, “if you want to get a calzone with all vegetables and low-fat cheese, it will be extremely healthy because we also use fat-free dough. But if you want hot sauce, blue cheese or ranch on the side … it’s going to be a little less healthy. But you get what you want.”

At $6.99 for a calzone and fountain drink, getting what you want will not destroy a college student’s budget, either.

“Our employees are college kids,” Seeman said.

“We are you guys and we understand you guys.”

D.P. Dough is open Sunday to Wednesday from 11 to 2 a.m. and Thursday to Saturday 11 to 3 a.m. It delivers until close and has free delivery on campus.

It is located on 215 N. Main St.

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that Rita’s offers, Georgia Peach, Strawberry MargaRita and Swedish Fish have been local favorites since the grand opening May 22.

“Mango is by far, the most popular flavor companywide,” said Hagan. “We have several flavors where we put them out and they are gone.”

In addition to serving water ice, Rita’s offers custard, a dessert “thicker and richer than soft serve, perfect for the winter months,” said Hagan.

Business has been steady and the influx of students has started to show.

“We are already seeing more daytime volume. We are really looking forward to see what happens with the school kids.”

Hagan wants to involve Rita’s with the Tech community and through Residence Life has made contributions to sports camps over the summer and a number of oncampus functions.

“I would really like Rita’s and Virginia Tech to be synonymous,” said Hagan. “It’s a big part of what we are all about — the campus and townspeople, too.”

Rita’s Water Ice is open seven days a week, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is located on 109B College Ave.

ain NM

RITA’S WATER ICE ce, custard, happiness,” recites Jim Hagan, owner of the Blacksburg and Roanoke locations of the franchise, over the loud, metallic hum of a large machine.

Formerly a college football coach, Hagan was looking for a new business when his daughter introduced him to Rita’s.

“I liked the model and decided on Rita’s,” Hagan said. “I was familiar with Virginia Tech through coaching associates and when they told me Blacksburg was open, I grabbed it.”

He also acquired the rights to three locations in Salem and Roanoke.

The frozen treat, “water ice,” comes in a wide range of consistencies and flavors, setting it apart from traditional Italian ice.

“We go from a very runny ‘raindrop’ consistency to almost a Tootsie Roll product,” Hagan said.

“Right now, this is orange cream, at a four consistency” he explained, gesturing to the steady stream of thick, orange water ice cascading from the machine into a large white tub. “But we make it fresh and do different flavors everyday.”

Of the 44 flavors of water ice

Yet, as establishments including Bogen’s Steakhouse and Pee Wee’s Pit Barbeque closed for good, three new restaurants: Rita’s Water Ice, Green’s Sushi and Grill, and D.P. Dough, opened their doors this summer to offer downtown Blacksburg some much-needed flavor.

through Green’s, which opened in June.

Thus far, business has been “very, very, very good” and hopes to expand with the return of students and the expected receipt of a liquor license in the next few weeks.

“I hope to see that at some point, we can be like a figure in downtown Blacksburg,” said El Abboud, who expresses a desire to expose students and locals to quality food at a low price.

“Everything on the menu is only $5 to $9,” El Abboud said. “We offer food for students on the gourmet side. It’s affordable, sushi should be for everyone, not just for people with ‘real jobs.’”

In addition to catering to student budgets, Green’s offers a large selection of specials and vegetarian options.

Monday night at Green’s is “vegetarian night” and El Abboud said they have a vegetarian special everyday.

Green’s is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is located on 109A College Ave. They offer both e takeout dining options. sit down vand

GREEN’S GRILL AND SUSHI reen’s Grill and Sushi has a unique dish for any appetite. Burgers can be topped with avocado, spinach and roasted red peppers, with tartar and horseradish sauce French fries on the side. The restaurant also offers a wide-variety of sushi including seared tuna rolls flaked with toppings.

Green’s Grill and Sushi puts a unique spin on classic dishes including pizza, Philly cheese steaks, burgers and sushi.

On the grill side, it tries to have the classics and put its own twists on them, explained George El Abboud, owner of Green’s Grill and Sushi.

“We make our own sauces,” he said.

“And make everything a little different and well-presented. We eat with our eye’s first.”

When preparing sushi, Green’s tries to use the ingredients in season as much as possible and buy produce from the Blacksburg Farmer’s Market.

A former cook and bartender, El Abboud said he married his interests

THANDIWE OGBONNA/COLLEGIATE TIMES

a Ro

opinions 5

editor: debra houchins opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.261.9861 COLLEGIATETIMES

august 26, 2009

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

Our Views [staff editorial]

Corrective actions for team started fair, became excessive F

ormer men’s soccer coach Oliver Weiss’ appropriate resignation should have been the end to the NCAA violation that remained largely hidden until the recent release of letters explaining that Weiss paid application fees and matriculation fees for some incoming foreign players.

The players, whom Weiss had recruited, verified that they paid back their coach.

They reasoned that that the process of paying these fees for an international recruit was difficult and time consuming, and Weiss offered to expedite the process. All of the players had been recruited solely by Virginia Tech.

While this practice seems harmless, and even generous, it violates a specific rule of the NCAA that says recruiters cannot pay fees for prospective players. Doing so constitutes bribery and is not tolerated, even for a reason that seems as innocent as Weiss’. Thus, his resignation was befitting.

It has been mandated that recruits must have documented their payments in the future.

Corrective actions have been taken in order to ensure that another violation — intentional or accidental — will not occur again. Cash payments from prospects must now be sent directly to the business office to be recorded, then sent to the athletics compliance office.

All forms payments will be rigorously documented Coaches will be educated in rules for recruitment, and specifically in how the payments are documented, during sessions in the fall.

These are appropriate and acceptable considering the infraction that was committed. They help remove room for error and clearly define who can and cannot make payments.

What is more questionable about the outcome of the investigation is another corrective action, which includes suspending foreign recruitment for three years.

It is unclear how this will provideretributionorsomehow prevent future mistakes regarding players besides punishing a team that consists of almost entirely new players anyway.

Because a coach was careless of the rules and claims he misinterpreted the rules by making a distinction between his private loan and bribery, the next three seasons of Tech men’s soccer may suffer and talented international students who would like a chance to come to Tech for soccer will not be able to.

In this case, the corrective actions are greatly unfair for current and future students.

Weiss resigned, steps were taken to ensure stricter regulation and the members within the NCAA can step back and reconsider the potential complexity in the recruitment process. Had the payment process been simpler, perhaps Weiss would not have broken the rules. Even though he did, there is absolutely no reason to rub proverbial salt in the wounds with the three-year suspension.

The editorial board is comprised of Debra Houchins and Sara Mitchell.

MCT Campus

Difficult lives of graduate students worth the stress D

on’t make fun of grad students,” Marge Simpson tells her son Bart, who holds a ponytail to his head and jokes about graduate student poverty in an episode of the “The Simpsons.” “They just made a terrible life choice.” While Marge and her family are vehicles for social satire, her comments reflect a common stereotype: Graduate students are impoverished, stressed and overworked minions.

This stereotype about graduate school has seeds of truth. The stipends tend to be small and the workloads large. Does it come with stress? Yes. Are the students overworked? Perhaps. But was it a terrible choice? That depends on what day you ask.

At any given time, a graduate student may have a to-do list full of undergraduate papers to grade, courses to study for, samples to collect, journal papers to write and presentations to prepare. Add to that family or other responsibilities, and the sun has gone down and come back up with nary a dent in the daunting to-dos.

In my work as the graduate student ombudsperson, I meet many graduate

students: new and returning, young many eventually becoming citizen and old, international and domestic. scholars or participating in other They are a diverse group with com- activities that blend service and scholplicated lives and unique perspectives. arship. However, these commitments My office offers them a “safe space” to are additional bullet points on their talk about their concerns or any frus- already full itineraries.

A graduate student’s life can be comtrations that arise during their graduate careers. As a neutral, confidential and plex and messy, and no two graduate informal resource, I listen to students school experiences are the same. So and help them discover what options when the Collegiate Times asked are available in a conflicted situation or me to write a column about graduate student issues this year, I asked if, in matters of policy and procedure.

What often emerges from indi- instead, we could use the forum as an vidual conversations, however, is a extension of the “safe space” graduate common drive and passion for their students enjoy within the walls of my field of study — be it biology, English, office — not as a space of complaint, psychology or chemical engineering. but one for listening and understandGraduate school, it turns out, is about ing, respect and civil dialogue.

Over the coming year, graduate stumore than individual success. In a 2008 report, the Council of Graduate dent volunteers will speak for themSchools noted: “Graduate education selves about why they chose to attend plays a central role in producing graduate school. They can express the scholars in a broad range of fields as many ways that their love for learnwell as an educated citizenry devoted ing and determination to contribute to democratic principles and ideas. to their disciplines and communities Many people with graduate degrees intersect with daily pressures, emodonate large numbers of hours to tions and their identities. They’ll offer community service, particularly in readers a real-world response to a social service agencies, educational cartoon stereotype. systems, local governments and nonprofit agencies.” Graduate students at Ennis McCrery Virginia Tech reflect this trend, with -graduate student ombudsperson

Martin Luther King’s speech 46 years later Sustainable practices on and off F

ew civil rights documents have been cited more often by more people with differing points of view than the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered Aug. 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.

Defenders of individual rights — those who believe in colorblind government and personal merit — frequently cite the line, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Defenders of race preferences cite other parts of the speech, reflecting a different side of Dr. King.

“In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check,” he said. “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. “... It is obvious today,” King said, “that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’”

“

Martin Luther King Junior was a social democrat who favored a large governmental in society.

Yet King the speechmaker understood that the large national audience he addressed opposed his politics but was open to a reversal of Jim Crow.

Since he was assassinated in 1968, it’s impossible to know what King’s positions on race and liberty might be today. Based on his philosophy at the time, however, there is every reason to believe that King, like his associate Jesse Jackson, would have embraced massive government intervention, including preferences, for blacks.

The “Dream” speech was short on specifics, but in a book published the following year, “Why We Can’t Wait,” King advocated “compensatory or preferential treatment” for past discrimination against blacks.

He also proposed a “Bill of Rights for the Disadvantaged” that would offer government benefits to minorities and “the forgotten white poor.”

These policy demands, to be fair, were a means and not an end. His dream was a world that looked beyond the group distinction of race and into “the content of (individual) character.” Thus, in 1968, King would oppose a “diversity liberalism” that makes a fetish of skin color.

Today’s liberals cannot have it both ways, embracing the means but not the dream. If diversity is the end, meaning certain percentages of certain types of individuals — whites, blacks, Latinos, Asians — carefully dispersed throughout society, there is no limit to racial and ethnic engineering. Skin color and ethnicity become commodities traded in the marketplace of “diversity.”

Martin Luther King Jr. was a social democrat who favored a large government role in society. Yet King the speechmaker understood that the large national audience he addressed opposed his politics but was open to a reversal of Jim Crow.

In reaching that audience, Dr. King carefully chose words that resonated with Americans across the political spectrum, words that rang true to the “American dream” as embodied in the Declaration of Independence.

On that narrow score, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Dream” speech offered something for everyone: defenders of individual rights and the racially aggrieved alike.

That is why his words entered the American canon of speech and why Americans today continue to celebrate them.

Dr. King emphasized “the fierce urgency of Now,” and rejected “the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.”

Clearly, some interpreters argue, King would support “benign” discrimination, such as race preferences, to right past wrongs.

Who is correct? Did Dr. King seek an America where each individual would be judged on his or her own merit, or was he ostensibly a political figure, seeking government intervention to achieve some notion of Jonathan Bean -McClatchy-Tribune racial “justice”?

campus simple and affective G

o green: The current phenomenon that is sweeping the nation is the result of hundreds of species disappearing and ecosystems caving in. More and more, society is seeing environmentally-friendly clothingandproductstoensurethatthe common person can help save their share of the earth. On the college scale, there are a few ways you can help out in your residence hall or apartment.

Take it from me, living in a dorm can definitely be trying at times, but don’t fret. There are ways to cut down on wasting energy and reuse what is already around you.

There are usually two windows in each dorm room. Use these windows instead of four fans scattered around the room. It’s especially helpful to open the top windows at night if a top bunk or loft is being used. A breeze can still be felt instead of turning a fan on high and hoping a bit of cool air will reach the top bunk.

The recycling bins that come in each dorm room should actually be used for recycling bottles or cardboard, not as extra storage or a makeshift sled in a winter snowstorm.

The recycling bins are right next to the Dumpsters so there’s no extra effort involved in disposal. Brush your teeth at the same time as your roommate instead of doubling the amount of water being used. (Sure, it might be weird, but think of the baby polar bears you’re saving in the North Pole.)

If you haven’t had the misfortune of experiencing a freezing cold dorm shower, you will realize soon enough that showering at random times throughout the day takes around 45 minutes just to get lukewarm water. Instead of running the water to warm it up, why not try to take a shower when the majority of the people on your hall are? It won’t waste water, plus you’d be surprised

at the juicy gossip you can hear in the shower rooms. Try not to take 30-minute showers either.

It’s not smart to stay in the dorm showers for more than 10 minutes anyway for fear of the sporadic fire drills.

Walk or take the bus to the grocery store. The buses are already running whether you take them or not, so why waste your own money on gas that will end up hurting the environment? Another possibility is to wait as long as possible to do your laundry without having to wear the same clothes three times in a row.

The lines are always long for washers, and you’ll have larger loads than if you do it twice a week.

You can also find major ways to conserve energy while living off-campus. One way to do this is to be a smart commuter. Take the bus to campus instead of driving every day. Parking and walking from the middle of nowhere is a pain — plus you never know who you might meet

“

The recycling bins that come in each dorm room should actually be used for recycling bins, not as extra storage or a makeshift shed in a winter snowstorm

on the bus. Try to continue recycling in your apartment.

Take items to a recycling center or to the bins on campus. Sure, it takes a little more effort, but you can make it a monthly drop off event with your roommates or friends. Most apartments have personal recycling bins like the dorm rooms on campus, so buy a clear storage box and label it for recycling.

If spending money isn’t your thing, use one of the cardboard boxes from move in. I’ve found that TV boxes work well. Another way to go

green is to turn off the TV and radio when you leave your apartment.

Your neighbors don’t need to hear the weather or country music for the next six hours while you’re gone for class.

Hand wash the easy dishes instead of barely filling the dishwasher.

There’s no need to waste water and detergent on four glasses, two plates and a spoon from the prior night. If you’re going to a store in Christiansburg, make it into a day trip and pile all your friends into the car. Have everyone pick up what they need at once instead of taking tons of little trips throughout the week.

No matter where you live, these tips can help you become a clean, green, environmental fiend.

Bring a reusable bag to Owens or Squires when picking up food to take home instead of using plastic bags that end up in the trash.

When out partying or tailgating, use reusable plates and cups instead of disposable plastics like Solo or Styrofoam that are thrown away. Drink out of a reusable bottle instead of plastic bottles, which take years to disintegrate in landfills. The bottles come in many designs and colors and can be found at any major retail store. Unplug your cell phone charger when you aren’t using it.

Unplug your laptop when it’s fully charged instead of letting it feed off of the wall power instead of the battery power.

A major way to give back to the community while having fun and experiencing Blacksburg is by participating in a community clean up.

Hopefully this helps you overcome your harmful habits and become a tree-hugging hippy, or at least some sort of variation on the theme.

Kristine Bannister -regular columnist -psychology major

Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor in Chief: Sara Mitchell Managing Editors: Peter Velz, Bethany Buchanan Production Manager: Thandiwe Ogbonna Public Editor: Justin Graves News Editors: Zach Crizer, Philipp Kotlaba News Reporters: Gordon Block, Kelsey Heiter, Kaitlyn Gleason, Riley Prendergast Features Editors: Teresa Tobat, Topher Forhecz Features Reporters: Ryan Arnold, Mary Anne Carter, Dan Waidelich Opinions Editor: Debra Houchins Sports Editors: Joe Crandley, Alex Jackson Sports Reporters: Ed Lupien, Ray Nimmo, Ryan Trapp, Melanie Wadden, Thomas Emerick Sports Staff Writers: Garrett Busic, Matt Collette, Lindsay Faulkner, Hattie Francis Copy Editors: Erin Corbey, Mika Rivera Layout Designers: Kelly Harrigan, Rachel McGiboney, Josh Son, Lindsey Bachand, Sara Spangler Illustrator: Mina Noorbakhsh Multimedia Editor: Kevin Anderson Multimedia Reporters: James Carty, Phillip Murillas, Mandi Wasmer Online Director: Zach Swasey Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: David Harries College Media Solutions Advertising Director: Tyler Ervin Asst Ad Director: Kendall Kapetanakis Account Executives: Nik Bando, Brandon Collins, Lee Eliav, Wade Stephenson, Allison Walton Inside Sales Manager: Judi Glass Office Manager: Kaelynn Kurtz Assistant Account Executives: Maddie Abram, Katie Berkel, Diane Revalski, Devon Steiner Ad Production Manager: Allison Bhatta Asst Production Manager: Lara Treadwell Creative Services Staff: Breanna Benz, Jenn DiMarco, Kara Noble, Adam Sexton, Kyle Waldrop Student Publications Photo Staff Business Manager: Luke Mason

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sports 6

editors: joe crandley, alex jackson sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ telephone number: 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

Violations: International soccer recruiting stopped for three years

from page one

sity fee is paid by an international prospect, the source of that payment must be documented. If that fee is an application or matriculation fee, Tech admissions office (undergraduate or graduate) must go through the athletics compliance office.

Additionally, “immediately following the time that a fee payment is received by Virginia Tech or the NCAA Eligibility Center … must sign a statement confirming that neither he/she, nor any other staff member assisted in making the payment.”

The recruiting rules-education session for coaches this fall will also now have the primary focus of issues surrounding the payment of fees, according to Weaver.

A separate letter to the NCAA reported another violation by Tech, involving NCAA Bylaw 14.1.8.2.

According to the letter dated May 29, 2008 from Senior Assistant Director of Athletics Tim Parker, this violation “consisted of allowing a former student-athlete to participate in competition during an event that occurred outside of the champion-

prior to payment. Additionally, he used this rationale to pay two types of Virginia Tech fees — the application fee (undergraduate and graduate) and the matriculation fee — for which payment options were not as severely restricted as the Eligibility Center fee.”

The violating coach paid these four fees with his own money, but instead of the Tech-stipulated requirement of immediate reimbursement, the length of time between payment of a fee and full repayment ranged “from several days to five months.”

In the letter released Tuesday, Weaver noted the suspension of international recruiting along with several other corrective actions that have been taken by the university.

“All eight individuals have been declared ineligible for competition,” Weaver said. Three of the players, however, have since been reinstated for eligibility. None of the players are currently on the team.

Departmental procedures have been amended.

Now, for each occasion a univer-

is hiring ALL editorial positions!

ship season.”

The violation occurred when the Tech soccer team lacked players for a spring game at Indiana University.

According to Parker, a 2007-2008 team member who had received his bachelor’s degree in December 2007 and subsequently left Tech was contacted and entered the game at Indiana.

This was in violation of NCAA rules.

Tech took corrective actions for this violation including requiring the personal payment by the violating coach of a required $500 fine. Also, Tech sent a letter of reprimand to the responsible coach and ordered a “one-game suspension of the offending coach.”

Finally, Parker said, “as a reflection of the seriousness with which our Director of Athletics views this violation,” not only would the coach be suspended for a game, but “the number of competitive dates during the program’s upcoming non-championship season will also be reduced to one.”

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2009-10 Virginia Tech T Men's Basketball Schedule Philly Hoop Group Classic - Blacksburg, V Va. Sun. Nov. v 15 Brown^ Tues. Nov. v 17 UNCG Mon. Nov. v 23 at Campbell Philly Hoop Group Classic - Philadelphia, Pa. Fri. Nov. v 27 vs. T Temple# p Sat. Nov. v 28 vs. Delaware# Big Ten/ACC Challenge Tues. Dec. 1 at Iowa% 9:30 p.m. ESPN2 Sun. Dec. 6 Georgia Wed. Dec. 9 W VMI Sat. Dec. 12 at Penn State 8:00 p.m. ESPN2 Sat. Dec. 19 Charleston Southern Tues. Dec. 22 UMBC Wed. Dec. 30 W Longwood g Sat. Jan. 2 vs. Seton Hall (Cancun, Mexico) Sun. Jan. 10 at North Carolina* 7:45 p.m. FSN Wed. Jan. 13 W Miami* Sat. Jan. 16 at Florida State* 6:00 p.m. RSN Mon. Jan. 18 North Carolina Central Sat. Jan. 23 Boston College* 1:30 p.m. Raycom Thur. r Jan. 28 at Virginia* TBD CSN Sun. Jan. 31 at Miami* 1:00 p p.m. Raycom y Thur. r Feb. 4 North Carolina* 9:00 p.m. p Raycom y split p Sat. Feb. 6 Clemson* 4:00 p.m. Raycom split Wed. Feb. 10 W at NC State* Sat. Feb. 13 Virginia* g 8:00 p.m. Raycom split Tues. Feb. 16 Wake Forest* W 7:00 p.m. ESPN2 Sat. Feb. 21 at Duke* TBD FSN Wed. Feb. 24 W at Boston College* 7:00 p p.m. ESPNU Sat. Feb. 27 Maryland* 4:00 p.m. Raycom split Wed. Marr. 3 W NC State* Sat. Mar. r 6 at Georgia Tech* T 4:00 p.m. Raycom Thur.r Marr. 11-Sun. Marr. 14 ACC Tour T nament TBA Raycom/ESPN/ ESPN2 (Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, N.C.) * - Atlantic Coast Conference Games ^ - Philly Hoop Group, Blacksburg, V Va. # - Philly Hoop Group, Philadelphia, Pa. % - ACC/Big Ten T Challenge, Iowa Citty, Iowa All times are EST and are subject to change

The Virginia Tech athletic department released the 20092010 men’s basketball schedule Tuesday.

Tech will play 16 or more games on television this season, including a nationally televised game against North Carolina to open the Hokies’ Atlantic Coast Conference

schedule.

The Hokies will travel to Cancun, Mexico to play a game on foreign soil for the first time in school history against Seton Hall Jan. 2, and will also be participating in the Philly Hoop Group Classic against Brown, UNC Greensboro, Campbell, Temple

and Delaware.

Sixteen home games are scheduled for the season, including ACC games against Miami, Boston College, North Carolina, Virginia, Wake Forest, Maryland and North Carolina State, the most since 17 were played at home in the 2005-2006 season.

august 26, 2009

page 7

College GameDay means more to Tech T

o many Virginia Tech fans, appearing on ESPN College GameDay serves as a reminder of what Tech football used to be and what lies ahead for the program.

Head coach Frank Beamer started his career at Tech in 1987 by leading the Hokies through six dismal seasons before turning everything around with a 9-3 record in 1993.

That successful campaign eased the pain of four sub-.500 seasons and five losses to rival Virginia out of six games at the beginning of

the Beamer era.

Since then, bowl appearances, 10-win seasons and conference championships are expected by all Hokies fans, despite not possessing the usual legacy of other football powerhouses.

Though the Hokies may not possess the same tradition as the elite programs, Tech has built quite an intriguing GameDay history.

In 1999, a Michael Vick-led Tech team broke onto the national scene and was featured three

times on GameDay, trouncing Syracuse 63-0 and Miami 43-10, before ultimately being defeated by Florida State in the national championship game.

Even with the loss, the Hokies showed they had arrived, and everyone in the country knew because of College GameDay. The next year, GameDay led off the season with the Black Coaches Association Kickoff featuring Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech.

Neither team took the field that day due

PPS CUI/S O U OZH SHA

to bad weather, but the game will always be remembered by Virginia Tech fans since Lee Corso’s rental car was struck by lightning after Corso predicted the Hokies would not appear in the national championship game.

Corso later said, “I don’t know what a Hokie is, but God is one of them. Go Virginia Tech.”

In 2005, Tech hosted GameDay twice, defeating Georgia Tech and losing to Miami, but GameDay made the ultimate gesture in 2007 by kicking off their season with the

SHAOZHUO CUI/SPPS

Tech fans cheered for the camera prior to the season opener against East Carolina University Pirates on Sept.1, 2007. The Hokies later won the game 17-7.

Hokies, just months after the shooting in April.

The Tech community had been shaken to its core on April 16, 2007 for the whole world to see. A few months later, GameDay showed up to feature not just a game, but an entire community still reeling from a senseless tragedy.

What the GameDay crew broadcasts to the nation that day was a resilient group of Hokies that had become closer through their loss, and a football team tasked with carrying an entire community during a dark time. In an emotional game, Tech won 17-7 over East Carolina University.

Two years later, Tech fans, students and alumni still remember the victims of the shooting, but the football team and community now focus on the task at hand: competing for the national championship 10 years after the 2000 Sugar Bowl.

Tech must prove its worthiness early on in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic against the University of Alabama, or its title hopes may be gone after the first game.

Ten years later, this Tech team holds eerie similarities to the 1999 team that lost to Florida State: a stingy defense with dynamic playmakers, a quarterback who reminds many of Vick, and an apparent chemistry reminiscent of the best team in Tech history.

This matchup stands as another chance for Tech to certify its status among the nation’s elite. For years, Tech football fans have been unsure whether or not they truly belong in the elite category with the conference powers of the SEC, Big 12, Big Ten and PAC-10.

The reputation of Tech football took a big hit after being manhandled in the 2007 season by LSU, 48-7.

With a win over the Crimson Tide in the national spotlight on ESPN GameDay, the Hokies may be on their way to filling the empty national championship trophy case that looms over the practice field in Blacksburg.

Tech may be facing an uphill battle against a tough Alabama team, but with a win over the Tide in September, the naysayers might disappear and be converted into believers.

After all, as GameDay’s own Corso said, the Hokies will have God on their side.

JOE CRANDLEY -sports editor -senior -communication major

august 26, 2009

page 8

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ACROSS 1 Paul of “American Graffiti” 6 Big Apple sch.

10 One often looking down?

14 Part of Caesar’s boast 15 Former manager Felipe 16 Bishop of Rome 17 Exterior attractiveness, to a Realtor 19 Wilson of “Wedding Crashers” 20 Beethoven’s affliction 22 Hunk 24 Drei minus zwei 25 Flummoxed 26 Embraces, as a philosophy 28 Site for saplings 30 Old Italian bread 31 Lined up 33 What chambers of commerce do, and this puzzle’s title 38 Like a banquet 39 Slightly 41 Thorny shrubs commonly with yellow flowers 44 Livestock food 46 Billiards bounce 47 James of “The Godfather” 49 Bar code?

50 Drug safety test 54 General Bradley 55 Replay feature 58 Soap actress Sofer 59 Isle where Macbeth is buried 60 Rope loop 61 Scott in a landmark civil rights case 62 Clairvoyant 63 Kind of pressure that can cause headaches DOWN 1 Driver’s document: Abbr.

2 Old French coin

By Dan Naddor

3 Vermont music festival town 4 Early Christian pulpit 5 Afternoon service 6 Menu fowl 7 Staff symbols 8 Wordsmith Webster 9 Christmastime 10 Golf pro shop array 11 Not in any way 12 Feature of some corkscrews 13 Popular analgesic cream 18 Pitchfork-shaped letters 21 Hitter of 755 homers 22 Hoedown dancer 23 Lyrical 27 Three-time Editorial Cartooning Pulitzer winner 28 “Parsley is gharsley” poet 29 Ocean State sch.

31 Bird venerated by ancient Egyptians 32 Frat letters

8/26/09 Tuesday’s Puzzle Solved

(c)2009 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

34 “Spider-Man” director 35 New Deal prog.

36 Breeding horse 37 Heroic tale 40 Drops on the grass 41 Agreement 42 More tranquil 43 French satellitelaunching rocket 44 Old MacDonald’s place

8/26/09

45 Whopper toppers 47 Duplicate 48 Fighting big-time 51 Members of Gil Grissom’s team, briefly 52 Medicinal plant 53 Yours, in Tours 56 The Buckeyes, initially 57 Super __: game console

august 26, 2009

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sports 10

editors: joe crandley, alex jackson sportseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ telephone number: 540.231.9865 COLLEGIATETIMES

august 26, 2009

Improved leadership imperative to volleyball success RAY NIMMO ct sports reporter The 2008 Virginia Tech women’s volleyball team showed flashes of brilliance at times, producing an 11-game winning streak and the first 20-win season since 2002, but it faltered late in the campaign.

Ultimately, the young team finished 20-11 overall and 11-9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference after an impressive 16-3 start.

How can the team continue to get better?

Leadership was lacking last year, as some of the team’s best players were fairly quiet on the court. Intangibles are what the coaches have been stressing to the team, especially to captainelect Felicia Willoughby and setter Erin Leaser.

Willoughby, a junior middle blocker, led the ACC in hitting percentage (.402), led Tech in kills (326) and blocks (117), and received an honorable mention All-American and first-team All-ACC selections.

Even though she leads the team statistically, Willoughby has been working to improve her communication with her teammates on the floor and to be a better leader.

“People expect that from me, and I think that it’s time for me to start stepping up in that type of role,” Willoughby said.

Despite the impressive statistics she put up last year, head coach Chris Riley looks for improvement from his star player.

“She can be a better blocker,” Riley said. “She’s got more support this year, so I don’t think she has to be .400 again. I expect her to be and at least up that high, but I think she will be a more complete player this year than she was. She has a tendency to focus on what she needs to do to get this point, and now she’s focusing on everyone else.”

Leaser, a sophomore, is coming off an outstanding freshman year at arguably the most important position in volleyball. As the quarterback of the court, she had 1,084 assists and was named to the ACC All-Freshman team.

Like Willoughby, she’s learning to communicate better.

“We’ve been working in practice with me talking to the team and interacting with the girls,” Leaser said. “I’m more of a quiet girl so it’s been kind of difficult for me, but I’m coming out

of my shell and learning how to lead the team.”

Besides leadership, teamwork stands as one of the top factors the players and coaches are working on. Leaser and Willoughby showed excellent chemistry in their first year together, and they’ve been building on that.

“A middle (blocker)’s connection with the setter is all about timing,” assistant coach Shelbylynn McBride said, “and they’ve spent so much time together on the court and off the court that their relationship shows through when they connect.”

Leaser agrees. “I think we have a really good connection. We always seem to know where each other are on the court,” she said.

The whole team has been participating in various events together to build the connections with each other. All of the players, including freshmen, attended practice for the second session of summer school. They went whitewater rafting in West Virginia last week, and they have been going to sports psychologist meetings as a group.

“

We’d really like to see more people out there. We play better. It’s so much more exciting. It gets us so excited, and we play so well.

ERIN LEASER SETTER

Tech was picked to finish sixth in the conference by the ACC media.

The players made it known they don’t put much thought into preseason rankings except that it gives them more motivation.

“I like being the underdog and surprising people like we did last year,” Leaser said.

The tools are there for Tech to make another run at a conference title. Tech will be running a 5-1 offense for the most part, which features five attackers and one setter. The team is also hoping their speed will work to their advantage.

“We run multiple first tempos.

We’re tough to defend. Our setters do a great job being deceptive and allow our hitters to have one-on-ones,” McBride said.

Senior middle blocker Betsy Horowitz is recovering from a herni-

ated disc she suffered from last season.

Her status fluctuates from day to day, and she hopes to be in full health by conference play, if not sooner.

Horowitz has compiled 316 kills and 122 blocks during her career at Tech.

Senior Taylor Parrish will be a mainstay at the outside hitter position. She has amassed 1,116 kills and started 76 out of the 91 matches she’s played in.

Sophomore Justine Record is another outside hitter coming off a great 2008 campaign. As a freshman, Record started 28 out of 30 matches and has 238 kills.

Tech played tough defense all season in 2008, and the coaches expect that to continue into the 2009 season.

“Our liberos are the core of the team,” McBride said. “They’re the spirit and heartbeat of the team and the energy of the whole unit.”

Redshirt senior Jill Gergen may be the best defender for the Hokies.

Gergen racked up 430 digs last year and has 764 digs overall at Tech since transferring from the University of Nebraska-Kearney.

One thing the coaches are thrilled about this year is the depth of the roster.

“We’ve got a lot of freshmen and a lot of competition,” McBride said.

“Almost every position, someone is fighting for a spot.”

That competition is providing more intense practices — something that the players love. With these difficult practices, Riley promotes the aggressive style he wants to see the team play with, and he wants opponents to expect a different energy level than years past.

“I think if everyone knows we’re going to be loud, we’re going to be aggressive, we’re going to be in their face with everything that we do, they’re going to have to choose to either meet that level or they’re going to lose,” Riley said.

The coaches and players want fans to know their style of play is fun to watch.

“We really like when people come to our games,” Leaser said. “We’d really like to see more people out there. We play better. It’s so much more exciting. It gets us so excited, and we play so well.”

The Hokies kick off their season at home with three games in the Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational at Cassell CHRIS STACK/SPPS Coliseum on Aug. 28-29. Their first The volleyball team celebrates scoring a point in a 3-1 win over Wake Forest in Blacksburg to get to 16-3 game will be against Montana at 7 on the season.

The team struggled late in the season and unfortunately missed the NCAA tournament. p.m.

Immediate.

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